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Raab M, Becker S, Sanhaji M. Targeting polo-like kinase 1: advancements and future directions in anti-cancer drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2024:1-5. [PMID: 39075888 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2024.2385603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Monika Raab
- School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sven Becker
- School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Mourad Sanhaji
- School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
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2
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Thompson PE, Shortt J. Defeating MYC with drug combinations or dual-targeting drugs. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2024; 45:490-502. [PMID: 38782688 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2024.04.008] [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: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Members of the MYC family of proteins are a major target for cancer drug discovery, but the development of drugs that block MYC-driven cancers has not yet been successful. Approaches to achieve success may include the development of combination therapies or dual-acting drugs that target MYC at multiple nodes. Such treatments hold the possibility of additive or synergistic activity, potentially reducing side effect profiles and the emergence of resistance. In this review, we examine the prominent MYC-related targets and highlight those that have been targeted in combination and/or dual-target approaches. Finally, we explore the challenges of combination and dual-target approaches from a drug development perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip E Thompson
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.
| | - Jake Shortt
- Blood Cancer Therapeutics Laboratory, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3168, Australia; Monash Hematology, Monash Health, Melbourne, Victoria 3168, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
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3
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Pusch FF, Dorado García H, Xu R, Gürgen D, Bei Y, Brückner L, Röefzaad C, von Stebut J, Bardinet V, Chamorro Gonzalez R, Eggert A, Schulte JH, Hundsdörfer P, Seifert G, Haase K, Schäfer BW, Wachtel M, Kühl AA, Ortiz MV, Wengner AM, Scheer M, Henssen AG. Elimusertib has Antitumor Activity in Preclinical Patient-Derived Pediatric Solid Tumor Models. Mol Cancer Ther 2024; 23:507-519. [PMID: 38159110 PMCID: PMC10985474 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-23-0094] [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: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The small-molecule inhibitor of ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein (ATR), elimusertib, is currently being tested clinically in various cancer entities in adults and children. Its preclinical antitumor activity in pediatric malignancies, however, is largely unknown. We here assessed the preclinical activity of elimusertib in 38 cell lines and 32 patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models derived from common pediatric solid tumor entities. Detailed in vitro and in vivo molecular characterization of the treated models enabled the evaluation of response biomarkers. Pronounced objective response rates were observed for elimusertib monotherapy in PDX, when treated with a regimen currently used in clinical trials. Strikingly, elimusertib showed stronger antitumor effects than some standard-of-care chemotherapies, particularly in alveolar rhabdomysarcoma PDX. Thus, elimusertib has strong preclinical antitumor activity in pediatric solid tumor models, which may translate to clinically meaningful responses in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian F. Pusch
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) of the MDC and Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Heathcliff Dorado García
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) of the MDC and Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robin Xu
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) of the MDC and Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dennis Gürgen
- Experimental Pharmacology and Oncology (EPO), Berlin, Germany
| | - Yi Bei
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) of the MDC and Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lotte Brückner
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) of the MDC and Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (BIMSB/BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Claudia Röefzaad
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) of the MDC and Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jennifer von Stebut
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) of the MDC and Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Victor Bardinet
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) of the MDC and Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rocío Chamorro Gonzalez
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) of the MDC and Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Angelika Eggert
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Johannes H. Schulte
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Patrick Hundsdörfer
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Helios Klinikum Berlin-Buch, Berlin, Germany
| | - Georg Seifert
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kerstin Haase
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) of the MDC and Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Anja A. Kühl
- iPATH.Berlin—Core Unit Immunopathology for Experimental Models, Charité Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael V. Ortiz
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, New York
| | | | - Monika Scheer
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anton G. Henssen
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) of the MDC and Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (BIMSB/BIH), Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Berlin, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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4
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Liang H, Yang C, Zeng R, Song Y, Wang J, Xiong W, Yan B, Jin X. Targeting CBX3 with a Dual BET/PLK1 Inhibitor Enhances the Antitumor Efficacy of CDK4/6 Inhibitors in Prostate Cancer. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2302368. [PMID: 37949681 PMCID: PMC10754129 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202302368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The development of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is a significant factor that reduces life expectancy among patients with prostate cancer. Previously, it is reported that CDK4/6 inhibitors can overcome the resistance of CRPC to BET inhibitors by destabilizing BRD4, suggesting that the combination of CDK4/6 inhibitors and BET inhibitors is a promising approach for treating CRPC. In this study, candidates that affect the combined antitumor effect of CDK4/6 inhibitors and BET inhibitors on CRPC is aimed to examine. The data demonstrates that CBX3 is abnormally upregulated in CDK4/6 inhibitors-resistant cells. CBX3 is almost positively correlated with the cell cycle in multiple malignancies and is downregulated by BET inhibitors. Mechanistically, it is showed that CBX3 is transcriptionally upregulated by BRD4 in CRPC cells. Moreover, it is demonstrated that CBX3 modulated the sensitivity of CRPC to CDK4/6 inhibitors by binding with RB1 to release E2F1. Furthermore, it is revealed that PLK1 phosphorylated CBX3 to enhance the interaction between RB1 and CBX3, and desensitize CRPC cells to CDK4/6 inhibitors. Given that BRD4 regulates CBX3 expression and PLK1 affects the binding between RB1 and CBX3, it is proposed that a dual BRD4/PLK1 inhibitor can increase the sensitivity of CRPC cells to CDK4/6 inhibitors partially through CBX3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaiyuan Liang
- Department of UrologyThe Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunan410011China
- Uro‐Oncology Institute of Central South UniversityChangshaHunan410011China
| | - Chunguang Yang
- Department of UrologyTongji HospitalTongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430030China
| | - Ruijiang Zeng
- Department of UrologyThe Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunan410011China
- Uro‐Oncology Institute of Central South UniversityChangshaHunan410011China
| | - Yingqiu Song
- Cancer centerUnion HospitalTongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430022China
| | - Jianxi Wang
- Department of UrologyThe Third Hospital of ChangshaChangshaHunan410011China
| | - Wei Xiong
- Department of UrologyThe Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunan410011China
- Uro‐Oncology Institute of Central South UniversityChangshaHunan410011China
| | - Binyuan Yan
- Department of UrologyPelvic Floor Disorders CenterThe Seventh Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityShenzhen518107China
| | - Xin Jin
- Department of UrologyThe Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunan410011China
- Uro‐Oncology Institute of Central South UniversityChangshaHunan410011China
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5
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Valinciute G, Ecker J, Selt F, Hielscher T, Sigaud R, Ridinger J, Thatikonda V, Gatzweiler C, Robinson S, Talbot J, Bernardi F, Picard D, Blattner-Johnson M, Schmid S, Jones DT, van Tilburg CM, Capper D, Kool M, Remke M, Oehme I, Pfister SM, Roussel MF, Ayrault O, Witt O, Milde T. Class I HDAC inhibitor entinostat synergizes with PLK1 inhibitors in MYC-amplified medulloblastoma cells. J Neurooncol 2023; 163:143-158. [PMID: 37183219 PMCID: PMC10232604 DOI: 10.1007/s11060-023-04319-1] [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: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE We and others have demonstrated that MYC-amplified medulloblastoma (MB) cells are susceptible to class I histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) treatment. However, single drug treatment with HDACi has shown limited clinical efficacy. We hypothesized that addition of a second compound acting synergistically with HDACi may enhance efficacy. METHODS We used a gene expression dataset to identify PLK1 as a second target in MB cells and validated the relevance of PLK1 in MB. We measured cell metabolic activity, viability, and cycle progression in MB cells after treatment with PLK1-specific inhibitors (PLK1i). Chou-Talalay synergy calculations were used to determine the nature of class I HDACi entinostat and PLK1i interaction which was validated. Finally, the clinical potential of the combination was assessed in the in vivo experiment. RESULTS MYC-amplified tumor cells are highly sensitive towards treatment with ATP-competitive PLK1i as a monotherapy. Entinostat and PLK1i in combination act synergistically in MYC-driven MB cells, exerting cytotoxic effects at clinically relevant concentrations. The downstream effect is exerted via MYC-related pathways, pointing out the potential of MYC amplification as a clinically feasible predictive biomarker for patient selection. While entinostat significantly extended survival of mice implanted with orthotopic MYC-amplified MB PDX, there was no evidence of the improvement of survival when treating the animals with the combination. CONCLUSION The combination of entinostat and PLK1i showed synergistic interaction in vitro, but not in vivo. Therefore, further screening of blood-brain barrier penetrating PLK1i is warranted to determine the true potential of the combination as no on-target activity was observed after PLK1i volasertib treatment in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gintvile Valinciute
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Research (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jonas Ecker
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Research (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
- KiTZ Clinical Trial Unit (ZIPO), Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Florian Selt
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Research (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
- KiTZ Clinical Trial Unit (ZIPO), Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Hielscher
- Division of Biostatistics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Romain Sigaud
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Research (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Johannes Ridinger
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Research (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Venu Thatikonda
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Pediatric Neurooncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Research (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
- Global Computational Biology and Digital Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH, Co KG, Doktor-Boehringer-Gasse 5-11, 1120, Vienna, Austria
| | - Charlotte Gatzweiler
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Research (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sarah Robinson
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Julie Talbot
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR, INSERM, Orsay, France
- Université Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS-UMR 3347 INSERM U1021, Orsay, France
| | - Flavia Bernardi
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR, INSERM, Orsay, France
- Université Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS-UMR 3347 INSERM U1021, Orsay, France
| | - Daniel Picard
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Neuro-Oncogenomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Mirjam Blattner-Johnson
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Pediatric Glioma Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Simone Schmid
- Department of Neuropathology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- DKTK Partner Site, Berlin, Germany
| | - David T Jones
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Pediatric Glioma Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Cornelis M van Tilburg
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Research (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
- KiTZ Clinical Trial Unit (ZIPO), Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - David Capper
- Department of Neuropathology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- DKTK Partner Site, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marcel Kool
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Pediatric Neurooncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Research (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marc Remke
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Neuro-Oncogenomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ina Oehme
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Research (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan M Pfister
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- KiTZ Clinical Trial Unit (ZIPO), Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Pediatric Neurooncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Research (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martine F Roussel
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Olivier Ayrault
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR, INSERM, Orsay, France
- Université Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS-UMR 3347 INSERM U1021, Orsay, France
| | - Olaf Witt
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Research (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
- KiTZ Clinical Trial Unit (ZIPO), Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Till Milde
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Research (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany.
- KiTZ Clinical Trial Unit (ZIPO), Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), CCU Pediatric Oncology B310, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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6
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Boi D, Rubini E, Breccia S, Guarguaglini G, Paiardini A. When Just One Phosphate Is One Too Many: The Multifaceted Interplay between Myc and Kinases. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:4746. [PMID: 36902175 PMCID: PMC10003727 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Myc transcription factors are key regulators of many cellular processes, with Myc target genes crucially implicated in the management of cell proliferation and stem pluripotency, energy metabolism, protein synthesis, angiogenesis, DNA damage response, and apoptosis. Given the wide involvement of Myc in cellular dynamics, it is not surprising that its overexpression is frequently associated with cancer. Noteworthy, in cancer cells where high Myc levels are maintained, the overexpression of Myc-associated kinases is often observed and required to foster tumour cells' proliferation. A mutual interplay exists between Myc and kinases: the latter, which are Myc transcriptional targets, phosphorylate Myc, allowing its transcriptional activity, highlighting a clear regulatory loop. At the protein level, Myc activity and turnover is also tightly regulated by kinases, with a finely tuned balance between translation and rapid protein degradation. In this perspective, we focus on the cross-regulation of Myc and its associated protein kinases underlying similar and redundant mechanisms of regulation at different levels, from transcriptional to post-translational events. Furthermore, a review of the indirect effects of known kinase inhibitors on Myc provides an opportunity to identify alternative and combined therapeutic approaches for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalila Boi
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Rubini
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Breccia
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Guarguaglini
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council of Italy, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Paiardini
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
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7
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Aaltonen K, Radke K, Adamska A, Seger A, Mañas A, Bexell D. Patient-derived models: Advanced tools for precision medicine in neuroblastoma. Front Oncol 2023; 12:1085270. [PMID: 36776363 PMCID: PMC9910084 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1085270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is a childhood cancer derived from the sympathetic nervous system. High-risk neuroblastoma patients have a poor overall survival and account for ~15% of childhood cancer deaths. There is thus a need for clinically relevant and authentic models of neuroblastoma that closely resemble the human disease to further interrogate underlying mechanisms and to develop novel therapeutic strategies. Here we review recent developments in patient-derived neuroblastoma xenograft models and in vitro cultures. These models can be used to decipher mechanisms of metastasis and treatment resistance, for drug screening, and preclinical drug testing. Patient-derived neuroblastoma models may also provide useful information about clonal evolution, phenotypic plasticity, and cell states in relation to neuroblastoma progression. We summarize current opportunities for, but also barriers to, future model development and application. Integration of patient-derived models with patient data holds promise for the development of precision medicine treatment strategies for children with high-risk neuroblastoma.
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8
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Therapeutic targeting of ATR in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4297. [PMID: 35879366 PMCID: PMC9314382 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32023-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite advances in multi-modal treatment approaches, clinical outcomes of patients suffering from PAX3-FOXO1 fusion oncogene-expressing alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) remain dismal. Here we show that PAX3-FOXO1-expressing ARMS cells are sensitive to pharmacological ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3 related protein (ATR) inhibition. Expression of PAX3-FOXO1 in muscle progenitor cells is not only sufficient to increase sensitivity to ATR inhibition, but PAX3-FOXO1-expressing rhabdomyosarcoma cells also exhibit increased sensitivity to structurally diverse inhibitors of ATR. Mechanistically, ATR inhibition leads to replication stress exacerbation, decreased BRCA1 phosphorylation and reduced homologous recombination-mediated DNA repair pathway activity. Consequently, ATR inhibitor treatment increases sensitivity of ARMS cells to PARP1 inhibition in vitro, and combined treatment with ATR and PARP1 inhibitors induces complete regression of primary patient-derived ARMS xenografts in vivo. Lastly, a genome-wide CRISPR activation screen (CRISPRa) in combination with transcriptional analyses of ATR inhibitor resistant ARMS cells identifies the RAS-MAPK pathway and its targets, the FOS gene family, as inducers of resistance to ATR inhibition. Our findings provide a rationale for upcoming biomarker-driven clinical trials of ATR inhibitors in patients suffering from ARMS.
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9
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Zhang J, Zhang L, Wang J, Ouyang L, Wang Y. Polo-like Kinase 1 Inhibitors in Human Cancer Therapy: Development and Therapeutic Potential. J Med Chem 2022; 65:10133-10160. [PMID: 35878418 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) plays an important role in a variety of cellular functions, including the regulation of mitosis, DNA replication, autophagy, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). PLK1 overexpression is often associated with cell proliferation and poor prognosis in cancer patients, making it a promising antitumor target. To date, at least 10 PLK1 inhibitors (PLK1i) have been entered into clinical trials, among which the typical kinase domain (KD) inhibitor BI 6727 (volasertib) was granted "breakthrough therapy designation" by the FDA in 2013. Unfortunately, many other KD inhibitors showed poor specificity, resulting in dose-limiting toxicity, which has greatly impeded their development. Researchers recently discovered many PLK1i with higher selectivity, stronger potency, and better absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination (ADME) characteristics. In this review, we emphasize the structure-activity relationships (SARs) of PLK1i, providing insights into new drugs targeting PLK1 for antitumor clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jifa Zhang
- Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, Institute of Respiratory Health, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, Joint Research Institution of Altitude Health, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Lele Zhang
- Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, Institute of Respiratory Health, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, Joint Research Institution of Altitude Health, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiaxing Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis 38163, Tennessee, United States
| | - Liang Ouyang
- Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, Institute of Respiratory Health, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, Joint Research Institution of Altitude Health, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuxi Wang
- Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, Institute of Respiratory Health, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, Joint Research Institution of Altitude Health, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
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10
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A Drug Repurposing Screen Identifies Fludarabine Phosphate as a Potential Therapeutic Agent for N-MYC Overexpressing Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancers. Cells 2022; 11:cells11142246. [PMID: 35883689 PMCID: PMC9317991 DOI: 10.3390/cells11142246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) represents a highly aggressive form of prostate tumors. NEPC results from trans-differentiated castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) with increasing evidence indicating that the incidence of NEPC often results from the adaptive response to androgen deprivation therapy. Recent studies have shown that a subset of NEPC exhibits overexpression of the MYCN oncogene along with the loss of tumor suppressing TP53 and RB1 activities. N-MYC is structurally disordered with no binding pockets available on its surface and so far, no clinically approved drug is available. We adopted a drug-repurposing strategy, screened ~1800 drug molecules, and identified fludarabine phosphate to preferentially inhibit the proliferation of N-MYC overexpressing NEPC cells by inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS). We also show that fludarabine phosphate affects N-MYC protein levels and N-MYC transcriptional targets in NEPC cells. Moreover, enhanced ROS production destabilizes N-MYC protein by inhibiting AKT signaling and is responsible for the reduced survival of NEPC cells and tumors. Our results indicate that increasing ROS production by the administration of fludarabine phosphate may represent an effective treatment option for patients with N-MYC overexpressing NEPC tumors.
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11
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Srivastava RK, Guroji P, Jin L, Mukhtar MS, Athar M. Combined inhibition of BET bromodomain and mTORC1/2 provides therapeutic advantage for rhabdomyosarcoma by switching cell death mechanism. Mol Carcinog 2022; 61:737-751. [PMID: 35472745 PMCID: PMC9262843 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant activation of multiple complex signaling pathways underlies the pathogenesis of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), which remains a cause of mortality in approximately 30% of children with RMS. Bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) domain chromatin remodeling regulates several of these pathways. Here, we targeted bromodomain 4 (BRD4) in combination with another molecular metabolic tumor driver, the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, to provide a highly effective treatment for this neoplasm. We demonstrated that a nexus of these two molecular pathways underlies RMS pathogenesis. Our data show that the combined inhibition of the BET bromodomain and mTORC1/2 signaling abrogates aggressive RMS growth. Thus, the bromodomain inhibitor RVX-208 significantly augmented the therapeutic effects of the dual mTORC1/2 inhibitors, OSI-027 and PP242, both in vitro and in a human xenograft murine model. Drug-treated residual tumors showed a decrease in the activation of underlying signaling mechanisms characterized by a reduction in the expression of p-AKT, p-mTOR, p-p70S6K, cyclin D1, and proliferation. Our ChIP-seq data demonstrated that RVX-208 effectively blocked BRD4 occupancy on its target promoters. ChIP-qPCR assays further confirmed that RVX-208 treatment resulted in a significant decrease in H3K27ac and H4K8ac signals at their target loci. While single RVX-208 treatment induces apoptosis and a single mTORC1/2 inhibitor induces macropinocytosis, their combined treatment led to necroptosis-mediated cell death. These data suggest that combined treatment with drugs targeting BRD4 and mTORC1/2 may be an effective therapeutic intervention for drug-resistant RMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritesh K Srivastava
- UAB Research Center of Excellence in Arsenicals, Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Purushotham Guroji
- UAB Research Center of Excellence in Arsenicals, Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Lin Jin
- UAB Research Center of Excellence in Arsenicals, Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - M Shahid Mukhtar
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Mohammad Athar
- UAB Research Center of Excellence in Arsenicals, Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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12
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Zhong F, Wu X, Yang R, Li X, Wang D, Fu Z, Liu X, Wan X, Yang T, Fan Z, Zhang Y, Luo X, Chen K, Zhang S, Jiang H, Zheng M. Drug target inference by mining transcriptional data using a novel graph convolutional network framework. Protein Cell 2022; 13:281-301. [PMID: 34677780 PMCID: PMC8532448 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-021-00885-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental challenge that arises in biomedicine is the need to characterize compounds in a relevant cellular context in order to reveal potential on-target or off-target effects. Recently, the fast accumulation of gene transcriptional profiling data provides us an unprecedented opportunity to explore the protein targets of chemical compounds from the perspective of cell transcriptomics and RNA biology. Here, we propose a novel Siamese spectral-based graph convolutional network (SSGCN) model for inferring the protein targets of chemical compounds from gene transcriptional profiles. Although the gene signature of a compound perturbation only provides indirect clues of the interacting targets, and the biological networks under different experiment conditions further complicate the situation, the SSGCN model was successfully trained to learn from known compound-target pairs by uncovering the hidden correlations between compound perturbation profiles and gene knockdown profiles. On a benchmark set and a large time-split validation dataset, the model achieved higher target inference accuracy as compared to previous methods such as Connectivity Map. Further experimental validations of prediction results highlight the practical usefulness of SSGCN in either inferring the interacting targets of compound, or reversely, in finding novel inhibitors of a given target of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feisheng Zhong
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaolong Wu
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Ruirui Yang
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Xutong Li
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Dingyan Wang
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zunyun Fu
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Xiaohong Liu
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - XiaoZhe Wan
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Tianbiao Yang
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zisheng Fan
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yinghui Zhang
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaomin Luo
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Kaixian Chen
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Sulin Zhang
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Hualiang Jiang
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 200031, China.
| | - Mingyue Zheng
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
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13
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Synthetic Heterocyclic Derivatives as Kinase Inhibitors Tested for the Treatment of Neuroblastoma. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26237069. [PMID: 34885651 PMCID: PMC8658969 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26237069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last few years, small molecules endowed with different heterocyclic scaffolds have been developed as kinase inhibitors. Some of them are being tested at preclinical or clinical levels for the potential treatment of neuroblastoma (NB). This disease is the most common extracranial solid tumor in childhood and is responsible for 10% to 15% of pediatric cancer deaths. Despite the availability of some treatments, including the use of very toxic cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents, high-risk (HR)-NB patients still have a poor prognosis and a survival rate below 50%. For these reasons, new pharmacological options are urgently needed. This review focuses on synthetic heterocyclic compounds published in the last five years, which showed at least some activity on this severe disease and act as kinase inhibitors. The specific mechanism of action, selectivity, and biological activity of these drug candidates are described, when established. Moreover, the most remarkable clinical trials are reported. Importantly, kinase inhibitors approved for other diseases have shown to be active and endowed with lower toxicity compared to conventional cytotoxic agents. The data collected in this article can be particularly useful for the researchers working in this area.
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14
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Feng L, Wang G, Chen Y, He G, Liu B, Liu J, Chiang CM, Ouyang L. Dual-target inhibitors of bromodomain and extra-terminal proteins in cancer: A review from medicinal chemistry perspectives. Med Res Rev 2021; 42:710-743. [PMID: 34633088 DOI: 10.1002/med.21859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4), as the most studied member of the bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) family, is a chromatin reader protein interpreting epigenetic codes through binding to acetylated histones and non-histone proteins, thereby regulating diverse cellular processes including cell cycle, cell differentiation, and cell proliferation. As a promising drug target, BRD4 function is closely related to cancer, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and liver fibrosis. Currently, clinical resistance to BET inhibitors has limited their applications but synergistic antitumor effects have been observed when used in combination with other tumor inhibitors targeting additional cellular components such as PLK1, HDAC, CDK, and PARP1. Therefore, designing dual-target inhibitors of BET bromodomains is a rational strategy in cancer treatment to increase potency and reduce drug resistance. This review summarizes the protein structures and biological functions of BRD4 and discusses recent advances of dual BET inhibitors from a medicinal chemistry perspective. We also discuss the current design and discovery strategies for dual BET inhibitors, providing insight into potential discovery of additional dual-target BET inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Guan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
| | - Gu He
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jie Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Cheng-Ming Chiang
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Liang Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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15
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Jin W, Tan H, Wu J, He G, Liu B. Dual-target inhibitors of bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) in cancer therapy: Current situation and future directions. Drug Discov Today 2021; 27:246-256. [PMID: 34438075 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) is emerging as a therapeutic target that acts synergistically with other targets of small-molecule drugs in cancer. Therefore, the discovery of potential new dual-target inhibitors of BRD4 may be a promising strategy for cancer therapy. In this review, we highlight a series of strategies to design therapeutic dual-target inhibitors of BRD4 that focus on the synergistic functions of this protein. Drug combinations that exploit synthetic lethality, protein-protein interactions, functional complementarity, and blocking of resistance mechanisms could ultimately overcome the barriers inherent to the development of BRD4 inhibitors as future cancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenke Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Huidan Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Junhao Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Gu He
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Bo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
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16
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Epigenetic-Based Therapy-A Prospective Chance for Medulloblastoma Patients' Recovery. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094925. [PMID: 34066495 PMCID: PMC8124462 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Medulloblastoma (MB) is one of the most frequent and malignant brain tumors in children. The prognosis depends on the advancement of the disease and the patient's age. Current therapies, which include surgery, chemotherapy, and irradiation, despite being quite effective, cause significant side effects that influence the central nervous system's function and cause neurocognitive deficits. Therefore, they substantially lower the quality of life, which is especially severe in a developing organism. Thus, there is a need for new therapies that are less toxic and even more effective. Recently, knowledge about the epigenetic mechanisms that are responsible for medulloblastoma development has increased. Epigenetics is a phenomenon that influences gene expression but can be easily modified by external factors. The best known epigenetic mechanisms are histone modifications, DNA methylation, or noncoding RNAs actions. Epigenetic mechanisms comprehensively explain the complex phenomena of carcinogenesis. At the same time, they seem to be a potential key to treating medulloblastoma with fewer complications than past therapies. This review presents the currently known epigenetic mechanisms that are involved in medulloblastoma pathogenesis and the potential therapies that use epigenetic traits to cure medulloblastoma while maintaining a good quality of life and ensuring a higher median overall survival rate.
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17
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Zhang Z, Xing X, Guan P, Song S, You G, Xia C, Liu T. Recent progress in agents targeting polo-like kinases: Promising therapeutic strategies. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 217:113314. [PMID: 33765606 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Polo-like kinases (PLKs) play important roles in regulating multiple aspects of cell cycle and cell proliferation. In many cancer types, PLK family members are often dysregulated, which can lead to uncontrolled cell proliferation and aberrant cell division and has been shown to associate with poor prognosis of cancers. The key roles of PLK kinases in cancers lead to an enhanced interest in them as promising targets for anticancer drug development. In consideration of PLK inhibitors and some other anticancer agents, such as BRD4, EEF2K and Aurora inhibitors, exert synergy effects in cancer cells, dual-targeting of PLK and other cancer-related targets is regarded as an rational and potent strategy to enhance the effectiveness of single-targeting therapy for cancer treatment. This review introduces the PLK family members at first and then focuses on the recent advances of single-target PLK inhibitors and summarizes the corresponding SARs of them. Moreover, we discuss the synergisms between PLK and other anti-tumor targets, and sum up the current dual-target agents based on them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, Shandong, 271016, PR China
| | - Xiaolan Xing
- Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group Shanghai Haini Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Pudong, Shanghai, 201100, PR China
| | - Peng Guan
- Department of Pharmacy, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, PR China
| | - Shubin Song
- Department of Breast Surgery, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, PR China
| | - Guirong You
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, Shandong, 271016, PR China
| | - Chengcai Xia
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, Shandong, 271016, PR China
| | - Tingting Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, Shandong, 271016, PR China.
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18
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Liu R, Shi P, Wang Z, Yuan C, Cui H. Molecular Mechanisms of MYCN Dysregulation in Cancers. Front Oncol 2021; 10:625332. [PMID: 33614505 PMCID: PMC7886978 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.625332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
MYCN, a member of MYC proto-oncogene family, encodes a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor N-MYC. Abnormal expression of N-MYC is correlated with high-risk cancers and poor prognosis. Initially identified as an amplified oncogene in neuroblastoma in 1983, the oncogenic effect of N-MYC is expanded to multiple neuronal and nonneuronal tumors. Direct targeting N-MYC remains challenge due to its "undruggable" features. Therefore, alternative therapeutic approaches for targeting MYCN-driven tumors have been focused on the disruption of transcription, translation, protein stability as well as synthetic lethality of MYCN. In this review, we summarize the latest advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms of MYCN dysregulation in cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruochen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Reproductive Medicine Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Reproductive Health (Chongqing Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Reproductive Health, Chongqing Population and Family Planning Science and Technology Research Institute), Chongqing, China
| | - Pengfei Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Reproductive Medicine Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Reproductive Health (Chongqing Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Reproductive Health, Chongqing Population and Family Planning Science and Technology Research Institute), Chongqing, China
| | - Zhongze Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Reproductive Medicine Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chaoyu Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Reproductive Medicine Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hongjuan Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Reproductive Medicine Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Reproductive Health (Chongqing Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Reproductive Health, Chongqing Population and Family Planning Science and Technology Research Institute), Chongqing, China
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19
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Gao B, Xie W, Wu X, Wang L, Guo J. Functionally analyzing the important roles of hepatocyte nuclear factor 3 (FoxA) in tumorigenesis. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2020; 1873:188365. [PMID: 32325165 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2020.188365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Transcriptional factors (TFs) play a central role in governing gene expression under physiological conditions including the processes of embryonic development, metabolic homeostasis and response to extracellular stimuli. Conceivably, the aberrant dysregulations of TFs would dominantly result in various human disorders including tumorigenesis, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. Serving as the most evolutionarily reserved TFs, Fox family TFs have been explored to exert distinct biological functions in neoplastic development, by manipulating diverse gene expression. Recently, among the Fox family members, the pilot roles of FoxAs attract more attention due to their functions as both pioneer factor and transcriptional factor in human tumorigenesis, particularly in the sex-dimorphism tumors. Therefore, the pathological roles of FoxAs in tumorigenesis have been well-explored in modulating inflammation, immune response and metabolic homeostasis. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the impressive progression of FoxA functional annotation, clinical relevance, upstream regulators and downstream effectors, as well as valuable animal models, and highlight the potential strategies to target FoxAs for cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Gao
- Institute of Precision Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China
| | - Wei Xie
- Institute of Precision Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China
| | - Xueji Wu
- Institute of Precision Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Institute of Precision Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China
| | - Jianping Guo
- Institute of Precision Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China.
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20
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Camero S, Camicia L, Marampon F, Ceccarelli S, Shukla R, Mannarino O, Pizer B, Schiavetti A, Pizzuti A, Tombolini V, Marchese C, Dominici C, Megiorni F. BET inhibition therapy counteracts cancer cell survival, clonogenic potential and radioresistance mechanisms in rhabdomyosarcoma cells. Cancer Lett 2020; 479:71-88. [PMID: 32200036 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The antitumour effects of OTX015, a first-in-class BET inhibitor (BETi), were investigated as a single agent or in combination with ionizing radiation (IR) in preclinical in vitro models of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most common childhood soft tissue sarcoma. Herein, we demonstrated the upregulation of BET Bromodomain gene expression in RMS tumour biopsies and cell lines compared to normal skeletal muscle. In vitro experiments showed that OTX015 significantly reduced RMS cell proliferation by altering cell cycle modulators and apoptotic related proteins due to the accumulation of DNA breaks that cells are unable to repair. Interestingly, OTX015 also impaired migration capacity and tumour-sphere architecture by downregulating pro-stemness genes and was able to potentiate ionizing radiation effects by reducing the expression of different drivers of tumour dissemination and resistance mechanisms, including the GNL3 gene, that we correlated for the first time with the RMS phenotype. In conclusion, our research sheds further light on the molecular events of OTX015 action against RMS cells and indicates this novel BETi as an effective option to improve therapeutic strategies and overcome the development of resistant cancer cells in patients with RMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Camero
- Department of Maternal, Infantile, and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Lucrezia Camicia
- Department of Maternal, Infantile, and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesco Marampon
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Simona Ceccarelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Rajeev Shukla
- Department of Perinatal and Paediatric Pathology, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Olga Mannarino
- Department of Maternal, Infantile, and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Barry Pizer
- Department of Oncology, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Eaton Road, Liverpool, L12 2AP, UK.
| | - Amalia Schiavetti
- Department of Maternal, Infantile, and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Antonio Pizzuti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Vincenzo Tombolini
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Cinzia Marchese
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Carlo Dominici
- Department of Maternal, Infantile, and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesca Megiorni
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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