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Hoskin P, Lee M, Dunkley D, Danh M, Wickens R, Saunders G, Northey J, Crabb S, McFarlane V, Sadozye A, Cooper R, Mathew T, Haslett K, Reeves K, Reed R, Bigos K, Williams KJ, Rowling E, Choudhury A, Dancer S, Smith D, Griffiths G. Dose escalation of tolinapant (ASTX660) in combination with standard radical chemoradiotherapy in cervical cancer : a study protocol for a phase 1b TiTE-CRM clinical trial (CRAIN) in UK secondary care centres. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:702. [PMID: 38849715 PMCID: PMC11162013 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12310-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, with an estimated 342,000 deaths worldwide in 2020. Current standard of care in the UK for locally advanced cervical cancer is concurrent chemoradiotherapy with weekly cisplatin, yet 5-year overall survival rates are only 65% with a distant relapse rate of 50%. Inhibitors of Apoptosis Proteins (IAPs) are often overexpressed in cancer cells and associated with tumour progression and resistance to treatment. Tolinapant, developed by Astex Pharmaceuticals, is an IAP antagonist with an additional mechanism of action via down-regulation of NF-kB, an important regulator in cervical cancer. Preclinical studies performed using tolinapant in combination with cisplatin and radiotherapy showed inhibition of tumour growth and enhanced survival. There is therefore a strong rationale to combine tolinapant with chemoradiotherapy (CRT). METHODS CRAIN is a phase Ib open-label, dose escalation study to characterise the safety, tolerability and initial evidence for clinical activity of tolinapant when administered in combination with cisplatin based CRT. Up to 42 patients with newly diagnosed cervix cancer will be recruited from six UK secondary care sites. The number of participants and the duration of the trial will depend on toxicities observed and dose escalation decisions, utilising a TiTE-CRM statistical design. Treatment will constist of standard of care CRT with 45 Gy external beam radiotherapy given in 25 daily fractions over 5 weeks with weekly cisplatin 40mg/m2. This is followed by brachytherapy for which common schedules will be 28 Gy in 4 fractions high-dose-rate or 34 Gy in 2 fractions pulsed-dose-rate. Tolinapant will be administered in fixed dose capsules taken orally daily for seven consecutive days as an outpatient on alternate weeks (weeks 1, 3, 5) during chemoradiation. Dose levels for tolinapant which will be assessed are: 60 mg; 90 mg (starting level); 120 mg; 150 mg; 180 mg. Escalation will be guided by emerging safety data and decisions by the Safety Review Committee. DISCUSSION If this trial determines a recommended phase II dose and shows tolinapant to be safe and effective in combination with CRT, it would warrant future phase trials. Ultimately, we hope to provide a synergistic treatment option for these patients to improve outcome. TRIAL REGISTRATIONS EudraCT Number: 2021-006555-34 (issued 30th November 2021); ISRCTN18574865 (registered 30th August 2022).
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Hoskin
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
| | - Marina Lee
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Denise Dunkley
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Mary Danh
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Robin Wickens
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Geoff Saunders
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Josh Northey
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Simon Crabb
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Vicky McFarlane
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Azmat Sadozye
- The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Tony Mathew
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - Kate Haslett
- The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Kim Reeves
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Rachel Reed
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Kamilla Bigos
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Kaye J Williams
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Emily Rowling
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Ananya Choudhury
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Sonia Dancer
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Deb Smith
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Gareth Griffiths
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
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Ward GA, Zhang Z, Jueliger S, Potapov IS, Davis MP, Boxall AR, Taylor J, Keer H, Biondo A, Lyons JF, Sims M, Smyth T. Epigenetic Priming by Hypomethylation Enhances the Immunogenic Potential of Tolinapant in T-cell Lymphoma. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:1441-1453. [PMID: 38727208 PMCID: PMC11155518 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-23-0415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Programmed cell death mechanisms are important for the regulation of tumor development and progression. Evasion of and resistance to apoptosis are significant factors in tumorigenesis and drug resistance. Bypassing apoptotic pathways and eliciting another form of regulated cell death, namely necroptosis, an immunogenic cell death (ICD), may override apoptotic resistance. Here, we present the mechanistic rationale for combining tolinapant, an antagonist of the inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAP), with decitabine, a hypomethylating agent (HMA), in T-cell lymphoma (TCL). Tolinapant treatment alone of TCL cells in vitro and in syngeneic in vivo models demonstrated that ICD markers can be upregulated, and we have shown that epigenetic priming with decitabine further enhances this effect. The clinical relevance of ICD markers was confirmed by the direct measurement of plasma proteins from patients with peripheral TCL treated with tolinapant. We showed increased levels of necroptosis in TCL lines, along with the expression of cancer-specific antigens (such as cancer testis antigens) and increases in genes involved in IFN signaling induced by HMA treatment, together deliver a strong adaptive immune response to the tumor. These results highlight the potential of a decitabine and tolinapant combination for TCL and could lead to clinical evaluation. SIGNIFICANCE The IAP antagonist tolinapant can induce necroptosis, a key immune-activating event, in TCL. Combination with DNA hypomethylation enhances tolinapant sensitivity and primes resistant cells by re-expressing necrosome proteins. In addition, this combination leads to increases in genes involved in IFN signaling and neoantigen expression, providing further molecular rationale for this novel therapeutic option.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jason Taylor
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Pleasanton, California
| | - Harold Keer
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Pleasanton, California
| | | | | | - Martin Sims
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Tomoko Smyth
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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3
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Shi L, Lu J, Xia X, Liu X, Li H, Li X, Zhu J, Li X, Sun H, Yang X. Clinically used drug arsenic trioxide targets XIAP and overcomes apoptosis resistance in an organoid-based preclinical cancer model. Chem Sci 2024; 15:8311-8322. [PMID: 38846391 PMCID: PMC11151819 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc01294a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance in tumor cells remains a persistent clinical challenge in the pursuit of effective anticancer therapy. XIAP, a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family, suppresses apoptosis via its Baculovirus IAP Repeat (BIR) domains and is responsible for drug resistance in various human cancers. Therefore, XIAP has attracted significant attention as a potential therapeutic target. However, no XIAP inhibitor is available for clinical use to date. In this study, we surprisingly observed that arsenic trioxide (ATO) induced a rapid depletion of XIAP in different cancer cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that arsenic attacked the cysteine residues of BIR domains and directly bound to XIAP, resulting in the release of zinc ions from this protein. Arsenic-XIAP binding suppressed the normal anti-apoptosis functions of BIR domains, and led to the ubiquitination-dependent degradation of XIAP. Importantly, we further demonstrate that arsenic sensitized a variety of apoptosis-resistant cancer cells, including patient-derived colon cancer organoids, to the chemotherapy drug using cisplatin as a showcase. These findings suggest that targeting XIAP with ATO offers an attractive strategy for combating apoptosis-resistant cancers in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwa Shi
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Zhuhai China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Zhuhai 519000 China
| | - Jing Lu
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Zhuhai China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Zhuhai 519000 China
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Zhuhai China
| | - Xin Xia
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Zhuhai China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Zhuhai 519000 China
| | - Xue Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Zhuhai China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Zhuhai 519000 China
| | - Hongyan Li
- Department of Chemistry, CAS-HKU Joint Laboratory of Metallomics on Health and Environment, The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Xinghua Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Zhuhai China
| | - Jun Zhu
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Zhuhai China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Zhuhai 519000 China
| | - Xiaofeng Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Zhuhai China
| | - Hongzhe Sun
- Department of Chemistry, CAS-HKU Joint Laboratory of Metallomics on Health and Environment, The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Xinming Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Zhuhai China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Zhuhai 519000 China
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4
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Wang W, Ruan S, Xie Y, Fang S, Yang J, Li X, Zhang Y. Development and Validation of a Pathomics Model Using Machine Learning to Predict CXCL8 Expression and Prognosis in Head and Neck Cancer. Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol 2024; 17:85-97. [PMID: 38246983 PMCID: PMC10933807 DOI: 10.21053/ceo.2023.00026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The necessity to develop a method for prognostication and to identify novel biomarkers for personalized medicine in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cannot be overstated. Recently, pathomics, which relies on quantitative analysis of medical imaging, has come to the forefront. CXCL8, an essential inflammatory cytokine, has been shown to correlate with overall survival (OS). This study examined the relationship between CXCL8 mRNA expression and pathomics features and aimed to explore the biological underpinnings of CXCL8. METHODS Clinical information and transcripts per million mRNA sequencing data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-HNSCC dataset. We identified correlations between CXCL8 mRNA expression and patient survival rates using a Kaplan-Meier survival curve. A retrospective analysis of 313 samples diagnosed with HNSCC in the TCGA database was conducted. Pathomics features were extracted from hematoxylin and eosin-stained images, and then the minimum redundancy maximum relevance, with recursive feature elimination (mRMR-RFE) method was applied, followed by screening with the logistic regression algorithm. RESULTS Kaplan-Meier curves indicated that high expression of CXCL8 was significantly associated with decreased OS. The logistic regression pathomics model incorporated 16 radiomics features identified by the mRMR-RFE method in the training set and demonstrated strong performance in the testing set. Calibration plots showed that the probability of high gene expression predicted by the pathomics model was in good agreement with actual observations, suggesting the model's high clinical applicability. CONCLUSION The pathomics model of CXCL8 mRNA expression serves as an effective tool for predicting prognosis in patients with HNSCC and can aid in clinical decision-making. Elevated levels of CXCL8 expression may lead to reduced DNA damage and are associated with a pro-inflammatory tumor microenvironment, offering a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihua Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Suyu Ruan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuhang Xie
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shengjian Fang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Junxian Yang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xueyan Li
- Department of Nursing, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
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5
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Xi Y, Gao L, Li S, Sun K, Chen P, Cai Z, Ren W, Zhi K. The role of novel programmed cell death in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: from mechanisms to potential therapies. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1228985. [PMID: 37818196 PMCID: PMC10560744 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1228985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a common oral cancer with poor prognosis and for which no targeted therapeutic strategies are currently available. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that programmed cell death (PCD) is essential in the development of HNSCC as a second messenger. PCD can be categorized into numerous different subroutines: in addition to the two well-known types of apoptosis and autophagy, novel forms of programmed cell death (e.g., necroptosis, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, and NETosis) also serve as key alternatives in tumorigenesis. Cancer cells are not able to avoid all types of cell death simultaneously, since different cell death subroutines follow different regulatory pathways. Herein, we summarize the roles of novel programmed cell death in tumorigenesis and present our interpretations of the molecular mechanisms with a view to the development of further potential therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Xi
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstruction, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- Key Lab of Oral Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- Experimental Research Centre, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Beijing, China
| | - Ling Gao
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstruction, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- Key Lab of Oral Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- School of Stomatology of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Shaming Li
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstruction, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- School of Stomatology of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Kai Sun
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstruction, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- School of Stomatology of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Peishen Chen
- Department of Stomatology, People’s Hospital of Juxian, Rizhao, China
| | - Zhen Cai
- Department of Stomatology, Linyi People’s Hospital, Linyi, Shandong, China
| | - Wenhao Ren
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstruction, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- Key Lab of Oral Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Keqian Zhi
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstruction, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- Key Lab of Oral Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- School of Stomatology of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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6
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Nigam N, Bernard B, Sevilla S, Kim S, Dar MS, Tsai D, Robbins Y, Burkitt K, Sievers C, Allen CT, Bennett RL, Tettey TT, Carter B, Rinaldi L, Lingen MW, Sater H, Edmondson EF, Moshiri A, Saeed A, Cheng H, Luo X, Brennan K, Koparde V, Chen C, Das S, Andresson T, Abdelmaksoud A, Murali M, Sakata S, Takeuchi K, Chari R, Nakamura Y, Uppaluri R, Sunwoo JB, Van Waes C, Licht JD, Hager GL, Saloura V. SMYD3 represses tumor-intrinsic interferon response in HPV-negative squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112823. [PMID: 37463106 PMCID: PMC10407766 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancers often display immune escape, but the mechanisms are incompletely understood. Herein, we identify SMYD3 as a mediator of immune escape in human papilloma virus (HPV)-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), an aggressive disease with poor response to immunotherapy with pembrolizumab. SMYD3 depletion induces upregulation of multiple type I interferon (IFN) response and antigen presentation machinery genes in HNSCC cells. Mechanistically, SMYD3 binds to and regulates the transcription of UHRF1, encoding for a reader of H3K9me3, which binds to H3K9me3-enriched promoters of key immune-related genes, recruits DNMT1, and silences their expression. SMYD3 further maintains the repression of immune-related genes through intragenic deposition of H4K20me3. In vivo, Smyd3 depletion induces influx of CD8+ T cells and increases sensitivity to anti-programmed death 1 (PD-1) therapy. SMYD3 overexpression is associated with decreased CD8 T cell infiltration and poor response to neoadjuvant pembrolizumab. These data support combining SMYD3 depletion strategies with checkpoint blockade to overcome anti-PD-1 resistance in HPV-negative HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nupur Nigam
- Thoracic and GI Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Benjamin Bernard
- Thoracic and GI Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Samantha Sevilla
- Collaborative Bioinformatics Resource, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Advanced Biomedical Computational Science, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Sohyoung Kim
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mohd Saleem Dar
- Thoracic and GI Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Daniel Tsai
- Thoracic and GI Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yvette Robbins
- Translational Tumor Immunology Program, NIDCD, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kyunghee Burkitt
- Thoracic and GI Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Cem Sievers
- Translational Tumor Immunology Program, NIDCD, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Clint T Allen
- Translational Tumor Immunology Program, NIDCD, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | - Theophilus T Tettey
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Benjamin Carter
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Lorenzo Rinaldi
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mark W Lingen
- University of Chicago, Department of Pathology, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Houssein Sater
- GU Malignancies Branch, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Elijah F Edmondson
- Molecular Histopathology Laboratory, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Arfa Moshiri
- Thoracic and GI Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Abbas Saeed
- Thoracic and GI Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Hui Cheng
- National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Xiaolin Luo
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Kevin Brennan
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Vishal Koparde
- Collaborative Bioinformatics Resource, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Advanced Biomedical Computational Science, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Chen Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sudipto Das
- Protein Characterization Laboratory, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Thorkell Andresson
- Protein Characterization Laboratory, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Abdalla Abdelmaksoud
- Collaborative Bioinformatics Resource, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Advanced Biomedical Computational Science, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Madhavi Murali
- Thoracic and GI Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Seiji Sakata
- Pathology Project for Molecular Targets, Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo 135-0063, Japan; Division of Pathology, Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo 135-0063, Japan
| | - Kengo Takeuchi
- Pathology Project for Molecular Targets, Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo 135-0063, Japan; Division of Pathology, Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo 135-0063, Japan; Department of Pathology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo 135-0063, Japan
| | - Raj Chari
- Genome Modification Core, Laboratory Animal Sciences Program, Frederick National Lab for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Yusuke Nakamura
- Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo 135-0063, Japan
| | | | - John B Sunwoo
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Carter Van Waes
- National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | - Gordon L Hager
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Vassiliki Saloura
- Thoracic and GI Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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7
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Toni T, Viswanathan R, Robbins Y, Gunti S, Yang X, Huynh A, Cheng H, Sowers AL, Mitchell JB, Allen CT, Morgan EL, Van Waes C. Combined Inhibition of IAPs and WEE1 Enhances TNFα- and Radiation-Induced Cell Death in Head and Neck Squamous Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:1029. [PMID: 36831373 PMCID: PMC9954698 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15041029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains a prevalent diagnosis with current treatment options that include radiotherapy and immune-mediated therapies, in which tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) is a key mediator of cytotoxicity. However, HNSCC and other cancers often display TNFα resistance due to activation of the canonical IKK-NFκB/RELA pathway, which is activated by, and induces expression of, cellular inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (cIAPs). Our previous studies have demonstrated that the IAP inhibitor birinapant sensitized HNSCC to TNFα-dependent cell death in vitro and radiotherapy in vivo. Furthermore, we recently demonstrated that the inhibition of the G2/M checkpoint kinase WEE1 also sensitized HNSCC cells to TNFα-dependent cell death, due to the inhibition of the pro-survival IKK-NFκB/RELA complex. Given these observations, we hypothesized that dual-antagonist therapy targeting both IAP and WEE1 proteins may have the potential to synergistically sensitize HNSCC to TNFα-dependent cell death. Using the IAP inhibitor birinapant and the WEE1 inhibitor AZD1775, we show that combination treatment reduced cell viability, proliferation and survival when compared with individual treatment. Furthermore, combination treatment enhanced the sensitivity of HNSCC cells to TNFα-induced cytotoxicity via the induction of apoptosis and DNA damage. Additionally, birinapant and AZD1775 combination treatment decreased cell proliferation and survival in combination with radiotherapy, a critical source of TNFα. These results support further investigation of IAP and WEE1 inhibitor combinations in preclinical and clinical studies in HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany Toni
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Ramya Viswanathan
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yvette Robbins
- Section on Translational Tumor Immunology, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, Room 7N240C, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sreenivasulu Gunti
- Sinonasal and Skull Base Tumor Program, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Xinping Yang
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Angel Huynh
- Section on Translational Tumor Immunology, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, Room 7N240C, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Hui Cheng
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Anastasia L. Sowers
- Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - James B. Mitchell
- Radiation Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Clint T. Allen
- Section on Translational Tumor Immunology, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, Room 7N240C, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ethan L. Morgan
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Carter Van Waes
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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8
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Xue Y, Jiang X, Wang J, Zong Y, Yuan Z, Miao S, Mao X. Effect of regulatory cell death on the occurrence and development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Biomark Res 2023; 11:2. [PMID: 36600313 PMCID: PMC9814270 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-022-00433-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck cancer is a malignant tumour with a high mortality rate characterized by late diagnosis, high recurrence and metastasis rates, and poor prognosis. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common type of head and neck cancer. Various factors are involved in the occurrence and development of HNSCC, including external inflammatory stimuli and oncogenic viral infections. In recent years, studies on the regulation of cell death have provided new insights into the biology and therapeutic response of HNSCC, such as apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, and recently the newly discovered cuproptosis. We explored how various cell deaths act as a unique defence mechanism against cancer emergence and how they can be exploited to inhibit tumorigenesis and progression, thus introducing regulatory cell death (RCD) as a novel strategy for tumour therapy. In contrast to accidental cell death, RCD is controlled by specific signal transduction pathways, including TP53 signalling, KRAS signalling, NOTCH signalling, hypoxia signalling, and metabolic reprogramming. In this review, we describe the molecular mechanisms of nonapoptotic RCD and its relationship to HNSCC and discuss the crosstalk between relevant signalling pathways in HNSCC cells. We also highlight novel approaches to tumour elimination through RCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Xue
- grid.412651.50000 0004 1808 3502Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Xuejiao Jiang
- grid.24696.3f0000 0004 0369 153XBeijing Key Lab of TCM Collateral Disease Theory Research, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Junrong Wang
- grid.412651.50000 0004 1808 3502Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Yuxuan Zong
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First of hospital of Qiqihar, Qiqihar, China
| | - Zhennan Yuan
- grid.412651.50000 0004 1808 3502Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Susheng Miao
- grid.412651.50000 0004 1808 3502Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Xionghui Mao
- grid.412651.50000 0004 1808 3502Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
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9
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Siqueira JM, Heguedusch D, Rodini CO, Nunes FD, Rodrigues MFSD. Mechanisms involved in cancer stem cell resistance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. CANCER DRUG RESISTANCE (ALHAMBRA, CALIF.) 2023; 6:116-137. [PMID: 37065869 PMCID: PMC10099599 DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2022.107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Despite scientific advances in the Oncology field, cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide. Molecular and cellular heterogeneity of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a significant contributor to the unpredictability of the clinical response and failure in cancer treatment. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are recognized as a subpopulation of tumor cells that can drive and maintain tumorigenesis and metastasis, leading to poor prognosis in different types of cancer. CSCs exhibit a high level of plasticity, quickly adapting to the tumor microenvironment changes, and are intrinsically resistant to current chemo and radiotherapies. The mechanisms of CSC-mediated therapy resistance are not fully understood. However, they include different strategies used by CSCs to overcome challenges imposed by treatment, such as activation of DNA repair system, anti-apoptotic mechanisms, acquisition of quiescent state and Epithelial-mesenchymal transition, increased drug efflux capacity, hypoxic environment, protection by the CSC niche, overexpression of stemness related genes, and immune surveillance. Complete elimination of CSCs seems to be the main target for achieving tumor control and improving overall survival for cancer patients. This review will focus on the multi-factorial mechanisms by which CSCs are resistant to radiotherapy and chemotherapy in HNSCC, supporting the use of possible strategies to overcome therapy failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Mota Siqueira
- Department of Stomatology, Discipline of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Daniele Heguedusch
- Department of Stomatology, Discipline of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Camila Oliveira Rodini
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 17012-230, Brazil
| | - Fabio Daumas Nunes
- Department of Stomatology, Discipline of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Maria Fernanda Setúbal Destro Rodrigues
- Biophotonics Applied to Health Sciences, Nove de Julho University, UNINOVE, São Paulo 01504-001, Brazil
- Correspondence to: PhD. Maria Fernanda Setúbal Destro Rodrigues. Biophotonics Applied to Health Sciences, Nove de Julho University, UNINOVE, Rua Vergueiro, 235/249 - Liberdade, São Paulo 01504-001, Brazil. E-mail:
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10
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Rodriguez CP, Kang H, Geiger JL, Burtness B, Chung CH, Pickering CR, Fakhry C, Le QT, Yom SS, Galloway TJ, Golemis E, Li A, Shoop J, Wong S, Mehra R, Skinner H, Saba NF, Flores ER, Myers JN, Ford JM, Karchin R, Ferris RL, Kunos C, Lynn JM, Malik S. Clinical Trial Development in TP53-Mutated Locally Advanced and Recurrent and/or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. J Natl Cancer Inst 2022; 114:1619-1627. [PMID: 36053203 PMCID: PMC9745425 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djac163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
TP53 mutation is the most frequent genetic event in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), found in more than 80% of patients with human papillomavirus-negative disease. As mutations in the TP53 gene are associated with worse outcomes in HNSCC, novel therapeutic approaches are needed for patients with TP53-mutated tumors. The National Cancer Institute sponsored a Clinical Trials Planning Meeting to address the issues of identifying and developing clinical trials for patients with TP53 mutations. Subcommittees, or breakout groups, were tasked with developing clinical studies in both the locally advanced and recurrent and/or metastatic (R/M) disease settings as well as considering signal-seeking trial designs. A fourth breakout group was focused on identifying and standardizing biomarker integration into trial design; this information was provided to the other breakout groups prior to the meeting to aid in study development. A total of 4 concepts were prioritized to move forward for further development and implementation. This article summarizes the proceedings of the Clinical Trials Planning Meeting with the goal of developing clinical trials for patients with TP53-mutant HNSCC that can be conducted within the National Clinical Trials Network.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hyunseok Kang
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jessica L Geiger
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | | | - Christine H Chung
- Department of Head and Neck-Endocrine Oncology, Moffit Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Curtis R Pickering
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Carole Fakhry
- Division of Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Quynh Thu Le
- Department of Radiation Oncology-Radiation Therapy, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Sue S Yom
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Thomas J Galloway
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Erica Golemis
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alice Li
- Kaiser Permanente Oakland, Oakland, CA, USA
| | | | - Stuart Wong
- Division of Neoplastic Diseases, Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Ranee Mehra
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Heath Skinner
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nabil F Saba
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elsa R Flores
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Moffit Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Jeffrey N Myers
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - James M Ford
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Rachel Karchin
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert L Ferris
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Jean M Lynn
- National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Shakun Malik
- National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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11
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Nag A, Verma P, Paul S, Kundu R. In Silico Analysis of the Apoptotic and HPV Inhibitory Roles of Some Selected Phytochemicals Detected from the Rhizomes of Greater Cardamom. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2022; 194:4867-4891. [PMID: 35670907 PMCID: PMC9171093 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-022-04006-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Occurrence of cervical cancer, caused due to persistent human papilloma virus (HPV) infection, is common in women of developing countries. As the conventional treatments are expensive and associated with severe side effects, there is a need to find safer alternatives, which is affordable and less toxic to the healthy human cells. Present study aimed to evaluate the anti-HPV and apoptotic potential of four compounds from the greater cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb. var. Golsey), namely rhein, phytosphingosine, n-hexadecenoic acid and coronarin E. Their anti-HPV and apoptotic potential were studied against viral E6, E7 and few anti-apoptotic proteins of host cell (BCL2, XIAP, LIVIN) by in silico docking technique. Phytochemicals from the plant extract were analysed and identified by LC/MS and GC/MS. Involvement of the target proteins in various biological pathways was determined through KEGG. Structural optimization of the three-dimensional structures of the ligands (four phytochemicals and control drug) was done by Avogadro1.1. Receptor protein models were built using ProMod3 and other advanced tools. Pharmacophore modelling of the selected phytochemicals was performed in ZINCPharmer. Swiss ADME studies were undertaken to determine drug likeness. The ligands and proteins were digitally docked in DockThor docking program. Protein flexibility-molecular dynamic simulation helped to study protein–ligand stability in real time. Finally, the correlation of evaluated molecules was studied by the use of principal component analysis (PCA) based on the docking scores. All the ligands were found to possess apoptotic and anti-cancer activities and did not violate Lipinsky criteria. n-Hexadecanoic acid and its analogues showed maximum efficacy against the target proteins. All the protein–ligand interactions were found to be stable. The uncommon phytochemicals identified from rhizomes of greater cardamom have anti-cancer, apoptotic and HPV inhibitory potentials as analysed by docking and other in silico studies, which can be utilized in drug development after proper experimental validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anish Nag
- Department of Life Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to Be University), Bangalore, India
| | - Preeti Verma
- Laboratory of Advanced Cell Biology, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, West Bengal, India, 700019
| | - Subhabrata Paul
- Institute of Health Sciences, Presidency University (2Nd Campus), Newtown, Kolkata, India
| | - Rita Kundu
- Laboratory of Advanced Cell Biology, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, West Bengal, India, 700019.
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12
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Hu Z, Viswanathan R, Cheng H, Chen J, Yang X, Huynh A, Clavijo P, An Y, Robbins Y, Silvin C, Allen C, Ormanoglu P, Martin S, Cornelius S, Saleh A, Chen Z, Van Waes C, Morgan EL. Inhibiting WEE1 and IKK-RELA Crosstalk Overcomes TNFα Resistance in Head and Neck Cancers. Mol Cancer Res 2022; 20:867-882. [PMID: 35176168 PMCID: PMC9177594 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-21-0624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
TNFα is a key mediator of immune and radiotherapy-induced cytotoxicity, but many cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), display TNF resistance due to activation of the canonical IKK-NF-κB/RELA pro-survival pathway. However, toxicities associated with direct targeting of the canonical pathway point to the need to identify mechanism(s) contributing to TNFα resistance and synthetic lethal targets to overcome such resistance in cancer cells. Here, RNAi screening for modulators of TNFα-NF-κB reporter activity and cell survival unexpectedly implicated the WEE1 and CDC2 G2-M checkpoint kinases. The IKKα/β-RELA and WEE1-CDC2 signaling pathways are activated by TNFα and form a complex in cell lines derived from both human papillomavirus (-) and (+) subtypes of HNSCC. WEE1 inhibitor AZD1775 reduced IKK/RELA phosphorylation and the expression of NF-κB-dependent pro-survival proteins Cyclin D1 and BCL2. Combination of TNFα and AZD1775 enhanced caspase-mediated apoptosis in vitro, and combination treatment with radiotherapy and AZD1775 potentiated inhibition of HNSCC tumor xenograft growth in vivo, which could be significantly attenuated by TNFα depletion. These data offer new insight into the interplay between NF-κB signaling and WEE1-mediated regulation of the G2-M cell-cycle checkpoint in HNSCC. IMPLICATIONS Inhibiting WEE1 and IKK-RELA crosstalk could potentially enhance the effects of therapies mediated by TNFα with less systemic immune suppression and toxicity than observed with direct interruption of IKK-NF-κB/RELA signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengbo Hu
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Shaoguan First People’s Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Shaoguan, Guangdong, China
| | - Ramya Viswanathan
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Hui Cheng
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jianghong Chen
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Xinping Yang
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Angel Huynh
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Paul Clavijo
- Translational Tumor Immunology Program, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Yi An
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Yvette Robbins
- Translational Tumor Immunology Program, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Christopher Silvin
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Clint Allen
- Translational Tumor Immunology Program, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Pinar Ormanoglu
- RNAi Screening Facility, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Scott Martin
- RNAi Screening Facility, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Shaleeka Cornelius
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Anthony Saleh
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Zhong Chen
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Carter Van Waes
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Contributed equally as senior authors
| | - Ethan L. Morgan
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Contributed equally as senior authors
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13
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Michmerhuizen NL, Ludwig ML, Birkeland AC, Nimmagadda S, Zhai J, Wang J, Jewell BM, Genouw D, Remer L, Kim D, Foltin SK, Bhangale A, Kulkarni A, Bradford CR, Swiecicki PL, Carey TE, Jiang H, Brenner JC. Small molecule profiling to define synergistic EGFR inhibitor combinations in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Head Neck 2022; 44:1192-1205. [PMID: 35224804 PMCID: PMC8986607 DOI: 10.1002/hed.27018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a debilitating disease with poor survival. Although epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeting antibody cetuximab improves survival in some settings, responses are limited suggesting that alternative approaches are needed. METHODS We performed a high throughput drug screen to identify EGFR inhibitor-based synergistic combinations of clinically advanced inhibitors in models resistant to EGFR inhibitor monotherapies, and then performed downstream validation experiments on prioritized synergistic combinations. RESULTS From our screen, we re-discovered known synergistic EGFR inhibitor combinations with FGFR or IGF-1R inhibitors that were broadly effective and also discovered novel synergistic combinations with XIAP inhibitor and DNMT inhibitors that were effective in only a subset of models. CONCLUSIONS Conceptually, our data identify novel synergistic combinations that warrant evaluation in future studies, and suggest that some combinations, although highly synergistic, will require parallel companion diagnostic development to be effectively advanced in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L. Michmerhuizen
- Department of PharmacologyUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck SurgeryUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Megan L. Ludwig
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck SurgeryUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular BiologyUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Andrew C. Birkeland
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck SurgeryUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Sai Nimmagadda
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck SurgeryUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Jingyi Zhai
- Department of BiostatisticsUniversity of Michigan School of Public HealthAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Jiayu Wang
- Department of PharmacologyUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck SurgeryUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Brittany M. Jewell
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck SurgeryUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Dylan Genouw
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck SurgeryUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Lindsay Remer
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck SurgeryUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Daniel Kim
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck SurgeryUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Susan K. Foltin
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck SurgeryUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Apurva Bhangale
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck SurgeryUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Aditi Kulkarni
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck SurgeryUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Carol R. Bradford
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck SurgeryUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Rogel Cancer CenterUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Paul L. Swiecicki
- Department of Hematology and OncologyUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Rogel Cancer CenterUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Thomas E. Carey
- Department of PharmacologyUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck SurgeryUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Rogel Cancer CenterUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Hui Jiang
- Department of BiostatisticsUniversity of Michigan School of Public HealthAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Rogel Cancer CenterUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - J. Chad Brenner
- Department of PharmacologyUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck SurgeryUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular BiologyUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Rogel Cancer CenterUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
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14
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Kumar M, Molkentine D, Molkentine J, Bridges K, Xie T, Yang L, Hefner A, Gao M, Bahri R, Dhawan A, Frederick MJ, Seth S, Abdelhakiem M, Beadle BM, Johnson F, Wang J, Shen L, Heffernan T, Sheth A, Ferris RL, Myers JN, Pickering CR, Skinner HD. Inhibition of histone acetyltransferase function radiosensitizes CREBBP/EP300 mutants via repression of homologous recombination, potentially targeting a gain of function. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6340. [PMID: 34732714 PMCID: PMC8566594 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26570-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite radiation forming the curative backbone of over 50% of malignancies, there are no genomically-driven radiosensitizers for clinical use. Herein we perform in vivo shRNA screening to identify targets generally associated with radiation response as well as those exhibiting a genomic dependency. This identifies the histone acetyltransferases CREBBP/EP300 as a target for radiosensitization in combination with radiation in cognate mutant tumors. Further in vitro and in vivo studies confirm this phenomenon to be due to repression of homologous recombination following DNA damage and reproducible using chemical inhibition of histone acetyltransferase (HAT), but not bromodomain function. Selected mutations in CREBBP lead to a hyperacetylated state that increases CBP and BRCA1 acetylation, representing a gain of function targeted by HAT inhibition. Additionally, mutations in CREBBP/EP300 are associated with recurrence following radiation in squamous cell carcinoma cohorts. These findings provide both a mechanism of resistance and the potential for genomically-driven treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - David Molkentine
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jessica Molkentine
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kathleen Bridges
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Tongxin Xie
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Liangpeng Yang
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Andrew Hefner
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Meng Gao
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Reshub Bahri
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Annika Dhawan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Mitchell J Frederick
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sahil Seth
- TRACTION Platform, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mohamed Abdelhakiem
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Beth M Beadle
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Faye Johnson
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Timothy Heffernan
- TRACTION Platform, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Aakash Sheth
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Robert L Ferris
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jeffrey N Myers
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Curtis R Pickering
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Heath D Skinner
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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15
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Crawford N, Stott KJ, Sessler T, McCann C, McDaid W, Lees A, Latimer C, Fox JP, Munck JM, Smyth T, Shah A, Martins V, Lawler M, Dunne PD, Kerr EM, McDade SS, Coyle VM, Longley DB. Clinical Positioning of the IAP Antagonist Tolinapant (ASTX660) in Colorectal Cancer. Mol Cancer Ther 2021; 20:1627-1639. [PMID: 34389694 PMCID: PMC7611622 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-20-1050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) are intracellular proteins, with important roles in regulating cell death, inflammation, and immunity. Here, we examined the clinical and therapeutic relevance of IAPs in colorectal cancer. We found that elevated expression of cIAP1 and cIAP2 (but not XIAP) significantly correlated with poor prognosis in patients with microsatellite stable (MSS) stage III colorectal cancer treated with 5-fluorouracil (5FU)-based adjuvant chemotherapy, suggesting their involvement in promoting chemoresistance. A novel IAP antagonist tolinapant (ASTX660) potently and rapidly downregulated cIAP1 in colorectal cancer models, demonstrating its robust on-target efficacy. In cells co-cultured with TNFα to mimic an inflammatory tumor microenvironment, tolinapant induced caspase-8-dependent apoptosis in colorectal cancer cell line models; however, the extent of apoptosis was limited because of inhibition by the caspase-8 paralogs FLIP and, unexpectedly, caspase-10. Importantly, tolinapant-induced apoptosis was augmented by FOLFOX in human colorectal cancer and murine organoid models in vitro and in vivo, due (at least in part) to FOLFOX-induced downregulation of class I histone deacetylases (HDAC), leading to acetylation of the FLIP-binding partner Ku70 and downregulation of FLIP. Moreover, the effects of FOLFOX could be phenocopied using the clinically relevant class I HDAC inhibitor, entinostat, which also induced acetylation of Ku70 and FLIP downregulation. Further analyses revealed that caspase-8 knockout RIPK3-positive colorectal cancer models were sensitive to tolinapant-induced necroptosis, an effect that could be exploited in caspase-8-proficient models using the clinically relevant caspase inhibitor emricasan. Our study provides evidence for immediate clinical exploration of tolinapant in combination with FOLFOX in poor prognosis MSS colorectal cancer with elevated cIAP1/2 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nyree Crawford
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Katie J Stott
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Tamas Sessler
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher McCann
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - William McDaid
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Lees
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Cheryl Latimer
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer P Fox
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | | | - Tomoko Smyth
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Alpesh Shah
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Mark Lawler
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Philip D Dunne
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Emma M Kerr
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Simon S McDade
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Vicky M Coyle
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel B Longley
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
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16
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TRAIL promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition by inducing PD-L1 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2021; 40:209. [PMID: 34167551 PMCID: PMC8223376 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-01972-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Background Tumor necrosis factor-associated apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) was initially considered an immunity guard; however, its function remains controversial. Besides immune cells, lung and colon cancer cells have also been reported to express TRAIL, which can promote tumor invasion and metastasis. However, the biological function and underlying mechanism of action of TRAIL in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain poorly elucidated. Methods The ESCC cells stemness, migration, and proliferation ability was assessed by sphere formation, Transwell, and CCK8 assay. The stemness- and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)- related genes expression levels were analyzed by Western blot and RT-qPCR. The signal activation was conducted by Western blot. The xenograft mouse experiments and lung metastasis model were performed to confirm our findings in vitro. Results Herein, we found that TRAIL is a negative predictor in patients with ESCC. To further investigate the biological function of TRAIL, we established TRAIL knockdown and overexpression ESCC cell lines and found that TRAIL induced EMT and promoted tumor aggressiveness. Furthermore, we demonstrated that TRAIL- overexpressing cells upregulated PD-L1 expression, which was dependent on the p-ERK/STAT3 signaling pathway. We obtained similar results when using recombinant human TRAIL. Finally, we validated the biological role and mechanism of action of TRAIL in vivo. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that TRAIL promotes ESCC progression by enhancing PD-L1 expression, which induces EMT. This may explain the failure of TRAIL preclinical trials. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13046-021-01972-0.
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17
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Knoll G, Ehrenschwender M. The non-peptidomimetic IAP antagonist ASTX660 sensitizes colorectal cancer cells for extrinsic apoptosis. FEBS Open Bio 2021; 11:714-723. [PMID: 33484626 PMCID: PMC7931242 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis resistance worsens treatment response in cancer and is associated with poor prognosis. Inhibition of anti-apoptotic proteins can restore cell death and improve treatment efficacy. cIAP1, cIAP2, and XIAP belong to the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family and block apoptosis. Targeting IAPs with peptides or peptidomimetics mimicking the IAP-antagonizing activity of the cell's endogenous IAP antagonist SMAC (SMAC mimetics) showed promising results and fueled development of novel compounds. ASTX660 belongs to the recently introduced class of non-peptidomimetic IAP antagonists and successfully completed phase I clinical trials. However, ASTX660 has thus far only been evaluated in few cancer entities. Here, we demonstrate that ASTX660 has cell death-promoting activity in colorectal cancer and provide a head-to-head comparison with birinapant, the clinically most advanced peptidomimetic IAP antagonist. ASTX660 facilitates activation of the extrinsic apoptosis pathway upon stimulation with the death ligands TNF and TRAIL and boosts effector caspase activation and subsequent apoptosis. Mechanistically, ASTX660 enhances amplification of death receptor-generated apoptotic signals in a mitochondria-dependent manner. Failure to activate the mitochondria-associated (intrinsic) apoptosis pathway attenuated the apoptosis-promoting effect of ASTX660. Further clinical studies are warranted to highlight the therapeutic potential of ASTX660 in colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gertrud Knoll
- Institute of Clinical Microbiology and HygieneUniversity Hospital RegensburgGermany
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18
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Reneau JC, Wilcox RA. Novel therapies targeting cutaneous T cell lymphomas and their microenvironment. Semin Hematol 2021; 58:103-113. [PMID: 33906720 DOI: 10.1053/j.seminhematol.2021.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) are rare non-Hodgkin lymphomas with a generally indolent course managed with topical, skin-directed therapies. A small subset, however, will progress to advanced stage disease necessitating systemic therapy for disease control. Currently approved therapies have low response rates and generally short durations of response. Novel therapies, therefore, are urgently needed to address this unmet need. In this review, the mechanisms of CTCL pathogenesis and progression, including the role of the tumor microenvironment and molecular alterations, are summarized. Based on these biologic insights, novel therapies currently under investigation and those with a strong preclinical biologic rationale including T cell and macrophage checkpoint inhibitors, epigenetic regulators, targeted antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and apoptosis modulating therapies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Reneau
- The Ohio State University, Division of Hematology, Columbus, OH.
| | - Ryan A Wilcox
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Michigan Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI
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19
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Uzunparmak B, Gao M, Lindemann A, Erikson K, Wang L, Lin E, Frank SJ, Gleber-Netto FO, Zhao M, Skinner HD, Newton J, Sikora AG, Myers JN, Pickering CR. Caspase-8 loss radiosensitizes head and neck squamous cell carcinoma to SMAC mimetic-induced necroptosis. JCI Insight 2020; 5:139837. [PMID: 33108350 PMCID: PMC7714407 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.139837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Caspase-8 (CASP8) is one of the most frequently mutated genes in head and neck squamous carcinomas (HNSCCs), and CASP8 mutations are associated with poor survival. The distribution of these mutations in HNSCCs suggests that they are likely to be inactivating. Inhibition of CASP8 has been reported to sensitize cancer cells to necroptosis, a regulated cell death mechanism. Here, we show that knockdown of CASP8 renders HNSCCs susceptible to necroptosis by a second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase (SMAC) mimetic, birinapant, in combination with pan-caspase inhibitors Z-VAD-FMK or emricasan and radiation. In a syngeneic mouse model of oral cancer, birinapant, particularly when combined with radiation, delayed tumor growth and enhanced survival under CASP8 loss. Exploration of molecular underpinnings of necroptosis sensitivity confirmed that the level of functional receptor-interacting serine/threonine protein kinase 3 (RIP3) determines susceptibility to this mode of death. Although an in vitro screen revealed that low RIP3 levels rendered many HNSCC cell lines resistant to necroptosis, patient tumors maintained RIP3 expression and should therefore remain sensitive. Collectively, these results suggest that targeting the necroptosis pathway with SMAC mimetics, especially in combination with radiation, may be relevant therapeutically in HNSCC with compromised CASP8 status, provided that RIP3 function is maintained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burak Uzunparmak
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas USA
| | - Meng Gao
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Antje Lindemann
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Kelly Erikson
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Eric Lin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Steven J. Frank
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Frederico O. Gleber-Netto
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Mei Zhao
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Heath D. Skinner
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jared Newton
- Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Andrew G. Sikora
- Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jeffrey N. Myers
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Curtis R. Pickering
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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20
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Morgan EL, Chen Z, Van Waes C. Regulation of NFκB Signalling by Ubiquitination: A Potential Therapeutic Target in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma? Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2877. [PMID: 33036368 PMCID: PMC7601648 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12102877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide, with over 600,000 cases per year. The primary causes for HNSCC include smoking and alcohol consumption, with an increasing number of cases attributed to infection with Human Papillomavirus (HPV). The treatment options for HNSCC currently include surgery, radiotherapy, and/or platinum-based chemotherapeutics. Cetuximab (targeting EGFR) and Pembrolizumab (targeting PD-1) have been approved for advanced stage, recurrent, and/or metastatic HNSCC. Despite these advances, whilst HPV+ HNSCC has a 3-year overall survival (OS) rate of around 80%, the 3-year OS for HPV- HNSCC is still around 55%. Aberrant signal activation of transcription factor NFκB plays an important role in the pathogenesis and therapeutic resistance of HNSCC. As an important mediator of inflammatory signalling and the immune response to pathogens, the NFκB pathway is tightly regulated to prevent chronic inflammation, a key driver of tumorigenesis. Here, we discuss how NFκB signalling is regulated by the ubiquitin pathway and how this pathway is deregulated in HNSCC. Finally, we discuss the current strategies available to target the ubiquitin pathway and how this may offer a potential therapeutic benefit in HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan L. Morgan
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Zhong Chen
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
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21
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Hintelmann K, Kriegs M, Rothkamm K, Rieckmann T. Improving the Efficacy of Tumor Radiosensitization Through Combined Molecular Targeting. Front Oncol 2020; 10:1260. [PMID: 32903756 PMCID: PMC7438822 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.01260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemoradiation, either alone or in combination with surgery or induction chemotherapy, is the current standard of care for most locally advanced solid tumors. Though chemoradiation is usually performed at the maximum tolerated doses of both chemotherapy and radiation, current cure rates are not satisfactory for many tumor entities, since tumor heterogeneity and plasticity result in chemo- and radioresistance. Advances in the understanding of tumor biology, a rapidly growing number of molecular targeting agents and novel technologies enabling the in-depth characterization of individual tumors, have fuelled the hope of entering an era of precision oncology, where each tumor will be treated according to its individual characteristics and weaknesses. At present though, molecular targeting approaches in combination with radiotherapy or chemoradiation have not yet proven to be beneficial over standard chemoradiation treatment in the clinical setting. A promising approach to improve efficacy is the combined usage of two targeting agents in order to inhibit backup pathways or achieve a more complete pathway inhibition. Here we review preclinical attempts to utilize such dual targeting strategies for future tumor radiosensitization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Hintelmann
- Laboratory of Radiobiology & Experimental Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Malte Kriegs
- Laboratory of Radiobiology & Experimental Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Kai Rothkamm
- Laboratory of Radiobiology & Experimental Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Thorsten Rieckmann
- Laboratory of Radiobiology & Experimental Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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22
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Dual Targeting of the p38 MAPK-HO-1 Axis and cIAP1/XIAP by Demethoxycurcumin Triggers Caspase-Mediated Apoptotic Cell Death in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12030703. [PMID: 32188144 PMCID: PMC7140023 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12030703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Demethoxycurcumin (DMC) is a curcumin analogue with better stability and higher aqueous solubility than curcumin after oral ingestion and has the potential to treat diverse cancers, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The aim of this study was to investigate the anticancer effects and underlying mechanisms of DMC against OSCC. We found that DMC suppressed cell proliferation via simultaneously inducing G2/M-phase arrest and cell apoptosis. Mechanistic investigations found that the downregulation of cellular IAP 1 (cIAP1)/X-chromosome-linked IAP (XIAP) and upregulation of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were critical for DMC-induced caspase-8/-9/-3 activation and apoptotic cell death. Moreover, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)1/2 were activated by DMC treatment in OSCC cells, and only the inhibition of p38 MAPK significantly abolished DMC-induced HO-1 expression and caspase-8/-9/-3 activation. The analyses of clinical datasets revealed that patients with head and neck cancers expressing high HO-1 and low cIAP1 had the most favorable prognoses. Furthermore, a combinatorial treatment of DMC with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor, gefitinib, significantly enhanced the inhibitory effect of gefitinib on the proliferation of OSCC cells. Overall, the current study supported a role for DCM as part of a therapeutic approach for OSCC through suppressing IAPs and activating the p38-HO-1 axis.
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23
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Ye W, Gunti S, Allen CT, Hong Y, Clavijo PE, Van Waes C, Schmitt NC. ASTX660, an antagonist of cIAP1/2 and XIAP, increases antigen processing machinery and can enhance radiation-induced immunogenic cell death in preclinical models of head and neck cancer. Oncoimmunology 2020; 9:1710398. [PMID: 32002309 PMCID: PMC6959437 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2019.1710398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) antagonists have shown activity in preclinical models of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and work across several cancer types has demonstrated diverse immune stimulatory effects including enhancement of T cell, NK cell, and dendritic cell function. However, tumor-cell-intrinsic mechanisms for this immune upregulation have been largely unexplored. In this study, we show that ASTX660, an antagonist of cIAP1/2 and XIAP, induces expression of immunogenic cell death (ICD) markers in sensitive HNSCC cell lines in vitro. Experiments in syngeneic mouse models of HNSCC showed that ASTX660 can also enhance radiation-induced ICD in vivo. On a functional level, ASTX660 also enhanced killing of multiple murine cell lines by cytotoxic tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and when combined with XRT, stimulated clonal expansion of antigen-specific T lymphocytes and expression of MHC class I on the surface of tumor cells. Flow cytometry experiments in several human HNSCC cell lines showed that MHC class I (HLA-A,B,C) was reliably upregulated in response to ASTX660 + TNFα, while increases in other antigen processing machinery (APM) components were variable among different cell lines. These findings suggest that ASTX660 may enhance anti-tumor immunity both by promoting ICD and by enhancing antigen processing and presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenda Ye
- Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Medical Research Scholars Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sreenivasulu Gunti
- Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Clint T Allen
- Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Youji Hong
- Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Paul E Clavijo
- Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Carter Van Waes
- Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nicole C Schmitt
- Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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24
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Jabbarzadeh Kaboli P, Afzalipour Khoshkbejari M, Mohammadi M, Abiri A, Mokhtarian R, Vazifemand R, Amanollahi S, Yazdi Sani S, Li M, Zhao Y, Wu X, Shen J, Cho CH, Xiao Z. Targets and mechanisms of sulforaphane derivatives obtained from cruciferous plants with special focus on breast cancer - contradictory effects and future perspectives. Biomed Pharmacother 2019; 121:109635. [PMID: 31739165 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2019.109635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women. Therefore, discovery of new and effective drugs with fewer side effects is necessary to treat it. Sulforaphane (SFN) is an organosulfur compound obtained from cruciferous plants, such as broccoli and mustard, and it has the potential to treat breast cancer. Hence, it is vital to find out how SFN targets certain genes and cellular pathways in treating breast cancer. In this review, molecular targets and cellular pathways of SFN are described. Studies have shown SFN inhibits cell proliferation, causes apoptosis, stops cell cycle and has anti-oxidant activities. Increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) produces oxidative stress, activates inflammatory transcription factors, and these result in inflammation leading to cancer. Increasing anti-oxidant potential of cells and discovering new targets to reduce ROS creation reduces oxidative stress and it eventually reduces cancer risks. In short, SFN effectively affects histone deacetylases involved in chromatin remodeling, gene expression, and Nrf2 anti-oxidant signaling. This review points to the potential of SFN to treat breast cancer as well as the importance of other new cruciferous compounds, derived from and isolated from mustard, to target Keap1 and Akt, two key regulators of cellular homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parham Jabbarzadeh Kaboli
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, PR China; South Sichuan Institution for Translational Medicine, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, PR China; Drug Discovery Research Group, Parham Academy of Biomedical Sciences, The Heritage B-16-10, Selangor, 43300, Malaysia.
| | | | - Mahsa Mohammadi
- Department of Chemistry, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ardavan Abiri
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Roya Mokhtarian
- Drug Discovery Research Group, Parham Academy of Biomedical Sciences, The Heritage B-16-10, Selangor, 43300, Malaysia
| | - Reza Vazifemand
- Laboratory of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM Serdang, Selangor, 43400, Malaysia
| | - Shima Amanollahi
- Drug Discovery Research Group, Parham Academy of Biomedical Sciences, The Heritage B-16-10, Selangor, 43300, Malaysia; School of Mathematical, Physical, and Natural Sciences, University of Florence, Firenze, 50134, Italy
| | - Shaghayegh Yazdi Sani
- Drug Discovery Research Group, Parham Academy of Biomedical Sciences, The Heritage B-16-10, Selangor, 43300, Malaysia
| | - Mingxing Li
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, PR China; South Sichuan Institution for Translational Medicine, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Yueshui Zhao
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, PR China; South Sichuan Institution for Translational Medicine, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Xu Wu
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, PR China; South Sichuan Institution for Translational Medicine, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Jing Shen
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, PR China; South Sichuan Institution for Translational Medicine, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Chi Hin Cho
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, PR China; South Sichuan Institution for Translational Medicine, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Zhangang Xiao
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, PR China; South Sichuan Institution for Translational Medicine, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, PR China.
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25
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Yang X, Cheng H, Chen J, Wang R, Saleh A, Si H, Lee S, Guven-Maiorov E, Keskin O, Gursoy A, Nussinov R, Fang J, Van Waes C, Chen Z. Head and Neck Cancers Promote an Inflammatory Transcriptome through Coactivation of Classic and Alternative NF-κB Pathways. Cancer Immunol Res 2019; 7:1760-1774. [PMID: 31624067 PMCID: PMC6941750 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-18-0832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Revised: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) promote inflammation in the tumor microenvironment through aberrant NF-κB activation, but the genomic alterations and pathway networks that modulate NF-κB signaling have not been fully dissected. Here, we analyzed genome and transcriptome alterations of 279 HNSCC specimens from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort and identified 61 genes involved in NF-κB and inflammatory pathways. The top 30 altered genes were distributed across 96% of HNSCC samples, and their expression was often correlated with genomic copy-number alterations (CNA). Ten of the amplified genes were associated with human papilloma virus (HPV) status. We sequenced 15 HPV- and 11 HPV+ human HNSCC cell lines, and three oral mucosa keratinocyte lines, and supervised clustering revealed that 28 of 61 genes exhibit altered expression patterns concordant with HNSCC tissues and distinct signatures related to their HPV status. RNAi screening using an NF-κB reporter line identified 16 genes that are induced by TNFα or Lymphotoxin-β (LTβ) and implicated in the classic and/or alternative NF-κB pathways. Knockdown of TNFR, LTBR, or selected downstream signaling components established cross-talk between the classic and alternative NF-κB pathways. TNFα and LTβ induced differential gene expression involving the NF-κB, IFNγ, and STAT pathways, inflammatory cytokines, and metastasis-related genes. Improved survival was observed in HNSCC patients with elevated gene expression in T-cell activation, immune checkpoints, and IFNγ and STAT pathways. These gene signatures of NF-κB activation, which modulate inflammation and responses to the immune therapy, could serve as potential biomarkers in future clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinping Yang
- Tumor Biology Section and Clinical Genomics Unit, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Hui Cheng
- Tumor Biology Section and Clinical Genomics Unit, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jianhong Chen
- Tumor Biology Section and Clinical Genomics Unit, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Ru Wang
- Tumor Biology Section and Clinical Genomics Unit, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Anthony Saleh
- Tumor Biology Section and Clinical Genomics Unit, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Han Si
- Tumor Biology Section and Clinical Genomics Unit, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Steven Lee
- Tumor Biology Section and Clinical Genomics Unit, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Emine Guven-Maiorov
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ozlem Keskin
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey
- Koc University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Attila Gursoy
- Department of Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey
- Koc University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Jugao Fang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Carter Van Waes
- Tumor Biology Section and Clinical Genomics Unit, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
| | - Zhong Chen
- Tumor Biology Section and Clinical Genomics Unit, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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