1
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Hossain MA. Targeting the RAS upstream and downstream signaling pathway for cancer treatment. Eur J Pharmacol 2024; 979:176727. [PMID: 38866361 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.176727] [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: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Cancer often involves the overactivation of RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK (MAPK) and PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathways due to mutations in genes like RAS, RAF, PTEN, and PIK3CA. Various strategies are employed to address the overactivation of these pathways, among which targeted therapy emerges as a promising approach. Directly targeting specific proteins, leads to encouraging results in cancer treatment. For instance, RTK inhibitors such as imatinib and afatinib selectively target these receptors, hindering ligand binding and reducing signaling initiation. These inhibitors have shown potent efficacy against Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Other inhibitors, like lonafarnib targeting Farnesyltransferase and GGTI 2418 targeting geranylgeranyl Transferase, disrupt post-translational modifications of proteins. Additionally, inhibition of proteins like SOS, SH2 domain, and Ras demonstrate promising anti-tumor activity both in vivo and in vitro. Targeting downstream components with RAF inhibitors such as vemurafenib, dabrafenib, and sorafenib, along with MEK inhibitors like trametinib and binimetinib, has shown promising outcomes in treating cancers with BRAF-V600E mutations, including myeloma, colorectal, and thyroid cancers. Furthermore, inhibitors of PI3K (e.g., apitolisib, copanlisib), AKT (e.g., ipatasertib, perifosine), and mTOR (e.g., sirolimus, temsirolimus) exhibit promising efficacy against various cancers such as Invasive Breast Cancer, Lymphoma, Neoplasms, and Hematological malignancies. This review offers an overview of small molecule inhibitors targeting specific proteins within the RAS upstream and downstream signaling pathways in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Arafat Hossain
- Department of Pharmacy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, 8100, Bangladesh.
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2
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Chen S, Wang W, Chen Z, Li R, Wu Z, Dong G, Sheng C. Peptide-Mediated Small Molecule Lysosome-Targeting Chimeras for Targeted Degradation of Membrane and Intracellular Proteins. J Med Chem 2024; 67:15807-15815. [PMID: 39146536 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c01449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation through the lysosomal pathway has attracted increasing attention and expanded the scope of degradable proteins. However, the endogenous lysosomal degradation strategies are mainly based on antibodies or nanobodies. Effective small molecule lysosomal degraders are still rather rare. Herein, a new lysosomal degradation approach, termed peptide-mediated small molecule lysosome-targeting chimeras (PSMLTACs), was developed by the incorporation of small molecule ligands with a lysosome-sorting NPGY motif containing the cell-penetrating peptide. PSMLTACs were successfully applied to degrade both membrane and intracellular targets. In particular, the PSMLTAC strategy demonstrated higher degradation efficiency on membrane target PD-L1 and intracellular target PDEδ than corresponding PROTAC degraders. Taken together, this proof-of-concept provides a convenient and effective strategy for targeted protein degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuqiang Chen
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Wei Wang
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Zhipeng Chen
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Ruyan Li
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Zhe Wu
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Guoqiang Dong
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Chunquan Sheng
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
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3
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Ozgencil F, Gunindi HB, Eren G. Dual-targeted NAMPT inhibitors as a progressive strategy for cancer therapy. Bioorg Chem 2024; 149:107509. [PMID: 38824699 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107509] [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: 03/09/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
In mammals, nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) is a crucial enzyme in the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) synthesis pathway catalyzing the condensation of nicotinamide (NAM) with 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate (PRPP) to produce nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN). Given the pivotal role of NAD+ in a range of cellular functions, including DNA synthesis, redox reactions, cytokine generation, metabolism, and aging, NAMPT has become a promising target for many diseases, notably cancer. Therefore, various NAMPT inhibitors have been reported and classified as first and second-generation based on their chemical structures and design strategies, dual-targeted being one. However, most NAMPT inhibitors suffer from several limitations, such as dose-dependent toxicity and poor pharmacokinetic properties. Consequently, there is no clinically approved NAMPT inhibitor. Hence, research on discovering more effective and less toxic dual-targeted NAMPT inhibitors with desirable pharmacokinetic properties has drawn attention recently. This review summarizes the previously reported dual-targeted NAMPT inhibitors, focusing on their design strategies and advantages over the single-targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fikriye Ozgencil
- SIRTeam Group, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, 06330 Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Habibe Beyza Gunindi
- SIRTeam Group, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, 06330 Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Gokcen Eren
- SIRTeam Group, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, 06330 Ankara, Türkiye.
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4
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Kaya P, Schaffner-Reckinger E, Manoharan GB, Vukic V, Kiriazis A, Ledda M, Burgos Renedo M, Pavic K, Gaigneaux A, Glaab E, Abankwa DK. An Improved PDE6D Inhibitor Combines with Sildenafil To Inhibit KRAS Mutant Cancer Cell Growth. J Med Chem 2024; 67:8569-8584. [PMID: 38758695 PMCID: PMC11181323 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02129] [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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
The trafficking chaperone PDE6D (or PDEδ) was proposed as a surrogate target for K-Ras, leading to the development of a series of inhibitors that block its prenyl binding pocket. These inhibitors suffered from low solubility and suspected off-target effects, preventing their clinical development. Here, we developed a highly soluble, low nanomolar PDE6D inhibitor (PDE6Di), Deltaflexin3, which has the lowest off-target activity as compared to three prominent reference compounds. Deltaflexin3 reduces Ras signaling and selectively decreases the growth of KRAS mutant and PDE6D-dependent cancer cells. We further show that PKG2-mediated phosphorylation of Ser181 lowers K-Ras binding to PDE6D. Thus, Deltaflexin3 combines with the approved PKG2 activator Sildenafil to more potently inhibit PDE6D/K-Ras binding, cancer cell proliferation, and microtumor growth. As observed previously, inhibition of Ras trafficking, signaling, and cancer cell proliferation remained overall modest. Our results suggest reevaluating PDE6D as a K-Ras surrogate target in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pelin Kaya
- Cancer
Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences
and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Elisabeth Schaffner-Reckinger
- Cancer
Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences
and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Ganesh babu Manoharan
- Cancer
Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences
and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Vladimir Vukic
- Faculty
of Technology, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Alexandros Kiriazis
- Turku
Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and
Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland
| | - Mirko Ledda
- Luxembourg
Center for Systems Biomedicine, University
of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Maria Burgos Renedo
- Cancer
Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences
and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Karolina Pavic
- Cancer
Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences
and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Anthoula Gaigneaux
- Bioinformatics
Core, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Enrico Glaab
- Luxembourg
Center for Systems Biomedicine, University
of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Daniel Kwaku Abankwa
- Cancer
Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences
and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
- Turku
Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and
Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland
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5
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Zhou Y, Tao L, Qiu J, Xu J, Yang X, Zhang Y, Tian X, Guan X, Cen X, Zhao Y. Tumor biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and targeted therapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:132. [PMID: 38763973 PMCID: PMC11102923 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01823-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor biomarkers, the substances which are produced by tumors or the body's responses to tumors during tumorigenesis and progression, have been demonstrated to possess critical and encouraging value in screening and early diagnosis, prognosis prediction, recurrence detection, and therapeutic efficacy monitoring of cancers. Over the past decades, continuous progress has been made in exploring and discovering novel, sensitive, specific, and accurate tumor biomarkers, which has significantly promoted personalized medicine and improved the outcomes of cancer patients, especially advances in molecular biology technologies developed for the detection of tumor biomarkers. Herein, we summarize the discovery and development of tumor biomarkers, including the history of tumor biomarkers, the conventional and innovative technologies used for biomarker discovery and detection, the classification of tumor biomarkers based on tissue origins, and the application of tumor biomarkers in clinical cancer management. In particular, we highlight the recent advancements in biomarker-based anticancer-targeted therapies which are emerging as breakthroughs and promising cancer therapeutic strategies. We also discuss limitations and challenges that need to be addressed and provide insights and perspectives to turn challenges into opportunities in this field. Collectively, the discovery and application of multiple tumor biomarkers emphasized in this review may provide guidance on improved precision medicine, broaden horizons in future research directions, and expedite the clinical classification of cancer patients according to their molecular biomarkers rather than organs of origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhou
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Lei Tao
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jiahao Qiu
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jing Xu
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xinyu Yang
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- School of Medicine, Tibet University, Lhasa, 850000, China
| | - Xinyu Tian
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xinqi Guan
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiaobo Cen
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yinglan Zhao
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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6
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Tate EW, Soday L, de la Lastra AL, Wang M, Lin H. Protein lipidation in cancer: mechanisms, dysregulation and emerging drug targets. Nat Rev Cancer 2024; 24:240-260. [PMID: 38424304 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-024-00666-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Protein lipidation describes a diverse class of post-translational modifications (PTMs) that is regulated by over 40 enzymes, targeting more than 1,000 substrates at over 3,000 sites. Lipidated proteins include more than 150 oncoproteins, including mediators of cancer initiation, progression and immunity, receptor kinases, transcription factors, G protein-coupled receptors and extracellular signalling proteins. Lipidation regulates the physical interactions of its protein substrates with cell membranes, regulating protein signalling and trafficking, and has a key role in metabolism and immunity. Targeting protein lipidation, therefore, offers a unique approach to modulate otherwise undruggable oncoproteins; however, the full spectrum of opportunities to target the dysregulation of these PTMs in cancer remains to be explored. This is attributable in part to the technological challenges of identifying the targets and the roles of protein lipidation. The early stage of drug discovery for many enzymes in the pathway contrasts with efforts for drugging similarly common PTMs such as phosphorylation and acetylation, which are routinely studied and targeted in relevant cancer contexts. Here, we review recent advances in identifying targetable protein lipidation pathways in cancer, the current state-of-the-art in drug discovery, and the status of ongoing clinical trials, which have the potential to deliver novel oncology therapeutics targeting protein lipidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward W Tate
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London, UK.
- Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
| | - Lior Soday
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Mei Wang
- Program in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hening Lin
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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7
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Majrashi TA, Sabt A, Almahli H, El Hassab MA, Noamaan MA, Elkaeed EB, Hamissa MF, Maslamani AN, Shaldam MA, Eldehna WM. DFT and molecular simulation validation of the binding activity of PDEδ inhibitors for repression of oncogenic k-Ras. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300035. [PMID: 38457483 PMCID: PMC10923412 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300035] [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: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of effective drugs targeting the K-Ras oncogene product is a significant focus in anticancer drug development. Despite the lack of successful Ras signaling inhibitors, recent research has identified PDEδ, a KRAS transporter, as a potential target for inhibiting the oncogenic KRAS signaling pathway. This study aims to investigate the interactions between eight K-Ras inhibitors (deltarazine, deltaflexin 1 and 2, and its analogues) and PDEδ to understand their binding modes. The research will utilize computational techniques such as density functional theory (DFT) and molecular electrostatic surface potential (MESP), molecular docking, binding site analyses, molecular dynamic (MD) simulations, electronic structure computations, and predictions of the binding free energy. Molecular dynamic simulations (MD) will be used to predict the binding conformations and pharmacophoric features in the active site of PDEδ for the examined structures. The binding free energies determined using the MMPB(GB)SA method will be compared with the observed potency values of the tested compounds. This computational approach aims to enhance understanding of the PDEδ selective mechanism, which could contribute to the development of novel selective inhibitors for K-Ras signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taghreed A. Majrashi
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Asir, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Sabt
- Chemistry of Natural Compounds Department, Pharmaceutical and Drug Industries Research Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Hadia Almahli
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Mahmoud A. El Hassab
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, King Salman International University (KSIU), South Sinai, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud A. Noamaan
- Faculty of Science, Mathematics Department, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Eslam B. Elkaeed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University, Ad Diriyah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed Farouk Hamissa
- Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Pharmaceutical and Drug Industries Research Division, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Moataz A. Shaldam
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh, Egypt
| | - Wagdy M. Eldehna
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh, Egypt
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8
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Gmeiner WH. Recent Advances in Therapeutic Strategies to Improve Colorectal Cancer Treatment. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1029. [PMID: 38473386 PMCID: PMC10930828 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16051029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second-leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. CRC mortality results almost exclusively from metastatic disease (mCRC) for which systemic chemotherapy is often a preferred therapeutic option. Biomarker-based stratification of mCRC enables the use of precision therapy based on individual tumor mutational profiles. Activating mutations in the RAS/RAF/MAPK pathway downstream of EGFR signaling have, until recently, limited the use of EGFR-targeted therapies for mCRC; however, the development of anti-RAS and anti-RAF therapies together with improved strategies to limit compensatory signaling pathways is resulting in improved survival rates in several highly lethal mCRC sub-types (e.g., BRAF-mutant). The use of fluoropyrimidine (FP)-based chemotherapy regimens to treat mCRC continues to evolve contributing to improved long-term survival. Future advances in chemotherapy for mCRC will need to position development relative to the advances made in precision oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- William H Gmeiner
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
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9
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Bao J, Chen Z, Li Y, Chen L, Wang W, Sheng C, Dong G. Discovery of Novel PDEδ Autophagic Degraders: A Case Study of Autophagy-Tethering Compound (ATTEC). ACS Med Chem Lett 2024; 15:29-35. [PMID: 38229750 PMCID: PMC10788939 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.3c00161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The autophagy-tethering compound (ATTEC) technology has emerged as a promising strategy for targeted protein degradation (TPD). Here, we report the discovery of the first generation of PDEδ autophagic degraders using an ATTEC approach. The most promising compound 12c exhibited potent PDEδ binding affinity and efficiently induced PDEδ degradation in a concentration-dependent manner. Mechanistic studies confirmed that compound 12c reduced the PDEδ protein level through lysosome-mediated autophagy without affecting the PDEδ mRNA expression. Importantly, compound 12c was much more effective in suppressing the growth in KRAS mutant pancreatic cancer cells than the corresponding PDEδ inhibitor. Taken together, this study expands the application scope of the ATTEC approach and highlights the effectiveness of the PDEδ autophagic degradation strategy in antitumor drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingying Bao
- School
of Pharmacy, East China University of Science
and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- School
of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Zhenqian Chen
- School
of Pharmacy, East China University of Science
and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- School
of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yu Li
- School
of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Long Chen
- School
of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Wei Wang
- School
of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Chunquan Sheng
- School
of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Guoqiang Dong
- School
of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
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10
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Lu H, Hu Z, Faraudo J, Martí J. In silico design of a lipid-like compound targeting KRAS4B-G12D through non-covalent bonds. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:19359-19368. [PMID: 38014474 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr04513g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
One of the most common drivers in human cancer is the peripheral membrane protein KRAS4B, able to promote oncogenic signalling. To signal, oncogenic KRAS4B not only requires a sufficient nucleotide exchange, but also needs to recruit effectors by exposing its effector-binding sites while anchoring to the phospholipid bilayer where KRAS4B-mediated signalling events occur. The enzyme phosphodiesterase-δ plays an important role in sequestering KRAS4B from the cytoplasm and targeting it to cellular membranes of different cell species. In this work, we present an in silico design of a lipid-like compound that has the remarkable feature of being able to target both an oncogenic KRAS4B-G12D mutant and the phosphodiesterase-δ enzyme. This double action is accomplished by adding a lipid tail (analogous to the farnesyl group of the KRAS4B protein) to an previously known active compound (2H-1,2,4-benzothiadiazine, 3,4-dihydro-,1,1-dioxide). The proposed lipid-like molecule was found to lock KRAS4B-G12D in its GDP-bound state by adjusting the effector-binding domain to be blocked by the interface of the lipid bilayer. Meanwhile, it can tune GTP-bound KRAS4B-G12D to shift from the active orientation state to the inactive state. The proposed compound is also observed to stably accommodate itself in the prenyl-binding pocket of phosphodiesterase-δ, which impairs KRAS4B enrichment at the lipid bilayer, potentially reducing the proliferation of KRAS4B inside the cytoplasm and its anchoring at the bilayer. In conclusion, we report a potential inhibitor of KRAS4B-G12D with a lipid tail attached to a specific warhead, a compound which has not yet been considered for drugs targeting RAS mutants. Our work provides new ways to target KRAS4B-G12D and can also foster drug discovery efforts for the targeting of oncogenes of the RAS family and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huixia Lu
- Institut de Ciencia de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Campus de la UAB, Bellaterra, Barcelona E-08193, Spain.
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Catalonia-Barcelona Tech, B5-209 Northern Campus, Jordi Girona 1-3, 08034 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Zheyao Hu
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Catalonia-Barcelona Tech, B5-209 Northern Campus, Jordi Girona 1-3, 08034 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Jordi Faraudo
- Institut de Ciencia de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Campus de la UAB, Bellaterra, Barcelona E-08193, Spain.
| | - Jordi Martí
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Catalonia-Barcelona Tech, B5-209 Northern Campus, Jordi Girona 1-3, 08034 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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11
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Briseño-Díaz P, Schnoor M, Bello-Ramirez M, Correa-Basurto J, Rojo-Domínguez A, Arregui L, Vega L, Núñez-González E, Palau-Hernández LA, Parra-Torres CG, García Córdova OM, Zepeda-Castilla E, Torices-Escalante E, Domínguez-Camacho L, Xoconostle-Cazares B, Meraz-Ríos MA, Delfín-Azuara S, Carrión-Estrada DA, Villegas-Sepúlveda N, Hernández-Rivas R, Thompson-Bonilla MDR, Vargas M. Synergistic effect of antagonists to KRas4B/PDE6 molecular complex in pancreatic cancer. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202302019. [PMID: 37813486 PMCID: PMC10561825 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has the worst prognosis among all human cancers as it is highly resistant to chemotherapy. K-Ras mutations usually trigger the development and progression of PDAC. We hypothesized that compounds stabilizing the KRas4B/PDE6δ complex could serve as PDAC treatments. Using in silico approaches, we identified the small molecules C14 and P8 that reduced K-Ras activation in primary PDAC cells. Importantly, C14 and P8 significantly prevented tumor growth in patient-derived xenotransplants. Combined treatment with C14 and P8 strongly increased cytotoxicity in PDAC cell lines and primary cultures and showed strong synergistic antineoplastic effects in preclinical murine PDAC models that were superior to conventional therapeutics without causing side effects. Mechanistically, C14 and P8 reduced tumor growth by inhibiting AKT and ERK signaling downstream of K-RAS leading to apoptosis, specifically in PDAC cells. Thus, combined treatment with C14 and P8 may be a superior pharmaceutical strategy to improve the outcome of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Briseño-Díaz
- https://ror.org/009eqmr18 Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV-IPN), México City, Mexico
| | - Michael Schnoor
- https://ror.org/009eqmr18 Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV-IPN), México City, Mexico
| | - Martiniano Bello-Ramirez
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design of the Higher School of Medicine, National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jose Correa-Basurto
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design of the Higher School of Medicine, National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Arturo Rojo-Domínguez
- Department of Natural Sciences, Metropolitan Autonomous University, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Leticia Arregui
- Department of Natural Sciences, Metropolitan Autonomous University, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Libia Vega
- https://ror.org/009eqmr18 Toxicology Department, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV-IPN), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Enrique Núñez-González
- Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, Hospital 1 de Octubre, ISSSTE, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | | | | | - Ernesto Zepeda-Castilla
- Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, Hospital 1 de Octubre, ISSSTE, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Eduardo Torices-Escalante
- Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, Hospital 1 de Octubre, ISSSTE, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Leticia Domínguez-Camacho
- Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, Hospital 1 de Octubre, ISSSTE, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Beatriz Xoconostle-Cazares
- https://ror.org/009eqmr18 Department of Biotechnology, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV-IPN), México City, Mexico
| | - Marco Antonio Meraz-Ríos
- https://ror.org/009eqmr18 Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV-IPN), México City, Mexico
| | - Sandra Delfín-Azuara
- https://ror.org/009eqmr18 Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV-IPN), México City, Mexico
| | - Dayan Andrea Carrión-Estrada
- https://ror.org/009eqmr18 Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV-IPN), México City, Mexico
| | - Nicolas Villegas-Sepúlveda
- https://ror.org/009eqmr18 Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV-IPN), México City, Mexico
| | - Rosaura Hernández-Rivas
- https://ror.org/009eqmr18 Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV-IPN), México City, Mexico
| | | | - Miguel Vargas
- https://ror.org/009eqmr18 Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV-IPN), México City, Mexico
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12
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Xue G, Xie J, Hinterndorfer M, Cigler M, Dötsch L, Imrichova H, Lampe P, Cheng X, Adariani SR, Winter GE, Waldmann H. Discovery of a Drug-like, Natural Product-Inspired DCAF11 Ligand Chemotype. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7908. [PMID: 38036533 PMCID: PMC10689823 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43657-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeted proteasomal and autophagic protein degradation, often employing bifunctional modalities, is a new paradigm for modulation of protein function. In an attempt to explore protein degradation by means of autophagy we combine arylidene-indolinones reported to bind the autophagy-related LC3B-protein and ligands of the PDEδ lipoprotein chaperone, the BRD2/3/4-bromodomain containing proteins and the BTK- and BLK kinases. Unexpectedly, the resulting bifunctional degraders do not induce protein degradation by means of macroautophagy, but instead direct their targets to the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Target and mechanism identification reveal that the arylidene-indolinones covalently bind DCAF11, a substrate receptor in the CUL4A/B-RBX1-DDB1-DCAF11 E3 ligase. The tempered α, β-unsaturated indolinone electrophiles define a drug-like DCAF11-ligand class that enables exploration of this E3 ligase in chemical biology and medicinal chemistry programs. The arylidene-indolinone scaffold frequently occurs in natural products which raises the question whether E3 ligand classes can be found more widely among natural products and related compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Xue
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Jianing Xie
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Matthias Hinterndorfer
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marko Cigler
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lara Dötsch
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
- Technical University Dortmund, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Hana Imrichova
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Philipp Lampe
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Xiufen Cheng
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Soheila Rezaei Adariani
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Georg E Winter
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Herbert Waldmann
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany.
- Technical University Dortmund, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Dortmund, Germany.
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13
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He Q, Zhao X, Wu D, Jia S, Liu C, Cheng Z, Huang F, Chen Y, Lu T, Lu S. Hydrophobic tag-based protein degradation: Development, opportunity and challenge. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 260:115741. [PMID: 37607438 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation (TPD) has emerged as a promising approach for drug development, particularly for undruggable targets. TPD technology has also been instrumental in overcoming drug resistance. While some TPD molecules utilizing proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTACs) or molecular glue strategies have been approved or evaluated in clinical trials, hydrophobic tag-based protein degradation (HyT-PD) has also gained significant attention as a tool for medicinal chemists. The increasing number of reported HyT-PD molecules possessing high efficiency in degrading protein and good pharmacokinetic (PK) properties, has further fueled interest in this approach. This review aims to present the design rationale, hydrophobic tags in use, and diverse mechanisms of action of HyT-PD. Additionally, the advantages and disadvantages of HyT-PD in protein degradation are discussed. This review may help inspire the development of more HyT-PDs with superior drug-like properties for clinical evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qindi He
- School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, PR China
| | - Xiaofei Zhao
- School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, PR China
| | - Donglin Wu
- School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, PR China
| | - Siming Jia
- School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, PR China
| | - Canlin Liu
- School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, PR China
| | - Zitian Cheng
- School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, PR China
| | - Fei Huang
- School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, PR China
| | - Yadong Chen
- Laboratory of Molecular Design and Drug Discovery, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, PR China.
| | - Tao Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, PR China.
| | - Shuai Lu
- School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, PR China.
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14
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Ilesanmi A, Dairo G, Salimat S, Bodun DS, Awoyale B, Balogun TA. Identification of bioactive compounds from Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. (Lingonberry) as inhibitors for treating KRAS-associated cancer: a computational approach. In Silico Pharmacol 2023; 11:32. [PMID: 37915613 PMCID: PMC10616029 DOI: 10.1007/s40203-023-00165-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the cancer of the lung's epithelial cells typically characterized by difficulty breathing, chest pain, blood-stained coughs, headache, and weight loss. If left unmanaged, lung cancer can spread to other body parts. While several treatment methods exist for managing lung cancer, exploring natural plant sources for developing therapeutics offers great potential in complementing other treatment approaches. In this study, we evaluated the bioactive compounds in Vaccinium vitis-idaea for treating KRAS-associated lung cancer types. In this study, we concentrated on inhibiting the mutated Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) by targeting an associated protein (Phosphodiesterase 6δ) to which KRAS form complexes. We evaluated bioactive compounds from Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.), adopting computational approaches such as molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface area (MM/GBSA) calculations, and pharmacokinetics analysis. A total of 26 out of 39 bioactive compounds of Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. had a higher binding affinity to the target receptor than an approved drug, Sotorasib. Also, further analyses of all lead/top compounds in this study identified (+)-Catechin (Cianidanol), Arbutin, Resveratrol, and Sinapic acid, to be potential drug candidates that could be pursued. In sum, Arbutin, (+)-Catechin, and Sinapic acid are predicted to be the top compound of Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. because of their pharmacokinetic properties and drug-likeness attributes. Also, their stability to the target receptor makes them a potential drug candidate that could be explored for treating KRAS mutation-associated lung cancer. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-023-00165-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayooluwa Ilesanmi
- Department of Sciences and Mathematics, Mississippi University for Women, Columbus, USA
| | - Gbenga Dairo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL USA
| | - Sofela Salimat
- Department of Chemistry, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Damilola S. Bodun
- Department of Biochemistry, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Nigeria
| | - Bibiire Awoyale
- Department of Chemistry, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
| | - Toheeb A. Balogun
- Department of Biochemistry, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Nigeria
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, USA
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15
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Xie X, Yu T, Li X, Zhang N, Foster LJ, Peng C, Huang W, He G. Recent advances in targeting the "undruggable" proteins: from drug discovery to clinical trials. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:335. [PMID: 37669923 PMCID: PMC10480221 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01589-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Undruggable proteins are a class of proteins that are often characterized by large, complex structures or functions that are difficult to interfere with using conventional drug design strategies. Targeting such undruggable targets has been considered also a great opportunity for treatment of human diseases and has attracted substantial efforts in the field of medicine. Therefore, in this review, we focus on the recent development of drug discovery targeting "undruggable" proteins and their application in clinic. To make this review well organized, we discuss the design strategies targeting the undruggable proteins, including covalent regulation, allosteric inhibition, protein-protein/DNA interaction inhibition, targeted proteins regulation, nucleic acid-based approach, immunotherapy and others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Medical Technology and School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 611137, Chengdu, China
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Tingting Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Medical Technology and School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 611137, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Medical Technology and School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 611137, Chengdu, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Medical Technology and School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 611137, Chengdu, China
- Department of Dermatology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China
| | - Leonard J Foster
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Cheng Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Medical Technology and School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 611137, Chengdu, China.
| | - Wei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Medical Technology and School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 611137, Chengdu, China.
| | - Gu He
- Department of Dermatology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China.
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16
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Bteich F, Mohammadi M, Li T, Bhat MA, Sofianidi A, Wei N, Kuang C. Targeting KRAS in Colorectal Cancer: A Bench to Bedside Review. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12030. [PMID: 37569406 PMCID: PMC10418782 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512030] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogeneous disease with a myriad of alterations at the cellular and molecular levels. Kristen rat sarcoma (KRAS) mutations occur in up to 40% of CRCs and serve as both a prognostic and predictive biomarker. Oncogenic mutations in the KRAS protein affect cellular proliferation and survival, leading to tumorigenesis through RAS/MAPK pathways. Until recently, only indirect targeting of the pathway had been investigated. There are now several KRAS allele-specific inhibitors in late-phase clinical trials, and many newer agents and targeting strategies undergoing preclinical and early-phase clinical testing. The adequate treatment of KRAS-mutated CRC will inevitably involve combination therapies due to the existence of robust adaptive resistance mechanisms in these tumors. In this article, we review the most recent understanding and findings related to targeting KRAS mutations in CRC, mechanisms of resistance to KRAS inhibitors, as well as evolving treatment strategies for KRAS-mutated CRC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernand Bteich
- Department of Medical Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10467, USA;
- Department of Medical Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; (M.M.); (T.L.); (M.A.B.); (N.W.)
| | - Mahshid Mohammadi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; (M.M.); (T.L.); (M.A.B.); (N.W.)
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Terence Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; (M.M.); (T.L.); (M.A.B.); (N.W.)
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Muzaffer Ahmed Bhat
- Department of Medical Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; (M.M.); (T.L.); (M.A.B.); (N.W.)
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Amalia Sofianidi
- Oncology Unit, Third Department of Internal Medicine, Sotiria General Hospital for Chest Diseases, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece;
| | - Ning Wei
- Department of Medical Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; (M.M.); (T.L.); (M.A.B.); (N.W.)
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Chaoyuan Kuang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10467, USA;
- Department of Medical Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; (M.M.); (T.L.); (M.A.B.); (N.W.)
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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17
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Jung D, Bachmann HS. Regulation of protein prenylation. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 164:114915. [PMID: 37236024 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenyltransferases (PTases) are known to play a role in embryonic development, normal tissue homeostasis and cancer by posttranslationally modifying proteins involved in these processes. They are being discussed as potential drug targets in an increasing number of diseases, ranging from Alzheimer's disease to malaria. Protein prenylation and the development of specific PTase inhibitors (PTIs) have been subject to intense research in recent decades. Recently, the FDA approved lonafarnib, a specific farnesyltransferase inhibitor that acts directly on protein prenylation; and bempedoic acid, an ATP citrate lyase inhibitor that might alter intracellular isoprenoid composition, the relative concentrations of which can exert a decisive influence on protein prenylation. Both drugs represent the first approved agent in their respective substance class. Furthermore, an overwhelming number of processes and proteins that regulate protein prenylation have been identified over the years, many of which have been proposed as molecular targets for pharmacotherapy in their own right. However, certain aspects of protein prenylation, such as the regulation of PTase gene expression or the modulation of PTase activity by phosphorylation, have attracted less attention, despite their reported influence on tumor cell proliferation. Here, we want to summarize the advances regarding our understanding of the regulation of protein prenylation and the potential implications for drug development. Additionally, we want to suggest new lines of investigation that encompass the search for regulatory elements for PTases, especially at the genetic and epigenetic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Jung
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Hagen S Bachmann
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany.
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18
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Yin G, Huang J, Petela J, Jiang H, Zhang Y, Gong S, Wu J, Liu B, Shi J, Gao Y. Targeting small GTPases: emerging grasps on previously untamable targets, pioneered by KRAS. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:212. [PMID: 37221195 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01441-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Small GTPases including Ras, Rho, Rab, Arf, and Ran are omnipresent molecular switches in regulating key cellular functions. Their dysregulation is a therapeutic target for tumors, neurodegeneration, cardiomyopathies, and infection. However, small GTPases have been historically recognized as "undruggable". Targeting KRAS, one of the most frequently mutated oncogenes, has only come into reality in the last decade due to the development of breakthrough strategies such as fragment-based screening, covalent ligands, macromolecule inhibitors, and PROTACs. Two KRASG12C covalent inhibitors have obtained accelerated approval for treating KRASG12C mutant lung cancer, and allele-specific hotspot mutations on G12D/S/R have been demonstrated as viable targets. New methods of targeting KRAS are quickly evolving, including transcription, immunogenic neoepitopes, and combinatory targeting with immunotherapy. Nevertheless, the vast majority of small GTPases and hotspot mutations remain elusive, and clinical resistance to G12C inhibitors poses new challenges. In this article, we summarize diversified biological functions, shared structural properties, and complex regulatory mechanisms of small GTPases and their relationships with human diseases. Furthermore, we review the status of drug discovery for targeting small GTPases and the most recent strategic progress focused on targeting KRAS. The discovery of new regulatory mechanisms and development of targeting approaches will together promote drug discovery for small GTPases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guowei Yin
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China.
| | - Jing Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Johnny Petela
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27101, USA
| | - Hongmei Jiang
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Yuetong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Siqi Gong
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
- School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Jiaxin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Bei Liu
- National Biomedical Imaging Center, School of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jianyou Shi
- Department of Pharmacy, Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu, 610072, China.
| | - Yijun Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
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19
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Lam KK, Wong SH, Cheah PY. Targeting the 'Undruggable' Driver Protein, KRAS, in Epithelial Cancers: Current Perspective. Cells 2023; 12:cells12040631. [PMID: 36831298 PMCID: PMC9954350 DOI: 10.3390/cells12040631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
This review summarizes recent development in synthetic drugs and biologics targeting intracellular driver genes in epithelial cancers, focusing on KRAS, and provides a current perspective and potential leads for the field. Compared to biologics, small molecule inhibitors (SMIs) readily penetrate cells, thus being able to target intracellular proteins. However, SMIs frequently suffer from pleiotropic effects, off-target cytotoxicity and invariably elicit resistance. In contrast, biologics are much larger molecules limited by cellular entry, but if this is surmounted, they may have more specific effects and less therapy-induced resistance. Exciting breakthroughs in the past two years include engineering of non-covalent KRAS G12D-specific inhibitor, probody bispecific antibodies, drug-peptide conjugate as MHC-restricted neoantigen to prompt immune response by T-cells, and success in the adoptive cell therapy front in both breast and pancreatic cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuen Kuen Lam
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore 169856, Singapore
| | | | - Peh Yean Cheah
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore 169856, Singapore
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117549, Singapore
- Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore, Singapore 169857, Singapore
- Correspondence:
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20
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Li K, Wu S, Dong G, Li Y, Wang W, Dong G, Hong Z, Li M, Sheng C. Environmentally sensitive fluorescent probes with improved properties for detecting and imaging PDEδ in live cells and tumor slices. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.108231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
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21
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Zhou QQ, Xiao HT, Yang F, Wang YD, Li P, Zheng ZG. Advancing targeted protein degradation for metabolic diseases therapy. Pharmacol Res 2023; 188:106627. [PMID: 36566001 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The development and application of traditional drugs represented by small molecule chemical drugs and biological agents, especially inhibitors, have become the mainstream drug development. In recent years, targeted protein degradation (TPD) technology has become one of the most promising methods to remove specific disease-related proteins using cell self-destruction mechanisms. Many different TPD strategies are emerging based on the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and the autophagy-lysosomal pathway (ALP), including but not limited to proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTAC), molecular glues (MG), lysosome targeting chimeras (LYTAC), chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA)-targeting chimeras, autophagy-targeting chimera (AUTAC), autophagosome-tethering compound (ATTEC), and autophagy-targeting chimera (AUTOTAC). The advent of targeted degradation technology can change most protein targets in human cells from undruggable to druggable, greatly expanding the therapeutic prospect of refractory diseases such as metabolic syndrome. Here, we summarize the latest progress of major TPD technologies, especially in metabolic syndrome and look forward to providing new insights for drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian-Qian Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 210009, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hai-Tao Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 210009, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 210009, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yong-Dan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 210009, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ping Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 210009, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zu-Guo Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 210009, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
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22
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Lee J, Lee HJ, Lee Y, Lim B, Gam J, Oh DC, Lee J. Development of PD3 and PD3-B for PDEδ inhibition to modulate KRAS activity. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2022; 37:1656-1666. [PMID: 35695156 PMCID: PMC9225715 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2022.2086865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite extensive efforts over 40 years, few effective KRAS inhibitors have been developed to date, mainly due to the undruggable features of KRAS proteins. In addition to the direct approach to KRAS via covalent inhibition, modulation of the prenyl-binding protein PDEδ that binds with farnesylated KRAS has emerged as an alternative strategy to abrogate KRAS activity. For the verification of new therapeutic strategies, chemical probes with the dual functions of visualisation and pharmacological inhibition against oncogenic proteins are enormously valuable to understand cellular events related to cancer. Here, we report indolizino[3,2-c]quinoline (IQ)-based fluorescent probes (PD3 and PD3-B) for PDEδ inhibition. By using the unique fluorescent characteristics of the IQ scaffold, a fluorescence polarisation (FP)-based binding assay identified PD3 as the most effective PDEδ probe among the tested PD analogues, with a low Kd value of 0.491 µM and long retention time in the binding site of PDEδ. In particular, a FP-based competition assay using deltarasin verified that PD3 occupies the farnesylation binding site of PDEδ, excluding the possibility that the FP signals resulted from non-specific hydrophobic interactions between the ligand and protein in the assay. We also designed and synthesised PD3-B (5), an affinity-based probe (ABP) from the PD3 structure, which enabled us to pull down PDEδ from bacterial lysates containing a large number of intrinsic bacterial proteins. Finally, KRAS relocalization was verified in PANC-1 cells by treatment with PD3, suggesting its potential as an effective probe to target PDEδ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jungeun Lee
- College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho Jin Lee
- College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeongcheol Lee
- College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Bumhee Lim
- College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongsik Gam
- Department of Medicinal Bioscience, College of Interdisciplinary & Creative Studies, Konyang University, Nonsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Chan Oh
- Natural Products Research Institute, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeeyeon Lee
- College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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23
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Choi S, Kim H, Ryu WJ, Choi KY, Kim T, Song D, Han G. Structural Optimization of Novel Ras Modulator for Treatment of Colorectal Cancer by Promoting β-catenin and Ras degradation. Bioorg Chem 2022; 130:106234. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.106234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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24
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131I-C19 Iodide Radioisotope and Synthetic I-C19 Compounds as K-Ras4B–PDE6δ Inhibitors: A Novel Approach against Colorectal Cancer—Biological Characterization, Biokinetics and Dosimetry. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27175446. [PMID: 36080216 PMCID: PMC9458062 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27175446] [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: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In 40–50% of colorectal cancer (CRC) cases, K-Ras gene mutations occur, which induce the expression of the K-Ras4B oncogenic isoform. K-Ras4B is transported by phosphodiesterase-6δ (PDE6δ) to the plasma membrane, where the K-Ras4B–PDE6δ complex dissociates and K-Ras4B, coupled to the plasma membrane, activates signaling pathways that favor cancer aggressiveness. Thus, the inhibition of the K-Ras4B–PDE6δ dissociation using specific small molecules could be a new strategy for the treatment of patients with CRC. This research aimed to perform a preclinical proof-of-concept and a therapeutic potential evaluation of the synthetic I-C19 and 131I-C19 compounds as inhibitors of the K-Ras4B–PDE6δ dissociation. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were performed to estimate the binding affinity and the anchorage sites of I-C19 in K-Ras4B–PDE6δ. K-Ras4B signaling pathways were assessed in HCT116, LoVo and SW620 colorectal cancer cells after I-C19 treatment. Two murine colorectal cancer models were used to evaluate the I-C19 therapeutic effect. The in vivo biokinetic profiles of I-C19 and 131I-C19 and the tumor radiation dose were also estimated. The K-Ras4B–PDE6δ stabilizer, 131I-C19, was highly selective and demonstrated a cytotoxic effect ten times greater than unlabeled I-C19. I-C19 prevented K-Ras4B activation and decreased its dependent signaling pathways. The in vivo administration of I-C19 (30 mg/kg) greatly reduced tumor growth in colorectal cancer. The biokinetic profile showed renal and hepatobiliary elimination, and the highest radiation absorbed dose was delivered to the tumor (52 Gy/74 MBq). The data support the idea that 131I-C19 is a novel K-Ras4B/PDE6δ stabilizer with two functionalities: as a K-Ras4B signaling inhibitor and as a compound with radiotherapeutic activity against colorectal tumors.
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25
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Lin L, Miao L, Lin H, Cheng J, Li M, Zhuo Z, He J. Targeting RAS in neuroblastoma: Is it possible? Pharmacol Ther 2022; 236:108054. [PMID: 34915055 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.108054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is a common solid tumor in children and a leading cause of cancer death in children. Neuroblastoma exhibits genetic, morphological, and clinical heterogeneity that limits the efficacy of current monotherapies. With further research on neuroblastoma, the pathogenesis of neuroblastoma is found to be complex, and more and more treatment therapies are needed. The importance of personalized therapy is growing. Currently, various molecular features, including RAS mutations, are being used as targets for the development of new therapies for patients with neuroblastoma. A recent study found that RAS mutations are frequently present in recurrent neuroblastoma. RAS mutations have been shown to activate the MAPK pathway and play an important role in neuroblastoma. Treating RAS mutated neuroblastoma is a difficult challenge, but many preclinical studies have yielded effective results. At the same time, many of the therapies used to treat RAS mutated tumors also have good reference values for treating RAS mutated neuroblastoma. The success of KRAS-G12C inhibitors has greatly stimulated confidence in the direct suppression of RAS. This review describes the biological role of RAS and the frequency of RAS mutations in neuroblastoma. This paper focuses on the strategies, preclinical, and clinical progress of targeting carcinogenic RAS in neuroblastoma, and proposes possible prospects and challenges in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Lin
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Lei Miao
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Huiran Lin
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
| | - Jiwen Cheng
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710004, Shaanxi, China
| | - Meng Li
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhenjian Zhuo
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China; Laboratory Animal Center, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Jing He
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China.
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26
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Mermer A, Volkan Bulbul M, Mervenur Kalender S, Keskin I, Tuzun B, Emre Eyupoglu O. Benzotriazole-oxadiazole hybrid Compounds: Synthesis, anticancer Activity, molecular docking and ADME profiling studies. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.119264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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27
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Armijo ME, Escalona E, Peña D, Farias A, Morin V, Baumann M, Klebl BM, Pincheira R, Castro AF. Blocking the Farnesyl Pocket of PDEδ Reduces Rheb-Dependent mTORC1 Activation and Survival of Tsc2-Null Cells. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:912688. [PMID: 35814251 PMCID: PMC9260180 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.912688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Rheb is a small GTPase member of the Ras superfamily and an activator of mTORC1, a protein complex master regulator of cell metabolism, growth, and proliferation. Rheb/mTORC1 pathway is hyperactivated in proliferative diseases, such as Tuberous Sclerosis Complex syndrome and cancer. Therefore, targeting Rheb-dependent signaling is a rational strategy for developing new drug therapies. Rheb activates mTORC1 in the cytosolic surface of lysosomal membranes. Rheb’s farnesylation allows its anchorage on membranes, while its proper localization depends on the prenyl-binding chaperone PDEδ. Recently, the use of PDEδ inhibitors has been proposed as anticancer agents because they interrupted KRas signaling leading to antiproliferative effects in KRas-dependent pancreatic cancer cells. However, the effect of PDEδ inhibition on the Rheb/mTORC1 pathway has been poorly investigated. Here, we evaluated the impact of a new PDEδ inhibitor, called Deltasonamide 1, in Tsc2-null MEFs, a Rheb-dependent overactivated mTORC1 cell line. By using a yeast two-hybrid assay, we first validated that Deltasonamide 1 disrupts Rheb-PDEδ interaction. Accordingly, we found that Deltasonamide 1 reduces mTORC1 targets activation. In addition, our results showed that Deltasonamide 1 has antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects on Tsc2-null MEFs but has less effect on Tsc2-wild type MEFs viability. This work proposes the pharmacological PDEδ inhibition as a new approach to target the abnormal Rheb/mTORC1 activation in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisol Estrella Armijo
- Laboratorio de Transducción de Señales y Cáncer, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas, Departamento de Ciencias Básicas y Morfología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Emilia Escalona
- Laboratorio de Transducción de Señales y Cáncer, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Daniela Peña
- Laboratorio de Transducción de Señales y Cáncer, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Alejandro Farias
- Laboratorio de Transducción de Señales y Cáncer, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Violeta Morin
- Laboratorio de Proteasas y Cáncer, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | | | | | - Roxana Pincheira
- Laboratorio de Transducción de Señales y Cáncer, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
- *Correspondence: Roxana Pincheira, ; Ariel Fernando Castro,
| | - Ariel Fernando Castro
- Laboratorio de Transducción de Señales y Cáncer, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
- *Correspondence: Roxana Pincheira, ; Ariel Fernando Castro,
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28
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Proteolysis-targeting chimeras: A promising technique in cancer therapy for gaining insights into tumor development. Cancer Lett 2022; 539:215716. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.215716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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29
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Small-Molecule RAS Inhibitors as Anticancer Agents: Discovery, Development, and Mechanistic Studies. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073706. [PMID: 35409064 PMCID: PMC8999084 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations of RAS oncogenes are responsible for about 30% of all human cancer types, including pancreatic, lung, and colorectal cancers. While KRAS1 is a pseudogene, mutation of KRAS2 (commonly known as KRAS oncogene) is directly or indirectly associated with human cancers. Among the RAS family, KRAS is the most abundant oncogene related to uncontrolled cellular proliferation to generate solid tumors in many types of cancer such as pancreatic carcinoma (over 80%), colon carcinoma (40-50%), lung carcinoma (30-50%), and other types of cancer. Once described as 'undruggable', RAS proteins have become 'druggable', at least to a certain extent, due to the continuous efforts made during the past four decades. In this account, we discuss the chemistry and biology (wherever available) of the small-molecule inhibitors (synthetic, semi-synthetic, and natural) of KRAS proteins that were published in the past decades. Commercial drugs, as well as investigational molecules from preliminary stages to clinical trials, are categorized and discussed in this study. In summary, this study presents an in-depth discussion of RAS proteins, classifies the RAS superfamily, and describes the molecular mechanism of small-molecule RAS inhibitors.
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30
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Nussinov R, Zhang M, Maloney R, Tsai C, Yavuz BR, Tuncbag N, Jang H. Mechanism of activation and the rewired network: New drug design concepts. Med Res Rev 2022; 42:770-799. [PMID: 34693559 PMCID: PMC8837674 DOI: 10.1002/med.21863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Precision oncology benefits from effective early phase drug discovery decisions. Recently, drugging inactive protein conformations has shown impressive successes, raising the cardinal questions of which targets can profit and what are the principles of the active/inactive protein pharmacology. Cancer driver mutations have been established to mimic the protein activation mechanism. We suggest that the decision whether to target an inactive (or active) conformation should largely rest on the protein mechanism of activation. We next discuss the recent identification of double (multiple) same-allele driver mutations and their impact on cell proliferation and suggest that like single driver mutations, double drivers also mimic the mechanism of activation. We further suggest that the structural perturbations of double (multiple) in cis mutations may reveal new surfaces/pockets for drug design. Finally, we underscore the preeminent role of the cellular network which is deregulated in cancer. Our structure-based review and outlook updates the traditional Mechanism of Action, informs decisions, and calls attention to the intrinsic activation mechanism of the target protein and the rewired tumor-specific network, ushering innovative considerations in precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Nussinov
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer ImmunometabolismNational Cancer InstituteFrederickMarylandUSA
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of MedicineTel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
| | - Mingzhen Zhang
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer ImmunometabolismNational Cancer InstituteFrederickMarylandUSA
| | - Ryan Maloney
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer ImmunometabolismNational Cancer InstituteFrederickMarylandUSA
| | - Chung‐Jung Tsai
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer ImmunometabolismNational Cancer InstituteFrederickMarylandUSA
| | - Bengi Ruken Yavuz
- Department of Health Informatics, Graduate School of InformaticsMiddle East Technical UniversityAnkaraTurkey
| | - Nurcan Tuncbag
- Department of Health Informatics, Graduate School of InformaticsMiddle East Technical UniversityAnkaraTurkey
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of EngineeringKoc UniversityIstanbulTurkey
- Koc University Research Center for Translational Medicine, School of MedicineKoc UniversityIstanbulTurkey
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer ImmunometabolismNational Cancer InstituteFrederickMarylandUSA
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31
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Pavic K, Chippalkatti R, Abankwa D. Drug targeting opportunities en route to Ras nanoclusters. Adv Cancer Res 2022; 153:63-99. [PMID: 35101236 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2021.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Disruption of the native membrane organization of Ras by the farnesyltransferase inhibitor tipifarnib in the late 1990s constituted the first indirect approach to drug target Ras. Since then, our understanding of how dynamically Ras shuttles between subcellular locations has changed significantly. Ras proteins have to arrive at the plasma membrane for efficient MAPK-signal propagation. On the plasma membrane Ras proteins are organized into isoform specific proteo-lipid assemblies called nanocluster. Recent evidence suggests that Ras nanocluster have a specific lipid composition, which supports the recruitment of effectors such as Raf. Conversely, effectors possess lipid-recognition motifs, which appear to serve as co-incidence detectors for the lipid domain of a given Ras isoform. Evidence suggests that dimeric Raf proteins then co-assemble dimeric Ras in an immobile complex, thus forming the minimal unit of an active nanocluster. Here we review established and novel trafficking chaperones and trafficking factors of Ras, along with the set of lipid and protein modulators of Ras nanoclustering. We highlight drug targeting approaches and opportunities against these determinants of functional Ras membrane organization. Finally, we reflect on implications for Ras signaling in polarized cells, such as epithelia, which are a common origin of tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Pavic
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Rohan Chippalkatti
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Daniel Abankwa
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
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Yelland T, Garcia E, Parry C, Kowalczyk D, Wojnowska M, Gohlke A, Zalar M, Cameron K, Goodwin G, Yu Q, Zhu PC, ElMaghloob Y, Pugliese A, Archibald L, Jamieson A, Chen YX, McArthur D, Bower J, Ismail S. Stabilization of the RAS:PDE6D Complex Is a Novel Strategy to Inhibit RAS Signaling. J Med Chem 2022; 65:1898-1914. [PMID: 35104933 PMCID: PMC8842248 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
![]()
RAS is a major anticancer
drug target which requires membrane localization
to activate downstream signal transduction. The direct inhibition
of RAS has proven to be challenging. Here, we present a novel strategy
for targeting RAS by stabilizing its interaction with the prenyl-binding
protein PDE6D and disrupting its localization. Using rationally designed
RAS point mutations, we were able to stabilize the RAS:PDE6D complex
by increasing the affinity of RAS for PDE6D, which resulted in the
redirection of RAS to the cytoplasm and the primary cilium and inhibition
of oncogenic RAS/ERK signaling. We developed an SPR fragment screening
and identified fragments that bind at the KRAS:PDE6D interface, as
shown through cocrystal structures. Finally, we show that the stoichiometric
ratios of KRAS:PDE6D vary in different cell lines, suggesting that
the impact of this strategy might be cell-type-dependent. This study
forms the foundation from which a potential anticancer small-molecule
RAS:PDE6D complex stabilizer could be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamas Yelland
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, United Kingdom
| | - Esther Garcia
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, United Kingdom
| | - Charles Parry
- Drug Discovery Program, CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, United Kingdom
| | | | - Marta Wojnowska
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9ST, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Gohlke
- Drug Discovery Program, CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, United Kingdom
| | - Matja Zalar
- Drug Discovery Program, CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, United Kingdom.,School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Kenneth Cameron
- Drug Discovery Program, CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, United Kingdom
| | - Gillian Goodwin
- Drug Discovery Program, CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, United Kingdom.,BioAscent Discovery Ltd, Biocity, Motherwell ML1 5UH, United Kingdom
| | - Qing Yu
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Peng-Cheng Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | | | - Angelo Pugliese
- Drug Discovery Program, CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, United Kingdom.,BioAscent Discovery Ltd, Biocity, Motherwell ML1 5UH, United Kingdom
| | - Lewis Archibald
- School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Jamieson
- School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Yong Xiang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Duncan McArthur
- Drug Discovery Program, CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, United Kingdom.,BioAscent Discovery Ltd, Biocity, Motherwell ML1 5UH, United Kingdom
| | - Justin Bower
- Drug Discovery Program, CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, United Kingdom
| | - Shehab Ismail
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, United Kingdom.,Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200G, Heverlee 3001, Belgium
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Teng M, Lu W, Donovan KA, Sun J, Krupnick NM, Nowak RP, Li YD, Sperling AS, Zhang T, Ebert BL, Fischer ES, Gray NS. Development of PDE6D and CK1α Degraders through Chemical Derivatization of FPFT-2216. J Med Chem 2022; 65:747-756. [PMID: 34965125 PMCID: PMC10297557 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Immunomodulatory drugs are a class of drugs approved for the treatment of multiple myeloma. These compounds exert their clinical effects by inducing interactions between the CRL4CRBN E3 ubiquitin ligase and a C2H2 zinc finger degron motif, resulting in degradation of degron-containing targets. However, although many cellular proteins feature the degron motif, only a subset of those are degradable via this strategy. Here, we demonstrated that FPFT-2216, a previously reported "molecular glue" compound, degrades PDE6D, in addition to IKZF1, IKZF3, and CK1α. We used FPFT-2216 as a starting point for a focused medicinal chemistry campaign and developed TMX-4100 and TMX-4116, which exhibit greater selectivity for degrading PDE6D and CK1α, respectively. We also showed that the region in PDE6D that interacts with the FPFT-2216 derivatives is not the previously pursued prenyl-binding pocket. Moreover, we found that PDE6D depletion by FPFT-2216 does not impede the growth of KRASG12C-dependent MIA PaCa-2 cells, highlighting the challenges of drugging PDE6D-KRAS. Taken together, the approach we described here represents a general scheme to rapidly develop selective degraders by reprogramming E3 ubiquitin ligase substrate specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxing Teng
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Wenchao Lu
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, ChEM-H, Stanford Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Katherine A Donovan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Jialin Sun
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Noah M Krupnick
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Radosław P Nowak
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Yen-Der Li
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Adam S Sperling
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Tinghu Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, ChEM-H, Stanford Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Benjamin L Ebert
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Eric S Fischer
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, ChEM-H, Stanford Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
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Guo M, He S, Cheng J, Li Y, Dong G, Sheng C. Hydrophobic Tagging-Induced Degradation of PDEδ in Colon Cancer Cells. ACS Med Chem Lett 2022; 13:298-303. [PMID: 35178186 PMCID: PMC8842115 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of KRAS-PDEδ protein-protein interaction (PPI) inhibitors is generally hampered by limited antitumor activity. Herein, the first hydrophobic tagging (HyT)-based PDEδ degraders were designed. Compound 17c efficiently bound to PDEδ and induced degradation of PDEδ in SW480 colon cancer cells. As compared with PDEδ inhibitor deltazinone, HyT-based degrader 17c exhibited improved antitumor activity toward KRAS mutant cancer cells. This study highlighted the potential of HyT as a valuable chemical tool for tumorigenic PDEδ knockdown, which could be developed into a promising strategy for antitumor drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menglu Guo
- School
of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Shipeng He
- Institute
of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Junfei Cheng
- School
of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yu Li
- School
of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Guoqiang Dong
- School
of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China,
| | - Chunquan Sheng
- School
of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China,
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Chen L, Zhang J, Wang X, Li Y, Zhou L, Lu X, Dong G, Sheng C. Discovery of novel KRAS‒PDE δ inhibitors with potent activity in patient-derived human pancreatic tumor xenograft models. Acta Pharm Sin B 2022; 12:274-290. [PMID: 35127385 PMCID: PMC8799878 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
KRAS‒PDEδ interaction is revealed as a promising target for suppressing the function of mutant KRAS. The bottleneck in clinical development of PDEδ inhibitors is the poor antitumor activity of known chemotypes. Here, we identified novel spiro-cyclic PDEδ inhibitors with potent antitumor activity both in vitro and in vivo. In particular, compound 36l (K D = 127 ± 16 nmol/L) effectively bound to PDEδ and interfered with KRAS-PDEδ interaction. It influenced the distribution of KRAS in Mia PaCa-2 cells, downregulated the phosphorylation of t-ERK and t-AKT and promoted apoptosis of the cells. The novel inhibitor 36l exhibited significant in vivo antitumor potency in pancreatic cancer patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. It represents a promising lead compound for investigating the druggability of KRAS‒PDEδ interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
| | - Xinjing Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
- Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yu Li
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Lu Zhou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xiongxiong Lu
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
- Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Corresponding authors. Tel./fax: +86 21 64370045 671003 (Xiongxiong Lu), +86 21 81871242 (Guoqiang Dong), +86 21 81871239 (Chunquan Sheng).
| | - Guoqiang Dong
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
- Corresponding authors. Tel./fax: +86 21 64370045 671003 (Xiongxiong Lu), +86 21 81871242 (Guoqiang Dong), +86 21 81871239 (Chunquan Sheng).
| | - Chunquan Sheng
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
- Corresponding authors. Tel./fax: +86 21 64370045 671003 (Xiongxiong Lu), +86 21 81871242 (Guoqiang Dong), +86 21 81871239 (Chunquan Sheng).
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Rajpurohit T, Bhattacharya S. Moving Towards Dawn: KRas Signaling and Treatment in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Curr Mol Pharmacol 2022; 15:904-928. [PMID: 35088684 DOI: 10.2174/1874467215666220128161647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
"Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)" is robust, nearly clueless, and all-around deadly among all tumors. Below 10 %, the general 5-year endurance period has remained adamantly unaltered in the last 30 years, regardless of enormous clinical and therapeutic endeavors. The yearly number of deaths is more than the number of recently analyzed cases. Not a classic one, but "Carbohydrate Antigen CA19- 9" remains the prevailing tool for diagnosis. MicroRNAs and non-invasive techniques are now incorporated for the effective prognosis of PDAC than just CA19-9. Mutated "Rat sarcoma virus Ras" conformation "V-Ki-ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog KRas" is 95 % accountable for PDAC, and its active (GTP-bound) formation activates signaling cascade comprising "Rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma Raf"/"Mitogen-activated protein kinase MEK"/ "Extracellular signal-regulated kinase ERK" with "Phosphoinositide 3-kinase PI3K"/ "protein kinase B Akt"/ "mammalian target of rapamycin mTOR" pathways. KRas has acquired the label of 'undruggable' since the crosstalk in the nexus of pathways compensates for Raf and PI3K signaling cascade blocking. It is arduous to totally regulate KRascoordinated PDAC with traditional medicaments like "gemcitabine GEM" plus nabpaclitaxel/ FOLFIRINOX. For long-haul accomplishments aiming at KRas, future endeavors should be directed to combinatorial methodologies to adequately block KRas pathways at different standpoints. Currently they are contributing to healing PDAC. In this review article, we outline the function of KRas in carcinogenesis in PDAC, its signaling cascade, former techniques utilized in hindering Kras, current and future possibilities for targeting Kras.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarun Rajpurohit
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy & Technology Management, SVKM'S NMIMS Deemed-to-be University, Shirpur, Maharashtra 425405, India
| | - Sankha Bhattacharya
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy & Technology Management, SVKM'S NMIMS Deemed-to-be University, Shirpur, Maharashtra 425405, India
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Ritu K, Kumar P, Singh A, Nupur K, Spalgias S, Mrigpuri P, Rajkumar. Untangling the KRAS mutated lung cancer subsets and its therapeutic implications. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2021; 2:40. [PMID: 34918209 PMCID: PMC8677854 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-021-00061-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The Kirsten rat sarcoma virus transforming protein (KRAS) mutations (predominate in codons 12, 13, and 61) and genomically drive nearly one-third of lung carcinomas. These mutations have complex functions in tumorigenesis, and influence the tumor response to chemotherapy and tyrosine kinase inhibitors resulting in a poorer patient prognosis. Recent attempts using targeted therapies against KRAS alone have met with little success. The existence of specific subsets of lung cancer based on KRAS mutations and coexisting mutations are suggested. Their interactions need further elaboration before newer promising targeted therapies for KRAS mutant lung cancers can be used as earlier lines of therapy. We summarize the existing knowledge of KRAS mutations and their coexisting mutations that is relevant to lung cancer treatment, in this review. We elaborate on the prognostic impact of clinical and pathologic characteristics of lung cancer patients associated with KRAS mutations. We briefly review the currently available techniques for KRAS mutation detection on biopsy and cytology samples. Finally, we discuss the new therapeutic strategies for targeting KRAS-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These may herald a new era in the treatment of KRASG12Cmutated NSCLC as well as be helpful to develop demographic subsets to predict targeted therapies and prognosis of lung cancer patients.
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Rahman S, Garrel S, Gerber M, Maitra R, Goel S. Therapeutic Targets of KRAS in Colorectal Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:6233. [PMID: 34944853 PMCID: PMC8699097 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13246233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer have a 5-year overall survival of less than 10%. Approximately 45% of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer harbor KRAS mutations. These mutations not only carry a predictive role for the absence of response to anti-EGFR therapy, but also have a negative prognostic impact on the overall survival. There is a growing unmet need for a personalized therapy approach for patients with KRAS-mutant colorectal cancer. In this article, we focus on the therapeutic strategies targeting KRAS- mutant CRC, while reviewing and elaborating on the discovery and physiology of KRAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shafia Rahman
- Department of Medical Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1695 Eastchester Road Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA; (S.R.); (R.M.)
| | - Shimon Garrel
- Department of Biology, Lander College For Men, 75-31 150th Street, Flushing, New York, NY 11367, USA;
| | - Michael Gerber
- Department of Biology, Yeshiva University, 500 West 185th Street, New York, NY 10033, USA;
| | - Radhashree Maitra
- Department of Medical Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1695 Eastchester Road Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA; (S.R.); (R.M.)
- Department of Biology, Yeshiva University, 500 West 185th Street, New York, NY 10033, USA;
| | - Sanjay Goel
- Department of Medical Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1695 Eastchester Road Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA; (S.R.); (R.M.)
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Kendre G, Marhenke S, Lorz G, Becker D, Reineke-Plaaß T, Poth T, Murugesan K, Kühnel F, Woller N, Wirtz RM, Pich A, Marquardt JU, Saborowski M, Vogel A, Saborowski A. The Co-mutational Spectrum Determines the Therapeutic Response in Murine FGFR2 Fusion-Driven Cholangiocarcinoma. Hepatology 2021; 74:1357-1370. [PMID: 33709535 DOI: 10.1002/hep.31799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is the second most common primary liver cancer and a highly lethal malignancy. Chemotherapeutic options are limited, but a considerable subset of patients harbors genetic lesions for which targeted agents exist. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) fusions belong to the most frequent and therapeutically relevant alterations in ICC, and the first FGFR inhibitor was recently approved for the treatment of patients with progressed, fusion-positive ICC. Response rates of up to 35% indicate that FGFR-targeted therapies are beneficial in many but not all patients. Thus far, no established biomarkers exist that predict resistance or response to FGFR-targeted therapies in patients with ICC. APPROACH AND RESULTS In this study, we use an autochthonous murine model of ICC to demonstrate that FGFR2 fusions are potent drivers of malignant transformation. Furthermore, we provide preclinical evidence that the co-mutational spectrum acts not only as an accelerator of tumor development, but also modifies the response to targeted FGFR inhibitors. Using pharmacologic approaches and RNA-interference technology, we delineate that Kirsten rat sarcoma oncogene (KRAS)-activated mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling causes primary resistance to FGFR inhibitors in FGFR2 fusion-positive ICC. The translational relevance is supported by the observation that a subset of human FGFR2 fusion patients exhibits transcriptome profiles reminiscent of KRAS mutant ICC. Moreover, we demonstrate that combination therapy has the potential to overcome primary resistance and to sensitize tumors to FGFR inhibition. CONCLUSIONS Our work highlights the importance of the co-mutational spectrum as a significant modifier of response in tumors that harbor potent oncogenic drivers. A better understanding of the genetic underpinnings of resistance will be pivotal to improve biomarker-guided patient selection and to design clinically relevant combination strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gajanan Kendre
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Silke Marhenke
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Georgina Lorz
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Diana Becker
- Department of Medicine I, Lichtenberg Research Group, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Tanja Poth
- Center for Model System and Comparative Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Florian Kühnel
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Norman Woller
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Andreas Pich
- Core Unit Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jens U Marquardt
- First Department of Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Michael Saborowski
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Arndt Vogel
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Anna Saborowski
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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40
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Teo MYM, Fong JY, Lim WM, In LLA. Current Advances and Trends in KRAS Targeted Therapies for Colorectal Cancer. Mol Cancer Res 2021; 20:30-44. [PMID: 34462329 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-21-0248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Kirsten Rat Sarcoma (KRAS) gene somatic point mutations is one of the most prominently mutated proto-oncogenes known to date, and accounts for approximately 60% of all colorectal cancer cases. One of the most exciting drug development areas against colorectal cancer is the targeting of undruggable kinases and kinase-substrate molecules, although whether and how they can be integrated with other therapies remains a question. Current clinical trial data have provided supporting evidence on the use of combination treatment involving MEK inhibitors and either one of the PI3K inhibitors for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer to avoid the development of resistance and provide effective therapeutic outcome rather than using a single agent alone. Many clinical trials are also ongoing to evaluate different combinations of these pathway inhibitors in combination with immunotherapy for patients with colorectal cancer whose current palliative treatment options are limited. Nevertheless, continued assessment of these targeted cancer therapies will eventually allow patients with colorectal cancer to be treated using a personalized medicine approach. In this review, the most recent scientific approaches and clinical trials targeting KRAS mutations directly or indirectly for the management of colorectal cancer are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Yee Mun Teo
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Jung Yin Fong
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Wan Ming Lim
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Lionel Lian Aun In
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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Coley AB, Ward A, Keeton AB, Chen X, Maxuitenko Y, Prakash A, Li F, Foote JB, Buchsbaum DJ, Piazza GA. Pan-RAS inhibitors: Hitting multiple RAS isozymes with one stone. Adv Cancer Res 2021; 153:131-168. [PMID: 35101229 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2021.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in the three RAS oncogenes are present in approximately 30% of all human cancers that drive tumor growth and metastasis by aberrant activation of RAS-mediated signaling. Despite the well-established role of RAS in tumorigenesis, past efforts to develop small molecule inhibitors have failed for various reasons leading many to consider RAS as "undruggable." Advances over the past decade with KRAS(G12C) mutation-specific inhibitors have culminated in the first FDA-approved RAS drug, sotorasib. However, the patient population that stands to benefit from KRAS(G12C) inhibitors is inherently limited to those patients harboring KRAS(G12C) mutations. Additionally, both intrinsic and acquired mechanisms of resistance have been reported that indicate allele-specificity may afford disadvantages. For example, the compensatory activation of uninhibited wild-type (WT) NRAS and HRAS isozymes can rescue cancer cells harboring KRAS(G12C) mutations from allele-specific inhibition or the occurrence of other mutations in KRAS. It is therefore prudent to consider alternative drug discovery strategies that may overcome these potential limitations. One such approach is pan-RAS inhibition, whereby all RAS isozymes co-expressed in the tumor cell population are targeted by a single inhibitor to block constitutively activated RAS regardless of the underlying mutation. This chapter provides a review of past and ongoing strategies to develop pan-RAS inhibitors in detail and seeks to outline the trajectory of this promising strategy of RAS inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander B Coley
- Department of Pharmacology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, United States; Mitchell Cancer Institute, Mobile, AL, United States
| | - Antonio Ward
- Department of Pharmacology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, United States; Mitchell Cancer Institute, Mobile, AL, United States
| | - Adam B Keeton
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Yulia Maxuitenko
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Aishwarya Prakash
- Mitchell Cancer Institute, Mobile, AL, United States; Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, United States
| | - Feng Li
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Jeremy B Foote
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Donald J Buchsbaum
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Gary A Piazza
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States.
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42
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Booth WT, Clodfelter JE, Leone-Kabler S, Hughes EK, Eldeeb K, Howlett AC, Lowther WT. Cannabinoid receptor interacting protein 1a interacts with myristoylated Gα i N terminus via a unique gapped β-barrel structure. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101099. [PMID: 34418434 PMCID: PMC8446797 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoid receptor interacting protein 1a (CRIP1a) modulates CB1 cannabinoid receptor G-protein coupling in part by altering the selectivity for Gαi subtype activation, but the molecular basis for this function of CRIP1a is not known. We report herein the first structure of CRIP1a at a resolution of 1.55 Å. CRIP1a exhibits a 10-stranded and antiparallel β-barrel with an interior comprised of conserved hydrophobic residues and loops at the bottom and a short helical cap at the top to exclude solvent. The β-barrel has a gap between strands β8 and β10, which deviates from β-sandwich fatty acid–binding proteins that carry endocannabinoid compounds and the Rho-guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor predicted by computational threading algorithms. The structural homology search program DALI identified CRIP1a as homologous to a family of lipidated-protein carriers that includes phosphodiesterase 6 delta subunit and Unc119. Comparison with these proteins suggests that CRIP1a may carry two possible types of cargo: either (i) like phosphodiesterase 6 delta subunit, cargo with a farnesyl moiety that enters from the top of the β-barrel to occupy the hydrophobic interior or (ii) like Unc119, cargo with a palmitoyl or a myristoyl moiety that enters from the side where the missing β-strand creates an opening to the hydrophobic pocket. Fluorescence polarization analysis demonstrated CRIP1a binding of an N-terminally myristoylated 9-mer peptide mimicking the Gαi N terminus. However, CRIP1a could not bind the nonmyristolyated Gαi peptide or cargo of homologs. Thus, binding of CRIP1a to Gαi proteins represents a novel mechanism to regulate cell signaling initiated by the CB1 receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- William T Booth
- Department of Biochemistry and Center for Structural Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jill E Clodfelter
- Department of Biochemistry and Center for Structural Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sandra Leone-Kabler
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and Center for Research on Substance Use and Addiction, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Erin K Hughes
- Department of Biochemistry and Center for Structural Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and Center for Research on Substance Use and Addiction, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Khalil Eldeeb
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and Center for Research on Substance Use and Addiction, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Allyn C Howlett
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and Center for Research on Substance Use and Addiction, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Center for Molecular Signaling, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
| | - W Todd Lowther
- Department of Biochemistry and Center for Structural Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Center for Molecular Signaling, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
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Wang WH, Yuan T, Qian MJ, Yan FJ, Yang L, He QJ, Yang B, Lu JJ, Zhu H. Post-translational modification of KRAS: potential targets for cancer therapy. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2021; 42:1201-1211. [PMID: 33087838 PMCID: PMC8285426 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-020-00542-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant activation of the RAS superfamily is one of the critical factors in carcinogenesis. Among them, KRAS is the most frequently mutated one which has inspired extensive studies for developing approaches to intervention. Although the cognition toward KRAS remains far from complete, mounting evidence suggests that a variety of post-translational modifications regulate its activation and localization. In this review, we summarize the regulatory mode of post-translational modifications on KRAS including prenylation, post-prenylation, palmitoylation, ubiquitination, phosphorylation, SUMOylation, acetylation, nitrosylation, etc. We also highlight the recent studies targeting these modifications having exhibited potent anti-tumor activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Hua Wang
- Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-cancer Drug Research, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Tao Yuan
- Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-cancer Drug Research, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Mei-Jia Qian
- Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-cancer Drug Research, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Fang-Jie Yan
- Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-cancer Drug Research, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Liu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Qiao-Jun He
- Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-cancer Drug Research, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Bo Yang
- Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-cancer Drug Research, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Jin-Jian Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.
| | - Hong Zhu
- Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-cancer Drug Research, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
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Rio-Vilariño A, del Puerto-Nevado L, García-Foncillas J, Cebrián A. Ras Family of Small GTPases in CRC: New Perspectives for Overcoming Drug Resistance. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:3757. [PMID: 34359657 PMCID: PMC8345156 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13153757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer remains among the cancers with the highest incidence, prevalence, and mortality worldwide. Although the development of targeted therapies against the EGFR and VEGFR membrane receptors has considerably improved survival in these patients, the appearance of resistance means that their success is still limited. Overactivation of several members of the Ras-GTPase family is one of the main actors in both tumour progression and the lack of response to cytotoxic and targeted therapies. This fact has led many resources to be devoted over the last decades to the development of targeted therapies against these proteins. However, they have not been as successful as expected in their move to the clinic so far. In this review, we will analyse the role of these Ras-GTPases in the emergence and development of colorectal cancer and their relationship with resistance to targeted therapies, as well as the status and new advances in the design of targeted therapies against these proteins and their possible clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jesús García-Foncillas
- Translational Oncology Division, Hospital Universitario Fundación Jimenez Diaz, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (A.R.-V.); (L.d.P.-N.)
| | - Arancha Cebrián
- Translational Oncology Division, Hospital Universitario Fundación Jimenez Diaz, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (A.R.-V.); (L.d.P.-N.)
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45
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Chen K, Zhang Y, Qian L, Wang P. Emerging strategies to target RAS signaling in human cancer therapy. J Hematol Oncol 2021; 14:116. [PMID: 34301278 PMCID: PMC8299671 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-021-01127-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
RAS mutations (HRAS, NRAS, and KRAS) are among the most common oncogenes, and around 19% of patients with cancer harbor RAS mutations. Cells harboring RAS mutations tend to undergo malignant transformation and exhibit malignant phenotypes. The mutational status of RAS correlates with the clinicopathological features of patients, such as mucinous type and poor differentiation, as well as response to anti-EGFR therapies in certain types of human cancers. Although RAS protein had been considered as a potential target for tumors with RAS mutations, it was once referred to as a undruggable target due to the consecutive failure in the discovery of RAS protein inhibitors. However, recent studies on the structure, signaling, and function of RAS have shed light on the development of RAS-targeting drugs, especially with the approval of Lumakras (sotorasib, AMG510) in treatment of KRASG12C-mutant NSCLC patients. Therefore, here we fully review RAS mutations in human cancer and especially focus on emerging strategies that have been recently developed for RAS-targeting therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Chen
- Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong An Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yalei Zhang
- Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong An Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ling Qian
- Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong An Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong An Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Schneidewind T, Brause A, Schölermann B, Sievers S, Pahl A, Sankar MG, Winzker M, Janning P, Kumar K, Ziegler S, Waldmann H. Combined morphological and proteome profiling reveals target-independent impairment of cholesterol homeostasis. Cell Chem Biol 2021; 28:1780-1794.e5. [PMID: 34214450 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2021.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Unbiased profiling approaches are powerful tools for small-molecule target or mode-of-action deconvolution as they generate a holistic view of the bioactivity space. This is particularly important for non-protein targets that are difficult to identify with commonly applied target identification methods. Thereby, unbiased profiling can enable identification of novel bioactivity even for annotated compounds. We report the identification of a large bioactivity cluster comprised of numerous well-characterized drugs with different primary targets using a combination of the morphological Cell Painting Assay and proteome profiling. Cluster members alter cholesterol homeostasis and localization due to their physicochemical properties that lead to protonation and accumulation in lysosomes, an increase in lysosomal pH, and a disturbed cholesterol homeostasis. The identified cluster enables identification of modulators of cholesterol homeostasis and links regulation of genes or proteins involved in cholesterol synthesis or trafficking to physicochemical properties rather than to nominal targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tabea Schneidewind
- Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, Dortmund 44227, Germany; Technical University Dortmund, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Alexandra Brause
- Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Beate Schölermann
- Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Sonja Sievers
- Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Axel Pahl
- Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Muthukumar G Sankar
- Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Michael Winzker
- Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Petra Janning
- Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Kamal Kumar
- Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Slava Ziegler
- Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Herbert Waldmann
- Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, Dortmund 44227, Germany; Technical University Dortmund, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6, Dortmund 44227, Germany.
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47
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Henkels KM, Rehl KM, Cho KJ. Blocking K-Ras Interaction With the Plasma Membrane Is a Tractable Therapeutic Approach to Inhibit Oncogenic K-Ras Activity. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:673096. [PMID: 34222333 PMCID: PMC8244928 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.673096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ras proteins are membrane-bound small GTPases that promote cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Consistent with this key regulatory role, activating mutations of Ras are present in ∼19% of new cancer cases in the United States per year. K-Ras is one of the three ubiquitously expressed isoforms in mammalian cells, and oncogenic mutations in this isoform account for ∼75% of Ras-driven cancers. Therefore, pharmacological agents that block oncogenic K-Ras activity would have great clinical utility. Most efforts to block oncogenic Ras activity have focused on Ras downstream effectors, but these inhibitors only show limited clinical benefits in Ras-driven cancers due to the highly divergent signals arising from Ras activation. Currently, four major approaches are being extensively studied to target K-Ras–driven cancers. One strategy is to block K-Ras binding to the plasma membrane (PM) since K-Ras requires the PM binding for its signal transduction. Here, we summarize recently identified molecular mechanisms that regulate K-Ras–PM interaction. Perturbing these mechanisms using pharmacological agents blocks K-Ras–PM binding and inhibits K-Ras signaling and growth of K-Ras–driven cancer cells. Together, these studies propose that blocking K-Ras–PM binding is a tractable strategy for developing anti–K-Ras therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen M Henkels
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, United States
| | - Kristen M Rehl
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, United States
| | - Kwang-Jin Cho
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, United States
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Wang P, van der Hoeven D, Ye N, Chen H, Liu Z, Ma X, Montufar-Solis D, Rehl KM, Cho KJ, Thapa S, Chen W, van der Hoeven R, Frost JA, Hancock JF, Zhou J. Scaffold repurposing of fendiline: Identification of potent KRAS plasma membrane localization inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 217:113381. [PMID: 33756124 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
KRAS plays an essential role in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and survival. Mutated KRAS is a major driver of malignant transformation in multiple human cancers. We showed previously that fendiline (6) is an effective inhibitor of KRAS plasma membrane (PM) localization and function. In this study, we designed, synthesized and evaluated a series of new fendiline analogs to optimize its drug properties. Systemic structure-activity relationship studies by scaffold repurposing led to the discovery of several more active KRAS PM localization inhibitors such as compounds 12f (NY0244), 12h (NY0331) and 22 (NY0335) which exhibit nanomolar potencies. These compounds inhibited oncogenic KRAS-driven cancer cell proliferation at single-digit micromolar concentrations in vitro. In vivo studies in a xenograft model of pancreatic cancer revealed that 12h and 22 suppressed oncogenic KRAS-expressing MiaPaCa-2 tumor growth at a low dose range of 1-5 mg/kg with no vasodilatory effects, indicating their potential as chemical probes and anticancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pingyuan Wang
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Dharini van der Hoeven
- Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77054, USA
| | - Na Ye
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Haiying Chen
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Zhiqing Liu
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Xiaoping Ma
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Dina Montufar-Solis
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kristen M Rehl
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, 45435, USA
| | - Kwang-Jin Cho
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, 45435, USA
| | - Sabita Thapa
- Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77054, USA
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ransome van der Hoeven
- Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77054, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Frost
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - John F Hancock
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Jia Zhou
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA.
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Mustachio LM, Chelariu-Raicu A, Szekvolgyi L, Roszik J. Targeting KRAS in Cancer: Promising Therapeutic Strategies. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:1204. [PMID: 33801965 PMCID: PMC7999304 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13061204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) is mutated in approximately 25% of all human cancers and is known to be a major player promoting and maintaining tumorigenesis through the RAS/MAPK pathway. Over the years, a large number of studies have identified strategies at different regulatory levels to tackle this 'difficult-to-target' oncoprotein. Yet, the most ideal strategy to overcome KRAS and its downstream effects has yet to be uncovered. This review summarizes the role of KRAS activating mutations in multiple cancer types as well as the key findings for potential strategies inhibiting its oncogenic behavior. A comprehensive analysis of the different pathways and mechanisms associated with KRAS activity in tumors will ultimately pave the way for promising future work that will identify optimum therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Maria Mustachio
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Cancer Epigenetics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Anca Chelariu-Raicu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany;
| | - Lorant Szekvolgyi
- Genome Architecture and Recombination Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, MTA-DE Momentum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4002 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Jason Roszik
- Department of Genomic Medicine, Division of Cancer Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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50
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Nussinov R, Jang H, Gursoy A, Keskin O, Gaponenko V. Inhibition of Nonfunctional Ras. Cell Chem Biol 2021; 28:121-133. [PMID: 33440168 PMCID: PMC7897307 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2020.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Intuitively, functional states should be targeted; not nonfunctional ones. So why could drugging the inactive K-Ras4BG12Cwork-but drugging the inactive kinase will likely not? The reason is the distinct oncogenic mechanisms. Kinase driver mutations work by stabilizing the active state and/or destabilizing the inactive state. Either way, oncogenic kinases are mostly in the active state. Ras driver mutations work by quelling its deactivation mechanisms, GTP hydrolysis, and nucleotide exchange. Covalent inhibitors that bind to the inactive GDP-bound K-Ras4BG12C conformation can thus work. By contrast, in kinases, allosteric inhibitors work by altering the active-site conformation to favor orthosteric drugs. From the translational standpoint this distinction is vital: it expedites effective pharmaceutical development and extends the drug classification based on the mechanism of action. Collectively, here we postulate that drug action relates to blocking the mechanism of activation, not to whether the protein is in the active or inactive state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Nussinov
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Attila Gursoy
- Department of Computer Engineering, Koc University, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
| | - Ozlem Keskin
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Koc University, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
| | - Vadim Gaponenko
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA.
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