Adenosine A2A and Beta-2 Adrenergic Receptor Agonists: Novel Selective and Synergistic Multiple Myeloma Targets Discovered through Systematic Combination Screening

Autonomic nervous system control of multiple myeloma

The autonomic nervous system (ANS), which consists of antagonistic sympathetic (adrenergic) and parasympathetic (cholinergic) arms, has emerged as an important regulator of neoplastic development, yet little is known about its role in multiple myeloma (MM). Clinical findings that anti-adrenergic β-blocker intake reduces risk of disease-specific death and overall mortality in patients with MM have indicated that adrenergic input may worsen myeloma outcome. However, preclinical studies using β-adrenergic receptor agonists or antagonists produced controversial results as to whether sympathetic pathways promote or inhibit myeloma. Retrospective outcome data demonstrating that high message levels of cholinergic receptor genes predict inferior survival in the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation CoMMpass trial suggest that parasympathetic input may drive myeloma progression in a subset of patients. Here we review the ill-defined role of the ANS in MM, put myeloma in the context of other cancers, and discuss knowledge gaps that may afford exciting research opportunities going forward.

The potentials of immune checkpoints for the treatment of blood malignancies

Immune checkpoints are the regulators of the immune system, which include stimulatory and inhibitory receptors. They play substantial roles in the maintenance of immune system homeostasis and the prevention of autoimmunity and cancer. In the current review, immune checkpoints roles are surveyed in the initiation, progression, and treatment of blood malignancies. The significant roles of immune checkpoints are discussed as clinical markers in the diagnosis and prognosis of a plethora of blood malignancies and also as potential targets for the treatment of these malignancies. It could be concluded that the regulation of immune checkpoints in various blood cancers can be employed as a novel strategy to obtain effective results in leukemia treatment and introduce immune checkpoint inhibitors as sufficient weapons against blood cancers in the future.

Drug repurposing in oncology--patient and health systems opportunities

In most countries, healthcare service budgets are not likely to support the current explosion in the cost of new oncology drugs. Repurposing the large arsenal of approved, non-anticancer drugs is an attractive strategy to offer more-effective options to patients with cancer, and has the substantial advantages of cheaper, faster and safer preclinical and clinical validation protocols. The potential benefits are so relevant that funding of academically and/or independently driven preclinical and clinical research programmes should be considered at both national and international levels. To date, successes in oncology drug repurposing have been limited, despite strong evidence supporting the use of many different drugs. A lack of financial incentives for drug developers and limited drug development experience within the non-profit sector are key reasons for this lack of success. We discuss these issues and offer solutions to finally seize this opportunity in the interest of patients and societies, globally.

The natural compound forskolin synergizes with dexamethasone to induce cell death in myeloma cells via BIM

We have previously demonstrated that activation of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) pathway kills multiple myeloma (MM) cells both in vitro and in vivo. In the present study we have investigated the potential of enhancing the killing of MM cell lines and primary MM cells by combining the cAMP-elevating compound forskolin with the commonly used MM therapeutic drugs melphalan, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, bortezomib and dexamethasone. We observed that forskolin potentiated the killing induced by all the tested agents as compared to treatment with the single agents alone. In particular, forskolin had a synergistic effect on the dexamethasone-responsive cell lines H929 and OM-2. By knocking down the proapoptotic BCL-2 family member BIM, we proved this protein to be involved in the synergistic induction of apoptosis by dexamethasone and forskolin. The ability of forskolin to maintain the killing of MM cells even at lower concentrations of the conventional agents suggests that forskolin may be used to diminish treatment-associated side effects. Our findings support a potential role of forskolin in combination with current conventional agents in the treatment of MM.

Combining AZD8931, a novel EGFR/HER2/HER3 signalling inhibitor, with AZD5363 limits AKT inhibitor induced feedback and enhances antitumour efficacy in HER2-amplified breast cancer models

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling network is frequently de-regulated in breast cancer and has been shown to mediate resistance to anti-HER2 agents. Whilst constitutive activation of this pathway is emerging as a marker of sensitivity to various PI3K pathway inhibitors, activity of these agents in the clinic may be limited by the presence of feedback loops, leading to reactivation of receptor tyrosine kinases, such as HER2/HER3. To determine whether inhibition of HER2 could increase the efficacy of AZD5363, a novel AKT inhibitor, a panel of breast cancer cells was dosed with AZD5363 in combination with AZD8931, an inhibitor of EGFR/HER2/HER3 signalling. We show that the combined treatment resulted in synergistic growth inhibition and enhanced cell death, specifically in the HER2-amplified cell lines. Investigation of the mechanism by western blot analysis revealed that the addition of AZD8931 prevented the induction of HER2/HER3 phosphorylation induced by AZD5363 and resulted in concomitant inhibition of both the PI3K/AKT/mTOR and ERK signalling pathways and induction of apoptosis. Using the HCC1954 xenograft model, which is resistant to trastuzumab, we show that the combination of AZD5363 and AZD8931 is more efficacious than either agent alone, resulting in profound tumour regressions. We conclude that the activity of AZD5363 in HER2-amplified breast cancer cells is enhanced by the addition of AZD8931 and that dual targeting of AKT and EGFR/HER2/HER3 signalling is an attractive treatment option to be explored in the clinic.

Purinergic signalling and cancer

Receptors for extracellular nucleotides are widely expressed by mammalian cells. They mediate a large array of responses ranging from growth stimulation to apoptosis, from chemotaxis to cell differentiation and from nociception to cytokine release, as well as neurotransmission. Pharma industry is involved in the development and clinical testing of drugs selectively targeting the different P1 nucleoside and P2 nucleotide receptor subtypes. As described in detail in the present review, P2 receptors are expressed by all tumours, in some cases to a very high level. Activation or inhibition of selected P2 receptor subtypes brings about cancer cell death or growth inhibition. The field has been largely neglected by current research in oncology, yet the evidence presented in this review, most of which is based on in vitro studies, although with a limited amount from in vivo experiments and human studies, warrants further efforts to explore the therapeutic potential of purinoceptor targeting in cancer.

Challenges and opportunities of drug repositioning

Drug repositioning is an innovation stream of pharmaceutical development that offers advantages for drug developers along with safer medicines for patients. Several drugs have been successfully repositioned to a new indication, with the most prominent of them being viagra and thalidomide, which have generated historically high revenues. In line with these developments, most of the recent articles and reviews on repositioning are focused on success stories, leaving behind the challenges that repositioned compounds have on the way to the clinic. Here, I analyze repositioning as a business opportunity for pharmaceutical companies, weighing both challenges and opportunities of repositioning. In addition, I suggest extended profiling as a lower-risk cost-effective repositioning model for pharmaceutical companies and elucidate the novel collaborative business opportunities that help to realize repositioning of shelved and marketed compounds.

Production of adenosine by ectonucleotidases: a key factor in tumor immunoescape

It is now well known that tumor immunosurveillance contributes to the control of cancer growth. Many mechanisms can be used by cancer cells to avoid the antitumor immune response. One such mechanism relies on the capacity of cancer cells or more generally of the tumor microenvironment to generate adenosine, a major molecule involved in antitumor T cell response suppression. Adenosine is generated by the dephosphorylation of extracellular ATP released by dying tumor cells. The conversion of ATP into adenosine is mediated by ectonucleotidase molecules, namely, CD73 and CD39. These molecules are frequently expressed in the tumor bed by a wide range of cells including tumor cells, regulatory T cells, Th17 cells, myeloid cells, and stromal cells. Recent evidence suggests that targeting adenosine by inhibiting ectonucleotidases may restore the resident antitumor immune response or enhance the efficacy of antitumor therapies. This paper will underline the impact of adenosine and ectonucleotidases on the antitumor response.