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Xu J, Li Y, Chen X, Yang J, Xia H, Huang W, Zeng S. Opportunities and challenges for targeting HPK1 in cancer immunotherapy. Bioorg Chem 2024; 153:107866. [PMID: 39369461 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107866] [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: 07/06/2024] [Revised: 08/29/2024] [Accepted: 10/01/2024] [Indexed: 10/08/2024]
Abstract
Hematopoietic Progenitor Kinase 1 (HPK1, also known as MAP4K1) is a hematopoiesis-specific serine/threonine kinase that belongs to the MAP4K family of Ste20-related protein kinases. HPK1 has been identified as a negative regulator of T-cell receptor signaling. Recent studies have indicated that the inhibition or knockout of HPK1 kinase function can effectively alleviate T cell exhaustion, enhance T cell functionality, and improve the therapeutic efficacy of tumor immunotherapy. In recent years, small molecule chemical drugs targeting HPK1 have made significant progress and have become a hot topic in the research and development of tumor immunotherapy drugs. However, the advancement of small molecule drugs that target HPK1 is hindered by various challenges, including the limited selectivity, insufficient immune stimulation, and the ambiguity surrounding role of non-kinase scaffold functions of HPK1 in tumor immune responses. This review briefly describes the biological structure of HPK1 and its related signaling pathways in tumor immunity, systematically discusses the latest research progress in small molecule chemical drugs targeting HPK1. Finally, we summarize and prospect the opportunities and challenges in the drug development of small molecule chemical drugs targeting HPK1 in tumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiamei Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China
| | - Yingzhou Li
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China
| | - Xinyi Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China
| | - Junyi Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China
| | - Heye Xia
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China
| | - Wenhai Huang
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China.
| | - Shenxin Zeng
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China; School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.
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2
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Chen L, Zhang B, Zhou P, Duan Y, He C, Zhong W, Wang T, Xu S, Chen J, Yao H, Xu J. Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel HPK1 inhibitors possessing 3-cyano-quinoline moiety. Bioorg Chem 2024; 153:107814. [PMID: 39299176 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107814] [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: 07/18/2024] [Revised: 08/31/2024] [Accepted: 09/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1), a negative regulator of T cell receptor signaling, plays a crucial role in multiple cellular immune responses. Emerging researches have demonstrated that inhibiting HPK1 kinase function enhances T cells' ability to recognize tumor antigens and boosts anti-tumor immune responses. As a result, HPK1 has become a promising target for tumor immunotherapy. Herein, we report the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a series of novel HPK1 inhibitors featuring a 3-cyano-quinoline scaffold. Among these, compound 3a was identified as the most potent HPK1 inhibitor (HPK1 IC50 = 48 nM). It effectively inhibited SLP76 phosphorylation, enhanced IL-2 cytokine secretion, and reversed PGE2-induced immunosuppression in Jurkat cells. In addition, compound 3a exhibited favorable metabolic stability in mouse liver microsomes and plasma. Overall, this work provides a structurally novel lead compound for the development of HPK1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Baixue Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Pijun Zhou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Yiping Duan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Chen He
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Wenyi Zhong
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Tianyi Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Shengtao Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Jichao Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China.
| | - Hong Yao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
| | - Jinyi Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
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Ma XY, Coleman B, Prabhu P, Yang M, Wen F. Engineering Compositionally Uniform Yeast Whole-Cell Biocatalysts with Maximized Surface Enzyme Density for Cellulosic Biofuel Production. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:1225-1236. [PMID: 38551819 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00669] [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] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
In recent decades, whole-cell biocatalysis has played an increasingly important role in the food, pharmaceutical, and energy sector. One promising application is the use of ethanologenic yeast displaying minicellulosomes on the cell surface to combine cellulose hydrolysis and fermentation into a single step for consolidated bioprocessing. However, cellulosic ethanol production using existing yeast whole-cell biocatalysts (yWCBs) has not reached industrial feasibility due to their inefficient cellulose hydrolysis. As prior studies have demonstrated enzyme density on the yWCB surface to be one of the most important parameters for enhancing cellulose hydrolysis, we sought to maximize this parameter at both the population and single-cell levels in yWCBs displaying tetrafunctional minicellulosomes. At the population level, enzyme density is limited by the presence of a nondisplay population constituting 25-50% of all cells. In this study, we identified the cause to be plasmid loss and successfully eliminated the nondisplay population to generate compositionally uniform yWCBs. At the single-cell level, we demonstrate that enzyme density is limited by molecular crowding, which hinders minicellulosome assembly. By adjusting the integrated gene copy number, we obtained yWCBs of tunable enzyme display levels. This tunability allowed us to avoid the crowding-limited regime and achieve a maximum enzyme density per cell. As a result, the best strain showed a cellulose-to-ethanol yield of 4.92 g/g, corresponding to 96% of the theoretical maximum and near-complete conversion (∼96%) of the starting cellulose (1% PASC). Our holistic engineering strategy that combines a population and single-cell level approach is broadly applicable to enhance the WCB performance in other biocatalytic cascade schemes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Yin Ma
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Catalysis Science and Technology Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Bryan Coleman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Catalysis Science and Technology Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Ponnandy Prabhu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Margaret Yang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Fei Wen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Catalysis Science and Technology Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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Lu SY, Liu S, Patel MH, Glenzinski KM, Skory CD. Saccharomyces cerevisiae surface display of endolysin LysKB317 for control of bacterial contamination in corn ethanol fermentations. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1162720. [PMID: 37091344 PMCID: PMC10117863 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1162720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Control of bacterial contamination in bioethanol fermentation facilities has traditionally relied on chemical-based products such as hop acids and use of antibiotics. Recent emphasis on antibiotic stewardship has prompted new research into the development of alternative approaches to microbial remediation strategies. We recently described a recombinant peptidoglycan hydrolase, endolysin LysKB317, which inhibited Limosilactobacillus fermentum strains in corn mash fermentation. Here, Saccharomyces cerevisiae EBY100 was used to anchor recombinant LysKB317 using cell surface display with the a-agglutinin proteins Aga1p–Aga2p. Immunostaining and confocal fluorescence were used for localization of the extracellular interface of the cells. Yeast surface-expressed endolysin demonstrated an 83.8% decrease in bacterial cell counts compared to a 9.5% decrease in control yeast. Recombinant S. cerevisiae expressing LysKB317 used for small-scale corn mash fermentation, when infected with L. fermentum, could proactively control bacterial infection for 72 h with at least 1-log fold reduction. Analysis of fermentation products showed improved ethanol concentrations from 3.4% to at least 5.9% compared to the infection-only control and reduced levels of lactic and acetic acid from 34.7 mM to 13.8 mM and 25.5 mM to 18.1 mM, respectively. In an optimized yeast surface display system, proactive treatment of bacterial contaminants by endolysin LysKB317 can improve fermentation efficiency in the presence of L. fermentum contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Yeh Lu
- Renewable Product Technology Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Peoria, IL, United States
- *Correspondence: Shao-Yeh Lu,
| | - Siqing Liu
- Renewable Product Technology Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Peoria, IL, United States
| | - Maulik H. Patel
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Kristina M. Glenzinski
- Renewable Product Technology Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Peoria, IL, United States
| | - Christopher D. Skory
- Renewable Product Technology Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Peoria, IL, United States
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Zhou L, Wang T, Zhang K, Zhang X, Jiang S. The development of small-molecule inhibitors targeting HPK1. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 244:114819. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Zhu Q, Chen N, Tian X, Zhou Y, You Q, Xu X. Hematopoietic Progenitor Kinase 1 in Tumor Immunology: A Medicinal Chemistry Perspective. J Med Chem 2022; 65:8065-8090. [PMID: 35696642 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1), a hematopoietic cell-restricted member of the serine/threonine Ste20-related protein kinases, is a negative regulator of the T cell receptor, B cell receptor, and dendritic cells. Loss of HPK1 kinase function increases cytokine secretion and enhances T cell signaling, virus clearance, and tumor growth inhibition. Therefore, HPK1 is considered a promising target for tumor immunotherapy. Several HPK1 inhibitors have been reported to regulate T cell function. In addition, HPK1-targeting PROTACs, which can induce the degradation of HPK1, have also been developed. Here, we provide an overview of research concerning HPK1 protein structure, function, and inhibitors and propose perspectives and insights for the future development of agents targeting HPK1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiangsheng Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Nannan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xinjian Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yeling Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - QiDong You
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xiaoli Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
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Raeeszadeh-Sarmazdeh M, Boder ET. Yeast Surface Display: New Opportunities for a Time-Tested Protein Engineering System. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2491:3-25. [PMID: 35482182 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2285-8_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Yeast surface display has proven to be a powerful tool for the discovery of antibodies and other novel binding proteins and for engineering the affinity and selectivity of existing proteins for their targets. In the decades since the first demonstrations of the approach, the range of yeast display applications has greatly expanded to include many different protein targets and has grown to encompass methods for rapid protein characterization. Here, we briefly summarize the development of yeast display methodologies and highlight several selected examples of recent applications to timely and challenging protein engineering and characterization problems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric T Boder
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
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Linney ID, Kaila N. Inhibitors of immuno-oncology target HPK1 - a patent review (2016 to 2020). Expert Opin Ther Pat 2021; 31:893-910. [PMID: 33956554 DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2021.1924671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Hematopoietic progenitor kinase (HPK1), a serine/threonine kinase, which is primarily expressed in hematopoietic cells is a negative regulator of T-cell receptor and B cell signaling. Studies using genetic disruption of HPK1 function show enhanced T-cell signaling, cytokine production, and in vivo tumor growth inhibition. This profile of enhanced immune response highlights small molecule inhibition of HPK1 as an attractive approach for the immunotherapy of cancer.Areas covered: This article summarizes the biological rationale for the inhibition of HPK1 as a potential adjunct to the current immuno-oncology (IO) therapies. The article primarily discloses the current state of development of HPK1 inhibitors.Expert Opinion: The rapid increase in the identification of small molecule inhibitors of HPK1 should translate into a fuller understanding of the role of HPK1 inhibition in the IO setting. This understanding will be of huge importance in determining whether HPK1 inhibition alone will be sufficient for tumor growth inhibition or if combination with current IO therapies will be required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian D Linney
- Medicinal Chemistry, Charles River, Chesterford Park Research Park, Saffron Walden, United Kingdom
| | - Neelu Kaila
- Medicinal Chemistry, Nimbus Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Degnan AP, Kumi GK, Allard CW, Araujo EV, Johnson WL, Zimmermann K, Pearce BC, Sheriff S, Futran A, Li X, Locke GA, You D, Morrison J, Parrish KE, Stromko C, Murtaza A, Liu J, Johnson BM, Vite GD, Wittman MD. Discovery of Orally Active Isofuranones as Potent, Selective Inhibitors of Hematopoetic Progenitor Kinase 1. ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 12:443-450. [PMID: 33732413 PMCID: PMC7957935 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.0c00660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
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While the discovery of immune checkpoint
inhibitors has led to
robust, durable responses in a range of cancers, many patients do
not respond to currently available therapeutics. Therefore, an urgent
need exists to identify alternative mechanisms to augment the immune-mediated
clearance of tumors. Hematopoetic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is a
serine-threonine kinase that acts as a negative regulator of T-cell
receptor (TCR) signaling, to dampen the immune response. Herein we
describe the structure-based discovery of isofuranones as inhibitors
of HPK1. Optimization of the chemotype led to improvements in potency,
selectivity, plasma protein binding, and metabolic stability, culminating
in the identification of compound 24. Oral administration
of 24, in combination with an anti-PD1 antibody, demonstrated
robust enhancement of anti-PD1 efficacy in a syngeneic tumor model
of colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P. Degnan
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Godwin K. Kumi
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Christopher W. Allard
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Wallingford, Connecticut 06492, United States
| | - Erika V. Araujo
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Wallingford, Connecticut 06492, United States
| | - Walter L. Johnson
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Redwood City, California 94063, United States
| | - Kurt Zimmermann
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Wallingford, Connecticut 06492, United States
| | - Bradley C. Pearce
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Wallingford, Connecticut 06492, United States
| | - Steven Sheriff
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Alan Futran
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Xin Li
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Gregory A. Locke
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Dan You
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, 100 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - John Morrison
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Karen E. Parrish
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Caitlyn Stromko
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Anwar Murtaza
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Jinqi Liu
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Benjamin M. Johnson
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, 100 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Gregory D. Vite
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Mark D. Wittman
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, 100 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
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