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Jess J, Sorensen KM, Boguslawski EA, Stout MC, Madaj ZB, Caiello BP, Pomaville M, Wilson ER, Kinn-Gurzo SS, Parker CC, Veluvolu SM, Brysgel TV, Kaufman R, Kitchen-Goosen SM, Gedminas JM, Grohar PJ. Cell Context Is the Third Axis of Synergy for the Combination of ATR Inhibition and Cisplatin in Ewing Sarcoma. Clin Cancer Res 2024; 30:3533-3548. [PMID: 38506712 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-3063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The importance of cellular context to the synergy of DNA damage response (DDR)-targeted agents is important for tumors with mutations in DDR pathways, but less well-established for tumors driven by oncogenic transcription factors. In this study, we exploit the widespread transcriptional dysregulation of the EWS-FLI1 transcription factor to identify an effective DDR-targeted combination therapy for Ewing sarcoma. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We used matrix drug screening to evaluate synergy between a DNA-PK inhibitor (M9831) or an ATR inhibitor (berzosertib) and chemotherapy. The combination of berzosertib and cisplatin was selected for broad synergy, mechanistically evaluated for Ewing sarcoma selectivity, and optimized for in vivo schedule. RESULTS Berzosertib combined with cisplatin demonstrates profound synergy in multiple Ewing sarcoma cell lines at clinically achievable concentrations. The synergy is due to loss of expression of the ATR downstream target CHEK1, loss of cell-cycle check-points, and mitotic catastrophe. Consistent with the goals of the project, EWS-FLI1 drives the expression of CHEK1 and five other ATR pathway members. The loss of CHEK1 expression is not due to transcriptional repression and instead caused by degradation coupled with suppression of protein translation. The profound synergy is realized in vivo with a novel optimized schedule of this combination in subsets of Ewing sarcoma models, leading to durable complete responses in 50% of animals bearing two different Ewing sarcoma xenografts. CONCLUSIONS These data exploit EWS-FLI1 driven alterations in cell context to broaden the therapeutic window of berzosertib and cisplatin to establish a promising combination therapy and a novel in vivo schedule. See related commentary by Ohmura and Grünewald, p. 3358.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Jess
- Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Katie M Sorensen
- Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Elissa A Boguslawski
- Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Division of Oncology, Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Matthew C Stout
- Division of Oncology, Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Zachary B Madaj
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Benjamin P Caiello
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Monica Pomaville
- Division of Oncology, Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Elizabeth R Wilson
- Division of Oncology, Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Seneca S Kinn-Gurzo
- Division of Oncology, Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Curtis C Parker
- Division of Oncology, Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Sridhar M Veluvolu
- Division of Oncology, Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Taylor V Brysgel
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Rebecca Kaufman
- Division of Oncology, Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Susan M Kitchen-Goosen
- Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Jenna M Gedminas
- Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Division of Oncology, Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Patrick J Grohar
- Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Division of Oncology, Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Liu Z, Jiang K, Liu Y, Li J, Huang S, Li P, Xu L, Xu X, Hu X, Zeng X, Huang Z, Zhou Y, Li J, Long K, Wang M. Discovery of Preclinical Candidate AD1058 as a Highly Potent, Selective, and Brain-Penetrant ATR Inhibitor for the Treatment of Advanced Malignancies. J Med Chem 2024. [PMID: 39053006 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
The ataxia telangiectasia-mutated and Rad3-related protein (ATR) plays a crucial role in regulating the cellular DNA-damage response (DDR), making it a promising target for antitumor drug development through synthetic lethality. In this study, we present the discovery and detailed characterization of AD1058, a highly potent and selective ATR inhibitor, with good preclinical pharmacokinetic profiles. AD1058 exhibits superior efficacy in inhibiting cell proliferation, disrupting the cell cycle, and inducing apoptosis compared to AZD6738. AD1058 displays potent antitumor effects as a single agent or in combination with clinically approved tumor therapies such as PARP inhibitors, ionizing radiotherapy, or chemotherapy in vivo. Considering its enhanced ability to permeate the blood-brain barrier, AD1058 is a promising clinical candidate for the treatment of brain metastases and leptomeningeal metastases in solid tumors. Additionally, among reported ATR inhibitors, AD1058 features the shortest synthesis route and the highest efficiency to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Liu
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Kailong Jiang
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- School of Pharmacy, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Junfei Li
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Siqi Huang
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Ping Li
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Xiaomin Xu
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Xiaobei Hu
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xia Zeng
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Zehui Huang
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Yubo Zhou
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jia Li
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Kai Long
- Shanghai Annova Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Mingliang Wang
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- School of Pharmacy, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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3
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Previtali V, Bagnolini G, Ciamarone A, Ferrandi G, Rinaldi F, Myers SH, Roberti M, Cavalli A. New Horizons of Synthetic Lethality in Cancer: Current Development and Future Perspectives. J Med Chem 2024; 67:11488-11521. [PMID: 38955347 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, synthetic lethality has been recognized as a solid paradigm for anticancer therapies. The discovery of a growing number of synthetic lethal targets has led to a significant expansion in the use of synthetic lethality, far beyond poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors used to treat BRCA1/2-defective tumors. In particular, molecular targets within DNA damage response have provided a source of inhibitors that have rapidly reached clinical trials. This Perspective focuses on the most recent progress in synthetic lethal targets and their inhibitors, within and beyond the DNA damage response, describing their design and associated therapeutic strategies. We will conclude by discussing the current challenges and new opportunities for this promising field of research, to stimulate discussion in the medicinal chemistry community, allowing the investigation of synthetic lethality to reach its full potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viola Previtali
- Computational & Chemical Biology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Greta Bagnolini
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Andrea Ciamarone
- Computational & Chemical Biology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Giovanni Ferrandi
- Computational & Chemical Biology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesco Rinaldi
- Computational & Chemical Biology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Samuel Harry Myers
- Computational & Chemical Biology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Marinella Roberti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Andrea Cavalli
- Computational & Chemical Biology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
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Jo U, Arakawa Y, Zimmermann A, Taniyama D, Mizunuma M, Jenkins LM, Maity T, Kumar S, Zenke FT, Takebe N, Pommier Y. The Novel ATR Inhibitor M1774 Induces Replication Protein Overexpression and Broad Synergy with DNA-targeted Anticancer Drugs. Mol Cancer Ther 2024; 23:911-923. [PMID: 38466804 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-23-0402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) checkpoint kinase inhibitors are in clinical trials. Here we explored the molecular pharmacology and therapeutic combination strategies of the oral ATR inhibitor M1774 (Tuvusertib) with DNA-damaging agents (DDA). As single agent, M1774 suppressed cancer cell viability at nanomolar concentrations, showing greater activity than ceralasertib and berzosertib, but less potency than gartisertib and elimusertib in the small cell lung cancer H146, H82, and DMS114 cell lines. M1774 also efficiently blocked the activation of the ATR-CHK1 checkpoint pathway caused by replication stress induced by TOP1 inhibitors. Combination with non-toxic dose of M1774 enhanced TOP1 inhibitor-induced cancer cell death by enabling unscheduled replication upon replicative damage, thereby increasing genome instability. Tandem mass tag-based quantitative proteomics uncovered that M1774, in the presence of DDA, forces the expression of proteins activating replication (CDC45) and G2-M progression (PLK1 and CCNB1). In particular, the fork protection complex proteins (TIMELESS and TIPIN) were enriched. Low dose of M1774 was found highly synergistic with a broad spectrum of clinical DDAs including TOP1 inhibitors (SN-38/irinotecan, topotecan, exatecan, and exatecan), the TOP2 inhibitor etoposide, cisplatin, the RNA polymerase II inhibitor lurbinectedin, and the PARP inhibitor talazoparib in various models including cancer cell lines, patient-derived organoids, and mouse xenograft models. Furthermore, we demonstrate that M1774 reverses chemoresistance to anticancer DDAs in cancer cells lacking SLFN11 expression, suggesting that SLFN11 can be utilized for patient selection in upcoming clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ukhyun Jo
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Yasuhiro Arakawa
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Daiki Taniyama
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Makito Mizunuma
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Lisa M Jenkins
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Tapan Maity
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Suresh Kumar
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Naoko Takebe
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Yves Pommier
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
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Jadav R, Weiland F, Noordermeer SM, Carroll T, Gao Y, Wang J, Zhou H, Lamoliatte F, Toth R, Macartney T, Brown F, Hastie CJ, Alabert C, van Attikum H, Zenke F, Masson JY, Rouse J. Chemo-Phosphoproteomic Profiling with ATR Inhibitors Berzosertib and Gartisertib Uncovers New Biomarkers and DNA Damage Response Regulators. Mol Cell Proteomics 2024; 23:100802. [PMID: 38880245 PMCID: PMC11338954 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2024.100802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The ATR kinase protects cells against DNA damage and replication stress and represents a promising anti-cancer drug target. The ATR inhibitors (ATRi) berzosertib and gartisertib are both in clinical trials for the treatment of advanced solid tumors as monotherapy or in combination with genotoxic agents. We carried out quantitative phospho-proteomic screening for ATR biomarkers that are highly sensitive to berzosertib and gartisertib, using an optimized mass spectrometry pipeline. Screening identified a range of novel ATR-dependent phosphorylation events, which were grouped into three broad classes: (i) targets whose phosphorylation is highly sensitive to ATRi and which could be the next generation of ATR biomarkers; (ii) proteins with known genome maintenance roles not previously known to be regulated by ATR; (iii) novel targets whose cellular roles are unclear. Class iii targets represent candidate DNA damage response proteins and, with this in mind, proteins in this class were subjected to secondary screening for recruitment to DNA damage sites. We show that one of the proteins recruited, SCAF1, interacts with RNAPII in a phospho-dependent manner and recruitment requires PARP activity and interaction with RNAPII. We also show that SCAF1 deficiency partly rescues RAD51 loading in cells lacking the BRCA1 tumor suppressor. Taken together these data reveal potential new ATR biomarkers and new genome maintenance factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rathan Jadav
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit and School of Life Sciences, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Florian Weiland
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit and School of Life Sciences, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Sylvie M Noordermeer
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands; Department of Genetics, Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas Carroll
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit and School of Life Sciences, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Yuandi Gao
- CHU de Quebec Research Center, Oncology Division, Department of Molecular Biology, Medical Biochemistry and Pathology, Laval University Cancer Research Center, Quebec Cit, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jianming Wang
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit and School of Life Sciences, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Houjiang Zhou
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit and School of Life Sciences, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Frederic Lamoliatte
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit and School of Life Sciences, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Rachel Toth
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit and School of Life Sciences, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Thomas Macartney
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit and School of Life Sciences, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Fiona Brown
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit and School of Life Sciences, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - C James Hastie
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit and School of Life Sciences, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Constance Alabert
- Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Haico van Attikum
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Frank Zenke
- EMD Serono, Research Unit Oncology, Billerica, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jean-Yves Masson
- CHU de Quebec Research Center, Oncology Division, Department of Molecular Biology, Medical Biochemistry and Pathology, Laval University Cancer Research Center, Quebec Cit, Quebec, Canada
| | - John Rouse
- MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit and School of Life Sciences, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
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Ng YB, Akincilar SC. Shaping DNA damage responses: Therapeutic potential of targeting telomeric proteins and DNA repair factors in cancer. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2024; 76:102460. [PMID: 38776747 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2024.102460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Shelterin proteins regulate genomic stability by preventing inappropriate DNA damage responses (DDRs) at telomeres. Unprotected telomeres lead to persistent DDR causing cell cycle inhibition, growth arrest, and apoptosis. Cancer cells rely on DDR to protect themselves from DNA lesions and exogenous DNA-damaging agents such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Therefore, targeting DDR machinery is a promising strategy to increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to existing cancer therapies. However, the success of these DDR inhibitors depends on other mutations, and over time, patients develop resistance to these therapies. This suggests the need for alternative approaches. One promising strategy is co-inhibiting shelterin proteins with DDR molecules, which would offset cellular fitness in DNA repair in a mutation-independent manner. This review highlights the associations and dependencies of the shelterin complex with the DDR proteins and discusses potential co-inhibition strategies that might improve the therapeutic potential of current inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Bin Ng
- Laboratory of NFκB Signalling, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Semih Can Akincilar
- Laboratory of NFκB Signalling, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore.
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KIM HYUNHO, CHO UIJU, HONG SOOKHEE, PARK HYUNGSOON, KIM INHO, AN HOJUNG, SHIM BYOUNGYONG, KANG JINHYOUNG. New insights into ATR inhibition in muscle invasive bladder cancer: The role of apolipoprotein B mRNA editing catalytic subunit 3B. Oncol Res 2024; 32:1021-1030. [PMID: 38827321 PMCID: PMC11136685 DOI: 10.32604/or.2024.048919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Apolipoprotein B mRNA editing catalytic polypeptide (APOBEC), an endogenous mutator, induces DNA damage and activates the ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR)-checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) pathway. Although cisplatin-based therapy is the mainstay for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), it has a poor survival rate. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an ATR inhibitor combined with cisplatin in the treatment of APOBEC catalytic subunit 3B (APOBEC3B) expressing MIBC. Methods Immunohistochemical staining was performed to analyze an association between APOBEC3B and ATR in patients with MIBC. The APOBEC3B expression in MIBC cell lines was assessed using real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. Western blot analysis was performed to confirm differences in phosphorylated Chk1 (pChk1) expression according to the APOBEC3B expression. Cell viability and apoptosis analyses were performed to examine the anti-tumor activity of ATR inhibitors combined with cisplatin. Conclusion There was a significant association between APOBEC3B and ATR expression in the tumor tissues obtained from patients with MIBC. Cells with higher APOBEC3B expression showed higher pChk1 expression than cells expressing low APOBEC3B levels. Combination treatment of ATR inhibitor and cisplatin inhibited cell growth in MIBC cells with a higher APOBEC3B expression. Compared to cisplatin single treatment, combination treatment induced more apoptotic cell death in the cells with higher APOBEC3B expression. Conclusion: Our study shows that APOBEC3B's higher expression status can enhance the sensitivity of MIBC to cisplatin upon ATR inhibition. This result provides new insight into appropriate patient selection for the effective application of ATR inhibitors in MIBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- HYUNHO KIM
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Vincent’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Suwon, Korea
| | - UIJU CHO
- Department of Pathology, St. Vincent’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Suwon, Korea
| | - SOOK HEE HONG
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - HYUNG SOON PARK
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Vincent’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Suwon, Korea
| | - IN-HO KIM
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - HO JUNG AN
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Vincent’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Suwon, Korea
| | - BYOUNG YONG SHIM
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Vincent’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Suwon, Korea
| | - JIN HYOUNG KANG
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
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Yap TA, Tolcher AW, Plummer R, Mukker JK, Enderlin M, Hicking C, Grombacher T, Locatelli G, Szucs Z, Gounaris I, de Bono JS. First-in-Human Study of the Ataxia Telangiectasia and Rad3-Related (ATR) Inhibitor Tuvusertib (M1774) as Monotherapy in Patients with Solid Tumors. Clin Cancer Res 2024; 30:2057-2067. [PMID: 38407317 PMCID: PMC11094421 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-2409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Tuvusertib (M1774) is a potent, selective, orally administered ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) protein kinase inhibitor. This first-in-human study (NCT04170153) evaluated safety, tolerability, maximum tolerated dose (MTD), recommended dose for expansion (RDE), pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and preliminary efficacy of tuvusertib monotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS Ascending tuvusertib doses were evaluated in 55 patients with metastatic or locally advanced unresectable solid tumors. A safety monitoring committee determined dose escalation based on PK, PD, and safety data guided by a Bayesian 2-parameter logistic regression model. Molecular responses (MR) were assessed in circulating tumor DNA samples. RESULTS Most common grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events were anemia (36%), neutropenia, and lymphopenia (both 7%). Eleven patients experienced dose-limiting toxicities, most commonly grade 2 (n = 2) or 3 (n = 8) anemia. No persistent effects on blood immune cell populations were observed. The RDE was 180 mg tuvusertib QD (once daily), 2 weeks on/1 week off treatment, which was better tolerated than the MTD (180 mg QD continuously). Tuvusertib median time to peak plasma concentration ranged from 0.5 to 3.5 hours and mean elimination half-life from 1.2 to 5.6 hours. Exposure-related PD analysis suggested maximum target engagement at ≥130 mg tuvusertib QD. Tuvusertib induced frequent MRs in the predicted efficacious dose range; MRs were enriched in patients with radiological disease stabilization, and complete MRs were detected for mutations in ARID1A, ATRX, and DAXX. One patient with platinum- and PARP inhibitor-resistant BRCA wild-type ovarian cancer achieved an unconfirmed RECIST v1.1 partial response. CONCLUSIONS Tuvusertib demonstrated manageable safety and exposure-related target engagement. Further clinical evaluation of tuvusertib is ongoing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A. Yap
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | | | - Ruth Plummer
- Newcastle University and Northern Centre for Cancer Care, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | | | - Marta Enderlin
- The Healthcare Business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Zoltan Szucs
- Merck Serono Ltd., Feltham, UK, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Ioannis Gounaris
- Merck Serono Ltd., Feltham, UK, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
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Wang Y, Wang R, Zhao Y, Cao S, Li C, Wu Y, Ma L, Liu Y, Yao Y, Jiao Y, Chen Y, Liu S, Zhang K, Wei M, Yang C, Yang G. Discovery of Selective and Potent ATR Degrader for Exploration its Kinase-Independent Functions in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202318568. [PMID: 38433368 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202318568] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
ATR has emerged as a promising target for anti-cancer drug development. Several potent ATR inhibitors are currently undergoing various stages of clinical trials, but none have yet received FDA approval due to unclear regulatory mechanisms. In this study, we discovered a potent and selective ATR degrader. Its kinase-independent regulatory functions in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells were elucidated using this proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) molecule as a probe. The ATR degrader, 8 i, exhibited significantly different cellular phenotypes compared to the ATR kinase inhibitor 1. Mechanistic studies revealed that ATR deletion led to breakdown in the nuclear envelope, causing genome instability and extensive DNA damage. This would increase the expression of p53 and triggered immediately p53-mediated apoptosis signaling pathway, which was earlier and more effective than ATR kinase inhibition. Based on these findings, the in vivo anti-proliferative effects of ATR degrader 8 i were assessed using xenograft models. The degrader significantly inhibited the growth of AML cells in vivo, unlike the ATR inhibitor. These results suggest that the marked anti-AML activity is regulated by the kinase-independent functions of the ATR protein. Consequently, developing potent and selective ATR degraders could be a promising strategy for treating AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yubo Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Ruonan Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Yanli Zhao
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Sheng Cao
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
- College of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Zaozhuang University, Zaozhuang, 277160, China
| | - Chen Li
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Yanjie Wu
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Lan Ma
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Ying Liu
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Yuhong Yao
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Yue Jiao
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Yukun Chen
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Shuangwei Liu
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Kun Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Mingming Wei
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Cheng Yang
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Guang Yang
- The State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
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10
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Xia Y, Sun M, Huang H, Jin WL. Drug repurposing for cancer therapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:92. [PMID: 38637540 PMCID: PMC11026526 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01808-1] [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: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer, a complex and multifactorial disease, presents a significant challenge to global health. Despite significant advances in surgical, radiotherapeutic and immunological approaches, which have improved cancer treatment outcomes, drug therapy continues to serve as a key therapeutic strategy. However, the clinical efficacy of drug therapy is often constrained by drug resistance and severe toxic side effects, and thus there remains a critical need to develop novel cancer therapeutics. One promising strategy that has received widespread attention in recent years is drug repurposing: the identification of new applications for existing, clinically approved drugs. Drug repurposing possesses several inherent advantages in the context of cancer treatment since repurposed drugs are typically cost-effective, proven to be safe, and can significantly expedite the drug development process due to their already established safety profiles. In light of this, the present review offers a comprehensive overview of the various methods employed in drug repurposing, specifically focusing on the repurposing of drugs to treat cancer. We describe the antitumor properties of candidate drugs, and discuss in detail how they target both the hallmarks of cancer in tumor cells and the surrounding tumor microenvironment. In addition, we examine the innovative strategy of integrating drug repurposing with nanotechnology to enhance topical drug delivery. We also emphasize the critical role that repurposed drugs can play when used as part of a combination therapy regimen. To conclude, we outline the challenges associated with repurposing drugs and consider the future prospects of these repurposed drugs transitioning into clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xia
- Center for Clinical Laboratories, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, PR China
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, 550001, PR China
- School of Clinical Laboratory Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, PR China
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine and, Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Ming Sun
- Center for Clinical Laboratories, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, PR China
- School of Clinical Laboratory Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, PR China
| | - Hai Huang
- Center for Clinical Laboratories, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, PR China.
- School of Clinical Laboratory Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, PR China.
| | - Wei-Lin Jin
- Institute of Cancer Neuroscience, Medical Frontier Innovation Research Center, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China.
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11
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Burris HA, Berlin J, Arkenau T, Cote GM, Lolkema MP, Ferrer-Playan J, Kalapur A, Bolleddula J, Locatelli G, Goddemeier T, Gounaris I, de Bono J. A phase I study of ATR inhibitor gartisertib (M4344) as a single agent and in combination with carboplatin in patients with advanced solid tumours. Br J Cancer 2024; 130:1131-1140. [PMID: 38287179 PMCID: PMC10991509 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02436-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gartisertib is an oral inhibitor of ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein (ATR), a key kinase of the DNA damage response. We aimed to determine the safety and tolerability of gartisertib ± carboplatin in patients with advanced solid tumours. METHODS This phase I open-label, multicenter, first-in-human study comprised four gartisertib cohorts: A (dose escalation [DE]; Q2W); A2 (DE; QD/BID); B1 (DE+carboplatin); and C (biomarker-selected patients). RESULTS Overall, 97 patients were enroled into cohorts A (n = 42), A2 (n = 26), B1 (n = 16) and C (n = 13). The maximum tolerated dose and recommended phase II dose (RP2D) were not declared for cohorts A or B1. In cohort A2, the RP2D for gartisertib was determined as 250 mg QD. Gartisertib was generally well-tolerated; however, unexpected increased blood bilirubin in all study cohorts precluded further DE. Investigations showed that gartisertib and its metabolite M26 inhibit UGT1A1-mediated bilirubin glucuronidation in human but not dog or rat liver microsomes. Prolonged partial response (n = 1 [cohort B1]) and stable disease >6 months (n = 3) did not appear to be associated with biomarker status. Exposure generally increased dose-dependently without accumulation. CONCLUSION Gartisertib was generally well-tolerated at lower doses; however, unexpected liver toxicity prevented further DE, potentially limiting antitumour activity. Gartisertib development was subsequently discontinued. CLINICALTRIALS GOV: NCT02278250.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jordan Berlin
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Gregory M Cote
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Mass General Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martijn P Lolkema
- Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | - Jordi Ferrer-Playan
- Global Clinical Development, Ares Trading SA, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Eysins, Switzerland
| | - Anup Kalapur
- Global Patient Safety Oncology, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Jayaprakasam Bolleddula
- Quantitative Pharmacology, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Billerica, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Ioannis Gounaris
- Global Clinical Development, Merck Serono Ltd., an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Feltham, UK
| | - Johann de Bono
- Division of Clinical Studies, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- Royal Marsden, Hospital, London, UK
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12
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Giudice E, Huang TT, Nair JR, Zurcher G, McCoy A, Nousome D, Radke MR, Swisher EM, Lipkowitz S, Ibanez K, Donohue D, Malys T, Lee MJ, Redd B, Levy E, Rastogi S, Sato N, Trepel JB, Lee JM. The CHK1 inhibitor prexasertib in BRCA wild-type platinum-resistant recurrent high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma: a phase 2 trial. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2805. [PMID: 38555285 PMCID: PMC10981752 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47215-6] [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: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The multi-cohort phase 2 trial NCT02203513 was designed to evaluate the clinical activity of the CHK1 inhibitor (CHK1i) prexasertib in patients with breast or ovarian cancer. Here we report the activity of CHK1i in platinum-resistant high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) with measurable and biopsiable disease (cohort 5), or without biopsiable disease (cohort 6). The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). Secondary outcomes were safety and progression-free survival (PFS). 49 heavily pretreated patients were enrolled (24 in cohort 5, 25 in cohort 6). Among the 39 RECISTv1.1-evaluable patients, ORR was 33.3% in cohort 5 and 28.6% in cohort 6. Primary endpoint was not evaluable due to early stop of the trial. The median PFS was 4 months in cohort 5 and 6 months in cohort 6. Toxicity was manageable. Translational research was an exploratory endpoint. Potential biomarkers were investigated using pre-treatment fresh biopsies and serial blood samples. Transcriptomic analysis revealed high levels of DNA replication-related genes (POLA1, POLE, GINS3) associated with lack of clinical benefit [defined post-hoc as PFS < 6 months]. Subsequent preclinical experiments demonstrated significant cytotoxicity of POLA1 silencing in combination with CHK1i in platinum-resistant HGSOC cell line models. Therefore, POLA1 expression may be predictive for CHK1i resistance, and the concurrent POLA1 inhibition may improve the efficacy of CHK1i monotherapy in this hard-to-treat population, deserving further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Giudice
- Women's Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Agostino Gemelli 8, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Tzu-Ting Huang
- Women's Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jayakumar R Nair
- Women's Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Grant Zurcher
- Women's Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Ann McCoy
- Women's Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Darryl Nousome
- Center for Cancer Research Collaborative Bioinformatics Resource, CCR, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Marc R Radke
- Department of Ob/Gyn, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | | | - Stanley Lipkowitz
- Women's Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Kristen Ibanez
- Women's Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Duncan Donohue
- Statistical Consulting and Scientific Programming Group, Computer and Statistical Services, Data Management Services, Inc. (a BRMI company), NCI, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Tyler Malys
- Statistical Consulting and Scientific Programming Group, Computer and Statistical Services, Data Management Services, Inc. (a BRMI company), NCI, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Min-Jung Lee
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, CCR, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Bernadette Redd
- Clinical Image Processing Service, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, CCR, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Elliot Levy
- Interventional Radiology, CCR, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Shraddha Rastogi
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, CCR, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Nahoko Sato
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, CCR, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jane B Trepel
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, CCR, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jung-Min Lee
- Women's Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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13
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Wang L, Wang X, Zhu X, Zhong L, Jiang Q, Wang Y, Tang Q, Li Q, Zhang C, Wang H, Zou D. Drug resistance in ovarian cancer: from mechanism to clinical trial. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:66. [PMID: 38539161 PMCID: PMC10976737 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01967-3] [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: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of gynecological cancer-related death. Drug resistance is the bottleneck in ovarian cancer treatment. The increasing use of novel drugs in clinical practice poses challenges for the treatment of drug-resistant ovarian cancer. Continuing to classify drug resistance according to drug type without understanding the underlying mechanisms is unsuitable for current clinical practice. We reviewed the literature regarding various drug resistance mechanisms in ovarian cancer and found that the main resistance mechanisms are as follows: abnormalities in transmembrane transport, alterations in DNA damage repair, dysregulation of cancer-associated signaling pathways, and epigenetic modifications. DNA methylation, histone modifications and noncoding RNA activity, three key classes of epigenetic modifications, constitute pivotal mechanisms of drug resistance. One drug can have multiple resistance mechanisms. Moreover, common chemotherapies and targeted drugs may have cross (overlapping) resistance mechanisms. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can interfere with and thus regulate the abovementioned pathways. A subclass of miRNAs, "epi-miRNAs", can modulate epigenetic regulators to impact therapeutic responses. Thus, we also reviewed the regulatory influence of miRNAs on resistance mechanisms. Moreover, we summarized recent phase I/II clinical trials of novel drugs for ovarian cancer based on the abovementioned resistance mechanisms. A multitude of new therapies are under evaluation, and the preliminary results are encouraging. This review provides new insight into the classification of drug resistance mechanisms in ovarian cancer and may facilitate in the successful treatment of resistant ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Wang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Specialized Medical Research Center of Ovarian Cancer, Chongqing, China
- Organoid Transformational Research Center, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Specialized Medical Research Center of Ovarian Cancer, Chongqing, China
- Organoid Transformational Research Center, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Xueping Zhu
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Specialized Medical Research Center of Ovarian Cancer, Chongqing, China
- Organoid Transformational Research Center, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Lin Zhong
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Specialized Medical Research Center of Ovarian Cancer, Chongqing, China
- Organoid Transformational Research Center, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Qingxiu Jiang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Specialized Medical Research Center of Ovarian Cancer, Chongqing, China
- Organoid Transformational Research Center, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Ya Wang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Specialized Medical Research Center of Ovarian Cancer, Chongqing, China
- Organoid Transformational Research Center, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Qin Tang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Specialized Medical Research Center of Ovarian Cancer, Chongqing, China
- Organoid Transformational Research Center, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Qiaoling Li
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Specialized Medical Research Center of Ovarian Cancer, Chongqing, China
- Organoid Transformational Research Center, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Cong Zhang
- Chongqing Specialized Medical Research Center of Ovarian Cancer, Chongqing, China
- Organoid Transformational Research Center, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
- Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Haixia Wang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China.
- Chongqing Specialized Medical Research Center of Ovarian Cancer, Chongqing, China.
- Organoid Transformational Research Center, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China.
| | - Dongling Zou
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital & Chongqing Cancer Institute & Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China.
- Chongqing Specialized Medical Research Center of Ovarian Cancer, Chongqing, China.
- Organoid Transformational Research Center, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China.
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14
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Singh S, Fang J, Jin H, Van de Velde LA, Wu Q, Cortes A, Morton CL, Woolard MA, Quarni W, Steele JA, Connelly JP, He L, Thorne R, Turner G, Confer T, Johnson M, Caufield WV, Freeman BB, Lockey T, Pruett-Miller SM, Wang R, Davidoff AM, Thomas PG, Yang J. RBM39 degrader invigorates natural killer cells to eradicate neuroblastoma despite cancer cell plasticity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.21.586157. [PMID: 38585889 PMCID: PMC10996557 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.21.586157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
The cellular plasticity of neuroblastoma is defined by a mixture of two major cell states, adrenergic (ADRN) and mesenchymal (MES), which may contribute to therapy resistance. However, how neuroblastoma cells switch cellular states during therapy remains largely unknown and how to eradicate neuroblastoma regardless of their cell states is a clinical challenge. To better understand the lineage switch of neuroblastoma in chemoresistance, we comprehensively defined the transcriptomic and epigenetic map of ADRN and MES types of neuroblastomas using human and murine models treated with indisulam, a selective RBM39 degrader. We showed that cancer cells not only undergo a bidirectional switch between ADRN and MES states, but also acquire additional cellular states, reminiscent of the developmental pliancy of neural crest cells. The lineage alterations are coupled with epigenetic reprogramming and dependency switch of lineage-specific transcription factors, epigenetic modifiers and targetable kinases. Through targeting RNA splicing, indisulam induces an inflammatory tumor microenvironment and enhances anticancer activity of natural killer cells. The combination of indisulam with anti-GD2 immunotherapy results in a durable, complete response in high-risk transgenic neuroblastoma models, providing an innovative, rational therapeutic approach to eradicate tumor cells regardless of their potential to switch cell states.
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15
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Huang L, Shao J, Lai W, Gu H, Yang J, Shi S, Wufoyrwoth S, Song Z, Zou Y, Xu Y, Zhu Q. Discovery of the first ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) degraders for cancer treatment. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 267:116159. [PMID: 38325007 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116159] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
The first examples of ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) PROTACs were designed and synthesized. Among them, the most potent degrader, ZS-7, demonstrated selective and effective ATR degradation in ATM-deficient LoVo cells, with a DC50 value of 0.53 μM. Proteasome-mediated ATR degradation by ZS-7 lasted approximately 12 h after washout in the LoVo cell lines. Notably, ZS-7 demonstrated reasonable PK profiles and, as a single agent or in combination with cisplatin, showed improved antitumor activity and safety profiles compared with the parent inhibitor AZD6738 in a xenograft mouse model of LoVo human colorectal cancer cells upon intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China; Department of Pharmacology and Medicinal Chemistry, Jiangsu Vocational College of Medicine, Yancheng, 224005, China
| | - Jialu Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Wenwen Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Hongfeng Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Jieping Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Shi Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Shepherd Wufoyrwoth
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Zhe Song
- China Pharmaceutical University Center for Analysis and Testing, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Yi Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China.
| | - Yungen Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China.
| | - Qihua Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China.
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16
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Black WC, Abdoli A, An X, Auger A, Beaulieu P, Bernatchez M, Caron C, Chefson A, Crane S, Diallo M, Dorich S, Fader LD, Ferraro GB, Fournier S, Gao Q, Ginzburg Y, Hamel M, Han Y, Jones P, Lanoix S, Lacbay CM, Leclaire ME, Levy M, Mamane Y, Mulani A, Papp R, Pellerin C, Picard A, Skeldon A, Skorey K, Stocco R, St-Onge M, Truchon JF, Truong VL, Zimmermann M, Zinda M, Roulston A. Discovery of the Potent and Selective ATR Inhibitor Camonsertib (RP-3500). J Med Chem 2024; 67:2349-2368. [PMID: 38299539 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
ATR is a key kinase in the DNA-damage response (DDR) that is synthetic lethal with several other DDR proteins, making it an attractive target for the treatment of genetically selected solid tumors. Herein we describe the discovery of a novel ATR inhibitor guided by a pharmacophore model to position a key hydrogen bond. Optimization was driven by potency and selectivity over the related kinase mTOR, resulting in the identification of camonsertib (RP-3500) with high potency and excellent ADME properties. Preclinical evaluation focused on the impact of camonsertib on myelosuppression, and an exploration of intermittent dosing schedules to allow recovery of the erythroid compartment and mitigate anemia. Camonsertib is currently undergoing clinical evaluation both as a single agent and in combination with talazoparib, olaparib, niraparib, lunresertib, or gemcitabine (NCT04497116, NCT04972110, NCT04855656). A preliminary recommended phase 2 dose for monotherapy was identified as 160 mg QD given 3 days/week.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Cameron Black
- Repare Therapeutics, Inc., 7171 Frederick-Banting, Building 2, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 1Z9, Canada
| | - Abbas Abdoli
- Nuchem Sciences, Inc., 2350 Rue Cohen, Suite 201, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4R 2N6, Canada
| | - Xiuli An
- New York Blood Center Enterprises, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Anick Auger
- Ventus Therapeutics, Inc., 7150 Frederick-Banting, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 2A1, Canada
| | | | | | - Cathy Caron
- Repare Therapeutics, Inc., 7171 Frederick-Banting, Building 2, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 1Z9, Canada
| | - Amandine Chefson
- Ventus Therapeutics, Inc., 7150 Frederick-Banting, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 2A1, Canada
| | - Sheldon Crane
- Nuchem Sciences, Inc., 2350 Rue Cohen, Suite 201, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4R 2N6, Canada
| | - Mohamed Diallo
- Repare Therapeutics, Inc., 7171 Frederick-Banting, Building 2, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 1Z9, Canada
| | - Stéphane Dorich
- Ventus Therapeutics, Inc., 7150 Frederick-Banting, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 2A1, Canada
| | - Lee D Fader
- Ventus Therapeutics, Inc., 7150 Frederick-Banting, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 2A1, Canada
| | - Gino B Ferraro
- Repare Therapeutics, Inc., 7171 Frederick-Banting, Building 2, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 1Z9, Canada
| | - Sara Fournier
- Repare Therapeutics, Inc., 7171 Frederick-Banting, Building 2, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 1Z9, Canada
| | - Qi Gao
- J-Star Research, Inc., 3001 Hadley Road, Suites 1-5A, South Plainfield, New Jersey 07080, United States
| | - Yelena Ginzburg
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, United States
| | - Martine Hamel
- Repare Therapeutics, Inc., 7171 Frederick-Banting, Building 2, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 1Z9, Canada
| | - Yongshuai Han
- New York Blood Center Enterprises, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Paul Jones
- Nuchem Sciences, Inc., 2350 Rue Cohen, Suite 201, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4R 2N6, Canada
| | - Stéphanie Lanoix
- Nuchem Sciences, Inc., 2350 Rue Cohen, Suite 201, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4R 2N6, Canada
| | - Cyrus M Lacbay
- Nuchem Sciences, Inc., 2350 Rue Cohen, Suite 201, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4R 2N6, Canada
| | - Marie-Eve Leclaire
- Repare Therapeutics, Inc., 7171 Frederick-Banting, Building 2, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 1Z9, Canada
| | - Maayan Levy
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, United States
| | - Yael Mamane
- Repare Therapeutics, Inc., 7171 Frederick-Banting, Building 2, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 1Z9, Canada
| | - Amina Mulani
- Nuchem Sciences, Inc., 2350 Rue Cohen, Suite 201, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4R 2N6, Canada
| | - Robert Papp
- Repare Therapeutics, Inc., 7171 Frederick-Banting, Building 2, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 1Z9, Canada
| | - Charles Pellerin
- Ventus Therapeutics, Inc., 7150 Frederick-Banting, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 2A1, Canada
| | - Audrey Picard
- Ventus Therapeutics, Inc., 7150 Frederick-Banting, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 2A1, Canada
| | - Alexander Skeldon
- Ventus Therapeutics, Inc., 7150 Frederick-Banting, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 2A1, Canada
| | - Kathryn Skorey
- Nuchem Sciences, Inc., 2350 Rue Cohen, Suite 201, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4R 2N6, Canada
| | - Rino Stocco
- Repare Therapeutics, Inc., 7171 Frederick-Banting, Building 2, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 1Z9, Canada
| | - Miguel St-Onge
- Ventus Therapeutics, Inc., 7150 Frederick-Banting, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 2A1, Canada
| | - Jean-François Truchon
- Repare Therapeutics, Inc., 7171 Frederick-Banting, Building 2, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 1Z9, Canada
| | - Vouy Linh Truong
- Nuchem Sciences, Inc., 2350 Rue Cohen, Suite 201, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4R 2N6, Canada
| | - Michal Zimmermann
- Repare Therapeutics, Inc., 7171 Frederick-Banting, Building 2, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 1Z9, Canada
| | - Michael Zinda
- Repare Therapeutics, Inc., 7171 Frederick-Banting, Building 2, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 1Z9, Canada
| | - Anne Roulston
- Repare Therapeutics, Inc., 7171 Frederick-Banting, Building 2, Saint-Laurent, Quebec H4S 1Z9, Canada
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17
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Khamidullina AI, Abramenko YE, Bruter AV, Tatarskiy VV. Key Proteins of Replication Stress Response and Cell Cycle Control as Cancer Therapy Targets. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1263. [PMID: 38279263 PMCID: PMC10816012 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021263] [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: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Replication stress (RS) is a characteristic state of cancer cells as they tend to exchange precision of replication for fast proliferation and increased genomic instability. To overcome the consequences of improper replication control, malignant cells frequently inactivate parts of their DNA damage response (DDR) pathways (the ATM-CHK2-p53 pathway), while relying on other pathways which help to maintain replication fork stability (ATR-CHK1). This creates a dependency on the remaining DDR pathways, vulnerability to further destabilization of replication and synthetic lethality of DDR inhibitors with common oncogenic alterations such as mutations of TP53, RB1, ATM, amplifications of MYC, CCNE1 and others. The response to RS is normally limited by coordination of cell cycle, transcription and replication. Inhibition of WEE1 and PKMYT1 kinases, which prevent unscheduled mitosis entry, leads to fragility of under-replicated sites. Recent evidence also shows that inhibition of Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), such as CDK4/6, CDK2, CDK8/19 and CDK12/13 can contribute to RS through disruption of DNA repair and replication control. Here, we review the main causes of RS in cancers as well as main therapeutic targets-ATR, CHK1, PARP and their inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvina I. Khamidullina
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncobiology, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov Street, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (A.I.K.); (Y.E.A.)
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov Street, 119334 Moscow, Russia
| | - Yaroslav E. Abramenko
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncobiology, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov Street, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (A.I.K.); (Y.E.A.)
| | - Alexandra V. Bruter
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov Street, 119334 Moscow, Russia
| | - Victor V. Tatarskiy
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncobiology, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov Street, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (A.I.K.); (Y.E.A.)
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov Street, 119334 Moscow, Russia
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18
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Lozinski M, Bowden NA, Graves MC, Fay M, Day BW, Stringer BW, Tooney PA. ATR inhibition using gartisertib enhances cell death and synergises with temozolomide and radiation in patient-derived glioblastoma cell lines. Oncotarget 2024; 15:1-18. [PMID: 38227740 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28551] [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] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma cells can restrict the DNA-damaging effects of temozolomide (TMZ) and radiation therapy (RT) using the DNA damage response (DDR) mechanism which activates cell cycle arrest and DNA repair pathways. Ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3-Related protein (ATR) plays a pivotal role in the recognition of DNA damage induced by chemotherapy and radiation causing downstream DDR activation. Here, we investigated the activity of gartisertib, a potent ATR inhibitor, alone and in combination with TMZ and/or RT in 12 patient-derived glioblastoma cell lines. We showed that gartisertib alone potently reduced the cell viability of glioblastoma cell lines, where sensitivity was associated with the frequency of DDR mutations and higher expression of the G2 cell cycle pathway. ATR inhibition significantly enhanced cell death in combination with TMZ and RT and was shown to have higher synergy than TMZ+RT treatment. MGMT promoter unmethylated and TMZ+RT resistant glioblastoma cells were also more sensitive to gartisertib. Analysis of gene expression from gartisertib treated glioblastoma cells identified the upregulation of innate immune-related pathways. Overall, this study identifies ATR inhibition as a strategy to enhance the DNA-damaging ability of glioblastoma standard treatment, while providing preliminary evidence that ATR inhibition induces an innate immune gene signature that warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathew Lozinski
- School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
- Drug Repurposing and Medicines Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton, NSW, Australia
- Mark Hughes Foundation Centre for Brain Cancer Research, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Nikola A Bowden
- School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
- Drug Repurposing and Medicines Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton, NSW, Australia
| | - Moira C Graves
- School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
- Drug Repurposing and Medicines Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton, NSW, Australia
- Mark Hughes Foundation Centre for Brain Cancer Research, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael Fay
- School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
- Drug Repurposing and Medicines Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton, NSW, Australia
- Mark Hughes Foundation Centre for Brain Cancer Research, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
- GenesisCare, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Bryan W Day
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Brett W Stringer
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Paul A Tooney
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
- Drug Repurposing and Medicines Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton, NSW, Australia
- Mark Hughes Foundation Centre for Brain Cancer Research, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
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19
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Tran HL, Lai KH, Chang HS, Chen YS, Wang HC, Yang SS, Chang HW, Hsu CM, Yen CH, Hsiao HH. Indigofera suffruticosa aerial parts extract induce G2/M arrest and ATR/CHK1 pathway in Jurkat cells. BMC Complement Med Ther 2024; 24:28. [PMID: 38195460 PMCID: PMC10775588 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-023-04325-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Indigofera suffruticosa Mill. is used as a folk medicine for treating patients with leukemia, however very little is known regarding the molecular mechanism of its anti-leukemic activity and the chemical profile of the active extract. The present study aimed to reveal the molecular effect of I. suffruticosa aerial parts extract (ISAE) on leukemia cells and its chemical constituents. METHODS Cytotoxicity of ISAE were determined by resazurin viability assay, multitox - Glo multiplex cytotoxicity assay, and Annexin V staining assay. Cell cycle profiles were revealed by propidium iodide staining assay. The effects of ISAE on G2/M arrest signaling and DNA damage were evaluated by Western blot assay and phospho-H2A.X staining assay. The chemical profile of ISAE were determined by tandem mass spectroscopy and molecular networking approach. RESULTS We showed that the acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line Jurkat cell was more responsive to ISAE treatment than other leukemia cell lines. In contrast, ISAE did not induce cytotoxic effects in normal fibroblast cells. Cell cycle analysis revealed that ISAE triggered G2/M arrest in Jurkat cells in dose- and time-dependent manners. Elevation of annexin V-stained cells and caspase 3/7 activity suggested ISAE-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, ISAE alone could increase the phosphorylation of CDK1 at Y15 and activate the ATR/CHK1/Wee1/CDC25C signaling pathway. However, the addition of caffeine, a widely used ATR inhibitor to ISAE, reduced the phosphorylation of ATR, CHK1, and CDK1, as well as G2/M arrest in Jurkat cells. Moreover, increased phospho-H2A.X stained cells indicated the involvement of DNA damage in the anti-leukemic effect of ISAE. Finally, qualitative analysis using UPLC-tandem mass spectroscopy and molecular networking revealed that tryptanthrin was the most abundant organoheterocyclic metabolite in ISAE. At equivalent concentrations to ISAE, tryptanthrin induced G2/M arrest of Jurkat cells, which can be prevented by caffeine. CONCLUSIONS ISAE causes G2/M arrest via activating ATR/CHK1/CDK1 pathway and tryptanthrin is one of the active components of ISAE. Our findings provide subtle support to the traditional use of I. suffruitcosa in leukemia management in folk medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Loan Tran
- Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
| | - Kuei-Hung Lai
- PhD Program in Clinical Drug Development of Herbal Medicine, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, 11031, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, 11031, Taiwan
| | - Hsun-Shuo Chang
- Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
- School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Siao Chen
- Ph.D. Program in Environmental and Occupational Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University and National Health Research Institutes, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Chun Wang
- Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
| | - Shuen-Shin Yang
- School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
| | - Hsueh-Wei Chang
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, College of Life Science, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
| | - Chin-Mu Hsu
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Hung Yen
- Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan.
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan.
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan.
| | - Hui-Hua Hsiao
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan.
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan.
- Center for Liquid Biopsy and Cohort Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan.
- Faculty of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan.
- Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan.
- Cancer Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan.
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20
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Zhang H, Kreis J, Schelhorn SE, Dahmen H, Grombacher T, Zühlsdorf M, Zenke FT, Guan Y. Mapping combinatorial drug effects to DNA damage response kinase inhibitors. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8310. [PMID: 38097586 PMCID: PMC10721915 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44108-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: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
One fundamental principle that underlies various cancer treatments, such as traditional chemotherapy and radiotherapy, involves the induction of catastrophic DNA damage, leading to the apoptosis of cancer cells. In our study, we conduct a comprehensive dose-response combination screening focused on inhibitors that target key kinases involved in the DNA damage response (DDR): ATR, ATM, and DNA-PK. This screening involves 87 anti-cancer agents, including six DDR inhibitors, and encompasses 62 different cell lines spanning 12 types of tumors, resulting in a total of 17,912 combination treatment experiments. Within these combinations, we analyze the most effective and synergistic drug pairs across all tested cell lines, considering the variations among cancers originating from different tissues. Our analysis reveals inhibitors of five DDR-related pathways (DNA topoisomerase, PLK1 kinase, p53-inducible ribonucleotide reductase, PARP, and cell cycle checkpoint proteins) that exhibit strong combinatorial efficacy and synergy when used alongside ATM/ATR/DNA-PK inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanrui Zhang
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Yuanfang Guan
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Internal Medicine, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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21
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Wei W, Shi F, Xu Y, Jiao Y, Zhang Y, Ou Q, Wu X, Yang L, Lai J. The enrichment of Fanconi anemia/homologous recombination pathway aberrations in ATM/ATR-mutated NSCLC was accompanied by unique molecular features and poor prognosis. J Transl Med 2023; 21:874. [PMID: 38041093 PMCID: PMC10690992 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04634-1] [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: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND ATM and ATR are two critical factors to regulate DNA damage response (DDR), and their mutations were frequently observed in different types of cancer, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Given that the majority of identified ATM/ATR mutations were variants of uncertain significance, the clinical/molecular features of pathogenic ATM/ATR aberrations have not been comprehensively investigated in NSCLC. METHODS Next-generation sequencing (NGS) analyses were conducted to investigate the molecular features in 191 NSCLC patients who harbored pathogenic/likely pathogenic ATM/ATR mutations and 308 NSCLC patients who did not have any types of ATM/ATR variants. The results were validated using an external cohort of 2727 NSCLC patients (including 48 with ATM/ATR pathogenic mutations). RESULTS Most pathogenic ATM/ATR genetic alterations were frameshift and nonsense mutations that disrupt critical domains of the two proteins. ATM/ATR-mutated patients had significantly higher tumor mutational burdens (TMB; P < 0.001) and microsatellite instabilities (MSI; P = 0.023), but not chromosomal instabilities, than those without any ATM/ATR variations. In particular, KRAS mutations were significantly enriched in ATM-mutated patients (P = 0.014), whereas BRCA2 mutations (P = 0.014), TP53 mutations (P = 0.014), and ZNF703 amplification (P = 0.008) were enriched in ATR-mutated patients. Notably, patients with ATM/ATR pathogenic genetic alterations were likely to be accompanied by mutations in Fanconi anemia (FA) and homologous recombination (HR) pathways, which were confirmed using both the study (P < 0.001) and validation (P < 0.001) cohorts. Furthermore, the co-occurrence of FA/HR aberrations could contribute to increased TMB and MSI, and patients with both ATM/ATR and FA/HR mutations tended to have worse overall survival. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrated the unique clinical and molecular features of pathogenic ATM/ATR mutations in NSCLC, which helps better understand the cancerous involvement of these DDR regulators, as well as directing targeted therapies and/or immunotherapies to treat ATM/ATR-mutated NSCLC, especially those with co-existing FA/HR aberrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wei
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
| | - Fangfang Shi
- Department of Oncology, Zhongda Hospital Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yang Xu
- Geneseeq Research Institute, Nanjing Geneseeq Technology Inc., Nanjing, 210032, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yang Jiao
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, 210002, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qiuxiang Ou
- Geneseeq Research Institute, Nanjing Geneseeq Technology Inc., Nanjing, 210032, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xue Wu
- Geneseeq Research Institute, Nanjing Geneseeq Technology Inc., Nanjing, 210032, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lingyi Yang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 188 Shizi Street, Suzhou, 215006, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Jinhuo Lai
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, 350025, Fujian, China.
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22
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Du Y, Luo L, Xu X, Yang X, Yang X, Xiong S, Yu J, Liang T, Guo L. Unleashing the Power of Synthetic Lethality: Augmenting Treatment Efficacy through Synergistic Integration with Chemotherapy Drugs. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2433. [PMID: 37896193 PMCID: PMC10610204 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15102433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world, and chemotherapy is one of the main methods of cancer treatment. However, the resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic drugs has always been the main reason affecting the therapeutic effect. Synthetic lethality has emerged as a promising approach to augment the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy agents. Synthetic lethality (SL) refers to the specific cell death resulting from the simultaneous mutation of two non-lethal genes, which individually allow cell survival. This comprehensive review explores the classification of SL, screening methods, and research advancements in SL inhibitors, including Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, Ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) inhibitors, WEE1 G2 checkpoint kinase (WEE1) inhibitors, and protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) inhibitors. Emphasizing their combined use with chemotherapy drugs, we aim to unveil more effective treatment strategies for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajing Du
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; (Y.D.); (L.L.); (X.X.); (X.Y.)
| | - Lulu Luo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; (Y.D.); (L.L.); (X.X.); (X.Y.)
| | - Xinru Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; (Y.D.); (L.L.); (X.X.); (X.Y.)
| | - Xinbing Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; (Y.D.); (L.L.); (X.X.); (X.Y.)
| | - Xueni Yang
- Department of Bioinformatics, Smart Health Big Data Analysis and Location Services Engineering Lab of Jiangsu Province, School of Geographic and Biologic Information, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China; (X.Y.); (S.X.)
| | - Shizheng Xiong
- Department of Bioinformatics, Smart Health Big Data Analysis and Location Services Engineering Lab of Jiangsu Province, School of Geographic and Biologic Information, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China; (X.Y.); (S.X.)
| | - Jiafeng Yu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, Dezhou University, Dezhou 253023, China;
| | - Tingming Liang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; (Y.D.); (L.L.); (X.X.); (X.Y.)
| | - Li Guo
- Department of Bioinformatics, Smart Health Big Data Analysis and Location Services Engineering Lab of Jiangsu Province, School of Geographic and Biologic Information, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China; (X.Y.); (S.X.)
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23
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Abstract
The oxetane ring is an emergent, underexplored motif in drug discovery that shows attractive properties such as low molecular weight, high polarity, and marked three-dimensionality. Oxetanes have garnered further interest as isosteres of carbonyl groups and as molecular tools to fine-tune physicochemical properties of drug compounds such as pKa, LogD, aqueous solubility, and metabolic clearance. This perspective highlights recent applications of oxetane motifs in drug discovery campaigns (2017-2022), with emphasis on the effect of the oxetane on medicinally relevant properties and on the building blocks used to incorporate the oxetane ring. Based on this analysis, we provide an overview of the potential benefits of appending an oxetane to a drug compound, as well as potential pitfalls, challenges, and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J. Rojas
- Department of Chemistry,
Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences
Research Hub, White City
Campus, Wood Lane, London W12 0BZ, U.K.
| | - James A. Bull
- Department of Chemistry,
Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences
Research Hub, White City
Campus, Wood Lane, London W12 0BZ, U.K.
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24
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Li Q, Qian W, Zhang Y, Hu L, Chen S, Xia Y. A new wave of innovations within the DNA damage response. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:338. [PMID: 37679326 PMCID: PMC10485079 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01548-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome instability has been identified as one of the enabling hallmarks in cancer. DNA damage response (DDR) network is responsible for maintenance of genome integrity in cells. As cancer cells frequently carry DDR gene deficiencies or suffer from replicative stress, targeting DDR processes could induce excessive DNA damages (or unrepaired DNA) that eventually lead to cell death. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors have brought impressive benefit to patients with breast cancer gene (BRCA) mutation or homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), which proves the concept of synthetic lethality in cancer treatment. Moreover, the other two scenarios of DDR inhibitor application, replication stress and combination with chemo- or radio- therapy, are under active clinical exploration. In this review, we revisited the progress of DDR targeting therapy beyond the launched first-generation PARP inhibitors. Next generation PARP1 selective inhibitors, which could maintain the efficacy while mitigating side effects, may diversify the application scenarios of PARP inhibitor in clinic. Albeit with unavoidable on-mechanism toxicities, several small molecules targeting DNA damage checkpoints (gatekeepers) have shown great promise in preliminary clinical results, which may warrant further evaluations. In addition, inhibitors for other DNA repair pathways (caretakers) are also under active preclinical or clinical development. With these progresses and efforts, we envision that a new wave of innovations within DDR has come of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Li
- Domestic Discovery Service Unit, WuXi AppTec, 200131, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenyuan Qian
- Domestic Discovery Service Unit, WuXi AppTec, 200131, Shanghai, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Domestic Discovery Service Unit, WuXi AppTec, 200131, Shanghai, China
| | - Lihong Hu
- Domestic Discovery Service Unit, WuXi AppTec, 200131, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuhui Chen
- Domestic Discovery Service Unit, WuXi AppTec, 200131, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuanfeng Xia
- Domestic Discovery Service Unit, WuXi AppTec, 200131, Shanghai, China.
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Schultz CW, Zhang Y, Elmeskini R, Zimmermann A, Fu H, Murai Y, Wangsa D, Kumar S, Takahashi N, Atkinson D, Saha LK, Lee C, Elenbaas B, Desai P, Sebastian R, Sharma AK, Abel M, Schroeder B, Krishnamurthy M, Kumar R, Roper N, Aladjem M, Zenke FT, Ohler ZW, Pommier Y, Thomas A. ATR inhibition augments the efficacy of lurbinectedin in small-cell lung cancer. EMBO Mol Med 2023; 15:e17313. [PMID: 37491889 PMCID: PMC10405061 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202217313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most lethal type of lung cancer. Specifically, MYC-driven non-neuroendocrine SCLC is particularly resistant to standard therapies. Lurbinectedin was recently approved for the treatment of relapsed SCLC, but combinatorial approaches are needed to increase the depth and duration of responses to lurbinectedin. Using high-throughput screens, we found inhibitors of ataxia telangiectasia mutated and rad3 related (ATR) as the most effective agents for augmenting lurbinectedin efficacy. First-in-class ATR inhibitor berzosertib synergized with lurbinectedin in multiple SCLC cell lines, organoid, and in vivo models. Mechanistically, ATR inhibition abrogated S-phase arrest induced by lurbinectedin and forced cell cycle progression causing mitotic catastrophe and cell death. High CDKN1A/p21 expression was associated with decreased synergy due to G1 arrest, while increased levels of ERCC5/XPG were predictive of increased combination efficacy. Importantly, MYC-driven non-neuroendocrine tumors which are resistant to first-line therapies show reduced CDKN1A/p21 expression and increased ERCC5/XPG indicating they are primed for response to lurbinectedin-berzosertib combination. The combination is being assessed in a clinical trial NCT04802174.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher W Schultz
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Yang Zhang
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Rajaa Elmeskini
- Center for Advanced Preclinical Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, IncFrederick National Laboratory for Cancer ResearchFrederickMDUSA
| | - Astrid Zimmermann
- Translational Innovation Platform OncologyMerck KGaA, Biopharma R&DDarmstadtGermany
| | - Haiqing Fu
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Yasuhisa Murai
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Darawalee Wangsa
- Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Suresh Kumar
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Nobuyuki Takahashi
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
- Medical Oncology BranchNational Center for Global Health and MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Devon Atkinson
- Center for Advanced Preclinical Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, IncFrederick National Laboratory for Cancer ResearchFrederickMDUSA
| | - Liton Kumar Saha
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Chien‐Fei Lee
- Translational Innovation Platform OncologyEMD Serono Research and Development Institute Inc., Biopharma R&DBillericaMAUSA
| | - Brian Elenbaas
- Translational Innovation Platform OncologyEMD Serono Research and Development Institute Inc., Biopharma R&DBillericaMAUSA
| | - Parth Desai
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Robin Sebastian
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Ajit Kumar Sharma
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Melissa Abel
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Brett Schroeder
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Manan Krishnamurthy
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Rajesh Kumar
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Nitin Roper
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Mirit Aladjem
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Frank T Zenke
- Translational Innovation Platform OncologyMerck KGaA, Biopharma R&DDarmstadtGermany
| | - Zoe Weaver Ohler
- Center for Advanced Preclinical Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, IncFrederick National Laboratory for Cancer ResearchFrederickMDUSA
| | - Yves Pommier
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Anish Thomas
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
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Dexheimer TS, Coussens NP, Silvers T, Wright J, Morris J, Doroshow JH, Teicher BA. Multicellular Complex Tumor Spheroid Response to DNA Repair Inhibitors in Combination with DNA-damaging Drugs. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:1648-1661. [PMID: 37637936 PMCID: PMC10452929 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-23-0193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Multicellular spheroids comprised of malignant cells, endothelial cells, and mesenchymal stem cells served as an in vitro model of human solid tumors to investigate the potentiation of DNA-damaging drugs by pharmacologic modulation of DNA repair pathways. The DNA-damaging drugs, topotecan, trabectedin, and temozolomide were combined with varied inhibitors of DNA damage response enzymes including PARP (olaparib or talazoparib), ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated; AZD-1390), ATR (ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein; berzosertib or elimusertib), and DNA-PK (DNA-dependent protein kinase; nedisertib or VX-984). A range of clinically achievable concentrations were tested up to the clinical Cmax, if known. Mechanistically, the types of DNA damage induced by temozolomide, topotecan, and trabectedin are distinct, which was apparent from the response of spheroids to combinations with various DNA repair inhibitors. Although most combinations resulted in additive cytotoxicity, synergistic activity was observed for temozolomide combined with PARP inhibitors as well as combinations of the ATM inhibitor AZD-1390 with either topotecan or trabectedin. These findings might provide guidance for the selection of anticancer agent combinations worthy of further investigation. Significance Clinical efficacy of DNA-damaging anticancer drugs can be influenced by the DNA damage response in tumor cells. The potentiation of DNA-damaging drugs by pharmacologic modulation of DNA repair pathways was assessed in multicellular tumor spheroids. Although most combinations demonstrated additive cytotoxicity, synergistic cytotoxicity was observed for several drug combinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas S Dexheimer
- Molecular Pharmacology Laboratories, Applied and Developmental Research Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Nathan P Coussens
- Molecular Pharmacology Laboratories, Applied and Developmental Research Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Thomas Silvers
- Molecular Pharmacology Laboratories, Applied and Developmental Research Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland
| | - John Wright
- Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, NCI, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Joel Morris
- Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, NCI, Rockville, Maryland
| | - James H Doroshow
- Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, NCI, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Beverly A Teicher
- Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, NCI, Rockville, Maryland
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Haciefendi A, Guney Eskiler G. The suppression of ATR/Chk1 pathway by Elimusertib ATR inhibitor in triple negative breast cancer cells. Am J Transl Res 2023; 15:4902-4911. [PMID: 37560219 PMCID: PMC10408524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Genomic instability in cancer cells is based on the aberrant activation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage response and repair mechanisms. Targeting Ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) inhibition in cancer treatment have attracted attention in recent years. In the current study, we aimed for the first time to determine the anti-cancer effects of Elimusertib, an ATR inhibitor, on triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). METHODS The cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of Elimusertib were analyzed by Water-Soluble Tetrazolium 1 (WST-1), Annexin V, cell cycle and acridine orange/propidium iodide staining. Furthermore, Elimusertib induced mitochondrial damage and the intracellular reactive oxygen species were evaluated. Additionally, the inhibition of ATR-Checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) DNA damage response and the induction of apoptotic death was analyzed by western blot analysis. RESULTS Our preliminary findings revealed that Elimusertib significantly decreased the viability of MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells with toxicity in MCF-10A cells (P<0.05). Elimusertib caused apoptotic death through gap phase (G0)/growth 1 phase (G1) accumulation, caspase-3 activity and mitochondrial damage. Additionally, Elimusertib significantly suppressed the ATR-based DNA damage response and mediated cell cycle checkpoint. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that Elimusertib suppresses the ATR-based Chk1 pathway in TNBC cells. Therefore, ATR inhibition by Elimusertib could be a potential therapeutic strategy especially in tumor protein p53 (p53) mutant TNBC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayten Haciefendi
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludag UniversityBursa, Turkey
| | - Gamze Guney Eskiler
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Sakarya UniversitySakarya, Turkey
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28
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Duan Y, Zhuang L, Xu Y, Cheng H, Xia J, Lu T, Chen Y. Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of pyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidine derivatives as novel ATR inhibitors. Bioorg Chem 2023; 136:106535. [PMID: 37086581 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
Targeting ataxia telangiectasia mutated and Rad3-related (ATR) kinase is being pursued as a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of advanced solid tumor with specific DNA damage response deficiency. Herein, we report a series of pyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidine derivatives with potent ATR inhibitory activity through structure-based drug design. Among them, the representative compound 10q exhibited excellent potency against ATR in both biochemical and cellular assays. More importantly, 10q exhibited good liver microsomes stability in different species and also showed moderate inhibitory activity against HT-29 cells in combination treatment with the ATM inhibitor AZD1390. Thus, this work provides a promising lead compound against ATR for further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunxin Duan
- School of Sciences, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing 211198, PR China
| | - Lili Zhuang
- School of Sciences, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing 211198, PR China
| | - Yerong Xu
- School of Sciences, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing 211198, PR China
| | - Haodong Cheng
- School of Sciences, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing 211198, PR China
| | - Jiawei Xia
- School of Sciences, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing 211198, PR China
| | - Tao Lu
- School of Sciences, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing 211198, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
| | - Yadong Chen
- School of Sciences, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing 211198, PR China.
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29
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König P, Zhulenko R, Suparman E, Hoffmeister H, Bückreiß N, Ott I, Bendas G. A biscarbene gold(I)-NHC-complex overcomes cisplatin-resistance in A2780 and W1 ovarian cancer cells highlighting pERK as regulator of apoptosis. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2023; 92:57-69. [PMID: 37272932 PMCID: PMC10261188 DOI: 10.1007/s00280-023-04548-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Cisplatin resistance is the major obstacle in the clinical treatment of ovarian cancer patients. Molecular mechanisms of cisplatin resistance are multifaceted. Gold(I)-compounds, i.e. N-heterocyclic carbene-gold(I)-complexes (NHC-Au(I)) has been regarded as promising cytotoxic drug candidates. However, their potential to overcome cisplatin resistance has hardly been addressed yet. Here we investigated the activity of the gold(I) drug auranofin and the NHC-Au(I)-compound MC3 in W1CR and A2780cis cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cells. METHODS Cytotoxicity of auranofin and MC3 was detected by MTT assay, correlated with intracellular gold(I) content, analyzed by AAS, and with flow cytometric detection of the cell cycle. Insight into cellular redox balance was provided by fluorimetric ROS-formation assay and western blotting thioredoxin (Trx) and Nrf2. The role of ERK was elucidated by using the inhibitor SCH772984 and its impact on cytotoxicity upon co-treatment with cisplatin and Au(I)-compounds, respectively. RESULTS MC3 overcomes cisplatin resistance in A2780cis and W1CR, and auranofin in W1CR cells completely, which is neither reflected by intracellular gold levels nor cell cycle changes. Upregulated redox balance appears as a basis for resistance. W1CR cells possess higher Trx levels, whereas A2780cis cells display strong Nrf2 expression as anti-oxidative protection. Nevertheless, overcoming redox balance appears not primary mode of activity comparing cisplatin and gold(I)-compounds. pERK emerges as a critical component and thus a promising target for overcoming resistance, regulating apoptosis differently in response to either gold(I) or cisplatin in A2780 cells. CONCLUSION These data reflect the complexity of cisplatin resistance in cell models and emphasize NHC-Au(I)-complexes as prospective cytotoxic agents for further investigations in that respect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp König
- Department of Pharmacy, University Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Roman Zhulenko
- Department of Pharmacy, University Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Eloy Suparman
- Department of Pharmacy, University Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Henrik Hoffmeister
- Institute of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38106, Brunswick, Germany
| | - Nico Bückreiß
- Department of Pharmacy, University Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ingo Ott
- Institute of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38106, Brunswick, Germany
| | - Gerd Bendas
- Department of Pharmacy, University Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121, Bonn, Germany.
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30
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Saldanha J, Rageul J, Patel JA, Kim H. The Adaptive Mechanisms and Checkpoint Responses to a Stressed DNA Replication Fork. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10488. [PMID: 37445667 PMCID: PMC10341514 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA replication is a tightly controlled process that ensures the faithful duplication of the genome. However, DNA damage arising from both endogenous and exogenous assaults gives rise to DNA replication stress associated with replication fork slowing or stalling. Therefore, protecting the stressed fork while prompting its recovery to complete DNA replication is critical for safeguarding genomic integrity and cell survival. Specifically, the plasticity of the replication fork in engaging distinct DNA damage tolerance mechanisms, including fork reversal, repriming, and translesion DNA synthesis, enables cells to overcome a variety of replication obstacles. Furthermore, stretches of single-stranded DNA generated upon fork stalling trigger the activation of the ATR kinase, which coordinates the cellular responses to replication stress by stabilizing the replication fork, promoting DNA repair, and controlling cell cycle and replication origin firing. Deregulation of the ATR checkpoint and aberrant levels of chronic replication stress is a common characteristic of cancer and a point of vulnerability being exploited in cancer therapy. Here, we discuss the various adaptive responses of a replication fork to replication stress and the roles of ATR signaling that bring fork stabilization mechanisms together. We also review how this knowledge is being harnessed for the development of checkpoint inhibitors to trigger the replication catastrophe of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne Saldanha
- The Graduate Program in Genetics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Julie Rageul
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Jinal A Patel
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Hyungjin Kim
- The Graduate Program in Genetics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
- Stony Brook Cancer Center, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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31
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Gupta N, Huang TT, Nair JR, An D, Zurcher G, Lampert EJ, McCoy A, Cimino-Mathews A, Swisher EM, Radke MR, Lockwood CM, Reichel JB, Chiang CY, Wilson KM, Chih-Chien Cheng K, Nousome D, Lee JM. BLM overexpression as a predictive biomarker for CHK1 inhibitor response in PARP inhibitor-resistant BRCA-mutant ovarian cancer. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eadd7872. [PMID: 37343085 PMCID: PMC10758289 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.add7872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPis) have changed the treatment paradigm in breast cancer gene (BRCA)-mutant high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSC). However, most patients eventually develop resistance to PARPis, highlighting an unmet need for improved therapeutic strategies. Using high-throughput drug screens, we identified ataxia telangiectasia and rad3-related protein/checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) pathway inhibitors as cytotoxic and further validated the activity of the CHK1 inhibitor (CHK1i) prexasertib in PARPi-sensitive and -resistant BRCA-mutant HGSC cells and xenograft mouse models. CHK1i monotherapy induced DNA damage, apoptosis, and tumor size reduction. We then conducted a phase 2 study (NCT02203513) of prexasertib in patients with BRCA-mutant HGSC. The treatment was well tolerated but yielded an objective response rate of 6% (1 of 17; one partial response) in patients with previous PARPi treatment. Exploratory biomarker analyses revealed that replication stress and fork stabilization were associated with clinical benefit to CHK1i. In particular, overexpression of Bloom syndrome RecQ helicase (BLM) and cyclin E1 (CCNE1) overexpression or copy number gain/amplification were seen in patients who derived durable benefit from CHK1i. BRCA reversion mutation in previously PARPi-treated BRCA-mutant patients was not associated with resistance to CHK1i. Our findings suggest that replication fork-related genes should be further evaluated as biomarkers for CHK1i sensitivity in patients with BRCA-mutant HGSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitasha Gupta
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Tzu-Ting Huang
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jayakumar R. Nair
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Daniel An
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Grant Zurcher
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Erika J. Lampert
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Ann McCoy
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ashley Cimino-Mathews
- Departments of Pathology and Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Swisher
- Brotman Baty Institute of Precision Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Marc R. Radke
- Brotman Baty Institute of Precision Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Christina M. Lockwood
- Brotman Baty Institute of Precision Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Jonathan B. Reichel
- Brotman Baty Institute of Precision Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Chih-Yuan Chiang
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kelli M. Wilson
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ken Chih-Chien Cheng
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, MD 20892, USA
| | - Darryl Nousome
- Center for Cancer Research Collaborative Bioinformatics Resource, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jung-Min Lee
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Shao J, Huang L, Lai W, Zou Y, Zhu Q. Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Potent and Selective Inhibitors of Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated and Rad3-Related (ATR) Kinase for the Efficient Treatment of Cancer. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28114521. [PMID: 37298997 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28114521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Ataxia telangiectasia mutated and Rad3-related (ATR), a vital member of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinase (PIKK) family, plays a critical role in the DNA damage response (DDR). Tumor cells with a loss of DDR function or defects in the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene are generally more dependent on ATR for survival, suggesting that ATR is an attractive anticancer drug target based on its synthetic lethality. Herein, we present a potent and highly selective ATR inhibitor, ZH-12 (IC50 = 0.0068 μM). It showed potent antitumor activity as a single agent or in combination with cisplatin in the human colorectal adenocarcinoma LoVo tumor xenograft mouse model. Overall, ZH-12 may be a promising ATR inhibitor based on the principle of synthetic lethality and deserves further in-depth study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialu Shao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Lei Huang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Department of Pharmacology and Medicinal Chemistry, Jiangsu Vocational College of Medicine, Yancheng 224005, China
| | - Wenwen Lai
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yi Zou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Qihua Zhu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
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Li Y, Wang X, Hou X, Ma X. Could Inhibiting the DNA Damage Repair Checkpoint Rescue Immune-Checkpoint-Inhibitor-Resistant Endometrial Cancer? J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12083014. [PMID: 37109350 PMCID: PMC10144486 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12083014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Endometrial cancer (EC) is increasingly undermining female health worldwide, with poor survival rates for advanced or recurrent/metastatic diseases. The application of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has opened a window of opportunity for patients with first-line therapy failure. However, there is a subset of patients with endometrial cancer who remain insensitive to immunotherapy alone. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new therapeutic agents and further explore reliable combinational strategies to optimize the efficacy of immunotherapy. DNA damage repair (DDR) inhibitors as novel targeted drugs are able to generate genomic toxicity and induce cell death in solid tumors, including EC. Recently, growing evidence has demonstrated the DDR pathway modulates innate and adaptive immunity in tumors. In this review, we concentrate on the exploration of the intrinsic correlation between DDR pathways, especially the ATM-CHK2-P53 pathway and the ATR-CHK1-WEE1 pathway, and oncologic immune response, as well as the feasibility of adding DDR inhibitors to ICIs for the treatment of patients with advanced or recurrent/metastatic EC. We hope that this review will offer some beneficial references to the investigation of immunotherapy and provide a reasonable basis for "double-checkpoint inhibition" in EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinuo Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Xiangyu Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Xin Hou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Xiangyi Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
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Duan Y, Cheng H, Zhuang L, Xia J, Xu Y, Zhang R, Sun R, Lu T, Chen Y. Discovery of Thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidine derivatives as potent and selective inhibitors of ataxia telangiectasia mutated and Rad3 related (ATR) kinase. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 255:115370. [PMID: 37130473 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115370] [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: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The ataxia telangiectasia mutated and rad3-related (ATR) kinase regulates the DNA damage response (DDR), which plays a critical role in the ATR-Chk1 signaling pathway. ATR inhibition can induce synthetic lethality (SL) with several DDR deficiencies, making it an attractive drug target for cancers with DDR defects. In this study, we developed a series of selective and potent ATR inhibitors with a thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidine scaffold using a hybrid design. We identified compound 34 as a representative molecule that inhibited ATR kinase with an IC50 value of 1.5 nM and showed reduced potency against other kinases tested. Compound 34 also exhibited potent antiproliferative effects against LoVo cells and SL effects against HT-29 cells. Moreover, compound 34 demonstrated good pharmacokinetic properties, in vivo antitumor efficacy, and no obvious toxicity in the LoVo xenograft tumor model. Therefore, compound 34 is a promising lead compound for drug development to combat specific DDR deficiencies in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunxin Duan
- School of Sciences, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, PR China
| | - Haodong Cheng
- School of Sciences, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, PR China
| | - Lili Zhuang
- School of Sciences, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, PR China
| | - Jiawei Xia
- School of Sciences, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, PR China
| | - Yerong Xu
- School of Sciences, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, PR China
| | - Ruyue Zhang
- School of Sciences, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, PR China
| | - Rui Sun
- School of Sciences, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, PR China
| | - Tao Lu
- School of Sciences, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing, 210009, PR China.
| | - Yadong Chen
- School of Sciences, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211198, PR China.
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Elsakrmy N, Cui H. R-Loops and R-Loop-Binding Proteins in Cancer Progression and Drug Resistance. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087064. [PMID: 37108225 PMCID: PMC10138518 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
R-loops are three-stranded DNA/RNA hybrids that form by the annealing of the mRNA transcript to its coding template while displacing the non-coding strand. While R-loop formation regulates physiological genomic and mitochondrial transcription and DNA damage response, imbalanced R-loop formation can be a threat to the genomic integrity of the cell. As such, R-loop formation is a double-edged sword in cancer progression, and perturbed R-loop homeostasis is observed across various malignancies. Here, we discuss the interplay between R-loops and tumor suppressors and oncogenes, with a focus on BRCA1/2 and ATR. R-loop imbalances contribute to cancer propagation and the development of chemotherapy drug resistance. We explore how R-loop formation can cause cancer cell death in response to chemotherapeutics and be used to circumvent drug resistance. As R-loop formation is tightly linked to mRNA transcription, their formation is unavoidable in cancer cells and can thus be explored in novel cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noha Elsakrmy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Haissi Cui
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H6, Canada
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Vendetti FP, Pandya P, Clump DA, Schamus-Haynes S, Tavakoli M, diMayorca M, Islam NM, Chang J, Delgoffe GM, Beumer JH, Bakkenist CJ. The schedule of ATR inhibitor AZD6738 can potentiate or abolish antitumor immune responses to radiotherapy. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e165615. [PMID: 36810257 PMCID: PMC9977511 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.165615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibitors of the DNA damage signaling kinase ATR increase tumor cell killing by chemotherapies that target DNA replication forks but also kill rapidly proliferating immune cells including activated T cells. Nevertheless, ATR inhibitor (ATRi) and radiotherapy (RT) can be combined to generate CD8+ T cell-dependent antitumor responses in mouse models. To determine the optimal schedule of ATRi and RT, we determined the impact of short-course versus prolonged daily treatment with AZD6738 (ATRi) on responses to RT (days 1-2). Short-course ATRi (days 1-3) plus RT caused expansion of tumor antigen-specific, effector CD8+ T cells in the tumor-draining lymph node (DLN) at 1 week after RT. This was preceded by acute decreases in proliferating tumor-infiltrating and peripheral T cells and a rapid proliferative rebound after ATRi cessation, increased inflammatory signaling (IFN-β, chemokines, particularly CXCL10) in tumors, and an accumulation of inflammatory cells in the DLN. In contrast, prolonged ATRi (days 1-9) prevented the expansion of tumor antigen-specific, effector CD8+ T cells in the DLN, and entirely abolished the therapeutic benefit of short-course ATRi with RT and anti-PD-L1. Our data argue that ATRi cessation is essential to allow CD8+ T cell responses to both RT and immune checkpoint inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank P. Vendetti
- Department of Radiation Oncology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Pinakin Pandya
- Department of Radiation Oncology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - David A. Clump
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Sandra Schamus-Haynes
- Department of Radiation Oncology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Meysam Tavakoli
- Department of Radiation Oncology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Maria diMayorca
- Department of Radiation Oncology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Naveed M. Islam
- Department of Radiation Oncology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jina Chang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Greg M. Delgoffe
- Department of Immunology and
- Department of Medicine, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jan H. Beumer
- Department of Medicine, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, and
| | - Christopher J. Bakkenist
- Department of Radiation Oncology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Medicine, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Li X, Li Y, Zhao Z, Miao N, Liu G, Deng L, Wei S, Hou J. Immunogenicity of small-cell lung cancer associates with STING pathway activation and is enhanced by ATR and TOP1 inhibition. Cancer Med 2023; 12:4864-4881. [PMID: 35957613 PMCID: PMC9972012 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.5109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The activation of STING (stimulator of interferon genes) pathway enhances antitumor immunity in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), while the DNA damage induced by non-cGAMP-based agonists is a potent inducer of STING activity. Here, we investigate the intrinsic expression of STING in cancer cells and evaluate the value of the combination of ATR and TOP1 inhibitors in enhancing antitumor immunity. METHODS STING expression was assessed at mRNA and protein levels in SCLC and normal lung tissues. Transcriptomic subsets of SCLC were identified based on STING-related genes. Distinct mutation and immunogenomic profiles of these subsets were determined. The direct antitumor efficacy and the potential of enhancing antitumor immunity of the strategy using the ATR-TOP1-inhibitor combination were tested in SCLC cell lines. RESULTS The intrinsic expression of STING was significantly reduced in SCLC compared to normal lung tissues (p < 0.0001). Three STING-related SCLC subtypes were identified in which the STING-high subtype was associated with (1) high immune infiltration, (2) high expression of genes related to MHC and immune checkpoints, and (3) high EMT and ferroptosis score. On the contrary, the STING-low subtype was enriched with pathways related to DNA damage response (DDR) and cell cycle progression. The association between the DDR pathway activity and the STING-IFN innate immune response was verified by in vitro experiments in which the inhibition of ATR and TOP1 triggered the expression of genes encoding type I IFN signaling and pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines in a STING-low SCLC cell line. CONCLUSION Our study verifies that activation of the STING-IFN response by ATR and TOP1 inhibitors might be a therapeutic strategy to improve the response to immune checkpoint therapy in STING-low SCLC. Furthermore, the combinations of ATR and TOP1 inhibitors can augment tumor inflammation in STING-low SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuetao Li
- The Laboratory of Computational Medicine and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yujun Li
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ziwen Zhao
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Nabo Miao
- Department of Pathology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Guorong Liu
- Department of Pathology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Liaoyuan Deng
- The Laboratory of Computational Medicine and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shuquan Wei
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jun Hou
- The Laboratory of Computational Medicine and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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Ovejero-Sánchez M, González-Sarmiento R, Herrero AB. DNA Damage Response Alterations in Ovarian Cancer: From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapeutic Opportunities. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:448. [PMID: 36672401 PMCID: PMC9856346 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15020448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The DNA damage response (DDR), a set of signaling pathways for DNA damage detection and repair, maintains genomic stability when cells are exposed to endogenous or exogenous DNA-damaging agents. Alterations in these pathways are strongly associated with cancer development, including ovarian cancer (OC), the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. In OC, failures in the DDR have been related not only to the onset but also to progression and chemoresistance. It is known that approximately half of the most frequent subtype, high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC), exhibit defects in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair by homologous recombination (HR), and current evidence indicates that probably all HGSCs harbor a defect in at least one DDR pathway. These defects are not restricted to HGSCs; mutations in ARID1A, which are present in 30% of endometrioid OCs and 50% of clear cell (CC) carcinomas, have also been found to confer deficiencies in DNA repair. Moreover, DDR alterations have been described in a variable percentage of the different OC subtypes. Here, we overview the main DNA repair pathways involved in the maintenance of genome stability and their deregulation in OC. We also recapitulate the preclinical and clinical data supporting the potential of targeting the DDR to fight the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Ovejero-Sánchez
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Molecular Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Cancer (IBMCC), University of Salamanca-Spanish National Research Council, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Rogelio González-Sarmiento
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Molecular Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Cancer (IBMCC), University of Salamanca-Spanish National Research Council, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Ana Belén Herrero
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Molecular Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Cancer (IBMCC), University of Salamanca-Spanish National Research Council, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
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Fontana B, Gallerani G, Salamon I, Pace I, Roncarati R, Ferracin M. ARID1A in cancer: Friend or foe? Front Oncol 2023; 13:1136248. [PMID: 36890819 PMCID: PMC9987588 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1136248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
ARID1A belongs to a class of chromatin regulatory proteins that function by maintaining accessibility at most promoters and enhancers, thereby regulating gene expression. The high frequency of ARID1A alterations in human cancers has highlighted its significance in tumorigenesis. The precise role of ARID1A in cancer is highly variable since ARID1A alterations can have a tumor suppressive or oncogenic role, depending on the tumor type and context. ARID1A is mutated in about 10% of all tumor types including endometrial, bladder, gastric, liver, biliopancreatic cancer, some ovarian cancer subtypes, and the extremely aggressive cancers of unknown primary. Its loss is generally associated with disease progression more often than onset. In some cancers, ARID1A loss is associated with worse prognostic features, thus supporting a major tumor suppressive role. However, some exceptions have been reported. Thus, the association of ARID1A genetic alterations with patient prognosis is controversial. However, ARID1A loss of function is considered conducive for the use of inhibitory drugs which are based on synthetic lethality mechanisms. In this review we summarize the current knowledge on the role of ARID1A as tumor suppressor or oncogene in different tumor types and discuss the strategies for treating ARID1A mutated cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Fontana
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giulia Gallerani
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Irene Salamon
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Ilaria Pace
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Roberta Roncarati
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza" - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerce (CNR), Bologna, Italy
| | - Manuela Ferracin
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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40
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Salguero C, Valladolid C, Robinson HMR, Smith GCM, Yap TA. Targeting ATR in Cancer Medicine. Cancer Treat Res 2023; 186:239-283. [PMID: 37978140 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-30065-3_14] [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] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
As a key component of the DNA Damage Response, the Ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) protein is a promising druggable target that is currently widely evaluated in phase I-II-III clinical trials as monotherapy and in combinations with other rational antitumor agents, including immunotherapy, DNA repair inhibitors, chemo- and radiotherapy. Ongoing clinical studies for this drug class must address the optimization of the therapeutic window to limit overlapping toxicities and refine the target population that will most likely benefit from ATR inhibition. With advances in the development of personalized treatment strategies for patients with advanced solid tumors, many ongoing ATR inhibitor trials have been recruiting patients based on their germline and somatic molecular alterations, rather than relying solely on specific tumor subtypes. Although a spectrum of molecular alterations have already been identified as potential predictive biomarkers of response that may sensitize to ATR inhibition, these biomarkers must be analytically validated and feasible to measure robustly to allow for successful integration into the clinic. While several ATR inhibitors in development are poised to address a clinically unmet need, no ATR inhibitor has yet received FDA-approval. This chapter details the underlying rationale for targeting ATR and summarizes the current preclinical and clinical landscape of ATR inhibitors currently in evaluation, as their regulatory approval potentially lies close in sight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Salguero
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics (Phase I Program), Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Christian Valladolid
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics (Phase I Program), Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Helen M R Robinson
- Artios Pharma, The Glenn Berge Building, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Graeme C M Smith
- Artios Pharma, The Glenn Berge Building, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Timothy A Yap
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics (Phase I Program), Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- The Institute for Applied Cancer Science, and Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Holcombe Boulevard, TX, 77030, Houston, USA.
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Seidel P, Rubarth A, Zodel K, Peighambari A, Neumann F, Federkiel Y, Huang H, Hoefflin R, Adlesic M, Witt C, Hoffmann DJ, Metzger P, Lindemann RK, Zenke FT, Schell C, Boerries M, von Elverfeldt D, Reichardt W, Follo M, Albers J, Frew IJ. ATR represents a therapeutic vulnerability in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. JCI Insight 2022; 7:156087. [PMID: 36413415 PMCID: PMC9869969 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.156087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCCs) are resistant to DNA-damaging chemotherapies, limiting therapeutic options for patients whose tumors are resistant to tyrosine kinase inhibitors and/or immune checkpoint therapies. Here we show that mouse and human ccRCCs were frequently characterized by high levels of endogenous DNA damage and that cultured ccRCC cells exhibited intact cellular responses to chemotherapy-induced DNA damage. We identify that pharmacological inhibition of the DNA damage-sensing kinase ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein (ATR) with the orally administered, potent, and selective drug M4344 (gartisertib) induced antiproliferative effects in ccRCC cells. This effect was due to replication stress and accumulation of DNA damage in S phase. In some cells, DNA damage persisted into subsequent G2/M and G1 phases, leading to the frequent accumulation of micronuclei. Daily single-agent treatment with M4344 inhibited the growth of ccRCC xenograft tumors. M4344 synergized with chemotherapeutic drugs including cisplatin and carboplatin and the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor olaparib in mouse and human ccRCC cells. Weekly M4344 plus cisplatin treatment showed therapeutic synergy in ccRCC xenografts and was efficacious in an autochthonous mouse ccRCC model. These studies identify ATR inhibition as a potential novel therapeutic option for ccRCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Seidel
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Anne Rubarth
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Kyra Zodel
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Asin Peighambari
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Felix Neumann
- Translational Innovation Platform Oncology and Immuno-Oncology, the Healthcare Business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Yannick Federkiel
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hsin Huang
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Rouven Hoefflin
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Mojca Adlesic
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Christian Witt
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - David J. Hoffmann
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Ralph K. Lindemann
- Translational Innovation Platform Oncology and Immuno-Oncology, the Healthcare Business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Frank T. Zenke
- Translational Innovation Platform Oncology and Immuno-Oncology, the Healthcare Business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Christoph Schell
- Institute for Surgical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Melanie Boerries
- Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Partner Site Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg (CCCF) and
| | | | - Wilfried Reichardt
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Partner Site Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Medical Physics, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Marie Follo
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Albers
- Translational Innovation Platform Oncology and Immuno-Oncology, the Healthcare Business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Ian J. Frew
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Partner Site Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg (CCCF) and,Medical Physics, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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Schleicher EM, Moldovan GL. CRISPR screens guide the way for PARP and ATR inhibitor biomarker discovery. FEBS J 2022; 289:7854-7868. [PMID: 34601817 PMCID: PMC9003637 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
DNA repair pathways are heavily studied for their role in cancer initiation and progression. Due to the large amount of inherent DNA damage in cancer cells, tumor cells profoundly rely on proper DNA repair for efficient cell cycle progression. Several current chemotherapeutics promote excessive DNA damage in cancer cells, thus leading to cell death during cell cycle progression. However, if the tumor has efficient DNA repair mechanisms, DNA-damaging therapeutics may not be as effective. Therefore, directly inhibiting DNA repair pathways alone and in combination with chemotherapeutics that cause DNA damage may result in improved clinical outcomes. Nevertheless, tumors can acquire resistance to DNA repair inhibitors. It is essential to understand the genetic mechanisms underlying this resistance. Genome-wide CRISPR screening has emerged as a powerful tool to identify biomarkers of resistance or sensitivity to DNA repair inhibitors. CRISPR knockout and CRISPR activation screens can be designed to investigate how the loss or overexpression of any human gene impacts resistance or sensitivity to specific inhibitors. This review will address the role of CRISPR screening in identifying biomarkers of resistance and sensitivity to DNA repair pathway inhibitors. We will focus on inhibitors targeting the PARP1 and ATR enzymes, and how the biomarkers identified from CRISPR screens can help inform the treatment plan for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M. Schleicher
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - George-Lucian Moldovan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
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Venugopala KN. Targeting the DNA Damage Response Machinery for Lung Cancer Treatment. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15121475. [PMID: 36558926 PMCID: PMC9781725 DOI: 10.3390/ph15121475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is considered the most commonly diagnosed cancer and one of the leading causes of death globally. Despite the responses from small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients to conventional chemo- and radiotherapies, the current outcomes are not satisfactory. Recently, novel advances in DNA sequencing technologies have started to take off which have provided promising tools for studying different tumors for systematic mutation discovery. To date, a limited number of DDR inhibition trials have been conducted for the treatment of SCLC and NSCLC patients. However, strategies to test different DDR inhibitor combinations or to target multiple pathways are yet to be explored. With the various biomarkers that have either been recently discovered or are the subject of ongoing investigations, it is hoped that future trials would be designed to allow for studying targeted treatments in a biomarker-enriched population, which is defensible for the improvement of prognosis for SCLC and NSCLC patients. This review article sheds light on the different DNA repair pathways and some of the inhibitors targeting the proteins involved in the DNA damage response (DDR) machinery, such as ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein (ATR), DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), and poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP). In addition, the current status of DDR inhibitors in clinical settings and future perspectives are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharigatta N. Venugopala
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia;
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Durban University of Technology, Durban 4000, South Africa
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Baxter JS, Zatreanu D, Pettitt SJ, Lord CJ. Resistance to DNA repair inhibitors in cancer. Mol Oncol 2022; 16:3811-3827. [PMID: 35567571 PMCID: PMC9627783 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The DNA damage response (DDR) represents a complex network of proteins which detect and repair DNA damage, thereby maintaining the integrity of the genome and preventing the transmission of mutations and rearranged chromosomes to daughter cells. Faults in the DDR are a known driver and hallmark of cancer. Furthermore, inhibition of DDR enzymes can be used to treat the disease. This is exemplified by PARP inhibitors (PARPi) used to treat cancers with defects in the homologous recombination DDR pathway. A series of novel DDR targets are now also under pre-clinical or clinical investigation, including inhibitors of ATR kinase, WRN helicase or the DNA polymerase/helicase Polθ (Pol-Theta). Drug resistance is a common phenomenon that impairs the overall effectiveness of cancer treatments and there is already some understanding of how resistance to PARPi occurs. Here, we discuss how an understanding of PARPi resistance could inform how resistance to new drugs targeting the DDR emerges. We also discuss potential strategies that could limit the impact of these therapy resistance mechanisms in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph S. Baxter
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory and Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research CentreThe Institute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK
| | - Diana Zatreanu
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory and Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research CentreThe Institute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK
| | - Stephen J. Pettitt
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory and Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research CentreThe Institute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK
| | - Christopher J. Lord
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory and Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research CentreThe Institute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK
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Xie T, Dickson KA, Yee C, Ma Y, Ford CE, Bowden NA, Marsh DJ. Targeting Homologous Recombination Deficiency in Ovarian Cancer with PARP Inhibitors: Synthetic Lethal Strategies That Impact Overall Survival. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:4621. [PMID: 36230543 PMCID: PMC9563432 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14194621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The advent of molecular targeted therapies has made a significant impact on survival of women with ovarian cancer who have defects in homologous recombination repair (HRR). High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most common histological subtype of ovarian cancer, with over 50% displaying defective HRR. Poly ADP ribose polymerases (PARPs) are a family of enzymes that catalyse the transfer of ADP-ribose to target proteins, functioning in fundamental cellular processes including transcription, chromatin remodelling and DNA repair. In cells with deficient HRR, PARP inhibitors (PARPis) cause synthetic lethality leading to cell death. Despite the major advances that PARPis have heralded for women with ovarian cancer, questions and challenges remain, including: can the benefits of PARPis be brought to a wider range of women with ovarian cancer; can other drugs in clinical use function in a similar way or with greater efficacy than currently clinically approved PARPis; what can we learn from long-term responders to PARPis; can PARPis sensitise ovarian cancer cells to immunotherapy; and can synthetic lethal strategies be employed more broadly to develop new therapies for women with ovarian cancer. We examine these, and other, questions with focus on improving outcomes for women with ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Xie
- Translational Oncology Group, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Kristie-Ann Dickson
- Translational Oncology Group, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Christine Yee
- Translational Oncology Group, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Yue Ma
- Translational Oncology Group, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Caroline E. Ford
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Nikola A. Bowden
- Centre for Drug Repurposing and Medicines Research, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2289, Australia
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2289, Australia
- Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW 2289, Australia
| | - Deborah J. Marsh
- Translational Oncology Group, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
- Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
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Ngoi NYL, Westin SN, Yap TA. Targeting the DNA damage response beyond poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors: novel agents and rational combinations. Curr Opin Oncol 2022; 34:559-569. [PMID: 35787597 PMCID: PMC9371461 DOI: 10.1097/cco.0000000000000867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors have transformed treatment paradigms in multiple cancer types defined by homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) and have become the archetypal example of synthetic lethal targeting within the DNA damage response (DDR). Despite this success, primary and acquired resistance to PARP inhibition inevitability threaten the efficacy and durability of response to these drugs. Beyond PARP inhibitors, recent advances in large-scale functional genomic screens have led to the identification of a steadily growing list of genetic dependencies across the DDR landscape. This has led to a wide array of novel synthetic lethal targets and corresponding inhibitors, which hold promise to widen the application of DDR inhibitors beyond HRD and potentially address PARP inhibitor resistance. RECENT FINDINGS In this review, we describe key synthetic lethal interactions that have been identified across the DDR landscape, summarize the early phase clinical development of the most promising DDR inhibitors, and highlight relevant combinations of DDR inhibitors with chemotherapy and other novel cancer therapies, which are anticipated to make an impact in rationally selected patient populations. SUMMARY The DDR landscape holds multiple opportunities for synthetic lethal targeting with multiple novel DDR inhibitors being evaluated on early phase clinical trials. Key challenges remain in optimizing the therapeutic window of ATR and WEE1 inhibitors as monotherapy and in combination approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Y L Ngoi
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, Division of Cancer Medicine
| | - Shannon N Westin
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, Division of Surgery
| | - Timothy A Yap
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, Division of Cancer Medicine
- The Institute for Applied Cancer Science
- Khalifa Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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The Role of ATR Inhibitors in Ovarian Cancer: Investigating Predictive Biomarkers of Response. Cells 2022; 11:cells11152361. [PMID: 35954206 PMCID: PMC9367423 DOI: 10.3390/cells11152361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Ataxia telangiectasia and Rad-3 related kinase (ATR) signals DNA lesions and replication stress (RS) to the S and G2/M checkpoints and DNA repair pathways making it a promising target to exploit the dysregulated DNA damage response in cancer. ATR inhibitors (ATRi) are under clinical investigation as monotherapy and in combination with other anticancer agents. Molecular determinants of sensitivity to ATRi are common in ovarian cancer, suggesting the therapeutic potential of ATRi. We investigated the cytotoxicity of the ATRi, VE-821, in a panel of human ovarian cancer cell lines. High grade serous (HGS) cell lines were significantly more sensitive to VE-821 than non-HGS (p ≤ 0.0001) but previously identified determinants of sensitivity (TP53, ATM and BRCA1) were not predictive. Only low RAD51 (p = 0.041), TopBP1 (p = 0.026) and APOBEC3B (p = 0.015) protein expression were associated with increased VE-821 sensitivity. HGS cells had increased levels of RS (pRPASer4/8 and γH2AX nuclear immunofluorescence), and elevated RS predicted sensitivity to VE-821 independently of the cell line subtype. These data suggest that functional assessment of RS biomarkers may be a better predictive biomarker of ATRi response than any single aberrant gene in ovarian cancer and potentially other cancers.
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Jo U, Murai Y, Agama KK, Sun Y, Saha LK, Yang X, Arakawa Y, Gayle S, Jones K, Paralkar V, Sundaram RK, Doorn JV, Vasquez JC, Bindra RS, Choi WS, Pommier Y. TOP1-DNA Trapping by Exatecan and Combination Therapy with ATR Inhibitor. Mol Cancer Ther 2022; 21:1090-1102. [PMID: 35439320 PMCID: PMC9256811 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-21-1000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Exatecan and deruxtecan are antineoplastic camptothecin derivatives in development as tumor-targeted-delivery warheads in various formulations including peptides, liposomes, polyethylene glycol nanoparticles, and antibody-drug conjugates. Here, we report the molecular pharmacology of exatecan compared with the clinically approved topoisomerase I (TOP1) inhibitors and preclinical models for validating biomarkers and the combination of exatecan with ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related kinase (ATR) inhibitors. Modeling exatecan binding at the interface of a TOP1 cleavage complex suggests two novel molecular interactions with the flanking DNA base and the TOP1 residue N352, in addition to the three known interactions of camptothecins with the TOP1 residues R364, D533, and N722. Accordingly, exatecan showed much stronger TOP1 trapping, higher DNA damage, and apoptotic cell death than the classical TOP1 inhibitors used clinically. We demonstrate the value of SLFN11 expression and homologous recombination (HR) deficiency (HRD) as predictive biomarkers of response to exatecan. We also show that exatecan kills cancer cells synergistically with the clinical ATR inhibitor ceralasertib (AZD6738). To establish the translational potential of this combination, we tested CBX-12, a clinically developed pH-sensitive peptide-exatecan conjugate that selectively targets cancer cells and is currently in clinical trials. The combination of CBX-12 with ceralasertib significantly suppressed tumor growth in mouse xenografts. Collectively, our results demonstrate the potency of exatecan as a TOP1 inhibitor and its clinical potential in combination with ATR inhibitors, using SLFN11 and HRD as predictive biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ukhyun Jo
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yasuhisa Murai
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hematology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Keli K. Agama
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yilun Sun
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Liton Kumar Saha
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Xi Yang
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yasuhiro Arakawa
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | - Kelli Jones
- Cybrexa Therapeutics, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | | | - Ranjini K. Sundaram
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Jinny Van Doorn
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Juan C. Vasquez
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Ranjit S. Bindra
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Woo Suk Choi
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yves Pommier
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Structural, molecular, and functional insights into Schlafen proteins. EXPERIMENTAL & MOLECULAR MEDICINE 2022; 54:730-738. [PMID: 35768579 PMCID: PMC9256597 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-022-00794-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Schlafen (SLFN) genes belong to a vertebrate gene family encoding proteins with high sequence homology. However, each SLFN is functionally divergent and differentially expressed in various tissues and species, showing a wide range of expression in cancer and normal cells. SLFNs are involved in various cellular and tissue-specific processes, including DNA replication, proliferation, immune and interferon responses, viral infections, and sensitivity to DNA-targeted anticancer agents. The fundamental molecular characteristics of SLFNs and their structures are beginning to be elucidated. Here, we review recent structural insights into the N-terminal, middle and C-terminal domains (N-, M-, and C-domains, respectively) of human SLFNs and discuss the current understanding of their biological roles. We review the distinct molecular activities of SLFN11, SLFN5, and SLFN12 and the relevance of SLFN11 as a predictive biomarker in oncology. The diverse roles that Schlafen family proteins play in cell proliferation, immune modulation, and other biological processes make them promising targets for treating and tracking diseases, especially cancer. Ukhyun Jo and Yves Pommier from the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, USA, review the molecular characteristics and structural features of Schlafen proteins. These proteins take their name from the German word for “sleep”, as the first described Schlafen proteins caused cells to stop dividing, although later reports found that related members of the same protein family serve myriad cellular functions, including in the regulation of DNA replication. A better understanding of Schlafen proteins could open up new avenues in cancer management, for instance, diagnostics that monitor activity levels of one such protein, SLFN11, could help oncologists predict how well patients might respond to anti-cancer therapies.
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Takahashi N, Kim S, Schultz CW, Rajapakse VN, Zhang Y, Redon CE, Fu H, Pongor L, Kumar S, Pommier Y, Aladjem MI, Thomas A. Replication stress defines distinct molecular subtypes across cancers. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 2:503-517. [PMID: 36381660 PMCID: PMC9648410 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-22-0168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Endogenous replication stress is a major driver of genomic instability. Current assessments of replication stress are low throughput precluding its comprehensive assessment across tumors. Here we develop and validate a transcriptional profile of replication stress by leveraging established cellular characteristics that portend replication stress. The repstress gene signature defines a subset of tumors across lineages characterized by activated oncogenes, aneuploidy, extrachromosomal DNA amplification, immune evasion, high genomic instability, and poor survival, and importantly predicts response to agents targeting replication stress more robustly than previously reported transcriptomic measures of replication stress. Repstress score profiles the dual roles of replication stress during tumorigenesis and in established cancers and defines distinct molecular subtypes within cancers that may be more vulnerable to drugs targeting this dependency. Altogether, our study provides a molecular profile of replication stress, providing novel biological insights of the replication stress phenotype, with clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuyuki Takahashi
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
- Medical Oncology Branch, Center Hospital, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center East Hospital, Chiba, Japan
| | - Sehyun Kim
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, Korea
| | | | - Vinodh N. Rajapakse
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Yang Zhang
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Christophe E. Redon
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Haiqing Fu
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Lorinc Pongor
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Suresh Kumar
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Yves Pommier
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Mirit I. Aladjem
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Anish Thomas
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
- Corresponding Author: Anish Thomas, Developmental Therapeutics Branch, NCI, Building 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814. Phone: 240-760-7343; Fax: 954-827-0184; E-mail:
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