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Venkadakrishnan VB, Presser AG, Singh R, Booker MA, Traphagen NA, Weng K, Voss NCE, Mahadevan NR, Mizuno K, Puca L, Idahor O, Ku SY, Bakht MK, Borah AA, Herbert ZT, Tolstorukov MY, Barbie DA, Rickman DS, Brown M, Beltran H. Lineage-specific canonical and non-canonical activity of EZH2 in advanced prostate cancer subtypes. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6779. [PMID: 39117665 PMCID: PMC11310309 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51156-5] [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: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a histone methyltransferase and emerging therapeutic target that is overexpressed in most castration-resistant prostate cancers and implicated as a driver of disease progression and resistance to hormonal therapies. Here we define the lineage-specific action and differential activity of EZH2 in both prostate adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) subtypes of advanced prostate cancer to better understand the role of EZH2 in modulating differentiation, lineage plasticity, and to identify mediators of response and resistance to EZH2 inhibitor therapy. Mechanistically, EZH2 modulates bivalent genes that results in upregulation of NEPC-associated transcriptional drivers (e.g., ASCL1) and neuronal gene programs in NEPC, and leads to forward differentiation after targeting EZH2 in NEPC. Subtype-specific downstream effects of EZH2 inhibition on cell cycle genes support the potential rationale for co-targeting cyclin/CDK to overcome resistance to EZH2 inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varadha Balaji Venkadakrishnan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Adam G Presser
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Richa Singh
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew A Booker
- Department of Informatics and Analytics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicole A Traphagen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kenny Weng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Nathaniel C E Voss
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Belmont Hill School, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Navin R Mahadevan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kei Mizuno
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Loredana Puca
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Osasenaga Idahor
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sheng-Yu Ku
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Martin K Bakht
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ashir A Borah
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Urology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Arc Institute, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Zachary T Herbert
- Molecular Biology Core Facilities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael Y Tolstorukov
- Department of Informatics and Analytics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David A Barbie
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David S Rickman
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Myles Brown
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Himisha Beltran
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Chen Y, Zhu H, Luo Y, Tong S, Liu Y. EZH2: The roles in targeted therapy and mechanisms of resistance in breast cancer. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 175:116624. [PMID: 38670045 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116624] [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: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance presents a formidable challenge in the realm of breast cancer therapy. Accumulating evidence suggests that enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), a component of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), may serve as a key regulator in controlling drug resistance. EZH2 overexpression has been observed in breast cancer and many other malignancies, showing a strong correlation with poor outcomes. This review aims to summarize the mechanisms by which EZH2 regulates drug resistance, with a specific focus on breast cancer, in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of the underlying molecular processes. Additionally, we will discuss the current strategies and outcomes of targeting EZH2 using both single agents and combination therapies, with the goal of offering improved guidance for the clinical treatment of breast cancer patients who have developed drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Chen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Clinical Pharmacy Innovation Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
| | - Hongyan Zhu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Clinical Pharmacy Innovation Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
| | - Yi Luo
- Clinical Pharmacy Innovation Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Biotheus Inc., Guangdong Province, Zhuhai 519080, PR China.
| | - Shuangmei Tong
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Clinical Pharmacy Innovation Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Clinical Pharmacy Innovation Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
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Kumar A, Emdad L, Fisher PB, Das SK. Targeting epigenetic regulation for cancer therapy using small molecule inhibitors. Adv Cancer Res 2023; 158:73-161. [PMID: 36990539 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2023.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cells display pervasive changes in DNA methylation, disrupted patterns of histone posttranslational modification, chromatin composition or organization and regulatory element activities that alter normal programs of gene expression. It is becoming increasingly clear that disturbances in the epigenome are hallmarks of cancer, which are targetable and represent attractive starting points for drug creation. Remarkable progress has been made in the past decades in discovering and developing epigenetic-based small molecule inhibitors. Recently, epigenetic-targeted agents in hematologic malignancies and solid tumors have been identified and these agents are either in current clinical trials or approved for treatment. However, epigenetic drug applications face many challenges, including low selectivity, poor bioavailability, instability and acquired drug resistance. New multidisciplinary approaches are being designed to overcome these limitations, e.g., applications of machine learning, drug repurposing, high throughput virtual screening technologies, to identify selective compounds with improved stability and better bioavailability. We provide an overview of the key proteins that mediate epigenetic regulation that encompass histone and DNA modifications and discuss effector proteins that affect the organization of chromatin structure and function as well as presently available inhibitors as potential drugs. Current anticancer small-molecule inhibitors targeting epigenetic modified enzymes that have been approved by therapeutic regulatory authorities across the world are highlighted. Many of these are in different stages of clinical evaluation. We also assess emerging strategies for combinatorial approaches of epigenetic drugs with immunotherapy, standard chemotherapy or other classes of agents and advances in the design of novel epigenetic therapies.
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Walz AC, Van De Vyver AJ, Yu L, Birtwistle MR, Krogan NJ, Bouhaddou M. Leveraging modeling and simulation to optimize the therapeutic window for epigenetic modifier drugs. Pharmacol Ther 2022; 235:108162. [PMID: 35189161 PMCID: PMC9292061 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2022.108162] [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: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulated epigenetic processes can lead to altered gene expression and give rise to malignant transformation and tumorigenesis. Epigenetic drugs aim to revert the phenotype of cancer cells to normally functioning cells, and are developed and applied to treat both hematological and solid cancers. Despite this promising therapeutic avenue, the successful development of epigenetic modulators has been challenging. We argue that besides identifying the right responder patient population, the selection of an optimized dosing regimen is equally important. For the majority of epigenetic modulators, hematological adverse effects such as thrombocytopenia, anemia or neutropenia are frequently observed and may limit their therapeutic potential. Therefore, one of the key challenges is to identify a dosing regimen that maximizes drug efficacy and minimizes toxicity. This requires a good understanding of the quantitative relationship between the administered dose, the drug exposure and the magnitude and duration of drug response related to safety and efficacy. With case examples, we highlight how modeling and simulation has been successfully applied to address those questions. As an outlook, we suggest the combination of efficacy and safety prediction models that capture the quantitative, mechanistic relationships governing the balance between their safety and efficacy dynamics. A stepwise approach for its implementation is presented. Utilizing in silico explorations, the impact of dosing regimen on the therapeutic window can be explored. This will serve as a basis to select the most promising dosing regimen that maximizes efficacy while minimizing adverse effects and to increase the probability of success for the given epigenetic drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antje-Christine Walz
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Grenzacherstrasse 124, CH-4070, Basel, Switzerland,Corresponding author: , F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Pharma Research & Early Development, Grenzacherstrasse 124, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland. Mobile: +41 79 865 89 28
| | - Arthur J. Van De Vyver
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Grenzacherstrasse 124, CH-4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Li Yu
- LIYU Pharmaceutical Consulting LLC, Department of Bioengineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29631, USA
| | - Marc R. Birtwistle
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Department of Bioengineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29631, USA
| | - Nevan J. Krogan
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California San Francisco, San Francisco,CA, 94158, USA,Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA,J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Mehdi Bouhaddou
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California San Francisco, San Francisco,CA, 94158, USA,Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA,J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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