1
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Peng J, Ding X, Shih PY, Meng Q, Ding X, Zhang M, Aliper A, Ren F, Lu H, Zhavoronkov A. Discovery of 1(2H)-phthalazinone and 1(2H)-isoquinolinone derivatives as potent hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 279:116877. [PMID: 39303515 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2024] [Revised: 09/11/2024] [Accepted: 09/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been a revelation for treating several cancers, an unmet need remains to broaden ICI therapeutic scope and increase their response rates in clinical trials. Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is a negative regulator of T cell activation and has previously been identified as a promising target for immunotherapy. Herein, we report the discovery of a series of HPK1 inhibitors with novel 1(2H)-phthalazinone and 1(2H)-isoquinolinone scaffolds. Among them, compound 24 demonstrated potent in vitro activity (HPK1 IC50 value of 10.4 nM) and cellular activity (pSLP76 EC50 = 41 nM & IL-2 EC50 = 108 nM). Compound 24 exhibited favorable mouse and rat pharmacokinetic profiles with reasonable oral exposure. Compound 24 showed potent in vivo anti-tumor activity in a CT26 syngeneic tumor model with 95 % tumor growth inhibition in combination with anti-PD-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Peng
- Insilico Medicine Shanghai Ltd, Suite 901, Tower C, Changtai Plaza, 2889 Jinke Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xiaoyu Ding
- Insilico Medicine Shanghai Ltd, Suite 901, Tower C, Changtai Plaza, 2889 Jinke Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Pei-Yu Shih
- Insilico Medicine Taiwan Ltd, Suite 1303, No. 333, Sec. 1, Keelung Rd, Xinyi District, Taipei, 110, Taiwan
| | - Qingyuan Meng
- Insilico Medicine Shanghai Ltd, Suite 901, Tower C, Changtai Plaza, 2889 Jinke Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xiao Ding
- Insilico Medicine Shanghai Ltd, Suite 901, Tower C, Changtai Plaza, 2889 Jinke Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Man Zhang
- Insilico Medicine Shanghai Ltd, Suite 901, Tower C, Changtai Plaza, 2889 Jinke Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Alex Aliper
- Insilico Medicine AI Limited, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi 145748, United Arab Emirates
| | - Feng Ren
- Insilico Medicine Shanghai Ltd, Suite 901, Tower C, Changtai Plaza, 2889 Jinke Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Hongfu Lu
- Insilico Medicine Shanghai Ltd, Suite 901, Tower C, Changtai Plaza, 2889 Jinke Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Alex Zhavoronkov
- Insilico Medicine Shanghai Ltd, Suite 901, Tower C, Changtai Plaza, 2889 Jinke Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai, 201203, China; Insilico Medicine AI Limited, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi 145748, United Arab Emirates.
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2
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Tellis JC, Wei B, Siu M, An L, Chan GK, Chen Y, Du X, Gazzard L, Hu B, Kiefer J, Kakiuchi-Kiyota S, Lainchbury M, Linehan JL, Luo X, Malhotra S, Mendonca R, Pang J, Ran Y, Sethuraman V, Seward E, Sneeringer C, Su D, Wang W, Wu P, Moffat JG, Heffron TP, Choo EF, Chan BK. Discovery of GNE-6893, a Potent, Selective, Orally Bioavailable Small Molecule Inhibitor of HPK1. ACS Med Chem Lett 2024; 15:1606-1614. [PMID: 39291002 PMCID: PMC11403726 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.4c00319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2024] [Revised: 08/19/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) serves a key immunosuppressive role as a negative regulator of T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling. HPK1 loss-of-function is associated with augmentation of immune function and has demonstrated synergy with immune checkpoint inhibitors in syngeneic mouse cancer models. These data offer compelling evidence for the use of selective small molecule inhibitors of HPK1 in cancer immunotherapy. We identified a novel series of isoquinoline HPK1 inhibitors through fragment-based screening that displayed promising levels of biochemical potency and activity in functional cell-based assays. We used structure-based drug design to introduce key selectivity elements while simultaneously addressing pharmacokinetic liabilities. These efforts culminated in a molecule demonstrating subnanomolar biochemical inhibition of HPK1 and strong in vitro augmentation of TCR signaling in primary human T-cells. Further profiling of this molecule revealed excellent kinase selectivity (347/356 kinases <50% inhibition @ 0.1 μM), a favorable in vitro safety profile, and good projected human pharmacokinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Tellis
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - BinQing Wei
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Michael Siu
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Le An
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Grace Kayan Chan
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Yong Chen
- Pharmaron Beijing Co., No. 6 Tai He Road, BDA, Beijing 100176, P.R. China
| | - Xiangnan Du
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Lewis Gazzard
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Baihua Hu
- Pharmaron Beijing Co., No. 6 Tai He Road, BDA, Beijing 100176, P.R. China
| | - James Kiefer
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | | | - Michael Lainchbury
- Charles River Laboratories, 8-9 Spire Green, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan L Linehan
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Xifeng Luo
- Pharmaron Beijing Co., No. 6 Tai He Road, BDA, Beijing 100176, P.R. China
| | - Sushant Malhotra
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Rohan Mendonca
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jodie Pang
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Yinqing Ran
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Vijay Sethuraman
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Eileen Seward
- Charles River Laboratories, 8-9 Spire Green, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Chris Sneeringer
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Dian Su
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Weiru Wang
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Ping Wu
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - John G Moffat
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Timothy P Heffron
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Edna F Choo
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Bryan K Chan
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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3
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Choi WS, Kwon H, Yi E, Lee H, Kim JM, Park HJ, Choi EJ, Choi ME, Sung YH, Won CH, Sung CO, Kim HS. HPK1 Dysregulation-Associated NK Cell Dysfunction and Defective Expansion Promotes Metastatic Melanoma Progression. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2400920. [PMID: 38828677 PMCID: PMC11304315 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202400920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Distant metastasis, the leading cause of cancer death, is efficiently kept in check by immune surveillance. Studies have uncovered peripheral natural killer (NK) cells as key antimetastatic effectors and their dysregulation during metastasis. However, the molecular mechanism governing NK cell dysfunction links to metastasis remains elusive. Herein, MAP4K1 encoding HPK1 is aberrantly overexpressed in dysfunctional NK cells in the periphery and the metastatic site. Conditional HPK1 overexpression in NK cells suffices to exacerbate melanoma lung metastasis but not primary tumor growth. Conversely, MAP4K1-deficient mice are resistant to metastasis and further protected by combined immune-checkpoint inhibitors. Mechanistically, HPK1 restrains NK cell cytotoxicity and expansion via activating receptors. Likewise, HPK1 limits human NK cell activation and associates with melanoma NK cell dysfunction couples to TGF-β1 and patient response to immune checkpoint therapy. Thus, HPK1 is an intracellular checkpoint controlling NK-target cell responses, which is dysregulated and hijacked by tumors during metastatic progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woo Seon Choi
- Department of MicrobiologyStem Cell Immunomodulation Research CenterAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoul05505Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung‐Joon Kwon
- Department of MicrobiologyStem Cell Immunomodulation Research CenterAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoul05505Republic of Korea
| | - Eunbi Yi
- Department of MicrobiologyStem Cell Immunomodulation Research CenterAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoul05505Republic of Korea
| | - Haeun Lee
- Department of MicrobiologyStem Cell Immunomodulation Research CenterAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoul05505Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Min Kim
- Department of MicrobiologyStem Cell Immunomodulation Research CenterAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoul05505Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo Jin Park
- Department of MicrobiologyStem Cell Immunomodulation Research CenterAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoul05505Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Ji Choi
- Department of DermatologyAsan Institute for Life SciencesAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoul05505Republic of Korea
| | - Myoung Eun Choi
- Department of DermatologyAsan Institute for Life SciencesAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoul05505Republic of Korea
| | - Young Hoon Sung
- Department of Cell and Genetic EngineeringAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoul05505Republic of Korea
| | - Chong Hyun Won
- Department of DermatologyAsan Institute for Life SciencesAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoul05505Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Ohk Sung
- Department of PathologyAsan Medical Institute of Convergence Science and TechnologyAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoul05505Republic of Korea
| | - Hun Sik Kim
- Department of MicrobiologyStem Cell Immunomodulation Research CenterAsan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of MedicineSeoul05505Republic of Korea
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Qian J, Jiang Y, Hu H. Ginsenosides: an immunomodulator for the treatment of colorectal cancer. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1408993. [PMID: 38939839 PMCID: PMC11208871 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1408993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Ginsenosides, the primary bioactive ingredients derived from the root of Panax ginseng, are eagerly in demand for tumor patients as a complementary and alternative drug. Ginsenosides have increasingly become a "hot topic" in recent years due to their multifunctional role in treating colorectal cancer (CRC) and regulating tumor microenvironment (TME). Emerging experimental research on ginsenosides in the treatment and immune regulation of CRC has been published, while no review sums up its specific role in the CRC microenvironment. Therefore, this paper systematically introduces how ginsenosides affect the TME, specifically by enhancing immune response, inhibiting the activation of stromal cells, and altering the hallmarks of CRC cells. In addition, we discuss their impact on the physicochemical properties of the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, we discuss the application of ginsenosides in clinical treatment as their efficacy in enhancing tumor patient immunity and prolonging survival. The future perspectives of ginsenoside as a complementary and alternative drug of CRC are also provided. This review hopes to open up a new horizon for the cancer treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine monomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianan Qian
- Department of Gastroenterology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Digestive Diseases, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanyu Jiang
- Cancer Institute, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongyi Hu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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5
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Yang C, Qu L, Wang R, Wang F, Yang Z, Xiao F. Multi-layered effects of Panax notoginseng on immune system. Pharmacol Res 2024; 204:107203. [PMID: 38719196 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Recent research has demonstrated the immunomodulatory potential of Panax notoginseng in the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases and cerebral hemorrhage, suggesting its significance in clinical practice. Nevertheless, the complex immune activity of various components has hindered a comprehensive understanding of the immune-regulating properties of Panax notoginseng, impeding its broader utilization. This review evaluates the effect of Panax notoginseng to various types of white blood cells, elucidates the underlying mechanisms, and compares the immunomodulatory effects of different Panax notoginseng active fractions, aiming to provide the theory basis for future immunomodulatory investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhao Yang
- Yunnan Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory, Yunnan Yunke Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory Co., Ltd., Kunming 650106, China; Yunnan Botanee Bio-Technology Group Co., Ltd., Kunming 650106, China
| | - Liping Qu
- Yunnan Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory, Yunnan Yunke Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory Co., Ltd., Kunming 650106, China; Yunnan Botanee Bio-Technology Group Co., Ltd., Kunming 650106, China; Innovation Materials Research and Development Center, Botanee Research Institute, Shanghai Jiyan Biomedical Development Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201702, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Yunnan Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory, Yunnan Yunke Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory Co., Ltd., Kunming 650106, China; Yunnan Botanee Bio-Technology Group Co., Ltd., Kunming 650106, China
| | - Feifei Wang
- Yunnan Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory, Yunnan Yunke Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory Co., Ltd., Kunming 650106, China; Yunnan Botanee Bio-Technology Group Co., Ltd., Kunming 650106, China; Innovation Materials Research and Development Center, Botanee Research Institute, Shanghai Jiyan Biomedical Development Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201702, China
| | - Zhaoxiang Yang
- Yunnan Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory, Yunnan Yunke Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory Co., Ltd., Kunming 650106, China; Yunnan Botanee Bio-Technology Group Co., Ltd., Kunming 650106, China
| | - Fengkun Xiao
- Yunnan Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory, Yunnan Yunke Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory Co., Ltd., Kunming 650106, China; Yunnan Botanee Bio-Technology Group Co., Ltd., Kunming 650106, China.
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6
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Fu S, Wei J, Li C, Zhang N, Yue H, Yang A, Xu J, Dong K, Xing Y, Tong M, Shi X, Xi Z, Wang H, Hou Y, Zhao Y. Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of 2,4-diaminopyrimidine derivatives as potent Hematopoietic Progenitor Kinase 1 (HPK1) inhibitors. Bioorg Chem 2024; 148:107454. [PMID: 38795581 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107454] [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: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
HPK1 also referred to as MAP4K1, belongs to the category of mammalian STE20-like protein serine/threonine kinases. Its physiological function involves the down-regulation of T cell signals, and it is regarded as a new immune checkpoint of tumor immunology. In this study, we commenced our investigation with the hit compounds, focusing the efforts on structural optimization and SAR exploration to identify a novel class of 2,4-diaminopyrimidine HPK1 inhibitors. Notably, compound 14g exhibited a remarkable inhibitory effect on HPK1 kinase (IC50 = 0.15 nM), significantly suppressed the phosphorylation of the downstream adaptor protein SLP76 (pSLP76 IC50 = 27.92 nM), and effectively stimulated the secretion of the T cell activation marker IL-2 (EC50 = 46.64 nM). In vitro microsomal stability assay, compound 14g showed moderate stability in HLMs with T1/2 = 38.2 min and CLint = 36.4 µL·min-1·mg-1 proteins. In vivo pharmacokinetic studies, compound 14g demonstrated heightened plasma exposure (AUC0-inf = 644 ng·h·mL-1), extended half-life (T1/2 = 9.98 h), and reduced plasma clearance (CL = 52.3 mL·min-1·kg-1) compared to the reference compound after a single intravenous dose of 2 mg/kg in rats. These results indicated that compound 14g emerged as a promising inhibitor of HPK1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Fu
- School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Jiakuan Wei
- School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Chunting Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Na Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Hao Yue
- School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Ao Yang
- School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Jichang Xu
- School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Kuan Dong
- School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Yongpeng Xing
- School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Minghui Tong
- 3D BioOptima, 1338 Wuzhong Avenue, Suzhou 215104, China
| | - Xuan Shi
- 3D BioOptima, 1338 Wuzhong Avenue, Suzhou 215104, China
| | - Zhiguo Xi
- 3D BioOptima, 1338 Wuzhong Avenue, Suzhou 215104, China
| | - Han Wang
- 3D BioOptima, 1338 Wuzhong Avenue, Suzhou 215104, China
| | - Yunlei Hou
- School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China.
| | - Yanfang Zhao
- School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China.
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7
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Chitre AS, Wu P, Walters BT, Wang X, Bouyssou A, Du X, Lehoux I, Fong R, Arata A, Chan J, Wang D, Franke Y, Grogan JL, Mellman I, Comps-Agrar L, Wang W. HPK1 citron homology domain regulates phosphorylation of SLP76 and modulates kinase domain interaction dynamics. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3725. [PMID: 38697971 PMCID: PMC11066036 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48014-9] [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: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is a negative regulator of T-cell receptor signaling and as such is an attractive target for cancer immunotherapy. Although the role of the HPK1 kinase domain (KD) has been extensively characterized, the function of its citron homology domain (CHD) remains elusive. Through a combination of structural, biochemical, and mechanistic studies, we characterize the structure-function of CHD in relationship to KD. Crystallography and hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry reveal that CHD adopts a seven-bladed β-propellor fold that binds to KD. Mutagenesis associated with binding and functional studies show a direct correlation between domain-domain interaction and negative regulation of kinase activity. We further demonstrate that the CHD provides stability to HPK1 protein in cells as well as contributes to the docking of its substrate SLP76. Altogether, this study highlights the importance of the CHD in the direct and indirect regulation of HPK1 function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ping Wu
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | | | - Xiangdan Wang
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | | | - Xiangnan Du
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Isabelle Lehoux
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
- Gilead Sciences, Inc., 333 Lakeside Drive, Foster City, CA, 94404, USA
| | - Rina Fong
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Alisa Arata
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Joyce Chan
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Die Wang
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Yvonne Franke
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Jane L Grogan
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
- GraphiteBio, Incl., 1400 Sierra Point Parkway, Brisbane, CA, 94005, USA
| | - Ira Mellman
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
| | | | - Weiru Wang
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
- Frontier Medicines, 151 Oyster Point Boulevard, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
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8
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Qiu X, Liu R, Ling H, Zhou Y, Ren X, Zhou F, Zhang J, Huang W, Wang Z, Ding K. Discovery of 5-aminopyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-7(8H)-one derivatives as new hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 269:116310. [PMID: 38479166 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116310] [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: 01/20/2024] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is a negative regulator of T-cell receptor signaling. While HPK1 is considered as a promising target for cancer immunotherapy, no small-molecule HPK1 inhibitors have been approved for cancer treatment. Herein, we report the discovery of a series of new HPK1 inhibitors with a 5-aminopyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-7(8H)-one scaffold. The most potent compound 9f inhibited HPK1 kinase activity with an IC50 of 0.32 nM in the time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) assays, while displayed reasonable selectivity in a panel of 416 kinases. Cellular engagement of HPK1 by compound 9f was confirmed through the nano-bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (Nano-BRET) experiments. Compound 9f effectively reduced the phosphorylation of the downstream protein SLP-76 in primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and human T lymphocytic leukemia Jurkat cells. Compound 9f also enhanced the IL-2 and IFN-γ secretion in PBMCs. Furthermore, the binding mode of compound 9f with HPK1 was confirmed by the resolved cocrystal structure. Taken together, this study provides HPK1 inhibitors with a novel scaffold and clear binding mode for further development of HPK1-targeted therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaorong Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, #345 Lingling Rd., Shanghai, 200032, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; School of Molecular Medicine, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Rong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, #345 Lingling Rd., Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Huan Ling
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, #345 Lingling Rd., Shanghai, 200032, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yang Zhou
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Discovery of Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE), Guangzhou City Key Laboratory of Precision Chemical Drug Development, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 855 Xingye Avenue East, Guangzhou, 511400, China
| | - Xiaomei Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, #345 Lingling Rd., Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Fengtao Zhou
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Discovery of Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE), Guangzhou City Key Laboratory of Precision Chemical Drug Development, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 855 Xingye Avenue East, Guangzhou, 511400, China
| | - Jinwei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, #345 Lingling Rd., Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Weixue Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, #345 Lingling Rd., Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Zhen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, #345 Lingling Rd., Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Ke Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, #345 Lingling Rd., Shanghai, 200032, China; International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Discovery of Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE), Guangzhou City Key Laboratory of Precision Chemical Drug Development, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 855 Xingye Avenue East, Guangzhou, 511400, China; Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310022, China.
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9
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Chen H, Guan X, He C, Lu T, Lin X, Liao X. Current strategies for targeting HPK1 in cancer and the barriers to preclinical progress. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2024; 28:237-250. [PMID: 38650383 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2024.2344697] [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: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1), a 97-kDa serine/threonine Ste20-related protein kinase, functions as an intracellular negative regulator, primarily in hematopoietic lineage cells, where it regulates T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, and other immune cells. Loss of HPK1 kinase activity results in exacerbated cytokine secretion, enhanced T cell signaling, improved viral clearance, and thus increased restraint of tumor growth. These findings highlight HPK1 as a promising target for immuno-oncology treatments, culminating in the advancement of candidate compounds targeting HPK1 to clinical trials by several biotech enterprises. AREAS COVERED Through searching PubMed, Espacenet-patent search, and clinicaltrials.gov, this review provides a comprehensive analysis of HPK1, encompassing its structure and roles in various downstream signaling pathways, the consequences of constitutive activation of HPK1, and potential therapeutic strategies to treat HPK1-driven malignancies. Moreover, the review outlines the patents issued for small molecule inhibitors and clinical investigations of HPK1. EXPERT OPINION To enhance the success of tumor immunotherapy in clinical trials, it is important to develop protein degraders, allosteric inhibitors, and antibody-drug conjugates based on the crystal structure of HPK1, and to explore combination therapy approaches. Although several challenges remain, the development of HPK1 inhibitors display promising in preclinical and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangna Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Chi He
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Tingting Lu
- Zhuhai Yufan Biotechnologies Co., Ltd, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Xingyu Lin
- Zhuhai Yufan Biotechnologies Co., Ltd, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Xuebin Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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10
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Zeng S, Wu M, Jin Y, Ye Y, Xia H, Chen X, Che J, Wang Z, Wu Y, Dong X, Chen Y, Huang W. Discovery of novel, potent, selective and orally bioavailable HPK1 inhibitor for enhancing the efficacy of anti-PD-L1 antibody. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 267:116206. [PMID: 38350360 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1), a serine/threonine kinase in the MAP4K family, is expressed predominantly in immune cells, and has been identified as a negative regulator of immune signaling. Accumulating evidences demonstrated that loss of HPK1 kinase function effectively enhances anti-tumor responses. In this study, we disclose the medicinal chemistry campaigns to discovery potent, selective, and orally active HPK1 inhibitors, starting from our previous work based on rigidification strategy. Systematically structure-activity relationship (SAR) exploration led to the identification of F03 (HMC-B17). The representative compound, HMC-B17, showed the potent HPK1 inhibition with an IC50 value of 1.39 nM and favorable selectivity against TCR-related kinases. In addition, the HMC-B17 effectively enhanced the IL-2 secretion in Jurkat cells (EC50 = 11.56 nM). Strikingly, immune-reverse effects and improved immune response in vivo were observed after HMC-B17 treatment. Furthermore, HMC-B17 combined with anti-PD-L1 antibody demonstrated a synergistic antitumor efficacy with TGI% value of 71.24 % in CT26 model. Collectively, our findings suggest that HMC-B17 could be a valuable lead compound to develop a safe and potent HPK1 inhibitor for further cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenxin Zeng
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311399, PR China; Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311399, PR China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College, PR China.
| | - Mingfei Wu
- Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Institute of Drug Discovery and Design, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
| | - Yuyuan Jin
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311399, PR China; Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311399, PR China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College, PR China
| | - Yingqiao Ye
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311399, PR China; Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311399, PR China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College, PR China
| | - Heye Xia
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311399, PR China; Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311399, PR China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College, PR China
| | - Xinyi Chen
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311399, PR China; Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311399, PR China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College, PR China
| | - Jinxin Che
- Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Institute of Drug Discovery and Design, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
| | - Zunyuan Wang
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311399, PR China; Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311399, PR China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College, PR China
| | - Ying Wu
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311399, PR China
| | - Xiaowu Dong
- Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Institute of Drug Discovery and Design, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China.
| | - Yinqiao Chen
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311399, PR China.
| | - Wenhai Huang
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311399, PR China; Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311399, PR China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College, PR China.
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11
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Stergiou IE, Tsironis C, Papadakos SP, Tsitsilonis OE, Dimopoulos MA, Theocharis S. Unraveling the Role of the NLRP3 Inflammasome in Lymphoma: Implications in Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Strategies. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2369. [PMID: 38397043 PMCID: PMC10889189 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042369] [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: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Inflammasomes are multimeric protein complexes, sensors of intracellular danger signals, and crucial components of the innate immune system, with the NLRP3 inflammasome being the best characterized among them. The increasing scientific interest in the mechanisms interconnecting inflammation and tumorigenesis has led to the study of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the setting of various neoplasms. Despite a plethora of data regarding solid tumors, NLRP3 inflammasome's implication in the pathogenesis of hematological malignancies only recently gained attention. In this review, we investigate its role in normal lymphopoiesis and lymphomagenesis. Considering that lymphomas comprise a heterogeneous group of hematologic neoplasms, both tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressing properties were attributed to the NLRP3 inflammasome, affecting neoplastic cells and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. NLRP3 inflammasome-related proteins were associated with disease characteristics, response to treatment, and prognosis. Few studies assess the efficacy of NLRP3 inflammasome therapeutic targeting with encouraging results, though most are still at the preclinical level. Further understanding of the mechanisms regulating NLRP3 inflammasome activation during lymphoma development and progression can contribute to the investigation of novel treatment approaches to cover unmet needs in lymphoma therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna E. Stergiou
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (I.E.S.); (C.T.)
| | - Christos Tsironis
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (I.E.S.); (C.T.)
| | - Stavros P. Papadakos
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece;
| | - Ourania E. Tsitsilonis
- Flow Cytometry Unit, Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, Greece;
| | - Meletios Athanasios Dimopoulos
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Alexandra Hospital, 11528 Athens, Greece;
| | - Stamatios Theocharis
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece;
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12
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Zeng S, Jin Y, Xia H, Shang Y, Li Y, Wang Z, Huang W. Discovery of highly efficient CRBN-recruiting HPK1-PROTAC as a potential chemical tool for investigation of scaffolding roles in TCR signaling. Bioorg Chem 2024; 143:107016. [PMID: 38086239 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.107016] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1, MAP4K1) is a promising target for immune-oncology therapy. It has been recently demonstrated that loss of HPK1 kinase activity can enhance T cell receptor (TCR) signaling. However, many essential functions mediated by the HPK1 scaffolding role are still beyond the reach of any kinase inhibitor. Proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) has emerged as a promising strategy for pathogenic proteins degradation with the characteristics of rapid, reversible, and low-cost versus RNA interference or DNA knock-out technology. Herein we first disclosed the design, synthesis, and evaluation of a series of thalidomide-based PROTAC molecules and identified B1 as a highly efficient HPK1 degrader with DC50 value of 1.8 nM. Further mechanism investigation demonstrated that compound B1 inhibits phosphorylation of the SLP76 protein with IC50 value of 496.1 nM, and confirmed that B1 is a bona fide HPK1-PROTAC degrader. Thus, this study provides a basis for HPK1 degraders development and the candidate could be used as a potential chemical tool for further investigation of the kinase-independent signaling of HPK1 in TCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenxin Zeng
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, PR China; Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399 PR China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399 PR China.
| | - Yuyuan Jin
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, PR China; Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399 PR China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399 PR China
| | - Heye Xia
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, PR China; Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399 PR China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399 PR China
| | - Yanwei Shang
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, PR China; Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399 PR China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399 PR China
| | - Yingzhou Li
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, PR China; Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399 PR China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399 PR China
| | - Zunyuan Wang
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, PR China; Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399 PR China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399 PR China
| | - Wenhai Huang
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, PR China; Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399 PR China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399 PR China.
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13
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Zhang J, Ren Z, Hu Y, Shang S, Wang R, Ma J, Zhang Z, Wu M, Wang F, Yu J, Chen D. High HPK1 +PD-1 +TIM-3 +CD8 + T cells infiltration predicts poor prognosis to immunotherapy in NSCLC patients. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 127:111363. [PMID: 38101218 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.111363] [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: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
At present the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) remains limited. The lack of responsiveness in certain patients may be attributed to CD8+ T cell exhaustion within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) has been identified as a mediator of T cell dysfunction, leading to our hypothesis that HPK1 positive exhausted CD8+ T cells could serve as a predictor for ICIs' efficacy in NSCLC patients, and potentially indicate key cellular subset causing ICIs resistance. Here, we retrospectively collected tumor tissue samples from 36 NSCLC patients who underwent first-line immunotherapy. Using multiplex immunohistochemistry, we visualized various PD-1+CD8+ T cell subsets and explore biomarkers for response. The analysis endpoints included overall response rate (ORR), progression free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS), correlating them with levels of cell infiltration or effective density. We found that the proportion of PD-1+CD8+ T cell subsets did not align with predictions for ORR, PFS, and OS. Conversely, a high infiltration of HPK1+PD-1+TIM-3+CD8+ T cells was identified as an independent risk factor for both PFS (P = 0.019) and OS (P = 0.03). These cells were found to express the highest levels of Granzyme B, and the secretion of Granzyme B in CD8+ T cell subsets was related to TCF-1. In conclusion, these data suggest that a high infiltration of HPK1+PD-1+TIM-3+CD8+ T cells correlates with poor clinical outcomes in NSCLC patients receiving immunotherapy. These cells may represent terminally exhausted T cells that fail to respond to ICIs, thereby laying the groundwork for the potential integration of HPK1 inhibitors with immunotherapy to enhance treatment strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxin Zhang
- Shandong University Cancer Center, Jinan, Shandong, China; Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Ziyuan Ren
- Shandong University Cancer Center, Jinan, Shandong, China; Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yun Hu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shijie Shang
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China; Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ruiyang Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Jiachun Ma
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China; Lung Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Zengfu Zhang
- Shandong University Cancer Center, Jinan, Shandong, China; Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Meng Wu
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Jinming Yu
- Shandong University Cancer Center, Jinan, Shandong, China; Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China; Research Unit of Radiation Oncology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China.
| | - Dawei Chen
- Shandong University Cancer Center, Jinan, Shandong, China; Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China.
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14
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Feng D, Liu B, Chen Z, Xu J, Geng M, Duan W, Ai J, Zhang H. Discovery of hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 inhibitors using machine learning-based screening and free energy perturbation. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38198294 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2301754] [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: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is a key negative regulator of T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling and a promising target for cancer immunotherapy. The development of novel HPK1 inhibitors is challenging yet promising. In this study, we used a combination of machine learning (ML)-based virtual screening and free energy perturbation (FEP) calculations to identify novel HPK1 inhibitors. ML-based screening yielded 10 potent HPK1 inhibitors (IC50 < 1 μM). The FEP-guided modification of the in-house false-positive hit, DW21302, revealed that a single key atom change could trigger activity cliffs. The resulting DW21302-A was a potent HPK1 inhibitor (IC50 = 2.1 nM) and potently inhibited cellular HPK1 signaling and enhanced T-cell function. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and ADME predictions confirmed DW21302-A as candidate compound. This study provides new strategies and chemical scaffolds for HPK1 inhibitor development.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dazhi Feng
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhiwei Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinyi Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Meiyu Geng
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Drug Discovery, Bohai Rim Advanced Research Institute for Drug Discovery, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Wenhu Duan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Drug Discovery, Bohai Rim Advanced Research Institute for Drug Discovery, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Jing Ai
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hefeng Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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15
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Setsu G, Goto M, Ito K, Taira T, Miyamoto M, Watanabe T, Taniguchi T, Umezaki Y, Nakazawa Y, Uesugi S, Mori K, Horiuchi T, Obuchi W, Minami M, Shimada T, Wada C, Yoshida T, Higuchi S. Highly potent, orally active novel small-molecule HPK1 inhibitor DS21150768 induces anti-tumor responses in multiple syngeneic tumor mouse models. Eur J Pharmacol 2023; 961:176184. [PMID: 37944847 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.176184] [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: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Augmenting T-cell activity is a promising approach to enhance the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy treatment. Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is predominantly expressed in immune cells and negatively regulates T-cell receptor signaling. It is reported that inhibition of the kinase function of HPK1 results in tumor growth suppression by enhancing cancer immunity. Thus, developing HPK1 inhibitors has attracted considerable attention as a future cancer immunotherapy approach. However, despite recent progress in HPK1 biology and pharmacology, various challenges still remain, such as developing HPK1 inhibitors with favorable pharmacological profiles and identifying tumor characteristics that can be applied to define susceptibility to HPK1 inhibition. Here, we present the identification and pharmacological evaluation of DS21150768, a potent small-molecule HPK1 inhibitor with a novel chemical scaffold. DS21150768 shows remarkable inhibition of HPK1 kinase activity, and in vitro studies demonstrated its potent activity to enhance T-cell function. DS21150768 is orally bioavailable and shows sustained plasma exposure, which leads to enhanced cytokine responses in vivo. We conducted a comparison of the anti-tumor efficacy of DS21150768 alone or in combination with anti-PD-1 antibody in 12 different mouse cancer cell models, and observed that the treatments suppressed tumor growth in multiple models. Furthermore, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis demonstrated significant enrichment of immune-related gene signatures in the tumor models responsive to DS21150768 treatment. Our results provide a path forward for the future development of HPK1 inhibitors and fundamental insights into biomarkers of HPK1-targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genzui Setsu
- Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, 140-8710, Japan.
| | - Megumi Goto
- Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, 140-8710, Japan
| | - Kentaro Ito
- Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, 140-8710, Japan
| | - Tomoe Taira
- Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, 140-8710, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Yuma Umezaki
- Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, 140-8710, Japan
| | | | | | - Kazuki Mori
- Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, 140-8710, Japan
| | | | | | - Masako Minami
- Daiichi Sankyo RD Novare Co., Ltd., Tokyo, 134-8630, Japan
| | | | - Chisa Wada
- Daiichi Sankyo RD Novare Co., Ltd., Tokyo, 134-8630, Japan
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16
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Xie C, Liu B, Song Z, Yang Y, Dai M, Gao Y, Yao Y, Ding C, Ai J, Zhang A. Design, Synthesis, and Pharmacological Evaluation of Isoindoline Analogues as New HPK1 Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2023; 66:16201-16221. [PMID: 37990878 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is an important negative regulator in T-cell receptor signaling and as a promising key target for immunotherapy. Herein, based on the reported HPK1 inhibitor 2 featuring an isofuranone component, a structural optimization approach was conducted leading to several series of derivatives characterized by containing an isoindoline structural motif. Compound 49 was identified as a new potent HPK1 inhibitor with an IC50 value of 0.9 nM, more potent than compound 2 (5.5 nM). It also has an improved IV profile in rats and enhanced aqueous solubility. It effectively inhibited pSLP76 and reinvigorated T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling, promoting T-cell function and cytokine production both in naïve and antigen-specific T cells. Furthermore, compound 49 reversed the inhibition on T-cell activity mediated by classic immunosuppressive factors in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In the murine CT-26 tumor model, this compound reinvigorated the T cell and synergistically enhanced the antitumor efficacy of anti-PD1 at a well-tolerant dosage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenghu Xie
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Drug Target Identification and Delivery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- National Key Laboratory of Innovative Immunotherapy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Bo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zilan Song
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Drug Target Identification and Delivery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- National Key Laboratory of Innovative Immunotherapy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Ye Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Mengdi Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yinglei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yujia Yao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Chunyong Ding
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Drug Target Identification and Delivery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- National Key Laboratory of Innovative Immunotherapy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jing Ai
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ao Zhang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Drug Target Identification and Delivery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- National Key Laboratory of Innovative Immunotherapy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China
- Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai 200210, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310053, China
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17
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Zhao M, Yan CY, Wei YN, Zhao XH. Breaking the mold: Overcoming resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Antiviral Res 2023; 219:105720. [PMID: 37748652 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade-based therapies are effective against a sorts of cancers. However, drug resistance is a problem that cannot be ignored. This review intends to elucidate the mechanisms underlying drug tolerance induced by PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, as well as to outline proposed mechanism-based combination therapies and small molecule drugs that target intrinsic immunity and immune checkpoints. According to the differences of patients and types of cancer, the optimization of individualized combination therapy will help to enhance PD-1/PD-L1-mediated immunoregulation, reduce chemotherapy resistance, and provide new ideas for chemotherapy-resistant cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menglu Zhao
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110022, PR China
| | - Chun-Yan Yan
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110022, PR China
| | - Ya-Nan Wei
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110022, PR China
| | - Xi-He Zhao
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110022, PR China.
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18
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Yang L, Zhao Q, Chen T, Liu W, Qiu X, Chen J, Huang S, Huang R, Dong L. An HPK1 inhibitor enhanced the tumour response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Clin Exp Med 2023; 23:3767-3780. [PMID: 37106265 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-023-01068-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Anti-PD-1 immunotherapy has been widely applied in patients with some types of lymphoma. Classical Hodgkin's lymphoma (cHL) is highly sensitive to immunotherapy, but non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) does not show a good response. Studies have indicated that haematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) suppresses T cells and reduces antitumour immunity. Therefore, HPK1 inhibitors may restore and elicit antitumour immune responses and are promising candidate drug targets for cancer immunotherapy. We first explored the Gene Expression Profile Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database and predicted that HPK1 expression was increased in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and associated with Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) expression. We investigated whether an HPK1 inhibitor could enhance the tumour response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in NHL and the association between HPK1 and NLRP3 expression. Employing shHPK1 and an inhibitor, we demonstrated that the HPK1 inhibitor increased anti-PD-1-mediated T-cell cytotoxicity in BJAB and WSU-DLCL2 cells cocultured with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). HPK1 inhibitor treatment increased PD-1, PD-L1, Bax, p53 and NK-kB expression but decreased NLRP3 expression, indicating that the HPK1 inhibitor promoted apoptosis and blocked the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway to affect anti-PD-1-mediated T-cell cytotoxicity. Moreover, the HPK1 inhibitor enhanced the efficiency of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in vivo in a zebrafish xenograft model of NHL. In summary, this study provides evidence that an HPK1 inhibitor enhanced the tumour response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in NHL by promoting apoptosis and blocking the NLRP3 pathway. These findings provide a potential therapeutic option for NHL combining HPK1 inhibitor treatment and anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuma Road 420#, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
| | - Qiuling Zhao
- Department of Pharmacy, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuma Road 420#, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Ting Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuma Road 420#, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Wenbin Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuma Road 420#, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Xiuliang Qiu
- Department of Pharmacy, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuma Road 420#, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Jincan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fujian College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Shengqiang Huang
- Department of Pharmacy, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuma Road 420#, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Ruyi Huang
- Department of Pharmacy, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuma Road 420#, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Liangliang Dong
- Department of Pharmacy, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuma Road 420#, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
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19
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Zhang J, Li Y, Tang H, Zhou Q, Tong L, Ding J, Xie H, Xiong B, Liu T. Design and synthesis of 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives as hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) inhibitors. Bioorg Chem 2023; 140:106811. [PMID: 37659145 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106811] [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: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Despite immune checkpoint inhibitors' tremendous success in the treatment of tumors, the moderate response rate limits their widespread use. Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is served as an essential negative regulator of T-cell receptor, which has been identified as a promising target for enhancing antitumor immunity. However, the development of a selective HPK1 inhibitor is still challenging. Herein, we reported a novel series of 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives as HPK1 inhibitors by structure-based rational design. The optimal compound 10n significantly inhibited HPK1 with an IC50 value of 29.0 nM and the phosphorylation of SLP76 at a concentration as low as 0.1 μM. Furthermore, compound 10n exhibited good selectivity over a panel of 25 kinases, including GLK from the same MAP4K family. Together, the current study provided a novel, potent, and selective HPK1 inhibitor, acting as a lead compound for the future development of cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Yan Li
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China
| | - Haotian Tang
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Qianqian Zhou
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China; Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, PR China
| | - Linjiang Tong
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China
| | - Jian Ding
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China; Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, PR China
| | - Hua Xie
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China; Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, PR China.
| | - Bing Xiong
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Tongchao Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China.
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20
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Schlicher L, Green LG, Romagnani A, Renner F. Small molecule inhibitors for cancer immunotherapy and associated biomarkers - the current status. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1297175. [PMID: 38022587 PMCID: PMC10644399 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1297175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Following the success of cancer immunotherapy using large molecules against immune checkpoint inhibitors, the concept of using small molecules to interfere with intracellular negative regulators of anti-tumor immune responses has emerged in recent years. The main targets for small molecule drugs currently include enzymes of negative feedback loops in signaling pathways of immune cells and proteins that promote immunosuppressive signals within the tumor microenvironment. In the adaptive immune system, negative regulators of T cell receptor signaling (MAP4K1, DGKα/ζ, CBL-B, PTPN2, PTPN22, SHP1), co-receptor signaling (CBL-B) and cytokine signaling (PTPN2) have been preclinically validated as promising targets and initial clinical trials with small molecule inhibitors are underway. To enhance innate anti-tumor immune responses, inhibitory immunomodulation of cGAS/STING has been in the focus, and inhibitors of ENPP1 and TREX1 have reached the clinic. In addition, immunosuppressive signals via adenosine can be counteracted by CD39 and CD73 inhibition, while suppression via intratumoral immunosuppressive prostaglandin E can be targeted by EP2/EP4 antagonists. Here, we present the status of the most promising small molecule drug candidates for cancer immunotherapy, all residing relatively early in development, and the potential of relevant biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Schlicher
- Cancer Cell Targeted Therapy, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Luke G. Green
- Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Romagnani
- Cancer Cell Targeted Therapy, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Florian Renner
- Cancer Cell Targeted Therapy, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland
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21
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Zeng S, Zeng M, Yuan S, He L, Jin Y, Huang J, Zhang M, Yang M, Pan Y, Wang Z, Chen Y, Xu X, Huang W. Discovery of potent and selective HPK1 inhibitors based on the 2,4-disubstituted pyrimidine scaffold with immune modulatory properties for ameliorating T cell exhaustion. Bioorg Chem 2023; 139:106728. [PMID: 37536217 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1), a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP4K) family, is a serine/threonine (SER/THR) kinase and has been demonstrated as a negative regulator of T cell receptor signaling. Targeting HPK1 has been considered as an attractive therapeutic strategy for immune-oncology. Here, we describe the discovery and structure-activity relationship (SAR) of potent HPK1 inhibitors based on the 2,4-disubstituted pyrimidine scaffold. Systematically SAR exploration afforded the desired compound HMC-H8 (F1) with potent HPK1 inhibition (IC50 = 1.11 nM) and highly selectivity profile. Compound HMC-H8 also exhibited robust inhibition of p-SLP 76 (IC50 = 283.0 nM) and promotion IL-2 release (EC50 = 157.08 nM), and INF-γ production in a dose-dependent manner in vitro assays. Strikingly, HMC-H8 shown effective immune reversal response in immunesuppressive condition. Moreover, Compound HMC-H8 displayed acceptable metabolic stability (T1/2 = 56.87 min), along with low CYP450 inhibition in human liver microsomes and good oral bioavailability (F = 15.05%) in rat. Furthermore, HMC-H8 was found to modulate the expression of c-Myc in Western blotting experiments. Taken together, this study provides new potent HPK1 inhibitors for further anticancer drug discovery based on immuno-oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenxin Zeng
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China; Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College
| | - Ming Zeng
- School of Pharmacy and Life Science, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang 332005 China
| | - Shuai Yuan
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College
| | - Liuxun He
- School of Pharmacy and Life Science, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang 332005 China
| | - Yuyuan Jin
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College
| | - Jiandong Huang
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China
| | - Manxuan Zhang
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China
| | - Menghan Yang
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China
| | - Youlu Pan
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China; Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College
| | - Zunyuan Wang
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China; Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College
| | - Yinqiao Chen
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China
| | - Xiangwei Xu
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China.
| | - Wenhai Huang
- Affiliated Yongkang First People's Hospital and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311399, China; Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Discipline of Zhejiang Province in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (First Class, Category A), Hangzhou Medical College.
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22
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Singh S, Barik D, Arukha AP, Prasad S, Mohapatra I, Singh A, Singh G. Small Molecule Targeting Immune Cells: A Novel Approach for Cancer Treatment. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2621. [PMID: 37892995 PMCID: PMC10604364 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11102621] [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: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Conventional and cancer immunotherapies encompass diverse strategies to address various cancer types and stages. However, combining these approaches often encounters limitations such as non-specific targeting, resistance development, and high toxicity, leading to suboptimal outcomes in many cancers. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is orchestrated by intricate interactions between immune and non-immune cells dictating tumor progression. An innovative avenue in cancer therapy involves leveraging small molecules to influence a spectrum of resistant cell populations within the TME. Recent discoveries have unveiled a phenotypically diverse cohort of innate-like T (ILT) cells and tumor hybrid cells (HCs) exhibiting novel characteristics, including augmented proliferation, migration, resistance to exhaustion, evasion of immunosurveillance, reduced apoptosis, drug resistance, and heightened metastasis frequency. Leveraging small-molecule immunomodulators to target these immune players presents an exciting frontier in developing novel tumor immunotherapies. Moreover, combining small molecule modulators with immunotherapy can synergistically enhance the inhibitory impact on tumor progression by empowering the immune system to meticulously fine-tune responses within the TME, bolstering its capacity to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. This review outlines strategies involving small molecules that modify immune cells within the TME, potentially revolutionizing therapeutic interventions and enhancing the anti-tumor response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilpi Singh
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Debashis Barik
- Center for Computational Natural Science and Bioinformatics, International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad 500032, Telangana, India
| | | | | | - Iteeshree Mohapatra
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota—Twin Cities, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Amar Singh
- Schulze Diabetes Institute, Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Gatikrushna Singh
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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23
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Toure M, Johnson T, Li B, Schmidt R, Ma H, Neagu C, Lopez AU, Wang Y, Guler S, Xiao Y, Henkes R, Ho K, Zhang S, Chu CL, Gundra UM, Porichis F, Li L, Maurer CK, Fang Z, Musil D, DiPoto M, Friis E, Jones R, Jones C, Cummings J, Chekler E, Tanzer EM, Huck B, Sherer B. Discovery of quinazoline HPK1 inhibitors with high cellular potency. Bioorg Med Chem 2023; 92:117423. [PMID: 37531921 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is regarded as a highly validated target in pre-clinical immune oncology. HPK1 has been described as regulating multiple critical signaling pathway in both adaptive and innate cells. In support of this role, HPK1 KO T cells show enhanced sensitivity to TCR activation and HPK1 KO mice display enhanced anti-tumor activity. Taken together, inhibition of HPK1 has the potential to induce enhanced anti-tumor immune response. Herein, we described the discovery of highly potent HPK1 inhibitors starting form a weak HTS hit. Using a structure-based drug design, HPK1 inhibitors exhibiting excellent cellular single-digit nanomolar potency in both proximal (pSLP76) and distal (IL-2) biomarkers along with sustained elevation of IL-2 cytokine secretion were discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Momar Toure
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States.
| | - Theresa Johnson
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Bin Li
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Ralf Schmidt
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Hong Ma
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Constantin Neagu
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Andrea Unzue Lopez
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Yanping Wang
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Satenig Guler
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - YuFang Xiao
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Renate Henkes
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Kevin Ho
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Susan Zhang
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Chia Lin Chu
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Uma Mahesh Gundra
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Filippos Porichis
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Long Li
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Christine Katharina Maurer
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Zhizhou Fang
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Djordje Musil
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Maria DiPoto
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Emily Friis
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Reinaldo Jones
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Christopher Jones
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - James Cummings
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Eugene Chekler
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Eva Maria Tanzer
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Bayard Huck
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Brian Sherer
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
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24
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Wang H, Moniruzzaman R, Li L, Ji B, Liu Y, Zuo X, Abbasgholizadeh R, Zhao J, Liu G, Wang R, Tang H, Sun R, Su X, Tan TH, Maitra A, Wang H. Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 inhibits the development and progression of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e163873. [PMID: 37140994 PMCID: PMC10266776 DOI: 10.1172/jci163873] [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: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Ras plays an essential role in the development of acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, mutant Kras is an inefficient driver for PDAC development. The mechanisms of the switching from low Ras activity to high Ras activity that are required for development and progression of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasias (PanINs) are unclear. In this study, we found that hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) was upregulated during pancreatic injury and ADM. HPK1 interacted with the SH3 domain and phosphorylated Ras GTPase-activating protein (RasGAP) and upregulated RasGAP activity. Using transgenic mouse models of HPK1 or M46, a kinase-dead mutant of HPK1, we showed that HPK1 inhibited Ras activity and its downstream signaling and regulated acinar cell plasticity. M46 promoted the development of ADM and PanINs. Expression of M46 in KrasG12D Bac mice promoted the infiltration of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and macrophages, inhibited the infiltration of T cells, and accelerated the progression of PanINs to invasive and metastatic PDAC, while HPK1 attenuated mutant Kras-driven PanIN progression. Our results showed that HPK1 plays an important role in ADM and the progression of PanINs by regulating Ras signaling. Loss of HPK1 kinase activity promotes an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and accelerates the progression of PanINs to PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology and
| | - Rohan Moniruzzaman
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Lei Li
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Baoan Ji
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology and
| | | | - Reza Abbasgholizadeh
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jun Zhao
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Guangchao Liu
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ruiqi Wang
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - Ryan Sun
- Department of Biostatistics, and
| | - Xiaoping Su
- Advanced Technology Genomics Core
- Department of Bioinformatics & Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Tse-Hua Tan
- Immunology Research Center, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
| | - Anirban Maitra
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology and
- Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Huamin Wang
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology and
- Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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Yang Y, Hsieh CY, Kang Y, Hou T, Liu H, Yao X. Deep Generation Model Guided by the Docking Score for Active Molecular Design. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:2983-2991. [PMID: 37163364 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
A deep generation model, as a novel drug design and discovery tool, shows obvious advantages in generating compounds with novel backbones and has been applied successfully in the field of drug discovery. However, it is still a challenge to generate molecules with expected properties, especially high activity. Here, to obtain compounds both with novelty and high activity to a target, we proposed a conditional molecular generation model COMG by considering the docking score and 3D pharmacophore matching during molecular generation. The proposed model was based on the conditional variational autoencoder architecture constrained by the pharmacophore matching score. During Bayesian optimization, the docking score was applied to enhance the target relevance of generated compounds. Furthermore, to overcome the problem of high structural similarity caused by Bayesian optimization, the idea of the scaffold memory unit was also introduced. The evaluation results of COMG show that our model not only can improve the structural diversity of generated molecules but also can effectively improve the proportion of target-related drug-active molecules. The obtained results indicate that our proposed model COMG is a useful drug design tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwei Yang
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao (SAR) 999078, P. R. China
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, P. R. China
| | - Chang-Yu Hsieh
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, P. R. China
| | - Yu Kang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, P. R. China
| | - Tingjun Hou
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, P. R. China
| | - Huanxiang Liu
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao (SAR) 999078, P. R. China
| | - Xiaojun Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, 999078 Macau (SAR), P. R. China
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26
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Ge H, Tang C, Pan Y, Yao X. Theoretical Studies on Selectivity of HPK1/JAK1 Inhibitors by Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Free Energy Calculations. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032649. [PMID: 36768974 PMCID: PMC9916865 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is a negative regulator of T cell receptor, which has been regarded as a potential target for immunotherapy. Yu et al. observed the off-target effect of the high-throughput screening HPK1 kinase inhibitor hits on JAK1 kinase. The off-target effect is usually due to the lack of specificity of the drug, resulting in toxic side effects. Therefore, exploring the mechanisms to selectively inhibit HPK1 is critical for developing effective and safe inhibitors. In this study, two indazole compounds as HPK1 inhibitors with different selectivity towards JAK1 were used to investigate the selectivity mechanism using multiple computational methods, including conventional molecular dynamics simulations, binding free energy calculations and umbrella sampling simulations. The results indicate that the salt bridge between the inhibitor and residue Asp101 of HPK1 favors their selectivity towards HPK1 over JAK1. Information obtained from this study can be used to discover and design more potent and selective HPK1 inhibitors for immunotherapy.
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27
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Ye Q, Liu K, Ye HF, Pan J, Sokolsky A, Wang A, Zhang K, Hummel JR, Kong L, Behshad E, He X, Conlen P, Stump K, Ye M, Diamond S, Covington M, Yeleswaram S, Atasoylu O, Vechorkin O, Yao W. Discovery of Pyrazolopyridine Derivatives as HPK1 Inhibitors. ACS Med Chem Lett 2023; 14:5-10. [PMID: 36655125 PMCID: PMC9841581 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00238] [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: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In spite of the great success of immune checkpoint inhibitors in immune-oncology therapy, an urgent need still exists to identify alternative approaches to broaden the scope of therapeutic coverage. Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1), also known as MAP4K1, functions as a negative regulator of activation signals generated by the T cell antigen receptor. Herein we report the discovery of novel pyrazolopyridine derivatives as selective inhibitors of HPK1. The structure-activity relationship campaign led to the discovery of compound 16, which has shown promising enzymatic and cellular potency with encouraging kinome selectivity. The outstanding pharmacokinetic profiles of 16 in rats and monkeys supported further evaluations of its efficacy and safety in preclinical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinda Ye
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Kai Liu
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Hai-Fen Ye
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Jun Pan
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Alexander Sokolsky
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Anlai Wang
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Ke Zhang
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Joshua R. Hummel
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Ling Kong
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Elham Behshad
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Xin He
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Patricia Conlen
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Kristine Stump
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Min Ye
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Sharon Diamond
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Maryanne Covington
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Swamy Yeleswaram
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Onur Atasoylu
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Oleg Vechorkin
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Wenqing Yao
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, 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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29
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Pang K, Wang W, Qin J, Shi Z, Hao L, Ma Y, Xu H, Wu Z, Pan D, Chen Z, Han C. Role of protein phosphorylation in cell signaling, disease, and the intervention therapy. MedComm (Beijing) 2022; 3:e175. [PMID: 36349142 PMCID: PMC9632491 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein phosphorylation is an important post-transcriptional modification involving an extremely wide range of intracellular signaling transduction pathways, making it an important therapeutic target for disease intervention. At present, numerous drugs targeting protein phosphorylation have been developed for the treatment of various diseases including malignant tumors, neurological diseases, infectious diseases, and immune diseases. In this review article, we analyzed 303 small-molecule protein phosphorylation kinase inhibitors (PKIs) registered and participated in clinical research obtained in a database named Protein Kinase Inhibitor Database (PKIDB), including 68 drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States. Based on previous classifications of kinases, we divided these human protein phosphorylation kinases into eight groups and nearly 50 families, and delineated their main regulatory pathways, upstream and downstream targets. These groups include: protein kinase A, G, and C (AGC) and receptor guanylate cyclase (RGC) group, calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK) group, CMGC [Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), Glycogen synthase kinases (GSKs), and Cdc2-like kinases (CLKs)] group, sterile (STE)-MAPKs group, tyrosine kinases (TK) group, tyrosine kinase-like (TKL) group, atypical group, and other groups. Different groups and families of inhibitors stimulate or inhibit others, forming an intricate molecular signaling regulatory network. This review takes newly developed new PKIs as breakthrough point, aiming to clarify the regulatory network and relationship of each pathway, as well as their roles in disease intervention, and provide a direction for future drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Pang
- Department of Urology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical CollegeThe Affiliated Xuzhou Hospital of Medical College of Southeast UniversityThe Affiliated Xuzhou Center Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese MedicineXuzhouJiangsuChina
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Medical CollegeSoutheast UniversityNanjingJiangsuChina
| | - Jia‐Xin Qin
- Department of Urology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical CollegeThe Affiliated Xuzhou Hospital of Medical College of Southeast UniversityThe Affiliated Xuzhou Center Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese MedicineXuzhouJiangsuChina
| | - Zhen‐Duo Shi
- Department of Urology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical CollegeThe Affiliated Xuzhou Hospital of Medical College of Southeast UniversityThe Affiliated Xuzhou Center Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese MedicineXuzhouJiangsuChina
| | - Lin Hao
- Department of Urology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical CollegeThe Affiliated Xuzhou Hospital of Medical College of Southeast UniversityThe Affiliated Xuzhou Center Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese MedicineXuzhouJiangsuChina
| | - Yu‐Yang Ma
- Graduate SchoolBengbu Medical CollegeBengbuAnhuiChina
| | - Hao Xu
- Graduate SchoolBengbu Medical CollegeBengbuAnhuiChina
| | - Zhuo‐Xun Wu
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesCollege of Pharmacy and Health SciencesSt. John's University, QueensNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Deng Pan
- Graduate SchoolBengbu Medical CollegeBengbuAnhuiChina
| | - Zhe‐Sheng Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesCollege of Pharmacy and Health SciencesSt. John's University, QueensNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Cong‐Hui Han
- Department of Urology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical CollegeThe Affiliated Xuzhou Hospital of Medical College of Southeast UniversityThe Affiliated Xuzhou Center Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese MedicineXuzhouJiangsuChina
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30
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Tomasik J, Jasiński M, Basak GW. Next generations of CAR-T cells - new therapeutic opportunities in hematology? Front Immunol 2022; 13:1034707. [PMID: 36389658 PMCID: PMC9650233 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1034707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the introduction of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies into clinics has been a breakthrough in treating relapsed or refractory malignancies in hematology and oncology. To date, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved six CAR-T therapies for specific non-Hodgkin lymphomas, B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and multiple myeloma. All registered treatments and most clinical trials are based on so-called 2nd generation CARs, which consist of an extracellular antigen-binding region, one costimulatory domain, and a CD3z signaling domain. Unfortunately, despite remarkable overall treatment outcomes, a relatively high percentage of patients do not benefit from CAR-T therapy (overall response rate varies between 50 and 100%, with following relapse rates as high as 66% due to limited durability of the response). Moreover, it is associated with adverse effects such as cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity. Advances in immunology and molecular engineering have facilitated the construction of the next generation of CAR-T cells equipped with various molecular mechanisms. These include additional costimulatory domains (3rd generation), safety switches, immune-checkpoint modulation, cytokine expression, or knockout of therapy-interfering molecules, to name just a few. Implementation of next-generation CAR T-cells may allow overcoming current limitations of CAR-T therapies, decreasing unwanted side effects, and targeting other hematological malignancies. Accordingly, some clinical trials are currently evaluating the safety and efficacy of novel CAR-T therapies. This review describes the CAR-T cell constructs concerning the clinical application, summarizes completed and ongoing clinical trials of next-generation CAR-T therapies, and presents future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaromir Tomasik
- Department of Hematology, Transplantation and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marcin Jasiński
- Department of Hematology, Transplantation and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- Doctoral School, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- *Correspondence: Marcin Jasiński,
| | - Grzegorz W. Basak
- Department of Hematology, Transplantation and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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31
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Zhu Z, McGray AJR, Jiang W, Lu B, Kalinski P, Guo ZS. Improving cancer immunotherapy by rationally combining oncolytic virus with modulators targeting key signaling pathways. Mol Cancer 2022; 21:196. [PMID: 36221123 PMCID: PMC9554963 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-022-01664-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncolytic viruses (OVs) represent a new class of multi-modal immunotherapies for cancer, with OV-elicited antitumor immunity being key to their overall therapeutic efficacy. Currently, the clinical effectiveness of OV as monotherapy remains limited, and thus investigators have been exploring various combinations with other anti-cancer agents and demonstrated improved therapeutic efficacy. As cancer cells have evolved to alter key signaling pathways for enhanced cell proliferation, cancer progression and metastasis, these cellular and molecular changes offer promising targets for rational cancer therapy design. In this regard, key molecules in relevant signaling pathways for cancer cells or/and immune cells, such as EGFR-KRAS (e.g., KRASG12C), PI3K-AKT-mTOR, ERK-MEK, JAK-STAT, p53, PD-1-PD-L1, and epigenetic, or immune pathways (e.g., histone deacetylases, cGAS-STING) are currently under investigation and have the potential to synergize with OV to modulate the immune milieu of the tumor microenvironment (TME), thereby improving and sustaining antitumor immunity. As many small molecule modulators of these signaling pathways have been developed and have shown strong therapeutic potential, here we review key findings related to both OV-mediated immunotherapy and the utility of small molecule modulators of signaling pathways in immuno-oncology. Then, we focus on discussion of the rationales and potential strategies for combining OV with selected modulators targeting key cellular signaling pathways in cancer or/and immune cells to modulate the TME and enhance antitumor immunity and therapeutic efficacy. Finally, we provide perspectives and viewpoints on the application of novel experimental systems and technologies that can propel this exciting branch of medicine into a bright future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Zhu
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - A J Robert McGray
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Weijian Jiang
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Binfeng Lu
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Pawel Kalinski
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA.
| | - Zong Sheng Guo
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. .,Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA.
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32
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Mestrallet G, Sone K, Bhardwaj N. Strategies to overcome DC dysregulation in the tumor microenvironment. Front Immunol 2022; 13:980709. [PMID: 36275666 PMCID: PMC9583271 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.980709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs) play a key role to modulate anti-cancer immunity in the tumor microenvironment (TME). They link innate to adaptive immunity by processing and presenting tumor antigens to T cells thereby initiating an anti-tumor response. However, subsets of DCs also induce immune-tolerance, leading to tumor immune escape. In this regard, the TME plays a major role in adversely affecting DC function. Better understanding of DC impairment mechanisms in the TME will lead to more efficient DC-targeting immunotherapy. Here, we review the different subtypes and functions of DCs in the TME, including conventional DCs, plasmacytoid DC and the newly proposed subset, mregDC. We further focus on how cancer cells modulate DCs to escape from the host's immune-surveillance. Immune checkpoint expression, small molecule mediators, metabolites, deprivation of pro-immunogenic and release of pro-tumorigenic cytokine secretion by tumors and tumor-attracted immuno-suppressive cells inhibit DC differentiation and function. Finally, we discuss the impact of established therapies on DCs, such as immune checkpoint blockade. Creative DC-targeted therapeutic strategies will be highlighted, including cancer vaccines and cell-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Mestrallet
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hess Center for Science & Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kazuki Sone
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hess Center for Science & Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Nina Bhardwaj
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hess Center for Science & Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Extramural Member, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, United States
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33
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Liu T, Liu Q, Wang Y, Yang R, Tian F. Cuproptosis scoring model predicts overall survival and assists in immunotherapeutic decision making in pancreatic carcinoma. Front Genet 2022; 13:938488. [PMID: 36118866 PMCID: PMC9472214 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.938488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Cuproptosis is a newly identified form of non-apoptotic cell death that is associated with the progression and treatment responses in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD). However, its impact on oncology and tumor microenvironment (TME) remains unclear. Methods: Hub genes were identified using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression for 25 newly reported cuproptosis-related regulators and subjected to stepwise regression to obtain cuproptosis-related score (CuRS). Additionally, the clinical significance, functional status, role on TME, and genomic variation of CuRS were further examined systematically. Results: A CuRS model incorporating TRAF2, TRADD, USP21, FAS, MLKL, TNFRSF10B, MAPK8, TRAF5, and RIPK3 was developed. The stability and accuracy of this risk model as an independent prognostic factor for PAAD were confirmed in the training and external validation cohorts. Patients in the high-CuRS group had “cold” tumors with active tumor proliferation and immunosuppression, whereas those in the low-CuRS group comprised “hot” tumors with active immune function and cell killing capacity. Additionally, patients in the high-CuRS group carried fewer genomic copy number variations (CNVs) and greater somatic mutations. Furthermore, patients in the low- and high-CuRS groups exhibited increased sensitivity to immunotherapy and chemotherapy, respectively. Conclusion: We developed and validated a robust CuRS model based on cuproptosis to assess patients’ prognoses and guide clinical decision-making. Overall, the findings of this study are expected to contribute to the comprehensive understanding of cuproptosis and facilitate precise treatment of PAAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tijun Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xiantao First People’s Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze University, Xiantao, China
| | - Qing Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xiantao First People’s Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze University, Xiantao, China
| | - Yongju Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xiantao First People’s Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze University, Xiantao, China
| | - Rong Yang
- Department of Oncology, Xiantao First People’s Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze University, Xiantao, China
| | - Fang Tian
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xiantao First People’s Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze University, Xiantao, China
- *Correspondence: Fang Tian,
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Offringa R, Kötzner L, Huck B, Urbahns K. The expanding role for small molecules in immuno-oncology. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2022; 21:821-840. [PMID: 35982333 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-022-00538-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The advent of immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) using antibodies against PD1 and its ligand PDL1 has prompted substantial efforts to develop complementary drugs. Although many of these are antibodies directed against additional checkpoint proteins, there is an increasing interest in small-molecule immuno-oncology drugs that address intracellular pathways, some of which have recently entered clinical trials. In parallel, small molecules that target pro-tumorigenic pathways in cancer cells and the tumour microenvironment have been found to have immunostimulatory effects that synergize with the action of ICI antibodies, leading to the approval of an increasing number of regimens that combine such drugs. Combinations with small molecules targeting cancer metabolism, cytokine/chemokine and innate immune pathways, and T cell checkpoints are now under investigation. This Review discusses the recent milestones and hurdles encountered in this area of drug development, as well as our views on the best path forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rienk Offringa
- Department of Molecular Oncology of Gastrointestinal Tumors, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany. .,DKFZ-Bayer Immunotherapeutics Laboratory, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany. .,Department of Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Lisa Kötzner
- Merck Healthcare KGaA, Healthcare R&D, Discovery and Development Technologies, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Bayard Huck
- EMD Serono, Healthcare R&D, Discovery and Development Technologies, Billerica, MA, USA
| | - Klaus Urbahns
- EMD Serono, Healthcare R&D, Discovery and Development Technologies, Billerica, MA, USA.
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35
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Chen Y, Bai B, Ying K, Pan H, Xie B. Anti-PD-1 combined with targeted therapy: Theory and practice in gastric and colorectal cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2022; 1877:188775. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2022.188775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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36
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A novel lipidic peptide with potential to promote balanced effector-regulatory T cell responses. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11185. [PMID: 35778468 PMCID: PMC9249808 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15455-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
T cell-dendritic cell (DC) interactions contribute to reciprocal stimulation leading to DC maturation that results in production of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). Both cytokines have been implicated in autoimmune diseases while being necessary for effective immune responses against foreign antigens. We describe a lipidic peptide, designated IK14004, that modifies crosstalk between T cells and DCs resulting in suppression of IL-12p40/IFN-γ production. T cell production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IFN-γ is uncoupled and IL-12p70 production is enhanced. IK14004 induces expression of activating co-receptors in CD8+ T cells and increases the proportion of Foxp3-expressing CD4+ T regulatory cells. The potential for IK14004 to impact on signalling pathways required to achieve a balanced immune response upon stimulation of DCs and T cells is highlighted. This novel compound provides an opportunity to gain further insights into the complexity of T cell-DC interactions relevant to autoimmunity associated with malignancies and may have therapeutic benefit.
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37
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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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38
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Zhao L, Zhang Y, Li Y, Li C, Shi K, Zhang K, Liu N. Therapeutic effects of ginseng and ginsenosides on colorectal cancer. Food Funct 2022; 13:6450-6466. [PMID: 35661189 DOI: 10.1039/d2fo00899h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most common malignant diseases with high morbidity and mortality rates. Ginseng and its major extracts, ginsenosides, have been used in medical fields for thousands of years. In particular, their huge anti-cancer potential has drawn a great deal of attention in recent years. There is a large body of evidence that has shown that ginseng and its extracts could significantly inhibit tumor development and progression by suppressing cell proliferation, tumor growth, invasion and metastasis, inducing tumor cell apoptosis, regulating tumor-associated immune responses, and improving the therapeutic effect of chemotherapy. Notably, different subtypes of ginsenosides, even those extracted from the same ginseng, have exhibited distinct anti-cancer functions through different mechanisms. Over the past few years, a large number of studies have focused on how ginseng or various ginsenosides influence CRC development. Therefore, the roles and the potential of ginseng and ginsenosides in the treatment of CRC are summarized in this review. In addition, the biochemical properties of ginseng and ginsenosides are also briefly described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linxian Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130041, China.
| | - Yueming Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yajuan Li
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Functional Food and College of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130062, China
| | - Chen Li
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130062, China
| | - Kai Shi
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130062, China
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130041, China.
| | - Ning Liu
- Department of Central Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130041, China.
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39
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Ge H, Peng L, Sun Z, Liu H, Shen Y, Yao X. Discovery of Novel HPK1 Inhibitors Through Structure-Based Virtual Screening. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:850855. [PMID: 35370676 PMCID: PMC8967249 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.850855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase (HPK1) is a negative regulator of T-cell receptor and B-cell signaling, which has been recognized as a novel antitumor target for immunotherapy. In this work, Glide docking-based virtual screening and kinase inhibition assay were performed to identify novel HPK1 inhibitors. The kinase inhibition assay results demonstrated five compounds with IC50 values below 20 μM, and the most potent one (compound M074-2865) had an IC50 value of 2.93 ± 0.09 μM. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to delve into the interaction of sunitinib and the identified compound M074-2865 with the kinase domain of HPK1. The five compounds identified in this work could be considered promising hit compounds for further development of HPK1 inhibitors for immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huizhen Ge
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Lizeng Peng
- Institute of Agro-Food Science and Technology Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Agro-Products Processing Technology of Shandong Province, Key Laboratory of Novel Food Resources Processing Ministry of Agriculture, Jinan, China
| | - Zhou Sun
- Academy of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, China
| | - Huanxiang Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | | | - Xiaojun Yao
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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40
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Chan BK, Seward E, Lainchbury M, Brewer TF, An L, Blench T, Cartwright MW, Chan GKY, Choo EF, Drummond J, Elliott RL, Gancia E, Gazzard L, Hu B, Jones GE, Luo X, Madin A, Malhotra S, Moffat JG, Pang J, Salphati L, Sneeringer CJ, Stivala CE, Wei B, Wang W, Wu P, Heffron TP. Discovery of Spiro-azaindoline Inhibitors of Hematopoietic Progenitor Kinase 1 (HPK1). ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 13:84-91. [PMID: 35059127 PMCID: PMC8762754 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is implicated as a negative regulator of T-cell receptor-induced T-cell activation. Studies using HPK1 kinase-dead knock-in animals have demonstrated the loss of HPK1 kinase activity resulted in an increase in T-cell function and tumor growth inhibition in glioma models. Herein, we describe the discovery of a series of small molecule inhibitors of HPK1. Using a structure-based drug design approach, the kinase selectivity of the molecules was significantly improved by inducing and stabilizing an unusual P-loop folded binding mode. The metabolic liabilities of the initial 7-azaindole high-throughput screening hit were mitigated by addressing a key metabolic soft spot along with physicochemical property-based optimization. The resulting spiro-azaindoline HPK1 inhibitors demonstrated improved in vitro ADME properties and the ability to induce cytokine production in primary human T-cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan K. Chan
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States,
| | - Eileen Seward
- Charles
River Laboratories, 8-9
Spire Green, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Lainchbury
- Charles
River Laboratories, 8-9
Spire Green, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas F. Brewer
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Le An
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Toby Blench
- Charles
River Laboratories, 8-9
Spire Green, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew W. Cartwright
- Charles
River Laboratories, 8-9
Spire Green, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Grace Ka Yan Chan
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Edna F. Choo
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jason Drummond
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Richard L. Elliott
- Charles
River Laboratories, 8-9
Spire Green, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Emanuela Gancia
- Charles
River Laboratories, 8-9
Spire Green, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Lewis Gazzard
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Baihua Hu
- Pharmaron
Beijing Co, No. 6 Tai He Road, BDA, Beijing 100176, P.R. China
| | - Graham E. Jones
- Charles
River Laboratories, 8-9
Spire Green, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Xifeng Luo
- Pharmaron
Beijing Co, No. 6 Tai He Road, BDA, Beijing 100176, P.R. China
| | - Andrew Madin
- Charles
River Laboratories, 8-9
Spire Green, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Sushant Malhotra
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - John G. Moffat
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jodie Pang
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Laurent Salphati
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | | | - Craig E. Stivala
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Binqing Wei
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Weiru Wang
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Ping Wu
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Timothy P. Heffron
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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41
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Shen Y, Xu H, Long M, Guo M, Li P, Zhan M, Wang Z. Screening to Identify an Immune Landscape-Based Prognostic Predictor and Therapeutic Target for Prostate Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:761643. [PMID: 34804963 PMCID: PMC8602809 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.761643] [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: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Existing prognostic risk assessment strategies for prostate cancer (PCa) remain unsatisfactory. Similar treatments for patients at the same disease stage can lead to different survival outcomes. Thus, we aimed to explore a novel immune landscape-based prognostic predictor and therapeutic target for PCa patients. Methods A total of 490 PCa patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas Project (TCGA) cohort were analyzed to obtain immune landscape-based prognostic features. Then, analyses at different levels were performed to explore the relevant survival mechanisms, prognostic predictors, and therapeutic targets. Finally, experimental verification was performed using a tissue microarray (TMA) from 310 PCa patients. Furthermore, a nomogram was constructed to provide a quantitative approach for predicting the prognosis of patients with PCa. Results The immune landscape-based risk score (ILBRS) was obtained. Then, VAV1, which presented a significant positive correlation with Treg infiltration and ILBRS, was screened and identified to be significantly related to the prognosis of PCa. Finally, experimental verification confirmed the prognostic value of VAV1 for PCa prognosis at the protein level. Conclusions VAV1 has the potential to be developed as an immune landscape-based PCa prognostic predictor and therapeutic target and will help improve prognosis by enabling the selection of individualized, targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanting Shen
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Huan Xu
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Manmei Long
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Miaomiao Guo
- The Core Laboratory in Medical Center of Clinical Research, Department of Endocrinology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Peizhang Li
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ming Zhan
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,The Core Laboratory in Medical Center of Clinical Research, Department of Endocrinology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhong Wang
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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42
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Moses AK, Ghazi T, Naidoo DB, Chuturgoon A. DNA methylation of MEKKK1: a strategy to reactivate the NF-κB pathway and reverse HIV latency. AIDS 2021; 35:2221-2224. [PMID: 34602592 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000003036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Avril Kirsten Moses
- Discipline of Medical Biochemistry, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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43
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Knight TE, Edwards H, Taub JW, Ge Y. MAP4K1 expression is a novel resistance mechanism and independent prognostic marker in AML-but can be overcome via targeted inhibition. EBioMedicine 2021; 70:103488. [PMID: 34280781 PMCID: PMC8318977 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tristan E Knight
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and The University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Holly Edwards
- Department of Oncology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 421 East Canfield, Detroit, MI 48201, USA; Molecular Therapeutics Program, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Jeffrey W Taub
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA; Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Yubin Ge
- Department of Oncology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 421 East Canfield, Detroit, MI 48201, USA; Molecular Therapeutics Program, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.
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44
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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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45
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Adenosine-related small molecules show utility of recall antigen assay to screen compounds for off-target effects on memory T cells. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9561. [PMID: 33953256 PMCID: PMC8100288 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88965-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Extracellular adenosine suppresses T cell immunity in the tumor microenvironment and in vitro treatment of memory T cells with adenosine can suppress antigen-mediated memory T cell expansion. We describe utilizing the recall antigen assay platform to screen small molecule drug off-target effects on memory T cell expansion/function using a dosing regimen based on adenosine treatment. As a proof of principle, we show low dose GS-5734, a monophosphoramidate prodrug of an adenosine analog, does not alter memory T cell recall at lower doses whereas toxicity observed at high dose favors antigen-specific memory T cell survival/proliferation over non-specific CD8+ T cells. Conversely, parent nucleoside GS-441524 at high dosage does not result in cellular toxicity and reduces antigen-specific T cell recall in most donors. Despite similar chemical structure, these drugs displayed opposing effects on memory T cell expansion and viability highlighting the sensitivity of this assay setup in screening compounds for off-target effects.
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46
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Pramil E, Dillard C, Escargueil AE. Colorectal Cancer and Immunity: From the Wet Lab to Individuals. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13071713. [PMID: 33916641 PMCID: PMC8038567 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13071713] [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: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Tackling the current dilemma of colorectal cancer resistance to immunotherapy is puzzling and requires novel therapeutic strategies to emerge. However, characterizing the intricate interactions between cancer and immune cells remains difficult because of the complexity and heterogeneity of both compartments. Developing rationales is intellectually feasible but testing them can be experimentally challenging and requires the development of innovative procedures and protocols. In this review, we delineated useful in vitro and in vivo models used for research in the field of immunotherapy that are or could be applied to colorectal cancer management and lead to major breakthroughs in the coming years. Abstract Immunotherapy is a very promising field of research and application for treating cancers, in particular for those that are resistant to chemotherapeutics. Immunotherapy aims at enhancing immune cell activation to increase tumor cells recognition and killing. However, some specific cancer types, such as colorectal cancer (CRC), are less responsive than others to the current immunotherapies. Intrinsic resistance can be mediated by the development of an immuno-suppressive environment in CRC. The mutational status of cancer cells also plays a role in this process. CRC can indeed be distinguished in two main subtypes. Microsatellite instable (MSI) tumors show a hyper-mutable phenotype caused by the deficiency of the DNA mismatch repair machinery (MMR) while microsatellite stable (MSS) tumors show a comparatively more “stable” mutational phenotype. Several studies demonstrated that MSI CRC generally display good prognoses for patients and immunotherapy is considered as a therapeutic option for this type of tumors. On the contrary, MSS metastatic CRC usually presents a worse prognosis and is not responsive to immunotherapy. According to this, developing new and innovative models for studying CRC response towards immune targeted therapies has become essential in the last years. Herein, we review the in vitro and in vivo models used for research in the field of immunotherapy applied to colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Pramil
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM U938, Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine, F-75012 Paris, France; (E.P.); (C.D.)
- Alliance Pour la Recherche en Cancérologie—APREC, Tenon Hospital, F-75012 Paris, France
| | - Clémentine Dillard
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM U938, Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine, F-75012 Paris, France; (E.P.); (C.D.)
- Alliance Pour la Recherche en Cancérologie—APREC, Tenon Hospital, F-75012 Paris, France
| | - Alexandre E. Escargueil
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM U938, Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine, F-75012 Paris, France; (E.P.); (C.D.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-(0)1-49-28-46-44
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47
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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
![]()
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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48
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Lau WL, Pearce B, Malakian H, Rodrigo I, Xie D, Gao M, Marsilio F, Chang C, Ruzanov M, Muckelbauer JK, Newitt JA, Lipovšek D, Sheriff S. Using yeast surface display to engineer a soluble and crystallizable construct of hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1). Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2021; 77:22-28. [PMID: 33439152 PMCID: PMC7805552 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x20016015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is an intracellular kinase that plays an important role in modulating tumor immune response and thus is an attractive target for drug discovery. Crystallization of the wild-type HPK1 kinase domain has been hampered by poor expression in recombinant systems and poor solubility. In this study, yeast surface display was applied to a library of HPK1 kinase-domain variants in order to select variants with an improved expression level and solubility. The HPK1 variant with the most improved properties contained two mutations, crystallized readily in complex with several small-molecule inhibitors and provided valuable insight to guide structure-based drug design. This work exemplifies the benefit of yeast surface display towards engineering crystallizable proteins and thus enabling structure-based drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wai L. Lau
- Biologics Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, 100 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Bradley Pearce
- Molecular Structure and Design, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, 5 Research Parkway, Wallingford, CT 06492, USA
| | - Heather Malakian
- Biologics Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, 100 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Iyoncy Rodrigo
- Protein Science, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Dianlin Xie
- Protein Science, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Mian Gao
- Protein Science, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Frank Marsilio
- Protein Science, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Chiehying Chang
- Molecular Structure and Design, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Max Ruzanov
- Molecular Structure and Design, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Jodi K. Muckelbauer
- Molecular Structure and Design, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - John A. Newitt
- Protein Science, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Daša Lipovšek
- Biologics Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, 100 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Steven Sheriff
- Molecular Structure and Design, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
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