1
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Kage M, Hayashi R, Matsuo A, Tamiya M, Kuramoto S, Ohara K, Irie M, Chiyoda A, Takano K, Ito T, Kotake T, Takeyama R, Ishikawa S, Nomura K, Furuichi N, Morita Y, Hashimoto S, Kawada H, Nishimura Y, Nii K, Sase H, Ohta A, Kojima T, Iikura H, Tanada M, Shiraishi T. Structure-activity relationships of middle-size cyclic peptides, KRAS inhibitors derived from an mRNA display. Bioorg Med Chem 2024; 110:117830. [PMID: 38981216 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2024.117830] [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: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Cyclic peptides are attracting attention as therapeutic agents due to their potential for oral absorption and easy access to tough intracellular targets. LUNA18, a clinical KRAS inhibitor, was transformed-without scaffold hopping-from the initial hit by using an mRNA display library that met our criteria for drug-likeness. In drug discovery using mRNA display libraries, hit compounds always possess a site linked to an mRNA tag. Here, we describe our examination of the Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR) using X-ray structures for chemical optimization near the site linked to the mRNA tag, equivalent to the C-terminus. Structural modifications near the C-terminus demonstrated a relatively wide range of tolerance for side chains. Furthermore, we show that a single atom modification is enough to change the pharmacokinetic (PK) profile. Since there are four positions where side chain modification is permissible in terms of activity, it is possible to flexibly adjust the pharmacokinetic profile by structurally optimizing the side chain. The side chain transformation findings demonstrated here may be generally applicable to hits obtained from mRNA display libraries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirai Kage
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Ryuji Hayashi
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan.
| | - Atsushi Matsuo
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Minoru Tamiya
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Shino Kuramoto
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Ohara
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Machiko Irie
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Aya Chiyoda
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Koji Takano
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Toshiya Ito
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Tomoya Kotake
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Ryuuichi Takeyama
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Shiho Ishikawa
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Kenichi Nomura
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Furuichi
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Yuya Morita
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Satoshi Hashimoto
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Hatsuo Kawada
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Nishimura
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Keiji Nii
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Sase
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Atsushi Ohta
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Kojima
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Iikura
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan
| | - Mikimasa Tanada
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan.
| | - Takuya Shiraishi
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 216, Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-8602, Japan.
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2
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Liu Y, Yu Z, Li P, Yang T, Ding K, Zhang ZM, Tan Y, Li Z. Proteome-wide Ligand and Target Discovery by Using Strain-Enabled Cyclopropane Electrophiles. J Am Chem Soc 2024. [PMID: 39018468 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c04695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
The evolving use of covalent ligands as chemical probes and therapeutic agents could greatly benefit from an expanded array of cysteine-reactive electrophiles for efficient and versatile proteome profiling. Herein, to expand the current repertoire of cysteine-reactive electrophiles, we developed a new class of strain-enabled electrophiles based on cyclopropanes. Proteome profiling has unveiled that C163 of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) and C88 of adhesion regulating molecule 1 (ADRM1) are ligandable residues to modulate the protein functions. Moreover, fragment-based ligand discovery (FBLD) has revealed that one fragment (Y-35) shows strong reactivity toward C66 of thioredoxin domain-containing protein 12 (TXD12), and its covalent binding has been demonstrated to impact its downstream signal pathways. TXD12 plays a pivotal role in enabling Y-35 to exhibit its antisurvival and antiproliferative effects. Finally, dicarbonitrile-cyclopropane has been demonstrated to be an electrophilic warhead in the development of GSTO1-involved dual covalent inhibitors, which is promising to alleviate drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development (MOE), Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Zhongtang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development (MOE), Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Peishan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development (MOE), Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Tao Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development (MOE), Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Ke Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development (MOE), Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Zhi-Min Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development (MOE), Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yi Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development (MOE), Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Zhengqiu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development (MOE), Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
- School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
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3
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Cornilescu G, Bindu L, Sternicki L, Chao FA, Gillette WK, Fer N, Colombus J, Castillo J, Bonilla PA, Van QN, Larsen E, Hong M, Burgan W, Turbyville T, Nissley DV, Liu M, Quinn R, Jean-Francois FL. Natural Product Graveoline Modulates Kirsten Rat Sarcoma Viral Oncogene Homologue (KRAS) Membrane Association: Insights from Advanced Spectroscopic Studies. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2024; 7:1983-1995. [PMID: 39022364 PMCID: PMC11249638 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.4c00075] [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: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
The KRAS gene plays a pivotal role in numerous cancers by encoding a GTPase that upon association with the plasma membrane activates the MAPK pathway, promoting cellular proliferation. In our study, we investigated small molecules that disrupt KRAS's membrane interaction, hypothesizing that such disruption could in turn inhibit mutant RAS signaling. Native mass spectrometry screening of KRAS-FMe identified compounds with a preference for interacting with the hypervariable region (HVR), and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) further refined our selection to graveoline as a compound exhibiting preferential HVR binding. Subsequent nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis showed that graveoline's interaction with KRAS depends on C-terminal O-methylation. Moreover, our findings revealed multiple interaction sites, suggesting weak engagement with the KRAS G domain. Using nanodiscs as a membrane mimetic, further characterization through NMR and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) studies demonstrated graveoline's ability to perturb KRAS membrane interaction in a biochemical setting. Our biophysical approach sheds light on the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying KRAS-ligand interactions, providing valuable insights into understanding the KRAS-associated pathophysiology. These findings contribute to the translational aspect of our study, offering potential avenues for further research targeting KRAS membrane association with the potential to lead to a new class of RAS therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Cornilescu
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Lakshman Bindu
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Louise Sternicki
- Griffith
Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane 4111, Australia
| | - Fa-An Chao
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - William K. Gillette
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Nicole Fer
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - John Colombus
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Jean Castillo
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Pedro Andrade Bonilla
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Que N. Van
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Erik Larsen
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Min Hong
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - William Burgan
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Thomas Turbyville
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Dwight V. Nissley
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Miaomiao Liu
- Griffith
Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane 4111, Australia
| | - Ronald Quinn
- Griffith
Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane 4111, Australia
| | - Frantz L. Jean-Francois
- NCI
RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
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4
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Jiang J, Jiang L, Maldonato BJ, Wang Y, Holderfield M, Aronchik I, Winters IP, Salman Z, Blaj C, Menard M, Brodbeck J, Chen Z, Wei X, Rosen MJ, Gindin Y, Lee BJ, Evans JW, Chang S, Wang Z, Seamon KJ, Parsons D, Cregg J, Marquez A, Tomlinson AC, Yano JK, Knox JE, Quintana E, Aguirre AJ, Arbour KC, Reed A, Gustafson WC, Gill AL, Koltun ES, Wildes D, Smith JA, Wang Z, Singh M. Translational and Therapeutic Evaluation of RAS-GTP Inhibition by RMC-6236 in RAS-Driven Cancers. Cancer Discov 2024; 14:994-1017. [PMID: 38593348 PMCID: PMC11149917 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-24-0027] [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: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
RAS-driven cancers comprise up to 30% of human cancers. RMC-6236 is a RAS(ON) multi-selective noncovalent inhibitor of the active, GTP-bound state of both mutant and wild-type variants of canonical RAS isoforms with broad therapeutic potential for the aforementioned unmet medical need. RMC-6236 exhibited potent anticancer activity across RAS-addicted cell lines, particularly those harboring mutations at codon 12 of KRAS. Notably, oral administration of RMC-6236 was tolerated in vivo and drove profound tumor regressions across multiple tumor types in a mouse clinical trial with KRASG12X xenograft models. Translational PK/efficacy and PK/PD modeling predicted that daily doses of 100 mg and 300 mg would achieve tumor control and objective responses, respectively, in patients with RAS-driven tumors. Consistent with this, we describe here objective responses in two patients (at 300 mg daily) with advanced KRASG12X lung and pancreatic adenocarcinoma, respectively, demonstrating the initial activity of RMC-6236 in an ongoing phase I/Ib clinical trial (NCT05379985). SIGNIFICANCE The discovery of RMC-6236 enables the first-ever therapeutic evaluation of targeted and concurrent inhibition of canonical mutant and wild-type RAS-GTP in RAS-driven cancers. We demonstrate that broad-spectrum RAS-GTP inhibition is tolerable at exposures that induce profound tumor regressions in preclinical models of, and in patients with, such tumors. This article is featured in Selected Articles from This Issue, p. 897.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lingyan Jiang
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, California
| | | | - Yingyun Wang
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, California
| | | | - Ida Aronchik
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, California
| | - Ian P. Winters
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, California
- D2G Oncology, Inc., Mountain View, California
| | - Zeena Salman
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, California
| | - Cristina Blaj
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, California
| | - Marie Menard
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, California
| | - Jens Brodbeck
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, California
| | - Zhe Chen
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, California
| | - Xing Wei
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, California
| | | | | | - Bianca J. Lee
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, California
| | | | | | - Zhican Wang
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, California
| | | | - Dylan Parsons
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, California
| | - James Cregg
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, California
| | - Abby Marquez
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, California
| | | | - Jason K. Yano
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, California
| | - John E. Knox
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, California
| | - Elsa Quintana
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, California
| | - Andrew J. Aguirre
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kathryn C. Arbour
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Abby Reed
- The Christ Hospital Cancer Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | | | | | | | - David Wildes
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, California
| | | | | | - Mallika Singh
- Revolution Medicines, Inc., Redwood City, California
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5
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Adamopoulos C, Papavassiliou KA, Papavassiliou AG. Malolactone strikes: K-Ras-G12D's Achilles' heel. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2024; 45:472-474. [PMID: 38653668 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2024.04.001] [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: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
In a recent study in Nature Chemical Biology, Zheng et al. exploiting strain release by malolactone-based electrophiles designed a first-in-class covalent inhibitor that targets the elusive aspartate of the Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (K-Ras)-G12D variant, which is highly prevalent in pancreatic cancer. The compound drastically inhibited oncogenic signaling and tumor growth in preclinical K-Ras-G12D-mutant pancreatic cancer models, expanding treatment potential beyond K-Ras-G12C-targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christos Adamopoulos
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece; Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Kostas A Papavassiliou
- First University Department of Respiratory Medicine, 'Sotiria' Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Athanasios G Papavassiliou
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece.
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6
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Lokhandwala J, Smalley TB, Tran TH. Structural perspectives on recent breakthrough efforts toward direct drugging of RAS and acquired resistance. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1394702. [PMID: 38841166 PMCID: PMC11150659 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1394702] [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: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncoprotein homolog (KRAS) is currently a primary focus of oncologists and translational scientists, driven by exciting results with KRAS-targeted therapies for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. While KRAS mutations continue to drive high cancer diagnosis and death, researchers have developed unique strategies to target KRAS variations. Having been investigated over the past 40 years and considered "undruggable" due to the lack of pharmacological binding pockets, recent breakthroughs and accelerated FDA approval of the first covalent inhibitors targeting KRASG12C, have largely sparked further drug development. Small molecule development has targeted the previously identified primary location alterations such as G12, G13, Q61, and expanded to address the emerging secondary mutations and acquired resistance. Of interest, the non-covalent KRASG12D targeting inhibitor MRTX-1133 has shown promising results in humanized pancreatic cancer mouse models and is seemingly making its way from bench to bedside. While this manuscript was under review a novel class of first covalent inhibitors specific for G12D was published, These so-called malolactones can crosslink both GDP and GTP bound forms of G12D. Inhibition of the latter state suppressed downstream signaling and cancer cell proliferation in vitro and in mouse xenografts. Moreover, a non-covalent pan-KRAS inhibitor, BI-2865, reduced tumor proliferation in cell lines and mouse models. Finally, the next generation of KRAS mutant-specific and pan-RAS tri-complex inhibitors have revolutionized RAS drug discovery. This review will give a structural biology perspective on the current generation of KRAS inhibitors through the lens of emerging secondary mutations and acquired resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jameela Lokhandwala
- Department of Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Tracess B. Smalley
- Department of Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Timothy H. Tran
- Chemical Biology Core, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, United States
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7
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Tran NL, Jiang J, Ma M, Gadbois GE, Gulay KCM, Verano A, Zhou H, Huang CT, Scott DA, Bang AG, Tiriac H, Lowy AM, Wang ES, Ferguson FM. ZBTB11 Depletion Targets Metabolic Vulnerabilities in K-Ras Inhibitor Resistant PDAC. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.19.594824. [PMID: 38826238 PMCID: PMC11142081 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.19.594824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Over 95% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) harbor oncogenic mutations in K-Ras. Upon treatment with K-Ras inhibitors, PDAC cancer cells undergo metabolic reprogramming towards an oxidative phosphorylation-dependent, drug-resistant state. However, direct inhibition of complex I is poorly tolerated in patients due to on-target induction of peripheral neuropathy. In this work, we develop molecular glue degraders against ZBTB11, a C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor that regulates the nuclear transcription of components of the mitoribosome and electron transport chain. Our ZBTB11 degraders leverage the differences in demand for biogenesis of mitochondrial components between human neurons and rapidly-dividing pancreatic cancer cells, to selectively target the K-Ras inhibitor resistant state in PDAC. Combination treatment of both K-Ras inhibitor-resistant cell lines and multidrug resistant patient-derived organoids resulted in superior anti-cancer activity compared to single agent treatment, while sparing hiPSC-derived neurons. Proteomic and stable isotope tracing studies revealed mitoribosome depletion and impairment of the TCA cycle as key events that mediate this response. Together, this work validates ZBTB11 as a vulnerability in K-Ras inhibitor-resistant PDAC and provides a suite of molecular glue degrader tool compounds to investigate its function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan L. Tran
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Cancer Molecular Therapeutics Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Jiewei Jiang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Min Ma
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Gillian E. Gadbois
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Kevin C. M. Gulay
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, UCSD Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Alyssa Verano
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115
| | - Haowen Zhou
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Chun-Teng Huang
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - David A. Scott
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Anne G. Bang
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Herve Tiriac
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, UCSD Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Andrew M. Lowy
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, UCSD Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Eric S. Wang
- Cancer Molecular Therapeutics Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Fleur M. Ferguson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
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8
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Kirschner T, Müller MP, Rauh D. Targeting KRAS Diversity: Covalent Modulation of G12X and Beyond in Cancer Therapy. J Med Chem 2024; 67:6044-6051. [PMID: 38621359 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02403] [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: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
The GTPase KRAS acts as a switch in cellular signaling, transitioning between inactive GDP-bound and active GTP-bound states. In about 20% of human cancers, oncogenic RAS mutations disrupt this balance, favoring the active form and promoting proliferative signaling, thus rendering KRAS an appealing target for precision medicine in oncology. In 2013, Shokat and co-workers achieved a groundbreaking feat by covalently targeting a previously undiscovered allosteric pocket (switch II pocket (SWIIP)) of KRASG12C. This breakthrough led to the development and approval of sotorasib (AMG510) and adagrasib (MRTX849), revolutionizing the treatment of KRASG12C-dependent lung cancer. Recent achievements in targeting various KRASG12X mutants, using SWIIP as a key binding pocket, are discussed. Insights from successful KRASG12C targeting informed the design of molecules addressing other mutations, often in a covalent manner. These findings offer promise for innovative approaches in addressing commonly occurring KRAS mutations such as G12D, G12V, G12A, G12S, and G12R in various cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tonia Kirschner
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 4a, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
- Drug Discovery Hub Dortmund (DDHD) am Zentrum für integrierte Wirkstoffforschung (ZIW), 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Matthias P Müller
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 4a, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
- Drug Discovery Hub Dortmund (DDHD) am Zentrum für integrierte Wirkstoffforschung (ZIW), 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Daniel Rauh
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 4a, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
- Drug Discovery Hub Dortmund (DDHD) am Zentrum für integrierte Wirkstoffforschung (ZIW), 44227 Dortmund, Germany
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Westover K. Another KRAS variant trapped. Nat Chem Biol 2024:10.1038/s41589-024-01556-x. [PMID: 38443471 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-024-01556-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Westover
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
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