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Yongprayoon V, Wattanakul N, Khomate W, Apithanangsiri N, Kasitipradit T, Nantajit D, Tavassoli M. Targeting BRD4: Potential therapeutic strategy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (Review). Oncol Rep 2024; 51:74. [PMID: 38606512 DOI: 10.3892/or.2024.8733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
As a member of BET (bromodomain and extra-terminal) protein family, BRD4 (bromodomain‑containing protein 4) is a chromatin‑associated protein that interacts with acetylated histones and actively recruits regulatory proteins, leading to the modulation of gene expression and chromatin remodeling. The cellular and epigenetic functions of BRD4 implicate normal development, fibrosis and inflammation. BRD4 has been suggested as a potential therapeutic target as it is often overexpressed and plays a critical role in regulating gene expression programs that drive tumor cell proliferation, survival, migration and drug resistance. To address the roles of BRD4 in cancer, several drugs that specifically target BRD4 have been developed. Inhibition of BRD4 has shown promising results in preclinical models, with several BRD4 inhibitors undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of various cancers. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), a heterogeneous group of cancers, remains a health challenge with a high incidence rate and poor prognosis. Conventional therapies for HNSCC often cause adverse effects to the patients. Targeting BRD4, therefore, represents a promising strategy to sensitize HNSCC to chemo‑ and radiotherapy allowing de‑intensification of the current therapeutic regime and subsequent reduced side effects. However, further studies are required to fully understand the underlying mechanisms of action of BRD4 in HNSCC in order to determine the optimal dosing and administration of BRD4‑targeted drugs for the treatment of patients with HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Voraporn Yongprayoon
- Princess Srisavangavadhana College of Medicine, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok 10210, Thailand
| | - Napasporn Wattanakul
- Princess Srisavangavadhana College of Medicine, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok 10210, Thailand
| | - Winnada Khomate
- Princess Srisavangavadhana College of Medicine, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok 10210, Thailand
| | - Nathakrit Apithanangsiri
- Princess Srisavangavadhana College of Medicine, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok 10210, Thailand
| | - Tarathip Kasitipradit
- Princess Srisavangavadhana College of Medicine, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok 10210, Thailand
| | - Danupon Nantajit
- Princess Srisavangavadhana College of Medicine, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok 10210, Thailand
| | - Mahvash Tavassoli
- Centre for Host Microbiome Interactions, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
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2
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Deutzmann A, Sullivan DK, Dhanasekaran R, Li W, Chen X, Tong L, Mahauad-Fernandez WD, Bell J, Mosley A, Koehler AN, Li Y, Felsher DW. Nuclear to cytoplasmic transport is a druggable dependency in MYC-driven hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Commun 2024; 15:963. [PMID: 38302473 PMCID: PMC10834515 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45128-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The MYC oncogene is often dysregulated in human cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MYC is considered undruggable to date. Here, we comprehensively identify genes essential for survival of MYChigh but not MYClow cells by a CRISPR/Cas9 genome-wide screen in a MYC-conditional HCC model. Our screen uncovers novel MYC synthetic lethal (MYC-SL) interactions and identifies most MYC-SL genes described previously. In particular, the screen reveals nucleocytoplasmic transport to be a MYC-SL interaction. We show that the majority of MYC-SL nucleocytoplasmic transport genes are upregulated in MYChigh murine HCC and are associated with poor survival in HCC patients. Inhibiting Exportin-1 (XPO1) in vivo induces marked tumor regression in an autochthonous MYC-transgenic HCC model and inhibits tumor growth in HCC patient-derived xenografts. XPO1 expression is associated with poor prognosis only in HCC patients with high MYC activity. We infer that MYC may generally regulate and require altered expression of nucleocytoplasmic transport genes for tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Deutzmann
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Delaney K Sullivan
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Renumathy Dhanasekaran
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, 20012, USA
- Department of Genomics and Precision Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20012, USA
| | - Xinyu Chen
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Ling Tong
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | | | - John Bell
- Stanford Genome Technology Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Adriane Mosley
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Angela N Koehler
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Yulin Li
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Institute for Academic Medicine, Houston Methodist and Weill Cornell Medical College, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Dean W Felsher
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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3
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Stip MC, Teeuwen L, Dierselhuis MP, Leusen JHW, Krijgsman D. Targeting the myeloid microenvironment in neuroblastoma. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2023; 42:337. [PMID: 38087370 PMCID: PMC10716967 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02913-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Myeloid cells (granulocytes and monocytes/macrophages) play an important role in neuroblastoma. By inducing a complex immunosuppressive network, myeloid cells pose a challenge for the adaptive immune system to eliminate tumor cells, especially in high-risk neuroblastoma. This review first summarizes the pro- and anti-tumorigenic functions of myeloid cells, including granulocytes, monocytes, macrophages, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) during the development and progression of neuroblastoma. Secondly, we discuss how myeloid cells are engaged in the current treatment regimen and explore novel strategies to target these cells in neuroblastoma. These strategies include: (1) engaging myeloid cells as effector cells, (2) ablating myeloid cells or blocking the recruitment of myeloid cells to the tumor microenvironment and (3) reprogramming myeloid cells. Here we describe that despite their immunosuppressive traits, tumor-associated myeloid cells can still be engaged as effector cells, which is clear in anti-GD2 immunotherapy. However, their full potential is not yet reached, and myeloid cell engagement can be enhanced, for example by targeting the CD47/SIRPα axis. Though depletion of myeloid cells or blocking myeloid cell infiltration has been proven effective, this strategy also depletes possible effector cells for immunotherapy from the tumor microenvironment. Therefore, reprogramming of suppressive myeloid cells might be the optimal strategy, which reverses immunosuppressive traits, preserves myeloid cells as effectors of immunotherapy, and subsequently reactivates tumor-infiltrating T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjolein C Stip
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Loes Teeuwen
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Jeanette H W Leusen
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Daniëlle Krijgsman
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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4
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Xu Y, He Z, Du J, Chen Z, Creemers JWM, Wang B, Li F, Wang Y. Epigenetic modulations of immune cells: from normal development to tumor progression. Int J Biol Sci 2023; 19:5120-5144. [PMID: 37928272 PMCID: PMC10620821 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.88327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The dysfunction of immune cell development often impairs immunological homeostasis, thus causing various human diseases. Accumulating evidence shows that the development of different immune cells from hematopoietic stem cells are highly fine-tuned by different epigenetic mechanisms including DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling and RNA-related regulations. Understanding how epigenetic regulators modulate normal development of immune cells contributes to the identification of new strategies for various diseases. Here, we review recent advances suggesting that epigenetic modulations can orchestrate immune cell development and functions through their impact on critical gene expression. We also discuss the aberrations of epigenetic modulations in immune cells that influence tumor progression, and the fact that underlying mechanisms affect how epigenetic drugs interfere with tumor progression in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanchun Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of nursing, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zongsheng He
- Department of Gastroenterology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jing Du
- Department of General Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ziqiang Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | | | - Bin Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Fan Li
- Department of General Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yaling Wang
- Department of nursing, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
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5
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Rohila D, Park IH, Pham TV, Weitz J, Hurtado de Mendoza T, Madheswaran S, Ishfaq M, Beaman C, Tapia E, Sun S, Patel J, Tamayo P, Lowy AM, Joshi S. Syk Inhibition Reprograms Tumor-Associated Macrophages and Overcomes Gemcitabine-Induced Immunosuppression in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Cancer Res 2023; 83:2675-2689. [PMID: 37306759 PMCID: PMC10416758 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-3645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an insidious disease with a low 5-year survival rate. PDAC is characterized by infiltration of abundant tumor-associated macrophages (TAM), which promote immune tolerance and immunotherapeutic resistance. Here we report that macrophage spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) promotes PDAC growth and metastasis. In orthotopic PDAC mouse models, genetic deletion of myeloid Syk reprogrammed macrophages into immunostimulatory phenotype, increased the infiltration, proliferation, and cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells, and repressed PDAC growth and metastasis. Furthermore, gemcitabine (Gem) treatment induced an immunosuppressive microenvironment in PDAC by promoting protumorigenic polarization of macrophages. In contrast, treatment with the FDA-approved Syk inhibitor R788 (fostamatinib) remodeled the tumor immune microenvironment, "re-educated" protumorigenic macrophages towards an immunostimulatory phenotype and boosted CD8+ T-cell responses in Gem-treated PDAC in orthotopic mouse models and an ex vivo human pancreatic slice culture model. These findings illustrate the potential of Syk inhibition for enhancing the antitumor immune responses in PDAC and support the clinical evaluation of R788 either alone or together with Gem as a potential treatment strategy for PDAC. SIGNIFICANCE Syk blockade induces macrophage polarization to an immunostimulatory phenotype, which enhances CD8+ T-cell responses and improves gemcitabine efficacy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, a clinically challenging malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepak Rohila
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - In Hwan Park
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Timothy V. Pham
- Office of Cancer Genomics, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Jonathan Weitz
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, California
| | | | - Suresh Madheswaran
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Mehreen Ishfaq
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Cooper Beaman
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Elisabette Tapia
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Siming Sun
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Jay Patel
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Pablo Tamayo
- Office of Cancer Genomics, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Andrew M. Lowy
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Shweta Joshi
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, California
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6
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Ren R, Xiong C, Ma R, Wang Y, Yue T, Yu J, Shao B. The recent progress of myeloid-derived suppressor cell and its targeted therapies in cancers. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e323. [PMID: 37547175 PMCID: PMC10397484 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are an immature group of myeloid-derived cells generated from myeloid cell precursors in the bone marrow. MDSCs appear almost exclusively in pathological conditions, such as tumor progression and various inflammatory diseases. The leading function of MDSCs is their immunosuppressive ability, which plays a crucial role in tumor progression and metastasis through their immunosuppressive effects. Since MDSCs have specific molecular features, and only a tiny amount exists in physiological conditions, MDSC-targeted therapy has become a promising research direction for tumor treatment with minimal side effects. In this review, we briefly introduce the classification, generation and maturation process, and features of MDSCs, and detail their functions under various circumstances. The present review specifically demonstrates the environmental specificity of MDSCs, highlighting the differences between MDSCs from cancer and healthy individuals, as well as tumor-infiltrating MDSCs and circulating MDSCs. Then, we further describe recent advances in MDSC-targeted therapies. The existing and potential targeted drugs are divided into three categories, monoclonal antibodies, small-molecular inhibitors, and peptides. Their targeting mechanisms and characteristics have been summarized respectively. We believe that a comprehensive in-depth understanding of MDSC-targeted therapy could provide more possibilities for the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiyang Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesDepartment of OrthodonticsWest China Hospital of StomatologySichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Chenyi Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesWest China Hospital of StomatologySichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Runyu Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesWest China Hospital of StomatologySichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Yixuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesWest China Hospital of StomatologySichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Tianyang Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesWest China Hospital of StomatologySichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Jiayun Yu
- Department of RadiotherapyCancer Center and State Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Bin Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesWest China Hospital of StomatologySichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
- State Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
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7
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Pan Z, Zhao Y, Wang X, Xie X, Liu M, Zhang K, Wang L, Bai D, Foster LJ, Shu R, He G. Targeting bromodomain-containing proteins: research advances of drug discovery. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2023; 4:13. [PMID: 37142850 PMCID: PMC10159834 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-023-00127-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Bromodomain (BD) is an evolutionarily conserved protein module found in 46 different BD-containing proteins (BCPs). BD acts as a specific reader for acetylated lysine residues (KAc) and serves an essential role in transcriptional regulation, chromatin remodeling, DNA damage repair, and cell proliferation. On the other hand, BCPs have been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases, including cancers, inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, and viral infections. Over the past decade, researchers have brought new therapeutic strategies to relevant diseases by inhibiting the activity or downregulating the expression of BCPs to interfere with the transcription of pathogenic genes. An increasing number of potent inhibitors and degraders of BCPs have been developed, some of which are already in clinical trials. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive review of recent advances in the study of drugs that inhibit or down-regulate BCPs, focusing on the development history, molecular structure, biological activity, interaction with BCPs and therapeutic potentials of these drugs. In addition, we discuss current challenges, issues to be addressed and future research directions for the development of BCPs inhibitors. Lessons learned from the successful or unsuccessful development experiences of these inhibitors or degraders will facilitate the further development of efficient, selective and less toxic inhibitors of BCPs and eventually achieve drug application in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoping Pan
- Department of Dermatology & Venerology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
- Laboratory of Dermatology, Clinical Institute of Inflammation and Immunology (CIII), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yuxi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, Department of Orthodontics and Pediatrics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiaoyun Wang
- Department of Dermatology & Venerology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
- Laboratory of Dermatology, Clinical Institute of Inflammation and Immunology (CIII), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xin Xie
- College of Medical Technology and School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Mingxia Liu
- Department of Dermatology & Venerology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Kaiyao Zhang
- Department of Dermatology & Venerology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Lian Wang
- Department of Dermatology & Venerology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Ding Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, Department of Orthodontics and Pediatrics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Leonard J Foster
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Rui Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, Department of Orthodontics and Pediatrics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Gu He
- Department of Dermatology & Venerology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China.
- Laboratory of Dermatology, Clinical Institute of Inflammation and Immunology (CIII), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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8
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When Just One Phosphate Is One Too Many: The Multifaceted Interplay between Myc and Kinases. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054746. [PMID: 36902175 PMCID: PMC10003727 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Myc transcription factors are key regulators of many cellular processes, with Myc target genes crucially implicated in the management of cell proliferation and stem pluripotency, energy metabolism, protein synthesis, angiogenesis, DNA damage response, and apoptosis. Given the wide involvement of Myc in cellular dynamics, it is not surprising that its overexpression is frequently associated with cancer. Noteworthy, in cancer cells where high Myc levels are maintained, the overexpression of Myc-associated kinases is often observed and required to foster tumour cells' proliferation. A mutual interplay exists between Myc and kinases: the latter, which are Myc transcriptional targets, phosphorylate Myc, allowing its transcriptional activity, highlighting a clear regulatory loop. At the protein level, Myc activity and turnover is also tightly regulated by kinases, with a finely tuned balance between translation and rapid protein degradation. In this perspective, we focus on the cross-regulation of Myc and its associated protein kinases underlying similar and redundant mechanisms of regulation at different levels, from transcriptional to post-translational events. Furthermore, a review of the indirect effects of known kinase inhibitors on Myc provides an opportunity to identify alternative and combined therapeutic approaches for cancer treatment.
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Coşkun GP, Sahin Z, Erdoğan Ö, Çevik Ö, Biltekin SN, Yurttas L, Berk B, Ülgen M, Demirayak Ş. Discovery of novel potent human chondrosarcoma (SW1353) inhibitors: 4-(2/3/4-pyridyl)thiazole 2-acetamide derivatives. J Mol Struct 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2022.134260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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10
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Tien FM, Lu HH, Lin SY, Tsai HC. Epigenetic remodeling of the immune landscape in cancer: therapeutic hurdles and opportunities. J Biomed Sci 2023; 30:3. [PMID: 36627707 PMCID: PMC9832644 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-022-00893-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumor immune microenvironment represents a sophisticated ecosystem where various immune cell subtypes communicate with cancer cells and stromal cells. The dynamic cellular composition and functional characteristics of the immune landscape along the trajectory of cancer development greatly impact the therapeutic efficacy and clinical outcome in patients receiving systemic antitumor therapy. Mounting evidence has suggested that epigenetic mechanisms are the underpinning of many aspects of antitumor immunity and facilitate immune state transitions during differentiation, activation, inhibition, or dysfunction. Thus, targeting epigenetic modifiers to remodel the immune microenvironment holds great potential as an integral part of anticancer regimens. In this review, we summarize the epigenetic profiles and key epigenetic modifiers in individual immune cell types that define the functional coordinates of tumor permissive and non-permissive immune landscapes. We discuss the immunomodulatory roles of current and prospective epigenetic therapeutic agents, which may open new opportunities in enhancing cancer immunotherapy or overcoming existing therapeutic challenges in the management of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Ming Tien
- grid.412094.a0000 0004 0572 7815Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, 100225 Taiwan ,grid.19188.390000 0004 0546 0241Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 100233 Taiwan
| | - Hsuan-Hsuan Lu
- grid.412094.a0000 0004 0572 7815Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, 100225 Taiwan ,grid.412094.a0000 0004 0572 7815Center for Frontier Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, 100225 Taiwan
| | - Shu-Yung Lin
- grid.412094.a0000 0004 0572 7815Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, 100225 Taiwan ,grid.19188.390000 0004 0546 0241Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 100233 Taiwan
| | - Hsing-Chen Tsai
- grid.412094.a0000 0004 0572 7815Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, 100225 Taiwan ,grid.19188.390000 0004 0546 0241Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 100233 Taiwan ,grid.412094.a0000 0004 0572 7815Center for Frontier Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, 100225 Taiwan ,grid.19188.390000 0004 0546 0241Graduate Institute of Toxicology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 1 Jen Ai Road Section 1, Rm542, Taipei, 100233 Taiwan ,grid.412094.a0000 0004 0572 7815Department of Medical Research, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, 100225 Taiwan
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11
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van der Noord VE, van de Water B, Le Dévédec SE. Targeting the Heterogeneous Genomic Landscape in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer through Inhibitors of the Transcriptional Machinery. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:4353. [PMID: 36139513 PMCID: PMC9496798 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14184353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer defined by lack of the estrogen, progesterone and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. Although TNBC tumors contain a wide variety of oncogenic mutations and copy number alterations, the direct targeting of these alterations has failed to substantially improve therapeutic efficacy. This efficacy is strongly limited by interpatient and intratumor heterogeneity, and thereby a lack in uniformity of targetable drivers. Most of these genetic abnormalities eventually drive specific transcriptional programs, which may be a general underlying vulnerability. Currently, there are multiple selective inhibitors, which target the transcriptional machinery through transcriptional cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) 7, 8, 9, 12 and 13 and bromodomain extra-terminal motif (BET) proteins, including BRD4. In this review, we discuss how inhibitors of the transcriptional machinery can effectively target genetic abnormalities in TNBC, and how these abnormalities can influence sensitivity to these inhibitors. These inhibitors target the genomic landscape in TNBC by specifically suppressing MYC-driven transcription, inducing further DNA damage, improving anti-cancer immunity, and preventing drug resistance against MAPK and PI3K-targeted therapies. Because the transcriptional machinery enables transcription and propagation of multiple cancer drivers, it may be a promising target for (combination) treatment, especially of heterogeneous malignancies, including TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sylvia E. Le Dévédec
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
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12
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Pu Y, Ji Q. Tumor-Associated Macrophages Regulate PD-1/PD-L1 Immunosuppression. Front Immunol 2022; 13:874589. [PMID: 35592338 PMCID: PMC9110638 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.874589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) or anti-PD-ligand (L) 1 drugs, as classic immune checkpoint inhibitors, are considered promising treatment strategies for tumors. In clinical practice, some cancer patients experience drug resistance and disease progression in the process of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play key roles in regulating PD-1/PD-L1 immunosuppression by inhibiting the recruitment and function of T cells through cytokines, superficial immune checkpoint ligands, and exosomes. There are several therapies available to recover the anticancer efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors by targeting TAMs, including the inhibition of TAM differentiation and re-education of TAM activation. In this review, we will summarize the roles and mechanisms of TAMs in PD-1/PD-L1 blocker resistance. Furthermore, we will discuss the therapies that were designed to deplete TAMs, re-educate TAMs, and intervene with chemokines secreted by TAMs and exosomes from M1 macrophages, providing more potential options to improve the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunzhou Pu
- Department of Medical Oncology and Cancer Institute, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qing Ji
- Department of Medical Oncology and Cancer Institute, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Reinfeld BI, Rathmell WK, Kim TK, Rathmell JC. The therapeutic implications of immunosuppressive tumor aerobic glycolysis. Cell Mol Immunol 2022; 19:46-58. [PMID: 34239083 PMCID: PMC8752729 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-021-00727-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In 2011, Hanahan and Weinberg added "Deregulating Cellular Energetics" and "Avoiding Immune Destruction" to the six previous hallmarks of cancer. Since this seminal paper, there has been a growing consensus that these new hallmarks are not mutually exclusive but rather interdependent. The following review summarizes how founding genetic events for tumorigenesis ultimately increase tumor cell glycolysis, which not only supports the metabolic demands of malignancy but also provides an immunoprotective niche, promoting malignant cell proliferation, maintenance and progression. The mechanisms by which altered metabolism contributes to immune impairment are multifactorial: (1) the metabolic demands of proliferating tumor cells and activated immune cells are similar, thus creating a situation where immune cells may be in competition for key nutrients; (2) the metabolic byproducts of aerobic glycolysis directly inhibit antitumor immunity while promoting a regulatory immune phenotype; and (3) the gene programs associated with the upregulation of glycolysis also result in the generation of immunosuppressive cytokines and metabolites. From this perspective, we shed light on important considerations for the development of new classes of agents targeting cancer metabolism. These types of therapies can impair tumor growth but also pose a significant risk of stifling antitumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley I. Reinfeld
- grid.412807.80000 0004 1936 9916Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
| | - W. Kimryn Rathmell
- grid.412807.80000 0004 1936 9916Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
| | - Tae Kon Kim
- grid.412807.80000 0004 1936 9916Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
| | - Jeffrey C. Rathmell
- grid.412807.80000 0004 1936 9916Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN USA
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14
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Ruan Y, Kim HN, Ogana HA, Wan Z, Hurwitz S, Nichols C, Abdel-Azim N, Coba A, Seo S, Loh YHE, Gang EJ, Abdel-Azim H, Hsieh CL, Lieber MR, Parekh C, Pal D, Bhojwani D, Durden DL, Kim YM. Preclinical Evaluation of a Novel Dual Targeting PI3Kδ/BRD4 Inhibitor, SF2535, in B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Front Oncol 2021; 11:766888. [PMID: 34926269 PMCID: PMC8671162 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.766888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The PI3K/Akt pathway—and in particular PI3Kδ—is known for its role in drug resistant B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and it is often upregulated in refractory or relapsed B-ALL. Myc proteins are transcription factors responsible for transcribing pro-proliferative genes and c-Myc is often overexpressed in cancers. The chromatin regulator BRD4 is required for expression of c-Myc in hematologic malignancies including B-ALL. Previously, combination of BRD4 and PI3K inhibition with SF2523 was shown to successfully decrease Myc expression. However, the underlying mechanism and effect of dual inhibition of PI3Kδ/BRD4 in B-ALL remains unknown. To study this, we utilized SF2535, a novel small molecule dual inhibitor which can specifically target the PI3Kδ isoform and BRD4. We treated primary B-ALL cells with various concentrations of SF2535 and studied its effect on specific pharmacological on-target mechanisms such as apoptosis, cell cycle, cell proliferation, and adhesion molecules expression usingin vitro and in vivo models. SF2535 significantly downregulates both c-Myc mRNA and protein expression through inhibition of BRD4 at the c-Myc promoter site and decreases p-AKT expression through inhibition of the PI3Kδ/AKT pathway. SF2535 induced apoptosis in B-ALL by downregulation of BCL-2 and increased cleavage of caspase-3, caspase-7, and PARP. Moreover, SF2535 induced cell cycle arrest and decreased cell counts in B-ALL. Interestingly, SF2535 decreased the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of integrin α4, α5, α6, and β1 while increasing MFI of CXCR4, indicating that SF2535 may work through inside-out signaling of integrins. Taken together, our data provide a rationale for the clinical evaluation of targeting PI3Kδ/BRD4 in refractory or relapsed B-ALL using SF2535.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongsheng Ruan
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hye Na Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Heather A. Ogana
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Zesheng Wan
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Samantha Hurwitz
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Cydney Nichols
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Nour Abdel-Azim
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Ariana Coba
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Seyoung Seo
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Yong-Hwee Eddie Loh
- University of Southern California (USC) Libraries Bioinformatics Services, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Eun Ji Gang
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Hisham Abdel-Azim
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Chih-Lin Hsieh
- University of Southern California (USC) Department of Urology, University of Southern California (USC) Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Michael R. Lieber
- University of Southern California (USC) Department of Pathology, University of Southern California (USC) Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Chintan Parekh
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Dhananjaya Pal
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Deepa Bhojwani
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Donald L. Durden
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
- SignalRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Yong-Mi Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Yong-Mi Kim,
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15
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Feng L, Wang G, Chen Y, He G, Liu B, Liu J, Chiang CM, Ouyang L. Dual-target inhibitors of bromodomain and extra-terminal proteins in cancer: A review from medicinal chemistry perspectives. Med Res Rev 2021; 42:710-743. [PMID: 34633088 DOI: 10.1002/med.21859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4), as the most studied member of the bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) family, is a chromatin reader protein interpreting epigenetic codes through binding to acetylated histones and non-histone proteins, thereby regulating diverse cellular processes including cell cycle, cell differentiation, and cell proliferation. As a promising drug target, BRD4 function is closely related to cancer, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and liver fibrosis. Currently, clinical resistance to BET inhibitors has limited their applications but synergistic antitumor effects have been observed when used in combination with other tumor inhibitors targeting additional cellular components such as PLK1, HDAC, CDK, and PARP1. Therefore, designing dual-target inhibitors of BET bromodomains is a rational strategy in cancer treatment to increase potency and reduce drug resistance. This review summarizes the protein structures and biological functions of BRD4 and discusses recent advances of dual BET inhibitors from a medicinal chemistry perspective. We also discuss the current design and discovery strategies for dual BET inhibitors, providing insight into potential discovery of additional dual-target BET inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Guan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
| | - Gu He
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jie Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Cheng-Ming Chiang
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Liang Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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16
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Jin W, Tan H, Wu J, He G, Liu B. Dual-target inhibitors of bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) in cancer therapy: Current situation and future directions. Drug Discov Today 2021; 27:246-256. [PMID: 34438075 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) is emerging as a therapeutic target that acts synergistically with other targets of small-molecule drugs in cancer. Therefore, the discovery of potential new dual-target inhibitors of BRD4 may be a promising strategy for cancer therapy. In this review, we highlight a series of strategies to design therapeutic dual-target inhibitors of BRD4 that focus on the synergistic functions of this protein. Drug combinations that exploit synthetic lethality, protein-protein interactions, functional complementarity, and blocking of resistance mechanisms could ultimately overcome the barriers inherent to the development of BRD4 inhibitors as future cancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenke Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Huidan Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Junhao Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Gu He
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Bo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
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17
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The Role of Non-Coding RNAs in the Regulation of the Proto-Oncogene MYC in Different Types of Cancer. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9080921. [PMID: 34440124 PMCID: PMC8389562 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9080921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Alterations in the expression level of the MYC gene are often found in the cells of various malignant tumors. Overexpressed MYC has been shown to stimulate the main processes of oncogenesis: uncontrolled growth, unlimited cell divisions, avoidance of apoptosis and immune response, changes in cellular metabolism, genomic instability, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Thus, controlling the expression of MYC is considered as an approach for targeted cancer treatment. Since c-Myc is also a crucial regulator of many cellular processes in healthy cells, it is necessary to find ways for selective regulation of MYC expression in tumor cells. Many recent studies have demonstrated that non-coding RNAs play an important role in the regulation of the transcription and translation of this gene and some RNAs directly interact with the c-Myc protein, affecting its stability. In this review, we summarize current data on the regulation of MYC by various non-coding RNAs that can potentially be targeted in specific tumor types.
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18
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Moeini P, Niedźwiedzka-Rystwej P. Tumor-Associated Macrophages: Combination of Therapies, the Approach to Improve Cancer Treatment. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22137239. [PMID: 34281293 PMCID: PMC8269174 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22137239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Macrophages are one of the most important cells of the innate immune system and are known for their ability to engulf and digest foreign substances, including cellular debris and tumor cells. They can convert into tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) when mature macrophages are recruited into the tumor microenvironment. Their role in cancer progression, metastasis, and therapy failure is of special note. The aim of this review is to understand how the presence of TAMs are both advantageous and disadvantageous in the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedram Moeini
- Plant Virology Research Center, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71441-65186, Iran;
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19
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Epigenetic Regulation of Cancer Immune Cells. Semin Cancer Biol 2021; 83:377-383. [PMID: 34182142 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The epigenetic regulation of immune response involves reversible and heritable changes that do not alter the DNA sequence. Though there have been extensive studies accomplished relating to epigenetic changes in cancer cells, recent focus has been shifted on epigenetic-mediated changes in the immune cells including T cells, Macrophages, Natural Killer cells and anti-tumor immune responses. This review compiles the most relevant and recent literature related to the role of epigenetic mechanisms including DNA methylation and histone modifications in immune cells of wide range of cancers. We also include recent research with respect to role of the most relevant transcription factors that epigenetically control the anti-tumor immune response. Finally, a statement of future direction that promises to look forward for strategies to improve immunotherapy in cancer.
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20
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Frosch J, Leontari I, Anderson J. Combined Effects of Myeloid Cells in the Neuroblastoma Tumor Microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:1743. [PMID: 33917501 PMCID: PMC8038814 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13071743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite multimodal treatment, survival chances for high-risk neuroblastoma patients remain poor. Immunotherapeutic approaches focusing on the activation and/or modification of host immunity for eliminating tumor cells, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, are currently in development, however clinical trials have failed to reproduce the preclinical results. The tumor microenvironment is emerging as a major contributor to immune suppression and tumor evasion in solid cancers and thus has to be overcome for therapies relying on a functional immune response. Among the cellular components of the neuroblastoma tumor microenvironment, suppressive myeloid cells have been described as key players in inhibition of antitumor immune responses and have been shown to positively correlate with more aggressive disease, resistance to treatments, and overall poor prognosis. This review article summarizes how neuroblastoma-driven inflammation induces suppressive myeloid cells in the tumor microenvironment and how they in turn sustain the tumor niche through suppressor functions, such as nutrient depletion and generation of oxidative stress. Numerous preclinical studies have suggested a range of drug and cellular therapy approaches to overcome myeloid-derived suppression in neuroblastoma that warrant evaluation in future clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - John Anderson
- UCL Institute of Child Health, Developmental Biology and Cancer Section, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK; (J.F.); (I.L.)
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21
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Augmented Antitumor Activity for Novel Dual PI3K/BDR4 Inhibitors, SF2523 and SF1126 in Ewing Sarcoma. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2021; 43:e304-e311. [PMID: 33480647 DOI: 10.1097/mph.0000000000002054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (ES) is the second most common pediatric bone cancer. Despite recent advances in the treatment, patients with metastatic tumors have dismal prognosis and hence novel therapies are urgently needed to combat this cancer. A recent study has shown that phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K) inhibitors can synergistically increase sensitivity to bromodomain and extraterminal domain inhibitors in ES cells and therefore combined inhibition of PI3K and bromodomain and extraterminal domain bromodomain proteins might provide benefit in this cancer. Herein, we have investigated the efficacy of dual PI3K/BRD4 inhibitors, SF2523 and SF1126, for their antitumor activity in ES cell lines. The effect of SF1126 and SF2523 on cell viability and PI3K signaling was assessed on a panel of human ES cell lines. To evaluate the antitumor activity of SF1126, A673 cells were injected intrafemorally into RAG-2-/- mice and treated with 50 mg/kg SF1126 6 days per week, for 30 days. Both SF1126 and SF2523 decreased cell survival and inhibited phosphorylation of AKT in human ES cell lines. In vivo, SF1126 showed a significant reduction in tumor volume. These results suggest that dual PI3K/BRD4 inhibitor, SF1126, has antitumor activity in ES models.
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22
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Ahn R, Ursini-Siegel J. Clinical Potential of Kinase Inhibitors in Combination with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for the Treatment of Solid Tumors. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22052608. [PMID: 33807608 PMCID: PMC7961781 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncogenic kinases contribute to immunosuppression and modulate the tumor microenvironment in solid tumors. Increasing evidence supports the fundamental role of oncogenic kinase signaling networks in coordinating immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments. This has led to numerous studies examining the efficacy of kinase inhibitors in inducing anti-tumor immune responses by increasing tumor immunogenicity. Kinase inhibitors are the second most common FDA-approved group of drugs that are deployed for cancer treatment. With few exceptions, they inevitably lead to intrinsic and/or acquired resistance, particularly in patients with metastatic disease when used as a monotherapy. On the other hand, cancer immunotherapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, have revolutionized cancer treatment for malignancies such as melanoma and lung cancer. However, key hurdles remain to successfully incorporate such therapies in the treatment of other solid cancers. Here, we review the recent literature on oncogenic kinases that regulate tumor immunogenicity, immune suppression, and anti-tumor immunity. Furthermore, we discuss current efforts in clinical trials that combine kinase inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors to treat breast cancer and other solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuhjin Ahn
- Department of Biological Engineering, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA;
| | - Josie Ursini-Siegel
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
- Department of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
- Department of Oncology, McGill University, 546 Pine Avenue West, Montréal, QC H2W 1S6, Canada
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +514-340-8222 (ext. 26557); Fax: +514-340-7502
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Acharya A, Pandey K, Thurman M, Challagundala KB, Vann KR, Kutateladze TG, Morales GA, Durden DL, Byrareddy SN. Blockade of SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro by highly potent PI3K-α/mTOR/BRD4 inhibitor. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021. [PMID: 33688653 DOI: 10.1101/2021.03.02.433604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Pathogenic viruses like SARS-CoV-2 and HIV hijack the host molecular machinery to establish infection and survival in infected cells. This has led the scientific community to explore the molecular mechanisms by which SARS-CoV-2 infects host cells, establishes productive infection, and causes life-threatening pathophysiology. Very few targeted therapeutics for COVID-19 currently exist, such as remdesivir. Recently, a proteomic approach explored the interactions of 26 of 29 SARS-CoV-2 proteins with cellular targets in human cells and identified 67 interactions as potential targets for drug development. Two of the critical targets, the bromodomain and extra-terminal domain proteins (BETs): BRD2/BRD4 and mTOR, are inhibited by the dual inhibitory small molecule SF2523 at nanomolar potency. SF2523 is the only known mTOR PI3K-α/(BRD2/BRD4) inhibitor with potential to block two orthogonal pathways necessary for SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis in human cells. Our results demonstrate that SF2523 effectively blocks SARS-CoV-2 replication in lung bronchial epithelial cells in vitro , showing an IC 50 value of 1.5 µM, comparable to IC 50 value of remdesivir (1.1 µM). Further, we demonstrated that the combination of doses of SF2523 and remdesivir is highly synergistic: it allows for the reduction of doses of SF2523 and remdesivir by 25-fold and 4-fold, respectively, to achieve the same potency observed for a single inhibitor. Because SF2523 inhibits two SARS-CoV-2 driven pathogenesis mechanisms involving BRD2/BRD4 and mTOR signaling, our data suggest that SF2523 alone or in combination with remdesivir could be a novel and efficient therapeutic strategy to block SARS-CoV-2 infection and hence be beneficial in preventing severe COVID-19 disease evolution. One Sentence Summary Evidence of in silico designed chemotype (SF2523) targeting PI3K-α/mTOR/BRD4 inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection and is highly synergistic with remdesivir.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) proteins are epigenetic readers that bind to acetylated lysines of histones and regulate gene transcription. BET protein family members mediate the expression of various oncogenic drivers in ovarian cancer, such as the MYC and Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) genes. BRD4, the most thoroughly studied member of the BET family, is amplified in a significant subset of high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSC) of the ovary. It has been reported that BET inhibitors can attenuate the proliferation and dissemination of ovarian cancer cells by inhibiting oncogenic pathways, such as the FOXM1 and JAK/STAT pathways. BET inhibition can re-sensitize resistant ovarian cancer cells to already approved anticancer agents, including cisplatin and PARP inhibitors. This synergism was also confirmed in vivo in animal models. These and other preclinical results provide a promising basis for the application of BET inhibitors in ovarian cancer treatment. Currently, Phase I/II clinical trials explore the safety and efficacy profiles of BET inhibitors in various solid tumors, including ovarian tumors. Here, we review current knowledge on the molecular effects and preclinical activities of BET inhibitors in ovarian tumors. CONCLUSIONS BET proteins have emerged as new druggable targets for ovarian cancer. BET inhibitors may enhance antitumor activity when co-administered with conventional treatment regimens. Results from ongoing Phase I/II studies are anticipated to confirm this notion.
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25
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Wang N, Wu R, Tang D, Kang R. The BET family in immunity and disease. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:23. [PMID: 33462181 PMCID: PMC7813845 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-020-00384-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Innate immunity serves as the rapid and first-line defense against invading pathogens, and this process can be regulated at various levels, including epigenetic mechanisms. The bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) family of proteins consists of four conserved mammalian members (BRD2, BRD3, BRD4, and BRDT) that regulate the expression of many immunity-associated genes and pathways. In particular, in response to infection and sterile inflammation, abnormally expressed or dysfunctional BETs are involved in the activation of pattern recognition receptor (e.g., TLR, NLR, and CGAS) pathways, thereby linking chromatin machinery to innate immunity under disease or pathological conditions. Mechanistically, the BET family controls the transcription of a wide range of proinflammatory and immunoregulatory genes by recognizing acetylated histones (mainly H3 and H4) and recruiting transcription factors (e.g., RELA) and transcription elongation complex (e.g., P-TEFb) to the chromatin, thereby promoting the phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II and subsequent transcription initiation and elongation. This review covers the accumulating data about the roles of the BET family in innate immunity, and discusses the attractive prospect of manipulating the BET family as a new treatment for disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nian Wang
- Department of Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Runliu Wu
- Department of Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Daolin Tang
- Department of Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
| | - Rui Kang
- Department of Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
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26
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Yuanyuan L, Yakun L, Zhongyao L, Le Y, Weisong D, Moran G, Hui B, Chunyan L. Myeloid NEMO deficiency promotes tumor immunosuppression partly via MCP1-CCR2 axis. Exp Cell Res 2021; 399:112467. [PMID: 33428904 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2020.112467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM), which are found in the tumor microenvironment of solid tumors, not only mediate cancer immune evasion but also promote tumor growth. The transcription factor NF-κB, which is a crucial link between inflammation and tumors, can accelerate tumor occurrence and development. NEMO, the regulatory subunit of the IKK complex, plays a pivotal role in activating the NF-κB signaling pathway. However, the function of myeloid NEMO in the tumor microenvironment remains unclear. Here, we found that conditional knockout of NEMO in myeloid cells promoted tumor growth in a transplanted cancer mouse model. In Nemofl/fl lyz-cre+/- mice, the deletion of Nemo in myeloid cells increased the recruitment of M2 macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) into the tumor, reduced the expression of apoptosis-related proteins, and upregulated the expression of the chemokine receptor CCR2, thereby promoting tumor growth in vivo. Then, we showed that blocking the MCP1-CCR2 pathway could inhibit tumor growth, especially in mice with myeloid NEMO deletion. In this study, we examined the mechanism of NEMO in myeloid cells and explored the role of NEMO in the prevention and treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Yuanyuan
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People's Republic of China; Neurological Laboratory of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People's Republic of China
| | - Liu Yakun
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People's Republic of China; Neurological Laboratory of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Zhongyao
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People's Republic of China; Neurological Laboratory of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Le
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People's Republic of China; Neurological Laboratory of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People's Republic of China
| | - Duan Weisong
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People's Republic of China; Neurological Laboratory of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People's Republic of China; Institute of Cardiocerebrovascular Disease, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People's Republic of China
| | - Guo Moran
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People's Republic of China; Neurological Laboratory of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People's Republic of China
| | - Bu Hui
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People's Republic of China; Neurological Laboratory of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People's Republic of China; Institute of Cardiocerebrovascular Disease, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Chunyan
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People's Republic of China; Neurological Laboratory of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People's Republic of China; Institute of Cardiocerebrovascular Disease, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, People's Republic of China.
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27
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Connections between Metabolism and Epigenetic Modification in MDSCs. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21197356. [PMID: 33027968 PMCID: PMC7582655 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are major immunosuppressive cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). During the differentiation and development of MDSCs from myeloid progenitor cells, their functions are also affected by a series of regulatory factors in the TME, such as metabolic reprogramming, epigenetic modification, and cell signaling pathways. Additionally, there is a crosstalk between these regulatory factors. This review mainly introduces the metabolism (especially glucose metabolism) and significant epigenetic modification of MDSCs in the TME, and briefly introduces the connections between metabolism and epigenetic modification in MDSCs, in order to determine the further impact on the immunosuppressive effect of MDSCs, so as to serve as a more effective target for tumor therapy.
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28
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Liu KX, Joshi S. "Re-educating" Tumor Associated Macrophages as a Novel Immunotherapy Strategy for Neuroblastoma. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1947. [PMID: 32983125 PMCID: PMC7493646 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial pediatric tumor and often presents with metastatic disease, and patients with high-risk neuroblastoma have survival rates of ~50%. Neuroblastoma tumorigenesis is associated with the infiltration of various types of immune cells, including myeloid derived suppressor cells, tumor associated macrophages (TAMs), and regulatory T cells, which foster tumor growth and harbor immunosuppressive functions. In particular, TAMs predict poor clinical outcomes in neuroblastoma, and among these immune cells, TAMs with an M2 phenotype comprise an immune cell population that promotes tumor metastasis, contributes to immunosuppression, and leads to failure of radiation or checkpoint inhibitor therapy. This review article summarizes the role of macrophages in tumor angiogenesis, metastasis, and immunosuppression in neuroblastoma and discusses the recent advances in "macrophage-targeting strategies" in neuroblastoma with a focus on three aspects: (1) inhibition of macrophage recruitment, (2) targeting macrophage survival, and (3) reprogramming of macrophages into an immunostimulatory phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin X. Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Shweta Joshi
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, UCSD Rady's Children's Hospital, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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29
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Joshi S. Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment in Neuroblastoma: Recent Advances and Future Directions. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2057. [PMID: 32722460 PMCID: PMC7465822 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common pediatric tumor malignancy that originates from the neural crest and accounts for more than 15% of all the childhood deaths from cancer. The neuroblastoma cancer research has long been focused on the role of MYCN oncogene amplification and the contribution of other genetic alterations in the progression of this malignancy. However, it is now widely accepted that, not only tumor cells, but the components of tumor microenvironment (TME), including extracellular matrix, stromal cells and immune cells, also contribute to tumor progression in neuroblastoma. The complexity of different components of tumor stroma and their resemblance with surrounding normal tissues pose huge challenges for therapies targeting tumor microenvironment in NB. Hence, the detailed understanding of the composition of the TME of NB is crucial to improve existing and future potential immunotherapeutic approaches against this childhood cancer. In this review article, I will discuss different components of the TME of NB and the recent advances in the strategies, which are used to target the tumor microenvironment in neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shweta Joshi
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0815, USA
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30
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Vann KR, Pal D, Morales GA, Burgoyne AM, Durden DL, Kutateladze TG. Design of thienopyranone-based BET inhibitors that bind multiple synthetic lethality targets. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12027. [PMID: 32694708 PMCID: PMC7374098 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68964-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of small molecule compounds that target several cancer drivers has shown great therapeutic potential. Here, we developed a new generation of highly potent thienopyranone (TP)-based inhibitors for the BET bromodomains (BDs) of the transcriptional regulator BRD4 that have the ability to simultaneously bind to phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) and/or cyclin-dependent kinases 4/6 (CDK4/6). Analysis of the crystal structures of the complexes, NMR titration experiments and IC50 measurements reveal the molecular basis underlying the inhibitory effects and selectivity of these compounds toward BDs of BRD4. The inhibitors show robust cytotoxic effects in multiple cancer cell lines and induce cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. We further demonstrate that concurrent disruption of the acetyllysine binding function of BRD4 and the kinase activities of PI3K and CDK4/6 by the TP inhibitor improves efficacy in several cancer models. Together, these findings provide further compelling evidence that these multi-action inhibitors are efficacious and more potent than single inhibitory chemotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendra R Vann
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Dhananjaya Pal
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Adam M Burgoyne
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Donald L Durden
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- SignalRx Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, CA, USA.
| | - Tatiana G Kutateladze
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.
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31
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Spriano F, Stathis A, Bertoni F. Targeting BET bromodomain proteins in cancer: The example of lymphomas. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 215:107631. [PMID: 32693114 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The Bromo- and Extra-Terminal domain (BET) family proteins act as "readers" of acetylated histones and they are important transcription regulators. BRD2, BRD3, BRD4 and BRDT, part of the BET family, are important in different tumors, where upregulation or translocation often occurs. The potential of targeting BET proteins as anti-cancer treatment originated with data obtained with a first series of compounds, and there are now several data supporting BET inhibition in both solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Despite very positive preclinical data in different tumor types, the clinical results have been so far moderate. Using lymphoma as an example to review the data produced in the laboratory and in the context of the early clinical trials, we discuss the modalities to make BET targeting more efficient both generating novel generation of compounds and by exploring the combination with small molecules affecting various signaling pathways, BCL2, or DNA damage response signaling, but also with additional epigenetic agents and with immunotherapy. We also discuss the mechanisms of resistance and the toxicity profiles so far reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Spriano
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Anastasios Stathis
- Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona, Switzerland; Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Bertoni
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, Bellinzona, Switzerland; Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona, Switzerland.
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32
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Transcriptional, Epigenetic and Metabolic Programming of Tumor-Associated Macrophages. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12061411. [PMID: 32486098 PMCID: PMC7352439 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12061411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Macrophages are key innate immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) that regulate primary tumor growth, vascularization, metastatic spread and tumor response to various types of therapies. The present review highlights the mechanisms of macrophage programming in tumor microenvironments that act on the transcriptional, epigenetic and metabolic levels. We summarize the latest knowledge on the types of transcriptional factors and epigenetic enzymes that control the direction of macrophage functional polarization and their pro- and anti-tumor activities. We also focus on the major types of metabolic programs of macrophages (glycolysis and fatty acid oxidation), and their interaction with cancer cells and complex TME. We have discussed how the regulation of macrophage polarization on the transcriptional, epigenetic and metabolic levels can be used for the efficient therapeutic manipulation of macrophage functions in cancer.
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33
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Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms involve the placing (writing) or removal (erasing) of histone modifications that allow heterochromatin to transition to the open, activated euchromatin state necessary for transcription. A third, less studied epigenetic pathway involves the reading of these specific histone marks once placed. The BETs (bromodomain and extraterminal-containing protein family), which includes BRD2, BRD3, and BRD4 and the testis-restricted BRDT, are epigenetic reader proteins that bind to specific acetylated lysine residues on histone tails where they facilitate the assembly of transcription complexes including transcription factors and transcriptional machinery like RNA Polymerase II. As reviewed here, considerable recent data establishes BETs as novel determinants of induced transcriptional programs in vascular cells, like endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells, cardiac myocytes and inflammatory cells, like monocyte/macrophages, cellular settings where these epigenetic reader proteins couple proximal stimuli to chromatin, acting at super-enhancer regulatory regions to direct gene expression. BET inhibition, including the use of specific chemical BET inhibitors like JQ-1, has many reported effects in vivo in the cardiovascular setting, like decreasing atherosclerosis, angiogenesis, intimal hyperplasia, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and cardiac hypertrophy. At the same time, data in endothelial cells, adipocytes, and elsewhere suggest BETs also help regulate gene expression under basal conditions. Studies in the cardiovascular setting have highlighted BET action as a means of controlling gene expression in differentiation, cell identity, and cell state transitions, whether physiological or pathological, adaptive, or maladaptive. While distinct BET inhibitors are being pursued as therapies in oncology, a large prospective clinical cardiovascular outcome study investigating the BET inhibitor RVX-208 (now called apabetalone) has already been completed. Independent of this specific agent and this one trial or the numerous unanswered questions that remain, BETs have emerged as novel epigenetic players involved in the execution of coordinated transcriptional programs in cardiovascular health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Cristine Borck
- From the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (P.C.B., J.P.)
| | - Lian-Wang Guo
- Davis Heart and Lung Institute, Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State University, Columbus (L.-W.G.)
| | - Jorge Plutzky
- From the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (P.C.B., J.P.)
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34
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Joshi S, Liu KX, Zulcic M, Singh AR, Skola D, Glass CK, Sanders PD, Sharabi AB, Pham TV, Tamayo P, Shiang D, Dinh HQ, Hedrick CC, Morales GA, Garlich JR, Durden DL. Macrophage Syk-PI3Kγ Inhibits Antitumor Immunity: SRX3207, a Novel Dual Syk-PI3K Inhibitory Chemotype Relieves Tumor Immunosuppression. Mol Cancer Ther 2020; 19:755-764. [PMID: 31974273 PMCID: PMC7450492 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-19-0947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Macrophages (MΦ) play a critical role in tumor growth, immunosuppression, and inhibition of adaptive immune responses in cancer. Hence, targeting signaling pathways in MΦs that promote tumor immunosuppression will provide therapeutic benefit. PI3Kγ has been recently established by our group and others as a novel immuno-oncology target. Herein, we report that an MΦ Syk-PI3K axis drives polarization of immunosuppressive MΦs that establish an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in in vivo syngeneic tumor models. Genetic or pharmacologic inhibition of Syk and/or PI3Kγ in MΦs promotes a proinflammatory MΦ phenotype, restores CD8+ T-cell activity, destabilizes HIF under hypoxia, and stimulates an antitumor immune response. Assay for transposase-accessible Chromatin using Sequencing (ATAC-seq) analyses on the bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) show that inhibition of Syk kinase promotes activation and binding of NF-κB motif in SykMC-KO BMDMs, thus stimulating immunostimulatory transcriptional programming in MΦs to suppress tumor growth. Finally, we have developed in silico the "first-in-class" dual Syk/PI3K inhibitor, SRX3207, for the combinatorial inhibition of Syk and PI3K in one small molecule. This chemotype demonstrates efficacy in multiple tumor models and represents a novel combinatorial approach to activate antitumor immunity.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Apoptosis
- Carcinoma, Lewis Lung/drug therapy
- Carcinoma, Lewis Lung/enzymology
- Carcinoma, Lewis Lung/immunology
- Carcinoma, Lewis Lung/pathology
- Cell Proliferation
- Class Ib Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/chemistry
- Colonic Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Colonic Neoplasms/enzymology
- Colonic Neoplasms/immunology
- Colonic Neoplasms/pathology
- Cytokines/metabolism
- Humans
- Immune Tolerance
- Immunosuppression Therapy
- Macrophages/drug effects
- Macrophages/immunology
- Macrophages/metabolism
- Melanoma, Experimental/drug therapy
- Melanoma, Experimental/enzymology
- Melanoma, Experimental/immunology
- Melanoma, Experimental/pathology
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- NF-kappa B/metabolism
- Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Signal Transduction
- Syk Kinase/antagonists & inhibitors
- Tumor Cells, Cultured
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
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Affiliation(s)
- Shweta Joshi
- UCSD Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California.
| | - Kevin X Liu
- UCSD Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Muamera Zulcic
- UCSD Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Alok R Singh
- UCSD Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Dylan Skola
- UCSD School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Christopher K Glass
- UCSD School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - P Dominick Sanders
- Moores Cancer Center, Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Andrew B Sharabi
- Moores Cancer Center, Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Timothy V Pham
- UCSD Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
- Office of Cancer Genomics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Pablo Tamayo
- Office of Cancer Genomics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Daniel Shiang
- UCSD Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Huy Q Dinh
- La Jolla Institute of Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, California
| | | | | | | | - Donald L Durden
- UCSD Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California.
- SignalRx Pharmaceuticals, Omaha, Nebraska
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35
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Myeloid-driven mechanisms as barriers to antitumor CD8 + T cell activity. Mol Immunol 2019; 118:165-173. [PMID: 31884388 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2019.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The adaptive immune system is essential for host defense against pathogenic challenges, and a major constituent is the CD8+ cytotoxic T cell. Ordinarily, CD8+ T cells are endowed with a unique ability to specifically recognize and destroy their targets. However, in cases where disease emerges, especially in cancer, the efficacy of the CD8+ T cell response is frequently counterbalanced in a 'tug-of-war' by networks of tumor-driven mechanisms of immune suppression. As a result, antitumor CD8+ T cell activity is hampered, which contributes to clinical manifestations of disease. It is now well-recognized that prominent elements of that network include myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and macrophages which assume tumor-supportive phenotypes. Both myeloid populations are thought to arise as consequences of chronic inflammatory cues produced during the neoplastic process. Numerous preclinical studies have now shown that inhibiting the production, trafficking and/or function of these immune suppressive myeloid populations restore antitumor CD8+ T cell responses during both immune surveillance or in response to immune-targeted interventions. Correlative studies in cancer patients support these preclinical findings and, thus, have laid the foundation for ongoing clinical trials in patients receiving novel agents that target such myeloid elements alone or in combination with immunotherapy to potentially improve cancer patient outcomes. Accordingly, this review focuses on how and why it is important to study the myeloid-T cell interplay as an innovative strategy to boost or reinvigorate the CD8+ T cell response as a critical weapon in the battle against malignancy.
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