1
|
Gao T, Huang J, Yin H, Huang J, Xie J, Zhou T, Fan W, Yang X, Gao G, Li Z. Inhibition of extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma by Chiauranib through an AIF-dependent pathway and its synergy with L-asparaginase. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:316. [PMID: 37160920 PMCID: PMC10169864 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-05833-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (NKTL) is a rare and aggressive form of extranodal lymphoma with a poor prognosis. Currently, there are very limited treatment options for patients with advanced-stage disease or those with relapsed/recurrent disease. Here we show that Chiauranib, an orally small molecule inhibitor of select serine-threonine kinases (aurora B, VEGFRs, PDGFR, CSF1R, c-Kit), inhibited NKTL cell proliferation, induced cell cycle arrest, as well as suppressed the microvessel density in vitro and in vivo similar as in other types of cancer cells. Surprisingly, Chiauranib unfolded a new effect to induce apoptosis of NKTL cells by triggering AIF-dependent apoptosis other than the traditional cyt-c/caspase mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. The knockdown of AIF in vitro and in vivo dramatically blocked the efficacy of Chiauranib on NKTL. Mechanistically, the release of AIF from mitochondria is due to the upregulation of VDAC1 by the AKT-GSK3β pathway and activation of calcium-dependent m-calpain, which promotes the cleavage of VDAC1 and therefore permits the release of AIF. Notably, the low expression of Bax in both NKTL cells and patient tissues restrained the cyt-c release. It resulted in the inhibition of cyt-c/caspase mitochondrial pathway, suggesting that drugs targeting this traditional pathway may not be effective in NKTL. Furthermore, we found that L-asparaginase triggered CD95 (Fas/Apo-1)-caspase 8-caspase 3 apoptotic pathway in NKTL cells, and combination of Chiauranib and L-asparaginase exhibited a synergistic effect, suggesting a feasibility to combine these two drugs for effective treatment of NKTL. This study demonstrates Chiauranib's positive efficacy toward NKTL through the activation of the AIF-dependent apoptosis pathway for the first time. The novel and multi-targets of Chiauranib and the synergistic effect with L-asparaginase may provide a promising therapy for NKTL patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tianxiao Gao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, 510060, P.R. China
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, 510060, P.R. China
| | - Jieye Huang
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, SunYat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haofan Yin
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, SunYat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiajia Huang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, 510060, P.R. China
| | - Jinye Xie
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, SunYat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ti Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, SunYat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Engineering & Technology Research Center for Gene Manipulation and Biomacromolecular Products, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Fan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, 510060, P.R. China.
| | - Xia Yang
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, SunYat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Guoquan Gao
- Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan School of Medicine, SunYat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Zhiming Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, 510060, P.R. China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Martínez-Martín S, Beaulieu ME, Soucek L. Targeting MYC-driven lymphoma: lessons learned and future directions. CANCER DRUG RESISTANCE (ALHAMBRA, CALIF.) 2023; 6:205-222. [PMID: 37457123 PMCID: PMC10344726 DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2022.127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
MYC plays a central role in tumorigenesis by orchestrating cell proliferation, growth and survival, among other transformation mechanisms. In particular, MYC has often been associated with lymphomagenesis. In fact, MYC overexpressing lymphomas such as high-grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBL) and double expressor diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL), are considered addicted to MYC. In such a context, MYC targeting therapies are of special interest, as MYC withdrawal is expected to result in tumor regression. However, whether high MYC levels are always predictive of increased sensitivity to these approaches is not clear yet. Even though no MYC inhibitor has received regulatory approval to date, substantial efforts have been made to investigate avenues to render MYC a druggable target. Here, we summarize the different classes of molecules currently under development, which mostly target MYC indirectly in aggressive B-cell lymphomas, paying special attention to subtypes with MYC/BCL2 or BCL6 translocations or overexpression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marie-Eve Beaulieu
- Peptomyc S.L., Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona 08035, Spain
| | - Laura Soucek
- Peptomyc S.L., Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona 08035, Spain
- Preclinical & Translational Research Program, Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona 08035, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra 08193, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kovacs AH, Zhao D, Hou J. Aurora B Inhibitors as Cancer Therapeutics. Molecules 2023; 28:3385. [PMID: 37110619 PMCID: PMC10144992 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28083385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The Aurora kinases (A, B, and C) are a family of three isoform serine/threonine kinases that regulate mitosis and meiosis. The Chromosomal Passenger Complex (CPC), which contains Aurora B as an enzymatic component, plays a critical role in cell division. Aurora B in the CPC ensures faithful chromosome segregation and promotes the correct biorientation of chromosomes on the mitotic spindle. Aurora B overexpression has been observed in several human cancers and has been associated with a poor prognosis for cancer patients. Targeting Aurora B with inhibitors is a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. In the past decade, Aurora B inhibitors have been extensively pursued in both academia and industry. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the preclinical and clinical candidates of Aurora B inhibitors as potential anticancer drugs. The recent advances in the field of Aurora B inhibitor development will be highlighted, and the binding interactions between Aurora B and inhibitors based on crystal structures will be presented and discussed to provide insights for the future design of more selective Aurora B inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antal H. Kovacs
- Department of Chemistry, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Dong Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Jinqiang Hou
- Department of Chemistry, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
- Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute, 980 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 6V4, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Preclinical Studies of Chiauranib Show It Inhibits Transformed Follicular Lymphoma through the VEGFR2/ERK/STAT3 Signaling Pathway. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 16:ph16010015. [PMID: 36678513 PMCID: PMC9865968 DOI: 10.3390/ph16010015] [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: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Transformed follicular lymphoma (t-FL), for which there is no efficient treatment strategy, has a rapid progression, treatment resistance, and poor prognosis, which are the main reasons for FL treatment failure. In this study, we identified a promising therapeutic approach with chiauranib, a novel orally developed multitarget inhibitor targeting VEGFR/Aurora B/CSF-1R. We first determined the cytotoxicity of chiauranib in t-FL cell lines through CCK-8, EdU staining, flow cytometry, and transwell assays. We also determined the killing effect of chiauranib in a xenograft model. More importantly, we identified the underlying mechanism of chiauranib in t-FL tumorigenesis by immunofluorescence and Western blotting. Treatment with chiauranib significantly inhibited cell growth and migration, promoted apoptosis, induced cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase, and resulted in significant killing in vivo. Mechanistically, chiauranib suppresses the phosphorylation level of VEGFR2, which has an anti-t-FL effect by inhibiting the downstream MEK/ERK/STAT3 signaling cascade. In conclusion, chiauranib may be a potential therapy to treat t-FL, since it inhibits tumor growth and migration and induces apoptosis by altering the VEGFR2/ERK/STAT3 signaling pathway.
Collapse
|
5
|
Abstract
Introduction: Aurora kinases are a family of serine/threonine kinases, and promote mitotic spindle assembly by regulating centrosome duplication and separation. Aurora kinases are overexpressed in a variety of tumor cell lines, thus, the use of Aurora kinase small-molecule inhibitors has become a potential treatment option for cancer.Areas covered: As a continuing review of Aurora kinase inhibitors and their patents published in 2009, 2011 and 2014. Herein, we updated the information for Aurora kinase inhibitors in clinical trials and the patents filed from 2014 to 2020. PubMed, Scopus, SciFinder, and www.clinicaltrials.gov databases were used for searching the clinical information and patents of Aurora kinase inhibitors.Expert opinion: Even though Aurora A or B selective as well as pan inhibitors show preclinical and clinical efficacy, so far, no Aurora kinase inhibitor has been approved for clinical use. Preliminary evidence suggested that highly selective Aurora kinase or multi-target inhibitors as a single agent as well as in combination therapy are still the current main development trend of Aurora kinase inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Li Jing
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Shi-Wu Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Yuan D, Li G, Yu L, Jiang Y, Shi Y, Chen Q, Ma X, Pham LV, Young KH, Deng M, Fang Z, Xu B. CS2164 and Venetoclax Show Synergistic Antitumoral Activities in High Grade B-Cell Lymphomas With MYC and BCL2 Rearrangements. Front Oncol 2021; 11:618908. [PMID: 33777762 PMCID: PMC7988232 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.618908] [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: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
High-grade B-cell lymphoma with concurrent MYC and BCL2 rearrangements (HGBL-DHL) is a rare, aggressive mature B-cell malignancy with a high likelihood of treatment failure following front-line immunochemotherapies. Patients with HGBL-DHL who develop a relapsed or refractory disease have little effective therapeutic strategies and show very poor clinical outcomes, thus calling for development of novel therapies for this specific patient population. In this study, we investigated the preclinical anti-lymphoma efficacies and potential mechanism of action of a novel treatment approach, combining the BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax with CS2164, a new orally active multitarget inhibitor, in HGBL-DHL models. This combination therapy exhibited a robust synergistic cytotoxicity against HGBL-DHL cells, evidenced by cooperatively inducing loss of cell viability and promoting cell apoptosis. Moreover, coadministration of CS2164 and venetoclax resulted in significant superior suppression of HGBL-DHL cell growth and remarkably abrogated tumor burden in a HGBL-DHL-xenografted mouse model. The synergistic lethality of CS2164 and venetoclax in HGBL-DHL cells was associated with induction of DNA damage and impairment of DNA repair ability. Of importance, the combined treatment almost abolished the expression of both BCL2 and MYC, two hallmark proteins of HGBL-DHL, and substantially blunted the activity of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling cascade. In addition, MCL1 and BCL-XL, two well-characterized contributors for venetoclax resistance, were significantly lessened in the presence of CS2164 and venetoclax, thus leading to the accumulation of proapoptotic proteins BAX and PUMA and then initiating the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. Taken together, these findings suggest that the regimen of CS2164 and venetoclax is highly effective to eliminate HGBL-DHL cells in the preclinical setting, warranting further clinical investigations of this regimen for the treatment of unfavorable HGBL-DHL patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Delin Yuan
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Genhong Li
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Lian Yu
- Department of Hematology and Rheumatology, Longyan First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Longyan, China
| | - Yuelong Jiang
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Yuanfei Shi
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Qiulin Chen
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Xiaomei Ma
- Department of Hematology and Rheumatology, Longyan First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Longyan, China
| | - Lan V. Pham
- Biology, Tumor Dependency, Phamacyclics, Abbvie Company, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Ken H. Young
- Division of Hematopathology, Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Manman Deng
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Zhihong Fang
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Bing Xu
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Shi Y, Zhao H, Ye J, Li Z, Deng M, Zha J, Zhou Y, Zeng H, Lin Y, Pu X, Guo C, Song H, Qiu Y, Xu B. Low-dose triptolide enhances antitumor effect of JQ1 on acute myeloid leukemia through inhibiting RNA polymerase II in vitro and in vivo. Mol Carcinog 2020; 59:1076-1087. [PMID: 32691884 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 06/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) domain inhibitor JQ1 exerts potent anticancer activity in various cancer cells. However, the resistance to BET inhibitors in leukemia stem cells limits its implication in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). High concentration of triptolide (TPL) presents anticancer activities but with adverse effects. Here, we investigated whether the combination of low-dose TPL with JQ1 could help to circumvent the dilemma of drug resistance and side effect in treating AML. AML cell lines, primary cells from 10 AML patients with different status, as well as AML mice model were subjected to different treatments and apoptotic related protein expression were evaluated. Data showed that low-dose TPL combined with JQ1 effectively killed AML cell lines and primary cells from AML patients without exerting significantly greater lethal activity against normal cells. Mechanism study revealed that low-dose TPL combined with JQ1 triggered reactive oxygen species production and induced mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis in AML cells, in which the inhibition of RNA polymerase II to downregulate c-Myc was mainly responsible for the enhanced activity of TPL in combination with JQ1. In vivo study presented that cotreatment with low-dose TPL and JQ1 significantly reduced tumor burden of the NOD/SCID mice engrafted with MOLM-13 cells. In conclusion, low-dose TPL enhanced the antitumor effect of JQ1 on AML without increasing the side effects, supporting a potential option for AML treatment.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Adult
- Animals
- Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating/pharmacology
- Apoptosis
- Azepines/pharmacology
- Biomarkers, Tumor
- Cell Proliferation
- Diterpenes/pharmacology
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/drug effects
- Epoxy Compounds/pharmacology
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic/drug effects
- Humans
- In Vitro Techniques
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/enzymology
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Inbred NOD
- Mice, Nude
- Mice, SCID
- Middle Aged
- Neoplastic Stem Cells/drug effects
- Neoplastic Stem Cells/enzymology
- Neoplastic Stem Cells/pathology
- Phenanthrenes/pharmacology
- Prognosis
- RNA Polymerase II/antagonists & inhibitors
- Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism
- Signal Transduction
- Triazoles/pharmacology
- Tumor Cells, Cultured
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanfei Shi
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Haijun Zhao
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Jing Ye
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Zhifeng Li
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Manman Deng
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Jie Zha
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Yong Zhou
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Hanyan Zeng
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Yun Lin
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Xuan Pu
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Chengcen Guo
- School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haihan Song
- Department of Immunology, DICAT Biomedical Computation Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yi Qiu
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Bing Xu
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| |
Collapse
|