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Li MC, Lai YL, Kuo PH, Reddy JS, Chen CM, Manimala J, Wang PC, Wu MS, Chang CY, Yang CM, Lin CY, Huang YC, Chiu CH, Chang L, Lin WH, Yeh TK, Yen WC, Hsieh HP. Discovery of Dual MER/AXL Kinase Inhibitors as Bifunctional Small Molecules for Inhibiting Tumor Growth and Enhancing Tumor Immune Microenvironment. J Med Chem 2024. [PMID: 38913493 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
A series of bifunctional compounds have been discovered for their dual functionality as MER/AXL inhibitors and immune modulators. The furanopyrimidine scaffold, renowned for its suitability in kinase inhibitor discovery, offers at least three distinct pharmacophore access points. Insights from molecular modeling studies guided hit-to-lead optimization, which revealed that the 1,3-diketone side chain hybridized with furanopyrimidine scaffold that respectively combined amino-type substituent and 1H-pyrazol-4-yl substituent on the top and bottom of the aryl regions to produce 22 and 33, exhibiting potent antitumor activities in various syngeneic and xenograft models. More importantly, 33 demonstrated remarkable immune-modulating activity by upregulating the expression of total T-cells, cytotoxic CD8+ T-cells, and helper CD4+ T-cells in the spleen. These findings underscored the bifunctional capabilities of 33 (BPR5K230) with excellent oral bioavailability (F = 54.6%), inhibiting both MER and AXL while modulating the tumor microenvironment and highlighting its diverse applicability for further studies to advance its therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mu-Chun Li
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
- Biomedical Translation Research Center (BioTReC), Academia Sinica, Taipei City 115202, Taiwan, ROC
| | - You-Liang Lai
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Po-Hsien Kuo
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Julakanti Satyanarayana Reddy
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chih-Ming Chen
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Julakanti Manimala
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Pei-Chen Wang
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ming-Shiem Wu
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chun-Yu Chang
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chen-Ming Yang
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chin-Yu Lin
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yu-Chen Huang
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chun-Hsien Chiu
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ling Chang
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Wen-Hsing Lin
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Teng-Kuang Yeh
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Wan-Ching Yen
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Hsing-Pang Hsieh
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
- Biomedical Translation Research Center (BioTReC), Academia Sinica, Taipei City 115202, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu City 300044, Taiwan, ROC
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Yu L, Deng Y, Wang X, Santos C, Davis IJ, Earp HS, Liu P. Co-targeting JAK1/STAT6/GAS6/TAM signaling improves chemotherapy efficacy in Ewing sarcoma. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5292. [PMID: 38906855 PMCID: PMC11192891 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49667-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is a pediatric bone and soft tissue tumor treated with chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Despite intensive multimodality therapy, ~50% patients eventually relapse and die of the disease due to chemoresistance. Here, using phospho-profiling, we find Ewing sarcoma cells treated with chemotherapeutic agents activate TAM (TYRO3, AXL, MERTK) kinases to augment Akt and ERK signaling facilitating chemoresistance. Mechanistically, chemotherapy-induced JAK1-SQ phosphorylation releases JAK1 pseudokinase domain inhibition allowing for JAK1 activation. This alternative JAK1 activation mechanism leads to STAT6 nuclear translocation triggering transcription and secretion of the TAM kinase ligand GAS6 with autocrine/paracrine consequences. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of either JAK1 by filgotinib or TAM kinases by UNC2025 sensitizes Ewing sarcoma to chemotherapy in vitro and in vivo. Excitingly, the TAM kinase inhibitor MRX-2843 currently in human clinical trials to treat AML and advanced solid tumors, enhances chemotherapy efficacy to further suppress Ewing sarcoma tumor growth in vivo. Our findings reveal an Ewing sarcoma chemoresistance mechanism with an immediate translational value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Yu
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Yu Deng
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Xiaodong Wang
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Charlene Santos
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Ian J Davis
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Genetics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - H Shelton Earp
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Medicine and Pharmacology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Pengda Liu
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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Kong D, Tian Q, Chen Z, Zheng H, Stashko MA, Yan D, Earp HS, Frye SV, DeRyckere D, Kireev D, Graham DK, Wang X. Discovery of Novel Macrocyclic MERTK/AXL Dual Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2024; 67:5866-5882. [PMID: 38556760 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
MERTK and AXL are members of the TAM (TYRO3, AXL, MERTK) family of receptor tyrosine kinases that are aberrantly expressed and have been implicated as therapeutic targets in a wide variety of human tumors. Dual MERTK and AXL inhibition could provide antitumor action mediated by both direct tumor cell killing and modulation of the innate immune response in some tumors such as nonsmall cell lung cancer. We utilized our knowledge of MERTK inhibitors and a structure-based drug design approach to discover a novel class of macrocyclic dual MERTK/AXL inhibitors. The lead compound 43 had low-nanomolar activity against both MERTK and AXL and good selectivity over TYRO3 and FLT3. Its target engagement and selectivity were also confirmed by NanoBRET and cell-based MERTK and AXL phosphorylation assays. Compound 43 had excellent pharmacokinetic properties (large AUC and long half-life) and mediated antitumor activity against lung cancer cell lines, indicating its potential as a therapeutic agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deyu Kong
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7355, United States
| | - Qiang Tian
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7355, United States
| | - Zhilong Chen
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7355, United States
| | - Hongchao Zheng
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7355, United States
| | - Michael A Stashko
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7355, United States
| | - Dan Yan
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - H Shelton Earp
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Stephen V Frye
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7355, United States
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Deborah DeRyckere
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Dmitri Kireev
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7355, United States
| | - Douglas K Graham
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Xiaodong Wang
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7355, United States
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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Ubil E, Zahid KR. Structure and functions of Mer, an innate immune checkpoint. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1244170. [PMID: 37936688 PMCID: PMC10626544 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1244170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy is a promising therapeutic tool that promotes the elimination of cancerous cells by a patient's own immune system. However, in the clinical setting, the number of cancer patients benefitting from immunotherapy is limited. Identification and targeting of other immune subsets, such as tumor-associated macrophages, and alternative immune checkpoints, like Mer, may further limit tumor progression and therapy resistance. In this review, we highlight the key roles of macrophage Mer signaling in immune suppression. We also summarize the role of pro-inflammatory (M1) and anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes in tumor onset and progression and how Mer structure and activation can be targeted therapeutically to alter activation state. Preclinical and clinical studies focusing on Mer kinase inhibition have demonstrated the potential of targeting this innate immune checkpoint, leading to improved anti-tumor responses and patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Ubil
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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Wang L, Zhou Y, Wu X, Ma X, Li B, Ding R, Stashko MA, Wu Z, Wang X, Li Z. The Synthesis and Initial Evaluation of MerTK Targeted PET Agents. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27051460. [PMID: 35268561 PMCID: PMC8911752 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27051460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
MerTK (Mer tyrosine kinase), a receptor tyrosine kinase, is ectopically or aberrantly expressed in numerous human hematologic and solid malignancies. Although a variety of MerTK targeting therapies are being developed to enhance outcomes for patients with various cancers, the sensitivity of tumors to MerTK suppression may not be uniform due to the heterogeneity of solid tumors and different tumor stages. In this report, we develop a series of radiolabeled agents as potential MerTK PET (positron emission tomography) agents. In our initial in vivo evaluation, [18F]-MerTK-6 showed prominent uptake rate (4.79 ± 0.24%ID/g) in B16F10 tumor-bearing mice. The tumor to muscle ratio reached 1.86 and 3.09 at 0.5 and 2 h post-injection, respectively. In summary, [18F]-MerTK-6 is a promising PET agent for MerTK imaging and is worth further evaluation in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA; (L.W.); (X.W.); (X.M.); (Z.L.)
| | - Yubai Zhou
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (Y.Z.); (B.L.); (R.D.); (M.A.S.)
| | - Xuedan Wu
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA; (L.W.); (X.W.); (X.M.); (Z.L.)
| | - Xinrui Ma
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA; (L.W.); (X.W.); (X.M.); (Z.L.)
| | - Bing Li
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (Y.Z.); (B.L.); (R.D.); (M.A.S.)
| | - Ransheng Ding
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (Y.Z.); (B.L.); (R.D.); (M.A.S.)
| | - Michael A. Stashko
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (Y.Z.); (B.L.); (R.D.); (M.A.S.)
| | - Zhanhong Wu
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA; (L.W.); (X.W.); (X.M.); (Z.L.)
- Correspondence: (Z.W.); (X.W.)
| | - Xiaodong Wang
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (Y.Z.); (B.L.); (R.D.); (M.A.S.)
- Correspondence: (Z.W.); (X.W.)
| | - Zibo Li
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA; (L.W.); (X.W.); (X.M.); (Z.L.)
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