1
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Niphakis MJ, Cravatt BF. Ligand discovery by activity-based protein profiling. Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:1636-1651. [PMID: 39303700 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2024.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2024] [Revised: 08/15/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
Genomic technologies have led to massive gains in our understanding of human gene function and disease relevance. Chemical biologists are a primary beneficiary of this information, which can guide the prioritization of proteins for chemical probe and drug development. The vast functional and structural diversity of disease-relevant proteins, however, presents challenges for conventional small molecule screening libraries and assay development that in turn raise questions about the broader "druggability" of the human proteome. Here, we posit that activity-based protein profiling (ABPP), by generating global maps of small molecule-protein interactions in native biological systems, is well positioned to address major obstacles in human biology-guided chemical probe and drug discovery. We will support this viewpoint with case studies highlighting a range of small molecule mechanisms illuminated by ABPP that include the disruption and stabilization of biomolecular (protein-protein/nucleic acid) interactions and underscore allostery as a rich source of chemical tools for historically "undruggable" protein classes.
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2
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Mackay HL, Stone HR, Ronson GE, Ellis K, Lanz A, Aghabi Y, Walker AK, Starowicz K, Garvin AJ, Van Eijk P, Koestler SA, Anthony EJ, Piberger AL, Chauhan AS, Conway-Thomas P, Vaitsiankova A, Vijayendran S, Beesley JF, Petermann E, Brown EJ, Densham RM, Reed SH, Dobbs F, Saponaro M, Morris JR. USP50 suppresses alternative RecQ helicase use and deleterious DNA2 activity during replication. Nat Commun 2024; 15:8102. [PMID: 39284827 PMCID: PMC11405836 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52250-4] [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: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Mammalian DNA replication relies on various DNA helicase and nuclease activities to ensure accurate genetic duplication, but how different helicase and nuclease activities are properly directed remains unclear. Here, we identify the ubiquitin-specific protease, USP50, as a chromatin-associated protein required to promote ongoing replication, fork restart, telomere maintenance, cellular survival following hydroxyurea or pyridostatin treatment, and suppression of DNA breaks near GC-rich sequences. We find that USP50 supports proper WRN-FEN1 localisation at or near stalled replication forks. Nascent DNA in cells lacking USP50 shows increased association of the DNA2 nuclease and RECQL4 and RECQL5 helicases and replication defects in cells lacking USP50, or FEN1 are driven by these proteins. Consequently, suppression of DNA2 or RECQL4/5 improves USP50-depleted cell resistance to agents inducing replicative stress and restores telomere stability. These data define an unexpected regulatory protein that promotes the balance of helicase and nuclease use at ongoing and stalled replication forks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah L Mackay
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Helen R Stone
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- CCTT-C Cancer Research UK, Clinical trials unit, Sir Robert Aitken building, College of Medicine and Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - George E Ronson
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Katherine Ellis
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK
| | - Alexander Lanz
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Yara Aghabi
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Alexandra K Walker
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Katarzyna Starowicz
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- Adthera Bio, Lyndon House, 62 Hagley Road, Birmingham, B16 8PE, UK
| | - Alexander J Garvin
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- SUMO Biology Lab, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Patrick Van Eijk
- Broken String Biosciences Ltd., BioData Innovation Centre, Unit AB3-03, Level 3, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1DR, UK
- Division of Cancer & Genetics School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Stefan A Koestler
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Elizabeth J Anthony
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Ann Liza Piberger
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Anoop S Chauhan
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Poppy Conway-Thomas
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Alina Vaitsiankova
- Genome Damage and Stability Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9RQ, UK
- Department of Genetics and Development, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sobana Vijayendran
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- University Hospital Birmingham N.H.S. Foundation Trust, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Mindelsohn Way, Birmingham, B15 2TH, UK
| | - James F Beesley
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Eva Petermann
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Eric J Brown
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 421 Curie Boulevard PA, 19104-6160, USA
| | - Ruth M Densham
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Simon H Reed
- Broken String Biosciences Ltd., BioData Innovation Centre, Unit AB3-03, Level 3, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1DR, UK
- Division of Cancer & Genetics School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Felix Dobbs
- Broken String Biosciences Ltd., BioData Innovation Centre, Unit AB3-03, Level 3, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1DR, UK
- Division of Cancer & Genetics School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Marco Saponaro
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Joanna R Morris
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology and Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
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3
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Tejwani V, Carroll T, Macartney T, Bandau S, Alabert C, Saredi G, Toth R, Rouse J. PROTAC-mediated conditional degradation of the WRN helicase as a potential strategy for selective killing of cancer cells with microsatellite instability. Sci Rep 2024; 14:20824. [PMID: 39242638 PMCID: PMC11379953 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-71160-5] [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: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Multiple studies have demonstrated that cancer cells with microsatellite instability (MSI) are intolerant to loss of the Werner syndrome helicase (WRN), whereas microsatellite-stable (MSS) cancer cells are not. Therefore, WRN represents a promising new synthetic lethal target for developing drugs to treat cancers with MSI. Given the uncertainty of how effective inhibitors of WRN activity will prove in clinical trials, and the likelihood of tumours developing resistance to WRN inhibitors, alternative strategies for impeding WRN function are needed. Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are heterobifunctional small molecules that target specific proteins for degradation. Here, we engineered the WRN locus so that the gene product is fused to a bromodomain (Bd)-tag, enabling conditional WRN degradation with the AGB-1 PROTAC specific for the Bd-tag. Our data revealed that WRN degradation is highly toxic in MSI but not MSS cell lines. In MSI cells, WRN degradation caused G2/M arrest, chromosome breakage and ATM kinase activation. We also describe a multi-colour cell-based platform for facile testing of selective toxicity in MSI versus MSS cell lines. Together, our data show that a degrader approach is a potentially powerful way of targeting WRN in MSI cancers and paves the way for the development of WRN-specific PROTAC compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikram Tejwani
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Thomas Carroll
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Thomas Macartney
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Susanne Bandau
- Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Constance Alabert
- Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Giulia Saredi
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Rachel Toth
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, UK
| | - John Rouse
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, UK.
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4
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Picco G, Rao Y, Al Saedi A, Lee Y, Vieira SF, Bhosle S, May K, Herranz-Ors C, Walker SJ, Shenje R, Dincer C, Gibson F, Banerjee R, Hewitson Z, Werner T, Cottom JE, Peng Y, Deng N, Zhang Y, Nartey EN, Nickels L, Landis P, Conticelli D, McCarten K, Bush J, Sharma M, Lightfoot H, House D, Milford E, Grant EK, Glogowski MP, Wagner CD, Bantscheff M, Rutkowska-Klute A, Zappacosta F, Pettinger J, Barthorpe S, Eberl HC, Jones BT, Schneck JL, Murphy DJ, Voest EE, Taygerly JP, DeMartino MP, Coelho MA, Houseley J, Sharma G, Schwartz B, Garnett MJ. Novel WRN Helicase Inhibitors Selectively Target Microsatellite-Unstable Cancer Cells. Cancer Discov 2024; 14:1457-1475. [PMID: 38587317 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-24-0052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Microsatellite-unstable (MSI) cancers require WRN helicase to resolve replication stress due to expanded DNA (TA)n dinucleotide repeats. WRN is a promising synthetic lethal target for MSI tumors, and WRN inhibitors are in development. In this study, we used CRISPR-Cas9 base editing to map WRN residues critical for MSI cells, validating the helicase domain as the primary drug target. Fragment-based screening led to the development of potent and highly selective WRN helicase covalent inhibitors. These compounds selectively suppressed MSI model growth in vitro and in vivo by mimicking WRN loss, inducing DNA double-strand breaks at expanded TA repeats and DNA damage. Assessment of biomarkers in preclinical models linked TA-repeat expansions and mismatch repair alterations to compound activity. Efficacy was confirmed in immunotherapy-resistant organoids and patient-derived xenograft models. The discovery of potent, selective covalent WRN inhibitors provides proof of concept for synthetic lethal targeting of WRN in MSI cancer and tools to dissect WRN biology. Significance: We report the discovery and characterization of potent, selective WRN helicase inhibitors for MSI cancer treatment, with biomarker analysis and evaluation of efficacy in vivo and in immunotherapy-refractory preclinical models. These findings pave the way to translate WRN inhibition into MSI cancer therapies and provide tools to investigate WRN biology. See related commentary by Wainberg, p. 1369.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yang Lee
- GSK, Upper Providence, Pennsylvania
| | | | | | - Kieron May
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Emile E Voest
- Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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5
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Wainberg ZA. WRN Helicase: Is There More to MSI-H than Immunotherapy? Cancer Discov 2024; 14:1369-1371. [PMID: 39091203 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-24-0771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
In this issue, Picco and colleagues provide further evidence that WRN inhibitors are synthetically lethal in microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) cancers and function by blocking the helicase domain of select WRN residues. They demonstrate that WRN inhibitors may be even more effective in a subset of MSI-high tumors with (TA)n repeat expansions, which represents a possible strategy in clinical development. See related article by Picco et al., p. 1457 (1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Zev A Wainberg
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Early Phase Clinical Research Program, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer at UCLA, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California
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6
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Orren DK, Machwe A. Response to Replication Stress and Maintenance of Genome Stability by WRN, the Werner Syndrome Protein. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8300. [PMID: 39125869 PMCID: PMC11311767 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25158300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Werner syndrome (WS) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by loss of function of WRN. WS is a segmental progeroid disease and shows early onset or increased frequency of many characteristics of normal aging. WRN possesses helicase, annealing, strand exchange, and exonuclease activities and acts on a variety of DNA substrates, even complex replication and recombination intermediates. Here, we review the genetics, biochemistry, and probably physiological functions of the WRN protein. Although its precise role is unclear, evidence suggests WRN plays a role in pathways that respond to replication stress and maintain genome stability particularly in telomeric regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David K. Orren
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, USA;
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
| | - Amrita Machwe
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, USA;
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
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7
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Rodríguez Pérez F, Natwick D, Schiff L, McSwiggen D, Heckert A, Huey M, Morrison H, Loo M, Miranda RG, Filbin J, Ortega J, Van Buren K, Murnock D, Tao A, Butler R, Cheng K, Tarvestad W, Zhang Z, Gonzalez E, Miller RM, Kelly M, Tang Y, Ho J, Anderson D, Bashore C, Basham S. WRN inhibition leads to its chromatin-associated degradation via the PIAS4-RNF4-p97/VCP axis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6059. [PMID: 39025847 PMCID: PMC11258360 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50178-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Synthetic lethality provides an attractive strategy for developing targeted cancer therapies. For example, cancer cells with high levels of microsatellite instability (MSI-H) are dependent on the Werner (WRN) helicase for survival. However, the mechanisms that regulate WRN spatiotemporal dynamics remain poorly understood. Here, we used single-molecule tracking (SMT) in combination with a WRN inhibitor to examine WRN dynamics within the nuclei of living cancer cells. WRN inhibition traps the helicase on chromatin, requiring p97/VCP for extraction and proteasomal degradation in a MSI-H dependent manner. Using a phenotypic screen, we identify the PIAS4-RNF4 axis as the pathway responsible for WRN degradation. Finally, we show that co-inhibition of WRN and SUMOylation has an additive toxic effect in MSI-H cells and confirm the in vivo activity of WRN inhibition using an MSI-H mouse xenograft model. This work elucidates a regulatory mechanism for WRN that may facilitate identification of new therapeutic modalities, and highlights the use of SMT as a tool for drug discovery and mechanism-of-action studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Mandy Loo
- Eikon Therapeutics, Hayward, CA, 94545, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Arnold Tao
- Eikon Therapeutics, Hayward, CA, 94545, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jaclyn Ho
- Eikon Therapeutics, Hayward, CA, 94545, USA
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8
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Monnat RJ. James German and the Quest to Understand Human RECQ Helicase Deficiencies. Cells 2024; 13:1077. [PMID: 38994931 PMCID: PMC11240319 DOI: 10.3390/cells13131077] [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: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
James German's work to establish the natural history and cancer risk associated with Bloom syndrome (BS) has had a strong influence on the generation of scientists and clinicians working to understand other RECQ deficiencies and heritable cancer predisposition syndromes. I summarize work by us and others below, inspired by James German's precedents with BS, to understand and compare BS with the other heritable RECQ deficiency syndromes with a focus on Werner syndrome (WS). What we know, unanswered questions and new opportunities are discussed, as are potential ways to treat or modify WS-associated disease mechanisms and pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond J Monnat
- Departments of Laboratory Medicine/Pathology and Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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9
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Yamamoto H, Watanabe Y, Arai H, Umemoto K, Tateishi K, Sunakawa Y. Microsatellite instability: A 2024 update. Cancer Sci 2024; 115:1738-1748. [PMID: 38528657 PMCID: PMC11145116 DOI: 10.1111/cas.16160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) results in microsatellite instability (MSI), a pronounced mutator phenotype. High-frequency MSI (MSI-H)/dMMR is gaining increasing interest as a biomarker for advanced cancer patients to determine their eligibility for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Various methods based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) have been developed to assess the MSI status. Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) testing can precisely ascertain the MSI status as well as genomic alterations in a single NGS test. The MSI status can be also ascertained through the liquid biopsy-based CGP assays. MSI-H has thus been identified in various classes of tumors, resulting in a greater adoption of immunotherapy, which is hypothesized to be effective against malignancies that possess a substantial number of mutations and/or neoantigens. NGS-based studies have also characterized MSI-driven carcinogenesis, including significant rates of fusion kinases in colorectal cancers (CRCs) with MSI-H that are targets for therapeutic kinase inhibitors, particularly in MLH1-methylated CRCs with wild-type KRAS/BRAF. NTRK fusion is linked to the colorectal serrated neoplasia pathway. Recent advances in investigations of MSI-H malignancies have resulted in the development of novel diagnostic or therapeutic techniques, such as a synthetic lethal therapy that targets the Werner gene. DNA sensing in cancer cells is required for antitumor immunity induced by dMMR, opening up novel avenues and biomarkers for immunotherapy. Therefore, clinical relevance exists for analyses of MSI and MSI-H-associated genomic alterations in malignancy. In this article, we provide an update on MSI-driven carcinogenesis, with an emphasis on unique landscapes of diagnostic and immunotherapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Yamamoto
- Department of BioinformaticsSt. Marianna University Graduate School of MedicineKawasakiJapan
- Department of GastroenterologySt. Marianna University School of MedicineKawasakiJapan
| | - Yoshiyuki Watanabe
- Department of GastroenterologySt. Marianna University School of MedicineKawasakiJapan
- Department of Internal MedicineKawasaki Rinko General HospitalKawasakiJapan
| | - Hiroyuki Arai
- Department of Clinical OncologySt. Marianna University School of MedicineKawasakiJapan
| | - Kumiko Umemoto
- Department of Clinical OncologySt. Marianna University School of MedicineKawasakiJapan
| | - Keisuke Tateishi
- Department of GastroenterologySt. Marianna University School of MedicineKawasakiJapan
| | - Yu Sunakawa
- Department of Clinical OncologySt. Marianna University School of MedicineKawasakiJapan
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10
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Ferretti S, Hamon J, de Kanter R, Scheufler C, Andraos-Rey R, Barbe S, Bechter E, Blank J, Bordas V, Dammassa E, Decker A, Di Nanni N, Dourdoigne M, Gavioli E, Hattenberger M, Heuser A, Hemmerlin C, Hinrichs J, Kerr G, Laborde L, Jaco I, Núñez EJ, Martus HJ, Quadt C, Reschke M, Romanet V, Schaeffer F, Schoepfer J, Schrapp M, Strang R, Voshol H, Wartmann M, Welly S, Zécri F, Hofmann F, Möbitz H, Cortés-Cros M. Discovery of WRN inhibitor HRO761 with synthetic lethality in MSI cancers. Nature 2024; 629:443-449. [PMID: 38658754 PMCID: PMC11078746 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07350-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The Werner syndrome RecQ helicase WRN was identified as a synthetic lethal target in cancer cells with microsatellite instability (MSI) by several genetic screens1-6. Despite advances in treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors7-10, there is an unmet need in the treatment of MSI cancers11-14. Here we report the structural, biochemical, cellular and pharmacological characterization of the clinical-stage WRN helicase inhibitor HRO761, which was identified through an innovative hit-finding and lead-optimization strategy. HRO761 is a potent, selective, allosteric WRN inhibitor that binds at the interface of the D1 and D2 helicase domains, locking WRN in an inactive conformation. Pharmacological inhibition by HRO761 recapitulated the phenotype observed by WRN genetic suppression, leading to DNA damage and inhibition of tumour cell growth selectively in MSI cells in a p53-independent manner. Moreover, HRO761 led to WRN degradation in MSI cells but not in microsatellite-stable cells. Oral treatment with HRO761 resulted in dose-dependent in vivo DNA damage induction and tumour growth inhibition in MSI cell- and patient-derived xenograft models. These findings represent preclinical pharmacological validation of WRN as a therapeutic target in MSI cancers. A clinical trial with HRO761 (NCT05838768) is ongoing to assess the safety, tolerability and preliminary anti-tumour activity in patients with MSI colorectal cancer and other MSI solid tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jutta Blank
- Novartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Elena Gavioli
- Novartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
- Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Alisa Heuser
- Novartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Grainne Kerr
- Novartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Isabel Jaco
- Novartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Eloísa Jiménez Núñez
- Novartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
- Pierre Fabre Laboratories, Toulouse, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ross Strang
- Novartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hans Voshol
- Novartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Sarah Welly
- Novartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Francesco Hofmann
- Novartis BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
- Pierre Fabre Laboratories, Toulouse, France
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11
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Baltgalvis KA, Lamb KN, Symons KT, Wu CC, Hoffman MA, Snead AN, Song X, Glaza T, Kikuchi S, Green JC, Rogness DC, Lam B, Rodriguez-Aguirre ME, Woody DR, Eissler CL, Rodiles S, Negron SM, Bernard SM, Tran E, Pollock J, Tabatabaei A, Contreras V, Williams HN, Pastuszka MK, Sigler JJ, Pettazzoni P, Rudolph MG, Classen M, Brugger D, Claiborne C, Plancher JM, Cuartas I, Seoane J, Burgess LE, Abraham RT, Weinstein DS, Simon GM, Patricelli MP, Kinsella TM. Chemoproteomic discovery of a covalent allosteric inhibitor of WRN helicase. Nature 2024; 629:435-442. [PMID: 38658751 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07318-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
WRN helicase is a promising target for treatment of cancers with microsatellite instability (MSI) due to its essential role in resolving deleterious non-canonical DNA structures that accumulate in cells with faulty mismatch repair mechanisms1-5. Currently there are no approved drugs directly targeting human DNA or RNA helicases, in part owing to the challenging nature of developing potent and selective compounds to this class of proteins. Here we describe the chemoproteomics-enabled discovery of a clinical-stage, covalent allosteric inhibitor of WRN, VVD-133214. This compound selectively engages a cysteine (C727) located in a region of the helicase domain subject to interdomain movement during DNA unwinding. VVD-133214 binds WRN protein cooperatively with nucleotide and stabilizes compact conformations lacking the dynamic flexibility necessary for proper helicase function, resulting in widespread double-stranded DNA breaks, nuclear swelling and cell death in MSI-high (MSI-H), but not in microsatellite-stable, cells. The compound was well tolerated in mice and led to robust tumour regression in multiple MSI-H colorectal cancer cell lines and patient-derived xenograft models. Our work shows an allosteric approach for inhibition of WRN function that circumvents competition from an endogenous ATP cofactor in cancer cells, and designates VVD-133214 as a promising drug candidate for patients with MSI-H cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Betty Lam
- Vividion Therapeutics, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Piergiorgio Pettazzoni
- Pharma Research and Early Development pRED F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Markus G Rudolph
- Pharma Research and Early Development pRED F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Moritz Classen
- Pharma Research and Early Development pRED F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Doris Brugger
- Pharma Research and Early Development pRED F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christopher Claiborne
- Pharma Research and Early Development pRED F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Marc Plancher
- Pharma Research and Early Development pRED F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Isabel Cuartas
- Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, CIBERONC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Seoane
- Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, CIBERONC, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Robert T Abraham
- Vividion Therapeutics, San Diego, CA, USA
- Odyssey Therapeutics, San Diego, CA, USA
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12
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Heuser A, Abdul Rahman W, Bechter E, Blank J, Buhr S, Erdmann D, Fontana P, Mermet-Meillon F, Meyerhofer M, Strang R, Schrapp M, Zimmermann C, Cortes-Cros M, Möbitz H, Hamon J. Challenges for the Discovery of Non-Covalent WRN Helicase Inhibitors. ChemMedChem 2024; 19:e202300613. [PMID: 38334957 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
The Werner Syndrome RecQ helicase (WRN) is a synthetic lethal target of interest for the treatment of cancers with microsatellite instability (MSI). Different hit finding approaches were initially tested. The identification of WRN inhibitors proved challenging due to a high propensity for artefacts via protein interference, i. e., hits inhibiting WRN enzymatic activities through multiple, unspecific mechanisms. Previously published WRN Helicase inhibitors (ML216, NSC19630 or NSC617145) were characterized in an extensive set of biochemical and biophysical assays and could be ruled out as specific WRN helicase probes. More innovative screening strategies need to be developed for successful drug discovery of non-covalent WRN helicase inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa Heuser
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Elisabeth Bechter
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jutta Blank
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sylvia Buhr
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dirk Erdmann
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Patrizia Fontana
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Marco Meyerhofer
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ross Strang
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maxime Schrapp
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Marta Cortes-Cros
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Henrik Möbitz
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jacques Hamon
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Novartis Campus, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
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13
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Yang H, Kang M, Jang S, Baek SY, Kim J, Kim GU, Kim D, Ha J, Kim JS, Jung C, Kim NJ, Cho SY, Shin WH, Lee J, Ko J, Lee A, Keum G, Lee S, Kang T. Discovery of thiophen-2-ylmethylene bis-dimedone derivatives as novel WRN inhibitors for treating cancers with microsatellite instability. Bioorg Med Chem 2024; 100:117588. [PMID: 38295487 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2024.117588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Microsatellite instability (MSI) is a hypermutable condition caused by DNA mismatch repair system defects, contributing to the development of various cancer types. Recent research has identified Werner syndrome ATP-dependent helicase (WRN) as a promising synthetic lethal target for MSI cancers. Herein, we report the first discovery of thiophen-2-ylmethylene bis-dimedone derivatives as novel WRN inhibitors for MSI cancer therapy. Initial computational analysis and biological evaluation identified a new scaffold for a WRN inhibitor. Subsequent SAR study led to the discovery of a highly potent WRN inhibitor. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the optimal compound induced DNA damage and apoptotic cell death in MSI cancer cells by inhibiting WRN. This study provides a new pharmacophore for WRN inhibitors, emphasizing their therapeutic potential for MSI cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hwasun Yang
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Miso Kang
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Department of Fundamental Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Seonyeong Jang
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo Yeon Baek
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiwon Kim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Gyeong Un Kim
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Dongwoo Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Junsu Ha
- Arontier Co., Ltd., Seoul 06735, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Seung Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Cheulhee Jung
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Nam-Jung Kim
- Department of Fundamental Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Yup Cho
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea; Medical Research Center, Genomic Medicine Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea; Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Woong-Hee Shin
- Arontier Co., Ltd., Seoul 06735, Republic of Korea; Department of Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02708, Republic of Korea
| | - Juyong Lee
- Arontier Co., Ltd., Seoul 06735, Republic of Korea; Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Junsu Ko
- Arontier Co., Ltd., Seoul 06735, Republic of Korea
| | - Ansoo Lee
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Gyochang Keum
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Sanghee Lee
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Department for HY-KIST Bio-convergence, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea.
| | - Taek Kang
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea.
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14
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Mackay HL, Stone HR, Ellis K, Ronson GE, Walker AK, Starowicz K, Garvin AJ, van Eijk P, Vaitsiankova A, Vijayendran S, Beesley JF, Petermann E, Brown EJ, Densham RM, Reed SH, Dobbs F, Saponaro M, Morris JR. USP50 suppresses alternative RecQ helicase use and deleterious DNA2 activity during replication. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.10.574674. [PMID: 38260523 PMCID: PMC10802463 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.10.574674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Mammalian DNA replication employs several RecQ DNA helicases to orchestrate the faithful duplication of genetic information. Helicase function is often coupled to the activity of specific nucleases, but how helicase and nuclease activities are co-directed is unclear. Here we identify the inactive ubiquitin-specific protease, USP50, as a ubiquitin-binding and chromatin-associated protein required for ongoing replication, fork restart, telomere maintenance and cellular survival during replicative stress. USP50 supports WRN:FEN1 at stalled replication forks, suppresses MUS81-dependent fork collapse and restricts double-strand DNA breaks at GC-rich sequences. Surprisingly we find that cells depleted for USP50 and recovering from a replication block exhibit increased DNA2 and RECQL4 foci and that the defects in ongoing replication, poor fork restart and increased fork collapse seen in these cells are mediated by DNA2, RECQL4 and RECQL5. These data define a novel ubiquitin-dependent pathway that promotes the balance of helicase: nuclease use at ongoing and stalled replication forks.
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15
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Ramsey JR, Shelton PM, Heiss TK, Olinares PDB, Vostal LE, Soileau H, Grasso M, Casebeer SW, Adaniya S, Miller M, Sun S, Huggins DJ, Myers RW, Chait BT, Vinogradova EV, Kapoor TM. Using a Function-First "Scout Fragment"-Based Approach to Develop Allosteric Covalent Inhibitors of Conformationally Dynamic Helicase Mechanoenzymes. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:62-67. [PMID: 38134034 PMCID: PMC10958666 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c10581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Helicases, classified into six superfamilies, are mechanoenzymes that utilize energy derived from ATP hydrolysis to remodel DNA and RNA substrates. These enzymes have key roles in diverse cellular processes, such as translation, ribosome assembly, and genome maintenance. Helicases with essential functions in certain cancer cells have been identified, and helicases expressed by many viruses are required for their pathogenicity. Therefore, helicases are important targets for chemical probes and therapeutics. However, it has been very challenging to develop chemical inhibitors for helicases, enzymes with high conformational dynamics. We envisioned that electrophilic "scout fragments", which have been used in chemical proteomic studies, could be leveraged to develop covalent inhibitors of helicases. We adopted a function-first approach, combining enzymatic assays with enantiomeric probe pairs and mass spectrometry, to develop a covalent inhibitor that selectively targets an allosteric site in SARS-CoV-2 nsp13, a superfamily-1 helicase. Further, we demonstrate that scout fragments inhibit the activity of two human superfamily-2 helicases, BLM and WRN, involved in genome maintenance. Together, our findings suggest an approach to discover covalent inhibitor starting points and druggable allosteric sites in conformationally dynamic mechanoenzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared R. Ramsey
- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, New York, NY 10021, United States
- Laboratory of Chemistry and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Patrick M.M Shelton
- Laboratory of Chemistry and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Tyler K. Heiss
- Laboratory of Chemistry and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Paul Dominic B. Olinares
- Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry and Gaseous Ion Chemistry, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Lauren E. Vostal
- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, New York, NY 10021, United States
- Laboratory of Chemistry and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Heather Soileau
- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, New York, NY 10021, United States
- Laboratory of Chemistry and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Michael Grasso
- Laboratory of Chemistry and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Sara W. Casebeer
- Laboratory of Chemistry and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Stephanie Adaniya
- Laboratory of Chemical Immunology and Proteomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Michael Miller
- Sanders Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Shan Sun
- Sanders Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - David J. Huggins
- Sanders Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, NY 10065, United States
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, United States
| | - Robert W. Myers
- Sanders Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Brian T. Chait
- Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry and Gaseous Ion Chemistry, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Ekaterina V. Vinogradova
- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, New York, NY 10021, United States
- Laboratory of Chemical Immunology and Proteomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Tarun M. Kapoor
- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, New York, NY 10021, United States
- Laboratory of Chemistry and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, United States
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16
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Matos-Rodrigues G, Hisey JA, Nussenzweig A, Mirkin SM. Detection of alternative DNA structures and its implications for human disease. Mol Cell 2023; 83:3622-3641. [PMID: 37863029 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Around 3% of the genome consists of simple DNA repeats that are prone to forming alternative (non-B) DNA structures, such as hairpins, cruciforms, triplexes (H-DNA), four-stranded guanine quadruplexes (G4-DNA), and others, as well as composite RNA:DNA structures (e.g., R-loops, G-loops, and H-loops). These DNA structures are dynamic and favored by the unwinding of duplex DNA. For many years, the association of alternative DNA structures with genome function was limited by the lack of methods to detect them in vivo. Here, we review the recent advancements in the field and present state-of-the-art technologies and methods to study alternative DNA structures. We discuss the limitations of these methods as well as how they are beginning to provide insights into causal relationships between alternative DNA structures, genome function and stability, and human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julia A Hisey
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - André Nussenzweig
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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17
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Wang M, Ran X, Leung W, Kawale A, Saxena S, Ouyang J, Patel PS, Dong Y, Yin T, Shu J, Manguso RT, Lan L, Wang XF, Lawrence MS, Zou L. ATR inhibition induces synthetic lethality in mismatch repair-deficient cells and augments immunotherapy. Genes Dev 2023; 37:929-943. [PMID: 37932012 PMCID: PMC10691477 DOI: 10.1101/gad.351084.123] [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: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
The mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency of cancer cells drives mutagenesis and offers a useful biomarker for immunotherapy. However, many MMR-deficient (MMR-d) tumors do not respond to immunotherapy, highlighting the need for alternative approaches to target MMR-d cancer cells. Here, we show that inhibition of the ATR kinase preferentially kills MMR-d cancer cells. Mechanistically, ATR inhibitor (ATRi) imposes synthetic lethality on MMR-d cells by inducing DNA damage in a replication- and MUS81 nuclease-dependent manner. The DNA damage induced by ATRi is colocalized with both MSH2 and PCNA, suggesting that it arises from DNA structures recognized by MMR proteins during replication. In syngeneic mouse models, ATRi effectively reduces the growth of MMR-d tumors. Interestingly, the antitumor effects of ATRi are partially due to CD8+ T cells. In MMR-d cells, ATRi stimulates the accumulation of nascent DNA fragments in the cytoplasm, activating the cGAS-mediated interferon response. The combination of ATRi and anti-PD-1 antibody reduces the growth of MMR-d tumors more efficiently than ATRi or anti-PD-1 alone, showing the ability of ATRi to augment the immunotherapy of MMR-d tumors. Thus, ATRi selectively targets MMR-d tumor cells by inducing synthetic lethality and enhancing antitumor immunity, providing a promising strategy to complement and augment MMR deficiency-guided immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingchao Wang
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Xiaojuan Ran
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Wendy Leung
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Ajinkya Kawale
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Sneha Saxena
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Jian Ouyang
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Parasvi S Patel
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Yuting Dong
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Tao Yin
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Jian Shu
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Robert T Manguso
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | - Li Lan
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Xiao-Fan Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Michael S Lawrence
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | - Lee Zou
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA;
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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18
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Zong D, Koussa NC, Cornwell JA, Pankajam AV, Kruhlak MJ, Wong N, Chari R, Cappell SD, Nussenzweig A. Comprehensive mapping of cell fates in microsatellite unstable cancer cells supports dual targeting of WRN and ATR. Genes Dev 2023; 37:913-928. [PMID: 37932011 PMCID: PMC10691471 DOI: 10.1101/gad.351085.123] [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: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Addiction to the WRN helicase is a unique vulnerability of human cancers with high levels of microsatellite instability (MSI-H). However, while prolonged loss of WRN ultimately leads to cell death, little is known about how MSI-H cancers initially respond to acute loss of WRN-knowledge that would be helpful for informing clinical development of WRN targeting therapy, predicting possible resistance mechanisms, and identifying useful biomarkers of successful WRN inhibition. Here, we report the construction of an inducible ligand-mediated degradation system in which the stability of endogenous WRN protein can be rapidly and specifically tuned, enabling us to track the complete sequence of cellular events elicited by acute loss of WRN function. We found that WRN degradation leads to immediate accrual of DNA damage in a replication-dependent manner that curiously did not robustly engage checkpoint mechanisms to halt DNA synthesis. As a result, WRN-degraded MSI-H cancer cells accumulate DNA damage across multiple replicative cycles and undergo successive rounds of increasingly aberrant mitoses, ultimately triggering cell death. Of potential therapeutic importance, we found no evidence of any generalized mechanism by which MSI-H cancers could adapt to near-complete loss of WRN. However, under conditions of partial WRN degradation, addition of low-dose ATR inhibitor significantly increased their combined efficacy to levels approaching full inactivation of WRN. Overall, our results provide the first comprehensive view of molecular events linking upstream inhibition of WRN to subsequent cell death and suggest that dual targeting of WRN and ATR might be a useful strategy for treating MSI-H cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dali Zong
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA;
| | - Natasha C Koussa
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - James A Cornwell
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Ajith V Pankajam
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Michael J Kruhlak
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Nancy Wong
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Raj Chari
- Genome Modification Core, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21701, USA
| | - Steven D Cappell
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - André Nussenzweig
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA;
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19
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Ramsey JR, Shelton PMM, Heiss TK, Olinares PDB, Vostal LE, Soileau H, Grasso M, Warrington S, Adaniya S, Miller M, Sun S, Huggins DJ, Myers RW, Chait BT, Vinogradova EV, Kapoor TM. Using a function-first 'scout fragment'-based approach to develop allosteric covalent inhibitors of conformationally dynamic helicase mechanoenzymes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.25.559391. [PMID: 37808863 PMCID: PMC10557574 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.25.559391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Helicases, classified into six superfamilies, are mechanoenzymes that utilize energy derived from ATP hydrolysis to remodel DNA and RNA substrates. These enzymes have key roles in diverse cellular processes, such as genome replication and maintenance, ribosome assembly and translation. Helicases with essential functions only in certain cancer cells have been identified and helicases expressed by certain viruses are required for their pathogenicity. As a result, helicases are important targets for chemical probes and therapeutics. However, it has been very challenging to develop selective chemical inhibitors for helicases, enzymes with highly dynamic conformations. We envisioned that electrophilic 'scout fragments', which have been used for chemical proteomic based profiling, could be leveraged to develop covalent inhibitors of helicases. We adopted a function-first approach, combining enzymatic assays with enantiomeric probe pairs and mass spectrometry, to develop a covalent inhibitor that selectively targets an allosteric site in SARS-CoV-2 nsp13, a superfamily-1 helicase. Further, we demonstrate that scout fragments inhibit the activity of two human superfamily-2 helicases, BLM and WRN, involved in genome maintenance. Together, our findings suggest a covalent inhibitor discovery approach to target helicases and potentially other conformationally dynamic mechanoenzymes.
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20
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Zong D, Koussa NC, Cornwell JA, Pankajam AV, Kruhlak MJ, Wong N, Chari R, Cappell SD, Nussenzweig A. Comprehensive mapping of cell fates in microsatellite unstable cancer cells support dual targe6ng of WRN and ATR. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.28.550976. [PMID: 37662356 PMCID: PMC10473727 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.28.550976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Addiction to the WRN helicase is a unique vulnerability of human cancers with high levels of microsatellite instability (MSI-H). However, while prolonged loss of WRN ultimately leads to cell death, little is known about how MSI-H cancers initially respond to acute loss of WRN, knowledge that would be helpful for informing clinical development of WRN-targeting therapy, predicting possible resistance mechanisms, and identifying useful biomarkers of successful WRN inhibition. Here, we report the construction of an inducible ligand-mediated degradation system wherein the stability of endogenous WRN protein can be rapidly and specifically tuned, enabling us to track the complete sequence of cellular events elicited by acute loss of WRN function. We find that WRN degradation leads to immediate accrual of DNA damage in a replication-dependent manner that curiously did not robustly engage checkpoint mechanisms to halt DNA synthesis. As a result, WRN-degraded MSI-H cancer cells accumulate DNA damage across multiple replicative cycles and undergo successive rounds of increasingly aberrant mitoses, ultimately triggering cell death. Of potential therapeutic importance, we find no evidence of any generalized mechanism by which MSI-H cancers could adapt to near-complete loss of WRN. However, under conditions of partial WRN degradation, addition of low dose ATR inhibitor significantly increased their combined efficacy to levels approaching full inactivation of WRN. Overall, our results provided the first comprehensive view of molecular events linking upstream inhibition of WRN to subsequent cell death and suggested a potential therapeutical rationale for dual targeting of WRN and ATR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dali Zong
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Natasha C. Koussa
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - James A. Cornwell
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ajith V. Pankajam
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michael J. Kruhlak
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nancy Wong
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Raj Chari
- Genome Modification Core, Frederick National Lab for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Steven D. Cappell
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - André Nussenzweig
- Laboratory of Genome Integrity, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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21
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Parker MJ, Lee H, Yao S, Irwin S, Hwang S, Belanger K, de Mare SW, Surgenor R, Yan L, Gee P, Morla S, Puyang X, Hsiao P, Zeng H, Zhu P, Korpal M, Dransfield P, Bolduc DM, Larsen NA. Identification of 2-Sulfonyl/Sulfonamide Pyrimidines as Covalent Inhibitors of WRN Using a Multiplexed High-Throughput Screening Assay. Biochemistry 2023; 62:2147-2160. [PMID: 37403936 PMCID: PMC10358344 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Werner syndrome protein (WRN) is a multifunctional enzyme with helicase, ATPase, and exonuclease activities that are necessary for numerous DNA-related transactions in the human cell. Recent studies identified WRN as a synthetic lethal target in cancers characterized by genomic microsatellite instability resulting from defects in DNA mismatch repair pathways. WRN's helicase activity is essential for the viability of these high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) cancers and thus presents a therapeutic opportunity. To this end, we developed a multiplexed high-throughput screening assay that monitors exonuclease, ATPase, and helicase activities of full-length WRN. This screening campaign led to the discovery of 2-sulfonyl/sulfonamide pyrimidine derivatives as novel covalent inhibitors of WRN helicase activity. The compounds are specific for WRN versus other human RecQ family members and show competitive behavior with ATP. Examination of these novel chemical probes established the sulfonamide NH group as a key driver of compound potency. One of the leading compounds, H3B-960, showed consistent activities in a range of assays (IC50 = 22 nM, KD = 40 nM, KI = 32 nM), and the most potent compound identified, H3B-968, has inhibitory activity IC50 ∼ 10 nM. These kinetic properties trend toward other known covalent druglike molecules. Our work provides a new avenue for screening WRN for inhibitors that may be adaptable to different therapeutic modalities such as targeted protein degradation, as well as a proof of concept for the inhibition of WRN helicase activity by covalent molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie J. Parker
- H3 Biomedicine, Inc., 300 Technology Square, Suite 5, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Hyelee Lee
- H3 Biomedicine, Inc., 300 Technology Square, Suite 5, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Shihua Yao
- H3 Biomedicine, Inc., 300 Technology Square, Suite 5, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Sean Irwin
- H3 Biomedicine, Inc., 300 Technology Square, Suite 5, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Sunil Hwang
- H3 Biomedicine, Inc., 300 Technology Square, Suite 5, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Kylie Belanger
- H3 Biomedicine, Inc., 300 Technology Square, Suite 5, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Sofia Woo de Mare
- H3 Biomedicine, Inc., 300 Technology Square, Suite 5, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Richard Surgenor
- H3 Biomedicine, Inc., 300 Technology Square, Suite 5, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Lu Yan
- H3 Biomedicine, Inc., 300 Technology Square, Suite 5, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Patricia Gee
- H3 Biomedicine, Inc., 300 Technology Square, Suite 5, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Shravan Morla
- H3 Biomedicine, Inc., 300 Technology Square, Suite 5, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Xiaoling Puyang
- H3 Biomedicine, Inc., 300 Technology Square, Suite 5, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Peng Hsiao
- H3 Biomedicine, Inc., 300 Technology Square, Suite 5, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Hao Zeng
- H3 Biomedicine, Inc., 300 Technology Square, Suite 5, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Ping Zhu
- H3 Biomedicine, Inc., 300 Technology Square, Suite 5, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Manav Korpal
- H3 Biomedicine, Inc., 300 Technology Square, Suite 5, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Paul Dransfield
- H3 Biomedicine, Inc., 300 Technology Square, Suite 5, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - David M. Bolduc
- H3 Biomedicine, Inc., 300 Technology Square, Suite 5, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Nicholas A. Larsen
- H3 Biomedicine, Inc., 300 Technology Square, Suite 5, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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22
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Maeda Y, Koshizaka M, Shoji M, Kaneko H, Kato H, Maezawa Y, Kawashima J, Yoshinaga K, Ishikawa M, Sekiguchi A, Motegi SI, Nakagami H, Yamada Y, Tsukamoto S, Taniguchi A, Sugimoto K, Takami Y, Shoda Y, Hashimoto K, Yoshimura T, Kogure A, Suzuki D, Okubo N, Yoshida T, Watanabe K, Kuzuya M, Takemoto M, Oshima J, Yokote K. Renal dysfunction, malignant neoplasms, atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, and sarcopenia as key outcomes observed in a three-year follow-up study using the Werner Syndrome Registry. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:3273-3294. [PMID: 37130431 PMCID: PMC10449280 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204681] [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: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Werner syndrome is an adult-onset progeria syndrome that results in various complications. This study aimed to clarify the profile and secular variation of the disease. Fifty-one patients were enrolled and registered in the Werner Syndrome Registry. Their data were collected annually following registration. A cross-sectional analysis at registration and a longitudinal analysis between the baseline and each subsequent year was performed. Pearson's chi-squared and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used. Malignant neoplasms were observed from the fifth decade of life (mean onset: 49.7 years) and were observed in approximately 30% of patients during the 3-year survey period. Regarding renal function, the mean estimated glomerular filtration rate calculated from serum creatinine (eGFRcre) and eGFRcys, which were calculated from cystatin C in the first year, were 98.3 and 83.2 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively, and differed depending on the index used. In longitudinal analysis, the average eGFRcre for the first and fourth years was 74.8 and 63.4 mL/min/1.73 m2, showing a rapid decline. Secular changes in Werner syndrome in multiple patients were identified. The prevalence of malignant neoplasms is high, and renal function may decline rapidly. It is, therefore, necessary to carry out active and detailed examinations and pay attention to the type and dose of the drugs used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukari Maeda
- Department of Endocrinology, Hematology, and Gerontology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Masaya Koshizaka
- Department of Endocrinology, Hematology, and Gerontology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Mayumi Shoji
- Department of Endocrinology, Hematology, and Gerontology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hiyori Kaneko
- Department of Endocrinology, Hematology, and Gerontology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hisaya Kato
- Department of Endocrinology, Hematology, and Gerontology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yoshiro Maezawa
- Department of Endocrinology, Hematology, and Gerontology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Junji Kawashima
- Department of Metabolic Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Kayo Yoshinaga
- Department of Metabolic Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Mai Ishikawa
- Department of Dermatology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Akiko Sekiguchi
- Department of Dermatology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Sei-Ichiro Motegi
- Department of Dermatology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Hironori Nakagami
- Department of Health Development and Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Yamada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology, Atami Hospital, International University of Health and Welfare, Atami, Japan
| | - Shinji Tsukamoto
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
| | - Akira Taniguchi
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan
| | - Ken Sugimoto
- General Geriatric Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, Japan
| | - Yoichi Takami
- Department of Geriatric and General Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yukiko Shoda
- Department of Dermatology, Sumitomo Hospital, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kunihiko Hashimoto
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Medicine, Nippon Life Hospital, Osaka, Japan
| | - Toru Yoshimura
- Diabetes and Endocrinology, Saga-Ken Medical Centre Koseikan, Saga, Japan
| | - Asako Kogure
- Department of Dermatology, Showa General Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Suzuki
- Department of Dermatology, Showa General Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoki Okubo
- Department of Orthopaedics, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takashi Yoshida
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, North Medical Center, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kazuhisa Watanabe
- Department of Community Healthcare and Geriatrics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | | | - Minoru Takemoto
- Department of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology, International University of Health and Welfare, Narita, Japan
| | - Junko Oshima
- Department of Endocrinology, Hematology, and Gerontology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Koutaro Yokote
- Department of Endocrinology, Hematology, and Gerontology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
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23
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Mengoli V, Ceppi I, Sanchez A, Cannavo E, Halder S, Scaglione S, Gaillard P, McHugh PJ, Riesen N, Pettazzoni P, Cejka P. WRN helicase and mismatch repair complexes independently and synergistically disrupt cruciform DNA structures. EMBO J 2023; 42:e111998. [PMID: 36541070 PMCID: PMC9890227 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022111998] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The Werner Syndrome helicase, WRN, is a promising therapeutic target in cancers with microsatellite instability (MSI). Long-term MSI leads to the expansion of TA nucleotide repeats proposed to form cruciform DNA structures, which in turn cause DNA breaks and cell lethality upon WRN downregulation. Here we employed biochemical assays to show that WRN helicase can efficiently and directly unfold cruciform structures, thereby preventing their cleavage by the SLX1-SLX4 structure-specific endonuclease. TA repeats are particularly prone to form cruciform structures, explaining why these DNA sequences are preferentially broken in MSI cells upon WRN downregulation. We further demonstrate that the activity of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) complexes MutSα (MSH2-MSH6), MutSβ (MSH2-MSH3), and MutLα (MLH1-PMS2) similarly decreases the level of DNA cruciforms, although the mechanism is different from that employed by WRN. When combined, WRN and MutLα exhibited higher than additive effects in in vitro cruciform processing, suggesting that WRN and the MMR proteins may cooperate. Our data explain how WRN and MMR defects cause genome instability in MSI cells with expanded TA repeats, and provide a mechanistic basis for their recently discovered synthetic-lethal interaction with promising applications in precision cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Mengoli
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Research in BiomedicineUniversità della Svizzera italiana (USI)BellinzonaSwitzerland
| | - Ilaria Ceppi
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Research in BiomedicineUniversità della Svizzera italiana (USI)BellinzonaSwitzerland
| | - Aurore Sanchez
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Research in BiomedicineUniversità della Svizzera italiana (USI)BellinzonaSwitzerland
| | - Elda Cannavo
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Research in BiomedicineUniversità della Svizzera italiana (USI)BellinzonaSwitzerland
| | - Swagata Halder
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Research in BiomedicineUniversità della Svizzera italiana (USI)BellinzonaSwitzerland
| | - Sarah Scaglione
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille, CRCM, Inserm, CNRS, Aix‐Marseille Université, Institut Paoli‐CalmettesMarseilleFrance
| | - Pierre‐Henri Gaillard
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille, CRCM, Inserm, CNRS, Aix‐Marseille Université, Institut Paoli‐CalmettesMarseilleFrance
| | - Peter J McHugh
- Department of Oncology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe HospitalUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Nathalie Riesen
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development pREDRoche Innovation CenterBaselSwitzerland
| | | | - Petr Cejka
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Research in BiomedicineUniversità della Svizzera italiana (USI)BellinzonaSwitzerland
- Department of Biology, Institute of BiochemistryEidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH)ZürichSwitzerland
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24
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Sobol RW. WRN suppresses p53/PUMA-induced apoptosis in colorectal cancer with microsatellite instability/mismatch repair deficiency. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2219963120. [PMID: 36598947 PMCID: PMC9926267 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2219963120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Robert W. Sobol
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI02912
- Legorreta Cancer Center, Brown University, Providence, RI02912
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25
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Chan EM, Foster KJ, Bass AJ. WRN Is a Promising Synthetic Lethal Target for Cancers with Microsatellite Instability (MSI). Cancer Treat Res 2023; 186:313-328. [PMID: 37978143 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-30065-3_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Microsatellite instability (MSI), a type of genetic hypermutability arising from impaired DNA mismatch repair (MMR), is observed in approximately 3% of all cancers. Preclinical work has identified the RecQ helicase WRN as a promising synthetic lethal target for patients with MSI cancers. WRN depletion substantially impairs the viability of MSI, but not microsatellite stable (MSS), cells. Experimental evidence suggests that this synthetic lethal phenotype is driven by numerous TA dinucleotide repeats that undergo expansion mutations in the setting of long-standing MMR deficiency. The lengthening of TA repeats increases their propensity to form secondary DNA structures that require WRN to resolve. In the absence of WRN helicase activity, these unresolved DNA secondary structures stall DNA replication forks and induce catastrophic DNA damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edmond M Chan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University, New York, USA.
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, USA.
- New York Genome Center, New York, USA.
| | | | - Adam J Bass
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, USA
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26
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Hao S, Tong J, Jha A, Risnik D, Lizardo D, Lu X, Goel A, Opresko PL, Yu J, Zhang L. Synthetical lethality of Werner helicase and mismatch repair deficiency is mediated by p53 and PUMA in colon cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2211775119. [PMID: 36508676 PMCID: PMC9907101 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2211775119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic lethality is a powerful approach for targeting oncogenic drivers in cancer. Recent studies revealed that cancer cells with microsatellite instability (MSI) require Werner (WRN) helicase for survival; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we found that WRN depletion strongly induced p53 and its downstream apoptotic target PUMA in MSI colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. p53 or PUMA deletion abolished apoptosis induced by WRN depletion in MSI CRC cells. Importantly, correction of MSI abrogated the activation of p53/PUMA and cell killing, while induction of MSI led to sensitivity in isogenic CRC cells. Rare p53-mutant MSI CRC cells are resistant to WRN depletion due to lack of PUMA induction, which could be restored by wildtype (WT) p53 knock in or reconstitution. WRN depletion or treatment with the RecQ helicase inhibitor ML216 suppressed in vitro and in vivo growth of MSI CRCs in a p53/PUMA-dependent manner. ML216 treatment was efficacious in MSI CRC patient-derived xenografts. Interestingly, p53 gene remains WT in the majority of MSI CRCs. These results indicate a critical role of p53/PUMA-mediated apoptosis in the vulnerability of MSI CRCs to WRN loss, and support WRN as a promising therapeutic target in p53-WT MSI CRCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suisui Hao
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA15213
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA15213
| | - Jingshan Tong
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA15213
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA15213
| | - Anupma Jha
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA15213
| | - Denise Risnik
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA15213
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA15213
| | - Darleny Lizardo
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA15213
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA15213
| | - Xinyan Lu
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA15213
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA15213
| | - Ajay Goel
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA91010
| | - Patricia L. Opresko
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA15213
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA15213
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA15213
| | - Jian Yu
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA15213
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA15213
| | - Lin Zhang
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA15213
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA15213
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27
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Ovejero S, Viziteu E, Dutrieux L, Devin J, Lin YL, Alaterre E, Jourdan M, Basbous J, Requirand G, Robert N, de Boussac H, Seckinger A, Hose D, Vincent L, Herbaux C, Constantinou A, Pasero P, Moreaux J. The BLM helicase is a new therapeutic target in multiple myeloma involved in replication stress survival and drug resistance. Front Immunol 2022; 13:983181. [PMID: 36569948 PMCID: PMC9780552 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.983181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematologic cancer characterized by accumulation of malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow. To date, no definitive cure exists for MM and resistance to current treatments is one of the major challenges of this disease. The DNA helicase BLM, whose depletion or mutation causes the cancer-prone Bloom's syndrome (BS), is a central factor of DNA damage repair by homologous recombination (HR) and genomic stability maintenance. Using independent cohorts of MM patients, we identified that high expression of BLM is associated with a poor outcome with a significant enrichment in replication stress signature. We provide evidence that chemical inhibition of BLM by the small molecule ML216 in HMCLs (human myeloma cell lines) leads to cell cycle arrest and increases apoptosis, likely by accumulation of DNA damage. BLM inhibition synergizes with the alkylating agent melphalan to efficiently inhibit growth and promote cell death in HMCLs. Moreover, ML216 treatment re-sensitizes melphalan-resistant cell lines to this conventional therapeutic agent. Altogether, these data suggest that inhibition of BLM in combination with DNA damaging agents could be of therapeutic interest in the treatment of MM, especially in those patients with high BLM expression and/or resistance to melphalan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Ovejero
- Department of Biological Hematology, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France,Institute of Human Genetics, UMR 9002 CNRS-UM, Montpellier, France
| | - Elena Viziteu
- Department of Biological Hematology, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France,Institute of Human Genetics, UMR 9002 CNRS-UM, Montpellier, France
| | - Laure Dutrieux
- Department of Biological Hematology, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France,Institute of Human Genetics, UMR 9002 CNRS-UM, Montpellier, France
| | - Julie Devin
- Department of Biological Hematology, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France,Institute of Human Genetics, UMR 9002 CNRS-UM, Montpellier, France
| | - Yea-Lih Lin
- Institute of Human Genetics, UMR 9002 CNRS-UM, Montpellier, France
| | - Elina Alaterre
- Department of Biological Hematology, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France,Institute of Human Genetics, UMR 9002 CNRS-UM, Montpellier, France
| | - Michel Jourdan
- Department of Biological Hematology, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France,Institute of Human Genetics, UMR 9002 CNRS-UM, Montpellier, France
| | - Jihane Basbous
- Institute of Human Genetics, UMR 9002 CNRS-UM, Montpellier, France
| | - Guilhem Requirand
- Department of Biological Hematology, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Nicolas Robert
- Department of Biological Hematology, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | - Dirk Hose
- Department of Hematology and Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laure Vincent
- Department of Hematology and Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Charles Herbaux
- Institute of Human Genetics, UMR 9002 CNRS-UM, Montpellier, France,Department of Hematology and Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Philippe Pasero
- Institute of Human Genetics, UMR 9002 CNRS-UM, Montpellier, France
| | - Jérôme Moreaux
- Department of Biological Hematology, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France,Institute of Human Genetics, UMR 9002 CNRS-UM, Montpellier, France,Department of Clinical Hematology, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France,*Correspondence: Jérôme Moreaux,
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28
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Morales-Juarez DA, Jackson SP. Clinical prospects of WRN inhibition as a treatment for MSI tumours. NPJ Precis Oncol 2022; 6:85. [PMID: 36379964 PMCID: PMC9666358 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-022-00319-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of synthetic lethal interactions with genetic deficiencies in cancers has highlighted several candidate targets for drug development, with variable clinical success. Recent work has unveiled a promising synthetic lethal interaction between inactivation/inhibition of the WRN DNA helicase and tumours with microsatellite instability, a phenotype that arises from DNA mismatch repair deficiency. While these and further studies have highlighted the therapeutic potential of WRN inhibitors, compounds with properties suitable for clinical exploitation remain to be described. Furthermore, the complexities of MSI development and its relationship to cancer evolution pose challenges for clinical prospects. Here, we discuss possible paths of MSI tumour development, the viability of WRN inhibition as a strategy in different scenarios, and the necessary conditions to create a roadmap towards successful implementation of WRN inhibitors in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Morales-Juarez
- Wellcome and Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, and Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Stephen P Jackson
- Wellcome and Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, and Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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29
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Wilson J, Loizou JI. Exploring the genetic space of the DNA damage response for cancer therapy through CRISPR-based screens. Mol Oncol 2022; 16:3778-3791. [PMID: 35708734 PMCID: PMC9627789 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The concepts of synthetic lethality and viability have emerged as powerful approaches to identify vulnerabilities and resistances within the DNA damage response for the treatment of cancer. Historically, interactions between two genes have had a longstanding presence in genetics and have been identified through forward genetic screens that rely on the molecular basis of the characterized phenotypes, typically caused by mutations in single genes. While such complex genetic interactions between genes have been studied extensively in model organisms, they have only recently been prioritized as therapeutic strategies due to technological advancements in genetic screens. Here, we discuss synthetic lethal and viable interactions within the DNA damage response and present how CRISPR-based genetic screens and chemical compounds have allowed for the systematic identification and targeting of such interactions for the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Wilson
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer CentreMedical University of ViennaAustria
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Joanna I. Loizou
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer CentreMedical University of ViennaAustria
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of SciencesViennaAustria
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30
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Baxter JS, Zatreanu D, Pettitt SJ, Lord CJ. Resistance to DNA repair inhibitors in cancer. Mol Oncol 2022; 16:3811-3827. [PMID: 35567571 PMCID: PMC9627783 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The DNA damage response (DDR) represents a complex network of proteins which detect and repair DNA damage, thereby maintaining the integrity of the genome and preventing the transmission of mutations and rearranged chromosomes to daughter cells. Faults in the DDR are a known driver and hallmark of cancer. Furthermore, inhibition of DDR enzymes can be used to treat the disease. This is exemplified by PARP inhibitors (PARPi) used to treat cancers with defects in the homologous recombination DDR pathway. A series of novel DDR targets are now also under pre-clinical or clinical investigation, including inhibitors of ATR kinase, WRN helicase or the DNA polymerase/helicase Polθ (Pol-Theta). Drug resistance is a common phenomenon that impairs the overall effectiveness of cancer treatments and there is already some understanding of how resistance to PARPi occurs. Here, we discuss how an understanding of PARPi resistance could inform how resistance to new drugs targeting the DDR emerges. We also discuss potential strategies that could limit the impact of these therapy resistance mechanisms in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph S. Baxter
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory and Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research CentreThe Institute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK
| | - Diana Zatreanu
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory and Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research CentreThe Institute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK
| | - Stephen J. Pettitt
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory and Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research CentreThe Institute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK
| | - Christopher J. Lord
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory and Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research CentreThe Institute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK
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Voutsadakis IA. Sensitivities and Dependencies of BRAF Mutant Colorectal Cancer Cell Lines with or without PIK3CA Mutations for Discovery of Vulnerabilities with Therapeutic Potential. Medicina (B Aires) 2022; 58:medicina58101498. [PMID: 36295658 PMCID: PMC9608248 DOI: 10.3390/medicina58101498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Colorectal cancer represents a common malignancy and remains incurable in the metastatic stage. Identification of molecular alterations that are present in colorectal cancer has led to the introduction of targeted therapies that improve outcomes. BRAF and PIK3CA mutations are observed in a subset of colorectal cancers. Colorectal cancers bearing BRAF mutations may be treated with specific BRAF inhibitors. These drugs benefit patients with BRAF mutant colorectal cancers but responses are rather brief, and progression is the rule. In contrast, no PI3K inhibitors have proven successful yet in the disease. Thus, new treatments to supplement the currently available drugs would be welcome to further improve survival. Methods: Profiled colorectal cancer cell lines from the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) were examined for BRAF and PIK3CA mutations and were interrogated for molecular characteristics and concomitant alterations that mirror clinical sample alterations. The Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) project was used for determination of drug sensitivities of BRAF mutated colorectal cell lines with or without concomitant PIK3CA mutations. The Cancer Dependency Map project served as the basis for identification of molecular dependencies and vulnerabilities in these cell lines. Results: CCLE includes 84 colorectal cancer cell lines, which recapitulate the molecular landscape of colorectal cancer. Of these, 23 and 24 cell lines possess BRAF and PIK3CA mutations, respectively. Seven BRAF mutant cell lines have V600E mutations and 14 PIK3CA mutant cell lines have hotspot helical or kinase domain mutations. V600E BRAF mutant cell lines with or without hotspot PIK3CA mutations are heterogeneous in their MSI status and mimic colorectal cancer tissues in other prevalent abnormalities including APC and TP53 mutations. Essential genes for survival include CTNNB1, WRN, and pyrimidine metabolism enzyme CAD. Besides BRAF mutations, BRAF inhibitor sensitivity in colorectal cancer cell lines is conferred by SACS mutations and PRKN locus loss. Conclusions: Colorectal cancer cell lines bearing the frequent BRAF and PIK3CA mutations present many alterations of the parental cancer tissue. Described vulnerabilities represent leads for therapeutic exploration in colorectal cancers with the corresponding alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis A. Voutsadakis
- Algoma District Cancer Program, Sault Area Hospital, 750 Great Northern Road, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6B 0A8, Canada; or
- Section of Internal Medicine, Division of Clinical Sciences, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
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32
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Thada V, Greenberg RA. Unpaved roads: How the DNA damage response navigates endogenous genotoxins. DNA Repair (Amst) 2022; 118:103383. [PMID: 35939975 PMCID: PMC9703833 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2022.103383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Accurate DNA repair is essential for cellular and organismal homeostasis, and DNA repair defects result in genetic diseases and cancer predisposition. Several environmental factors, such as ultraviolet light, damage DNA, but many other molecules with DNA damaging potential are byproducts of normal cellular processes. In this review, we highlight some of the prominent sources of endogenous DNA damage as well as their mechanisms of repair, with a special focus on repair by the homologous recombination and Fanconi anemia pathways. We also discuss how modulating DNA damage caused by endogenous factors may augment current approaches used to treat BRCA-deficient cancers. Finally, we describe how synthetic lethal interactions may be exploited to exacerbate DNA repair deficiencies and cause selective toxicity in additional types of cancers.
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33
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Kohzaki M. Mammalian Resilience Revealed by a Comparison of Human Diseases and Mouse Models Associated With DNA Helicase Deficiencies. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:934042. [PMID: 36032672 PMCID: PMC9403131 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.934042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintaining genomic integrity is critical for sustaining individual animals and passing on the genome to subsequent generations. Several enzymes, such as DNA helicases and DNA polymerases, are involved in maintaining genomic integrity by unwinding and synthesizing the genome, respectively. Indeed, several human diseases that arise caused by deficiencies in these enzymes have long been known. In this review, the author presents the DNA helicases associated with human diseases discovered to date using recent analyses, including exome sequences. Since several mouse models that reflect these human diseases have been developed and reported, this study also summarizes the current knowledge regarding the outcomes of DNA helicase deficiencies in humans and mice and discusses possible mechanisms by which DNA helicases maintain genomic integrity in mammals. It also highlights specific diseases that demonstrate mammalian resilience, in which, despite the presence of genomic instability, patients and mouse models have lifespans comparable to those of the general population if they do not develop cancers; finally, this study discusses future directions for therapeutic applications in humans that can be explored using these mouse models.
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34
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Datta A, Brosh RM. WRN rescues replication forks compromised by a BRCA2 deficiency: Predictions for how inhibition of a helicase that suppresses premature aging tilts the balance to fork demise and chromosomal instability in cancer. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2200057. [PMID: 35751457 PMCID: PMC9527950 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202200057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Hereditary breast and ovarian cancers are frequently attributed to germline mutations in the tumor suppressor genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. BRCA1/2 act to repair double-strand breaks (DSBs) and suppress the demise of unstable replication forks. Our work elucidated a dynamic interplay between BRCA2 and the WRN DNA helicase/exonuclease defective in the premature aging disorder Werner syndrome. WRN and BRCA2 participate in complementary pathways to stabilize replication forks in cancer cells, allowing them to proliferate. Whether the functional overlap of WRN and BRCA2 is relevant to replication at gaps between newly synthesized DNA fragments, protection of telomeres, and/or metabolism of secondary DNA structures remain to be determined. Advances in understanding the mechanisms elicited during replication stress have prompted the community to reconsider avenues for cancer therapy. Insights from studies of PARP or topoisomerase inhibitors provide working models for the investigation of WRN's mechanism of action. We discuss these topics, focusing on the implications of the WRN-BRCA2 genetic interaction under conditions of replication stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arindam Datta
- Helicases and Genomic Integrity Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Robert M Brosh
- Helicases and Genomic Integrity Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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35
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Thakkar MK, Lee J, Meyer S, Chang VY. RecQ Helicase Somatic Alterations in Cancer. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:887758. [PMID: 35782872 PMCID: PMC9240438 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.887758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Named the “caretakers” of the genome, RecQ helicases function in several pathways to maintain genomic stability and repair DNA. This highly conserved family of enzymes consist of five different proteins in humans: RECQL1, BLM, WRN, RECQL4, and RECQL5. Biallelic germline mutations in BLM, WRN, and RECQL4 have been linked to rare cancer-predisposing syndromes. Emerging research has also implicated somatic alterations in RecQ helicases in a variety of cancers, including hematological malignancies, breast cancer, osteosarcoma, amongst others. These alterations in RecQ helicases, particularly overexpression, may lead to increased resistance of cancer cells to conventional chemotherapy. Downregulation of these proteins may allow for increased sensitivity to chemotherapy, and, therefore, may be important therapeutic targets. Here we provide a comprehensive review of our current understanding of the role of RecQ DNA helicases in cancer and discuss the potential therapeutic opportunities in targeting these helicases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megha K. Thakkar
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jamie Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Stefan Meyer
- Division of Cancer Studies, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Department of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Vivian Y. Chang
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Childrens Discovery and Innovation Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Vivian Y. Chang,
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36
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Levatić J, Salvadores M, Fuster-Tormo F, Supek F. Mutational signatures are markers of drug sensitivity of cancer cells. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2926. [PMID: 35614096 PMCID: PMC9132939 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30582-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic analyses have revealed mutational footprints associated with DNA maintenance gone awry, or with mutagen exposures. Because cancer therapeutics often target DNA synthesis or repair, we asked if mutational signatures make useful markers of drug sensitivity. We detect mutational signatures in cancer cell line exomes (where matched healthy tissues are not available) by adjusting for the confounding germline mutation spectra across ancestries. We identify robust associations between various mutational signatures and drug activity across cancer cell lines; these are as numerous as associations with established genetic markers such as driver gene alterations. Signatures of prior exposures to DNA damaging agents - including chemotherapy - tend to associate with drug resistance, while signatures of deficiencies in DNA repair tend to predict sensitivity towards particular therapeutics. Replication analyses across independent drug and CRISPR genetic screening data sets reveal hundreds of robust associations, which are provided as a resource for drug repurposing guided by mutational signature markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jurica Levatić
- Genome Data Science, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, C/ Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marina Salvadores
- Genome Data Science, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, C/ Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francisco Fuster-Tormo
- Genome Data Science, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, C/ Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- MDS Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916, Badalona, Spain
| | - Fran Supek
- Genome Data Science, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, C/ Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Passeig de Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain.
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Tercan B, Qin G, Kim TK, Aguilar B, Phan J, Longabaugh W, Pot D, Kemp CJ, Chambwe N, Shmulevich I. SL-Cloud: A Cloud-based resource to support synthetic lethal interaction discovery. F1000Res 2022; 11:493. [PMID: 36761837 PMCID: PMC9880341 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.110903.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic lethal interactions (SLIs), genetic interactions in which the simultaneous inactivation of two genes leads to a lethal phenotype, are promising targets for therapeutic intervention in cancer, as exemplified by the recent success of PARP inhibitors in treating BRCA1/2-deficient tumors. We present SL-Cloud, a new component of the Institute for Systems Biology Cancer Gateway in the Cloud (ISB-CGC), that provides an integrated framework of cloud-hosted data resources and curated workflows to enable facile prediction of SLIs. This resource addresses two main challenges related to SLI inference: the need to wrangle and preprocess large multi-omic datasets and the availability of multiple comparable prediction approaches. SL-Cloud enables customizable computational inference of SLIs and testing of prediction approaches across multiple datasets. We anticipate that cancer researchers will find utility in this tool for discovery of SLIs to support further investigation into potential drug targets for anticancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahar Tercan
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Guangrong Qin
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Taek-Kyun Kim
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Boris Aguilar
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - John Phan
- General Dynamics Information Technology, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | | | - David Pot
- General Dynamics Information Technology, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Christopher J. Kemp
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Nyasha Chambwe
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA
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38
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Tercan B, Qin G, Kim TK, Aguilar B, Phan J, Longabaugh W, Pot D, Kemp CJ, Chambwe N, Shmulevich I. SL-Cloud: A Cloud-based resource to support synthetic lethal interaction discovery. F1000Res 2022; 11:493. [PMID: 36761837 PMCID: PMC9880341 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.110903.1] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic lethal interactions (SLIs), genetic interactions in which the simultaneous inactivation of two genes leads to a lethal phenotype, are promising targets for therapeutic intervention in cancer, as exemplified by the recent success of PARP inhibitors in treating BRCA1/2-deficient tumors. We present SL-Cloud, a new component of the Institute for Systems Biology Cancer Gateway in the Cloud (ISB-CGC), that provides an integrated framework of cloud-hosted data resources and curated workflows to enable facile prediction of SLIs. This resource addresses two main challenges related to SLI inference: the need to wrangle and preprocess large multi-omic datasets and the availability of multiple comparable prediction approaches. SL-Cloud enables customizable computational inference of SLIs and testing of prediction approaches across multiple datasets. We anticipate that cancer researchers will find utility in this tool for discovery of SLIs to support further investigation into potential drug targets for anticancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahar Tercan
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Guangrong Qin
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Taek-Kyun Kim
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Boris Aguilar
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - John Phan
- General Dynamics Information Technology, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | | | - David Pot
- General Dynamics Information Technology, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Christopher J. Kemp
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Nyasha Chambwe
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA
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39
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Mas-Ponte D, McCullough M, Supek F. Spectrum of DNA mismatch repair failures viewed through the lens of cancer genomics and implications for therapy. Clin Sci (Lond) 2022; 136:383-404. [PMID: 35274136 PMCID: PMC8919091 DOI: 10.1042/cs20210682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Genome sequencing can be used to detect DNA repair failures in tumors and learn about underlying mechanisms. Here, we synthesize findings from genomic studies that examined deficiencies of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) pathway. The impairment of MMR results in genome-wide hypermutation and in the 'microsatellite instability' (MSI) phenotype-occurrence of indel mutations at short tandem repeat (microsatellite) loci. The MSI status of tumors was traditionally assessed by molecular testing of a selected set of MS loci or by measuring MMR protein expression levels. Today, genomic data can provide a more complete picture of the consequences on genomic instability. Multiple computational studies examined somatic mutation distributions that result from failed DNA repair pathways in tumors. These include analyzing the commonly studied trinucleotide mutational spectra of single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), as well as of other features such as indels, structural variants, mutation clusters and regional mutation rate redistribution. The identified mutation patterns can be used to rigorously measure prevalence of MMR failures across cancer types, and potentially to subcategorize the MMR deficiencies. Diverse data sources, genomic and pre-genomic, from human and from experimental models, suggest there are different ways in which MMR can fail, and/or that the cell-type or genetic background may result in different types of MMR mutational patterns. The spectrum of MMR failures may direct cancer evolution, generating particular sets of driver mutations. Moreover, MMR affects outcomes of therapy by DNA damaging drugs, antimetabolites, nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) inhibitors, and immunotherapy by promoting either resistance or sensitivity, depending on the type of therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Mas-Ponte
- Genome Data Science, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Marcel McCullough
- Genome Data Science, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Fran Supek
- Genome Data Science, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, Barcelona 08028, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Pg Lluís Companys, 23, Barcelona 08010, Spain
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40
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Bock C, Datlinger P, Chardon F, Coelho MA, Dong MB, Lawson KA, Lu T, Maroc L, Norman TM, Song B, Stanley G, Chen S, Garnett M, Li W, Moffat J, Qi LS, Shapiro RS, Shendure J, Weissman JS, Zhuang X. High-content CRISPR screening. NATURE REVIEWS. METHODS PRIMERS 2022; 2:9. [PMID: 37214176 PMCID: PMC10200264 DOI: 10.1038/s43586-022-00098-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR screens are a powerful source of biological discovery, enabling the unbiased interrogation of gene function in a wide range of applications and species. In pooled CRISPR screens, various genetically encoded perturbations are introduced into pools of cells. The targeted cells proliferate under a biological challenge such as cell competition, drug treatment or viral infection. Subsequently, the perturbation-induced effects are evaluated by sequencing-based counting of the guide RNAs that specify each perturbation. The typical results of such screens are ranked lists of genes that confer sensitivity or resistance to the biological challenge of interest. Contributing to the broad utility of CRISPR screens, adaptations of the core CRISPR technology make it possible to activate, silence or otherwise manipulate the target genes. Moreover, high-content read-outs such as single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial imaging help characterize screened cells with unprecedented detail. Dedicated software tools facilitate bioinformatic analysis and enhance reproducibility. CRISPR screening has unravelled various molecular mechanisms in basic biology, medical genetics, cancer research, immunology, infectious diseases, microbiology and other fields. This Primer describes the basic and advanced concepts of CRISPR screening and its application as a flexible and reliable method for biological discovery, biomedical research and drug development - with a special emphasis on high-content methods that make it possible to obtain detailed biological insights directly as part of the screen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Bock
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics, and Intelligent Systems, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul Datlinger
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florence Chardon
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Matthew B. Dong
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Keith A. Lawson
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tian Lu
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Laetitia Maroc
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Thomas M. Norman
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Program for Computational and Systems Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bicna Song
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Genomics and Precision Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Geoff Stanley
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sidi Chen
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mathew Garnett
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Wei Li
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Genomics and Precision Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jason Moffat
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute for Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lei S. Qi
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca S. Shapiro
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jay Shendure
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jonathan S. Weissman
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xiaowei Zhuang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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41
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Paralog knockout profiling identifies DUSP4 and DUSP6 as a digenic dependence in MAPK pathway-driven cancers. Nat Genet 2021; 53:1664-1672. [PMID: 34857952 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-021-00967-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Although single-gene perturbation screens have revealed a number of new targets, vulnerabilities specific to frequently altered drivers have not been uncovered. An important question is whether the compensatory relationship between functionally redundant genes masks potential therapeutic targets in single-gene perturbation studies. To identify digenic dependencies, we developed a CRISPR paralog targeting library to investigate the viability effects of disrupting 3,284 genes, 5,065 paralog pairs and 815 paralog families. We identified that dual inactivation of DUSP4 and DUSP6 selectively impairs growth in NRAS and BRAF mutant cells through the hyperactivation of MAPK signaling. Furthermore, cells resistant to MAPK pathway therapeutics become cross-sensitized to DUSP4 and DUSP6 perturbations such that the mechanisms of resistance to the inhibitors reinforce this mechanism of vulnerability. Together, multigene perturbation technologies unveil previously unrecognized digenic vulnerabilities that may be leveraged as new therapeutic targets in cancer.
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42
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Datta A, Biswas K, Sommers JA, Thompson H, Awate S, Nicolae CM, Thakar T, Moldovan GL, Shoemaker RH, Sharan SK, Brosh RM. WRN helicase safeguards deprotected replication forks in BRCA2-mutated cancer cells. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6561. [PMID: 34772932 PMCID: PMC8590011 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26811-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor suppressor BRCA2 protects stalled forks from degradation to maintain genome stability. However, the molecular mechanism(s) whereby unprotected forks are stabilized remains to be fully characterized. Here, we demonstrate that WRN helicase ensures efficient restart and limits excessive degradation of stalled forks in BRCA2-deficient cancer cells. In vitro, WRN ATPase/helicase catalyzes fork restoration and curtails MRE11 nuclease activity on regressed forks. We show that WRN helicase inhibitor traps WRN on chromatin leading to rapid fork stalling and nucleolytic degradation of unprotected forks by MRE11, resulting in MUS81-dependent double-strand breaks, elevated non-homologous end-joining and chromosomal instability. WRN helicase inhibition reduces viability of BRCA2-deficient cells and potentiates cytotoxicity of a poly (ADP)ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor. Furthermore, BRCA2-deficient xenograft tumors in mice exhibited increased DNA damage and growth inhibition when treated with WRN helicase inhibitor. This work provides mechanistic insight into stalled fork stabilization by WRN helicase when BRCA2 is deficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arindam Datta
- Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Kajal Biswas
- Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Joshua A Sommers
- Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Haley Thompson
- Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Sanket Awate
- Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Claudia M Nicolae
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Tanay Thakar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - George-Lucian Moldovan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Robert H Shoemaker
- Chemopreventive Agent Development Research Group, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Shyam K Sharan
- Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Robert M Brosh
- Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
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Choi J, Lee J. V-Dock: Fast Generation of Novel Drug-like Molecules Using Machine-Learning-Based Docking Score and Molecular Optimization. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11635. [PMID: 34769065 PMCID: PMC8584000 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We propose a computational workflow to design novel drug-like molecules by combining the global optimization of molecular properties and protein-ligand docking with machine learning. However, most existing methods depend heavily on experimental data, and many targets do not have sufficient data to train reliable activity prediction models. To overcome this limitation, protein-ligand docking calculations must be performed using the limited data available. Such docking calculations during molecular generation require considerable computational time, preventing extensive exploration of the chemical space. To address this problem, we trained a machine-learning-based model that predicted the docking energy using SMILES to accelerate the molecular generation process. Docking scores could be accurately predicted using only a SMILES string. We combined this docking score prediction model with the global molecular property optimization approach, MolFinder, to find novel molecules exhibiting the desired properties with high values of predicted docking scores. We named this design approach V-dock. Using V-dock, we efficiently generated many novel molecules with high docking scores for a target protein, a similarity to the reference molecule, and desirable drug-like and bespoke properties, such as QED. The predicted docking scores of the generated molecules were verified by correlating them with the actual docking scores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieun Choi
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea;
| | - Juyong Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea;
- Arontier Co., Seoul 06735, Korea
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Campillo-Marcos I, Monte-Serrano E, Navarro-Carrasco E, García-González R, Lazo PA. Lysine Methyltransferase Inhibitors Impair H4K20me2 and 53BP1 Foci in Response to DNA Damage in Sarcomas, a Synthetic Lethality Strategy. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:715126. [PMID: 34540832 PMCID: PMC8446283 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.715126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Chromatin is dynamically remodeled to adapt to all DNA-related processes, including DNA damage responses (DDR). This adaptation requires DNA and histone epigenetic modifications, which are mediated by several types of enzymes; among them are lysine methyltransferases (KMTs). Methods KMT inhibitors, chaetocin and tazemetostat (TZM), were used to study their role in the DDR induced by ionizing radiation or doxorubicin in two human sarcoma cells lines. The effect of these KMT inhibitors was tested by the analysis of chromatin epigenetic modifications, H4K16ac and H4K20me2. DDR was monitored by the formation of γH2AX, MDC1, NBS1 and 53BP1 foci, and the induction of apoptosis. Results Chaetocin and tazemetostat treatments caused a significant increase of H4K16 acetylation, associated with chromatin relaxation, and increased DNA damage, detected by the labeling of free DNA-ends. These inhibitors significantly reduced H4K20 dimethylation levels in response to DNA damage and impaired the recruitment of 53BP1, but not of MDC1 and NBS1, at DNA damaged sites. This modification of epigenetic marks prevents DNA repair by the NHEJ pathway and leads to cell death. Conclusion KMT inhibitors could function as sensitizers to DNA damage-based therapies and be used in novel synthetic lethality strategies for sarcoma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Campillo-Marcos
- Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,Cancer Epigenetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute (IJC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eva Monte-Serrano
- Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Elena Navarro-Carrasco
- Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Raúl García-González
- Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Pedro A Lazo
- Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
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45
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Benfatto S, Serçin Ö, Dejure FR, Abdollahi A, Zenke FT, Mardin BR. Uncovering cancer vulnerabilities by machine learning prediction of synthetic lethality. Mol Cancer 2021; 20:111. [PMID: 34454516 PMCID: PMC8401190 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-021-01405-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Synthetic lethality describes a genetic interaction between two perturbations, leading to cell death, whereas neither event alone has a significant effect on cell viability. This concept can be exploited to specifically target tumor cells. CRISPR viability screens have been widely employed to identify cancer vulnerabilities. However, an approach to systematically infer genetic interactions from viability screens is missing. METHODS Here we describe PAn-canceR Inferred Synthetic lethalities (PARIS), a machine learning approach to identify cancer vulnerabilities. PARIS predicts synthetic lethal (SL) interactions by combining CRISPR viability screens with genomics and transcriptomics data across hundreds of cancer cell lines profiled within the Cancer Dependency Map. RESULTS Using PARIS, we predicted 15 high confidence SL interactions within 549 DNA damage repair (DDR) genes. We show experimental validation of an SL interaction between the tumor suppressor CDKN2A, thymidine phosphorylase (TYMP) and the thymidylate synthase (TYMS), which may allow stratifying patients for treatment with TYMS inhibitors. Using genome-wide mapping of SL interactions for DDR genes, we unraveled a dependency between the aldehyde dehydrogenase ALDH2 and the BRCA-interacting protein BRIP1. Our results suggest BRIP1 as a potential therapeutic target in ~ 30% of all tumors, which express low levels of ALDH2. CONCLUSIONS PARIS is an unbiased, scalable and easy to adapt platform to identify SL interactions that should aid in improving cancer therapy with increased availability of cancer genomics data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Benfatto
- BioMed X Institute (GmbH), Im Neuenheimer Feld 583, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Özdemirhan Serçin
- BioMed X Institute (GmbH), Im Neuenheimer Feld 583, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Francesca R Dejure
- BioMed X Institute (GmbH), Im Neuenheimer Feld 583, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Amir Abdollahi
- Division of Molecular and Translational Radiation Oncology, National Centre for Tumour Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Frank T Zenke
- Translational Innovation Platform Oncology & Immuno-Oncology, Merck KGaA, Frankfurter Str. 250, 64293, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Balca R Mardin
- BioMed X Institute (GmbH), Im Neuenheimer Feld 583, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Wilson DM, Deacon AM, Duncton MAJ, Pellicena P, Georgiadis MM, Yeh AP, Arvai AS, Moiani D, Tainer JA, Das D. Fragment- and structure-based drug discovery for developing therapeutic agents targeting the DNA Damage Response. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 163:130-142. [PMID: 33115610 PMCID: PMC8666131 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2020.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cancer will directly affect the lives of over one-third of the population. The DNA Damage Response (DDR) is an intricate system involving damage recognition, cell cycle regulation, DNA repair, and ultimately cell fate determination, playing a central role in cancer etiology and therapy. Two primary therapeutic approaches involving DDR targeting include: combinatorial treatments employing anticancer genotoxic agents; and synthetic lethality, exploiting a sporadic DDR defect as a mechanism for cancer-specific therapy. Whereas, many DDR proteins have proven "undruggable", Fragment- and Structure-Based Drug Discovery (FBDD, SBDD) have advanced therapeutic agent identification and development. FBDD has led to 4 (with ∼50 more drugs under preclinical and clinical development), while SBDD is estimated to have contributed to the development of >200, FDA-approved medicines. Protein X-ray crystallography-based fragment library screening, especially for elusive or "undruggable" targets, allows for simultaneous generation of hits plus details of protein-ligand interactions and binding sites (orthosteric or allosteric) that inform chemical tractability, downstream biology, and intellectual property. Using a novel high-throughput crystallography-based fragment library screening platform, we screened five diverse proteins, yielding hit rates of ∼2-8% and crystal structures from ∼1.8 to 3.2 Å. We consider current FBDD/SBDD methods and some exemplary results of efforts to design inhibitors against the DDR nucleases meiotic recombination 11 (MRE11, a.k.a., MRE11A), apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1, a.k.a., APEX1), and flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1).
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Wilson
- Hasselt University, Biomedical Research Institute, Diepenbeek, Belgium; Boost Scientific, Heusden-Zolder, Belgium; XPose Therapeutics Inc., San Carlos, CA, USA
| | - Ashley M Deacon
- Accelero Biostructures Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA; XPose Therapeutics Inc., San Carlos, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Millie M Georgiadis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; XPose Therapeutics Inc., San Carlos, CA, USA
| | - Andrew P Yeh
- Accelero Biostructures Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Andrew S Arvai
- Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Davide Moiani
- Department of Cancer Biology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - John A Tainer
- Department of Cancer Biology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Debanu Das
- Accelero Biostructures Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA; XPose Therapeutics Inc., San Carlos, CA, USA.
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The WRN helicase: resolving a new target in microsatellite unstable cancers. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2021; 71:34-38. [PMID: 34284257 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2021.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
One of the goals of precision medicine is to uncover selective vulnerabilities in various cancers. A notable success has been the development of PARP inhibitors for the treatment of breast and ovarian cancers with mutations in BRCA genes. Only two years ago, it was discovered that cancers with microsatellite instability (MSI) were selectively dependent on the RecQ DNA helicase WRN. Subsequently, the molecular mechanism underlying WRN dependency in MSI cancers was uncovered. Here, we review how these developments have led to a promising new drug target in MSI cancers.
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Navarro-Carrasco E, Lazo PA. VRK1 Depletion Facilitates the Synthetic Lethality of Temozolomide and Olaparib in Glioblastoma Cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:683038. [PMID: 34195200 PMCID: PMC8237761 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.683038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Glioblastomas treated with temozolomide frequently develop resistance to pharmacological treatments. Therefore, there is a need to find alternative drug targets to reduce treatment resistance based on tumor dependencies. A possibility is to target simultaneously two proteins from different DNA-damage repair pathways to facilitate tumor cell death. Therefore, we tested whether targeting the human chromatin kinase VRK1 by RNA interference can identify this protein as a novel molecular target to reduce the dependence on temozolomide in combination with olaparib, based on synthetic lethality. Materials and Methods Depletion of VRK1, an enzyme that regulates chromatin dynamic reorganization and facilitates resistance to DNA damage, was performed in glioblastoma cells treated with temozolomide, an alkylating agent used for GBM treatment; and olaparib, an inhibitor of PARP-1, used as sensitizer. Two genetically different human glioblastoma cell lines, LN-18 and LN-229, were used for these experiments. The effect on the DNA-damage response was followed by determination of sequential steps in this process: H4K16ac, γH2AX, H4K20me2, and 53BP1. Results The combination of temozolomide and olaparib increased DNA damage detected by labeling free DNA ends, and chromatin relaxation detected by H4K16ac. The combination of both drugs, at lower doses, resulted in an increase in the DNA damage response detected by the formation of γH2AX and 53BP1 foci. VRK1 depletion did not prevent the generation of DNA damage in TUNEL assays, but significantly impaired the DNA damage response induced by temozolomide and olaparib, and mediated by γH2AX, H4K20me2, and 53BP1. The combination of these drugs in VRK1 depleted cells resulted in an increase of glioblastoma cell death detected by annexin V and the processing of PARP-1 and caspase-3. Conclusion Depletion of the chromatin kinase VRK1 promotes tumor cell death at lower doses of a combination of temozolomide and olaparib treatments, and can be a novel alternative target for therapies based on synthetic lethality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Navarro-Carrasco
- Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca-IBSAL, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Pedro A Lazo
- Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca-IBSAL, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
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RecQ helicases in DNA repair and cancer targets. Essays Biochem 2021; 64:819-830. [PMID: 33095241 PMCID: PMC7588665 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20200012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Helicases are enzymes that use the energy derived from ATP hydrolysis to catalyze the unwinding of DNA or RNA. The RecQ family of helicases is conserved through evolution from prokaryotes to higher eukaryotes and plays important roles in various DNA repair pathways, contributing to the maintenance of genome integrity. Despite their roles as general tumor suppressors, there is now considerable interest in exploiting RecQ helicases as synthetic lethal targets for the development of new cancer therapeutics. In this review, we summarize the latest developments in the structural and mechanistic study of RecQ helicases and discuss their roles in various DNA repair pathways. Finally, we consider the potential to exploit RecQ helicases as therapeutic targets and review the recent progress towards the development of small molecules targeting RecQ helicases as cancer therapeutics.
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50
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Norouzi M, Shafiei M, Abdollahi Z, Miar P, Galehdari H, Emami MH, Zeinalian M, Tabatabaiefar MA. WRN Germline Mutation Is the Likely Inherited Etiology of Various Cancer Types in One Iranian Family. Front Oncol 2021; 11:648649. [PMID: 34164337 PMCID: PMC8215443 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.648649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Familial cancers comprise a considerable distribution of colorectal cancers (CRCs), of which only about 5% occurs through well-established hereditary syndromes. It has been demonstrated that deleterious variants at the newly identified cancer-predisposing genes could describe the etiology of undefined familial cancers. Methods The present study aimed to identify the genetic etiology in a 32-year-old man with early onset familial CRC employing several molecular diagnostic techniques. DNA was extracted from tumoral and normal formalin-fixed-paraffin-embedded (FFPE) blocks, and microsatellite instability (MSI) was evaluated. Immunohistochemistry staining of MMR proteins was performed on tumoral FFPE blocks. Next-generation sequencing (NGS), multiplex ligation-dependent amplification (MLPA) assay, and Sanger sequencing were applied on the genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood. Data analysis was performed using bioinformatics tools. Genetic variants interpretation was based on ACMG. Results MSI analysis indicated MSI-H phenotype, and IHC staining proved no expressions of MSH2 and MSH6 proteins. MLPA and NGS data showed no pathogenic variants in MMR genes. Further analysis of NGS data revealed a candidate WRN frameshift variant (p.R389Efs*3), which was validated with Sanger sequencing. The variant was interpreted as pathogenic since it met the criteria based on the ACMG guideline including very strong (PVS1), strong (PS3), and moderate (PM2). Conclusion WRN is a DNA helicase participating in DNA repair pathways to sustain genomic stability. WRN deficient function may contribute to CRC development that is valuable for further investigation as a candidate gene in hereditary cancer syndrome diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahnaz Norouzi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Shafiei
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Zeinab Abdollahi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Paniz Miar
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hamid Galehdari
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hasan Emami
- Department of Gastroenterology, Poursina Hakim Digestive Disease Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mehrdad Zeinalian
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Amin Tabatabaiefar
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.,Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Noncommunicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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