Inhibition of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Activity by Two Pyrimidopyrimidine Derivatives

A Review on Fused Pyrimidine Systems as EGFR Inhibitors and Their Structure–Activity Relationship

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) belongs to the family of tyrosine kinase that is activated when a specific ligand binds to it. The EGFR plays a vital role in the cellular proliferation process, differentiation, and apoptosis. In the case of cancer, EGFR undergoes uncontrolled auto-phosphorylation that results in increased cellular proliferation and decreased apoptosis, causing cancer promotion. From the literature, it shows that pyrimidine is one of the most commonly studied heterocycles for its antiproliferative activity against EGFR inhibition. The authors have collated some interesting results in the heterocycle-fused pyrimidines that have been studied using different cell lines (sensitive and mutational) and in animal models to determine their activity and potency. It is quite clear that the fused systems are highly effective in inhibiting EGFR activity in cancer cells. Therefore, the structure–activity relationship (SAR) comes into play in determining the nature of the heterocycle and the substituents that are responsible for the increased activity and toxicity. Understanding the SAR of heterocycle-fused pyrimidines will help in getting a better overview of the molecules concerning their activity and potency profile as future EGFR inhibitors.

Falnidamol and cisplatin combinational treatment inhibits non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by targeting DUSP26-mediated signal pathways

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide with limited effective therapies. Cisplatin (DDP), as the first-line treatment, is always served as a mainstay of chemotherapeutic agents in combination with other drugs for NSCLC treatment. Nevertheless, DDP-based therapy is limited due to the frequent development of chemoresistance and adverse effects. Herein, it is necessary to find a more effective therapeutic approach with less toxicity. Falnidamol (FLD) is a pyrimido-pyrimidine compound and exerts anti-cancer activity. In the present study, we found that FLD could strongly promote the cytotoxicity of DDP and markedly reduce the IC₅₀ values to restrain the proliferation of NSCLC cells. Furthermore, combination of FLD and DDP remarkably induced G2/M cell cycle arrest, DNA damage and mitochondrial apoptosis, which was largely through the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Additionally, FLD/DDP in combination greatly triggered ferroptosis, along with free iron accumulation and enhanced lipid peroxidation. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) phosphorylation were also considerably restrained in NSCLC cells co-treated with FLD/DDP. Mechanistically, the combinative treatment significantly reduced DUSP26 expression in NSCLC cells. More studies showed that DUSP26 was strongly up-regulated in human NSCLC samples compared with the paired normal tissues, and high DUSP26 predicted poor overall survival rate among patients. Importantly, we found that DUSP26 suppression intensively reduced the proliferation, EMT process and pEGFR expression in NSCLC cells, whereas facilitated ROS production, DNA damage and cell death; however, opposite phenotype was observed in NSCLC cells over-expressing DUSP26. More importantly, DUSP26 over-expression completely abolished the anti-cancer function of FLD/DDP in NSCLC cells. Animal studies finally confirmed that FLD/DDP in combination efficiently reduced tumor growth and lung metastasis in mice with ameliorated side effects. In conclusion, all these data illustrated that FLD and DDP combinational treatment effectively restrained NSCLC progression, and thus can be served as a promising therapeutic strategy.

Advances in the chemical and biological diversity of heterocyclic systems incorporating pyrimido[1,6-a]pyrimidine and pyrimido[1,6-c]pyrimidine scaffolds

Heterocycles incorporating a pyrimidopyrimidine scaffold have aroused great interest from researchers in the field of medical chemistry because of their privileged biological activities; they are used as anti-bacterial, antiviral, anti-tumor, anti-allergic, antihypertensive, anticancer, and hepatoprotective agents. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the chemistry of heterocycles incorporating pyrimido[1,6-a]pyrimidine and pyrimido[1,6-c]pyrimidine skeletons and their biological characteristics. The main sections discuss (1) the synthetic routes to obtain substituted pyrimidopyrimidines, pyrimido[1,6-a]pyrimidin-diones, pyrimidoquinazolines, tricyclic, tetracyclic, and binary systems; (2) the reactivity of the substituents attached to the pyrimidopyrimidine skeleton, including thione and amide groups, nucleophilic substitutions, condensations, ring transformations, and coordination chemistry; (3) compounds of this class of heterocycles containing a significant characteristic scaffold and possessing a wide range of biological characteristics.

EGF receptor stimulation shifts breast cancer cell glucose metabolism toward glycolytic flux through PI3 kinase signaling

Breast cancers that express epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors (EGFRs) are associated with poor prognosis. Our group recently showed in breast cancer patients that EGFR expression is strongly correlated with high tumor uptake of the glucose analogue, ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). Here, we explored the cellular mechanism and signaling pathways that can explain the relation between EGFR and breast cancer cell glucose metabolism. FDG uptake, lactate production and hexokinase (HK) activity were measured, and proliferation assays and western blots were performed. EGF stimulated an increase of FDG uptake in EGFR-positive T47D and MDA-MB-468 cells, but not in MCF-7 cells. In T47D cells, the effect was dose-dependent and was accompanied by increased lactate production, indicating a shift toward glycolytic flux. This metabolic response occurred through enhanced HK activity and upregulated glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) expression. EGFR stimulation also increased T47D cell proliferation. Blocking EGFR activation with BIBX1382 or gefitinib completely abolished both FDG uptake and proliferation effects. EGFR stimulation induced MAP kinase (MAPK) and PI3 kinase (PI3K) activation. Increased cell proliferation by EGFR stimulation was completely abolished by MAPK inhibition with PD98059 or by PI3K inhibition with LY294002. Increased FDG uptake was also completely abrogated by PI3K inhibition but was uninfluenced by MAPK inhibition. These findings suggest that the association between breast tumor EGFR expression and high FDG uptake might be contributed by stimulation of the PI3K pathway downstream of EGFR activation. This was in contrast to EGFR-mediated cell proliferation that required MAPK as well as PI3K signaling.

Heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) antisense oligonucleotide protected against hyperlipidemia-associated atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is a representative EGF family member that interacts with EGFR under diverse stress environment. Previously, we reported that the HB-EGF-targeting using antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) effectively suppressed an aortic aneurysm in the vessel wall and circulatory lipid levels. In this study, we further examined the effects of the HB-EGF ASO administration on the development of hyperlipidemia-associated atherosclerosis using an atherogenic mouse model.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The male and female LDLR deficient mice under Western diet containing 21% fat and 0.2% cholesterol content were cotreated with control and HB-EGF ASOs for 12 weeks. We observed that the HB-EGF ASO administration effectively downregulated circulatory VLDL- and LDL-associated lipid levels in circulation; concordantly, the HB-EGF targeting effectively suppressed the development of atherosclerosis in the aorta. An EGFR blocker BIBX1382 administration suppressed the hepatic TG secretion rate, suggesting a positive role of the HB-EGF signaling for the hepatic VLDL production. We newly observed that there was a significant improvement of the insulin sensitivity by the HB-EGF ASO administration in a mouse model under the Western diet as demonstrated by the improvement of the glucose and insulin tolerances.

CONCLUSION

The HB-EGF ASO administration effectively downregulated circulatory lipid levels by suppressing hepatic VLDL production rate, which leads to effective protection against atherosclerosis in the vascular wall.

Ibrutinib, a Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor, exhibits antitumoral activity and induces autophagy in glioblastoma

BACKGROUND

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor in adults. Ibrutinib, a Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, is a novel anticancer drug used for treating several types of cancers. In this study, we aimed to determine the role of ibrutinib on GBM.

METHODS

Cell proliferation was determined by using cell viability, colony formation, and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assays. Cell cycle and cell apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry. Cell migratory ability was evaluated by wound healing assays and trans-well migration assays. ATG7 expression was knocked-down by transfection with Atg7-specific small interfering RNA. Overexpression of active Akt protein was achieved by transfecting the cells with a plasmid expressing constitutively active Akt (CA-Akt). Transmission electron microscopy was performed to examine the formation of autophagosomes in cells. Immunofluorescence and western blot analyses were used to analyze protein expression. Tumor xenografts in nude mice and immunohistochemistry were performed to evaluate the effect of ibrutinib on tumor growth in vivo.

RESULTS

Ibrutinib inhibited cellular proliferation and migration, and induced apoptosis and autophagy in LN229 and U87 cells. Overexpression of the active Akt protein decreased ibrutinib-induced autophagy, while inhibiting Akt by LY294002 treatment enhanced ibrutinib-induced autophagy. Specific inhibition of autophagy by 3-methyladenine (3MA) or Atg7 targeting with small interfering RNA (si-Atg7) enhanced the anti-GBM effect of ibrutinib in vitro and in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that ibrutinib exerts a profound antitumor effect and induces autophagy through Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in GBM cells. Autophagy inhibition promotes the antitumor activity of ibrutinib in GBM. Our findings provide important insights into the action of an anticancer agent combining with autophagy inhibitor for malignant glioma.

Cellular Response to Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles in Intestinal Epithelial Caco-2 Cells is Dependent on Endocytosis-Associated Structures and Mediated by EGFR

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is one of the most applied nanomaterials and widely used in food and non-food industries as an additive or coating material (E171). It has been shown that E171 contains up to 37% particles which are smaller than 100 nm and that TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) induce cytotoxicity and inflammation. Using a nuclear factor Kappa-light-chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) reporter cell line (Caco-2^nfkb-RE), Real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and inhibition of dynamin and clathrin, it was shown that cellular responses induced by 5 nm and 10 nm TiO₂ NPs (nominal size) depends on endocytic processes. As endocytosis is often dependent on the epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR), further investigations focused on the involvement of EGFR in the uptake of TiO₂ NPs: (1) inhibition of EGFR reduced inflammatory markers of the cell (i.e., nuclear factor (NF)-κB activity, mRNA of IL8, CCL20, and CXCL10); and (2) exposure of Caco-2 cells to TiO₂ NPs activated the intracellular EGFR cascade beginning with EGFR-mediated extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK)1/2, and including transcription factor ELK1. This was followed by the expression of ERK1/2 target genes CCL2 and CXCL3. We concluded that TiO₂ NPs enter the cell via EGFR-associated endocytosis, followed by activation of the EGFR/ERK/ELK signaling pathway, which finally induces NF-κB. No changes in inflammatory response are observed in Caco-2 cells exposed to 32 nm and 490 nm TiO₂ particles.

SPRY1 regulates mammary epithelial morphogenesis by modulating EGFR-dependent stromal paracrine signaling and ECM remodeling

The role of the local microenvironment in influencing cell behavior is central to both normal development and cancer formation. Here, we show that sprouty 1 (SPRY1) modulates the microenvironment to enable proper mammary branching morphogenesis. This process occurs through negative regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling in mammary stroma. Loss of SPRY1 resulted in up-regulation of EGFR-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling in response to amphiregulin and transforming growth factor alpha stimulation. Consequently, stromal paracrine signaling and ECM remodeling is augmented, leading to increased epithelial branching in the mutant gland. By contrast, down-regulation of EGFR-ERK signaling due to gain of Sprouty function in the stroma led to stunted epithelial branching. Taken together, our results show that modulation of stromal paracrine signaling and ECM remodeling by SPRY1 regulates mammary epithelial morphogenesis during postnatal development.

Mitogen-Inducible Gene-6 Mediates Feedback Inhibition from Mutated BRAF towards the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Thereby Limits Malignant Transformation

BRAF functions in the RAS-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling cascade. Activation of this pathway is necessary to mediate the transforming potential of oncogenic BRAF, however, it may also cause a negative feedback that inhibits the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Mitogen-inducible gene-6 (MIG-6) is a potent inhibitor of the EGFR and has been demonstrated to function as a tumor suppressor. As MIG-6 can be induced via RAS-ERK signaling, we investigated its potential involvement in this negative regulatory loop. Focus formation assays were performed and demonstrated that MIG-6 significantly reduces malignant transformation induced by oncogenic BRAF. Although this genetic interaction was mirrored by a physical interaction between MIG-6 and BRAF, we did not observe a direct regulation of BRAF kinase activity by MIG-6. Interestingly, a selective chemical EGFR inhibitor suppressed transformation to a similar degree as MIG-6, whereas combining these approaches had no synergistic effect. By analyzing a range of BRAF mutated and wildtype cell line models, we could show that BRAF V600E causes a strong upregulation of MIG-6, which was mediated at the transcriptional level via the RAS-ERK pathway and resulted in downregulation of EGFR activation. This feedback loop is operational in tumors, as shown by the analysis of almost 400 patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Presence of BRAF V600E correlated with increased MIG-6 expression on the one hand, and with inactivation of the EGFR and of PI3K/AKT signaling on the other hand. Importantly, we also observed a more aggressive disease phenotype when BRAF V600E coexisted with low MIG-6 expression. Finally, analysis of methylation data was performed and revealed that higher methylation of MIG-6 correlated to its decreased expression. Taken together, we demonstrate that MIG-6 efficiently reduces cellular transformation driven by oncogenic BRAF by orchestrating a negative feedback circuit directed towards the EGFR.

Exploration of potential EGFR inhibitors: a combination of pharmacophore-based virtual screening, atom-based 3D-QSAR and molecular docking analysis

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein tyrosine kinases are over expressed in several human cancers and considered as a promising target for developing novel anticancer drugs. In this study, the ligand-based pharmacophore mapping and atom-based 3D-QSAR approach was carried out on a series of 40 novel pyrrolo[3, 2-d]pyrimidine derivatives acting as EGFR inhibitors. The best pharmacophore hypothesis AAADRR.295 was selected and an atom-based 3D-QSAR model was generated by applying partial least-squares algorithm. The developed model was validated and used as a 3D query in sequential virtual screening study to filter five chemical databases. The obtained compounds were further filtered according to Lipinski rule of five and fitness score. Subsequently, a multistep molecular docking study was employed on the retrieved hits and finally, 12 compounds were prioritized as potential leads against EGFR, which exhibited high docking scores, correlated binding mode to experimentally proven compounds and constructive drug-like properties. The results of this study provide detailed structural insights and emphasize the important binding features of these compounds, which may assists in the design and development of novel EGFR inhibitors.

The effects of amphiregulin induced MMP-13 production in human osteoarthritis synovial fibroblast

Osteoarthritis (OA) belongs to a group of degenerative diseases. Synovial inflammation, cartilage abrasion, and subchondral sclerosis are characteristics of OA. Researchers do not fully understand the exact etiology of OA. However, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which are responsible for cartilage matrix degradation, play a pivotal role in the progression of OA. Amphiregulin (AREG) binds to the EGF receptor (EGFR) and activates downstream proteins. AREG is involved in a variety of pathological processes, such as the development of tumors, inflammatory diseases, and rheumatoid arthritis. However, the relationship between AREG and MMP-13 in OA synovial fibroblasts (SFs) remains unclear. We investigated the signaling pathway involved in AREG-induced MMP-13 production in SFs. AREG caused MMP-13 production in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The results of using pharmacological inhibitors and EGFR siRNA to block EGFR revealed that the EGFR receptor was involved in the AREG-mediated upregulation of MMP-13. AREG-mediated MMP-13 production was attenuated by PI3K and Akt inhibitors. The stimulation of cells by using AREG activated p65 phosphorylation and p65 translocation from the cytosol to the nucleus. Our results provide evidence that AREG acts through the EGFR and activates PI3K, Akt, and finally NF-kappaB on the MMP-13 promoter, thus contributing to cartilage destruction during osteoarthritis.

Bile acids permeabilize the blood brain barrier after bile duct ligation in rats via Rac1-dependent mechanisms

BACKGROUND

The blood brain barrier tightly regulates the passage of molecules into the brain and becomes leaky following obstructive cholestasis. The aim of this study was to determine if increased serum bile acids observed during cholestasis permeabilize the blood brain barrier.

METHODS

Rats underwent bile duct ligation or deoxycholic or chenodeoxycholic acid injections and blood brain barrier permeability assessed. In vitro, the permeability of rat brain microvessel endothelial cell monolayers, the expression and phosphorylation of occludin, ZO-1 and ZO-2 as well as the activity of Rac1 was assessed after treatment with plasma from cholestatic rats, or bile acid treatment, in the presence of a Rac1 inhibitor.

RESULTS

Blood brain barrier permeability was increased in vivo and in vitro following bile duct ligation or treatment with bile acids. Associated with the bile acid-stimulated increase in endothelial cell monolayer permeability was elevated Rac1 activity and increased phosphorylation of occludin. Pretreatment of endothelial cell monolayers with a Rac1 inhibitor prevented the effects of bile acid treatment on occludin phosphorylation and monolayer permeability.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that increased circulating serum bile acids may contribute to the increased permeability of the blood brain barrier seen during obstructive cholestasis via disruption of tight junctions.

Assays for membrane tyrosine kinase receptors: methods for high-throughput screening and utility for diagnostics

The development of novel antagonists or agonists of membrane tyrosine kinase receptors is a large focus of discovery research. This review will provide some background on membrane tyrosine kinases as well as a description of some of the better established assays used for the high-throughput screening of membrane tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Biochemical methods detailed include those using labels such as radioactivity and fluorescence (fluorescence energy transfer, fluorescence and fluorescence polarization) as well as label-free assays using luminescence. These assays are solid phase, liquid phase, as well as bead based. In addition, a discussion on which tools are available to screen for membrane tyrosine kinase receptor modulators/activators using whole-cell assays will be presented. The potential clinical need for testing receptor activation/phosphorylation as well as the possibility of using some of these tests to measure biomarkers of disease or as clinical diagnostic tools to tailor drug therapy or monitor its efficacy will also be discussed.

S-nitrosoglutathione and endothelial nitric oxide synthase-derived nitric oxide regulate compartmentalized ras S-nitrosylation and stimulate cell proliferation

AIMS

S-nitrosylation of Cys118 is a redox-based mechanism for Ras activation mediated by nitric oxide (NO) at the plasma membrane.

RESULTS

Ras signaling pathway stimulation by 50 and/or 100 μM of S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) causes proliferation of HeLa cells. Proliferation was not observed in HeLa cells overexpressing non-nitrosatable H-Ras(C118S). HeLa cells overexpressing H-Ras(wt) containing the spatiotemporal probe green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused to the Ras-binding domain of Raf-1 (GFP-RBD) incubated with 100 μM GSNO stimulated a rapid and transient redistribution of GFP-RBD to the plasma membrane, followed by a delayed and sustained recruitment to the Golgi. No activation of H-Ras at the plasma membrane occurred in cells overexpressing H-Ras(C118S), contrasting with a robust and sustained activation of the GTPase at the Golgi. Inhibition of Src kinase prevented cell proliferation and activation of H-Ras by GSNO at the Golgi. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) stimulated with bradykinin to generate NO were used to differentiate cell proliferation and Ras activation at the plasma membrane versus Golgi. In this model, Src kinase was not involved in cell proliferation, whereas Ras activation proceeded only at the plasma membrane, indicating that HUVEC proliferation induced by NO resulted only from stimulation of Ras.

INNOVATION

The present work is the first to demonstrate that NO-mediated activation of Ras in different subcellular compartments regulates different downstream signaling pathways.

CONCLUSION

S-nitrosylation of H-Ras at Cys(118) and the activation of Src kinase are spatiotemporally linked events of the S-nitrosothiol-mediated signaling pathway that occurs at the plasma membrane and at the Golgi. The nonparticipation of Src kinase and the localized production of NO by endothelial NO synthase at the plasma membrane limited NO-mediated Ras activation to the plasma membrane.

The importance of HER2 signaling in the tumor-initiating cell population in aromatase inhibitor-resistant breast cancer

Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are an effective therapy in treating estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Nonetheless, a significant percentage of patients either do not respond or become resistant to AIs. Decreased dependence on ER-signaling and increased dependence on growth factor receptor signaling pathways, particularly human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (EGFR2/HER2), have been implicated in AI resistance. However, the role of growth factor signaling remains unclear. This current study investigates the possibility that signaling either through HER2 alone or through interplay between epidermal growth factor receptor 1 (EGFR/HER1) and HER2 mediates AI resistance by increasing the tumor initiating cell (TIC) subpopulation in AI-resistant cells via regulation of stem cell markers, such as breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP). TICs and BCRP are both known to be involved in drug resistance. Results from in vitro analyses of AI-resistant versus AI-sensitive cells and HER2-versus HER2+ cells, as well as from in vivo xenograft tumors, indicate that (1) AI-resistant cells overexpress both HER2 and BCRP and exhibit increased TIC characteristics compared to AI-sensitive cells; (2) inhibition of HER2 and/or BCRP decrease TIC characteristics in letrozole-resistant cells; and (3) HER2 and its dimerization partner EGFR/HER1 are involved in the regulation of BCRP. Overall, these results suggest that reducing or eliminating the TIC subpopulation with agents that target BCRP, HER2, EGFR/HER1, and/or their downstream kinase pathways could be effective in preventing and/or treating acquired AI resistance.

Target binding properties and cellular activity of afatinib (BIBW 2992), an irreversible ErbB family blocker

Deregulation of the ErbB (proto-oncogene B of the avian erythroblastosis virus AEV-H strain) receptor network is well recognized as an oncogenic driver in epithelial cancers. Several targeted drugs have been developed, including antibodies and small-molecule kinase inhibitors, each of them characterized by distinct patterns of ErbB receptor interactions. Understanding the precise pharmacological properties of these compounds is important for optimal use in clinical practice. Afatinib [BIBW 2992; N-[4-[(3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)amino]-7-[[(3S)-tetrahydro-3-furanyl]oxy]-6-quinazolinyl]-4-(dimethylamino)-2-butenamide] is an ATP-competitive anilinoquinazoline derivative harboring a reactive acrylamide group. It was designed to covalently bind and irreversibly block enzymatically active ErbB receptor family members. Here, we show by X-ray crystallography the covalent binding of afatinib to wild-type epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and by mass spectrometry the covalent interaction with EGFR, EGFRL858R/T790M, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and ErbB-4. Afatinib potently inhibits the enymatic activity of ErbB-4 (EC50=1 nM) and the proliferation of cancer cell lines driven by multiple ErbB receptor aberrations at concentrations below 100 nM. N-[4-[(3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)amino]-7-[[(3S)-tetrahydro-3-furanyl]oxy]-6-quinazolinyl]-4-(dimethylamino)-2-butanamide (BI 37781), a close analog of afatinib lacking the acrylamide group and thus incapable of covalent bond formation, had similar potency on cells driven by EGFR or EGFRL858R, but less or no detectable activity on cells expressing EGFRL858R/T790M HER2 or ErbB-4. These results stress the importance of the acrylamide group and show that afatinib differs from approved ErbB targeting agents by irreversibly inhibiting the kinase activity of all ErbB family members. They provide a mechanistic rationale for the distinct pharmacological features of this compound and explain the clinical activity seen in some patients who are resistant to antibody or kinase inhibitor therapy because of secondary mutations or ErbB receptor "reprogramming."

EGFR inhibitor BIBU induces apoptosis and defective autophagy in glioma cells

The importance of aberrant EGFR signaling in glioblastoma progression and the promise of EGFR-specific therapies, prompted us to determine the efficacy of novel EGFR inhibitor BIBU-1361 [(3-chloro-4-fluoro-phenyl)-[6-(4-diethylaminomethyl-piperidin-1-yl)-pyrimido [5,4-d]pyrimidin-4-yl]-amine] in affecting glioma survival. BIBU induced apoptosis in a caspase-dependent manner and induced cell cycle arrest in glioma cells. Apoptosis was accompanied by decreased EGFR levels and its increased distribution towards caveolin rich lipid raft microdomains. BIBU inhibited pro-survival pathways Akt/mTOR and gp130/JAK/STAT3; and decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6. BIBU caused increased LC3-I to LC3-II conversion and triggered the internalization of EGFR within vacuoles along with its increased co-localization with LC3-II. BIBU caused accumulation of p62 and increased levels of cleaved forms of Beclin-1 in all the cell lines tested. Importantly, BIBU failed to initiate execution of autophagy as pharmacological inhibition of autophagy with 3-Methyladenine or Bafilomycin failed to rescue BIBU mediated death. The ability of BIBU to abrogate Akt and STAT3 activation, induce apoptosis and prevent execution of autophagy warrants its investigation as a potent anti-glioma target.

A high-content biosensor-based screen identifies cell-permeable activators and inhibitors of EGFR function: implications in drug discovery

Early success of kinase inhibitors has validated their use as drugs. However, discovery efforts have also suffered from high attrition rates due to lack of cellular activity. We reasoned that screening for such candidates in live cells would identify novel cell-permeable modulators for development. For this purpose, we have used our recently optimized epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) biosensor assay to screen for modulators of EGFR activity. Here, we report on its validation under high-throughput screening (HTS) conditions displaying a signal-to-noise ratio of 21 and a Z' value of 0.56-attributes of a robust cell-based assay. We performed a pilot screen against a library of 6912 compounds demonstrating good reproducibility and identifying 82 inhibitors and 66 activators with initial hit rates of 1.2% and 0.95%, respectively. Follow-up dose-response studies revealed that 12 of the 13 known EGFR inhibitors in the library were confirmed as hits. ZM-306416, a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) antagonist, was identified as a potent inhibitor of EGFR function. Flurandrenolide, beclomethasone, and ebastine were confirmed as activators of EGFR function. Taken together, our results validate this novel approach and demonstrate its utility in the discovery of novel kinase modulators with potential use in the clinic.

Sensitivity control through attenuation of signal transfer efficiency by negative regulation of cellular signalling

Sensitivity is one of the hallmarks of biological and pharmacological responses. However, the principle of controlling sensitivity remains unclear. Here we theoretically analyse a simple biochemical reaction and find that the signal transfer efficiency of the transient peak amplitude attenuates depending on the strength of negative regulation. We experimentally find that many signalling pathways in various cell lines, including the Akt and ERK pathways, can be approximated by simple biochemical reactions and that the same property of the attenuation of signal transfer efficiency was observed for such pathways. Because of this property, a downstream molecule should show higher sensitivity to an activator and lower sensitivity to an inhibitor than an upstream molecule. Indeed, we experimentally verify that S6, which lies downstream of Akt, shows lower sensitivity to an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor than Akt. Thus, cells can control downstream sensitivity through the attenuation of signal transfer efficiency by changing the expression level of negative regulators.

Mutant K-Ras activation of the proapoptotic MST2 pathway is antagonized by wild-type K-Ras

K-Ras mutations are frequent in colorectal cancer (CRC), albeit K-Ras is the only Ras isoform that can elicit apoptosis. Here, we show that mutant K-Ras directly binds to the tumor suppressor RASSF1A to activate the apoptotic MST2-LATS1 pathway. In this pathway LATS1 binds to and sequesters the ubiquitin ligase Mdm2 causing stabilization of the tumor suppressor p53 and apoptosis. However, mutant Ras also stimulates autocrine activation of the EGF receptor (EGFR) which counteracts mutant K-Ras-induced apoptosis. Interestingly, this protection requires the wild-type K-Ras allele, which inhibits the MST2 pathway in part via AKT activation. Confirming the pathophysiological relevance of the molecular findings, we find a negative correlation between K-Ras mutation and MST2 expression in human CRC patients and CRC mouse models. The small number of tumors with co-expression of mutant K-Ras and MST2 has elevated apoptosis rates. Thus, in CRC, mutant K-Ras transformation is supported by the wild-type allele.

Characterization of aldehyde oxidase enzyme activity in cryopreserved human hepatocytes

Substrates of aldehyde oxidase (AO), for which human clinical pharmacokinetics are reported, were selected and evaluated in pooled mixed-gender cryopreserved human hepatocytes in an effort to quantitatively characterize AO activity. Estimated hepatic clearance (Cl(h)) for BIBX1382, carbazeran, O⁶-benzylguanine, zaleplon, and XK-469 using cryopreserved hepatocytes was 18, 17, 12, <4.3, and <4.3 ml · min⁻¹ · kg⁻¹, respectively. The observed metabolic clearance in cryopreserved hepatocytes was confirmed to be a result of AO-mediated metabolism via two approaches. Metabolite identification after incubations in the presence of H₂¹⁸O confirmed that the predominant oxidative metabolite was generated by AO, as expected isotope patterns in mass spectra were observed after analysis by high-resolution mass spectrometry. Second, clearance values were efficiently attenuated upon coincubation with hydralazine, an inhibitor of AO. The low exposure after oral doses of BIBX1382 and carbazeran (∼5% F) would have been fairly well predicted using simple hepatic extraction (f(h)) values derived from cryopreserved hepatocytes. In addition, the estimated hepatic clearance value for O⁶-benzylguanine was within ∼80% of the observed total clearance in humans after intravenous administration (15 ml · min⁻¹ · kg⁻¹), indicating a reasonable level of quantitative activity from this in vitro system. However, a 3.5-fold underprediction of total clearance was observed for zaleplon, despite the 5-oxo metabolite being clearly observed. These data taken together suggest that the use of cryopreserved hepatocytes may be a practical approach for assessing AO-mediated metabolism in discovery and potentially useful for predicting hepatic clearance of AO substrates.

Prediction of inhibitory activity of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors using grid search-projection pursuit regression method

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) is an important protein target for anti-tumor drug discovery. To identify potential EGFR inhibitors, we conducted a quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) study on the inhibitory activity of a series of quinazoline derivatives against EGFR tyrosine kinase. Two 2D-QSAR models were developed based on the best multi-linear regression (BMLR) and grid-search assisted projection pursuit regression (GS-PPR) methods. The results demonstrate that the inhibitory activity of quinazoline derivatives is strongly correlated with their polarizability, activation energy, mass distribution, connectivity, and branching information. Although the present investigation focused on EGFR, the approach provides a general avenue in the structure-based drug development of different protein receptor inhibitors.

Pharmacological inhibition of EGFR tyrosine kinase affects ILK-mediated cellular radiosensitization in vitro

PURPOSE

Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) mediates signals from beta integrins and links integrins to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Previous studies have identified an antisurvival effect of ILK in irradiated cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of EGFR tyrosine kinase (tk) activity for ILK-mediated radiosensitization.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Human FaDu squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells stably transfected with hyperactive ILK (ILK-hk) and ILK(fl/fl) and ILK(-/-) mouse fibroblasts were treated with the pharmacological EGFR-tk inhibitor BIBX1382BS without or in combination with single doses of X-rays. Clonogenic radiation survival, protein expression and phosphorylation (EGFR, v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1 (Akt), p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase), DNA-double strand break (DSB) repair measured by gammaH2AX foci, cell morphology and cell cycle distribution were examined.

RESULTS

Expression of ILK-hk or ILK(fl/fl) status resulted in significant radiosensitization relative to vector controls or ILK(-/-). Following BIBX1382BS, clonogenic survival of normal fibroblasts and vector controls remained unaffected while ILK-hk-related radiosensitization was significantly diminished. In contrast to BIBX1382BS, which did not affect DNA-DSB repair, ILK-hk-mediated radiosensitization was associated with reduced DNA-DSB repair. At 10 days after BIBX1382BS treatment, FaDu transfectants, in contrast to fibroblasts, showed reduced cell size, accumulation of G1 phase cells and reduced Akt-serine(S)473 phosphorylation.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings confirm ILK as a cell type-independent antisurvival factor in irradiated cells, which actions in terms of radiosensitization critically depend on proper EGFR-tk activity.

Caenorhabditis elegans as model system for rapid toxicity assessment of pharmaceutical compounds

INTRODUCTION

The model organism Caenorhabditis elegans is widely used for genetic studies as well as a living biomonitor in ecotoxicology. In this study, we investigated whether C. elegans may represent a suitable model for rapid preliminary toxicity studies of pharmaceutical compounds.

METHODS

For this purpose, we used the EGFR kinase inhibitors BIBU1361, BIBX1382, and an inactive chemical analogue BIBU1476. As a first parameter to score for toxicity, we determined lethality of the wild-type C. elegans strain N2 (Bristol) in the presence of the compounds. The transgenic C. elegans strain PC72 (lacZ, heat shock protein-16 [hsp-16] construct) was used as a report organism for toxic effects. PC72 expresses beta-Galactosidase which is induced by hsp-16 in direct response when exposed to toxic compounds. The expression of beta-Galactosidase in cells was subsequently visualized by histochemical staining with X-Gal.

RESULTS

A rank order of potency with respect to lethality was established: BIBU1361>BIBX1382>>BIB1476. The induction of beta-Galactosidase was concentration-dependent for each compound and demonstrated the same order of potency as observed for lethality. Furthermore, these compounds showed the same order for lethality in rodents, the first requirement of validation.

DISCUSSION

These results indicate that wild-type C. elegans and the transgenic strain PC72 are both suitable models to determine the toxicity of pharmaceutical compounds. This approach allows for an easy and fast ranking of compound toxicity, which may lead to a more rational choice for further in vivo tests.