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Mo C, Wei N, Li T, Ahmed Bhat M, Mohammadi M, Kuang C. CDK9 inhibitors for the treatment of solid tumors. Biochem Pharmacol 2024:116470. [PMID: 39127153 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 08/04/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) regulates mRNA transcription by promoting RNA Pol II elongation. CDK9 is now emerging as a potential therapeutic target for cancer, since its overexpression has been found to correlate with cancer development and worse clinical outcomes. While much work on CDK9 inhibition has focused on hematologic malignancies, the role of this cancer driver in solid tumors is starting to come into focus. Many solid cancers also overexpress CDK9 and depend on its activity to promote downstream oncogenic signaling pathways. In this review, we summarize the latest knowledge of CDK9 biology in solid tumors and the studies of small molecule CDK9 inhibitors. We discuss the results of the latest clinical trials of CDK9 inhibitors in solid tumors, with a focus on key issues to consider for improving the therapeutic impact of this drug class.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiana Mo
- Department of Oncology, Montefiore Einstein, Bronx, NY, USA; Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Ning Wei
- Department of Oncology, Montefiore Einstein, Bronx, NY, USA; Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bronx, NY, USA; Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Montefiore Einstein, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Terence Li
- Department of Oncology, Montefiore Einstein, Bronx, NY, USA; Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bronx, NY, USA; Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Montefiore Einstein, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Muzaffer Ahmed Bhat
- Department of Oncology, Montefiore Einstein, Bronx, NY, USA; Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bronx, NY, USA; Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Montefiore Einstein, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Mahshid Mohammadi
- Department of Oncology, Montefiore Einstein, Bronx, NY, USA; Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bronx, NY, USA; Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Montefiore Einstein, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Chaoyuan Kuang
- Department of Oncology, Montefiore Einstein, Bronx, NY, USA; Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bronx, NY, USA; Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Montefiore Einstein, Bronx, NY, USA.
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2
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Walker RL, Hornicek FJ, Duan Z. Transcriptional regulation and therapeutic potential of cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) in sarcoma. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 226:116342. [PMID: 38848777 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Sarcomas include various subtypes comprising two significant groups - soft tissue and bone sarcomas. Although the survival rate for some sarcoma subtypes has improved over time, the current methods of treatment remain efficaciously limited, as recurrent, and metastatic diseases remain a major obstacle. There is a need for better options and therapeutic strategies in treating sarcoma. Cyclin dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) is a transcriptional kinase and has emerged as a promising target for treating various cancers. The aberrant expression and activation of CDK9 have been observed in several sarcoma subtypes, including rhabdomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and chordoma. Enhanced CDK9 expression has also been correlated with poorer prognosis in sarcoma patients. As a master regulator of transcription, CDK9 promotes transcription elongation by phosphorylation and releasing RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) from its promoter proximal pause. Release of RNAPII from this pause induces transcription of critical genes in the tumor cell. Overexpression and activation of CDK9 have been observed to lead to the expression of oncogenes, including MYC and MCL-1, that aid sarcoma development and progression. Inhibition of CDK9 in sarcoma has been proven to reduce these oncogenes' expression and decrease proliferation and growth in different sarcoma cells. Currently, there are several CDK9 inhibitors in preclinical and clinical investigations. This review aims to highlight the recent discovery and results on the transcriptional role and therapeutic potential of CDK9 in sarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert L Walker
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sarcoma Biology Laboratory, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Papanicolaou Cancer Research Building, 1550 N.W. 10(th) Avenue, Miami, FL 33136. USA
| | - Francis J Hornicek
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sarcoma Biology Laboratory, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Papanicolaou Cancer Research Building, 1550 N.W. 10(th) Avenue, Miami, FL 33136. USA
| | - Zhenfeng Duan
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sarcoma Biology Laboratory, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Papanicolaou Cancer Research Building, 1550 N.W. 10(th) Avenue, Miami, FL 33136. USA.
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Shao YY, Hsieh MS, Lee YH, Hsu HW, Wo RR, Wang HY, Cheng AL, Hsu CH. Cyclin dependent kinase 9 inhibition reduced programmed death-ligand 1 expression and improved treatment efficacy in hepatocellular carcinoma. Heliyon 2024; 10:e34289. [PMID: 39100490 PMCID: PMC11296019 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibody is a standard therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Tumor expression of PD-L1 can be induced upon stimulus. Because cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) inhibition reduces the expression of inducible proteins, we explored the influence of CDK9 inhibition on PD-L1 expression in HCC cells. We found that PD-L1 expression was low in HCC cells; however, IFN-γ treatment increased this expression. CDK9 inhibitors AZD4573 and atuveciclib reduced the IFN-γ induced PD-L1 expression in a dose-dependent manner. CDK9 knockdown yielded similar results, but CDK9 overexpression reversed the influence of the CDK9 inhibitors. In the orthotopic mouse model, mice treated with a CDK9 inhibitor and an anti-PD-L1 antibody had significantly smaller tumors and exhibited longer survival than mice treated with either agent. In conclusion, CDK9 inhibition could reduce the expression of PD-L1 in HCC cells. Using both CDK9 inhibitors and anti-PD-L1 antibodies is more effective than using either agent alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Yun Shao
- Graduate Institute of Oncology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, 1, Sec. 1, Ren'ai Rd., Taipei City, 10051, R.O.C, Taiwan
- Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, 7, Chun-Shan S Road, Taipei City, 10002, R.O.C, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Taiwan University Cancer Center, 57, Ln. 155, Sec. 3, Keelung Rd., Taipei City, 106, R.O.C, Taiwan
| | - Min-Shu Hsieh
- Department of Pathology and Graduate Institute of Pathology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, 1, Sec. 1, Ren'ai Rd., Taipei City, 10051, R.O.C, Taiwan
- Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital, 7, Chun-Shan S Road, Taipei City, 10002, R.O.C, Taiwan
- Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Cancer Center, 57, Ln. 155, Sec. 3, Keelung Rd., Taipei City, 106, R.O.C, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Hsuan Lee
- Department of Pathology and Graduate Institute of Pathology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, 1, Sec. 1, Ren'ai Rd., Taipei City, 10051, R.O.C, Taiwan
- Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital, 7, Chun-Shan S Road, Taipei City, 10002, R.O.C, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Wei Hsu
- Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, 7, Chun-Shan S Road, Taipei City, 10002, R.O.C, Taiwan
| | - Rita Robin Wo
- Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, 7, Chun-Shan S Road, Taipei City, 10002, R.O.C, Taiwan
| | - Han-Yu Wang
- Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, 7, Chun-Shan S Road, Taipei City, 10002, R.O.C, Taiwan
| | - Ann-Lii Cheng
- Graduate Institute of Oncology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, 1, Sec. 1, Ren'ai Rd., Taipei City, 10051, R.O.C, Taiwan
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, 1, Sec. 1, Ren'ai Rd., Taipei City, 10051, R.O.C, Taiwan
- Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, 7, Chun-Shan S Road, Taipei City, 10002, R.O.C, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Taiwan University Cancer Center, 57, Ln. 155, Sec. 3, Keelung Rd., Taipei City, 106, R.O.C, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hung Hsu
- Graduate Institute of Oncology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, 1, Sec. 1, Ren'ai Rd., Taipei City, 10051, R.O.C, Taiwan
- Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, 7, Chun-Shan S Road, Taipei City, 10002, R.O.C, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Taiwan University Cancer Center, 57, Ln. 155, Sec. 3, Keelung Rd., Taipei City, 106, R.O.C, Taiwan
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Failli M, Demir S, Del Río-Álvarez Á, Carrillo-Reixach J, Royo L, Domingo-Sàbat M, Childs M, Maibach R, Alaggio R, Czauderna P, Morland B, Branchereau S, Cairo S, Kappler R, Armengol C, di Bernardo D. Computational drug prediction in hepatoblastoma by integrating pan-cancer transcriptomics with pharmacological response. Hepatology 2024; 80:55-68. [PMID: 37729391 PMCID: PMC11185924 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the predominant form of pediatric liver cancer, though it remains exceptionally rare. While treatment outcomes for children with HB have improved, patients with advanced tumors face limited therapeutic choices. Additionally, survivors often suffer from long-term adverse effects due to treatment, including ototoxicity, cardiotoxicity, delayed growth, and secondary tumors. Consequently, there is a pressing need to identify new and effective therapeutic strategies for patients with HB. Computational methods to predict drug sensitivity from a tumor's transcriptome have been successfully applied for some common adult malignancies, but specific efforts in pediatric cancers are lacking because of the paucity of data. APPROACH AND RESULTS In this study, we used DrugSense to assess drug efficacy in patients with HB, particularly those with the aggressive C2 subtype associated with poor clinical outcomes. Our method relied on publicly available collections of pan-cancer transcriptional profiles and drug responses across 36 tumor types and 495 compounds. The drugs predicted to be most effective were experimentally validated using patient-derived xenograft models of HB grown in vitro and in vivo. We thus identified 2 cyclin-dependent kinase 9 inhibitors, alvocidib and dinaciclib as potent HB growth inhibitors for the high-risk C2 molecular subtype. We also found that in a cohort of 46 patients with HB, high cyclin-dependent kinase 9 tumor expression was significantly associated with poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS Our work proves the usefulness of computational methods trained on pan-cancer data sets to reposition drugs in rare pediatric cancers such as HB, and to help clinicians in choosing the best treatment options for their patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Failli
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Industrial Production Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
| | - Salih Demir
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany
| | - Álvaro Del Río-Álvarez
- Childhood Liver Oncology Group (c-LOG), Health Sciences Research Institute Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Juan Carrillo-Reixach
- Childhood Liver Oncology Group (c-LOG), Health Sciences Research Institute Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
- Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Royo
- Childhood Liver Oncology Group (c-LOG), Health Sciences Research Institute Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Montserrat Domingo-Sàbat
- Childhood Liver Oncology Group (c-LOG), Health Sciences Research Institute Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | | | - Rudolf Maibach
- International Breast Cancer Study Group Coordinating Center, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Rita Alaggio
- Pathology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Piotr Czauderna
- Department of Surgery and Urology for Children and Adolescents, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Bruce Morland
- Department of Oncology, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | | | - Stefano Cairo
- XenTech, Evry, France
- Champions Oncology, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Roland Kappler
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany
| | - Carolina Armengol
- Childhood Liver Oncology Group (c-LOG), Health Sciences Research Institute Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
- Liver and Digestive Diseases Networking Biomedical Research Centre (CIBEREHD), Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego di Bernardo
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Industrial Production Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
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5
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Gao Y, Vakoc CR. Therapeutic index of targeting select chromatin complexes in human cancer patients. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2024; 85:102162. [PMID: 38401489 PMCID: PMC11072572 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2024.102162] [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: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Aberrant chromatin regulation can promote the initiation and progression of human cancer. An improved understanding of such mechanisms has resulted in the identification of cancers with an enhanced dependency on specific chromatin regulatory proteins relative to nonmalignant cell types. Hence, targeting of such complexes with small molecules has significant therapeutic potential in oncology. In recent years, several drugs have been developed and evaluated in human cancer patients, which can influence tumor biology by reprogramming of chromatin structure. In this review, we summarize several of the known mechanisms that endow cancer cells with a powerful dependency on chromatin regulation that exceeds the requirements for normal tissue homeostasis. We also summarize the remarkable small-molecule inhibitors that exploit chromatin regulator dependencies with a clear therapeutic benefit in human cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Gao
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA. https://twitter.com/@yuangao_yg
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6
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Fultang N, Schwab AM, McAneny-Droz S, Grego A, Rodgers S, Torres BV, Heiser D, Scherle P, Bhagwat N. PBRM1 loss is associated with increased sensitivity to MCL1 and CDK9 inhibition in clear cell renal cancer. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1343004. [PMID: 38371625 PMCID: PMC10869502 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1343004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
MCL1 is a member of the BCL2 family of apoptosis regulators, which play a critical role in promoting cancer survival and drug resistance. We previously described PRT1419, a potent, MCL1 inhibitor with anti-tumor efficacy in various solid and hematologic malignancies. To identify novel biomarkers that predict sensitivity to MCL1 inhibition, we conducted a gene essentiality analysis using gene dependency data generated from CRISPR/Cas9 cell viability screens. We observed that clear cell renal cancer (ccRCC) cell lines with damaging PBRM1 mutations displayed a strong dependency on MCL1. PBRM1 (BAF180), is a chromatin-targeting subunit of mammalian pBAF complexes. PBRM1 is frequently altered in various cancers particularly ccRCC with ~40% of tumors harboring damaging PBRM1 alterations. We observed potent inhibition of tumor growth and induction of apoptosis by PRT1419 in various preclinical models of PBRM1-mutant ccRCC but not PBRM1-WT. Depletion of PBRM1 in PBRM1-WT ccRCC cell lines induced sensitivity to PRT1419. Mechanistically, PBRM1 depletion coincided with increased expression of pro-apoptotic factors, priming cells for caspase-mediated apoptosis following MCL1 inhibition. Increased MCL1 activity has been described as a resistance mechanism to Sunitinib and Everolimus, two approved agents for ccRCC. PRT1419 synergized with both agents to potently inhibit tumor growth in PBRM1-loss ccRCC. PRT2527, a potent CDK9 inhibitor which depletes MCL1, was similarly efficacious in monotherapy and in combination with Sunitinib in PBRM1-loss cells. Taken together, these findings suggest PBRM1 loss is associated with MCL1i sensitivity in ccRCC and provide rationale for the evaluation of PRT1419 and PRT2527 for the treatment for PBRM1-deficient ccRCC.
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7
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Deutzmann A, Sullivan DK, Dhanasekaran R, Li W, Chen X, Tong L, Mahauad-Fernandez WD, Bell J, Mosley A, Koehler AN, Li Y, Felsher DW. Nuclear to cytoplasmic transport is a druggable dependency in MYC-driven hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Commun 2024; 15:963. [PMID: 38302473 PMCID: PMC10834515 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45128-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The MYC oncogene is often dysregulated in human cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MYC is considered undruggable to date. Here, we comprehensively identify genes essential for survival of MYChigh but not MYClow cells by a CRISPR/Cas9 genome-wide screen in a MYC-conditional HCC model. Our screen uncovers novel MYC synthetic lethal (MYC-SL) interactions and identifies most MYC-SL genes described previously. In particular, the screen reveals nucleocytoplasmic transport to be a MYC-SL interaction. We show that the majority of MYC-SL nucleocytoplasmic transport genes are upregulated in MYChigh murine HCC and are associated with poor survival in HCC patients. Inhibiting Exportin-1 (XPO1) in vivo induces marked tumor regression in an autochthonous MYC-transgenic HCC model and inhibits tumor growth in HCC patient-derived xenografts. XPO1 expression is associated with poor prognosis only in HCC patients with high MYC activity. We infer that MYC may generally regulate and require altered expression of nucleocytoplasmic transport genes for tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Deutzmann
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Delaney K Sullivan
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Renumathy Dhanasekaran
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, 20012, USA
- Department of Genomics and Precision Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20012, USA
| | - Xinyu Chen
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Ling Tong
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | | | - John Bell
- Stanford Genome Technology Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Adriane Mosley
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Angela N Koehler
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Yulin Li
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Institute for Academic Medicine, Houston Methodist and Weill Cornell Medical College, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Dean W Felsher
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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Zhang H, Huang C, Gordon J, Yu S, Morton G, Childers W, Abou-Gharbia M, Zhang Y, Jelinek J, Issa JPJ. MC180295 is a highly potent and selective CDK9 inhibitor with preclinical in vitro and in vivo efficacy in cancer. Clin Epigenetics 2024; 16:3. [PMID: 38172923 PMCID: PMC10765884 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01617-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9), a novel epigenetic target in cancer, can reactivate epigenetically silenced genes in cancer by dephosphorylating the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeler BRG1. Here, we characterized the anti-tumor efficacy of MC180295, a newly developed CDK9 inhibitor. METHODS In this study, we explored the pharmacokinetics of MC180295 in mice and rats, and tested the anti-tumor efficacy of MC180295, and its enantiomers, in multiple cancer cell lines and mouse models. We also combined CDK9 inhibition with a DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor, decitabine, in multiple mouse models, and tested MC180295 dependence on T cells. Drug toxicity was measured by checking body weights and complete blood counts. RESULTS MC180295 had high specificity for CDK9 and high potency against multiple neoplastic cell lines (median IC50 of 171 nM in 46 cell lines representing 6 different malignancies), with the highest potency seen in AML cell lines derived from patients with MLL translocations. MC180295 is a racemic mixture of two enantiomers, MC180379 and MC180380, with MC180380 showing higher potency in a live-cell epigenetic assay. Both MC180295 and MC180380 showed efficacy in in vivo AML and colon cancer xenograft models, and significant synergy with decitabine in both cancer models. Lastly, we found that CDK9 inhibition-mediated anti-tumoral effects were partially dependent on CD8 + T cells in vivo, indicating a significant immune component to the response. CONCLUSIONS MC180380, an inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9), is an efficacious anti-cancer agent worth advancing further toward clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanghang Zhang
- Fels Institute for Cancer Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Chen Huang
- Fels Institute for Cancer Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - John Gordon
- Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research, Temple University School of Pharmacy, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Sijia Yu
- Fels Institute for Cancer Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - George Morton
- Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research, Temple University School of Pharmacy, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Wayne Childers
- Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research, Temple University School of Pharmacy, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Magid Abou-Gharbia
- Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research, Temple University School of Pharmacy, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Fels Institute for Cancer Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, 07110, USA
| | - Jaroslav Jelinek
- Fels Institute for Cancer Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
- Coriell Institute for Medical Research, 403 Haddon Avenue, Camden, NJ, 08103, USA
- Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, Camden, NJ, 08103, USA
| | - Jean-Pierre J Issa
- Fels Institute for Cancer Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA.
- Coriell Institute for Medical Research, 403 Haddon Avenue, Camden, NJ, 08103, USA.
- Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, Camden, NJ, 08103, USA.
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9
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Mustafa EH, Laven-Law G, Kikhtyak Z, Nguyen V, Ali S, Pace AA, Iggo R, Kebede A, Noll B, Wang S, Winter JM, Dwyer AR, Tilley WD, Hickey TE. Selective inhibition of CDK9 in triple negative breast cancer. Oncogene 2024; 43:202-215. [PMID: 38001268 PMCID: PMC10786725 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02892-3] [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: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Targeted therapy for triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) remains a clinical challenge due to tumour heterogeneity. Since TNBC have key features of transcriptionally addicted cancers, targeting transcription via regulators such as cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) has potential as a therapeutic strategy. Herein, we preclinically tested a new selective CDK9 inhibitor (CDDD11-8) in TNBC using cell line, patient-derived organoid, and patient-derived explant models. In vitro, CDDD11-8 dose-dependently inhibited proliferation (IC50 range: 281-734 nM), induced cell cycle arrest, and increased apoptosis of cell lines, which encompassed the three major molecular subtypes of TNBC. On target inhibition of CDK9 activity was demonstrated by reduced RNAPII phosphorylation at a CDK9 target peptide and down-regulation of the MYC and MCL1 oncogenes at the mRNA and protein levels in all cell line models. Drug induced RNAPII pausing was evident at gene promoters, with strongest pausing at MYC target genes. Growth of five distinct patient-derived organoid models was dose-dependently inhibited by CDDD11-8 (IC50 range: 272-771 nM), including three derived from MYC amplified, chemo-resistant TNBC metastatic lesions. Orally administered CDDD11-8 also inhibited growth of mammary intraductal TNBC xenograft tumours with no overt toxicity in vivo (mice) or ex vivo (human breast tissues). In conclusion, our studies indicate that CDK9 is a viable therapeutic target in TNBC and that CDDD11-8, a novel selective CDK9 inhibitor, has efficacy in TNBC without apparent toxicity to normal tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ebtihal H Mustafa
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Geraldine Laven-Law
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Zoya Kikhtyak
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Van Nguyen
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Simak Ali
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Alex A Pace
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Richard Iggo
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Institut Bergonié, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Alemwork Kebede
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Ben Noll
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Shudong Wang
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Jean M Winter
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Amy R Dwyer
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Wayne D Tilley
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Theresa E Hickey
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
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10
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Lin P, Lourenco C, Cruickshank J, Palomero L, van Leeuwen JE, Tong AHY, Chan K, El Ghamrasni S, Pujana MA, Cescon DW, Moffat J, Penn LZ. Topoisomerase 1 Inhibition in MYC-Driven Cancer Promotes Aberrant R-Loop Accumulation to Induce Synthetic Lethality. Cancer Res 2023; 83:4015-4029. [PMID: 37987734 PMCID: PMC10722143 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-2948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
MYC is a central regulator of gene transcription and is frequently dysregulated in human cancers. As targeting MYC directly is challenging, an alternative strategy is to identify specific proteins or processes required for MYC to function as a potent cancer driver that can be targeted to result in synthetic lethality. To identify potential targets in MYC-driven cancers, we performed a genome-wide CRISPR knockout screen using an isogenic pair of breast cancer cell lines in which MYC dysregulation is the switch from benign to transformed tumor growth. Proteins that regulate R-loops were identified as a potential class of synthetic lethal targets. Dysregulated MYC elevated global transcription and coincident R-loop accumulation. Topoisomerase 1 (TOP1), a regulator of R-loops by DNA topology, was validated to be a vulnerability in cells with high MYC activity. Genetic knockdown of TOP1 in MYC-transformed cells resulted in reduced colony formation compared with control cells, demonstrating synthetic lethality. Overexpression of RNaseH1, a riboendonuclease that specifically degrades R-loops, rescued the reduction in clonogenicity induced by TOP1 deficiency, demonstrating that this vulnerability is driven by aberrant R-loop accumulation. Genetic and pharmacologic TOP1 inhibition selectively reduced the fitness of MYC-transformed tumors in vivo. Finally, drug response to TOP1 inhibitors (i.e., topotecan) significantly correlated with MYC levels and activity across panels of breast cancer cell lines and patient-derived organoids. Together, these results highlight TOP1 as a promising target for MYC-driven cancers. SIGNIFICANCE CRISPR screening reveals topoisomerase 1 as an immediately actionable vulnerability in cancers harboring MYC as a driver oncoprotein that can be targeted with clinically approved inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Lin
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Corey Lourenco
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Luis Palomero
- ProCURE, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jenna E. van Leeuwen
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | | | | | - Samah El Ghamrasni
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Miquel Angel Pujana
- ProCURE, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBERES, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - David W. Cescon
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jason Moffat
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Linda Z. Penn
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
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11
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Freeman DB, Hopkins TD, Mikochik PJ, Vacca JP, Gao H, Naylor-Olsen A, Rudra S, Li H, Pop MS, Villagomez RA, Lee C, Li H, Zhou M, Saffran DC, Rioux N, Hood TR, Day MAL, McKeown MR, Lin CY, Bischofberger N, Trotter BW. Discovery of KB-0742, a Potent, Selective, Orally Bioavailable Small Molecule Inhibitor of CDK9 for MYC-Dependent Cancers. J Med Chem 2023; 66:15629-15647. [PMID: 37967851 PMCID: PMC10726352 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01233] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptional deregulation is a hallmark of many cancers and is exemplified by genomic amplifications of the MYC family of oncogenes, which occur in at least 20% of all solid tumors in adults. Targeting of transcriptional cofactors and the transcriptional cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK9) has emerged as a therapeutic strategy to interdict deregulated transcriptional activity including oncogenic MYC. Here, we report the structural optimization of a small molecule microarray hit, prioritizing maintenance of CDK9 selectivity while improving on-target potency and overall physicochemical and pharmacokinetic (PK) properties. This led to the discovery of the potent, selective, orally bioavailable CDK9 inhibitor 28 (KB-0742). Compound 28 exhibits in vivo antitumor activity in mouse xenograft models and a projected human PK profile anticipated to enable efficacious oral dosing. Notably, 28 is currently being investigated in a phase 1/2 dose escalation and expansion clinical trial in patients with relapsed or refractory solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B. Freeman
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 301 Binney
Street, 2nd Floor East, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 1300 So. El
Camino Real Suite 400, San Mateo, California 94402, United States
| | - Tamara D. Hopkins
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 301 Binney
Street, 2nd Floor East, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 1300 So. El
Camino Real Suite 400, San Mateo, California 94402, United States
| | - Peter J. Mikochik
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 301 Binney
Street, 2nd Floor East, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 1300 So. El
Camino Real Suite 400, San Mateo, California 94402, United States
| | - Joseph P. Vacca
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 301 Binney
Street, 2nd Floor East, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 1300 So. El
Camino Real Suite 400, San Mateo, California 94402, United States
| | - Hua Gao
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 301 Binney
Street, 2nd Floor East, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 1300 So. El
Camino Real Suite 400, San Mateo, California 94402, United States
| | - Adel Naylor-Olsen
- Naylor
Olsen Consulting, LLC, 3369 Saddle Wood Court, Lansdale, Pennsylvania 19446, United States
| | - Sonali Rudra
- TCG
Lifesciences Private Limited, Block BN, Plot 7, Salt-lake Electronics Complex, Sector V, Kolkata 700091, West Bengal, India
| | - Huixu Li
- WuXi
AppTec (Tianjin) Co., Ltd., 168 NanHai Road, 10th Avenue, TEDA, Tianjin 300457, P. R. China
| | - Marius S. Pop
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 301 Binney
Street, 2nd Floor East, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 1300 So. El
Camino Real Suite 400, San Mateo, California 94402, United States
| | - Rosa A. Villagomez
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 301 Binney
Street, 2nd Floor East, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 1300 So. El
Camino Real Suite 400, San Mateo, California 94402, United States
| | - Christina Lee
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 301 Binney
Street, 2nd Floor East, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 1300 So. El
Camino Real Suite 400, San Mateo, California 94402, United States
| | - Heng Li
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 301 Binney
Street, 2nd Floor East, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 1300 So. El
Camino Real Suite 400, San Mateo, California 94402, United States
| | - Minyun Zhou
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 301 Binney
Street, 2nd Floor East, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 1300 So. El
Camino Real Suite 400, San Mateo, California 94402, United States
| | - Douglas C. Saffran
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 301 Binney
Street, 2nd Floor East, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 1300 So. El
Camino Real Suite 400, San Mateo, California 94402, United States
| | - Nathalie Rioux
- Certara
Strategic Consulting, 100 Overlook Center, Suite 101, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, United States
| | - Tressa R. Hood
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 301 Binney
Street, 2nd Floor East, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 1300 So. El
Camino Real Suite 400, San Mateo, California 94402, United States
| | - Melinda A. L. Day
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 301 Binney
Street, 2nd Floor East, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 1300 So. El
Camino Real Suite 400, San Mateo, California 94402, United States
| | - Michael R. McKeown
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 301 Binney
Street, 2nd Floor East, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 1300 So. El
Camino Real Suite 400, San Mateo, California 94402, United States
| | - Charles Y. Lin
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 301 Binney
Street, 2nd Floor East, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 1300 So. El
Camino Real Suite 400, San Mateo, California 94402, United States
| | - Norbert Bischofberger
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 301 Binney
Street, 2nd Floor East, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 1300 So. El
Camino Real Suite 400, San Mateo, California 94402, United States
| | - B. Wesley Trotter
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 301 Binney
Street, 2nd Floor East, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Kronos
Bio, Inc., 1300 So. El
Camino Real Suite 400, San Mateo, California 94402, United States
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12
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Dominguez EC, Roleder C, Ball B, Danilov AV. Cyclin-dependent kinase-9 in B-cell malignancies: pathogenic role and therapeutic implications. Leuk Lymphoma 2023; 64:1893-1904. [PMID: 37552126 DOI: 10.1080/10428194.2023.2244102] [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: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) regulate cell cycle and transcriptional activity. Pan-CDK inhibitors demonstrated early efficacy in lymphoid malignancies, but also have been associated with narrow therapeutic index. Among transcriptional CDKs, CDK7 and CDK9 emerged as promising targets. CDK9 serves as a component of P-TEFb elongation complex and thus is indispensable in mRNA transcription. Selective CDK9 inhibitors demonstrated pre-clinical efficacy in in vitro and in vivo models of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. CDK9 inhibition results in transcriptional pausing with rapid downmodulation of short-lived oncogenic proteins, e.g. Myc and Mcl-1, followed by cell apoptosis. Early phase clinical trials established safety of CDK9 inhibitors, with manageable neutropenia, infections and gastrointestinal toxicities. In this review, we summarize the rationale of targeting CDK9 in lymphoid malignancies, as well as pre-clinical and early clinical data with pan-CDK and selective CDK9 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carly Roleder
- City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Brian Ball
- City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
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13
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Kuang Z, Guo K, Cao Y, Jiang M, Wang C, Wu Q, Hu G, Ao M, Huang M, Qin J, Zhao T, Lu S, Sun C, Li M, Wu T, Liu W, Fang M. The novel CDK9 inhibitor, XPW1, alone and in combination with BRD4 inhibitor JQ1, for the treatment of clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Br J Cancer 2023; 129:1915-1929. [PMID: 37884683 PMCID: PMC10703862 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02464-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a highly lethal malignancy with few therapeutic options. Cyclin‑dependent kinase 9 (CDK9), a potential therapeutic target of many cancers, has been recently observed to be upregulated in ccRCC patients. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of CDK9 in ccRCC and develop a novel CDK9 inhibitor with low toxicity for ccRCC treatment. METHODS The expression of CDK9 in ccRCC was checked using the online database and tissue microarray analysis. shRNA-mediated CDK9 knockdown and CDK inhibitor were applied to evaluate the effect of CDK9 on ccRCC. Medicinal chemistry methods were used to develop a new CDK9 inhibitor with drugability. RNA-seq and ChIP-seq experiments were conducted to explore the mechanism of action. MTS, western blotting, and colony formation assays were performed to evaluate the anti-ccRCC effects of CDK9 knockdown and inhibition in vitro. The in vivo anti-tumour efficacy was evaluated in a xenograft model. RESULTS CDK9 is overexpressed and associated with poor survival in ccRCC. Knockdown or inhibition of CDK9 significantly suppressed ccRCC cells. XPW1 was identified as a new potent and selective CDK9 inhibitor with excellent anti-ccRCC activity and low toxicity. In mechanism, XPW1 transcriptionally inhibited DNA repair programmes in ccRCC cells, resulting in an excellent anti-tumour effect. CDK9 and BRD4 were two highly correlated transcriptional regulators in ccRCC patients, and the BRD4 inhibitor JQ1 enhanced XPW1's anti-ccRCC effects in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS This work provides valuable insights into the therapeutic potential of CDK9 in ccRCC. The CDK9 inhibitor XPW1 would be a novel therapeutic agent for targeting ccRCC, alone or in rational combinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijian Kuang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Kaiqiang Guo
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- College of Arts, Sichuan University, 610207, Chengdu, China
| | - Yin Cao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Mengxue Jiang
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Chaojie Wang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
- Jiangxi Cancer Hospital (The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical Colloge), 519 East Beijing Rd, 330029, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Qiaoqiong Wu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Guosheng Hu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Mingtao Ao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Mingfeng Huang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Jingbo Qin
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Taige Zhao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Sheng Lu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Cuiling Sun
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Mingyu Li
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China
| | - Tong Wu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China.
| | - Wen Liu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China.
| | - Meijuan Fang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, China.
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14
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Liu F, Liao Z, Zhang Z. MYC in liver cancer: mechanisms and targeted therapy opportunities. Oncogene 2023; 42:3303-3318. [PMID: 37833558 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02861-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
MYC, a major oncogenic transcription factor, regulates target genes involved in various pathways such as cell proliferation, metabolism and immune evasion, playing a critical role in the tumor initiation and development in multiple types of cancer. In liver cancer, MYC and its signaling pathways undergo significant changes, exerting a profound impact on liver cancer progression, including tumor proliferation, metastasis, dedifferentiation, metabolism, immune microenvironment, and resistance to comprehensive therapies. This makes MYC an appealing target, despite it being previously considered an undruggable protein. In this review, we discuss the role and mechanisms of MYC in liver physiology, chronic liver diseases, hepatocarcinogenesis, and liver cancer progression, providing a theoretical basis for targeting MYC as an ideal therapeutic target for liver cancer. We also summarize and prospect the strategies for targeting MYC, including direct and indirect approaches to abolish the oncogenic function of MYC in liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Furong Liu
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhibin Liao
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhanguo Zhang
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China.
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China.
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China.
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15
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Thng DKH, Hooi L, Toh CCM, Lim JJ, Rajagopalan D, Syariff IQC, Tan ZM, Rashid MBMA, Zhou L, Kow AWC, Bonney GK, Goh BKP, Kam JH, Jha S, Dan YY, Chow PKH, Toh TB, Chow EK. Histone-lysine N-methyltransferase EHMT2 (G9a) inhibition mitigates tumorigenicity in Myc-driven liver cancer. Mol Oncol 2023; 17:2275-2294. [PMID: 36896891 PMCID: PMC10620125 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third deadliest and sixth most common cancer in the world. Histone-lysine N-methyltransferase EHMT2 (also known as G9a) is a histone methyltransferase frequently overexpressed in many cancer types, including HCC. We showed that Myc-driven liver tumours have a unique H3K9 methylation pattern with corresponding G9a overexpression. This phenomenon of increased G9a was further observed in our c-Myc-positive HCC patient-derived xenografts. More importantly, we showed that HCC patients with higher c-Myc and G9a expression levels portend a poorer survival with lower median survival months. We demonstrated that c-Myc interacts with G9a in HCC and cooperates to regulate c-Myc-dependent gene repression. In addition, G9a stabilises c-Myc to promote cancer development, contributing to the growth and invasive capacity in HCC. Furthermore, combination therapy between G9a and synthetic-lethal target of c-Myc, CDK9, demonstrates strong efficacy in patient-derived avatars of Myc-driven HCC. Our work suggests that targeting G9a could prove to be a potential therapeutic avenue for Myc-driven liver cancer. This will increase our understanding of the underlying epigenetic mechanisms of aggressive tumour initiation and lead to improved therapeutic and diagnostic options for Myc-driven hepatic tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dexter Kai Hao Thng
- Cancer Science Institute of SingaporeNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Lissa Hooi
- Cancer Science Institute of SingaporeNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- NUS Centre for Cancer Research (N2CR), Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Clarissa Chin Min Toh
- Cancer Science Institute of SingaporeNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Jhin Jieh Lim
- Cancer Science Institute of SingaporeNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Deepa Rajagopalan
- Cancer Science Institute of SingaporeNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Imran Qamar Charles Syariff
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Zher Min Tan
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | | | - Lei Zhou
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Alfred Wei Chieh Kow
- Division of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University Surgical ClusterNational University Health SystemSingaporeSingapore
| | - Glenn Kunnath Bonney
- Division of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University Surgical ClusterNational University Health SystemSingaporeSingapore
| | - Brian Kim Poh Goh
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) and Transplant SurgerySingapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Juinn Huar Kam
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) and Transplant SurgerySingapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Sudhakar Jha
- Cancer Science Institute of SingaporeNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary MedicineOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOKUSA
| | - Yock Young Dan
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Pierce Kah Hoe Chow
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) and Transplant SurgerySingapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Academic Clinical Programme for SurgeryDuke‐NUS Medical SchoolSingaporeSingapore
| | - Tan Boon Toh
- The N.1 Institute for Health (N.1)National University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- The Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Edward Kai‐Hua Chow
- Cancer Science Institute of SingaporeNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- NUS Centre for Cancer Research (N2CR), Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- The N.1 Institute for Health (N.1)National University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- The Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
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16
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Romeo M, Dallio M, Scognamiglio F, Ventriglia L, Cipullo M, Coppola A, Tammaro C, Scafuro G, Iodice P, Federico A. Role of Non-Coding RNAs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression: From Classic to Novel Clinicopathogenetic Implications. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5178. [PMID: 37958352 PMCID: PMC10647270 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15215178] [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: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a predominant malignancy with increasing incidences and mortalities worldwide. In Western countries, the progressive affirmation of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) as the main chronic liver disorder in which HCC occurrence is appreciable even in non-cirrhotic stages, constitutes a real health emergency. In light of this, a further comprehension of molecular pathways supporting HCC onset and progression represents a current research challenge to achieve more tailored prognostic models and appropriate therapeutic approaches. RNA non-coding transcripts (ncRNAs) are involved in the regulation of several cancer-related processes, including HCC. When dysregulated, these molecules, conventionally classified as "small ncRNAs" (sncRNAs) and "long ncRNAs" (lncRNAs) have been reported to markedly influence HCC-related progression mechanisms. In this review, we describe the main dysregulated ncRNAs and the relative molecular pathways involved in HCC progression, analyzing their implications in certain etiologically related contexts, and their applicability in clinical practice as novel diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic tools. Finally, given the growing evidence supporting the immune system response, the oxidative stress-regulated mechanisms, and the gut microbiota composition as relevant emerging elements mutually influencing liver-cancerogenesis processes, we investigate the relationship of ncRNAs with this triad, shedding light on novel pathogenetic frontiers of HCC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Romeo
- Hepatogastroenterology Division, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.R.); (F.S.); (L.V.); (M.C.); (A.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Marcello Dallio
- Hepatogastroenterology Division, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.R.); (F.S.); (L.V.); (M.C.); (A.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Flavia Scognamiglio
- Hepatogastroenterology Division, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.R.); (F.S.); (L.V.); (M.C.); (A.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Lorenzo Ventriglia
- Hepatogastroenterology Division, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.R.); (F.S.); (L.V.); (M.C.); (A.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Marina Cipullo
- Hepatogastroenterology Division, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.R.); (F.S.); (L.V.); (M.C.); (A.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Annachiara Coppola
- Hepatogastroenterology Division, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.R.); (F.S.); (L.V.); (M.C.); (A.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Chiara Tammaro
- Biochemistry Division, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy; (C.T.); (G.S.)
| | - Giuseppe Scafuro
- Biochemistry Division, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy; (C.T.); (G.S.)
| | - Patrizia Iodice
- Division of Medical Oncology, AORN Azienda dei Colli, Monaldi Hospital, Via Leonardo Bianchi, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandro Federico
- Hepatogastroenterology Division, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.R.); (F.S.); (L.V.); (M.C.); (A.C.); (A.F.)
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17
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Shan X, Jiang R, Gou D, Xiang J, Zhou P, Xia J, Wang K, Huang A, Tang N, Huang L. Identification of a diketopiperazine-based O-GlcNAc transferase inhibitor sensitizing hepatocellular carcinoma to CDK9 inhibition. FEBS J 2023; 290:4543-4561. [PMID: 37247228 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16877] [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: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
O-GlcNAcylation (O-linked β-N-acetylglucosaminylation) is an important post-translational and metabolic process in cells that is implicated in a wide range of physiological processes. O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) is ubiquitously present in cells and is the only enzyme that catalyses the transfer of O-GlcNAc to nucleocytoplasmic proteins. Aberrant glycosylation by OGT has been linked to a variety of diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders and diabetes. Previously, we and others demonstrated that O-GlcNAcylation is notably elevated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The overexpression of O-GlcNAcylation promotes cancer progression and metastasis. Here, we report the identification of HLY838, a novel diketopiperazine-based OGT inhibitor with the ability to induce a global decrease in cellular O-GlcNAc. HLY838 enhances the in vitro and in vivo anti-HCC activity of CDK9 inhibitor by downregulating c-Myc and downstream E2F1 expression. Mechanistically, c-Myc is regulated by the CDK9 at the transcript level, and stabilized by OGT at the protein level. This work therefore demonstrates that HLY838 potentiates the antitumor responses of CDK9 inhibitor, providing an experimental rationale for developing OGT inhibitor as a sensitizing agent in cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqun Shan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Rong Jiang
- Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Dongmei Gou
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Jin Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Peng Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Jie Xia
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Ailong Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Ni Tang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Luyi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
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18
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Einig E, Jin C, Andrioletti V, Macek B, Popov N. RNAPII-dependent ATM signaling at collisions with replication forks. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5147. [PMID: 37620345 PMCID: PMC10449895 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40924-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Deregulation of RNA Polymerase II (RNAPII) by oncogenic signaling leads to collisions of RNAPII with DNA synthesis machinery (transcription-replication conflicts, TRCs). TRCs can result in DNA damage and are thought to underlie genomic instability in tumor cells. Here we provide evidence that elongating RNAPII nucleates activation of the ATM kinase at TRCs to stimulate DNA repair. We show the ATPase WRNIP1 associates with RNAPII and limits ATM activation during unperturbed cell cycle. WRNIP1 binding to elongating RNAPII requires catalytic activity of the ubiquitin ligase HUWE1. Mutation of HUWE1 induces TRCs, promotes WRNIP1 dissociation from RNAPII and binding to the replisome, stimulating ATM recruitment and activation at RNAPII. TRCs and translocation of WRNIP1 are rapidly induced in response to hydroxyurea treatment to activate ATM and facilitate subsequent DNA repair. We propose that TRCs can provide a controlled mechanism for stalling of replication forks and ATM activation, instrumental in cellular response to replicative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Einig
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pulmonology, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Mueller-Str 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Chao Jin
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pulmonology, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Mueller-Str 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Valentina Andrioletti
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pulmonology, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Mueller-Str 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- enGenome S.R.L., Via Fratelli Cuzio 42, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Boris Macek
- Interfaculty Institute of Cell Biology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Auf d. Morgenstelle 15, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nikita Popov
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pulmonology, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Mueller-Str 14, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
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19
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Gutierrez M, Bladek P, Goksu B, Murga-Zamalloa C, Bixby D, Wilcox R. T-Cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia: Diagnosis, Pathogenesis, and Treatment. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12106. [PMID: 37569479 PMCID: PMC10419310 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL) is a rare and aggressive neoplasm of mature T-cells. Most patients with T-PLL present with lymphocytosis, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and hepatosplenomegaly. Correct identification of T-PLL is essential because treatment for this disease is distinct from that of other T-cell neoplasms. In 2019, the T-PLL International Study Group (TPLL-ISG) established criteria for the diagnosis, staging, and assessment of response to treatment of T-PLL with the goal of harmonizing research efforts and supporting clinical decision-making. T-PLL pathogenesis is commonly driven by T-cell leukemia 1 (TCL1) overexpression and ATM loss, genetic alterations that are incorporated into the TPLL-ISG diagnostic criteria. The cooperativity between TCL1 family members and ATM is seemingly unique to T-PLL across the spectrum of T-cell neoplasms. The role of the T-cell receptor, its downstream kinases, and JAK/STAT signaling are also emerging themes in disease pathogenesis and have obvious therapeutic implications. Despite improved understanding of disease pathogenesis, alemtuzumab remains the frontline therapy in the treatment of naïve patients with indications for treatment given its high response rate. Unfortunately, the responses achieved are rarely durable, and the majority of patients are not candidates for consolidation with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Improved understanding of T-PLL pathogenesis has unveiled novel therapeutic vulnerabilities that may change the natural history of this lymphoproliferative neoplasm and will be the focus of this concise review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Gutierrez
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - Patrick Bladek
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA; (P.B.); (B.G.); (C.M.-Z.)
| | - Busra Goksu
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA; (P.B.); (B.G.); (C.M.-Z.)
| | - Carlos Murga-Zamalloa
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA; (P.B.); (B.G.); (C.M.-Z.)
| | - Dale Bixby
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 60607, USA;
| | - Ryan Wilcox
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 60607, USA;
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20
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Agudo-Ibáñez L, Morante M, García-Gutiérrez L, Quintanilla A, Rodríguez J, Muñoz A, León J, Crespo P. ERK2 stimulates MYC transcription by anchoring CDK9 to the MYC promoter in a kinase activity-independent manner. Sci Signal 2023; 16:eadg4193. [PMID: 37463244 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.adg4193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
The transcription factor MYC regulates cell proliferation, transformation, and survival in response to growth factor signaling that is mediated in part by the kinase activity of ERK2. Because ERK2 can also bind to DNA to modify gene expression, we investigated whether it more directly regulates MYC transcription. We identified ERK2 binding sites in the MYC promoter and detected ERK2 at the promoter in various serum-stimulated cell types. Expression of nuclear-localized ERK2 constructs in serum-starved cells revealed that ERK2 in the nucleus-regardless of its kinase activity-increased MYC mRNA expression and MYC protein abundance. ERK2 bound to the promoter through its amino-terminal insert domain and to the cyclin-dependent kinase CDK9 (which activates RNA polymerase II) through its carboxyl-terminal conserved docking domain. Both interactions were essential for ERK2-induced MYC expression, and depleting ERK impaired CDK9 occupancy and RNA polymerase II progression at the MYC promoter. Artificially tethering CDK9 to the MYC promoter by fusing it to the ERK2 insert domain was sufficient to stimulate MYC expression in serum-starved cells. Our findings demonstrate a role for ERK2 at the MYC promoter acting as a kinase-independent anchor for the recruitment of CDK9 to promote MYC expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Agudo-Ibáñez
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Cantabria, Santander 39011, Spain
| | - Marta Morante
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Cantabria, Santander 39011, Spain
| | - Lucía García-Gutiérrez
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Cantabria, Santander 39011, Spain
| | - Andrea Quintanilla
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Cantabria, Santander 39011, Spain
| | - Javier Rodríguez
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Cantabria, Santander 39011, Spain
| | - Alberto Muñoz
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols," Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid 28029, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid 2809, Spain
| | - Javier León
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Cantabria, Santander 39011, Spain
| | - Piero Crespo
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Cantabria, Santander 39011, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid 2809, Spain
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21
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Lin JC, Liu TP, Chen YB, Huang TS, Chen TY, Yang PM. Inhibition of CDK9 exhibits anticancer activity in hepatocellular carcinoma cells via targeting ribonucleotide reductase. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2023; 471:116568. [PMID: 37245555 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2023.116568] [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: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) inhibitors are a novel category of anticancer treatment for cancers. However, their effects on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are rarely investigated. Human ribonucleotide reductase (RR, which consists of RRM1 and RRM2 subunits) catalyzes the conversion of ribonucleoside diphosphate into 2'-deoxyribonucleoside diphosphate to maintain the homeostasis of nucleotide pools, which play essential roles in DNA synthesis and DNA repair. In this study, we identified that CDK9 protein expression in adjacent non-tumor tissues predicted HCC patients' overall and progression-free survivals. The anticancer activity of a CDK9-selective inhibitor, LDC000067, on HCC cells was positively associated with its ability to inhibit the expression of RRM1 and RRM2. LDC000067 downregulated RRM1 and RRM2 expression through post-transcriptional pathway. Specifically, LDC000067 triggered RRM2 protein degradation via multiple pathways, including proteasome-, lysosome-, and calcium-dependent pathways. Furthermore, CDK9 positively correlates with RRM1 or RRM2 expression in HCC patients, and the expressions of these three genes were associated with the higher infiltration of immune cells in HCC. Taken together, this study identified the prognostic relevance of CDK9 in HCC and the molecular mechanism for the anticancer effect of CDK9 inhibitors on HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiunn-Chang Lin
- Department of Surgery, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei 10449, Taiwan; MacKay Junior College of Medicine, Nursing, and Management, New Taipei City 11260, Taiwan; Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City 25245, Taiwan; Liver Medical Center, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei 10449, Taiwan; PhD Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Tsang-Pai Liu
- Department of Surgery, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei 10449, Taiwan; MacKay Junior College of Medicine, Nursing, and Management, New Taipei City 11260, Taiwan; Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City 25245, Taiwan; Liver Medical Center, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei 10449, Taiwan; PhD Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Yan-Bin Chen
- Department of Surgery, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei 10449, Taiwan
| | - Tun-Sung Huang
- Department of Surgery, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei 10449, Taiwan; Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City 25245, Taiwan; Liver Medical Center, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei 10449, Taiwan
| | - Tung-Ying Chen
- Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City 25245, Taiwan; Department of Pathology, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei 10449, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Ming Yang
- Liver Medical Center, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei 10449, Taiwan; PhD Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; TMU Research Center of Cancer Translational Medicine, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; Cancer Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11696, Taiwan; TMU and Affiliated Hospitals Pancreatic Cancer Groups, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan.
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22
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Ayinde O, Sharpe C, Stahl E, Tokarski RJ, Lerma JR, Muthusamy N, Byrd JC, Fuchs JR. Examination of the Impact of Triazole Position within Linkers on Solubility and Lipophilicity of a CDK9 Degrader Series. ACS Med Chem Lett 2023; 14:936-942. [PMID: 37465296 PMCID: PMC10351057 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.3c00082] [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: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Optimization of degrader properties is often a challenge due to their beyond-rule-of-5 nature. Given the paucity of known E3 ligases and the often-limited choice of ligands with varied chemical structures for a given protein target, degrader linkers represent the best position within the chimeric molecules to modify their overall physicochemical properties. In this work, a series of AT7519-based CDK9 degraders was assembled using click chemistry, facilitating the tuning of aqueous solubility and lipophilicity while retaining their linker type and molecular weight. Using chromatographic logD and kinetic solubility experiments, we show that degraders with similar chemical constitution but varied position of the embedded triazole demonstrate different lipophilicity and aqueous solubility properties. Overall, this work highlights the impact of triazole placement on linker composition through application of click chemistry for degrader synthesis and its ability to be used to promote the achievement of favorable physicochemical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwatosin
R. Ayinde
- Division
of Medicinal Chemistry & Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Chia Sharpe
- Department
of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Ohio 45267, United States
| | - Emily Stahl
- Division
of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Robert J. Tokarski
- Division
of Medicinal Chemistry & Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - James R. Lerma
- Department
of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Ohio 45267, United States
| | - Natarajan Muthusamy
- Division
of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
- The
Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio 43210, United States
| | - John C. Byrd
- Department
of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Ohio 45267, United States
- University
of Cincinnati Cancer Center, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Ohio 45267, United States
| | - James R. Fuchs
- Division
of Medicinal Chemistry & Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
- The
Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio 43210, United States
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23
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D’Avola A, Kluckova K, Finch AJ, Riches JC. Spotlight on New Therapeutic Opportunities for MYC-Driven Cancers. Onco Targets Ther 2023; 16:371-383. [PMID: 37309471 PMCID: PMC10257908 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s366627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
MYC can be considered to be one of the most pressing and important targets for the development of novel anti-cancer therapies. This is due to its frequent dysregulation in tumors and due to the wide-ranging impact this dysregulation has on gene expression and cellular behavior. As a result, there have been numerous attempts to target MYC over the last few decades, both directly and indirectly, with mixed results. This article reviews the biology of MYC in the context of cancers and drug development. It discusses strategies aimed at targeting MYC directly, including those aimed at reducing its expression and blocking its function. In addition, the impact of MYC dysregulation on cellular biology is outlined, and how understanding this can underpin the development of approaches aimed at molecules and pathways regulated by MYC. In particular, the review focuses on the role that MYC plays in the regulation of metabolism, and the therapeutic avenues offered by inhibiting the metabolic pathways that are essential for the survival of MYC-transformed cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa D’Avola
- Centre for Haemato-Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Katarina Kluckova
- Centre for Haemato-Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Andrew J Finch
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - John C Riches
- Centre for Haemato-Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
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24
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Eskandrani R, Al-Rasheed LS, Ansari SA, Bakheit AH, Almehizia AA, Almutairi M, Alkahtani HM. Targeting Transcriptional CDKs 7, 8, and 9 with Anilinopyrimidine Derivatives as Anticancer Agents: Design, Synthesis, Biological Evaluation and In Silico Studies. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28114271. [PMID: 37298748 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28114271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are promising targets in chemotherapy. In this study, we report a series of 2-anilinopyrimidine derivatives with CDK inhibitory activity. Twenty-one compounds were synthesized and their CDK inhibitory and cytotoxic activities were evaluated. The representative compounds demonstrate potent antiproliferative activities toward different solid cancer cell lines and provide a promising strategy for the treatment of malignant tumors. Compound 5f was the most potent CDK7 inhibitor (IC50 = 0.479 µM), compound 5d was the most potent CDK8 inhibitor (IC50 = 0.716 µM), and compound 5b was the most potent CDK9 inhibitor (IC50 = 0.059 µM). All the compounds satisfied the Lipinski's rule of five (molecular weight < 500 Da, number of hydrogen bond acceptors <10, and octanol-water partition coefficient and hydrogen bond donor values below 5). Compound 5j is a good candidate for lead optimization because it has a non-hydrogen atom (N) of 23, an acceptable ligand efficiency value of 0.38673, and an acceptable ligand lipophilic efficiency value of 5.5526. The synthesized anilinopyrimidine derivatives have potential as anticancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razan Eskandrani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Lamees S Al-Rasheed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Siddique Akber Ansari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed H Bakheit
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulrahman A Almehizia
- Drug Exploration and Development (DEDC), Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maha Almutairi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hamad M Alkahtani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
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25
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Wei SJ, Yang IH, Mohiuddin IS, Kshirsagar GJ, Nguyen TH, Trasti S, Maurer BJ, Kang MH. DNA-PKcs as an upstream mediator of OCT4-induced MYC activation in small cell lung cancer. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2023; 1866:194939. [PMID: 37116859 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2023.194939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a neuroendocrine tumor noted for the rapid development of both metastases and resistance to chemotherapy. High mutation burden, ubiquitous loss of TP53 and RB1, and a mutually exclusive amplification of MYC gene family members contribute to genomic instability and make the development of new targeted agents a challenge. Previously, we reported a novel OCT4-induced MYC transcriptional activation pathway involving c-MYC, pOCT4S111, and MAPKAPK2 in progressive neuroblastoma, also a neuroendocrine tumor. Using tumor microarray analysis of clinical samples and preclinical models, we now report a correlation in expression between these proteins in SCLC. In correlating c-MYC protein expression with genomic amplification, we determined that some SCLC cell lines exhibited high c-MYC without genomic amplification, implying amplification-independent MYC activation. We then confirmed direct interaction between OCT4 and DNA-PKcs and identified specific OCT4 and DNA-PKcs binding sites. Knock-down of both POU5F1 (encoding OCT4) and PRKDC (encoding DNA-PKcs) resulted in decreased c-MYC expression. Further, we confirmed binding of OCT4 to the promoter/enhancer region of MYC. Together, these data establish the presence of a DNA-PKcs/OCT4/c-MYC pathway in SCLCs. We then disruptively targeted this pathway and demonstrated anticancer activity in SCLC cell lines and xenografts using both DNA-PKcs inhibitors and a protein-protein interaction inhibitor of DNA-PKcs and OCT4. In conclusion, we demonstrate here that DNA-PKcs can mediate high c-MYC expression in SCLCs, and that this pathway may represent a new therapeutic target for SCLCs with high c-MYC expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Jen Wei
- Cancer Center, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - In-Hyoung Yang
- Cancer Center, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Ismail S Mohiuddin
- Cancer Center, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Ganesh J Kshirsagar
- Cancer Center, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Thinh H Nguyen
- Cancer Center, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Scott Trasti
- Laboratory Animal Resources Center, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Barry J Maurer
- Cancer Center, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Min H Kang
- Cancer Center, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
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26
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Cui G, Zhou JY, Ge XY, Sun BF, Song GG, Wang X, Wang XZ, Zhang R, Wang HL, Jing Q, Koziol MJ, Zhao YL, Zeng A, Zhang WQ, Han DL, Yang YG, Yang Y. m 6 A promotes planarian regeneration. Cell Prolif 2023; 56:e13481. [PMID: 37084418 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Regeneration is the regrowth of damaged tissues or organs, a vital process in response to damages from primitive organisms to higher mammals. Planarian possesses active whole-body regenerative capability owing to its vast reservoir of adult stem cells, neoblasts, providing an ideal model to delineate the underlying mechanisms for regeneration. RNA N6 -methyladenosine (m6 A) modification participates in many biological processes, including stem cell self-renewal and differentiation, in particular the regeneration of haematopoietic stem cells and axons. However, how m6 A controls regeneration at the whole-organism level remains largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the depletion of m6 A methyltransferase regulatory subunit wtap abolishes planarian regeneration, potentially through regulating genes related to cell-cell communication and cell cycle. Single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) analysis unveils that the wtap knockdown induces a unique type of neural progenitor-like cells (NP-like cells), characterized by specific expression of the cell-cell communication ligand grn. Intriguingly, the depletion of m6 A-modified transcripts grn, cdk9 or cdk7 partially rescues the defective regeneration of planarian caused by wtap knockdown. Overall, our study reveals an indispensable role of m6 A modification in regulating whole-organism regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanshen Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jia-Yi Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
| | - Xin-Yang Ge
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bao-Fa Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
| | - Ge-Ge Song
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
| | - Xing Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
| | - Xiu-Zhi Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hai-Lin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Jing
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine & CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai, Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Magdalena J Koziol
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research (Beijing), Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yong-Liang Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
| | - An Zeng
- The State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei-Qi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
| | - Da-Li Han
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yun-Gui Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, College of Future Technology, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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27
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Li J, Dong T, Wu Z, Zhu D, Gu H. The effects of MYC on tumor immunity and immunotherapy. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:103. [PMID: 36966168 PMCID: PMC10039951 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01403-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The oncogene MYC is dysregulated in a host of human cancers, and as an important point of convergence in multitudinous oncogenic signaling pathways, it plays a crucial role in tumor immune regulation in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Specifically, MYC promotes the expression of immunosuppressive factors and inhibits the expression of immune activation regulators. Undoubtedly, a therapeutic strategy that targets MYC can initiate a new era of cancer treatment. In this review, we summarize the essential role of the MYC signaling pathway in tumor immunity and the development status of MYC-related therapies, including therapeutic strategies targeting MYC and combined MYC-based immunotherapy. These studies have reported extraordinary insights into the translational application of MYC in cancer treatment and are conducive to the emergence of more effective immunotherapies for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajin Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Second Clinical School of Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Tingyu Dong
- Department of Pediatrics, Second Clinical School of Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Zhen Wu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, First Clinical School of Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Dacheng Zhu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, First Clinical School of Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Hao Gu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
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28
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Toure MA, Koehler AN. Addressing Transcriptional Dysregulation in Cancer through CDK9 Inhibition. Biochemistry 2023; 62:1114-1123. [PMID: 36854448 PMCID: PMC10035036 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Undermining transcriptional addiction, the dependence of cancers on selected transcriptional programs, is critically important for addressing cancers with high unmet clinical need. Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) has long been considered an actionable therapeutic target for modulating transcription in many diseases. This appeal is due to its role in coordinating the biochemical events that regulate RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) pause-release state, one that offers a way for attenuating transcriptional dysregulation driven by amplified or overexpressed transcription factors implicated in cancer. However, targeting CDK9 in the clinic has historically proven elusive, a challenge that stems from the often highly intolerable cytotoxicity attributed to its essentiality across many cell lineages and the polypharmacology of the first generation of pan-CDK inhibitors to reach the clinic. A new wave of highly selective molecules progressing through the early stages of clinical evaluation offers renewed hope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed A Toure
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Angela N Koehler
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
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29
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Park M, Cho JH, Moon B, Kim JH, Kim JA. CDK9 inhibitors downregulate DKK1 expression to suppress the metastatic potential of HCC cells. Genes Genomics 2023; 45:285-293. [PMID: 36662391 DOI: 10.1007/s13258-022-01351-9] [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: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Elevated expression of Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) is frequently observed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with poor clinical outcomes. Several reports indicating the functional involvement of DKK1 in HCC progression have suggested DKK1 as a promising therapeutic target for HCC. OBJECTIVE In this study, to develop an efficient way to target DKK1, we assessed the effect of CDK9 inhibitors on DKK1 expression linked to metastatic movement of HCC. METHODS The expression of DKK1 in CDK9 inhibitor-treated HCC cells was measured by western blot, ELISA and quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR. Wound healing assay, migration assay, invasion assay and western blot were examined to evaluate the functional role of DKK1 in CDK9 inhibitors-treated HCC. RESULTS Inactivation of CDK9 either by a catalytic inhibitor being clinically evaluated or by a specific CDK9 protein degrader largely downregulated DKK1 expression at the transcript and protein levels. In addition, CDK9 inhibitors suppressed the migration and invasion of HCC cells. We observed that ectopic high expression of DKK1 at least partially reversed the defects in metastatic movement of HCC cells mediated by CDK9 inhibitors. We further discovered that the DKK1-nuclear β-catenin axis associated with the metastatic potential of HCC cells was impaired by CDK9 inhibitors. CONCLUSION Taken together, our findings suggest that CDK9 inhibitors are potent tools to target DKK1, which can suppress the metastatic progression of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mijin Park
- Aging Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.,Department of Bioscience, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Hwa Cho
- Disease Target Structure Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Byul Moon
- Aging Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.,Department of Bioscience, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong-Hoon Kim
- Department of Bioscience, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea. .,Disease Target Structure Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea. .,Graduate School of New Drug Discovery and Development, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jung-Ae Kim
- Aging Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Bioscience, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea. .,Disease Target Structure Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
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30
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Wu X, Xie Y, Zhao K, Lu J. Targeting the super elongation complex for oncogenic transcription driven tumor malignancies: Progress in structure, mechanisms and small molecular inhibitor discovery. Adv Cancer Res 2023; 158:387-421. [PMID: 36990537 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2022.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Oncogenic transcription activation is associated with tumor development and resistance derived from chemotherapy or target therapy. The super elongation complex (SEC) is an important complex regulating gene transcription and expression in metazoans closely related to physiological activities. In normal transcriptional regulation, SEC can trigger promoter escape, limit proteolytic degradation of transcription elongation factors and increase the synthesis of RNA polymerase II (POL II), and regulate many normal human genes to stimulate RNA elongation. Dysregulation of SEC accompanied by multiple transcription factors in cancer promotes rapid transcription of oncogenes and induce cancer development. In this review, we summarized recent progress in understanding the mechanisms of SEC in regulating normal transcription, and importantly its roles in cancer development. We also highlighted the discovery of SEC complex target related inhibitors and their potential applications in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation (Yantai University), Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, China; Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanqiu Xie
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation (Yantai University), Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, China; Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Kehao Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation (Yantai University), Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, China.
| | - Jing Lu
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation (Yantai University), Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, China.
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31
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Nature-Derived Compounds as Potential Bioactive Leads against CDK9-Induced Cancer: Computational and Network Pharmacology Approaches. Processes (Basel) 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/pr10122512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Given the importance of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) in the maintenance of cell development, gene transcription, and other essential biological operations, CDK blockers have been generated to manage a variety of disorders resulting from CDK irregularities. Furthermore, CDK9 has a crucial role in transcription by regulating short-lived anti-apoptotic genes necessary for cancer cell persistence. Addressing CDK9 with blockers has consequently emerged as a promising treatment for cancer. This study scrutinizes the effectiveness of nature-derived compounds (geniposidic acid, quercetin, geniposide, curcumin, and withanolide C) against CDK9 through computational approaches. A molecular docking study was performed after preparing the protein and the ligands. The selected blockers of the CDK9 exerted reliable binding affinities (−8.114 kcal/mol to −13.908 kcal/mol) against the selected protein, resulting in promising candidates compared to the co-crystallized ligand (LCI). The binding affinity of geniposidic acid (−13.908 kcal/mol) to CDK9 is higher than quercetin (−10.775 kcal/mol), geniposide (−9.969 kcal/mol), curcumin (−9.898 kcal/mol), withanolide C (−8.114 kcal/mol), and the co-crystallized ligand LCI (−11.425 kcal/mol). Therefore, geniposidic acid is a promising inhibitor of CDK9. Moreover, the molecular dynamics studies assessed the structure–function relationships and protein–ligand interactions. The network pharmacology study for the selected ligands demonstrated the auspicious compound–target–pathway signaling pathways vital in developing tumor, tumor cell growth, differentiation, and promoting tumor cell progression. Moreover, this study concluded by analyzing the computational approaches the natural-derived compounds that have potential interacting activities against CDK9 and, therefore, can be considered promising candidates for CKD9-induced cancer. To substantiate this study’s outcomes, in vivo research is recommended.
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32
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Donati G, Amati B. MYC and therapy resistance in cancer: risks and opportunities. Mol Oncol 2022; 16:3828-3854. [PMID: 36214609 PMCID: PMC9627787 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The MYC transcription factor, encoded by the c-MYC proto-oncogene, is activated by growth-promoting signals, and is a key regulator of biosynthetic and metabolic pathways driving cell growth and proliferation. These same processes are deregulated in MYC-driven tumors, where they become critical for cancer cell proliferation and survival. As other oncogenic insults, overexpressed MYC induces a series of cellular stresses (metabolic, oxidative, replicative, etc.) collectively known as oncogenic stress, which impact not only on tumor progression, but also on the response to therapy, with profound, multifaceted consequences on clinical outcome. On one hand, recent evidence uncovered a widespread role for MYC in therapy resistance in multiple cancer types, with either standard chemotherapeutic or targeted regimens. Reciprocally, oncogenic MYC imparts a series of molecular and metabolic dependencies to cells, thus giving rise to cancer-specific vulnerabilities that may be exploited to obtain synthetic-lethal interactions with novel anticancer drugs. Here we will review the current knowledge on the links between MYC and therapeutic responses, and will discuss possible strategies to overcome resistance through new, targeted interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Donati
- European Institute of Oncology (IEO) – IRCCSMilanItaly
| | - Bruno Amati
- European Institute of Oncology (IEO) – IRCCSMilanItaly
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33
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van der Noord VE, van de Water B, Le Dévédec SE. Targeting the Heterogeneous Genomic Landscape in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer through Inhibitors of the Transcriptional Machinery. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:4353. [PMID: 36139513 PMCID: PMC9496798 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14184353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer defined by lack of the estrogen, progesterone and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. Although TNBC tumors contain a wide variety of oncogenic mutations and copy number alterations, the direct targeting of these alterations has failed to substantially improve therapeutic efficacy. This efficacy is strongly limited by interpatient and intratumor heterogeneity, and thereby a lack in uniformity of targetable drivers. Most of these genetic abnormalities eventually drive specific transcriptional programs, which may be a general underlying vulnerability. Currently, there are multiple selective inhibitors, which target the transcriptional machinery through transcriptional cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) 7, 8, 9, 12 and 13 and bromodomain extra-terminal motif (BET) proteins, including BRD4. In this review, we discuss how inhibitors of the transcriptional machinery can effectively target genetic abnormalities in TNBC, and how these abnormalities can influence sensitivity to these inhibitors. These inhibitors target the genomic landscape in TNBC by specifically suppressing MYC-driven transcription, inducing further DNA damage, improving anti-cancer immunity, and preventing drug resistance against MAPK and PI3K-targeted therapies. Because the transcriptional machinery enables transcription and propagation of multiple cancer drivers, it may be a promising target for (combination) treatment, especially of heterogeneous malignancies, including TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sylvia E. Le Dévédec
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
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34
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Thng DKH, Toh TB, Pigini P, Hooi L, Dan YY, Chow PK, Bonney GK, Rashid MBMA, Guccione E, Wee DKB, Chow EK. Splice-switch oligonucleotide-based combinatorial platform prioritizes synthetic lethal targets CHK1 and BRD4 against MYC-driven hepatocellular carcinoma. Bioeng Transl Med 2022; 8:e10363. [PMID: 36684069 PMCID: PMC9842033 DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Deregulation of MYC is among the most frequent oncogenic drivers in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Unfortunately, the clinical success of MYC-targeted therapies is limited. Synthetic lethality offers an alternative therapeutic strategy by leveraging on vulnerabilities in tumors with MYC deregulation. While several synthetic lethal targets of MYC have been identified in HCC, the need to prioritize targets with the greatest therapeutic potential has been unmet. Here, we demonstrate that by pairing splice-switch oligonucleotide (SSO) technologies with our phenotypic-analytical hybrid multidrug interrogation platform, quadratic phenotypic optimization platform (QPOP), we can disrupt the functional expression of these targets in specific combinatorial tests to rapidly determine target-target interactions and rank synthetic lethality targets. Our SSO-QPOP analyses revealed that simultaneous attenuation of CHK1 and BRD4 function is an effective combination specific in MYC-deregulated HCC, successfully suppressing HCC progression in vitro. Pharmacological inhibitors of CHK1 and BRD4 further demonstrated its translational value by exhibiting synergistic interactions in patient-derived xenograft organoid models of HCC harboring high levels of MYC deregulation. Collectively, our work demonstrates the capacity of SSO-QPOP as a target prioritization tool in the drug development pipeline, as well as the therapeutic potential of CHK1 and BRD4 in MYC-driven HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dexter Kai Hao Thng
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Tan Boon Toh
- The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore,The Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of SingaporeSingapore
| | - Paolo Pigini
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Lissa Hooi
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore,NUS Centre for Cancer Research (N2CR), Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Yock Young Dan
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore,Division of Gastroenterology and HepatologyNational University Health SystemSingaporeSingapore,Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Pierce Kah‐Hoe Chow
- Division of Surgical OncologyNational Cancer Centre SingaporeSingaporeSingapore,Department of Hepato‐Pancreato‐Biliary and Transplant SurgerySingapore General HospitalSingaporeSingapore,Duke‐NUS Medical SchoolSingaporeSingapore
| | - Glenn Kunnath Bonney
- NUS Centre for Cancer Research (N2CR), Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore,Division of Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplantation SurgeryNational University Health SystemSingaporeSingapore
| | | | - Ernesto Guccione
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore,Department of Oncological SciencesTisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA,Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological and Pharmacological SciencesIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Dave Keng Boon Wee
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Edward Kai‐Hua Chow
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore,The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore,The Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of SingaporeSingapore,NUS Centre for Cancer Research (N2CR), Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore,Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore,Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Design and EngineeringNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
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35
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He F, Cong W, Yin C, Li C, Zhao S, Wu Z, Hu H, Fang M. Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of (E)-N′-substitute-4-((4-pyridylpyrimidin-2-yl)amino)benzohydrazide derivatives as novel potential CDK9 inhibitors. ARAB J CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.arabjc.2022.104039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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36
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Li J, Liu T, Song Y, Wang M, Liu L, Zhu H, Li Q, Lin J, Jiang H, Chen K, Zhao K, Wang M, Zhou H, Lin H, Luo C. Discovery of Small-Molecule Degraders of the CDK9-Cyclin T1 Complex for Targeting Transcriptional Addiction in Prostate Cancer. J Med Chem 2022; 65:11034-11057. [PMID: 35925880 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant hyperactivation of cyclins results in carcinogenesis and therapy resistance in cancers. Direct degradation of the specific cyclin or cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)-cyclin complex by small-molecule degraders remains a great challenge. Here, we applied the first application of hydrophobic tagging to induce degradation of CDK9-cyclin T1 heterodimer, which is required to keep productive transcription of oncogenes in cancers. LL-K9-3 was identified as a potent small-molecule degrader of CDK9-cyclin T1. Quantitative and time-resolved proteome profiling exhibited LL-K9-3 induced selective and synchronous degradation of CDK9 and cyclin T1. The expressions of androgen receptor (AR) and cMyc were reduced by LL-K9-3 in 22RV1 cells. LL-K9-3 exhibited enhanced anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects compared with its parental CDK9 inhibitor SNS032 and suppressed downstream signaling of CDK9 and AR more effectively than SNS032. Moreover, LL-K9-3 inhibited AR and Myc-driven oncogenic transcriptional programs and exerted stronger inhibitory effects on several intrinsic target genes of AR than the monomeric CDK9 PROTAC (Thal-SNS032).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiacheng Li
- The Center for Chemical Biology, Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ting Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Yuanli Song
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China.,Department of Analytical Chemistry and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Mingyu Wang
- The Center for Chemical Biology, Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Liping Liu
- The Center for Chemical Biology, Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hongwen Zhu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China.,Department of Analytical Chemistry and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Qi Li
- The Center for Chemical Biology, Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jin Lin
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Hualiang Jiang
- The Center for Chemical Biology, Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Kaixian Chen
- The Center for Chemical Biology, Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Kehao Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation (Yantai University), Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
| | - Mingliang Wang
- The Center for Chemical Biology, Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Hu Zhou
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China.,Department of Analytical Chemistry and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Hua Lin
- The Center for Chemical Biology, Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,Biomedical Research Center of South China, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
| | - Cheng Luo
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China.,The Center for Chemical Biology, Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 100 Haike Road, Shanghai 201210, China
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Amen AM, Loughran RM, Huang CH, Lew RJ, Ravi A, Guan Y, Schatoff EM, Dow LE, Emerling BM, Fellmann C. Endogenous spacing enables co-processing of microRNAs and efficient combinatorial RNAi. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2022; 2:100239. [PMID: 35880017 PMCID: PMC9308131 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2022.100239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We present Multi-miR, a microRNA-embedded shRNA system modeled after endogenous microRNA clusters that enables simultaneous expression of up to three or four short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) from a single promoter without loss of activity, enabling robust combinatorial RNA interference (RNAi). We further developed complementary all-in-one vectors that are over one log-scale more sensitive to doxycycline-mediated activation in vitro than previous methods and resistant to shRNA inactivation in vivo. We demonstrate the utility of this system for intracranial expression of shRNAs in a glioblastoma model. Additionally, we leverage this platform to target the redundant RAF signaling node in a mouse model of KRAS-mutant cancer and show that robust combinatorial synthetic lethality efficiently abolishes tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M. Amen
- Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Ryan M. Loughran
- Cell and Molecular Biology of Cancer Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Chun-Hao Huang
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rachel J. Lew
- Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Archna Ravi
- Cell and Molecular Biology of Cancer Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Emma M. Schatoff
- Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lukas E. Dow
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brooke M. Emerling
- Cell and Molecular Biology of Cancer Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Christof Fellmann
- Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Mirimus Inc., Brooklyn, NY, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Genetic characterization and drug sensitivity study of newly derived HGBL double/triple-hit lymphoma cell lines. Blood Adv 2022; 6:5067-5071. [PMID: 35687491 PMCID: PMC9631616 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2021006709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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39
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Li X, Huang CH, Sánchez-Rivera FJ, Kennedy MC, Tschaharganeh DF, Morris JP, Montinaro A, O'Rourke KP, Banito A, Wilkinson JE, Chen CC, Ho YJ, Dow LE, Tian S, Luan W, de Stanchina E, Zhang T, Gray NS, Walczak H, Lowe SW. A preclinical platform for assessing antitumor effects and systemic toxicities of cancer drug targets. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2110557119. [PMID: 35442775 PMCID: PMC9169916 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2110557119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Anticancer drug development campaigns often fail due to an incomplete understanding of the therapeutic index differentiating the efficacy of the agent against the cancer and its on-target toxicities to the host. To address this issue, we established a versatile preclinical platform in which genetically defined cancers are produced using somatic tissue engineering in transgenic mice harboring a doxycycline-inducible short hairpin RNA against the target of interest. In this system, target inhibition is achieved by the addition of doxycycline, enabling simultaneous assessment of efficacy and toxicity in the same animal. As proof of concept, we focused on CDK9—a cancer target whose clinical development has been hampered by compounds with poorly understood target specificity and unacceptable toxicities. We systematically compared phenotypes produced by genetic Cdk9 inhibition to those achieved using a recently developed highly specific small molecule CDK9 inhibitor and found that both perturbations led to robust antitumor responses. Remarkably, nontoxic levels of CDK9 inhibition could achieve significant treatment efficacy, and dose-dependent toxicities produced by prolonged CDK9 suppression were largely reversible upon Cdk9 restoration or drug withdrawal. Overall, these results establish a versatile in vivo target validation platform that can be employed for rapid triaging of therapeutic targets and lend support to efforts aimed at advancing CDK9 inhibitors for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Li
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065
- Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, NY 10021
| | - Chun-Hao Huang
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065
- Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, NY 10021
| | - Francisco J. Sánchez-Rivera
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065
| | - Margaret C. Kennedy
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065
| | - Darjus F. Tschaharganeh
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065
| | - John P. Morris
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065
| | - Antonella Montinaro
- Centre for Cell Death, Cancer, and Inflammation, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin P. O'Rourke
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065
- Weill Cornell Medicine/The Rockefeller University/Sloan Kettering Institute Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, New York, NY 10065
| | - Ana Banito
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065
| | - John E. Wilkinson
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Chi-Chao Chen
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065
- Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, NY 10021
| | - Yu-Jui Ho
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065
| | - Lukas E. Dow
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065
| | - Sha Tian
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065
| | - Wei Luan
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065
| | - Elisa de Stanchina
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065
| | - Tinghu Zhang
- Innovative Medicines Accelerator, Stanford Chemistry, Engineering & Medicine for Human Health (ChEM-H), Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Nathanael S. Gray
- Innovative Medicines Accelerator, Stanford Chemistry, Engineering & Medicine for Human Health (ChEM-H), Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Henning Walczak
- Centre for Cell Death, Cancer, and Inflammation, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, United Kingdom
- Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), Cluster of Excellence, University of Cologne, Cologne 50931, Germany
- Center for Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Scott W. Lowe
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065
- Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, NY 10021
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065
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40
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Nelson LJ, Castro KE, Xu B, Li J, Dinh NB, Thompson JM, Woytash J, Kipp KR, Razorenova OV. Synthetic lethality of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor Dinaciclib with VHL-deficiency allows for selective targeting of clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Cell Cycle 2022; 21:1103-1119. [PMID: 35240916 PMCID: PMC9037521 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2022.2041783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CC-RCC) remains one of the most deadly forms of kidney cancer despite recent advancements in targeted therapeutics, including tyrosine kinase and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Unfortunately, these therapies have not been able to show better than a 16% complete response rate. In this study we evaluated a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, Dinaciclib, as a potential new targeted therapeutic for CC-RCC. In vitro, Dinaciclib showed anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects on CC-RCC cell lines in Cell Titer Glo, Crystal Violet, FACS-based cell cycle analysis, and TUNEL assays. Additionally, these responses were accompanied by a reduction in phospho-Rb and pro-survival MCL-1 cell signaling responses, as well as the induction of caspase 3 and PARP cleavage. In vivo, Dinaciclib efficiently inhibited primary tumor growth in an orthotopic, patient-derived xenograft-based CC-RCC mouse model. Importantly, Dinaciclib targeted both CD105+ cancer stem cells (CSCs) and CD105− non-CSCs in vivo. Moreover, normal cell lines, as well as a CC-RCC cell line with re-expressed von-Hippel Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene, were protected from Dinaciclib-induced cytotoxicity when not actively dividing, indicating an effective therapeutic window due to synthetic lethality of Dinaciclib treatment with VHL loss. Thus, Dinaciclib represents a novel potential therapeutic for CC-RCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke J Nelson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Kyleen E Castro
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Binzhi Xu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Junyi Li
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Nguyen B Dinh
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Jordan M Thompson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Jordan Woytash
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | | | - Olga V Razorenova
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
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41
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Guo T, Liu DF, Peng SH. CDK9 is up-regulated and associated with prognosis in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma. Medicine (Baltimore) 2022; 101:e28309. [PMID: 35119000 PMCID: PMC8812708 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000028309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid malignancy but shows excellent prognosis. We investigated the clinical significance of cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) in patients with PTC.This prospective observational study included 192 patients with PTC, who visited our hospital between August 2018 and February 2020. We obtained 93 tissue samples from patients with benign thyroid disease during the same period as controls. Immunohistochemical evaluation and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay were performed to evaluate CDK9 expression. Patients' demographic and clinical characteristics were analyzed.Delphian lymph node (DLN) metastasis in patients with PTC was associated with clinicopathological characteristics. CDK9 expression was up-regulated in patients with PTC, and those with DLN metastasis showed higher CDK9 expression. We also observed that tumor size, capsule invasion, tumor-node-metastasis classification (TNM) stage, and multifocality were the risk factors for DLN metastasis in patients with PTC. Additionally, CDK9 expression was strongly associated with tumor size, capsule invasion, TNM stage, and multifocality and weakly associated with the number of metastatic DLN.CDK9 is up-regulated in patients with PTC and associated with prognosis in these patients.
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Flavopiridol Mitigates the Progression of Monocrotaline-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension in Rats by Targeting Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 9. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther 2022; 37:449-460. [PMID: 35088192 PMCID: PMC10164032 DOI: 10.1007/s10557-021-07285-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate the role of cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) and the therapeutic potential of a CDK9 inhibitor (flavopiridol) in monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH). METHODS For the in vivo experiments, rats with PH were established by a single intraperitoneal injection of MCT (60 mg/kg). After 2 weeks of MCT injection, rats were then treated with flavopiridol (5 mg/kg, i.p., twice a week) or vehicle for 2 weeks. For the in vitro experiments, human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (HPASMCs) were treated with flavopiridol (0.025-1 μM) or vehicle under hypoxic conditions. Hemodynamic recording, right ventricle histology, lung histology, and pulmonary arterial tissue isolation were performed. The expression levels of CDK9, RNA polymerase II, c-Myc, Mcl-1, and survivin were determined by qRT-PCR and western blotting, and the proliferation and apoptosis of rat pulmonary arterial tissues and/or HPASMCs were also assayed. RESULTS Compared to the control group, CDK9 was upregulated in pulmonary arterial tissues from MCT-induced PH rats and hypoxic cultured HPASMCs. Upregulation of CDK9 was associated with enhanced phosphorylation of the C-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II (RNA pol II) at serine-2 (Ser-2), promoting the expression of prosurvival and antiapoptotic proteins (c-Myc, Mcl-1, and survivin). Furthermore, treatment with flavopiridol (5 mg/kg) significantly alleviated pulmonary artery remodeling and partially reversed the progression of MCT-induced PH. Consistently, flavopiridol (0.5 μM) treatment decreased the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of cultured HPASMCs under hypoxic conditions. As a result of CDK9 inhibition and subsequent inhibition of RNA pol II CTD phosphorylation at Ser-2, flavopiridol decreased c-Myc, Mcl-1, and survivin expression in isolated pulmonary small arteries, leading to cell growth inhibition and apoptosis. CONCLUSION Flavopiridol mitigates the progression of MCT-induced PH in rats by targeting CDK9.
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Alsfouk A. Small molecule inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinase 9 for cancer therapy. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2021; 36:693-706. [PMID: 33632038 PMCID: PMC7919902 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2021.1890726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) plays a vital role in transcription through regulation of short-lived anti-apoptotic genes required for cancer cell survival. Therefore, targeting CDK9 with small molecule inhibitors has emerged as a potential cancer therapy. This article reviews the most recent CDK9 patent literature (2012-2020) related to small molecule inhibitors in cancer along with their selectivity profile and biological results in preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisha Alsfouk
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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44
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Schneider G, Wirth M, Keller U, Saur D. Rationale for MYC imaging and targeting in pancreatic cancer. EJNMMI Res 2021; 11:104. [PMID: 34637026 PMCID: PMC8511206 DOI: 10.1186/s13550-021-00843-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence and lethality of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) will continue to increase in the next decade. For most patients, chemotherapeutic combination therapies remain the standard of care. The development and successful implementation of precision oncology in other gastrointestinal tumor entities point to opportunities also for PDAC. Therefore, markers linked to specific therapeutic responses and important subgroups of the disease are needed. The MYC oncogene is a relevant driver in PDAC and is linked to drug resistance and sensitivity. Here, we update recent insights into MYC biology in PDAC, summarize the connections between MYC and drug responses, and point to an opportunity to image MYC non-invasively. In sum, we propose MYC-associated biology as a basis for the development of concepts for precision oncology in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Günter Schneider
- Medical Clinic and Policlinic II, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, TU Munich, 81675, Munich, Germany. .,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. .,Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Matthias Wirth
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. .,Department of Hematology, Oncology and Cancer Immunology, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 12203, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Ulrich Keller
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Hematology, Oncology and Cancer Immunology, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 12203, Berlin, Germany.,Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dieter Saur
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.,Insititute for Translational Cancer Research and Experimental Cancer Therapy, MRI, TU Munich, 81675, Munich, Germany
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45
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Exploring liver cancer biology through functional genetic screens. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021; 18:690-704. [PMID: 34163045 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-021-00465-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
As the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the world, liver cancer poses a major threat to human health. Although a growing number of therapies have been approved for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in the past few years, most of them only provide a limited survival benefit. Therefore, an urgent need exists to identify novel targetable vulnerabilities and powerful drug combinations for the treatment of liver cancer. The advent of functional genetic screening has contributed to the advancement of liver cancer biology, uncovering many novel genes involved in tumorigenesis and cancer progression in a high-throughput manner. In addition, this unbiased screening platform also provides an efficient tool for the exploration of the mechanisms involved in therapy resistance as well as identifying potential targets for therapy. In this Review, we describe how functional screens can help to deepen our understanding of liver cancer and guide the development of new therapeutic strategies.
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46
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Cyclin-dependent kinases-based synthetic lethality: Evidence, concept, and strategy. Acta Pharm Sin B 2021; 11:2738-2748. [PMID: 34589394 PMCID: PMC8463275 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic lethality is a proven effective antitumor strategy that has attracted great attention. Large-scale screening has revealed many synthetic lethal genetic phenotypes, and relevant small-molecule drugs have also been implemented in clinical practice. Increasing evidence suggests that CDKs, constituting a kinase family predominantly involved in cell cycle control, are synthetic lethal factors when combined with certain oncogenes, such as MYC, TP53, and RAS, which facilitate numerous antitumor treatment options based on CDK-related synthetic lethality. In this review, we focus on the synthetic lethal phenotype and mechanism related to CDKs and summarize the preclinical and clinical discoveries of CDK inhibitors to explore the prospect of CDK inhibitors as antitumor compounds for strategic synthesis lethality in the future.
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47
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Lourenco C, Resetca D, Redel C, Lin P, MacDonald AS, Ciaccio R, Kenney TMG, Wei Y, Andrews DW, Sunnerhagen M, Arrowsmith CH, Raught B, Penn LZ. MYC protein interactors in gene transcription and cancer. Nat Rev Cancer 2021; 21:579-591. [PMID: 34188192 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-021-00367-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The transcription factor and oncoprotein MYC is a potent driver of many human cancers and can regulate numerous biological activities that contribute to tumorigenesis. How a single transcription factor can regulate such a diverse set of biological programmes is central to the understanding of MYC function in cancer. In this Perspective, we highlight how multiple proteins that interact with MYC enable MYC to regulate several central control points of gene transcription. These include promoter binding, epigenetic modifications, initiation, elongation and post-transcriptional processes. Evidence shows that a combination of multiple protein interactions enables MYC to function as a potent oncoprotein, working together in a 'coalition model', as presented here. Moreover, as MYC depends on its protein interactome for function, we discuss recent research that emphasizes an unprecedented opportunity to target protein interactors to directly impede MYC oncogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diana Resetca
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Cornelia Redel
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Peter Lin
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alannah S MacDonald
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Roberto Ciaccio
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Tristan M G Kenney
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Yong Wei
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - David W Andrews
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Maria Sunnerhagen
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Cheryl H Arrowsmith
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Brian Raught
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Linda Z Penn
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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48
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Inhibitors Targeting CDK9 Show High Efficacy against Osimertinib and AMG510 Resistant Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13153906. [PMID: 34359807 PMCID: PMC8345430 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13153906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Non-small cell lung cancer accounts for 80% of all lung cancer cases. While a subset of non-small cell lung cancer patients respond to immunotherapy, those who are treated with chemotherapy or targeted therapy develop resistance to the drugs. Thus, novel therapeutic strategies are needed to combat this disease. Here we show that inhibitors of the cyclin-dependent kinase 9 are highly effective in preventing the growth of a variety of lung cancer cell lines and lung cancer organoids with high potency. These inhibitors suppressed the expression of several genes like Sox2, Sox9, and Mcl1 that promote tumor growth, facilitating growth arrest. Since inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinase 9 are undergoing clinical trials for hematological malignancies, our studies suggest that these inhibitors would be attractive candidates to combat non-small cell lung cancer. Abstract Non-small cell lung cancer has a 5-year survival rate of less than 12–15%, calling for the development of additional therapeutic strategies to combat this disease. Here we tested the efficacy of inhibiting cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) on lung cancer cell lines with K-Ras and EGFR mutations and on lung cancer organoids. Three different CDK9 inhibitors reduced the viability and anchorage-independent growth of lung cancer cell lines at very low nanomolar to micromolar concentrations. CDK9 inhibition suppressed the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein, Mcl1, as well as the embryonic stem cell transcription factors, Sox2 and Sox9, which are pro-tumorigenic. In contrast, treatment with CDK9 inhibitors increased the levels of WT p53 and its downstream target p21 in K-Ras mutant cell lines. Furthermore, the CDK9 inhibitors could markedly reduce the viability of Osimertinib-resistant PC9 and AMG510-resistant H23 and H358 cells with comparable efficacy as the parental cells. CDK9 inhibitors could also significantly reduce the growth and viability of lung cancer organoids with high potency. Taken together, the data presented here strongly suggest that CDK9 inhibitors would be efficacious against K-Ras mutant and EGFR mutant NSCLCs, including those that develop resistance to targeted therapies.
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Jhaveri K, Burris Rd HA, Yap TA, Hamilton E, Rugo HS, Goldman JW, Dann S, Liu F, Wong GY, Krupka H, Shapiro GI. The evolution of cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors in the treatment of cancer. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2021; 21:1105-1124. [PMID: 34176404 DOI: 10.1080/14737140.2021.1944109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The cell cycle cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs) play a critical role in controlling the transition between cell cycle phases, as well as cellular transcription. Aberrant CDK activation is common in cancer, and deregulation of the cell cycle a key hallmark of cancer. Although CDK4/6 inhibitors are now a standard-of-care option for first- and second-line HR+HER2- metastatic breast cancer, resistance inevitably limits their clinical benefit. AREAS COVERED Early pan-CDK inhibitors targeted the cell cycle and RNA polymerase II phosphorylation, but were complicated by toxicity, providing a rationale and need for the development of selective CDK inhibitors. In this review, we highlight selected recent literature to provide a narrative review summarizing the current CDK inhibitor therapeutic landscape. We detail the challenges associated with targeting CDKs for the treatment of breast and other cancers and review emerging biomarkers that may aid response prediction. We also discuss the risk-benefit ratio for CDK therapy and explore promising combination approaches. EXPERT OPINION Although CDK inhibitors may stem the proliferation of cancer cells, resistance remains an issue, and currently there are limited biomarkers to predict response to therapy. Ongoing research investigating CDK inhibitors in cancer is of paramount importance to define appropriate and effective treatment regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Komal Jhaveri
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Howard A Burris Rd
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute and Tennessee Oncology, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Timothy A Yap
- The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Erika Hamilton
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute and Tennessee Oncology, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Hope S Rugo
- University of California San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Geoffrey I Shapiro
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
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Whitfield JR, Soucek L. The long journey to bring a Myc inhibitor to the clinic. J Cell Biol 2021; 220:212429. [PMID: 34160558 PMCID: PMC8240852 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202103090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The oncogene Myc is deregulated in the majority of human tumors and drives numerous hallmarks of cancer. Despite its indisputable role in cancer development and maintenance, Myc is still undrugged. Developing a clinical inhibitor for Myc has been particularly challenging owing to its intrinsically disordered nature and lack of a binding pocket, coupled with concerns regarding potentially deleterious side effects in normal proliferating tissues. However, major breakthroughs in the development of Myc inhibitors have arisen in the last couple of years. Notably, the direct Myc inhibitor that we developed has just entered clinical trials. Celebrating this milestone, with this Perspective, we pay homage to the different strategies developed so far against Myc and all of the researchers focused on developing treatments for a target long deemed undruggable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Soucek
- Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology, Edifici Cellex, Barcelona, Spain.,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.,Peptomyc S.L., Barcelona, Spain
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