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Chang CD, Chao MW, Lee HY, Liu YT, Tu HJ, Lien ST, Lin TE, Sung TY, Yen SC, Huang SH, Hsu KC, Pan SL. In silico identification and biological evaluation of a selective MAP4K4 inhibitor against pancreatic cancer. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2023; 38:2166039. [PMID: 36683274 PMCID: PMC9873280 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2023.2166039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibiting a specific target in cancer cells and reducing unwanted side effects has become a promising strategy in pancreatic cancer treatment. MAP4K4 is associated with pancreatic cancer development and correlates with poor clinical outcomes. By phosphorylating MKK4, proteins associated with cell apoptosis and survival are translated. Therefore, inhibiting MAP4K4 activity in pancreatic tumours is a new therapeutic strategy. Herein, we performed a structure-based virtual screening to identify MAP4K4 inhibitors and discovered the compound F389-0746 with a potent inhibition (IC50 120.7 nM). The results of kinase profiling revealed that F389-0746 was highly selective to MAP4K4 and less likely to cause side effects. Results of in vitro experiments showed that F389-0746 significantly suppressed cancer cell growth and viability. Results of in vivo experiments showed that F389-0746 displayed comparable tumour growth inhibition with the group treated with gemcitabine. These findings suggest that F389-0746 has promising potential to be further developed as a novel pancreatic cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Di Chang
- Ph.D. Program in Drug Discovery and Development Industry, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Min-Wu Chao
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan,Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Hsueh-Yun Lee
- Ph.D. Program in Drug Discovery and Development Industry, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan,School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan,TMU Research Center of Cancer Translational Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ting Liu
- School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Huang-Ju Tu
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ssu-Ting Lien
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tony Eight Lin
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan,Ph.D. Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Ying Sung
- Biomedical Translation Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Chung Yen
- Warshel Institute for Computational Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China
| | | | - Kai-Cheng Hsu
- Ph.D. Program in Drug Discovery and Development Industry, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan,TMU Research Center of Cancer Translational Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan,Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan,Ph.D. Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan,TMU Research Center for Drug Discovery, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan,Cancer Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan,CONTACT Kai-Cheng Hsu
| | - Shiow-Lin Pan
- Ph.D. Program in Drug Discovery and Development Industry, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan,TMU Research Center of Cancer Translational Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan,Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan,Ph.D. Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan,TMU Research Center for Drug Discovery, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan,Shiow-Lin Pan Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
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González-Montero J, Rojas CI, Burotto M. MAP4K4 and cancer: ready for the main stage? Front Oncol 2023; 13:1162835. [PMID: 37223681 PMCID: PMC10200945 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1162835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
MAP4K4 is a serine/threonine kinase that belongs to the MAP kinase family and plays a critical role in embryogenesis and cellular migration. It contains approximately 1,200 amino acids and has a molecular mass of 140 kDa. MAP4K4 is expressed in most tissues where it has been examined and its knockout is embryonic lethal due to impaired somite development. Alterations in MAP4K4 function have a central role in the development of many metabolic diseases such as atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes, but have recently been implicated in the initiation and progression of cancer. For example, it has been shown that MAP4K4 can stimulate the proliferation and invasion of tumor cells by activating pro-proliferative pathways (such as the c-Jun N-terminal kinase [JNK] and mixed-lineage protein kinase 3 [MLK3] pathways), attenuate anti-tumor cytotoxic immune responses, and stimulate cell invasion and migration by altering cytoskeleton and actin function. Recent in vitro experiments using RNA interference-based knockdown (miR) techniques have shown that inhibition of MAP4K4 function reduces tumor proliferation, migration, and invasion, and may represent a promising therapeutic approach in many types of cancer such as pancreatic cancer, glioblastoma, and medulloblastoma, among others. Over the last few years, specific MAP4K4 inhibitors such as GNE-495 have been developed but have not yet been tested in cancer patients. However, these novel agents may be useful for cancer treatment in the future.
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Xie Z, Yang X, Duan Y, Han J, Liao C. Small-Molecule Kinase Inhibitors for the Treatment of Nononcologic Diseases. J Med Chem 2021; 64:1283-1345. [PMID: 33481605 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Great successes have been achieved in developing small-molecule kinase inhibitors as anticancer therapeutic agents. However, kinase deregulation plays essential roles not only in cancer but also in almost all major disease areas. Accumulating evidence has revealed that kinases are promising drug targets for different diseases, including cancer, autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, central nervous system disorders, viral infections, and malaria. Indeed, the first small-molecule kinase inhibitor for treatment of a nononcologic disease was approved in 2011 by the U.S. FDA. To date, 10 such inhibitors have been approved, and more are in clinical trials for applications other than cancer. This Perspective discusses a number of kinases and their small-molecule inhibitors for the treatment of diseases in nononcologic therapeutic fields. The opportunities and challenges in developing such inhibitors are also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhouling Xie
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Engineering, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Yang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Engineering, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Yajun Duan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Engineering, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Jihong Han
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Engineering, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Chenzhong Liao
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Engineering, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
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Lipner MB, Peng XL, Jin C, Xu Y, Gao Y, East MP, Rashid NU, Moffitt RA, Herrera Loeza SG, Morrison AB, Golitz BT, Vaziri C, Graves LM, Johnson GL, Yeh JJ. Irreversible JNK1-JUN inhibition by JNK-IN-8 sensitizes pancreatic cancer to 5-FU/FOLFOX chemotherapy. JCI Insight 2020; 5:129905. [PMID: 32213714 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.129905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Over 55,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) yearly, and fewer than 20% of these patients survive a year beyond diagnosis. Chemotherapies are considered or used in nearly every PDAC case, but there is limited understanding of the complex signaling responses underlying resistance to these common treatments. Here, we take an unbiased approach to study protein kinase network changes following chemotherapies in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of PDAC to facilitate design of rational drug combinations. Proteomics profiling following chemotherapy regimens reveals that activation of JNK-JUN signaling occurs after 5-fluorouracil plus leucovorin (5-FU + LEU) and FOLFOX (5-FU + LEU plus oxaliplatin [OX]), but not after OX alone or gemcitabine. Cell and tumor growth assays with the irreversible inhibitor JNK-IN-8 and genetic manipulations demonstrate that JNK and JUN each contribute to chemoresistance and cancer cell survival after FOLFOX. Active JNK1 and JUN are specifically implicated in these effects, and synergy with JNK-IN-8 is linked to FOLFOX-mediated JUN activation, cell cycle dysregulation, and DNA damage response. This study highlights the potential for JNK-IN-8 as a biological tool and potential combination therapy with FOLFOX in PDAC and reinforces the need to tailor treatment to functional characteristics of individual tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Lipner
- Department of Pharmacology.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
| | | | - Chong Jin
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.,Department of Biostatistics
| | - Yi Xu
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
| | - Yanzhe Gao
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.,Department of Pathology, and
| | - Michael P East
- Department of Pharmacology.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
| | - Naim U Rashid
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.,Department of Biostatistics
| | | | | | | | | | - Cyrus Vaziri
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.,Department of Pathology, and
| | - Lee M Graves
- Department of Pharmacology.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
| | - Gary L Johnson
- Department of Pharmacology.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
| | - Jen Jen Yeh
- Department of Pharmacology.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.,Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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Bos PH, Lowry ER, Costa J, Thams S, Garcia-Diaz A, Zask A, Wichterle H, Stockwell BR. Development of MAP4 Kinase Inhibitors as Motor Neuron-Protecting Agents. Cell Chem Biol 2019; 26:1703-1715.e37. [PMID: 31676236 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2019.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Revised: 09/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Disease-causing mutations in many neurodegenerative disorders lead to proteinopathies that trigger endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. However, few therapeutic options exist for patients with these diseases. Using an in vitro screening platform to identify compounds that protect human motor neurons from ER stress-mediated degeneration, we discovered that compounds targeting the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase (MAP4K) family are neuroprotective. The kinase inhibitor URMC-099 (compound 1) stood out as a promising lead compound for further optimization. We coupled structure-based compound design with functional activity testing in neurons subjected to ER stress to develop a series of analogs with improved MAP4K inhibition and concomitant increases in potency and efficacy. Further structural modifications were performed to enhance the pharmacokinetic profiles of the compound 1 derivatives. Prostetin/12k emerged as an exceptionally potent, metabolically stable, and blood-brain barrier-penetrant compound that is well suited for future testing in animal models of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter H Bos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Emily R Lowry
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Jonathon Costa
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Sebastian Thams
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Alejandro Garcia-Diaz
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Arie Zask
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Hynek Wichterle
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Brent R Stockwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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Targeted genomic CRISPR-Cas9 screen identifies MAP4K4 as essential for glioblastoma invasion. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14020. [PMID: 31570734 PMCID: PMC6768851 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50160-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Among high-grade brain tumors, glioblastoma is particularly difficult to treat, in part due to its highly infiltrative nature which contributes to the malignant phenotype and high mortality in patients. In order to better understand the signaling pathways underlying glioblastoma invasion, we performed the first large-scale CRISPR-Cas9 loss of function screen specifically designed to identify genes that facilitate cell invasion. We tested 4,574 genes predicted to be involved in trafficking and motility. Using a transwell invasion assay, we discovered 33 genes essential for invasion. Of the 11 genes we selected for secondary testing using a wound healing assay, 6 demonstrated a significant decrease in migration. The strongest regulator of invasion was mitogen-activated protein kinase 4 (MAP4K4). Targeting of MAP4K4 with single guide RNAs or a MAP4K4 inhibitor reduced migration and invasion in vitro. This effect was consistent across three additional patient derived glioblastoma cell lines. Analysis of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers in U138 cells with lack or inhibition of MAP4K4 demonstrated protein expression consistent with a non-invasive state. Importantly, MAP4K4 inhibition limited migration in a subset of human glioma organotypic slice cultures. Our results identify MAP4K4 as a novel potential therapeutic target to limit glioblastoma invasion.
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