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Li MC, Lai YL, Kuo PH, Reddy JS, Chen CM, Manimala J, Wang PC, Wu MS, Chang CY, Yang CM, Lin CY, Huang YC, Chiu CH, Chang L, Lin WH, Yeh TK, Yen WC, Hsieh HP. Discovery of Dual MER/AXL Kinase Inhibitors as Bifunctional Small Molecules for Inhibiting Tumor Growth and Enhancing Tumor Immune Microenvironment. J Med Chem 2024. [PMID: 38913493 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
A series of bifunctional compounds have been discovered for their dual functionality as MER/AXL inhibitors and immune modulators. The furanopyrimidine scaffold, renowned for its suitability in kinase inhibitor discovery, offers at least three distinct pharmacophore access points. Insights from molecular modeling studies guided hit-to-lead optimization, which revealed that the 1,3-diketone side chain hybridized with furanopyrimidine scaffold that respectively combined amino-type substituent and 1H-pyrazol-4-yl substituent on the top and bottom of the aryl regions to produce 22 and 33, exhibiting potent antitumor activities in various syngeneic and xenograft models. More importantly, 33 demonstrated remarkable immune-modulating activity by upregulating the expression of total T-cells, cytotoxic CD8+ T-cells, and helper CD4+ T-cells in the spleen. These findings underscored the bifunctional capabilities of 33 (BPR5K230) with excellent oral bioavailability (F = 54.6%), inhibiting both MER and AXL while modulating the tumor microenvironment and highlighting its diverse applicability for further studies to advance its therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mu-Chun Li
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
- Biomedical Translation Research Center (BioTReC), Academia Sinica, Taipei City 115202, Taiwan, ROC
| | - You-Liang Lai
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Po-Hsien Kuo
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Julakanti Satyanarayana Reddy
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chih-Ming Chen
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Julakanti Manimala
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Pei-Chen Wang
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ming-Shiem Wu
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chun-Yu Chang
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chen-Ming Yang
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chin-Yu Lin
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yu-Chen Huang
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chun-Hsien Chiu
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ling Chang
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Wen-Hsing Lin
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Teng-Kuang Yeh
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Wan-Ching Yen
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Hsing-Pang Hsieh
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350401, Taiwan, ROC
- Biomedical Translation Research Center (BioTReC), Academia Sinica, Taipei City 115202, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu City 300044, Taiwan, ROC
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2
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Sinha S, Guo R, Del Busso MD, Han W, Boysen J, Wellik LE, Ghosh AK, Kay NE. Aberrant activation of AXL may drive progression of squamous cell carcinoma in CLL patients: a mechanistic study with clinical implications. Br J Cancer 2024:10.1038/s41416-024-02752-1. [PMID: 38886556 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-024-02752-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Occurrence of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) even in early-stage, untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients can be a significant morbidity issue with occasional transformation into metastatic skin lesions. METHODS CLL cells and extracellular vesicles (EVs) from CLL patients' blood/plasma were purified and used. Expression/activation of AXL and its functions in normal keratinocytes (HEKa) were assessed in vitro co-culture system and in SCC tissues. RESULTS We detected aberrant activation of AXL, AKT and ERK-1/2 in SCC cell lines compared to HEKa. We also detected increased expression of AXL in primary SCC tissues obtained from CLL patients. Increased activation of AXL, AKT, ERK-1/2 and Src was discernible in HEKa upon co-culturing with CLL cells. Further analysis suggests that Gas6, a ligand of AXL, regulates AXL activation in co-cultured HEKa. Interestingly, exposure of HEKa cells to CLL plasma-derived EVs induced expression of AXL, P-AKT, and EMT-associated markers leading to migration of the cells. Finally, pharmacologic inhibition of AXL induced cell death in SCC lines in a dose dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS Our findings that CLL cells likely are involved in driving SCC progression, at least in part, via activation of the AXL signaling axis, indicating that AXL inhibition may be beneficial for our CLL patients with SCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sutapa Sinha
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
| | - Ray Guo
- Division of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | - Weiguo Han
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Justin Boysen
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Asish K Ghosh
- Stephenson Cancer Center and Department of Pathology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Neil E Kay
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
- Department of Immunology Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
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3
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De Rosa L, Di Stasi R, Fusco V, D'Andrea LD. AXL receptor as an emerging molecular target in colorectal cancer. Drug Discov Today 2024; 29:104005. [PMID: 38685399 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2024.104005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
AXL receptor tyrosine kinase (AXL) is a receptor tyrosine kinase whose aberrant expression has recently been associated with colorectal cancer (CRC), contributing to tumor growth, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), increased invasiveness, metastatic spreading, and the development of drug resistance. In this review we summarize preclinical data, the majority of which are limited to recent years, convincingly linking the AXL receptor to CRC. These findings support the value of targeting AXL with molecules in drug discovery, offering novel and advanced therapeutic or diagnostic tools for CRC management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia De Rosa
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, via P. Castellino, 111 - 80131 Naples, Italy.
| | - Rossella Di Stasi
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, via P. Castellino, 111 - 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Virginia Fusco
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, via P. Castellino, 111 - 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Luca D D'Andrea
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche 'G. Natta', CNR, via M. Bianco, 9 - 20131 Milan, Italy.
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4
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Estevam GO, Linossi EM, Macdonald CB, Espinoza CA, Michaud JM, Coyote-Maestas W, Collisson EA, Jura N, Fraser JS. Conserved regulatory motifs in the juxtamembrane domain and kinase N-lobe revealed through deep mutational scanning of the MET receptor tyrosine kinase domain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.08.03.551866. [PMID: 37577651 PMCID: PMC10418267 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.03.551866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
MET is a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) responsible for initiating signaling pathways involved in development and wound repair. MET activation relies on ligand binding to the extracellular receptor, which prompts dimerization, intracellular phosphorylation, and recruitment of associated signaling proteins. Mutations, which are predominantly observed clinically in the intracellular juxtamembrane and kinase domains, can disrupt typical MET regulatory mechanisms. Understanding how juxtamembrane variants, such as exon 14 skipping (METΔEx14), and rare kinase domain mutations can increase signaling, often leading to cancer, remains a challenge. Here, we perform a parallel deep mutational scan (DMS) of the MET intracellular kinase domain in two fusion protein backgrounds: wild type and METΔEx14. Our comparative approach has revealed a critical hydrophobic interaction between a juxtamembrane segment and the kinase αC-helix, pointing to potential differences in regulatory mechanisms between MET and other RTKs. Additionally, we have uncovered a β5 motif that acts as a structural pivot for the kinase domain in MET and other TAM family of kinases. We also describe a number of previously unknown activating mutations, aiding the effort to annotate driver, passenger, and drug resistance mutations in the MET kinase domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella O. Estevam
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco,United States
- Tetrad Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Edmond M. Linossi
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, United States
| | - Christian B. Macdonald
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco,United States
| | - Carla A. Espinoza
- Tetrad Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, United States
| | - Jennifer M. Michaud
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco,United States
| | - Willow Coyote-Maestas
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco,United States
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, United States, United States
| | - Eric A. Collisson
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, United States
- Department of Medicine/Hematology and Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, United States
| | - Natalia Jura
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, United States
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, United States, United States
| | - James S. Fraser
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco,United States
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, United States, United States
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5
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Zhang C, Liu F, Zhang Y, Song C. Macrocycles and macrocyclization in anticancer drug discovery: Important pieces of the puzzle. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 268:116234. [PMID: 38401189 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Increasing disease-related proteins have been identified as novel therapeutic targets. Macrocycles are emerging as potential solutions, bridging the gap between conventional small molecules and biomacromolecules in drug discovery. Inspired by successful macrocyclic drugs of natural origins, macrocycles are attracting more attention for enhanced binding affinity and target selectivity. Due to the conformation constraint and structure preorganization, macrocycles can reach bioactive conformations more easily than parent acyclic compounds. Also, rational macrocyclization combined with sequent structural modification will help improve oral bioavailability and combat drug resistance. This review introduces various strategies to enhance membrane permeability in macrocyclization and subsequent modification, such as N-methylation, intramolecular hydrogen bonding modulation, isomerization, and reversible bicyclization. Several case studies highlight macrocyclic inhibitors targeting kinases, HDAC, and protein-protein interactions. Finally, some macrocyclic agents targeting tumor microenvironments are illustrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Zhang
- Laboratory for Food and Medicine Homologous Natural Resources Development and Utilization, Belgorod College of Food Sciences, Dezhou University, Dezhou, 253023, China
| | - Fenfen Liu
- Laboratory for Food and Medicine Homologous Natural Resources Development and Utilization, Belgorod College of Food Sciences, Dezhou University, Dezhou, 253023, China
| | - Youming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China.
| | - Chun Song
- Laboratory for Food and Medicine Homologous Natural Resources Development and Utilization, Belgorod College of Food Sciences, Dezhou University, Dezhou, 253023, China; State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China.
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6
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Wang L, An Y, Wei X, Huang X, Tu Y, Qiao L, Zhu W. In silico screening combined with bioactivity evaluation to identify AMI-1 as a novel anticancer compound by targeting AXL. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-13. [PMID: 37691424 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2255654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Recently, some studies have proven that AXL plays a crucial role in the drug resistance of tumors. At present, no AXL inhibitors on the market and it is essential to discover novel compounds targeting AXL to overcome resistance. In this work, based on the anchor structure, 21,313 compounds were obtained by substructure search from more than 400,000 compounds. Then, the Qvina and Ledock were selected for virtual screening to obtain 17 compounds. Next, four compounds (ARRY614, AMI-1, NG25, and Butein) were selected for bioactivity evaluation after hydrogen bond and cluster analysis. Further activity evaluation suggested that the compound AMI-1 is a novel AXL inhibitor with an IC50 value of 1.13 uM. In addition, molecular dynamics simulation demonstrated that compound AMI-1 contained lower binding energy and more key residues than the other three compounds, showing the best inhibitory activity against AXL. Finally, further MM/PBSA prediction showed that AMI-1 is more sensitive to mutant protein 3IKA than wildtype protein 1M17, which means that the AMI-1 may be helpful to overcome the resistance of EGFRT790M mutations. In conclusion, this work successfully discovered a novel compound with moderate inhibitory activity against AXL by a drug discovery workflow, which also could be applied to discover active compounds for other targets quickly.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linxiao Wang
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi Science & Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Yufeng An
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi Science & Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Xiongpiao Wei
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi Science & Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Xiaoling Huang
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi Science & Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Yuanbiao Tu
- Cancer Research Center, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, China
| | - Lukai Qiao
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi Science & Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Wufu Zhu
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi Science & Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
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7
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Bhujbal SP, Hah JM. An Intriguing Purview on the Design of Macrocyclic Inhibitors for Unexplored Protein Kinases through Their Binding Site Comparison. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1009. [PMID: 37513921 PMCID: PMC10386424 DOI: 10.3390/ph16071009] [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: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Kinases play an important role in regulating various intracellular signaling pathways that control cell proliferation, differentiation, survival, and other cellular processes, and their deregulation causes more than 400 diseases. Consequently, macrocyclization can be considered a noteworthy approach to developing new therapeutic agents for human diseases. Macrocyclization has emerged as an effective drug discovery strategy over the past decade to improve target selectivity and potency of small molecules. Small compounds with linear structures upon macrocyclization can lead to changes in their physicochemical and biological properties by firmly reducing conformational flexibility. A number of distinct protein kinases exhibit similar binding sites. Comparison of protein binding sites provides crucial insights for drug discovery and development. Binding site similarities are helpful in understanding polypharmacology, identifying potential off-targets, and repurposing known drugs. In this review, we focused on comparing the binding sites of those kinases for which macrocyclic inhibitors are available/studied so far. Furthermore, we calculated the volume of the binding site pocket for each targeted kinase and then compared it with the binding site pocket of the kinase for which only acyclic inhibitors were designed to date. Our review and analysis of several explored kinases might be useful in targeting new protein kinases for macrocyclic drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swapnil P Bhujbal
- College of Pharmacy, Hanyang University, Ansan 426-791, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan 426-791, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Mi Hah
- College of Pharmacy, Hanyang University, Ansan 426-791, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan 426-791, Republic of Korea
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8
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Vasina M, Kovar D, Damborsky J, Ding Y, Yang T, deMello A, Mazurenko S, Stavrakis S, Prokop Z. In-depth analysis of biocatalysts by microfluidics: An emerging source of data for machine learning. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 66:108171. [PMID: 37150331 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, the vastly increasing demand for novel biotechnological products is supported by the continuous development of biocatalytic applications which provide sustainable green alternatives to chemical processes. The success of a biocatalytic application is critically dependent on how quickly we can identify and characterize enzyme variants fitting the conditions of industrial processes. While miniaturization and parallelization have dramatically increased the throughput of next-generation sequencing systems, the subsequent characterization of the obtained candidates is still a limiting process in identifying the desired biocatalysts. Only a few commercial microfluidic systems for enzyme analysis are currently available, and the transformation of numerous published prototypes into commercial platforms is still to be streamlined. This review presents the state-of-the-art, recent trends, and perspectives in applying microfluidic tools in the functional and structural analysis of biocatalysts. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of available technologies, their reproducibility and robustness, and readiness for routine laboratory use. We also highlight the unexplored potential of microfluidics to leverage the power of machine learning for biocatalyst development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Vasina
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - David Kovar
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Damborsky
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Yun Ding
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Tianjin Yang
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland; Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andrew deMello
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Stanislav Mazurenko
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Stavros Stavrakis
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Zbynek Prokop
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic.
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9
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Lambo DJ, Lebedenko CG, McCallum PA, Banerjee IA. Molecular dynamics, MMGBSA, and docking studies of natural products conjugated to tumor-targeted peptide for targeting BRAF V600E and MERTK receptors. Mol Divers 2023; 27:389-423. [PMID: 35505173 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-022-10430-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have revealed that MERTK and BRAF V600E receptors have been found to be over-expressed in several types of cancers including melanoma, making these receptors targets for drug design. In this study, we have designed novel peptide conjugates with the natural products vanillic acid, thiazole-2-carboxylic acid, cinnamic acid, theanine, and protocatechuic acid. Each of these compounds was conjugated with the tumor targeting peptide sequence TAASGVRSMH, known to bind to NG2 and target tumor neovasculature. We examined their binding affinities and stability with MERTK and BRAF V600E receptors using molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies. Compared to the neat compounds, the peptide conjugates displayed higher binding affinity toward both receptors. In the case of MERTK, the most stable complexes were formed with di-theaninate-peptide, vanillate-peptide, and thiazole-2-amido peptide conjugates and binding occurred in the hinge region. Additionally, it was discovered that the peptide alone also had high binding ability and stability with the MERTK receptor. In the case of BRAF V600E, the peptide conjugates of protocatechuate, vanillate and thiazole-2-amido peptide conjugates showed the formation of the most stable complexes and binding occurred in the ATP binding cleft. Further analysis revealed that the number of hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions played a critical role in enhanced stability of the complexes. Docking studies also revealed that binding affinities for NG2 were similar to MERTK and higher for BRAF V600E. MMGBSA studies of the trajectories revealed that the protocatechuate-peptide conjugate showed the highest binding energy with BRAF V600E while the peptide-TAASGVRSMH showed the highest binding energy with MERTK. ADME studies revealed that each of the compounds showed medium to high permeability toward MDCK cells and were not hERG blockers. Furthermore, the conjugates were not CYP inhibitors or substrates, but they were found to be Pgp substrates. Our results indicated that the protocatechuate-TAASGVRSMH, thiazole-2-amido-TAASGVRSMH, and vanillate-TAASGVRSMH conjugates may be furthered developed for in vitro and in vivo studies as novel tumor targeting compounds for tumor cells over-expressing BRAF V600E, while di-theaninate-amido-TAASGVRSMH and thiazole-2-amido-TAASGVRSMH conjugates may be developed for targeting MERTK receptors. These studies provide insight into the molecular interactions of natural product-peptide conjugates and their potential for binding to and targeting MERTK and BRAF V600E receptors in developing new therapeutics for targeting cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic J Lambo
- Department of Chemistry, Fordham University, 441 E. Fordham Rd, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA
| | - Charlotta G Lebedenko
- Department of Chemistry, Fordham University, 441 E. Fordham Rd, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA
| | - Paige A McCallum
- Department of Chemistry, Fordham University, 441 E. Fordham Rd, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA
| | - Ipsita A Banerjee
- Department of Chemistry, Fordham University, 441 E. Fordham Rd, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA.
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10
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Zhan Z, Ji Y, Su H, Fang C, Peng X, Liu Q, Dai Y, Lin D, Xu Y, Ai J, Duan W. Discovery of 10 H-Benzo[ b]pyrido[2,3- e][1,4]oxazine AXL Inhibitors via Structure-Based Drug Design Targeting c-Met Kinase. J Med Chem 2023; 66:220-234. [PMID: 36524812 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Receptor tyrosine kinase AXL exerts pivotal roles in cancer cell survival, metastasis, and drug resistance. Pharmacologic or genetic targeting of the aberrant AXL signaling has proven preferable antitumor efficacies in both preclinical and clinical studies, which highlights AXL as an attractive antitumor drug target. By conformational restriction of the anilinopyrimidine 10e and systematic structure-activity relationship (SAR) exploration, we discovered 10H-benzo[b]pyrido[2,3-e][1,4]oxazine 16j as a potent and orally bioavailable AXL inhibitor. As a type II AXL inhibitor, compound 16j displayed about 15-fold selectivity for AXL over its highly homologous kinase c-Met. And it significantly blocked cellular AXL signaling, inhibited AXL-mediated cell proliferation, and impaired growth arrest-specific protein 6 (Gas6)/AXL-stimulated cell migration and invasion. Moreover, 16j exhibited significant antitumor efficacy in AXL-driven xenograft model at a well-tolerant dosage, causing tumor stasis or regression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengsheng Zhan
- Small-Molecule Drug Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, P. R. China
| | - Yinchun Ji
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, P. R. China
| | - Haixia Su
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research and Drug Discovery and Design Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, P. R. China
| | - Chen Fang
- Small-Molecule Drug Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, P. R. China.,School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Xia Peng
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Qiufeng Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research and Drug Discovery and Design Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, P. R. China
| | - Yang Dai
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, P. R. China
| | - Dongze Lin
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, P. R. China
| | - Yechun Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research and Drug Discovery and Design Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China.,School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, P. R. China
| | - Jing Ai
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China.,Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study (UCAS), Hangzhou 310024, P. R. China
| | - Wenhu Duan
- Small-Molecule Drug Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, P. R. China.,School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
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11
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Naresh GKRS, Guruprasad L. Dynamic conformational states of apo, ATP and cabozantinib bound TAM kinases to differentiate active-inactive kinetic models. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:11394-11414. [PMID: 36591700 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2162128] [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: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The dynamically active and inactive conformations of kinases play a crucial role in the activation of intracellular downstream signaling pathways. The all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at microsecond (µs) timescale and longer provide robust insights into the structural details of conformational alterations in kinases that contribute to their cellular metabolic activities and signaling pathways. Tyro3, Axl and Mer (TAM) receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are overexpressed in several types of human cancers. Cabozantinib, a small molecule inhibitor constrains the activity of TAM kinases at nanomolar concentrations. The apo, complexes of ATP (active state) and cabozantinib (active and inactive states) with TAM RTKs were studied by 1 µs MD simulations followed by trajectory analyses. The dynamic mechanistic pathways intrinsic to the kinase activity and protein conformational landscape in the cabozantinib bound TAM kinases are revealed due to the alterations in the P-loop, α-helix and activation loop that result in breaking the regulatory (R) and catalytic (C) spines, while the active states of ATP bound TAM kinases are retained. The co-existence of dynamical states when bound to cabozantinib was observed and the long-lived kinetic transition states of distinct active and inactive structural models were deciphered from MD simulation trajectories that have not been revealed so far.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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12
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Wu S, Liao M, Li M, Sun M, Xi N, Zeng Y. Structure-based discovery of potent inhibitors of Axl: design, synthesis, and biological evaluation. RSC Med Chem 2022; 13:1246-1264. [PMID: 36325401 PMCID: PMC9579923 DOI: 10.1039/d2md00153e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Commonly overexpressed in many cancers and associated with tumor growth, metastasis, drug resistance, and poor overall survival, Axl has emerged as a promising target for cancer therapy. However, the availability of new chemical forms for Axl inhibition is limited. Herein, we present the development and characterization of novel Axl inhibitors, including the design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationships (SARs) of a series of diphenylpyrimidine-diamine derivatives. Most of these compounds exhibited remarkable activity against the Axl kinase. In particular, the promising compound m16 showed the highest enzymatic inhibitory potency (IC50 = 5 nM) and blocked multiple tumor cells' proliferation potencies (the CC50 of 4 out of 42 cancer cell lines <100 nM). Furthermore, compound m16 also possessed preferable pharmacokinetic profiles and liver microsome stability. All these favorable results make m16 a good leading therapeutic candidate for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Wu
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Traditional Chinese Medicine Research (Ministry of Education of China), Hunan Normal University Changsha 410081 PR China
- Ningbo University School of Medicine 818 Fenghua Road Ningbo Zhejiang 315211 China
- Sunshine Lake Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd Dongyangguang Hi-tech Park Dongguan Guangdong 523871 China
| | - Min Liao
- Sunshine Lake Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd Dongyangguang Hi-tech Park Dongguan Guangdong 523871 China
- School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University Nanning 530004 China
| | - Minxiong Li
- Sunshine Lake Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd Dongyangguang Hi-tech Park Dongguan Guangdong 523871 China
| | - Mingming Sun
- Ningbo University School of Medicine 818 Fenghua Road Ningbo Zhejiang 315211 China
- Sunshine Lake Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd Dongyangguang Hi-tech Park Dongguan Guangdong 523871 China
| | - Ning Xi
- Ningbo University School of Medicine 818 Fenghua Road Ningbo Zhejiang 315211 China
- Sunshine Lake Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd Dongyangguang Hi-tech Park Dongguan Guangdong 523871 China
| | - Youlin Zeng
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Traditional Chinese Medicine Research (Ministry of Education of China), Hunan Normal University Changsha 410081 PR China
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13
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Malvankar C, Kumar D. AXL kinase inhibitors- A prospective model for medicinal chemistry strategies in anticancer drug discovery. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2022; 1877:188786. [PMID: 36058379 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2022.188786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Deviant expressions of the tyrosine kinase AXL receptor are strongly correlated with a plethora of malignancies. Henceforth, the topic of targeting AXL is beginning to gain prominence due to mounting evidence of the protein's substantial connection to poor prognosis and treatment resistance. This year marked a milestone in clinical testing for AXL as an anti-carcinogenic target, with the start of the first AXL-branded inhibitor study. It is critical to emphasize that AXL is a primary and secondary target in various kinase inhibitors that have been approved or are on the verge of being approved while interpreting the present benefits and future potential effects of AXL suppression in the clinical setting. Several research arenas across the globe resolutely affirm the crucial significance of AXL receptors in the case study of several pathophysiologies including AML, prostate cancer, and breast cancer. This review endeavors to delve deeply into the biological, chemical, and structural features of AXL kinase; primary AXL inhibitors that target the enzyme (either purposefully or unintentionally); and the prospects and barriers for turning AXL inhibitors into a feasible treatment alternative. Furthermore, we analyse the co-crystal structure of AXL, which remains extensively unexplored, as well as the mutations of AXL that may be valuable in the development of novel inhibitors in the upcoming future and take a comprehensive look at the medicinal chemistry of AXL inhibitors of recent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinmay Malvankar
- Poona College of Pharmacy, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be) University, Pune, Maharashtra 411038, India
| | - Dileep Kumar
- Poona College of Pharmacy, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be) University, Pune, Maharashtra 411038, India; Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA; UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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14
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Salunke MA, Wakure BS, Wakte PS. High-resolution liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (HR-LCMS) assisted phytochemical profiling and an assessment of anticancer activities of Gracilaria foliifera and Turbinaria conoides using in vitro and molecular docking analysis. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022:1-16. [PMID: 35975591 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2108495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Marine algae's, owing to diverse range of secondary metabolites, opening up the new avenues in new drug development and can be used efficiently in anticancer research. Two seaweeds Gracilaria foliifera and Turbinaria conoides are subjected to phytochemical investigation by HR-LCMS and NMR which confirms presence of different bioactive compounds. The cytotoxicity of the dichloromethane (DCM) fraction of Gracilaria foliifera and Turbinaria conoides was determined using an in vitro methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) test and showed considerable dose-dependent cytotoxicity on tumour cell lines. In MCF7, Gracilaria foliifera had an IC50 of 100 μg/ml, while Turbinaria conoides had an IC50 of 200 μg/ml and both the DCM fraction had IC50 values of 100 μg/ml in the A549 cell line. MTT assay for anticancer activity suggest that Gracilaria foliifera has potent anticancer activity in both breast and lung cell lines, while the DCM fraction of Turbinaria conoides has potent activity in lung cell lines and moderate activity in breast cell lines. The anticancer effects of the discovered drugs targeting the most prevalent enzymes VEGFR and AXL tyrosine kinases were confirmed using a computational technique. We believe that residues from VEGFR, like Lys868, Asn923, Asp1046, and Phe1047 and Asp690 from Axl kinase may have contributed to the plausible anti-cancer benefit seen in this study. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohini Anandrao Salunke
- University Department of Chemical Technology, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India
| | - Balaji Sopanrao Wakure
- VDF School of Pharmacy, Vilasrao Deshmukh Foundation, Group of Institutions, Latur, Maharashtra, India
| | - Pravin Shridhar Wakte
- University Department of Chemical Technology, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India
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15
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HR-LCMS assisted phytochemical screening and an assessment of anticancer activity of Sargassum Squarrossum and Dictyota Dichotoma using in vitro and molecular docking approaches. J Mol Struct 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2022.133833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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16
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Bhojwani HR, Joshi UJ. Homology Modelling, Docking-based Virtual Screening, ADME Properties, and Molecular Dynamics Simulation for Identification of Probable Type II Inhibitors of AXL Kinase. LETT DRUG DES DISCOV 2022. [DOI: 10.2174/1570180818666211004102043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background:
AXL kinase is an important member of the TAM family for kinases which is
involved in most cancers. Considering its role in different cancers due to its pro-tumorigenic effects and its
involvement in the resistance, it has gained importance recently. Majority of research carried out is on Type I
inhibitors and limited studies have been carried out for Type II inhibitors. Taking this into consideration, we
have attempted to build Homology models to identify the Type II inhibitors for the AXL kinase.
Methods:
Homology Models for DFG-out C-helix-in/out state were developed using SWISS Model,
PRIMO, and Prime. These models were validated by different methods and further evaluated for stability
by molecular dynamics simulation using Desmond software. Selected models PED1-EB and PEDI1-EB
were used for the docking-based virtual screening of four compound libraries using Glide software. The
hits identified were subjected to interaction analysis and shortlisted compounds were subjected to Prime
MM-GBSA studies for energy calculation. These compounds were also docked in the DFG-in state to
check for binding and elimination of any compounds that may not be Type II inhibitors. The Prime energies
were calculated for these complexes as well and some compounds were eliminated. ADMET studies
were carried out using Qikprop. Some selected compounds were subjected to molecular dynamics simulation
using Desmond for evaluating the stability of the complexes.
Results:
Out of 78 models inclusive of both DFG-out C-helix-in and DFG-out C-helix-out, 5 models were
identified after different types of evaluation as well as validation studies. 1 model representing each type
(PED1-EB and PEDI1-EB) was selected for the screening studies. The screening studies resulted in the
identification of 29 compounds from the screen on PED1-EB and 10 compounds from the screen on
PEDI1-EB. Hydrogen bonding interactions with Pro621, Met623, and Asp690 were observed for these
compounds primarily. In some compounds, hydrogen bonding with Leu542, Glu544, Lys567, and
Asn677 as well as pi-pi stacking interactions with either Phe622 or Phe691 were also seen. 4 compounds
identified from PED1-EB screen were subjected to molecular dynamics simulation and their interactions
were found to be consistent during the simulation. 2 compounds identified from PEDI1-EB screen were
also subjected to the simulation studies, however, their interactions with Asp690 were not observed for a
significant time and in both cases differed from the docked pose.
Conclusion:
Multiple models of DFG-out conformations of AXL kinase were built, validated and used
for virtual screening. Different compounds were identified in the virtual screening, which may possibly
act as Type II inhibitors for AXL kinase. Some more experimental studies can be done to validate these
findings in future. This study will play a guiding role in the further development of the newer Type II
inhibitors of the AXL kinase for the probable treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heena R. Bhojwani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Principal K.M. Kundnani College of Pharmacy, Colaba, Cuffe Parade,
Mumbai 400005, India
| | - Urmila J. Joshi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Principal K.M. Kundnani College of Pharmacy, Colaba, Cuffe Parade,
Mumbai 400005, India
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17
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Fragment-based lead discovery of indazole-based compounds as AXL kinase inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem 2021; 49:116437. [PMID: 34600239 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2021.116437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
AXL is a member of the TAM (TYRO3, AXL, MER) subfamily of receptor tyrosine kinases. It is upregulated in a variety of cancers and its overexpression is associated with poor disease prognosis and acquired drug resistance. Utilizing a fragment-based lead discovery approach, a new indazole-based AXL inhibitor was obtained. The indazole fragment hit 11, identified through a high concentration biochemical screen, was expeditiously improved to fragment 24 by screening our in-house expanded library of fragments (ELF) collection. Subsequent fragment optimization guided by docking studies provided potent inhibitor 54 with moderate exposure levels in mice. X-ray crystal structure of analog 50 complexed with the I650M mutated kinase domain of Mer revealed the key binding interactions for the scaffold. The good potency coupled with reasonable kinase selectivity, moderate in vivo exposure levels, and availability of structural information for the series makes it a suitable starting point for further optimization efforts.
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18
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Li P, Niu Y, Li S, Zu X, Xiao M, Yin L, Feng J, He J, Shen Y. Identification of an AXL kinase inhibitor in triple-negative breast cancer by structure-based virtual screening and bioactivity test. Chem Biol Drug Des 2021; 99:222-232. [PMID: 34679238 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.13977] [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: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that occurs in the glandular epithelium of the breast, and more than 15% of the patients are triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Therefore, finding new targets and targeted therapeutic drugs for TNBC is urgent. Overexpression of the AXL is associated with motility and invasiveness of the TNBC cells, which is a potential target for breast cancer therapy. A compound Y041-5921 (IC50 = 6.069 μm for AXL kinase and IC50 = 4.1 μm for MDA-MB-231 cell line) was identified through structure-based virtual screening and bioassay test for the first time. The compound Y041-5921 could significantly inhibit the proliferation and invasion of the TNBC cells and the toxicity of Y041-5921 to normal immortalized breast epithelial cells was far lower than that of commonly used clinical chemotherapy drugs. Besides, it also had well inhibitory effect on the proliferation of many other malignant tumor cell lines (the IC50 value are 10.0 m, 7.1 m, 10.3 m, 11.4 m and 5.8 m for U251 cell, COLO cell, PC-9 cell, CAKI-1 cell and MG63 cell, respectively). The interaction mechanism between Y041-5921 and AXL was studied by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and binding free energy calculation, and the key residues whose energy contribution mainly comes from non-polar solvation interaction (such as Ala565, Lys567, Met598, Leu620, Pro621, Met623, Lys624, Arg676, Asn677 and Met679) were identified. The small molecule inhibitors Y041-5921 targeting AXL reported in this work will lay a foundation and provide a theoretical basis for the development of the TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Li
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Oncology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China.,Key Laboratory of Oncology and Molecular Pathology of Hunan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Yuzhen Niu
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, Shandong, China
| | - Shuyan Li
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Xuyu Zu
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Oncology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China.,Key Laboratory of Oncology and Molecular Pathology of Hunan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Maoyu Xiao
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Oncology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China.,Key Laboratory of Oncology and Molecular Pathology of Hunan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Liyang Yin
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Oncology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China.,Key Laboratory of Oncology and Molecular Pathology of Hunan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Jianbo Feng
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Oncology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China.,Key Laboratory of Oncology and Molecular Pathology of Hunan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Jun He
- The Nanhua Affiliated Hospital, Department of Spine Surgery, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Yingying Shen
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Oncology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China.,Key Laboratory of Oncology and Molecular Pathology of Hunan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
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19
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Le Bescont J, Mouawad L, Boddaert T, Bombard S, Piguel S. Photoactivatable Small‐Molecule Inhibitors for Light‐Controlled TAM Kinase Activity. CHEMPHOTOCHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/cptc.202100131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julie Le Bescont
- Institut Curie Université PSL CNRS UMR 9187 INSERM U1196 Chimie et Modélisation pour la Biologie du Cancer 91405 Orsay France
- Université Paris-Saclay CNRS UMR 9187 INSERM U1196 Chimie et Modélisation pour la Biologie du Cancer 91405 Orsay France
| | - Liliane Mouawad
- Institut Curie Université PSL CNRS UMR 9187 INSERM U1196 Chimie et Modélisation pour la Biologie du Cancer 91405 Orsay France
- Université Paris-Saclay CNRS UMR 9187 INSERM U1196 Chimie et Modélisation pour la Biologie du Cancer 91405 Orsay France
| | - Thomas Boddaert
- Université Paris-Saclay CNRS UMR 8182 ICMMO CP3A Organic Synthesis Group 91405 Orsay France
| | - Sophie Bombard
- Institut Curie Université PSL CNRS UMR 9187 INSERM U1196 Chimie et Modélisation pour la Biologie du Cancer 91405 Orsay France
- Université Paris-Saclay CNRS UMR 9187 INSERM U1196 Chimie et Modélisation pour la Biologie du Cancer 91405 Orsay France
| | - Sandrine Piguel
- Institut Curie Université PSL CNRS UMR 9187 INSERM U1196 Chimie et Modélisation pour la Biologie du Cancer 91405 Orsay France
- Université Paris-Saclay CNRS UMR 9187 INSERM U1196 Chimie et Modélisation pour la Biologie du Cancer 91405 Orsay France
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20
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Zhou L, Matsushima GK. Tyro3, Axl, Mertk receptor-mediated efferocytosis and immune regulation in the tumor environment. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 361:165-210. [PMID: 34074493 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2021.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Three structurally related tyrosine receptor cell surface kinases, Tyro3, Axl, and Mertk (TAM) have been recognized to modulate immune function, tissue homeostasis, cardiovasculature, and cancer. The TAM receptor family appears to operate in adult mammals across multiple cell types, suggesting both widespread and specific regulation of cell functions and immune niches. TAM family members regulate tissue homeostasis by monitoring the presence of phosphatidylserine expressed on stressed or apoptotic cells. The detection of phosphatidylserine on apoptotic cells requires intermediary molecules that opsonize the dying cells and tether them to TAM receptors on phagocytes. This complex promotes the engulfment of apoptotic cells, also known as efferocytosis, that leads to the resolution of inflammation and tissue healing. The immune mechanisms dictating these processes appear to fall upon specific family members or may involve a complex of different receptors acting cooperatively to resolve and repair damaged tissues. Here, we focus on the role of TAM receptors in triggering efferocytosis and its consequences in the regulation of immune responses in the context of inflammation and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwen Zhou
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina-CH, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Glenn K Matsushima
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina-CH, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; UNC Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of North Carolina-CH, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; UNC Integrative Program for Biological & Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina-CH, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.
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21
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Targeting AXL kinase sensitizes leukemic stem and progenitor cells to venetoclax treatment in acute myeloid leukemia. Blood 2021; 137:3641-3655. [PMID: 33786587 PMCID: PMC8462401 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2020007651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
AXL activity is upregulated in AML stem/progenitor cells, so a novel AXL inhibitor with favorable pharmaceutical properties was developed. AXL inhibition sensitizes AML cells to venetoclax, with strong synergistic effects via AXL/BCL-2–mediated oxidative phosphorylation signaling pathways.
The abundance of genetic abnormalities and phenotypic heterogeneities in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) poses significant challenges to the development of improved treatments. Here, we demonstrated that a key growth arrest-specific gene 6/AXL axis is highly activated in cells from patients with AML, particularly in stem/progenitor cells. We developed a potent selective AXL inhibitor that has favorable pharmaceutical properties and efficacy against preclinical patient-derived xenotransplantation (PDX) models of AML. Importantly, inhibition of AXL sensitized AML stem/progenitor cells to venetoclax treatment, with strong synergistic effects in vitro and in PDX models. Mechanistically, single-cell RNA-sequencing and functional validation studies uncovered that AXL inhibition, alone or in combination with venetoclax, potentially targets intrinsic metabolic vulnerabilities of AML stem/progenitor cells and shows a distinct transcriptomic profile and inhibits mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Inhibition of AXL or BCL-2 also differentially targets key signaling proteins to synergize in leukemic cell killing. These findings have a direct translational impact on the treatment of AML and other cancers with high AXL activity.
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22
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Di Stasi R, De Rosa L, D'Andrea LD. Therapeutic aspects of the Axl/Gas6 molecular system. Drug Discov Today 2020; 25:2130-2148. [PMID: 33002607 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2020.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Axl receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) and its ligand, growth arrest-specific protein 6 (Gas6), are involved in several biological functions and participate in the development and progression of a range of malignancies and autoimmune disorders. In this review, we present this molecular system from a drug discovery perspective, highlighting its therapeutic implications and challenges that need to be addressed. We provide an update on Axl/Gas6 axis biology, exploring its role in fields ranging from angiogenesis, cancer development and metastasis, immune response and inflammation to viral infection. Finally, we summarize the molecules that have been developed to date to target the Axl/Gas6 molecular system for therapeutic and diagnostic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Di Stasi
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Napoli, Italy
| | - Lucia De Rosa
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Napoli, Italy
| | - Luca D D'Andrea
- Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, CNR, Via Nizza 52, 10126 Torino, Italy.
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23
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Naresh GKRS, Guruprasad L. Enhanced metastable state models of TAM kinase binding to cabozantinib explains the dynamic nature of receptor tyrosine kinases. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 39:1213-1235. [PMID: 32070235 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1730968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are essential proteins in the regulation of cell signaling. Tyro3, Axl and Mer are members of TAM RTKs and are overexpressed in several cancer forms. Kinase inhibitors such as cabozantinib, foretinib are reported to inhibit TAM kinases at nanomolar concentrations. The atomistic details of structure and mechanism of functional regulation is required to understand their normal physiological process and when bound to an inhibitor. The docking of cabozantinib into the active state conformations of TAM kinases (crystal structure and computational models) revealed the best binding pose and the complex formation that is mediated through non-bonding interactions involving the hinge region residues. The alterations in the conformations and the regions of flexibility in apo and complexed TAM kinases as a course of time are studied using 250 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The post-MD trajectory analysis using Python libraries like ProDy, MDTraj and PyEMMA revealed encrypted protein dynamic motions in active kinetic metastable states. Comparison between Principal component analysis and Anisotropic mode analysis deciphered structural residue interactions and salt bridge contacts between apo and inhibitor bound TAM kinases. Various structural changes occurred in αC-helix and activation loop involving hydrogen bonding between residues from Lys-(β3 sheet), Glu-(αC-helix) and Asp-(DFG-motif) resulting in higher RMSD. Mechanical stiffness plots revealed that similar regions in apo and cabozantinib bound Axl fluctuated during MD simulations whereas different regions in Tyro3 and Mer kinases. The residue interaction network plots revealed important salt bridges that lead to constrained domain motions in the TAM kinases.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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24
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Sarukhanyan E, Shityakov S, Dandekar T. Rational Drug Design of Axl Tyrosine Kinase Type I Inhibitors as Promising Candidates Against Cancer. Front Chem 2020; 7:920. [PMID: 32117858 PMCID: PMC7010640 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2019.00920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The high level of Axl tyrosine kinase expression in various cancer cell lines makes it an attractive target for the development of anti-cancer drugs. In this study, we carried out several sets of in silico screening for the ATP-competitive Axl kinase inhibitors based on different molecular docking protocols. The best drug-like candidates were identified, after parental structure modifications, by their highest affinity to the target protein. We found that our newly designed compound R5, a derivative of the R428 patented analog, is the most promising inhibitor of the Axl kinase according to the three molecular docking algorithms applied in the study. The molecular docking results are in agreement with the molecular dynamics simulations using the MM-PBSA/GBSA implicit solvation models, which confirm the high affinity of R5 toward the protein receptor. Additionally, the selectivity test against other kinases also reveals a high affinity of R5 toward ABL1 and Tyro3 kinases, emphasizing its promising potential for the treatment of malignant tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edita Sarukhanyan
- Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sergey Shityakov
- Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Mind-Body Interface Laboratory (MBI-Lab), China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.,College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Thomas Dandekar
- Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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25
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Cruz-López O, Temps C, Longo B, Myers SH, Franco-Montalban F, Unciti-Broceta A. Synthesis and Characterization of a Click-Assembled 18-Atom Macrocycle That Displays Selective AXL Kinase Inhibitory Activity. ACS OMEGA 2019; 4:21620-21626. [PMID: 31867559 PMCID: PMC6921642 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b03525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A novel macrocyclic construct consisting of a pyrazolopyrimidine scaffold concatenated to a benzene ring through two triazoles has been developed to investigate uncharted chemical space with bioactive potential. The 18-atom macrocycle was assembled via a double copper-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction between 1,3-bis(azidomethyl)benzene and a bis-propargylated pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine core. The resulting macrocycle was functionalized further into a multicyclic analog that displays selective inhibitory activity against the receptor tyrosine kinase AXL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Cruz-López
- Cancer
Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Molecular
Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, U.K.
- Department
of Medicinal & Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Campus de Cartuja s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Carolin Temps
- Cancer
Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Molecular
Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, U.K.
| | - Beatrice Longo
- Cancer
Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Molecular
Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, U.K.
| | - Samuel H. Myers
- Cancer
Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Molecular
Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, U.K.
| | - Francisco Franco-Montalban
- Department
of Medicinal & Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Campus de Cartuja s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Asier Unciti-Broceta
- Cancer
Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Molecular
Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, U.K.
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26
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Sun ZG, Liu JH, Zhang JM, Qian Y. Research Progress of Axl Inhibitors. Curr Top Med Chem 2019; 19:1338-1349. [PMID: 31218961 DOI: 10.2174/1568026619666190620155613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Axl, a Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (RTK) belonging to the TAM (Axl, Mer, Tyro3) family, participates in many signal transduction cascades after mostly being stimulated by Growth arrestspecific 6(Gas6). Axl is widely expressed in many organs, such as macrophages, endothelial cells, heart, liver and skeletal muscle. Over-expression and activation of Axl are associated with promoting chemotherapy resistance, cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis in many human cancers, such as breast, lung, and pancreatic cancers. Therefore, the research and development of Axl inhibitors is of great significance to strengthen the means of cancer treatment, especially to solve the problem of drug resistance. Axl inhibitors have attracted more and more researchers' attention in recent years. This review discusses the research progress of Axl inhibitors in recent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Gang Sun
- Central Laboratory, Linyi Central Hospital, No.17 Jiankang Road, Linyi 276400, China.,State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, No.163 Xianlin Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jian-Hua Liu
- Central Laboratory, Linyi Central Hospital, No.17 Jiankang Road, Linyi 276400, China
| | - Jin-Mai Zhang
- Room 205, BIO-X white house, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No.1954 Huashan Road, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Yong Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, No.163 Xianlin Road, Nanjing 210023, China
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27
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Molecular modelling studies for 4-oxo-1,4-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxamide derivatives as anticancer agents. MEDICINE IN DRUG DISCOVERY 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.medidd.2019.100008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
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28
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Ahmadi R, Sepehri B, Ghavami R. Development linear and non-linear QSAR models for predicting AXL kinase inhibitory activity of N-[4-(quinolin-4-yloxy)phenyl]benzenesulfonamides. J Recept Signal Transduct Res 2019; 39:264-275. [PMID: 31538847 DOI: 10.1080/10799893.2019.1660898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2019] [Revised: 08/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/24/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
In this research, we used CoMFA, LSSVM and FFANN for creating QSAR models for predicting AXL Kinase inhibitory activity of N-[4-(Quinolin-4-yloxy)phenyl]benzenesulfonamides. A CoMFA model with three components was developed and CoMFA contour maps were interpreted to extract chemical features that influence the inhibitory activity of these molecules. R2 for train and test set of CoMFA model were 0.8900 and 0.8171, respectively. Model created by five Dragon descriptors and LSSVM model showed slightly better predictive power with respect to CoMFA model. R2 for train, test set of created LSSVM model were 0.0.8477 and 0.8218, respectively. Also, a FFANN model, using the same five descriptors, was developed with 2 neurons in its hidden layer and R2 for its train and test sets were 0.8314 and 0.8522, respectively. All created models were validated by calculating several statistical parameters and their applicability domain were investigated by calculating leverage. Furthermore, a homology model was built for Axl structure and molecules with the lowest and the greatest activity were docked to it and their interactions with Axl were investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roya Ahmadi
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kurdistan , Sanandaj , Iran
| | - Bakhtyar Sepehri
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kurdistan , Sanandaj , Iran
| | - Raouf Ghavami
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kurdistan , Sanandaj , Iran
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29
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Kasikara C, Davra V, Calianese D, Geng K, Spires TE, Quigley M, Wichroski M, Sriram G, Suarez-Lopez L, Yaffe MB, Kotenko SV, De Lorenzo MS, Birge RB. Pan-TAM Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor BMS-777607 Enhances Anti–PD-1 mAb Efficacy in a Murine Model of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Cancer Res 2019; 79:2669-2683. [DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-18-2614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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30
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Liu T, He J, Zhang Y. Regioselective 1,2-hydroboration of N-heteroarenes using a potassium-based catalyst. Org Chem Front 2019. [DOI: 10.1039/c9qo00497a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
1,2-Regioselective hydroboration of quinolines achieved using a potassium-based catalyst.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianwei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials
- College of Chemistry
- Jilin University
- Changchun
- China
| | - Jianghua He
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials
- College of Chemistry
- Jilin University
- Changchun
- China
| | - Yuetao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials
- College of Chemistry
- Jilin University
- Changchun
- China
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Chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells from ibrutinib treated patients are sensitive to Axl receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy. Oncotarget 2018; 9:37173-37184. [PMID: 30647852 PMCID: PMC6324680 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.26444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Earlier we have shown the expression of a constitutively active receptor tyrosine kinase Axl in CLL B-cells from previously untreated CLL patients, and that Axl inhibitor TP-0903 induces robust leukemic B-cell death. To explore whether Axl is an effective target in relapsed/refractory CLL patients, we analyzed CLL B-cells obtained from CLL patients on ibrutinib therapy. Ibrutinib-exposed CLL B-cells were treated with increasing doses (0.01- 0.50μM) of a new formulation of high-affinity Axl inhibitor, TP-0903 (tartrate salt), for 24 hours and LD50 doses were determined. Sensitivity of CLL B-cells was compared with known prognostic factors and effect of TP-0903 was also evaluated on Axl signaling pathway in CLL B-cells from this cohort. We detected sustained overexpression of Axl in CLL B-cells from CLL patients on ibrutinib treatment, suggests targeting Axl could be a promising strategy to overcome drug resistance and killing of CLL B-cells in these patients. We found that CLL B-cells from sixty-nine percent of relapsed CLL patients actively on ibrutinib therapy were found to be highly sensitive to TP-0903 with induction of apoptosis at nanomolar doses (≤0.50 μM). TP-0903 treatment effectively inhibited Axl phosphorylation and reduced expression levels of anti-apoptotic proteins (Mcl-1, XIAP) in ibrutinib exposed CLL B-cells. In total, our in vitro preclinical studies showing that TP-0903 is very effective at inducing apoptosis in CLL B-cells obtained from ibrutinib-exposed patients supports further testing of this drug in relapsed/refractory CLL.
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32
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Li W, Xiong X, Abdalla A, Alejo S, Zhu L, Lu F, Sun H. HGF-induced formation of the MET-AXL-ELMO2-DOCK180 complex promotes RAC1 activation, receptor clustering, and cancer cell migration and invasion. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:15397-15418. [PMID: 30108175 PMCID: PMC6177597 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.003063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The MET proto-oncogene-encoded receptor tyrosine kinase (MET) and AXL receptor tyrosine kinase (AXL) are independently operating receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) that are functionally associated with aggressive and invasive cancer cell growth. However, how MET and AXL regulate the migratory properties of cancer cells remains largely unclear. We report here that the addition of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), the natural ligand of MET, to serum-starved human glioblastoma cells induces the rapid activation of both MET and AXL and formation of highly polarized MET-AXL clusters on the plasma membrane. HGF also promoted the formation of the MET and AXL protein complexes and phosphorylation of AXL, independent of AXL's ligand, growth arrest-specific 6 (GAS6). The HGF-induced MET-AXL complex stimulated rapid and dynamic cytoskeleton reorganization by activating the small GTPase RAC1, a process requiring both MET and AXL kinase activities. We further found that HGF also promotes the recruitment of ELMO2 and DOCK180, a bipartite guanine nucleotide exchange factor for RAC1, to the MET-AXL complex and thereby stimulates the RAC1-dependent cytoskeleton reorganization. We also demonstrated that the MET-AXL-ELMO2-DOCK180 complex is critical for HGF-induced cell migration and invasion in glioblastoma or other cancer cells. Our findings uncover a critical HGF-dependent signaling pathway that involves the assembly of a large protein complex consisting of MET, AXL, ELMO2, and DOCK180 on the plasma membrane, leading to RAC1-dependent cell migration and invasion in various cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Li
- From the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154-4003 and
- the School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Xiahui Xiong
- From the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154-4003 and
| | - Amro Abdalla
- From the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154-4003 and
| | - Salvador Alejo
- From the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154-4003 and
| | - Linyu Zhu
- From the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154-4003 and
| | - Fei Lu
- the School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Hong Sun
- From the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154-4003 and
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33
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Myers SH, Temps C, Houston DR, Brunton VG, Unciti-Broceta A. Development of Potent Inhibitors of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases by Ligand-Based Drug Design and Target-Biased Phenotypic Screening. J Med Chem 2018; 61:2104-2110. [PMID: 29466002 PMCID: PMC5851644 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b01605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Pyrazolopyrimidines with potent antiproliferative
properties were
developed by an adaptive strategy that applies ligand-based design
and phenotypic screening iteratively and is informed by biochemical
assays. To drive development toward specific oncopathways, compounds
were tested against cancer cells that overexpress, or not, AXL kinase.
Identified phenotypic hits were found to inhibit oncotargets AXL,
RET, and FLT3. Subsequent optimization generated antiproliferative
lead compounds with unique selectivity profiles, including selective
AXL inhibitors and a highly potent inhibitor of FLT3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel H Myers
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine , University of Edinburgh , Crewe Road South , Edinburgh EH4 2XR , U.K
| | - Carolin Temps
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine , University of Edinburgh , Crewe Road South , Edinburgh EH4 2XR , U.K
| | - Douglas R Houston
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology , University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh EH9 3BF , U.K
| | - Valerie G Brunton
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine , University of Edinburgh , Crewe Road South , Edinburgh EH4 2XR , U.K
| | - Asier Unciti-Broceta
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine , University of Edinburgh , Crewe Road South , Edinburgh EH4 2XR , U.K
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Alihodžić S, Bukvić M, Elenkov IJ, Hutinec A, Koštrun S, Pešić D, Saxty G, Tomašković L, Žiher D. Current Trends in Macrocyclic Drug Discovery and beyond -Ro5. PROGRESS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 2018; 57:113-233. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmch.2018.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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