1
|
Na B, Shah SR, Vasudevan HN. Past, Present, and Future Therapeutic Strategies for NF-1-Associated Tumors. Curr Oncol Rep 2024; 26:706-713. [PMID: 38709422 PMCID: PMC11169015 DOI: 10.1007/s11912-024-01527-4] [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] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) is a cancer predisposition syndrome caused by mutations in the NF1 tumor suppressor gene that encodes the neurofibromin protein, which functions as a negative regulator of Ras signaling. We review the past, current, and future state of therapeutic strategies for tumors associated with NF-1. RECENT FINDINGS Therapeutic efforts for NF-1-associated tumors have centered around inhibiting Ras output, leading to the clinical success of downstream MEK inhibition for plexiform neurofibromas and low-grade gliomas. However, MEK inhibition and similar molecular monotherapy approaches that block Ras signaling do not work for all patients and show limited efficacy for more aggressive cancers such as malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors and high-grade gliomas, motivating novel treatment approaches. We highlight the current therapeutic landscape for NF-1-associated tumors, broadly categorizing treatment into past strategies for serial Ras pathway blockade, current approaches targeting parallel oncogenic and tumor suppressor pathways, and future avenues of investigation leveraging biologic and technical innovations in immunotherapy, pharmacology, and gene delivery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian Na
- Department of Neurology, UCLA Neuro-Oncology Program, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Shilp R Shah
- Samueli School of Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Harish N Vasudevan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Khan I, Kashani-Sabet M. Bromodomain inhibition targeting BPTF in the treatment of melanoma and other solid tumors. Clin Exp Metastasis 2024:10.1007/s10585-024-10265-7. [PMID: 38683257 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-024-10265-7] [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: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms have been shown to play an important role in the development of cancer. These include the activation of chromatin remodeling factors in various malignancies, including bromodomain plant homeodomain (PHD) finger transcription factor (BPTF), the largest component of the human nucleosome remodeling factor (NURF). In the last few years, BPTF has been identified as a pro-tumorigenic factor in melanoma, stimulated by research into the molecular mechanisms underlying BPTF function. Developing therapy targeting the BPTF bromodomain would represent a significant advance. Melanoma therapy has been revolutionized by the efficacy of immunotherapeutic and targeted strategies, but the development of drug resistance calls for alternative therapeutic approaches. Recent work has shown both a biomarker as well as functional role for BPTF in melanoma progression and as a possible target for its therapy. BPTF was shown to stimulate the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, which is targeted by selective BRAF inhibitors. The advent of small molecule inhibitors that target bromodomain motifs has shown that bromodomains are druggable. By combining the bromodomain inhibitor bromosporine with existing treatments that target mutant BRAF, BPTF targeting has emerged as a novel and promising therapeutic approach for metastatic melanoma. This article summarizes the functional role of BPTF in tumor progression, reviews the clinical experience to date with bromodomain inhibitors, and discusses the promise of BPTF targeting in melanoma and other solid tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Imran Khan
- California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, 475 Brannan St, Suite 130, San Francisco, CA, 94107, USA
| | - Mohammed Kashani-Sabet
- California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, 475 Brannan St, Suite 130, San Francisco, CA, 94107, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Cannon AC, Budagyan K, Uribe-Alvarez C, Kurimchak AM, Araiza-Olivera D, Cai KQ, Peri S, Zhou Y, Duncan JS, Chernoff J. Unique vulnerability of RAC1-mutant melanoma to combined inhibition of CDK9 and immune checkpoints. Oncogene 2024; 43:729-743. [PMID: 38243078 PMCID: PMC11157427 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-024-02947-z] [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: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
RAC1P29S is the third most prevalent hotspot mutation in sun-exposed melanoma. RAC1 alterations in cancer are correlated with poor prognosis, resistance to standard chemotherapy, and insensitivity to targeted inhibitors. Although RAC1P29S mutations in melanoma and RAC1 alterations in several other cancers are increasingly evident, the RAC1-driven biological mechanisms contributing to tumorigenesis remain unclear. Lack of rigorous signaling analysis has prevented identification of alternative therapeutic targets for RAC1P29S-harboring melanomas. To investigate the RAC1P29S-driven effect on downstream molecular signaling pathways, we generated an inducible RAC1P29S expression melanocytic cell line and performed RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) coupled with multiplexed kinase inhibitor beads and mass spectrometry (MIBs/MS) to establish enriched pathways from the genomic to proteomic level. Our proteogenomic analysis identified CDK9 as a potential new and specific target in RAC1P29S-mutant melanoma cells. In vitro, CDK9 inhibition impeded the proliferation of in RAC1P29S-mutant melanoma cells and increased surface expression of PD-L1 and MHC Class I proteins. In vivo, combining CDK9 inhibition with anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade significantly inhibited tumor growth only in melanomas that expressed the RAC1P29S mutation. Collectively, these results establish CDK9 as a novel target in RAC1-driven melanoma that can further sensitize the tumor to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexa C Cannon
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Konstantin Budagyan
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Cristina Uribe-Alvarez
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alison M Kurimchak
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Daniela Araiza-Olivera
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kathy Q Cai
- Histopathology Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Suraj Peri
- Biostatistics-Bioinformatics, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Merck, Bioinformatics Oncology Discovery, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yan Zhou
- Biostatistics-Bioinformatics, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - James S Duncan
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jonathan Chernoff
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Rana M, Kansal RG, Bisunke B, Fang J, Shibata D, Bajwa A, Yang J, Glazer ES. Bromo- and Extra-Terminal Domain Inhibitors Induce Mitochondrial Stress in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Mol Cancer Ther 2023; 22:936-946. [PMID: 37294884 PMCID: PMC10527726 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-23-0149] [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: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Identifying novel, unique, and personalized molecular targets for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains the greatest challenge in altering the biology of fatal tumors. Bromo- and extra-terminal domain (BET) proteins are activated in a noncanonical fashion by TGFβ, a ubiquitous cytokine in the PDAC tumor microenvironment (TME). We hypothesized that BET inhibitors (BETi) represent a new class of drugs that attack PDAC tumors via a novel mechanism. Using a combination of patient and syngeneic murine models, we investigated the effects of the BETi drug BMS-986158 on cellular proliferation, organoid growth, cell-cycle progression, and mitochondrial metabolic disruption. These were investigated independently and in combination with standard cytotoxic chemotherapy (gemcitabine + paclitaxel [GemPTX]). BMS-986158 reduced cell viability and proliferation across multiple PDAC cell lines in a dose-dependent manner, even more so in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy (P < 0.0001). We found that BMS-986158 reduced both human and murine PDAC organoid growth (P < 0.001), with associated perturbations in the cell cycle leading to cell-cycle arrest. BMS-986158 disrupts normal cancer-dependent mitochondrial function, leading to aberrant mitochondrial metabolism and stress via dysfunctional cellular respiration, proton leakage, and ATP production. We demonstrated mechanistic and functional data that BETi induces metabolic mitochondrial dysfunction, abrogating PDAC progression and proliferation, alone and in combination with systemic cytotoxic chemotherapies. This novel approach improves the therapeutic window in patients with PDAC and offers another treatment approach distinct from cytotoxic chemotherapy that targets cancer cell bioenergetics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manjul Rana
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN
| | - Rita G. Kansal
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN
| | - Bijay Bisunke
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN
| | - Jie Fang
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - David Shibata
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN
- Center for Cancer Research, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN
| | - Amandeep Bajwa
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN
- Transplant Research Institute, James D. Eason Transplant Institute, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN
- Department of Genetics, Genomics, and Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN
| | - Jun Yang
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
- Transplant Research Institute, James D. Eason Transplant Institute, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN
- Department of Genetics, Genomics, and Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
- St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Evan S. Glazer
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN
- Center for Cancer Research, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Cannon AC, Budagyan K, Uribe-Alvarez C, Kurimchak AM, Araiza-Olivera D, Cai KQ, Peri S, Zhou Y, Duncan JS, Chernoff J. Unique vulnerability of RAC1-mutant melanoma to combined inhibition of CDK9 and immune checkpoints. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.27.546707. [PMID: 37425776 PMCID: PMC10327161 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.27.546707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
RAC1P29S is the third most prevalent hotspot mutation in sun-exposed melanoma. RAC1 alterations in cancer are correlated with poor prognosis, resistance to standard chemotherapy, and insensitivity to targeted inhibitors. Although RAC1P29S mutations in melanoma and RAC1 alterations in several other cancers are increasingly evident, the RAC1-driven biological mechanisms contributing to tumorigenesis remain unclear. Lack of rigorous signaling analysis has prevented identification of alternative therapeutic targets for RAC1P29S-harboring melanomas. To investigate the RAC1P29S-driven effect on downstream molecular signaling pathways, we generated an inducible RAC1P29S expression melanocytic cell line and performed RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) coupled with multiplexed kinase inhibitor beads and mass spectrometry (MIBs/MS) to establish enriched pathways from the genomic to proteomic level. Our proteogenomic analysis identified CDK9 as a potential new and specific target in RAC1P29S-mutant melanoma cells. In vitro, CDK9 inhibition impeded the proliferation of in RAC1P29S-mutant melanoma cells and increased surface expression of PD-L1 and MHC Class I proteins. In vivo, combining CDK9 inhibition with anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade significantly inhibited tumor growth only in melanomas that expressed the RAC1P29S mutation. Collectively, these results establish CDK9 as a novel target in RAC1-driven melanoma that can further sensitize the tumor to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexa C Cannon
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Konstantin Budagyan
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Cristina Uribe-Alvarez
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Alison M Kurimchak
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Daniela Araiza-Olivera
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Kathy Q Cai
- Histopathology Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Suraj Peri
- Biostatistics-Bioinformatics, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
- Current Affiliation: Merck, Bioinformatics Oncology Discovery, Boston, MA
| | - Yan Zhou
- Biostatistics-Bioinformatics, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
| | - James S Duncan
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Jonathan Chernoff
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Warstat R, Pervaiz M, Regenass P, Amann M, Schmidtkunz K, Einsle O, Jung M, Breit B, Hügle M, Günther S. A novel pan-selective bromodomain inhibitor for epigenetic drug design. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 249:115139. [PMID: 36736153 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115139] [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: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
For a long time, the development of bromodomain (BD) inhibitors (BDi) was almost exclusively related to the BET family. More recently, BDi for BDs outside the BET family have also been developed. Here we present a novel pan-BDi with micromolar affinities to various BDs, and nanomolar affinities to representatives of BD families I, II (Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal Domain (BET) family), III, and IV. The inhibitor shows a broad activity profile with nanomolar growth inhibition (GI50) values on various cancer cell lines. Subsequently, we were able to control the selectivity of the inhibitor by simple modifications and turned it into a highly selective BRD9 inhibitor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robin Warstat
- Institut für Organische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 21, D-79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Mehrosh Pervaiz
- Institut für Pharmazeutische Wissenschaften, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 9, D-79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Pierre Regenass
- Institut für Organische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 21, D-79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Marius Amann
- Institut für Pharmazeutische Wissenschaften, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 9, D-79104, Freiburg, Germany; Institut für Biochemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 21, D-79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Karin Schmidtkunz
- Institut für Pharmazeutische Wissenschaften, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 25, D-79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Einsle
- Institut für Biochemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 21, D-79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Manfred Jung
- Institut für Pharmazeutische Wissenschaften, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 25, D-79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Breit
- Institut für Organische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 21, D-79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Martin Hügle
- Institut für Pharmazeutische Wissenschaften, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 9, D-79104, Freiburg, Germany; Institut für Biochemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 21, D-79104, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Stefan Günther
- Institut für Pharmazeutische Wissenschaften, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 9, D-79104, Freiburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|