1
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Flax RG, Rosston P, Rocha C, Anderson B, Capener JL, Durcan TM, Drewry DH, Prinos P, Axtman AD. Illumination of understudied ciliary kinases. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1352781. [PMID: 38523660 PMCID: PMC10958382 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1352781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Cilia are cellular signaling hubs. Given that human kinases are central regulators of signaling, it is not surprising that kinases are key players in cilia biology. In fact, many kinases modulate ciliogenesis, which is the generation of cilia, and distinct ciliary pathways. Several of these kinases are understudied with few publications dedicated to the interrogation of their function. Recent efforts to develop chemical probes for members of the cyclin-dependent kinase like (CDKL), never in mitosis gene A (NIMA) related kinase (NEK), and tau tubulin kinase (TTBK) families either have delivered or are working toward delivery of high-quality chemical tools to characterize the roles that specific kinases play in ciliary processes. A better understanding of ciliary kinases may shed light on whether modulation of these targets will slow or halt disease onset or progression. For example, both understudied human kinases and some that are more well-studied play important ciliary roles in neurons and have been implicated in neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and other neurological diseases. Similarly, subsets of human ciliary kinases are associated with cancer and oncological pathways. Finally, a group of genetic disorders characterized by defects in cilia called ciliopathies have associated gene mutations that impact kinase activity and function. This review highlights both progress related to the understanding of ciliary kinases as well as in chemical inhibitor development for a subset of these kinases. We emphasize known roles of ciliary kinases in diseases of the brain and malignancies and focus on a subset of poorly characterized kinases that regulate ciliary biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond G. Flax
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Peter Rosston
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Cecilia Rocha
- The Neuro’s Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Brian Anderson
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Jacob L. Capener
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Thomas M. Durcan
- The Neuro’s Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - David H. Drewry
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Panagiotis Prinos
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alison D. Axtman
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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2
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Tiek DM, Erdogdu B, Razaghi R, Jin L, Sadowski N, Alamillo-Ferrer C, Hogg JR, Haddad BR, Drewry DH, Wells CI, Pickett JE, Song X, Goenka A, Hu B, Goldlust SA, Zuercher WJ, Pertea M, Timp W, Cheng SY, Riggins RB. Temozolomide-induced guanine mutations create exploitable vulnerabilities of guanine-rich DNA and RNA regions in drug-resistant gliomas. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn3471. [PMID: 35731869 PMCID: PMC9216507 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn3471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Temozolomide (TMZ) is a chemotherapeutic agent that has been the first-line standard of care for the aggressive brain cancer glioblastoma (GBM) since 2005. Although initially beneficial, TMZ resistance is universal and second-line interventions are an unmet clinical need. Here, we took advantage of the known mechanism of action of TMZ to target guanines (G) and investigated G-rich G-quadruplex (G4) and splice site changes that occur upon TMZ resistance. We report that TMZ-resistant GBM has guanine mutations that disrupt the G-rich DNA G4s and splice sites that lead to deregulated alternative splicing. These alterations create vulnerabilities, which are selectively targeted by either the G4-stabilizing drug TMPyP4 or a novel splicing kinase inhibitor of cdc2-like kinase. Last, we show that the G4 and RNA binding protein EWSR1 aggregates in the cytoplasm in TMZ-resistant GBM cells and patient samples. Together, our findings provide insight into targetable vulnerabilities of TMZ-resistant GBM and present cytoplasmic EWSR1 as a putative biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deanna M. Tiek
- The Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute, and Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Beril Erdogdu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Roham Razaghi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Lu Jin
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Norah Sadowski
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Carla Alamillo-Ferrer
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - J. Robert Hogg
- Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Bassem R. Haddad
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - David H. Drewry
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Carrow I. Wells
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Julie E. Pickett
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Xiao Song
- The Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute, and Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Anshika Goenka
- The Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute, and Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Bo Hu
- The Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute, and Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Samuel A. Goldlust
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
- John Theurer Cancer Center, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ 07601, USA
| | - William J. Zuercher
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Mihaela Pertea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Winston Timp
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Shi-Yuan Cheng
- The Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute, and Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Rebecca B. Riggins
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
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3
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Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel aminopyrazole- and 7-azaindole-based Nek1 inhibitors and their effects on zebrafish kidney development. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2021; 53:128418. [PMID: 34715306 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2021.128418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
NIMA-related protein kinase Nek1 is crucially involved in cell cycle regulation, DNA repair and microtubule regulation and dysfunctions of Nek1 play key roles in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and several types of radiotherapy resistant cancer. Targeting of Nek1 could reveal a new class of radiosensitizing substances and provide useful tools to better understand the aforementioned diseases. In this report we explore substituted aminopyrazoles and 7-azaindoles as potent inhibitors for the Nek1 kinase domain and examine their effect on kidney organogenesis in Danio rerio.
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4
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Axtman AD. Characterizing the role of the dark kinome in neurodegenerative disease - A mini review. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2021; 1865:130014. [PMID: 34547390 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2021.130014] [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: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drugs that modulate previously unexplored targets could potentially slow or halt the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Several candidate proteins lie within the dark kinome, those human kinases that have not been well characterized. Much of the kinome (~80%) remains poorly studied, and these targets likely harbor untapped biological potential. SCOPE OF REVIEW This review highlights the significance of kinases as mediators of aberrant pathways in neurodegeneration and provides examples of published high-quality small molecules that modulate some of these kinases. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS There is a need for continued efforts to develop high-quality chemical tools to illuminate the function of understudied kinases in the brain. Potent and selective small molecules enable accurate pairing of an observed phenotype with a protein target. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE The examples discussed herein support the premise that validation of therapeutic hypotheses surrounding kinase targets can be accomplished via small molecules and they can serve as the basis for disease-focused drug development campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison D Axtman
- UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Structural Genomics Consortium, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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5
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Cichońska A, Ravikumar B, Allaway RJ, Wan F, Park S, Isayev O, Li S, Mason M, Lamb A, Tanoli Z, Jeon M, Kim S, Popova M, Capuzzi S, Zeng J, Dang K, Koytiger G, Kang J, Wells CI, Willson TM, Oprea TI, Schlessinger A, Drewry DH, Stolovitzky G, Wennerberg K, Guinney J, Aittokallio T. Crowdsourced mapping of unexplored target space of kinase inhibitors. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3307. [PMID: 34083538 PMCID: PMC8175708 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23165-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of intensive search for compounds that modulate the activity of particular protein targets, a large proportion of the human kinome remains as yet undrugged. Effective approaches are therefore required to map the massive space of unexplored compound-kinase interactions for novel and potent activities. Here, we carry out a crowdsourced benchmarking of predictive algorithms for kinase inhibitor potencies across multiple kinase families tested on unpublished bioactivity data. We find the top-performing predictions are based on various models, including kernel learning, gradient boosting and deep learning, and their ensemble leads to a predictive accuracy exceeding that of single-dose kinase activity assays. We design experiments based on the model predictions and identify unexpected activities even for under-studied kinases, thereby accelerating experimental mapping efforts. The open-source prediction algorithms together with the bioactivities between 95 compounds and 295 kinases provide a resource for benchmarking prediction algorithms and for extending the druggable kinome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Cichońska
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Computer Science, Helsinki Institute for Information Technology (HIIT), Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
- Department of Computing, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Balaguru Ravikumar
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Fangping Wan
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Sungjoon Park
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Olexandr Isayev
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Shuya Li
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Michael Mason
- Computational Oncology, Sage Bionetworks, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Andrew Lamb
- Computational Oncology, Sage Bionetworks, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ziaurrehman Tanoli
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Minji Jeon
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunkyu Kim
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Mariya Popova
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Stephen Capuzzi
- Laboratory for Molecular Modeling, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jianyang Zeng
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Kristen Dang
- Computational Oncology, Sage Bionetworks, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Jaewoo Kang
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Carrow I Wells
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Timothy M Willson
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tudor I Oprea
- Translational Informatics Division and Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Avner Schlessinger
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - David H Drewry
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Krister Wennerberg
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Justin Guinney
- Computational Oncology, Sage Bionetworks, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Tero Aittokallio
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Computer Science, Helsinki Institute for Information Technology (HIIT), Aalto University, Espoo, Finland.
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
- Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
- Oslo Centre for Biostatistics and Epidemiology (OCBE), University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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6
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Baumann G, Meckel T, Böhm K, Shih YH, Dickhaut M, Reichardt T, Pilakowski J, Pehl U, Schmidt B. Illuminating a Dark Kinase: Structure-Guided Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of a Potent Nek1 Inhibitor and Its Effects on the Embryonic Zebrafish Pronephros. J Med Chem 2021; 65:1265-1282. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c02118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Georg Baumann
- Clemens Schöpf−Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Tobias Meckel
- Clemens Schöpf−Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Kevin Böhm
- Clemens Schöpf−Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Yung-Hsin Shih
- Clemens Schöpf−Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Mirco Dickhaut
- Clemens Schöpf−Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Torben Reichardt
- Clemens Schöpf−Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Johannes Pilakowski
- Clemens Schöpf−Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Ulrich Pehl
- Merck Healthcare KGaA, Biopharma R&D, Discovery and Development Technologies, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Boris Schmidt
- Clemens Schöpf−Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
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Elsocht M, Giron P, Maes L, Versées W, Gutierrez GJ, De Grève J, Ballet S. Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR) Study of Spautin-1 to Entail the Discovery of Novel NEK4 Inhibitors. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22020635. [PMID: 33435251 PMCID: PMC7827406 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Revised: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers accounting for the highest number of cancer-related deaths in the world. Despite significant progress including targeted therapies and immunotherapy, the treatment of advanced lung cancer remains challenging. Targeted therapies are highly efficacious at prolonging life, but not curative. In prior work we have identified Ubiquitin Specific Protease 13 (USP13) as a potential target to significantly enhance the efficacy of mutant EGFR inhibition. The current study aimed to develop lead molecules for the treatment of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by developing potent USP13 inhibitors initially starting from Spautin-1, the only available USP13 inhibitor. A SAR study was performed which revealed that increasing the chain length between the secondary amine and phenyl group and introducing a halogen capable of inducing a halogen bond at position 4' of the phenyl group, dramatically increased the activity. However, we could not confirm the binding between Spautin-1 (or its analogues) and USP13 using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) or thermal shift assay (TSA) but do not exclude binding under physiological conditions. Nevertheless, we found that the anti-proliferative activity displayed by Spautin-1 towards EGFR-mutant NSCLC cells in vitro was at least partially associated with kinase inhibition. In this work, we present N-[2-(substituted-phenyl)ethyl]-6-fluoro-4-quinazolinamines as promising lead compounds for the treatment of NSCLC. These analogues are significantly more effective towards EGFR-mutant NSCLC cells than Spautin-1 and act as potent never in mitosis A related kinase 4 (NEK4) inhibitors (IC50~1 µM) with moderate selectivity over other kinases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Elsocht
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences and Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Philippe Giron
- Laboratory of Medical and Molecular Oncology and Center of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (P.G.); (J.D.G.)
- Laboratory of Pathophysiological Cell Signalling (PACS), Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences and Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Laila Maes
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (L.M.); (W.V.)
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Wim Versées
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (L.M.); (W.V.)
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gustavo J. Gutierrez
- Laboratory of Pathophysiological Cell Signalling (PACS), Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences and Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Jacques De Grève
- Laboratory of Medical and Molecular Oncology and Center of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (P.G.); (J.D.G.)
| | - Steven Ballet
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences and Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +32-2-6293292
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Krahn AI, Wells C, Drewry DH, Beitel LK, Durcan TM, Axtman AD. Defining the Neural Kinome: Strategies and Opportunities for Small Molecule Drug Discovery to Target Neurodegenerative Diseases. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020; 11:1871-1886. [PMID: 32464049 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Kinases are highly tractable drug targets that have reached unparalleled success in fields such as cancer but whose potential has not yet been realized in neuroscience. There are currently 55 approved small molecule kinase-targeting drugs, 48 of which have an anticancer indication. The intrinsic complexity linked to central nervous system (CNS) drug development and a lack of validated targets has hindered progress in developing kinase inhibitors for CNS disorders when compared to other therapeutic areas such as oncology. Identification and/or characterization of new kinases as potential drug targets for neurodegenerative diseases will create opportunities for the development of CNS drugs in the future. The track record of kinase inhibitors in other disease indications supports the idea that with the best targets identified small molecule kinase modulators will become impactful therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases. This Review highlights the imminent need for new therapeutics to treat the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases as well as the promise of kinase inhibitors to address this need. With a focus on kinases that remain largely unexplored after decades of dedicated research in the kinase field, we offer specific examples of understudied kinases that are supported by patient-derived data as linked to Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and/or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Finally, we show literature-reported high-quality inhibitors for several understudied kinases and suggest other kinases that merit additional medicinal chemistry efforts to elucidate their therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea I. Krahn
- Early Drug Discovery Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 2B4
| | - Carrow Wells
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - David H. Drewry
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Lenore K. Beitel
- Early Drug Discovery Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 2B4
| | - Thomas M. Durcan
- Early Drug Discovery Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 2B4
| | - Alison D. Axtman
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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9
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Byrne MJ, Nasir N, Basmadjian C, Bhatia C, Cunnison RF, Carr KH, Mas-Droux C, Yeoh S, Cano C, Bayliss R. Nek7 conformational flexibility and inhibitor binding probed through protein engineering of the R-spine. Biochem J 2020; 477:1525-1539. [PMID: 32242624 PMCID: PMC7200626 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20200128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Nek7 is a serine/threonine-protein kinase required for proper spindle formation and cytokinesis. Elevated Nek7 levels have been observed in several cancers, and inhibition of Nek7 might provide a route to the development of cancer therapeutics. To date, no selective and potent Nek7 inhibitors have been identified. Nek7 crystal structures exhibit an improperly formed regulatory-spine (R-spine), characteristic of an inactive kinase. We reasoned that the preference of Nek7 to crystallise in this inactive conformation might hinder attempts to capture Nek7 in complex with Type I inhibitors. Here, we have introduced aromatic residues into the R-spine of Nek7 with the aim to stabilise the active conformation of the kinase through R-spine stacking. The strong R-spine mutant Nek7SRS retained catalytic activity and was crystallised in complex with compound 51, an ATP-competitive inhibitor of Nek2 and Nek7. Subsequently, we obtained the same crystal form for wild-type Nek7WT in apo form and bound to compound 51. The R-spines of the three well-ordered Nek7WT molecules exhibit variable conformations while the R-spines of the Nek7SRS molecules all have the same, partially stacked configuration. Compound 51 bound to Nek2 and Nek7 in similar modes, but differences in the precise orientation of a substituent highlights features that could be exploited in designing inhibitors that are selective for particular Nek family members. Although the SRS mutations are not required to obtain a Nek7-inhibitor structure, we conclude that it is a useful strategy for restraining the conformation of a kinase in order to promote crystallogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Byrne
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, U.K
| | - Nazia Nasir
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, U.K
| | - Christine Basmadjian
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, U.K
| | - Chitra Bhatia
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, U.K
| | - Rory F. Cunnison
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, U.K
| | - Katherine H. Carr
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, U.K
| | - Corine Mas-Droux
- Section of Structural Biology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, U.K
| | - Sharon Yeoh
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, U.K
| | - Céline Cano
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, U.K
| | - Richard Bayliss
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, U.K
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Peres de Oliveira A, Kazuo Issayama L, Betim Pavan IC, Riback Silva F, Diniz Melo-Hanchuk T, Moreira Simabuco F, Kobarg J. Checking NEKs: Overcoming a Bottleneck in Human Diseases. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25081778. [PMID: 32294979 PMCID: PMC7221840 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25081778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In previous years, several kinases, such as phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK), have been linked to important human diseases, although some kinase families remain neglected in terms of research, hiding their relevance to therapeutic approaches. Here, a review regarding the NEK family is presented, shedding light on important information related to NEKs and human diseases. NEKs are a large group of homologous kinases with related functions and structures that participate in several cellular processes such as the cell cycle, cell division, cilia formation, and the DNA damage response. The review of the literature points to the pivotal participation of NEKs in important human diseases, like different types of cancer, diabetes, ciliopathies and central nervous system related and inflammatory-related diseases. The different known regulatory molecular mechanisms specific to each NEK are also presented, relating to their involvement in different diseases. In addition, important information about NEKs remains to be elucidated and is highlighted in this review, showing the need for other studies and research regarding this kinase family. Therefore, the NEK family represents an important group of kinases with potential applications in the therapy of human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andressa Peres de Oliveira
- Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862, Brazil; (A.P.d.O.); (L.K.I.); (I.C.B.P.); (F.R.S.); (T.D.M.-H.)
| | - Luidy Kazuo Issayama
- Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862, Brazil; (A.P.d.O.); (L.K.I.); (I.C.B.P.); (F.R.S.); (T.D.M.-H.)
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-871, Brazil
| | - Isadora Carolina Betim Pavan
- Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862, Brazil; (A.P.d.O.); (L.K.I.); (I.C.B.P.); (F.R.S.); (T.D.M.-H.)
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-871, Brazil
- Laboratório Multidisciplinar em Alimentos e Saúde, Faculdade de Ciências Aplicadas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo 13484-350, Brazil;
| | - Fernando Riback Silva
- Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862, Brazil; (A.P.d.O.); (L.K.I.); (I.C.B.P.); (F.R.S.); (T.D.M.-H.)
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-871, Brazil
| | - Talita Diniz Melo-Hanchuk
- Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862, Brazil; (A.P.d.O.); (L.K.I.); (I.C.B.P.); (F.R.S.); (T.D.M.-H.)
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-871, Brazil
| | - Fernando Moreira Simabuco
- Laboratório Multidisciplinar em Alimentos e Saúde, Faculdade de Ciências Aplicadas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo 13484-350, Brazil;
| | - Jörg Kobarg
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-871, Brazil
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-19-3521-8143
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Melo-Hanchuk TD, Martins MB, Cunha LL, Soares FA, Ward LS, Vassallo J, Kobarg J. Expression of the NEK family in normal and cancer tissue: an immunohistochemical study. BMC Cancer 2020; 20:23. [PMID: 31906878 PMCID: PMC6945616 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-019-6408-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The NEK serine/threonine protein kinases are involved in cell cycle checkpoints, DNA damage repair, and apoptosis. Alterations in these pathways are frequently associated with cell malignant cellular transformations. Thyroid cancer is the most common malignant tumour in the endocrine system. Despite good treatment methods, the number of cases has increased significantly in recent years. Here, we studied the expression of NEK1, NEK2, NEK3, and NEK5 in different types of normal and malignant tissues, using tissue microarray analysis, and identified NEKs as potential markers in thyroid malignancy. METHODS The studied cases comprised multiple cancer tissue microarrays, including breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, lung, pancreas, prostate, stomach, thyroid and uterine cervix, as well as 281 patients who underwent thyroid resection for thyroid cancer or thyroid nodules. The expression of NEK1, NEK2, NEK3, and NEK5 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The expression pattern was evaluated in terms of intensity by two methods, semiquantitative and quantitative, and was compared between normal and cancer tissue. RESULTS We analysed the expression of each member of the NEK family in a tissue-dependent manner. Compared to normal tissue, most of the evaluated proteins showed lower expression in lung tumour. However, in the thyroid, the expression was higher in malignant tissue, especially for NEK 1, NEK3 and NEK5. Concerning characteristics of the thyroid tumour, such as aggressiveness, NEK1 expression was higher in tumours with multifocality and in patients with lymph node metastasis. NEK3 expression was stronger in patients with stage II, that involved metastasis. NEK5, on the other hand, showed high expression in patients with invasion and metastasis and in patients with tumour size > 4 cm. Furthermore, this work, demonstrated for the first time a high specificity and sensitivity of over-expression of NEK1 in classical and follicular variants of papillary thyroid cancer and NEK3 in tall-cell papillary thyroid cancer. CONCLUSION Taken together, the NEK protein kinases emerge as important proteins in thyroid cancer development and may help to identify malignancy and aggressiveness features during diagnosis. TRIAL REGISTRATION This study was retrospectively registered. www.accamargo.org.br/cientistas-pesquisadores/comite-de-etica-em-pequisa-cep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talita Diniz Melo-Hanchuk
- Departamento de Bioquímica e de Biologia Tecidual, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mariana Bonjiorno Martins
- Departamento de Bioquímica e de Biologia Tecidual, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucas Leite Cunha
- Laboratório de Genética Molecular do Câncer, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Laura Sterian Ward
- Laboratório de Genética Molecular do Câncer, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José Vassallo
- Departamento de Anatomia Patológica, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jörg Kobarg
- Departamento de Bioquímica e de Biologia Tecidual, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. .,Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas-UNICAMP, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Inst. de Biologia, Dep. Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual, Rua Monteiro Lobato 255, CEP 13083-862, Campinas-SP, Brazil.
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12
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De Donato M, Righino B, Filippetti F, Battaglia A, Petrillo M, Pirolli D, Scambia G, De Rosa MC, Gallo D. Identification and antitumor activity of a novel inhibitor of the NIMA-related kinase NEK6. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16047. [PMID: 30375481 PMCID: PMC6207720 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34471-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The NIMA (never in mitosis, gene A)-related kinase-6 (NEK6), which is implicated in cell cycle control and plays significant roles in tumorigenesis, is an attractive target for the development of novel anti-cancer drugs. Here we describe the discovery of a potent ATP site-directed inhibitor of NEK6 identified by virtual screening, adopting both structure- and ligand-based techniques. Using a homology-built model of NEK6 as well as the pharmacophoric features of known NEK6 inhibitors we identified novel binding scaffolds. Twenty-five compounds from the top ranking hits were subjected to in vitro kinase assays. The best compound, i.e. compound 8 ((5Z)-2-hydroxy-4-methyl-6-oxo-5-[(5-phenylfuran-2-yl)methylidene]-5,6-dihydropyridine-3-carbonitrile), was able to inhibit NEK6 with low micromolar IC50 value, also displaying antiproliferative activity against a panel of human cancer cell lines. Our results suggest that the identified inhibitor can be used as lead candidate for the development of novel anti-cancer agents, thus opening the possibility of new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta De Donato
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.,Department of Woman and Child Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Benedetta Righino
- Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Flavia Filippetti
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.,Department of Woman and Child Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Battaglia
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Petrillo
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.,Gynecologic and Obstetric Clinic, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Davide Pirolli
- Institute of Chemistry of Molecular Recognition (ICRM) - CNR, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Scambia
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.,Department of Woman and Child Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Daniela Gallo
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.,Department of Woman and Child Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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Cabrera DG, Horatscheck A, Wilson CR, Basarab G, Eyermann CJ, Chibale K. Plasmodial Kinase Inhibitors: License to Cure? J Med Chem 2018; 61:8061-8077. [PMID: 29771541 PMCID: PMC6166223 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
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Advances
in the genetics, function, and stage-specificity of Plasmodium kinases has driven robust efforts to identify
targets for the design of antimalarial therapies. Reverse genomics
following phenotypic screening against Plasmodia or
related parasites has uncovered vulnerable kinase targets including
PI4K, PKG, and GSK-3, an approach bolstered by access to human disease-directed
kinase libraries. Alternatively, screening compound libraries against Plasmodium kinases has successfully led to inhibitors with
antiplasmodial activity. As with other therapeutic areas, optimizing
compound ADMET and PK properties in parallel with target inhibitory
potency and whole cell activity becomes paramount toward advancing
compounds as clinical candidates. These and other considerations will
be discussed in the context of progress achieved toward deriving important,
novel mode-of-action kinase-inhibiting antimalarial medicines.
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