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He H, Wen X, Zheng H. Efficacy and safety of venetoclax-based combination therapy for previously untreated acute myeloid leukemia: a meta-analysis. Hematology 2024; 29:2343604. [PMID: 38703055 DOI: 10.1080/16078454.2024.2343604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To explore the efficacy and safety of venetoclax-based combination therapy for older patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials comparing venetoclax plus hypomethylating agents (HMAs) or low-dose cytarabine (LDAC) with mono-HMAs or LDAC. The random or fixed effects model was applied to the studies based on heterogeneity. Dichotomous data were summarized using the risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Continuous variable data were reported as weighted mean differences (WMDs). RESULTS Nine studies, including a total of 1232 patients, were included in this meta-analysis. Thec complete remission (CR)/complete remission with incomplete hematological recovery (CRi) rate of the venetoclax (Ven) + azacytidine (Aza) group was significantly greater than that of the Aza monotherapy group (RR: 2.42; 95% CI: 1.85-3.15; P < 0.001). Similarly, the CR/CRi rate of the Ven + LDAC group was also significantly greater than that of the LDAC monotherapy group (RR: 2.57; 95% CI: 1.58-4.17; P = 0.00). The same results were observed for OS among these groups. However, the incidence of febrile neutropenia was greater in the Ven + Aza group than in the Ven + Decitabine (Dec) or monotherapy Aza group (RR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.53-0.90; P = 0.006 and RR: 2.19; 95% CI: 1.58-3.03; P < 0.001, respectively). In addition, the Ven + LDAC group had significantly greater rates of constipation, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting than the LDAC monotherapy group, with RRs and CIs of 0.61 (95% CI 0.44-0.83, P = 0.002), 1.81 (95% CI 1.22-2.67, P = 0.003), 1.39 (95% CI 1.06-1.82, P = 0.016), and 1.80 (95% CI 1.19-2.72, P = 0.005), respectively. CONCLUSION Venetoclax combined with azacitidine, decitabine, or LDAC significantly improved the CR/CRi and OS of patients with previously untreated AML. However, venetoclax plus azacitidine or LDAC was more likely to lead to increased febrile neutropenia and gastrointestinal toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbo He
- Leukemia Department, Hematology Center, Beijing Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- National Key Clinical Discipline of Pediatric Hematology, National Key Discipline of Pediatrics (Capital Medical University)
- Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children, Ministry of Education, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaojia Wen
- Leukemia Department, Hematology Center, Beijing Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- National Key Clinical Discipline of Pediatric Hematology, National Key Discipline of Pediatrics (Capital Medical University)
- Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children, Ministry of Education, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Huyong Zheng
- Leukemia Department, Hematology Center, Beijing Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- National Key Clinical Discipline of Pediatric Hematology, National Key Discipline of Pediatrics (Capital Medical University)
- Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children, Ministry of Education, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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2
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Li C, Xiao Y, Kong J, Lai C, Chen Z, Li Z, Xie W. Elucidating the role of MICAL1 in pan-cancer using integrated bioinformatics and experimental approaches. Cell Adh Migr 2024; 18:1-17. [PMID: 38555517 PMCID: PMC10984120 DOI: 10.1080/19336918.2024.2335682] [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: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Molecule interacting with CasL 1 (MICAL1) is a crucial protein involved in cell motility, axon guidance, cytoskeletal dynamics, and gene transcription. This pan-cancer study analyzed MICAL1 across 33 cancer types using bioinformatics and experiments. Dysregulated expression, diagnostic potential, and prognostic value were assessed. Associations with tumor characteristics, immune factors, and drug sensitivity were explored. Enrichment analysis revealed MICAL1's involvement in metastasis, angiogenesis, metabolism, and immune pathways. Functional experiments demonstrated its impact on renal carcinoma cells. These findings position MICAL1 as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in specific cancers, warranting further investigation into its role in cancer pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Canxuan Li
- Department of Urology, Shenshan Medical Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shanwei, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Yunfei Xiao
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Jianqiu Kong
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Cong Lai
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Zhiliang Chen
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Zhuohang Li
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Weibin Xie
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
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3
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Galla MS, Kale NB, Sharma A, Hajare A, Godugu C, Shankaraiah N. Development of chromone-thiazolidine-2,4-dione Knoevenagel conjugates as apoptosis inducing agents. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2024; 109:129853. [PMID: 38909705 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2024.129853] [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: 02/24/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Overexpression of Bcl-2 protein is a predominant hallmark of disturbed apoptotic pathway in most of the cancers. Herein, chromone-linked thiazolidinediones were designed and synthesized to target Bcl-2 for regulating anti-apoptotic proteins. The study on in vitro cancer cell lines revealed the presence of compounds 8a, 8k, 8l, and 8n, which were found to have good to moderate anti-proliferative activity (with an IC50 concentration less than 10 µM). Among them, 8l depicted the highest cytotoxicity on the A549 cell line with an IC50 of 6.1 ± 0.02 µM. Aberrantly, the compounds displayed less toxicity towards human embryonic kidney HEK cells underlining its selectivity. The DCFDA study revealed a gradual increase in the ROS generation of 8l, followed by its quantification by flow analysis. Similarly, the studies including DAPI, AO/EtBr and Annexin-V binding clearly elucidated the DNA damage, membrane integrity prospects, and insights for early and late apoptotic phases. Markedly, the Bcl-2-FITC anti-body study revealed that compound 8l reduced the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins by 79.1 % compared to the control at 9 µM concentration. In addition, the molecular docking study provided the impending scope of these hybrids, showing promising interaction with the Mcl-1 target (member of the Bcl-2 family) with comparable binding affinities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Sravani Galla
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad 500037, India
| | - Nandini B Kale
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad 500037, India
| | - Anamika Sharma
- Department of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad 500037, India
| | - Aditya Hajare
- Department of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad 500037, India
| | - Chandraiah Godugu
- Department of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad 500037, India
| | - Nagula Shankaraiah
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad 500037, India.
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4
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Miklos E, Oliver TP, Adam K, Eva K, Balazs K, Eszter K, Anett P, Viktoria GK, Jozsef H, Peter R. Fix low dose venetoclax-azacitidine treatment of unfit acute myeloid leukemia patients. Eur J Haematol 2024; 113:183-189. [PMID: 38644361 DOI: 10.1111/ejh.14213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
The prognosis of elderly AML patients had not even been improved by using hypomethylating agents; however, synergistic effect of combining azacitidin with venetoclax had resulted in a remarkable therapeutic advance. Our goal was to study the latter treatment with a new dosing regimen in a retrospective/observational study. In our department, we analyzed the data of AML patients who were unfit for curative high-dose treatment and accepted the medication with a fixed-dose of azacitidin and venetoclax combination (AZA-VEN, 100 mg sc for 7 days-100 mg per os continuously). The primary end point was the overall survival. In total, 55 AML patients received the treatment between OCT/2019-DEC/2022. Mean age was 69.4-year (48-84), median overall survival was 17.2-month (95% CI, 14.3-20.10) Composite CR: (CR + CRi) 62%. Side effect CTCAE 3 or higher: neutropenia with fever: 36.4%, anemia: 29.1%, thrombocytopenia: 16.4% and nausea 20%. AZA-VEN combination treatment of our unfit AML patients was found to be a good therapeutic option. The results achieved with significantly lower doses of the fixed dose of AZA-VEN are comparable to the conclusions of the VIALE-A study, and the less severe side effects we have observed are explained by the milder neutropenia of the newly introduced regimen.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/mortality
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/diagnosis
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/administration & dosage
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/therapeutic use
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/adverse effects
- Aged
- Sulfonamides/administration & dosage
- Sulfonamides/therapeutic use
- Sulfonamides/adverse effects
- Male
- Female
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/adverse effects
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use
- Middle Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Azacitidine/administration & dosage
- Azacitidine/therapeutic use
- Azacitidine/adverse effects
- Treatment Outcome
- Retrospective Studies
- Prognosis
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Affiliation(s)
- Egyed Miklos
- Department of Hematology, Somogy County Móritz Kaposi General Hospital, Kaposvar, Hungary
| | - Tóth Peter Oliver
- Department of Hematology, Somogy County Móritz Kaposi General Hospital, Kaposvar, Hungary
| | - Kellner Adam
- Department of Hematology, Somogy County Móritz Kaposi General Hospital, Kaposvar, Hungary
| | - Karadi Eva
- Department of Hematology, Somogy County Móritz Kaposi General Hospital, Kaposvar, Hungary
| | - Kollar Balazs
- Department of Hematology, Somogy County Móritz Kaposi General Hospital, Kaposvar, Hungary
| | - Kovacs Eszter
- Department of Hematology, Somogy County Móritz Kaposi General Hospital, Kaposvar, Hungary
| | - Pavlovics Anett
- Department of Hematology, Somogy County Móritz Kaposi General Hospital, Kaposvar, Hungary
| | - Gyori-Korom Viktoria
- Department of Hematology, Somogy County Móritz Kaposi General Hospital, Kaposvar, Hungary
| | - Herczeg Jozsef
- Department of Hematology, Somogy County Móritz Kaposi General Hospital, Kaposvar, Hungary
| | - Rajnics Peter
- Department of Hematology, Somogy County Móritz Kaposi General Hospital, Kaposvar, Hungary
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5
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Peng X, Tang F, Li Y, Bai J, Li L, Zhang L. Combination of BCL-2 inhibitors and immunotherapy: a promising therapeutic strategy for hematological malignancies. Discov Oncol 2024; 15:311. [PMID: 39060763 PMCID: PMC11282050 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-024-01161-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The rapid development of high-throughput sequencing in recent years has facilitated great progress in the molecular-targeted therapy of hematological malignancies, including leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. BCL-2 inhibitors are among the most important molecular-targeted agents. Immunotherapy for hematologic malignancy has rapidly increased in popularity in recent years and has been proven to improve the overall survival rate. However, few clinical studies have investigated combination therapy with BCL-2 inhibitors and immunotherapies, such as immune molecule-targeted drugs or immune cell adoptive therapy. In this review, we discuss the drug discovery process, current clinical application status, and resistance and tolerance issues associated with BCL-2 inhibitors. We emphasize their important role in regulating the immune system and propose that the combination of BCL-2 inhibitors with immunotherapy may be one of the most promising treatment methods for hematologic malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohuan Peng
- Department of Hematology, The Second Hospital and Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of the Hematology of Gansu Province, The Second Hospital and Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Futian Tang
- Key Laboratory of the Digestive Tumor of Gansu Province, The Second Hospital and Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yanhong Li
- Key Laboratory of the Hematology of Gansu Province, The Second Hospital and Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jun Bai
- Key Laboratory of the Hematology of Gansu Province, The Second Hospital and Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Lijuan Li
- Department of Hematology, The Second Hospital and Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of the Hematology of Gansu Province, The Second Hospital and Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
| | - Liansheng Zhang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Hospital and Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of the Hematology of Gansu Province, The Second Hospital and Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
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6
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Tauchi T, Moriya S, Okabe S, Kazama H, Miyazawa K, Takano N. Vitamin K2 sensitizes the efficacy of venetoclax in acute myeloid leukemia by targeting the NOXA-MCL-1 pathway. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0307662. [PMID: 39052583 PMCID: PMC11271855 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307662] [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: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Promising outcomes have been reported in elder patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) using combined therapy of venetoclax (VEN) and azacytidine (AZA) in recent years. However, approximately one-third of patients appear to be refractory to this therapy. Vitamin K2 (VK2) shows apoptosis-inducing activity in AML cells, and daily oral VK2 (menaquinone-4, GlakayR) has been approved for patients with osteoporosis in Japan. We observed a high response rate to AZA plus VEN therapy, with no 8-week mortality in the newly diagnosed AML patients consuming daily VK2 in our hospital. The median age of the patients was 75.9 years (range 66-84) with high-risk features. Patients received AZA 75 mg/m2 on D1-7, VEN 400 mg on D1-28, and daily VK2 45 mg. The CR/CRi ratio was 94.7% (18/19), with a CR rate of 79%. Complete cytogenetic CR was achieved in 15 of 19 (79%) patients, and MRD negativity in 2 of 15 (13%) evaluable CR patients. Owing to the extremely high response rate in clinical settings, we further attempted to investigate the underlying mechanisms. The combination of VK2 and VEN synergistically induced apoptosis in all five AML cell lines tested. VK2, but not VEN, induced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to the transcriptional upregulation of NOXA, followed by MCL-1 repression. ROS scavengers repressed VK2 induced-NOXA expression and led to the cancellation of pronounced apoptosis and the downregulation of MCL-1 by VK2 plus VEN. Additionally, knockdown and knockout of NOXA resulted in abrogation of the MCL-1 repression as well as enhanced cytotoxicity by the two-drug combination, indicating that VK2 suppresses MCL-1 via ROS-mediated NOXA induction. These data suggest that the dual inhibition of BCL-2 by VEN and MCL-1 by VK2 is responsible for the remarkable clinical outcomes in our patients. Therefore, large-scale clinical trials are required.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/pharmacology
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/therapeutic use
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/genetics
- Aged
- Sulfonamides/pharmacology
- Sulfonamides/therapeutic use
- Vitamin K 2/pharmacology
- Vitamin K 2/analogs & derivatives
- Vitamin K 2/therapeutic use
- Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein/metabolism
- Female
- Male
- Aged, 80 and over
- Apoptosis/drug effects
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
- Drug Synergism
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/pharmacology
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use
- Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism
- Azacitidine/pharmacology
- Azacitidine/therapeutic use
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuzo Tauchi
- Shinyurigaoka General Hospital, Asou-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Shota Moriya
- Department of Biochemistry, Tokyo Medical University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Seiichi Okabe
- Department of Hematology, Tokyo Medical University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiromi Kazama
- Department of Biochemistry, Tokyo Medical University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keisuke Miyazawa
- Department of Biochemistry, Tokyo Medical University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoharu Takano
- Department of Biochemistry, Tokyo Medical University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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7
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Assouline B, Kahn R, Hodali L, Condiotti R, Engel Y, Elyada E, Mordechai-Heyn T, Pitarresi JR, Atias D, Steinberg E, Bidany-Mizrahi T, Forkosh E, Katz LH, Benny O, Golan T, Hofree M, Stewart SA, Atlan KA, Zamir G, Stanger BZ, Berger M, Ben-Porath I. Senescent cancer-associated fibroblasts in pancreatic adenocarcinoma restrict CD8 + T cell activation and limit responsiveness to immunotherapy in mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6162. [PMID: 39039076 PMCID: PMC11263607 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50441-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Senescent cells within tumors and their stroma exert complex pro- and anti-tumorigenic functions. However, the identities and traits of these cells, and the potential for improving cancer therapy through their targeting, remain poorly characterized. Here, we identify a senescent subset within previously-defined cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) and in premalignant lesions in mice and humans. Senescent CAFs isolated from mouse and humans expressed elevated levels of immune-regulatory genes. Depletion of senescent CAFs, either genetically or using the Bcl-2 inhibitor ABT-199 (venetoclax), increased the proportion of activated CD8+ T cells in mouse pancreatic carcinomas, whereas induction of CAF senescence had the opposite effect. Combining ABT-199 with an immune checkpoint therapy regimen significantly reduced mouse tumor burden. These results indicate that senescent CAFs in PDAC stroma limit the numbers of activated cytotoxic CD8+ T cells, and suggest that their targeted elimination through senolytic treatment may enhance immunotherapy.
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Grants
- R01 CA217208 NCI NIH HHS
- R01 CA276512 NCI NIH HHS
- R00 CA252153 NCI NIH HHS
- 2621/18 Israel Science Foundation (ISF)
- R01 CA252225 NCI NIH HHS
- R01 AG059244 NIA NIH HHS
- Israel Cancer Research Fund (Israel Cancer Research Fund, Inc.)
- This study was supported by grants from the Israel Science Foundation - Broad Institute program (2621/18, I.B.-P.), Israel Precision Medicine Partnership (3755/21, I.B.-P.), Israel Science Foundation Mid-Career Program (1923/22, I.B.-P.), the Israel Ministry of Science and Technology DKFZ-MOST program (4062, I.B.-P.), the Chief Scientist of the Israel Ministry of Health (3-15017, I.B.-P.), the Alex U. Soyka Program (I.B.-P., B.A., R.K., L.H.), the Israel Cancer Research Fund International Collaboration Program (I.B.-P)
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Assouline
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Rachel Kahn
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Lutfi Hodali
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Reba Condiotti
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yarden Engel
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ela Elyada
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Tzlil Mordechai-Heyn
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Department of Surgery, Hadassah Medical Center, and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Jason R Pitarresi
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Department of Molecular Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Dikla Atias
- Pancreatic Cancer Translational Research Laboratory, Oncology Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel, and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Eliana Steinberg
- Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Tirza Bidany-Mizrahi
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Esther Forkosh
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hadassah Medical Center, and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Lior H Katz
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hadassah Medical Center, and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ofra Benny
- Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Talia Golan
- Pancreatic Cancer Translational Research Laboratory, Oncology Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel, and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Matan Hofree
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- The Rachel and Selim Benin School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Sheila A Stewart
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Karine A Atlan
- Department of Pathology, Hadassah Medical Center, and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Gideon Zamir
- Department of Surgery, Hadassah Medical Center, and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ben Z Stanger
- Department of Medicine and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Michael Berger
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ittai Ben-Porath
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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8
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Milan A, Mioc M, Mioc A, Gogulescu A, Mardale G, Avram Ș, Maksimović T, Mara B, Șoica C. Cytotoxic Potential of Betulinic Acid Fatty Esters and Their Liposomal Formulations: Targeting Breast, Colon, and Lung Cancer Cell Lines. Molecules 2024; 29:3399. [PMID: 39064977 PMCID: PMC11279467 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29143399] [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: 06/19/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Betulinic acid is a lupane-type pentacyclic triterpene mostly found in birch bark and thoroughly explored for its wide range of pharmacological activities. Despite its impressive biological potential, its low bioavailability has challenged many researchers to develop different formulations for achieving better in vitro and in vivo effects. We previously reported the synthesis of fatty acid esters of betulinic acid using butyric, stearic, and palmitic acids (But-BA, St-BA, and Pal-BA) and included them in surfaced-modified liposomes (But-BA-Lip, St-BA-Lip, Pal-BA-Lip). In the current study, we evaluated the cytotoxic effects of both fatty acid esters and their respective liposomal formulations against MCF-7, HT-29, and NCI-H460 cell line. The cytotoxic assessment of BA derivatives revealed that both the fatty esters and their liposomal formulations acted as cytotoxic agents in a dose- and time-dependent manner. But-BA-Lip exerted stronger cytotoxic effects than the parent compound, BA and its liposomal formulation, and even stronger effects than 5-FU against HT-29 cells (IC50 of 30.57 μM) and NCI-H460 cells (IC50 of 30.74 μM). BA's fatty esters and their respective liposomal formulations facilitated apoptosis in cancer cells by inducing nuclear morphological changes and increasing caspase-3/-7 activity. The HET-CAM assay proved that none of the tested compounds induced any irritative effect, suggesting that they can be used safely for local applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreea Milan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania; (A.M.); (M.M.); (A.M.); (G.M.); (Ș.A.); (T.M.); (B.M.); (C.Ș.)
- Research Centre for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluation, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
| | - Marius Mioc
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania; (A.M.); (M.M.); (A.M.); (G.M.); (Ș.A.); (T.M.); (B.M.); (C.Ș.)
- Research Centre for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluation, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
| | - Alexandra Mioc
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania; (A.M.); (M.M.); (A.M.); (G.M.); (Ș.A.); (T.M.); (B.M.); (C.Ș.)
- Research Centre for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluation, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
| | - Armand Gogulescu
- Faculty of Medicine, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
| | - Gabriel Mardale
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania; (A.M.); (M.M.); (A.M.); (G.M.); (Ș.A.); (T.M.); (B.M.); (C.Ș.)
- Research Centre for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluation, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
| | - Ștefana Avram
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania; (A.M.); (M.M.); (A.M.); (G.M.); (Ș.A.); (T.M.); (B.M.); (C.Ș.)
- Research Centre for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluation, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
| | - Tamara Maksimović
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania; (A.M.); (M.M.); (A.M.); (G.M.); (Ș.A.); (T.M.); (B.M.); (C.Ș.)
| | - Bogdan Mara
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania; (A.M.); (M.M.); (A.M.); (G.M.); (Ș.A.); (T.M.); (B.M.); (C.Ș.)
- Institute of Chemistry Coriolan Drăgulescu, 24 Mihai Viteazu Ave, 300223 Timișoara, Romania
| | - Codruța Șoica
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania; (A.M.); (M.M.); (A.M.); (G.M.); (Ș.A.); (T.M.); (B.M.); (C.Ș.)
- Research Centre for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluation, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
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9
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Chun C, Byun JM, Cha M, Lee H, Choi B, Kim H, Hong S, Lee Y, Park H, Koh Y, Yoon TY. Profiling protein-protein interactions to predict the efficacy of B-cell-lymphoma-2-homology-3 mimetics for acute myeloid leukaemia. Nat Biomed Eng 2024:10.1038/s41551-024-01241-3. [PMID: 39025942 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-024-01241-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
B-cell-lymphoma-2 (BCL2) homology-3 (BH3) mimetics are inhibitors of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) that saturate anti-apoptotic proteins in the BCL2 family to induce apoptosis in cancer cells. Despite the success of the BH3-mimetic ABT-199 for the treatment of haematological malignancies, only a fraction of patients respond to the drug and most patients eventually develop resistance to it. Here we show that the efficacy of ABT-199 can be predicted by profiling the rewired status of the PPI network of the BCL2 family via single-molecule pull-down and co-immunoprecipitation to quantify more than 20 types of PPI from a total of only 1.2 × 106 cells per sample. By comparing the obtained multidimensional data with BH3-mimetic efficacies determined ex vivo, we constructed a model for predicting the efficacy of ABT-199 that designates two complexes of the BCL2 protein family as the primary mediators of drug effectiveness and resistance, and applied it to prospectively assist therapeutic decision-making for patients with acute myeloid leukaemia. The characterization of PPI complexes in clinical specimens opens up opportunities for individualized protein-complex-targeting therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changju Chun
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ja Min Byun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Minkwon Cha
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Physics, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, South Korea
| | - Hongwon Lee
- Department of Biomarker Discovery, PROTEINA Co., Ltd, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Byungsan Choi
- Department of Biomarker Discovery, PROTEINA Co., Ltd, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyunwoo Kim
- Department of Biomarker Discovery, PROTEINA Co., Ltd, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Saem Hong
- Department of Biomarker Discovery, PROTEINA Co., Ltd, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yunseo Lee
- Department of Biomarker Discovery, PROTEINA Co., Ltd, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hayoung Park
- Department of Biomarker Discovery, PROTEINA Co., Ltd, Seoul, South Korea
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Youngil Koh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
| | - Tae-Young Yoon
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
- Department of Biomarker Discovery, PROTEINA Co., Ltd, Seoul, South Korea.
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10
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Janem A, Omar G, Hamed O, Jodeh S, Deghles A, Berisha A, Mansour W, Jabal SA, Fares O, Jaser A, Amireh A, Adwan G. Water soluble curcumin with alkyl sulfonate moiety: Synthesis, and anticancer efficacy. Heliyon 2024; 10:e33808. [PMID: 39040342 PMCID: PMC11261864 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Curcumin is classified as a chemotherapeutic medication because of its potential against numerous cancer cell lines and ability to inhibit cancer cell proliferation. Despite these findings, curcumin has yet to be commercialized as a drug due to its low water solubility, low absorption, and restricted bioavailability. As a result, there is a demand for water-soluble curcumin with improved solubility, bioavailability, and thus bioactivity. In this study we report the synthesis and the anticancer activities of water-soluble curcumins derivatives with alkyl sulfonate moiety. The target water-soluble curcumin with alkyl sulfonate moieties was created utilizing a straightforward technique that involved reacting curcumin with various sultones. The cytotoxic (24 h) and cytostatic (72 h) anticancer effect on breast carcinoma (MCF-7), liver carcinoma (HepG2), skin melanoma (B16-F110), colon human cancer and HeLa cervical carcinoma cell lines viability % via MTT assay were determined for the prepared derivatives. Results showed that curcumin-derived compounds have a pronounced cytostatic anticancer effect rather than cytotoxic one in relation to the compound type, cancer cell line type, and examined concentration compared to curcumin. The curcumin sulfonates outperformed curcumin activity against the tested cancer cells and showed to be powerful anticancer candidate drugs as supported by the theoretical calculations. This is evident by their high capacity to form H-bonding during docking with the amino acid side chains and the Vina docking score.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaa Janem
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box 7, Nablus, Palestine
| | - Ghader Omar
- Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences An-Najah National University, P.O. Box 7, Nablus, Palestine
| | - Othman Hamed
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box 7, Nablus, Palestine
| | - Shehdeh Jodeh
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box 7, Nablus, Palestine
| | | | - Avni Berisha
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural and Mathematics Science, University of Prishtina, Prishtina, 10000, Republic of Kosovo
- Materials Science-Nanochemistry Research Group, Nano Alb-Unit of Albanian Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tirana, 1000 Albania
| | - Waseem Mansour
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box 7, Nablus, Palestine
| | - Saber Abu Jabal
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box 7, Nablus, Palestine
| | - Oswa Fares
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box 7, Nablus, Palestine
| | - Ataa Jaser
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box 7, Nablus, Palestine
| | - Ameed Amireh
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box 7, Nablus, Palestine
| | - Ghaleb Adwan
- Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences An-Najah National University, P.O. Box 7, Nablus, Palestine
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11
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Lou J, Zhou Q, Lyu X, Cen X, Liu C, Yan Z, Li Y, Tang H, Liu Q, Ding J, Lu Y, Huang H, Xie H, Zhao Y. Discovery of a Covalent Inhibitor That Overcame Resistance to Venetoclax in AML Cells Overexpressing BFL-1. J Med Chem 2024; 67:10795-10830. [PMID: 38913996 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00291] [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: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Clinical and biological studies have shown that overexpression of BFL-1 is one contributing factor to venetoclax resistance. The resistance might be overcome by a potent BFL-1 inhibitor, but such an inhibitor is rare. In this study, we show that 56, featuring an acrylamide moiety, inhibited the BFL-1/BID interaction with a Ki value of 105 nM. More interestingly, 56 formed an irreversible conjugation adduct at the C55 residue of BFL-1. 56 was a selective BFL-1 inhibitor, and its MCL-1 binding affinity was 10-fold weaker, while it did not bind BCL-2 and BCL-xL. Mechanistic studies showed that 56 overcame venetoclax resistance in isogenic AML cell lines MOLM-13-OE and MV4-11-OE, which both overexpressed BFL-1. More importantly, 56 and venetoclax combination promoted stronger apoptosis induction than either single agent. Collectively, our data show that 56 overcame resistance to venetoclax in AML cells overexpressing BFL-1. These attributes make 56 a promising candidate for future optimization.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Sulfonamides/pharmacology
- Sulfonamides/chemistry
- Sulfonamides/chemical synthesis
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/pharmacology
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/chemistry
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/drug effects
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/antagonists & inhibitors
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry
- Antineoplastic Agents/chemical synthesis
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Minor Histocompatibility Antigens/metabolism
- Apoptosis/drug effects
- Drug Discovery
- Structure-Activity Relationship
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfeng Lou
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qianqian Zhou
- Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xilin Lyu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xinyi Cen
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Chen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Ziqin Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Haotian Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Qiupei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jian Ding
- Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ye Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - He Huang
- Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, PR China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Hua Xie
- Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Yujun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biopharmaceuticals, Shandong Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jinan 250101, China
- Key Laboratory of Protection, Development and Utilization of Medicinal Resources in Liupanshan Area, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
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12
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Lucas SCC, Milbradt AG, Blackwell JH, Bonomo S, Brierley A, Cassar DJ, Freeman J, Hadfield TE, Morrill LA, Riemens R, Sarda S, Schiesser S, Wiktelius D, Ahmed S, Bostock MJ, Börjesson U, De Fusco C, Guerot C, Hargreaves D, Hewitt S, Lamb ML, Su N, Whatling R, Wheeler M, Kettle JG. Design of a Lead-Like Cysteine-Targeting Covalent Library and the Identification of Hits to Cys55 of Bfl-1. J Med Chem 2024; 67:11209-11225. [PMID: 38916990 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00781] [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: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Covalent hit identification is a viable approach to identify chemical starting points against difficult-to-drug targets. While most researchers screen libraries of <2k electrophilic fragments, focusing on lead-like compounds can be advantageous in terms of finding hits with improved affinity and with a better chance of identifying cryptic pockets. However, due to the increased molecular complexity, larger numbers of compounds (>10k) are desirable to ensure adequate coverage of chemical space. Herein, the approach taken to build a library of 12k covalent lead-like compounds is reported, utilizing legacy compounds, robust library chemistry, and acquisitions. The lead-like covalent library was screened against the antiapoptotic protein Bfl-1, and six promising hits that displaced the BIM peptide from the PPI interface were identified. Intriguingly, X-ray crystallography of lead-like compound 8 showed that it binds to a previously unobserved conformation of the Bfl-1 protein and is an ideal starting point for the optimization of Bfl-1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon C C Lucas
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0AA, U.K
| | - Alexander G Milbradt
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0AA, U.K
| | - J Henry Blackwell
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0AA, U.K
| | - Silvia Bonomo
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0AA, U.K
| | - Andrew Brierley
- Compound Synthesis and Management, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0AA, U.K
| | - Doyle J Cassar
- Medicinal Chemistry, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0AA, U.K
| | - Jared Freeman
- Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic Disorders (CVRM), Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, SE-43183, Sweden
| | - Thomas E Hadfield
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0AA, U.K
| | - Lucas A Morrill
- Medicinal Chemistry, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Rick Riemens
- Medicinal Chemistry, Oncology R&D, Acerta B. V., a Part of the AstraZeneca Group, Oss 5349, The Netherlands
| | - Sunil Sarda
- Compound Synthesis and Management, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0AA, U.K
| | - Stefan Schiesser
- Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Respiratory and Immunology (R&I), Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, SE-43183, Sweden
| | - Daniel Wiktelius
- Compound Synthesis and Management, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, SE-43183, Sweden
| | - Samiyah Ahmed
- Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0AA, U.K
| | - Mark J Bostock
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0AA, U.K
| | - Ulf Börjesson
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, SE-43183, Sweden
| | - Claudia De Fusco
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0AA, U.K
| | - Carine Guerot
- Medicinal Chemistry, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0AA, U.K
| | - David Hargreaves
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0AA, U.K
| | - Sarah Hewitt
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0AA, U.K
| | - Michelle L Lamb
- Medicinal Chemistry, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Nancy Su
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Ryan Whatling
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0AA, U.K
| | - Matthew Wheeler
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0AA, U.K
| | - Jason G Kettle
- Medicinal Chemistry, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0AA, U.K
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13
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Palominos C, Fuentes-Retamal S, Salazar JP, Guzmán-Rivera D, Correa P, Mellado M, Araya-Maturana R, Urra FA. Mitochondrial bioenergetics as a cell fate rheostat for responsive to Bcl-2 drugs: New cues for cancer chemotherapy. Cancer Lett 2024; 594:216965. [PMID: 38788967 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216965] [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: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Pro-survival BCL-2 proteins prevent the initiation of intrinsic apoptosis (mitochondria-dependent pathway) by inhibiting the pro-apoptotic proteins BAX and BAK, while BH3-only proteins promote apoptosis by blocking pro-survival BCL-2 proteins. Disruptions in this delicate balance contribute to cancer cell survival and chemoresistance. Recent advances in cancer therapeutics involve a new generation of drugs known as BH3-mimetics, which are small molecules designed to mimic the action of BH3-only proteins. Promising effects have been observed in patients with hematological and solid tumors undergoing treatment with these agents. However, the rapid emergence of mitochondria-dependent resistance to BH3-mimetics has been reported. This resistance involves increased mitochondrial respiration, altered mitophagy, and mitochondria with higher and tighter cristae. Conversely, mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2, catalyzing R-2-hydroxyglutarate production, promote sensitivity to venetoclax. This evidence underscores the urgency for comprehensive studies on bioenergetics-based adaptive responses in both BH3 mimetics-sensitive and -resistant cancer cells. Ongoing clinical trials are evaluating BH3-mimetics in combination with standard chemotherapeutics. In this article, we discuss the role of mitochondrial bioenergetics in response to BH3-mimetics and explore potential therapeutic opportunities through metabolism-targeting strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Palominos
- Metabolic Plasticity and Bioenergetics Laboratory, Clinical and Molecular Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Interdisciplinary Group on Mitochondrial Targeting and Bioenergetics (MIBI), Talca, 3480094, Chile
| | - Sebastián Fuentes-Retamal
- Metabolic Plasticity and Bioenergetics Laboratory, Clinical and Molecular Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Interdisciplinary Group on Mitochondrial Targeting and Bioenergetics (MIBI), Talca, 3480094, Chile; Universidad Andrés Bello. Escuela de Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Medicina, 8320000, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan Pablo Salazar
- Metabolic Plasticity and Bioenergetics Laboratory, Clinical and Molecular Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Interdisciplinary Group on Mitochondrial Targeting and Bioenergetics (MIBI), Talca, 3480094, Chile
| | - Daniela Guzmán-Rivera
- Metabolic Plasticity and Bioenergetics Laboratory, Clinical and Molecular Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Universidad Andrés Bello. Escuela de Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Medicina, 8320000, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pablo Correa
- Metabolic Plasticity and Bioenergetics Laboratory, Clinical and Molecular Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Interdisciplinary Group on Mitochondrial Targeting and Bioenergetics (MIBI), Talca, 3480094, Chile
| | - Mathias Mellado
- Metabolic Plasticity and Bioenergetics Laboratory, Clinical and Molecular Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, 8380453, Chile
| | - Ramiro Araya-Maturana
- Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Interdisciplinary Group on Mitochondrial Targeting and Bioenergetics (MIBI), Talca, 3480094, Chile; Instituto de Química de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Talca, Talca, 3460000, Chile
| | - Félix A Urra
- Metabolic Plasticity and Bioenergetics Laboratory, Clinical and Molecular Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Interdisciplinary Group on Mitochondrial Targeting and Bioenergetics (MIBI), Talca, 3480094, Chile; Interuniversity Center for Healthy Aging (CIES), Consortium of Universities of the State of Chile (CUECH), Santiago, 8320216, Chile.
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14
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Masetti R, Baccelli F, Leardini D, Locatelli F. Venetoclax: a new player in the treatment of children with high-risk myeloid malignancies? Blood Adv 2024; 8:3583-3595. [PMID: 38701350 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023012041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Venetoclax selectively inhibits B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) and restores apoptotic signaling of hematologic malignant cells. Venetoclax, in combination with hypomethylating and low-dose cytotoxic agents, has revolutionized the management of older patients affected by acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and that of patients unfit to receive intensive chemotherapy. In a single phase 1 pediatric trial conducted on relapsed or refractory AML, the combination of venetoclax and intensive chemotherapy was shown to be safe and yielded promising response rates. In addition, several retrospective studies in children with AML reported that venetoclax, when combined with hypomethylating agents and cytotoxic drugs, seems to be a safe and efficacious bridge to transplant. The promising results on the use of venetoclax combinations in advanced myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and therapy-related MDS/AML have also been reported in small case series. This review summarizes the available current knowledge about venetoclax use in childhood high-risk myeloid neoplasms and discusses the possible integration of BCL-2 inhibition in the current treatment algorithm of these children. It also focuses on specific genetic subgroups potentially associated with response in preclinical and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Masetti
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesco Baccelli
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Davide Leardini
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Franco Locatelli
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome, Italy
- Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
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15
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Piergentili R, Sechi S. Non-Coding RNAs of Mitochondrial Origin: Roles in Cell Division and Implications in Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7498. [PMID: 39000605 PMCID: PMC11242419 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137498] [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: 06/05/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are a heterogeneous group, in terms of structure and sequence length, consisting of RNA molecules that do not code for proteins. These ncRNAs have a central role in the regulation of gene expression and are virtually involved in every process analyzed, ensuring cellular homeostasis. Although, over the years, much research has focused on the characterization of non-coding transcripts of nuclear origin, improved bioinformatic tools and next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms have allowed the identification of hundreds of ncRNAs transcribed from the mitochondrial genome (mt-ncRNA), including long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), circular RNA (circRNA), and microRNA (miR). Mt-ncRNAs have been described in diverse cellular processes such as mitochondrial proteome homeostasis and retrograde signaling; however, the function of the majority of mt-ncRNAs remains unknown. This review focuses on a subgroup of human mt-ncRNAs whose dysfunction is associated with both failures in cell cycle regulation, leading to defects in cell growth, cell proliferation, and apoptosis, and the development of tumor hallmarks, such as cell migration and metastasis formation, thus contributing to carcinogenesis and tumor development. Here we provide an overview of the mt-ncRNAs/cancer relationship that could help the future development of new biomedical applications in the field of oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stefano Sechi
- Istituto di Biologia e Patologia Molecolari del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università Sapienza di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy;
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16
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Enzenmüller S, Niedermayer A, Seyfried F, Muench V, Tews D, Rupp U, Tausch E, Groß A, Fischer-Posovszky P, Walther P, Stilgenbauer S, Kestler HA, Debatin KM, Meyer LH. Venetoclax resistance in acute lymphoblastic leukemia is characterized by increased mitochondrial activity and can be overcome by co-targeting oxidative phosphorylation. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:475. [PMID: 38961053 PMCID: PMC11222427 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06864-7] [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: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Deregulated apoptosis signaling is characteristic for many cancers and contributes to leukemogenesis and treatment failure in B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL). Apoptosis is controlled by different pro- and anti-apoptotic molecules. Inhibition of anti-apoptotic molecules like B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) has been developed as therapeutic strategy. Venetoclax (VEN), a selective BCL-2 inhibitor has shown clinical activity in different lymphoid malignancies and is currently evaluated in first clinical trials in BCP-ALL. However, insensitivity to VEN has been described constituting a major clinical concern. Here, we addressed and modeled VEN-resistance in BCP-ALL, investigated the underlying mechanisms in cell lines and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) samples and identified potential strategies to overcome VEN-insensitivity. Leukemia lines with VEN-specific resistance were generated in vitro and further characterized using RNA-seq analysis. Interestingly, gene sets annotated to the citric/tricarboxylic acid cycle and the respiratory electron transport chain were significantly enriched and upregulated, indicating increased mitochondrial metabolism in VEN-resistant ALL. Metabolic profiling showed sustained high mitochondrial metabolism in VEN-resistant lines as compared to control lines. Accordingly, primary PDX-ALL samples with intrinsic VEN-insensitivity showed higher oxygen consumption and ATP production rates, further highlighting that increased mitochondrial activity is a characteristic feature of VEN-resistant ALL. VEN-resistant PDX-ALL showed significant higher mitochondrial DNA content and differed in mitochondria morphology with significantly larger and elongated structures, further corroborating our finding of augmented mitochondrial metabolism upon VEN-resistance. Using Oligomycin, an inhibitor of the complex V/ATPase subunit, we found synergistic activity and apoptosis induction in VEN-resistant BCP-ALL cell lines and PDX samples, demonstrating that acquired and intrinsic VEN-insensitivity can be overcome by co-targeting BCL-2 and the OxPhos pathway. These findings of reprogrammed, high mitochondrial metabolism in VEN-resistance and synergistic activity upon co-targeting BCL-2 and oxidative phosphorylation strongly suggest further preclinical and potential clinical evaluation in VEN-resistant BCP-ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Enzenmüller
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Alexandra Niedermayer
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
- International Graduate School in Molecular Medicine, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Felix Seyfried
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Vera Muench
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Daniel Tews
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ulrich Rupp
- Central Facility for Electron Microscopy, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Eugen Tausch
- Division of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Alexander Groß
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Paul Walther
- Central Facility for Electron Microscopy, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Stephan Stilgenbauer
- Division of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Hans A Kestler
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Klaus-Michael Debatin
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Lüder Hinrich Meyer
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.
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17
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Wang D, He J, Liu S, Zhang H, Tang D, Chen P, Yang M. Anlotinib synergizes with venetoclax to induce mitotic catastrophe in acute myeloid leukemia. Cancer Lett 2024; 593:216970. [PMID: 38763475 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Venetoclax is a BCL2-targeted drug employed in treating various cancers, particularly hematologic malignancies. Venetoclax combination therapies are increasingly recognized as promising treatment strategies for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In this study, we conducted an unbiased drug screen and identified anlotinib, a promising multi-targeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor with oral activity currently utilized in the treatment of solid tumor, as a potent enhancer of venetoclax's anticancer activity in AML. Our investigation encompassed AML cell lines, primary cells, and mouse models, demonstrating effective low-dose combination therapy of anlotinib and venetoclax with minimal cytopenia or organ damage. Proteomic analysis revealed abnormal mitotic signals induced by this combination in AML cells. Mechanistically, anlotinib synergized with venetoclax by suppressing ARPP19 protein, leading to sustained activation of PP2A-B55δ. This inhibited AML cells from entering the mitotic phase, culminating in mitotic catastrophe and apoptosis. Additionally, we identified a specific synthetic lethal vulnerability in AML involving an ARPP19 mutation at S62 phosphorylation. These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of anlotinib and venetoclax combination therapy in AML, warranting further clinical investigation.
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MESH Headings
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism
- Humans
- Sulfonamides/pharmacology
- Sulfonamides/administration & dosage
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/pharmacology
- Animals
- Quinolines/pharmacology
- Quinolines/administration & dosage
- Mitosis/drug effects
- Mice
- Indoles/pharmacology
- Indoles/administration & dosage
- Drug Synergism
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
- Apoptosis/drug effects
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/pharmacology
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China; Hunan Clinical Research Center of Pediatric Cancer, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Jing He
- Department of Pediatrics, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China; Hunan Clinical Research Center of Pediatric Cancer, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Siyang Liu
- Department of Pediatrics, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China; Hunan Clinical Research Center of Pediatric Cancer, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Haixia Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China; Hunan Clinical Research Center of Pediatric Cancer, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Daolin Tang
- Department of Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Pan Chen
- Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410031, Hunan, China.
| | - Minghua Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China; Hunan Clinical Research Center of Pediatric Cancer, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China.
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18
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Samuel VP, Moglad E, Afzal M, Kazmi I, Alzarea SI, Ali H, Almujri SS, Abida, Imran M, Gupta G, Chinni SV, Tiwari A. Exploring Ubiquitin-specific proteases as therapeutic targets in Glioblastoma. Pathol Res Pract 2024; 260:155443. [PMID: 38981348 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2024.155443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GB) remains a formidable challenge and requires new treatment strategies. The vital part of the Ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) in cellular regulation has positioned it as a potentially crucial target in GB treatment, given its dysregulation oncolines. The Ubiquitin-specific proteases (USPs) in the UPS system were considered due to the garden role in the cellular processes associated with oncolines and their vital function in the apoptotic process, cell cycle regulation, and autophagy. The article provides a comprehensive summary of the evidence base for targeting USPs as potential factors for neoplasm treatment. The review considers the participation of the UPS system in the development, resulting in the importance of p53, Rb, and NF-κB, and evaluates specific goals for therapeutic administration using midnight proteasomal inhibitors and small molecule antagonists of E1 and E2 enzymes. Despite the slowed rate of drug creation, recent therapeutic discoveries based on USP system dynamics hold promise for specialized therapies. The review concludes with an analysis of future wanderers and the feasible effects of targeting USPs on personalized GB therapies, which can improve patient hydration in this current and unattractive therapeutic landscape. The manuscript emphasizes the possibility of USP oncogene therapy as a promising alternative treatment line for GB. It stresses the direct creation of research on the medical effectiveness of the approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijaya Paul Samuel
- Department of Anatomy, RAK College of Medicine, RAK Medical and Health Sciences University, Ras Al Khaimah, the United Arab Emirates
| | - Ehssan Moglad
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Afzal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacy Program, Batterjee Medical College, P.O. Box 6231, Jeddah 21442, Saudi Arabia
| | - Imran Kazmi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sami I Alzarea
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72341, Al-Jouf, Saudi Arabia
| | - Haider Ali
- Centre for Global Health Research, Saveetha Medical College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, India; Department of Pharmacology, Kyrgyz State Medical College, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
| | - Salem Salman Almujri
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, Aseer 61421, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abida
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Northern Border University, Rafha 91911, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohd Imran
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Northern Border University, Rafha 91911, Saudi Arabia
| | - Gaurav Gupta
- Centre for Research Impact & Outcome-Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Suresh V Chinni
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Bioscience, and Nursing, MAHSA University, Jenjarom, Selangor 42610, Malaysia
| | - Abhishek Tiwari
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Academy, IFTM University, Lodhipur-Rajpur, Moradabad 244102, India.
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19
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Olarewaju O, Hu Y, Tsay HC, Yuan Q, Eimterbäumer S, Xie Y, Qin R, Ott M, Sharma AD, Balakrishnan A. MicroRNA miR-20a-5p targets CYCS to inhibit apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:456. [PMID: 38937450 PMCID: PMC11211328 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06841-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma is a primary liver cancer, characterised by diverse etiology, late diagnoses, and poor prognosis. Hepatocellular carcinoma is mostly resistant to current treatment options, therefore, identification of more effective druggable therapeutic targets is needed. We found microRNA miR-20a-5p is upregulated during mouse liver tumor progression and in human hepatocellular carcinoma patients. In this study, we elucidated the therapeutic potential of targeting oncogenic miR-20a-5p, in vivo, in a xenograft model and in two transgenic hepatocellular carcinoma mouse models via adeno-associated virus-mediated miR-20a-Tough-Decoy treatment. In vivo knockdown of miR-20a-5p attenuates tumor burden and prolongs survival in the two independent hepatocellular carcinoma mouse models. We identified and validated cytochrome c as a novel target of miR-20a-5p. Cytochrome c plays a key role in initiation of the apoptotic cascade and in the electron transport chain. We show for the first time, that miR-20a modulation affects both these key functions of cytochrome c during HCC development. Our study thus demonstrates the promising 'two birds with one stone' approach of therapeutic in vivo targeting of an oncogenic miRNA, whereby more than one key deregulated cellular process is affected, and unequivocally leads to more effective attenuation of HCC progression and significantly longer overall survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olaniyi Olarewaju
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases, and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- AAV Gene Therapy Research Group, Research Beyond Borders (RBB), Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, 88400, Germany
| | - Yuhai Hu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases, and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, China
| | - Hsin-Chieh Tsay
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases, and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Qinggong Yuan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases, and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Simon Eimterbäumer
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases, and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Yu Xie
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Renyi Qin
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Michael Ott
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases, and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Amar Deep Sharma
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases, and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
- Research Group RNA Therapeutics & Liver Regeneration, REBIRTH Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Asha Balakrishnan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases, and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
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20
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Gong Q, Li C, Wang H, Cao J, Li Z, Zhou M, Li Y, Chu Y, Liu H, Wang R. Discovery of Phenylpyrazole Derivatives as a New Class of Selective Inhibitors of MCL-1 with Antitumor Activity. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:27369-27396. [PMID: 38947842 PMCID: PMC11209699 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c02021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
MCL-1, an antiapoptotic member of the BCL-2 family, is dysregulated and overexpressed in various tumors. In tumors with MCL-1 overexpression, selective inhibitors of MCL-1 are expected to overcome the drug resistance caused by BCL-2 inhibitors currently used in clinical treatment. Here, we employed docking-based virtual screening to identify an active hit, LC126, with binding affinity around 10 μM for MCL-1 and BCL-2. Under the guidance of structure-based design, we obtained a few selective inhibitors of MCL-1 after three rounds of structural optimization. The representative compound GQN-B37-E exhibited binding affinity for MCL-1 at the submicromolar range (K i = 0.6 μM) without apparent binding to BCL-2 or BCL-XL. 15N-heteronuclear single-quantum coherence NMR spectra suggested that this compound binds to the BH3-domain-binding pocket in the MCL-1 surface. Cellular assays revealed that GQN-B37-Me, the precursor of GQN-B37-E, is effective particularly on leukemia cells (such as H929 and MV-4-11) to induce caspase-dependent apoptosis. Its interaction with MCL-1 in cells was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation. Administration of GQN-B37-Me to MV-4-11 xenograft mice at 50 mg/kg every 2 days for 20 days led to 43% tumor growth inhibition. GQN-B37-Me also exhibited reasonable in vitro stability in GSH and liver microsomes from several species. This new class of MCL-1 inhibitor may have potential to be further developed into a preclinical candidate for treating leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qineng Gong
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Chunpu Li
- State
Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Haojie Wang
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Jinrui Cao
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Zuo Li
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Mi Zhou
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Yan Li
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Yong Chu
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Hong Liu
- State
Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Renxiao Wang
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
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21
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D’Amico M, De Amicis F. Challenges of Regulated Cell Death: Implications for Therapy Resistance in Cancer. Cells 2024; 13:1083. [PMID: 38994937 PMCID: PMC11240625 DOI: 10.3390/cells13131083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Regulated cell death, a regulatory form of cell demise, has been extensively studied in multicellular organisms. It plays a pivotal role in maintaining organismal homeostasis under normal and pathological conditions. Although alterations in various regulated cell death modes are hallmark features of tumorigenesis, they can have divergent effects on cancer cells. Consequently, there is a growing interest in targeting these mechanisms using small-molecule compounds for therapeutic purposes, with substantial progress observed across various human cancers. This review focuses on summarizing key signaling pathways associated with apoptotic and autophagy-dependent cell death. Additionally, it explores crucial pathways related to other regulated cell death modes in the context of cancer. The discussion delves into the current understanding of these processes and their implications in cancer treatment, aiming to illuminate novel strategies to combat therapy resistance and enhance overall cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria D’Amico
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
| | - Francesca De Amicis
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
- Health Center, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
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22
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Nocquet L, Roul J, Lefebvre CC, Duarte L, Campone M, Juin PP, Souazé F. Low BCL-xL expression in triple-negative breast cancer cells favors chemotherapy efficacy, and this effect is limited by cancer-associated fibroblasts. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14177. [PMID: 38898061 PMCID: PMC11187150 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64696-z] [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: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) present a poor prognosis primarily due to their resistance to chemotherapy. This resistance is known to be associated with elevated expression of certain anti-apoptotic members within the proteins of the BCL-2 family (namely BCL-xL, MCL-1 and BCL-2). These regulate cell death by inhibiting pro-apoptotic protein activation through binding and sequestration and they can be selectively antagonized by BH3 mimetics. Yet the individual influences of BCL-xL, MCL-1, and BCL-2 on the sensitivity of TNBC cells to chemotherapy, and their regulation by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), major components of the tumor stroma and key contributors to therapy resistance remain to be delineated. Using gene editing or BH3 mimetics to inhibit anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family proteins in TNBC line MDA-MB-231, we show that BCL-xL and MCL-1 promote cancer cell survival through compensatory mechanisms. This cell line shows limited sensitivity to chemotherapy, in line with the clinical resistance observed in TNBC patients. We elucidate that BCL-xL plays a pivotal role in therapy response, as its depletion or pharmacological inhibition heightened chemotherapy effectiveness. Moreover, BCL-xL expression is associated with chemotherapy resistance in patient-derived tumoroids where its pharmacological inhibition enhances ex vivo response to chemotherapy. In a co-culture model of cancer cells and CAFs, we observe that even in a context where BCL-xL reduced expression renders cancer cells more susceptible to chemotherapy, those in contact with CAFs display reduced sensitivity to chemotherapy. Thus CAFs exert a profound pro-survival effect in breast cancer cells, even in a setting highly favoring cell death through combined chemotherapy and absence of the main actor of chemoresistance, BCL-xL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Nocquet
- INSERM, CNRS, CRCI2NA, Université de Nantes, 44000, Nantes, France
- Equipe Labellisée LIGUE Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
- SIRIC ILIAD, Nantes, Angers, France
| | - Julie Roul
- INSERM, CNRS, CRCI2NA, Université de Nantes, 44000, Nantes, France
- Equipe Labellisée LIGUE Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
- SIRIC ILIAD, Nantes, Angers, France
- ICO René Gauducheau, Saint Herblain, France
| | - Chloé C Lefebvre
- INSERM, CNRS, CRCI2NA, Université de Nantes, 44000, Nantes, France
- Equipe Labellisée LIGUE Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
- SIRIC ILIAD, Nantes, Angers, France
| | - Laurine Duarte
- INSERM, CNRS, CRCI2NA, Université de Nantes, 44000, Nantes, France
- Equipe Labellisée LIGUE Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
- SIRIC ILIAD, Nantes, Angers, France
| | - Mario Campone
- INSERM, CNRS, CRCI2NA, Université de Nantes, 44000, Nantes, France
- SIRIC ILIAD, Nantes, Angers, France
- ICO René Gauducheau, Saint Herblain, France
| | - Philippe P Juin
- INSERM, CNRS, CRCI2NA, Université de Nantes, 44000, Nantes, France.
- Equipe Labellisée LIGUE Contre le Cancer, Paris, France.
- SIRIC ILIAD, Nantes, Angers, France.
- ICO René Gauducheau, Saint Herblain, France.
| | - Frédérique Souazé
- INSERM, CNRS, CRCI2NA, Université de Nantes, 44000, Nantes, France.
- Equipe Labellisée LIGUE Contre le Cancer, Paris, France.
- SIRIC ILIAD, Nantes, Angers, France.
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23
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Ismail NZ, Khairuddean M, Al-Anazi M, Arsad H. Tri-chalcone suppressed breast cancer cell proliferation and induced apoptosis through intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERG'S ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY 2024:10.1007/s00210-024-03220-6. [PMID: 38874806 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-024-03220-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Breast cancer development depends critically on antiproliferative and apoptotic mechanisms. However, the mechanisms underlying the antiproliferative and apoptosis effects of breast cancer treated with tri-chalcone remain unclear. Tri-chalcones have been demonstrated in prior studies to inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells (MCF-7). Following the discovery, this study seeks to investigate the effect of tri-chalcone compounds on targets involved in antiproliferative and apoptosis mechanisms. In this study, we employed bioinformatics analysis along with in vitro evaluation using tri-chalcone-treated MCF-7 cells to determine the responses of antiproliferative and apoptosis mechanisms. The analysis revealed that the compounds interact with six apoptosis target receptors: TNFα, Bak, Bcl-2, caspase-9, and caspase-8. Tri-chalcone S1-2 exhibited the strongest binding affinities for TNFα (-7.39 kcal/mol), caspase-8 (-8.43 kcal/mol), caspase-9 (-8.53 kcal/mol), Bcl-2 (-8.51 kcal/mol), and Bak (-7.15 kcal/mol). The tri-chalcone S1-2 paired with the corresponding proteins showed minor flexibility and extremely small changes of less than 0.25 nm during the MD simulation. Additionally, tri-chalcone S1-2 had a significant inhibitory effect on the proliferation of MCF-7 cells (5.31 ± 0.26 µg/mL) compared to other compounds. S1-2 also induced apoptosis, affecting nearly half (43.80%) of the total early and late apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. S1-2-treated MCF-7 cells also demonstrated upregulations of genes TNFα (1.50), Bak (1.42), caspase-8 (1.24), and caspase-9 (1.61), accompanied by a downregulation of gene Bcl-2 (0.71). The discovery gives us a better understanding of how tri-chalcone S1-2 suppressed MCF-7 cell proliferation and induced apoptosis through intrinsic and extrinsic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noor Zafirah Ismail
- School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Gelugor, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Melati Khairuddean
- School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Gelugor, Penang, Malaysia.
| | - Menier Al-Anazi
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, 71491, Tabuk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Hasni Arsad
- Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Bertam, 13200, Kepala Batas, Penang, Malaysia
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24
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Makinwa Y, Luo Y, Musich PR, Zou Y. Canonical and Noncanonical Functions of the BH3 Domain Protein Bid in Apoptosis, Oncogenesis, Cancer Therapeutics, and Aging. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2199. [PMID: 38927905 PMCID: PMC11202167 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16122199] [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: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Effective cancer therapy with limited adverse effects is a major challenge in the medical field. This is especially complicated by the development of acquired chemoresistance. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie these processes remains a major effort in cancer research. In this review, we focus on the dual role that Bid protein plays in apoptotic cell death via the mitochondrial pathway, in oncogenesis and in cancer therapeutics. The BH3 domain in Bid and the anti-apoptotic mitochondrial proteins (Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, mitochondrial ATR) it associates with at the outer mitochondrial membrane provides us with a viable target in cancer therapy. We will discuss the roles of Bid, mitochondrial ATR, and other anti-apoptotic proteins in intrinsic apoptosis, exploring how their interaction sustains cellular viability despite the initiation of upstream death signals. The unexpected upregulation of this Bid protein in cancer cells can also be instrumental in explaining the mechanisms behind acquired chemoresistance. The stable protein associations at the mitochondria between tBid and anti-apoptotic mitochondrial ATR play a crucial role in maintaining the viability of cancer cells, suggesting a novel mechanism to induce cancer cell apoptosis by freeing tBid from the ATR associations at mitochondria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yetunde Makinwa
- Department of Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA; (Y.M.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yibo Luo
- Department of Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA; (Y.M.); (Y.L.)
| | - Phillip R. Musich
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA;
| | - Yue Zou
- Department of Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA; (Y.M.); (Y.L.)
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25
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Nwosu GO, Ross DM, Powell JA, Pitson SM. Venetoclax therapy and emerging resistance mechanisms in acute myeloid leukaemia. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:413. [PMID: 38866760 PMCID: PMC11169396 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06810-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a highly aggressive and devastating malignancy of the bone marrow and blood. For decades, intensive chemotherapy has been the frontline treatment for AML but has yielded only poor patient outcomes as exemplified by a 5-year survival rate of < 30%, even in younger adults. As knowledge of the molecular underpinnings of AML has advanced, so too has the development new strategies with potential to improve the treatment of AML patients. To date the most promising of these targeted agents is the BH3-mimetic venetoclax which in combination with standard of care therapies, has manageable non-haematological toxicity and exhibits impressive efficacy. However, approximately 30% of AML patients fail to respond to venetoclax-based regimens and almost all treatment responders eventually relapse. Here, we review the emerging mechanisms of intrinsic and acquired venetoclax resistance in AML and highlight recent efforts to identify novel strategies to overcome resistance to venetoclax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gus O Nwosu
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - David M Ross
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Department of Haematology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Department of Haematology, Flinders University and Medical Centre, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Jason A Powell
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
- Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
| | - Stuart M Pitson
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
- Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
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26
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Schönfeld B, Sundermann J, Keller BL, Westedt U, Heinzerling O. Transformation of ABT-199 Nanocrystal Suspensions into a Redispersible Drug Product-Impact of Vacuum Drum Drying, Spray Drying and Tableting on Re-Nanodispersibility. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:782. [PMID: 38931903 PMCID: PMC11207449 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16060782] [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: 05/03/2024] [Revised: 06/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The present study compared vacuum drum drying (VDD) and conventional spray drying (SD) for solidifying crystalline ABT-199 nanosuspensions into redispersible oral drug products. The aim was to optimize formulation compositions and process conditions to maintain nanoparticle size after tablet redispersion. The impact of drug load (22%, 33%, 44%) and type of drying protectant (mannitol, mannitol/trehalose mix (1:1), trehalose) on redispersibility and material powder properties were investigated. Moreover, compression analysis was performed assessing the influence of compaction pressure on primary nanocrystal redispersibility and tablet disintegration. Higher drug loads and lower drying protectant levels resulted in particle growth, confirming a drug load dependence on redispersibility behavior. Notably, all drying protectants showed similar protection properties at properly chosen drying process parameters (Tg-dependent), except when VDD was used for mannitol formulations. Differences between the applied drying processes were observed in terms of downstream processing and tabletability: mannitol-containing formulations solidified via VDD showed an improved processability compared to formulations with trehalose. In conclusion, VDD is a promising drying technique that offers advantageous downstream processability compared to SD and represents an attractive novel processing technology for the pharmaceutical industry. As demonstrated in the present study, VDD combines higher yields with a leaner manufacturing process flow. The improved bulk properties provide enhanced tabletability and enable direct compression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ulrich Westedt
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Knollstraße 50, 67061 Ludwigshafen, Germany; (B.S.); (J.S.); (B.-L.K.); (O.H.)
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27
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Gamal W, Mediavilla-Varela M, Uriepero-Palma A, Pinilla-Ibarz J, Sahakian E. Optimization of In Vitro Th17 Polarization for Adoptive Cell Therapy in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6324. [PMID: 38928031 PMCID: PMC11203624 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126324] [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: 04/26/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Although preclinical investigations have shown notable efficacy in solid tumor models utilizing in vitro-differentiated Th17 cells for adoptive cell therapy (ACT), the potential benefits of this strategy in enhancing ACT efficacy in hematological malignancies, such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), remain unexplored. CLL is a B-cell malignancy with a clinical challenge of increased resistance to targeted therapies. T-cell therapies, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, have demonstrated limited success in CLL, which is attributed to CLL-mediated T-cell dysfunction and skewing toward immunosuppressive phenotypes. Herein, we illustrate the feasibility of polarizing CD4+ T cells from the Eμ-TCL1 murine model, the most representative model for human CLL, into Th17 phenotype, employing a protocol of T-cell activation through the inducible co-stimulator (ICOS) alongside a polarizing cytokine mixture. We demonstrate augmented memory properties of in vitro-polarized IL-17-producing T cells, and preliminary in vivo persistence in leukemia-bearing mice. Our findings gain translational relevance through successful viral transduction of Eμ-TCL1 CD4+ T cells with a CD19-targeted CAR construct during in vitro Th17 polarization. Th17 CAR T cells exhibited remarkable persistence upon encountering antigen-expressing target cells. This study represents the first demonstration of the potential of in vitro-differentiated Th17 cells to enhance ACT efficacy in CLL.
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MESH Headings
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/therapy
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/immunology
- Animals
- Th17 Cells/immunology
- Mice
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive/methods
- Humans
- Lymphocyte Activation/immunology
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/immunology
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/metabolism
- Cell Differentiation
- Disease Models, Animal
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Affiliation(s)
- Wael Gamal
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | | | - Angimar Uriepero-Palma
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Javier Pinilla-Ibarz
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Department of Malignant Hematology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Eva Sahakian
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Department of Malignant Hematology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
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28
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Korell F, Olson ML, Salas-Benito D, Leick MB, Larson RC, Bouffard A, Silva H, Gasparetto A, Berger TR, Kann MC, Mergen M, Kienka T, Wehrli M, Haradhvala NJ, Bailey SR, Letai A, Maus MV. Comparative analysis of Bcl-2 family protein overexpression in CAR T cells alone and in combination with BH3 mimetics. Sci Transl Med 2024; 16:eadk7640. [PMID: 38838132 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adk7640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Approximately 50% of patients with hematologic malignancies relapse after chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell treatment; mechanisms of failure include loss of CAR T persistence and tumor resistance to apoptosis. We hypothesized that both of these challenges could potentially be overcome by overexpressing one or more of the Bcl-2 family proteins in CAR T cells to reduce their susceptibility to apoptosis, both alone and in the presence of BH3 mimetics, which can be used to activate apoptotic machinery in malignant cells. We comprehensively investigated overexpression of different Bcl-2 family proteins in CAR T cells with different signaling domains as well as in different tumor types. We found that Bcl-xL and Bcl-2 overexpression in CAR T cells bearing a 4-1BB costimulatory domain resulted in increased expansion and antitumor activity, reduced exhaustion, and decreased apoptotic priming. In addition, CAR T cells expressing either Bcl-xL or a venetoclax-resistant Bcl-2 variant led to enhanced antitumor efficacy and survival in murine xenograft models of lymphoma and leukemia in the presence or absence of the BH3 mimetic venetoclax, a clinically approved BH3 mimetic. In this setting, Bcl-xL overexpression had stronger effects than overexpression of Bcl-2 or the Bcl-2(G101V) variant. These findings suggest that CAR T cells could be optimally engineered by overexpressing Bcl-xL to enhance their persistence while opening a therapeutic window for combination with BH3 mimetics to prime tumors for apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Korell
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Michael L Olson
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Diego Salas-Benito
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mark B Leick
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rebecca C Larson
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Amanda Bouffard
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Harrison Silva
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Alessandro Gasparetto
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Trisha R Berger
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Michael C Kann
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Markus Mergen
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Tamina Kienka
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Marc Wehrli
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nicholas J Haradhvala
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Stefanie R Bailey
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Anthony Letai
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Marcela V Maus
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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29
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Konopleva MY, Dail M, Daver NG, Garcia JS, Jonas BA, Yee KWL, Kelly KR, Vey N, Assouline S, Roboz GJ, Paolini S, Pollyea DA, Tafuri A, Brandwein JM, Pigneux A, Powell BL, Fenaux P, Olin RL, Visani G, Martinelli G, Onishi M, Wang J, Huang W, Dunshee DR, Hamidi H, Ott MG, Hong WJ, Andreeff M. Venetoclax and Cobimetinib in Relapsed/Refractory AML: A Phase 1b Trial. CLINICAL LYMPHOMA, MYELOMA & LEUKEMIA 2024; 24:364-374. [PMID: 38378362 DOI: 10.1016/j.clml.2024.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Therapies for relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia remain limited and outcomes poor, especially amongst patients who are ineligible for cytotoxic chemotherapy or targeted therapies. PATIENTS AND METHODS This phase 1b trial evaluated venetoclax, a B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) inhibitor, plus cobimetinib, a MEK1/2 inhibitor, in patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia, ineligible for cytotoxic chemotherapy. Two-dimensional dose-escalation was performed for venetoclax dosed daily, and for cobimetinib dosed on days 1-21 of each 28-day cycle. RESULTS Thirty patients (median [range] age: 71.5 years [60-84]) received venetoclax-cobimetinib. The most common adverse events (AEs; in ≥40.0% of patients) were diarrhea (80.0%), nausea (60.0%), vomiting (40.0%), febrile neutropenia (40.0%), and fatigue (40.0%). Overall, 66.7% and 23.3% of patients experienced AEs leading to dose modification/interruption or treatment withdrawal, respectively. The composite complete remission (CRc) rate (complete remission [CR] + CR with incomplete blood count recovery + CR with incomplete platelet recovery) was 15.6%; antileukemic response rate (CRc + morphologic leukemia-free state/partial remission) was 18.8%. For the recommended phase 2 dose (venetoclax: 600 mg; cobimetinib: 40 mg), CRc and antileukemic response rates were both 12.5%. Failure to achieve an antileukemic response was associated with elevated baseline phosphorylated ERK and MCL-1 levels, but not BCL-xL. Baseline mutations in ≥1 signaling gene or TP53 were noted in nonresponders and emerged on treatment. Pharmacodynamic biomarkers revealed inconsistent, transient inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. CONCLUSION Venetoclax-cobimetinib showed limited preliminary efficacy similar to single-agent venetoclax, but with added toxicity. Our findings will inform future trials of BCL-2/MAPK pathway inhibitor combinations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Naval G Daver
- University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | - Brian A Jonas
- University of California Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA
| | - Karen W L Yee
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Norbert Vey
- Hematologie Clinique, Institut Paoli Calmettes, Marseille, France
| | | | - Gail J Roboz
- Weill-Cornell Medical College, New York Presbyterian, New York, NY
| | - Stefania Paolini
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Agostino Tafuri
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University Hospital Sant'Andrea-Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Arnaud Pigneux
- Bordeaux Haut-Leveque University Hospital, Pessac, France
| | - Bayard L Powell
- Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Winston-Salem, NC
| | - Pierre Fenaux
- Hôpital Saint-Louis, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Rebecca L Olin
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | | | - Giovanni Martinelli
- IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | | | - Jue Wang
- Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
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30
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Lewis CJ, de Grey AD. Combining rejuvenation interventions in rodents: a milestone in biomedical gerontology whose time has come. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2024; 28:501-511. [PMID: 38477630 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2024.2330425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Longevity research has matured to the point where significantly postponing age-related decline in physical and mental function is now achievable in the laboratory and foreseeable in the clinic. The most promising strategies involve rejuvenation, i.e. reducing biological age, not merely slowing its progression. AREAS COVERED We discuss therapeutic strategies for rejuvenation and results achieved thus far, with a focus on in vivo studies. We discuss the implications of interventions which act on mean or maximum lifespan and those showing effects in accelerated disease models. While the focus is on work conducted in mice, we also highlight notable insights in the field from studies in other model organisms. EXPERT OPINION Rejuvenation was originally proposed as easier than slowing aging because it targets initially inert changes to tissue structure and composition, rather than trying to disentangle processes that both create aging damage and maintain life. While recent studies support this hypothesis, a true test requires a panel of rejuvenation interventions targeting multiple damage categories simultaneously. Considerations of cost, profitability, and academic significance have dampened enthusiasm for such work, but it is vital. Now is the time for the field to take this key step toward the medical control of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin J Lewis
- Longevity Escape Velocity Foundation, San Francisco, CA, USA
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31
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Cauwelier C, de Ridder I, Bultynck G. Recent advances in canonical versus non-canonical Ca 2+-signaling-related anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 functions and prospects for cancer treatment. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2024; 1871:119713. [PMID: 38521468 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2024.119713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Cell fate is tightly controlled by a continuous balance between cell survival and cell death inducing mechanisms. B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)-family members, composed of effectors and regulators, not only control apoptosis at the level of the mitochondria but also by impacting the intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis and dynamics. On the one hand, anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, prevents mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) by scaffolding and neutralizing proapoptotic Bcl-2-family members via its hydrophobic cleft (region composed of BH-domain 1-3). On the other hand, Bcl-2 suppress pro-apoptotic Ca2+ signals by binding and inhibiting IP3 receptors via its BH4 domain, which is structurally exiled from the hydrophobic cleft by a flexible loop region (FLR). As such, Bcl-2 prevents excessive Ca2+ transfer from ER to mitochondria. Whereas regulation of both pathways requires different functional regions of Bcl-2, both seem to be connected in cancers that overexpress Bcl-2 in a life-promoting dependent manner. Here we discuss the anti-apoptotic canonical and non-canonical role, via calcium signaling, of Bcl-2 in health and cancer and evolving from this the proposed anti-cancer therapies with their shortcomings. We also argue how some cancers, with the major focus on diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are difficult to treat, although theoretically prime marked for Bcl-2-targeting therapeutics. Further work is needed to understand the non-canonical functions of Bcl-2 also at organelles beyond the mitochondria, the interaction partners outside the Bcl-2 family as well as their ability to target or exploit these functions as therapeutic strategies in diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Cauwelier
- KU Leuven, Lab. Molecular & Cellular Signaling, Dep. Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Campus Gasthuisberg O/N-I bus 802, Herestraat 49, BE-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ian de Ridder
- KU Leuven, Lab. Molecular & Cellular Signaling, Dep. Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Campus Gasthuisberg O/N-I bus 802, Herestraat 49, BE-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Geert Bultynck
- KU Leuven, Lab. Molecular & Cellular Signaling, Dep. Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Campus Gasthuisberg O/N-I bus 802, Herestraat 49, BE-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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32
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Zhang Z, Hou L, Liu D, Luan S, Huang M, Zhao L. Directly targeting BAX for drug discovery: Therapeutic opportunities and challenges. Acta Pharm Sin B 2024; 14:2378-2401. [PMID: 38828138 PMCID: PMC11143528 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2024.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
For over two decades, the development of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) family therapeutics has primarily focused on anti-apoptotic proteins, resulting in the first-in-class drugs called BH3 mimetics, especially for Bcl-2 inhibitor Venetoclax. The pro-apoptotic protein Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX) plays a crucial role as the executioner protein of the mitochondrial regulated cell death, contributing to organismal development, tissue homeostasis, and immunity. The dysregulation of BAX is closely associated with the onset and progression of diseases characterized by pathologic cell survival or death, such as cancer, neurodegeneration, and heart failure. In addition to conducting thorough investigations into the physiological modulation of BAX, research on the regulatory mechanisms of small molecules identified through biochemical screening approaches has prompted the identification of functional and potentially druggable binding sites on BAX, as well as diverse all-molecule BAX modulators. This review presents recent advancements in elucidating the physiological and pharmacological modulation of BAX and in identifying potentially druggable binding sites on BAX. Furthermore, it highlights the structural and mechanistic insights into small-molecule modulators targeting diverse binding surfaces or conformations of BAX, offering a promising avenue for developing next-generation apoptosis modulators to treat a wide range of diseases associated with dysregulated cell death by directly targeting BAX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenwei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Linghui Hou
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Shenglin Luan
- China Resources Sanjiu Medical & Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Min Huang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Linxiang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
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33
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Kim M. Mitochondria of T Lymphocytes Promote Anti-Pulmonary Tumor Immune Response. World J Oncol 2024; 15:472-481. [PMID: 38751696 PMCID: PMC11092414 DOI: 10.14740/wjon1841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Background B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), a protein involved in apoptosis, has been proven to have carcinogenic potential and is well documented. With the recent advancement in optical technology, it has become possible to observe subcellular organelles such as mitochondria in real-time without the need for staining. Consequently, we have examined the movement of mitochondria in cancer cells, correlating it with the regulation of Bcl-2. Methods Using a tomographic microscope, which can detect the internal structure of cells, we observed lung tumor cells. Cells were exposed to a laser beam (λ = 520 nm) inclined at 45°, and holographic images were recorded up to a depth of 30 µm of reconstruction. Results Intriguingly, lung tumor cells rapidly expelled mitochondria upon the attachment of Bcl-2 or B-cell lymphoma extra-large (Bcl-xL) inhibitors. On the other hand, we observed that tumor cells hijack mitochondria from T cells. The hijacked mitochondria were not immediately linked to tumor cell death, but they played a role in assisting granzyme B-induced tumor cell death. Due to lower levels of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL on the mitochondria of T cells compared to lung tumor cells, immune cells depleted of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL were co-cultured with the tumor cells. Conclusions As a result, a more effective tumor cell death induced by granzyme B was observed. Additionally, further enhanced anticancer immune response was observed in vivo. Together, we show that modified mitochondria of T cells can provide potential novel strategies towards tumor cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minsuk Kim
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 07804, Korea.
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34
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Bell HL, Blair HJ, Jepson Gosling SJ, Galler M, Astley D, Moorman AV, Heidenreich O, Veal GJ, van Delft FW, Lunec J, Irving JAE. Combination p53 activation and BCL-x L/BCL-2 inhibition as a therapeutic strategy in high-risk and relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Leukemia 2024; 38:1223-1235. [PMID: 38600316 PMCID: PMC11147763 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-024-02241-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Due to the rarity of TP53 mutations in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), p53 re-activation by antagonism of the p53-MDM2 interaction represents a potential therapeutic strategy for the majority of ALL. Here, we demonstrate the potent antileukemic activity of the MDM2 antagonist idasanutlin in high-risk and relapsed ex vivo coculture models of TP53 wildtype ALL (n = 40). Insufficient clinical responses to monotherapy MDM2 inhibitors in other cancers prompted us to explore optimal drugs for combination therapy. Utilizing high-throughput combination screening of 1971 FDA-approved and clinically advanced compounds, we identified BCL-xL/BCL-2 inhibitor navitoclax as the most promising idasanutlin combination partner. The idasanutlin-navitoclax combination was synergistically lethal to prognostically-poor, primary-derived and primary patient blasts in ex vivo coculture, and reduced leukemia burden in two very high-risk ALL xenograft models at drug concentrations safely attained in patients; in fact, the navitoclax plasma concentrations were equivalent to those attained in contemporary "low-dose" navitoclax clinical trials. We demonstrate a preferential engagement of cell death over G1 cell cycle arrest, mechanistically implicating MCL-1-binding pro-apoptotic sensitizer NOXA. The proposed combination of two clinical-stage compounds independently under clinical evaluation for ALL is of high clinical relevance and warrants consideration for the treatment of patients with high-risk and relapsed ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayden L Bell
- Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Helen J Blair
- Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Samantha J Jepson Gosling
- Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Martin Galler
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Daniel Astley
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Anthony V Moorman
- Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Olaf Heidenreich
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Gareth J Veal
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Frederik W van Delft
- Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - John Lunec
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Julie A E Irving
- Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
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35
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Schwaner I, Kuhn T, Losem C, Wolff T, Otremba B, Zaiss M, Hülsenbeck J, Famulla K, Nösslinger T, Rossi D. Low incidence of tumor lysis syndrome in elderly patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated with venetoclax under real-world conditions: results from the prospective observational VeRVe study. Ann Hematol 2024; 103:2013-2020. [PMID: 38421404 PMCID: PMC11090950 DOI: 10.1007/s00277-024-05638-7] [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: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Venetoclax is active in both frontline and relapsed/refractory settings for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Although the prevalence and severity of tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) are well characterized in clinical trials, laboratory and clinical TLS remain relatively unexplored in real-world clinical practice.In this prospective, real-world observational study, we aimed to determine the incidence and outcomes of TLS in patients with CLL receiving venetoclax outside a clinical trial. The study (VeRVe) was conducted in centers in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.Two hundred and thirty-nine patients were treated according to local label with at least one dose of venetoclax. Patient demographics, baseline characteristics, and blood chemistry at baseline were documented, and descriptive statistical analyses were conducted.Seventy eight patients (33%) were treated with venetoclax monotherapy, 101 (42%) with venetoclax in combination with rituximab and 60 (25%) with venetoclax in combination with obinutuzumab. In all cases, the TLS risk mitigation strategy adhered to the ramp-up protocol. Median age was 73 years and 66% of patients were male. The majority of patients (75%) had relapsed/refractory CLL, 63/192 (32.8%) patients tested had a del(17p) and 93/134 (69.4%) patients tested had unmutated immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region gene (IGHV). Clinical TLS occurred in 5 patients (2.1%) and laboratory TLS occurred in 15 patients (6.3%). Ten patients received specific treatment, of which 6 were hospitalized. There were no deaths due to a TLS event and venetoclax was well-tolerated. Of the 5 clinical TLS events reported, none were fatal or resulted in renal failure (NCT03342144, registered on Nov 10, 2017).
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Tumor Lysis Syndrome/etiology
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/drug therapy
- Aged
- Sulfonamides/therapeutic use
- Sulfonamides/adverse effects
- Sulfonamides/administration & dosage
- Male
- Female
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/therapeutic use
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/adverse effects
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/administration & dosage
- Aged, 80 and over
- Prospective Studies
- Incidence
- Middle Aged
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/therapeutic use
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/adverse effects
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/administration & dosage
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/adverse effects
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use
- Germany/epidemiology
- Rituximab/administration & dosage
- Rituximab/adverse effects
- Rituximab/therapeutic use
- Austria/epidemiology
- Antineoplastic Agents/adverse effects
- Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingo Schwaner
- Onkologische Schwerpunktpraxis Kurfuerstendamm, Kurfuerstendamm 65, 10707, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Thomas Kuhn
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Hämatologie, Wiesbaden, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Matthias Zaiss
- Praxis für interdisziplinäre Onkologie & Hämatologie, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Kirsten Famulla
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Hämatologie, Wiesbaden, Germany
| | - Thomas Nösslinger
- 3rd Medical Department for Hematology and Oncology, Hanusch Krankenhaus, Wien, Austria
| | - Davide Rossi
- Clinic of Hematology, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland (IOSI), Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Experimental Hematology, Institute of Oncology Research, Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
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36
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Suraweera CD, Espinoza B, Hinds MG, Kvansakul M. Mastering Death: The Roles of Viral Bcl-2 in dsDNA Viruses. Viruses 2024; 16:879. [PMID: 38932171 PMCID: PMC11209288 DOI: 10.3390/v16060879] [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: 05/07/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Proteins of the Bcl-2 family regulate cellular fate via multiple mechanisms including apoptosis, autophagy, senescence, metabolism, inflammation, redox homeostasis, and calcium flux. There are several regulated cell death (RCD) pathways, including apoptosis and autophagy, that use distinct molecular mechanisms to elicit the death response. However, the same proteins/genes may be deployed in multiple biochemical pathways. In apoptosis, Bcl-2 proteins control the integrity of the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM) by regulating the formation of pores in the MOM and apoptotic cell death. A number of prosurvival genes populate the genomes of viruses including those of the pro-survival Bcl-2 family. Viral Bcl-2 proteins are sequence and structural homologs of their cellular counterparts and interact with cellular proteins in apoptotic and autophagic pathways, potentially allowing them to modulate these pathways and determine cellular fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chathura D. Suraweera
- Genome Sciences and Cancer Division, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia;
| | - Benjamin Espinoza
- Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia;
| | - Mark G. Hinds
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Marc Kvansakul
- Genome Sciences and Cancer Division, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia;
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37
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Del Giudice I, Della Starza I, De Falco F, Gaidano G, Sportoletti P. Monitoring Response and Resistance to Treatment in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2049. [PMID: 38893168 PMCID: PMC11171231 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16112049] [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: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The recent evolution in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) targeted therapies led to a progressive change in the way clinicians manage the goals of treatment and evaluate the response to treatment in respect to the paradigm of the chemoimmunotherapy era. Continuous therapies with BTK inhibitors achieve prolonged and sustained control of the disease. On the other hand, venetoclax and anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies or, more recently, ibrutinib plus venetoclax combinations, given for a fixed duration, achieve undetectable measurable residual disease (uMRD) in the vast majority of patients. On these grounds, a time-limited MRD-driven strategy, a previously unexplored scenario in CLL, is being attempted. On the other side of the spectrum, novel genetic and non-genetic mechanisms of resistance to targeted treatments are emerging. Here we review the response assessment criteria, the evolution and clinical application of MRD analysis and the mechanisms of resistance according to the novel treatment strategies within clinical trials. The extent to which this novel evidence will translate in the real-life management of CLL patients remains an open issue to be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Del Giudice
- Hematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Irene Della Starza
- Hematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy;
- AIL Roma, ODV, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Filomena De Falco
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Hematology and Center for Hemato-Oncological Research, University of Perugia, 06129 Perugia, Italy;
| | - Gianluca Gaidano
- Division of Hematology, Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy;
| | - Paolo Sportoletti
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Hematology and Center for Hemato-Oncological Research, University of Perugia, 06129 Perugia, Italy;
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38
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Zhao Y, Guo N, Zhu Y, Shang J, Chen J, Luo X, Liu Y, Zhang X, Huang L. Population Pharmacokinetic Models of Venetoclax in Hematologic Malignancies: A Systematic Review. Drug Des Devel Ther 2024; 18:1771-1784. [PMID: 38828021 PMCID: PMC11141576 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s458927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Several population pharmacokinetic (PPK) models of B cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) venetoclax (VEN) have been developed and published to characterize the influencing factors of pharmacokinetics in hematologic malignancies. This review described PPK models of VEN examining the magnitude and types of covariate effects in PK parameters, as well as identified areas that require further investigation in order to facilitate their use. Currently, there are six analyses on PPK models of VEN summarized in this review. Most analyses described the pharmacokinetics of VEN with a two-compartment model and all covariates are categorical. The median estimated apparent clearance (CL/F) was 446 L/Day and apparent volume of distribution of the central compartment (V2/F) was 114.5 L. The median IIV of CL/F reported was 39.5% and V2/F was 46.7%. Most commonly, CYP3A inhibitors, OATP1B3 inhibitors and rituximab co-administration were found to be significant covariates on CL/F. In addition, sex and population were influential covariates on V2/F. A detailed description of the characteristics of PPK models of VEN is provided in this review, as well as the effects of covariates on the PK parameters. For future development of the VEN PPK model, CYP3A inhibitors, rituximab co-administration, OATP1B1 transporter inhibitors, sex, population, and food might be considered. Further research and comprehensive investigations should be undertaken to explore reference ranges for therapeutic drug monitoring, define the potential role of patients with cerebrospinal fluid complications, and assess new or potential covariates. These endeavors will facilitate the development of personalized VEN therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinyu Zhao
- Department of Pharmacy, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Nan Guo
- Department of Pharmacy, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yidan Zhu
- Department of Pharmacy, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jingyuan Shang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Pharmacy, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiali Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xingxian Luo
- Department of Pharmacy, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaohong Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lin Huang
- Department of Pharmacy, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
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39
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Guo Y, Xue H, Hu N, Liu Y, Sun H, Yu D, Qin L, Shi G, Wang F, Xin L, Sun W, Zhang F, Song X, Li S, Wei Q, Guo Y, Li Y, Liu X, Chen S, Zhang T, Wu Y, Su D, Zhu Y, Xu A, Xu H, Yang S, Zheng Z, Liu J, Yang X, Yuan X, Hong Y, Sun X, Guo Y, Zhou C, Liu X, Wang L, Wang Z. Discovery of the Clinical Candidate Sonrotoclax (BGB-11417), a Highly Potent and Selective Inhibitor for Both WT and G101V Mutant Bcl-2. J Med Chem 2024; 67:7836-7858. [PMID: 38695063 PMCID: PMC11129194 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
The approval of venetoclax, a B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) selective inhibitor, for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia demonstrated that the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 is a druggable target for B-cell malignancies. However, venetoclax's limited potency cannot produce a strong, durable clinical benefit in other Bcl-2-mediated malignancies (e.g., diffuse large B-cell lymphomas) and multiple recurrent Bcl-2 mutations (e.g., G101V) have been reported to mediate resistance to venetoclax after long-term treatment. Herein, we described novel Bcl-2 inhibitors with increased potency for both wild-type (WT) and mutant Bcl-2. Comprehensive structure optimization led to the clinical candidate BGB-11417 (compound 12e, sonrotoclax), which exhibits strong in vitro and in vivo inhibitory activity against both WT Bcl-2 and the G101V mutant, as well as excellent selectivity over Bcl-xL without obvious cytochrome P450 inhibition. Currently, BGB-11417 is undergoing phase II/III clinical assessments as monotherapy and combination treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunhang Guo
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hai Xue
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Nan Hu
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ye Liu
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hanzi Sun
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Desheng Yu
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ling Qin
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Gongyin Shi
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fan Wang
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lei Xin
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Weihua Sun
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fan Zhang
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaomin Song
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuran Li
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qiang Wei
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ying Guo
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yong Li
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoxin Liu
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuaishuai Chen
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Taichang Zhang
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yue Wu
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Dan Su
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yutong Zhu
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Aiying Xu
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Haipeng Xu
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shasha Yang
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhijun Zheng
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Junhua Liu
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuefei Yang
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xi Yuan
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuan Hong
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuebing Sun
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yin Guo
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Changyou Zhou
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuesong Liu
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lai Wang
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhiwei Wang
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Molecular Science, Department of Discovery
Biology, Department of In Vivo Pharmacology, and Department of DMPK-BA, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China
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40
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Alaei S, Wang Y, Liu Y, Schiele J, Deng R, Shiller D, Marroum P, Menon R, Salem AH. Venetoclax Clinical Pharmacokinetics After Administration of Crushed, Ground or Whole Tablets. Clin Ther 2024:S0149-2918(24)00080-8. [PMID: 38782609 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2024.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Venetoclax is a potent, orally bioavailable BCL-2 inhibitor used in the treatment of some hematological malignancies. Crushing tablets may be necessary to help with the administration of venetoclax to patients with swallowing difficulties or patients requiring nasogastric tube feeding. The study was conducted to assess the bioavailability of crushed and finely ground venetoclax tablets relative to whole tablets. METHODS An open-label, randomized, 3-way, crossover study in 15 healthy adult females was conducted. Venetoclax tablets were administered orally in a crushed, ground or intact form on Day 1 of each period with water following a high-fat breakfast. Pharmacokinetic samples were collected up to 72 hours postdosing. FINDINGS The crushed and ground tablets met the bioequivalence criteria (0.80-1.25) relative to the intact tablets with respect to area under the concentration-time curve to time of the last measurable concentration (AUCt) and to infinite time (AUCinf) but exhibited a slightly lower maximum plasma concentration (Cmax). This was not considered clinically significant as only venetoclax overall exposure (AUC) has been shown to correlate with clinical efficacy. There was no change in the physical appearance and the evaluated physicochemical properties of crushed and ground venetoclax tablets after 72 hours of storage at 25°C/60% relative humidity. IMPLICATIONS Crushing or grinding venetoclax tablets before administration could be considered as a viable alternative method of administration for patients who have difficulty swallowing whole venetoclax tablets or patients requiring nasogastric tube feeding. CLINICALTRIALS GOV IDENTIFIERS NCT05909553, registered June 12, 2023.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Rong Deng
- Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California
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41
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Siddiqui AS. Venetoclax-associated interstitial pneumonitis. Respir Med Case Rep 2024; 50:102038. [PMID: 38812526 PMCID: PMC11135032 DOI: 10.1016/j.rmcr.2024.102038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Venetoclax is a selective inhibitor of the antiapoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2). It is approved for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in combination with chemotherapy or hypomethylating agents. Interstitial pneumonitis due to venetoclax has not been described in the literature. We describe a case of a 79-year-old female who experienced SLL relapse and developed interstitial pneumonitis associated with venetoclax, which completely resolved after discontinuation of the medication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atif Saleem Siddiqui
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, Address: 6550 Fannin St., Houston, TX, 77030, USA
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42
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Rinella SP, Bell HC, Hess NJ, Hoang NM, Nguyen TT, Turicek DP, Shi L, Rui L, LaBelle JL, Capitini CM. Combination fedratinib and venetoclax has activity against human B-ALL with high FLT3 expression. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.06.07.544058. [PMID: 37333339 PMCID: PMC10274796 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.07.544058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Treatment of relapsed/refractory B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) remains a challenge, particularly in patients who do not respond to traditional chemotherapy or immunotherapy. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of fedratinib, a semi selective JAK2 inhibitor and venetoclax, a selective BCL-2 inhibitor, on human B-ALL using both single-agent and combinatorial treatments. The combination treatment of fedratinib and venetoclax improved killing of the human B-ALL cell lines RS4;11 and SUPB-15 in vitro over single-agent treatments. This combinatorial effect was not detected in the human B-ALL cell line NALM-6, which was less responsive to fedratinib due to the absence of Flt3 expression. The combination treatment induces a unique gene expression profile relative to single-agent treatment and with an enrichment in apoptotic pathways. Finally, the combination treatment was superior to single agent treatment in an in vivo xenograft model of human B-ALL, with a two-week treatment regimen significantly improving overall survival while inducing CD19 expression. Overall, our data demonstrates the efficacy of a combinatorial treatment strategy of fedratinib and venetoclax against human B-ALL expressing high levels of Flt3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean P Rinella
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
| | - Haley C Bell
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
| | - Nicholas J Hess
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
| | - Nguyet-Minh Hoang
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
| | - Thao Trang Nguyen
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - David P Turicek
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
| | - Lei Shi
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
| | - Lixin Rui
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
- Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
| | - James L LaBelle
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Christian M Capitini
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
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43
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Liu J, Li S, Wang Q, Feng Y, Xing H, Yang X, Guo Y, Guo Y, Sun H, Liu X, Yang S, Mei Z, Zhu Y, Cheng Z, Chen S, Xu M, Zhang W, Wan N, Wang J, Ma Y, Zhang S, Luan X, Xu A, Li L, Wang H, Yang X, Hong Y, Xue H, Yuan X, Hu N, Song X, Wang Z, Liu X, Wang L, Liu Y. Sonrotoclax overcomes BCL2 G101V mutation-induced venetoclax resistance in preclinical models of hematologic malignancy. Blood 2024; 143:1825-1836. [PMID: 38211332 PMCID: PMC11076911 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2023019706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Venetoclax, the first-generation inhibitor of the apoptosis regulator B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2), disrupts the interaction between BCL2 and proapoptotic proteins, promoting the apoptosis in malignant cells. Venetoclax is the mainstay of therapy for relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia and is under investigation in multiple clinical trials for the treatment of various cancers. Although venetoclax treatment can result in high rates of durable remission, relapse has been widely observed, indicating the emergence of drug resistance. The G101V mutation in BCL2 is frequently observed in patients who relapsed treated with venetoclax and sufficient to confer resistance to venetoclax by interfering with compound binding. Therefore, the development of next-generation BCL2 inhibitors to overcome drug resistance is urgently needed. In this study, we discovered that sonrotoclax, a potent and selective BCL2 inhibitor, demonstrates stronger cytotoxic activity in various hematologic cancer cells and more profound tumor growth inhibition in multiple hematologic tumor models than venetoclax. Notably, sonrotoclax effectively inhibits venetoclax-resistant BCL2 variants, such as G101V. The crystal structures of wild-type BCL2/BCL2 G101V in complex with sonrotoclax revealed that sonrotoclax adopts a novel binding mode within the P2 pocket of BCL2 and could explain why sonrotoclax maintains stronger potency than venetoclax against the G101V mutant. In summary, sonrotoclax emerges as a potential second-generation BCL2 inhibitor for the treatment of hematologic malignancies with the potential to overcome BCL2 mutation-induced venetoclax resistance. Sonrotoclax is currently under investigation in multiple clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiuyang Liu
- Department of Molecular Science, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuran Li
- Department of Pharmacology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qin Wang
- Department of Discovery Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yingcai Feng
- Department of Molecular Science, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Haimei Xing
- Department of Discovery Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuefei Yang
- Department of Discovery Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ying Guo
- Department of Molecular Science, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yunhang Guo
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hanzi Sun
- Department of Molecular Science, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoxin Liu
- Department of Molecular Science, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shasha Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhu Mei
- Department of Discovery Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yutong Zhu
- Department of Discovery Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhenzhen Cheng
- Department of Discovery Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuaishuai Chen
- Department of Discovery Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Min Xu
- Department of Molecular Science, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wenjing Zhang
- Department of Translational Science, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Nanyan Wan
- Department of Translational Science, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jia Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanwen Ma
- Department of Pharmacology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuo Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xudong Luan
- Department of Discovery Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Aiying Xu
- Department of Pharmacology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lin Li
- Department of Translational Science, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Haitao Wang
- Department of Translational Science, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaolong Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuan Hong
- Department of Molecular Science, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hai Xue
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xi Yuan
- Department of Discovery Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Nan Hu
- Department of Pharmacology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaomin Song
- Department of Pharmacology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhiwei Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuesong Liu
- Department of Discovery Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lai Wang
- Research and Clinical Development, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ye Liu
- Department of Molecular Science, BeiGene (Beijing) Co, Ltd, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
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44
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Dyer MJS, Walter HS. BCL2 inhibition: back to the future! Blood 2024; 143:1787-1788. [PMID: 38696193 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2023023796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
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45
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Fatima N, Shen Y, Crassini K, Burling O, Thurgood L, Iwanowicz EJ, Lang H, Karanewsky DS, Christopherson RI, Mulligan SP, Best OG. The CIpP activator, TR-57, is highly effective as a single agent and in combination with venetoclax against CLL cells in vitro. Leuk Lymphoma 2024; 65:585-597. [PMID: 38227293 DOI: 10.1080/10428194.2023.2300055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Despite advances in treatment, a significant proportion of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) will relapse with drug-resistant disease. The imipridones, ONC-201 and ONC-212, are effective against a range of different cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and tumors of the brain, breast, and prostate. These drugs induce cell death through activation of the mitochondrial protease, caseinolytic protease (CIpP), and the unfolded protein response (UPR). Here we demonstrate that the novel imipridone analog, TR-57, has efficacy as a single agent and synergises with venetoclax against CLL cells under in vitro conditions that mimic the tumor microenvironment. Changes in protein expression suggest TR-57 activates the UPR, inhibits the AKT and ERK1/2 pathways and induces pro-apoptotic changes in the expression of proteins of the BCL-2 family. The study suggests that TR-57, as a single agent and in combination with venetoclax, may represent an effective treatment option for CLL.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Sulfonamides/pharmacology
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/pharmacology
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/therapeutic use
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/metabolism
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/pathology
- Apoptosis/drug effects
- Drug Synergism
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/pharmacology
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use
- Unfolded Protein Response/drug effects
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/genetics
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
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Affiliation(s)
- Narjis Fatima
- Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Yandong Shen
- Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Kyle Crassini
- Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Olivia Burling
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Department of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Lauren Thurgood
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Department of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Camperdown, Australia
| | | | - Henk Lang
- Madera Therapeutics, LLC, Cary, North Carolina, USA
| | | | | | - Stephen P Mulligan
- Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - O Giles Best
- Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Department of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Camperdown, Australia
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46
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Schmitz B, Frieg B, Homeyer N, Jessen G, Gohlke H. Extracting binding energies and binding modes from biomolecular simulations of fragment binding to endothiapepsin. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2024; 357:e2300612. [PMID: 38319801 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202300612] [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: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) aims to discover a set of small binding fragments that may be subsequently linked together. Therefore, in-depth knowledge of the individual fragments' structural and energetic binding properties is essential. In addition to experimental techniques, the direct simulation of fragment binding by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations became popular to characterize fragment binding. However, former studies showed that long simulation times and high computational demands per fragment are needed, which limits applicability in FBDD. Here, we performed short, unbiased MD simulations of direct fragment binding to endothiapepsin, a well-characterized model system of pepsin-like aspartic proteases. To evaluate the strengths and limitations of short MD simulations for the structural and energetic characterization of fragment binding, we predicted the fragments' absolute free energies and binding poses based on the direct simulations of fragment binding and compared the predictions to experimental data. The predicted absolute free energies are in fair agreement with the experiment. Combining the MD data with binding mode predictions from molecular docking approaches helped to correctly identify the most promising fragments for further chemical optimization. Importantly, all computations and predictions were done within 5 days, suggesting that MD simulations may become a viable tool in FBDD projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birte Schmitz
- Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Benedikt Frieg
- Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- John von Neumann Institute for Computing (NIC), Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC), and Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Nadine Homeyer
- Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Gisela Jessen
- Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Holger Gohlke
- Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- John von Neumann Institute for Computing (NIC), Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC), and Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences (IBG-4: Bioinformatics), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
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47
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Mardilovich K, Naylor G, Julian L, Phinichkusolchit N, Keeshan K, Blyth K, Olson MF. Caspase-resistant ROCK1 expression prolongs survival of Eµ-Myc B cell lymphoma mice. Dis Model Mech 2024; 17:dmm050631. [PMID: 38616733 PMCID: PMC11139034 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050631] [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: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis is characterized by membrane blebbing and apoptotic body formation. Caspase cleavage of ROCK1 generates an active fragment that promotes actin-myosin-mediated contraction and membrane blebbing during apoptosis. Expression of caspase-resistant non-cleavable ROCK1 (Rock1 NC) prolonged survival of mice that rapidly develop B cell lymphomas due to Eµ-Myc transgene expression. Eµ-Myc; Rock1 NC mice had significantly fewer bone marrow cells relative to those in Eµ-Myc mice expressing wild-type ROCK1 (Rock1 WT), which was associated with altered cell cycle profiles. Circulating macrophage numbers were lower in Eµ-Myc; Rock1 NC mice, but there were higher levels of bone marrow macrophages, consistent with spontaneous cell death in Eµ-Myc; Rock1 NC mouse bone marrows being more inflammatory. Rock1 WT recipient mice transplanted with pre-neoplastic Eµ-Myc; Rock1 NC bone marrow cells survived longer than mice transplanted with Eµ-Myc; Rock1 WT cells, indicating that the survival benefit was intrinsic to the Eµ-Myc; Rock1 NC bone marrow cells. The results suggest that the apoptotic death of Eµ-Myc; Rock1 NC cells generates a proliferation-suppressive microenvironment in bone marrows that reduces cell numbers and prolongs B cell lymphoma mouse survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Mardilovich
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
| | - Gregory Naylor
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G16 1QH, UK
| | - Linda Julian
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G16 1QH, UK
| | - Narisa Phinichkusolchit
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G16 1QH, UK
| | - Karen Keeshan
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, Paul O'Gorman Leukemia Research Centre, School of Cancer Sciences, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G16 1QH, UK
| | - Karen Blyth
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G16 1QH, UK
| | - Michael F. Olson
- Toronto Metropolitan University, Department of Chemistry and Biology, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada
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48
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Fowler-Shorten DJ, Hellmich C, Markham M, Bowles KM, Rushworth SA. BCL-2 inhibition in haematological malignancies: Clinical application and complications. Blood Rev 2024; 65:101195. [PMID: 38523032 DOI: 10.1016/j.blre.2024.101195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) family proteins are fundamental regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway which modulate cellular fate. In many haematological malignancies, overexpression of anti-apoptotic factors (BCL-2, BCL-XL and MCL-1) circumvent apoptosis. To address this cancer hallmark, a concerted effort has been made to induce apoptosis by inhibiting BCL-2 family proteins. A series of highly selective BCL-2 homology 3 (BH3) domain mimetics are in clinical use and in ongoing clinical trials for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), and multiple myeloma (MM). These inhibitors serve as promising candidates, both as single agents or in combination therapy to improve patient outcomes. In other diseases such as follicular lymphoma, efficacy has been notably limited. There are also clinical problems with BCL-2 family inhibition, including drug resistance, disease relapse, tumour lysis syndrome, and clinically relevant cytopenias. Here, we provide a balanced view on both the clinical benefits of BCL-2 inhibition as well as the associated challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic J Fowler-Shorten
- Centre for Metabolic Health, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Charlotte Hellmich
- Centre for Metabolic Health, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK; Department of Haematology, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UY, UK
| | - Matthew Markham
- Centre for Metabolic Health, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Kristian M Bowles
- Centre for Metabolic Health, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK; Department of Haematology, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UY, UK
| | - Stuart A Rushworth
- Centre for Metabolic Health, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK.
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Huang Y, Qin Y, He Y, Qiu D, Zheng Y, Wei J, Zhang L, Yang DH, Li Y. Advances in molecular targeted drugs in combination with CAR-T cell therapy for hematologic malignancies. Drug Resist Updat 2024; 74:101082. [PMID: 38569225 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2024.101082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Molecular targeted drugs and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy represent specific biological treatments that have significantly improved the efficacy of treating hematologic malignancies. However, they face challenges such as drug resistance and recurrence after treatment. Combining molecular targeted drugs and CAR-T cells could regulate immunity, improve tumor microenvironment (TME), promote cell apoptosis, and enhance sensitivity to tumor cell killing. This approach might provide a dual coordinated attack on cancer cells, effectively eliminating minimal residual disease and overcoming therapy resistance. Moreover, molecular targeted drugs can directly or indirectly enhance the anti-tumor effect of CAR-T cells by inducing tumor target antigen expression, reversing CAR-T cell exhaustion, and reducing CAR-T cell associated toxic side effects. Therefore, combining molecular targeted drugs with CAR-T cells is a promising and novel tactic for treating hematologic malignancies. In this review article, we focus on analyzing the mechanism of therapy resistance and its reversal of CAR-T cell therapy resistance, as well as the synergistic mechanism, safety, and future challenges in CAR-T cell therapy in combination with molecular targeted drugs. We aim to explore the benefits of this combination therapy for patients with hematologic malignancies and provide a rationale for subsequent clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxian Huang
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yinjie Qin
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Yingzhi He
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Dezhi Qiu
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Yeqin Zheng
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiayue Wei
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Lenghe Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Dong-Hua Yang
- New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Mineola, NY, USA.
| | - Yuhua Li
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China.
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Iksen, Witayateeraporn W, Hardianti B, Pongrakhananon V. Comprehensive review of Bcl-2 family proteins in cancer apoptosis: Therapeutic strategies and promising updates of natural bioactive compounds and small molecules. Phytother Res 2024; 38:2249-2275. [PMID: 38415799 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.8157] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Cancer has a considerably higher fatality rate than other diseases globally and is one of the most lethal and profoundly disruptive ailments. The increasing incidence of cancer among humans is one of the greatest challenges in the field of healthcare. A significant factor in the initiation and progression of tumorigenesis is the dysregulation of physiological processes governing cell death, which results in the survival of cancerous cells. B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family members play important roles in several cancer-related processes. Drug research and development have identified various promising natural compounds that demonstrate potent anticancer effects by specifically targeting Bcl-2 family proteins and their associated signaling pathways. This comprehensive review highlights the substantial roles of Bcl-2 family proteins in regulating apoptosis, including the intricate signaling pathways governing the activity of these proteins, the impact of reactive oxygen species, and the crucial involvement of proteasome degradation and the stress response. Furthermore, this review discusses advances in the exploration and potential therapeutic applications of natural compounds and small molecules targeting Bcl-2 family proteins and thus provides substantial scientific information and therapeutic strategies for cancer management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iksen
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacy, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Senior Medan, Medan, Indonesia
| | - Wasita Witayateeraporn
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Besse Hardianti
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Almarisah Madani University, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
| | - Varisa Pongrakhananon
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Preclinical Toxicity and Efficacy Assessment of Medicines and Chemicals Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
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