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Li S, Juengpanich S, Topatana W, Xie T, Hou L, Zhu Y, Chen J, Shan Y, Han Y, Lu Z, Chen T, Topatana C, Zhang B, Cao J, Hu J, Yan J, Chen Y, Gu Z, Yu J, Cai X, Chen M. Adavosertib-encapsulated metal-organic frameworks for p53-mutated gallbladder cancer treatment via synthetic lethality. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2024; 69:1286-1301. [PMID: 38519399 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2024.02.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Adavosertib (ADA) is a WEE1 inhibitor that exhibits a synthetic lethal effect on p53-mutated gallbladder cancer (GBC). However, drug resistance due to DNA damage response compensation pathways and high toxicity limits further applications. Herein, estrone-targeted ADA-encapsulated metal-organic frameworks (ADA@MOF-EPL) for GBC synthetic lethal treatment by inducing conditional factors are developed. The high expression of estrogen receptors in GBC enables ADA@MOF-EPL to quickly enter and accumulate near the cell nucleus through estrone-mediated endocytosis and release ADA to inhibit WEE1 upon entering the acidic tumor microenvironment. Ultrasound irradiation induces ADA@MOF-EPL to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which leads to a further increase in DNA damage, resulting in a higher sensitivity of p53-mutated cancer cells to WEE1 inhibitor and promoting cell death via conditional synthetic lethality. The conditional factor induced by ADA@MOF-EPL further enhances the antitumor efficacy while significantly reducing systemic toxicity. Moreover, ADA@MOF-EPL demonstrates similar antitumor abilities in other p53-mutated solid tumors, revealing its potential as a broad-spectrum antitumor drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijie Li
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China; School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Sarun Juengpanich
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China; School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; National Engineering Research Center of Innovation and Application of Minimally Invasive Instruments, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Win Topatana
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China; School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Tianao Xie
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China; School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Lidan Hou
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Yiyuan Zhu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jiadong Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Yukai Shan
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Yina Han
- Department of Pathology, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Ziyi Lu
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Tianen Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Charlie Topatana
- International College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Jiasheng Cao
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Jiahao Hu
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Jiafei Yan
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Yingxin Chen
- Institute of Advanced Magnetic Materials and International Research Center for EM Metamaterials, College of Materials & Environmental Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Zhen Gu
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Advanced Drug Delivery Systems, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; National Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Release Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China; Jinhua Institute of Zhejiang University, Jinhua 321299, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Jicheng Yu
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Advanced Drug Delivery Systems, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; National Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Release Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China; Jinhua Institute of Zhejiang University, Jinhua 321299, China.
| | - Xiujun Cai
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China; School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; National Engineering Research Center of Innovation and Application of Minimally Invasive Instruments, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China.
| | - Mingyu Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China; School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; National Engineering Research Center of Innovation and Application of Minimally Invasive Instruments, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China.
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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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Wang Z, Li W, Li F, Xiao R. An update of predictive biomarkers related to WEE1 inhibition in cancer therapy. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2024; 150:13. [PMID: 38231277 PMCID: PMC10794259 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-05527-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: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE WEE1 is a crucial kinase involved in the regulation of G2/M checkpoint within the cell cycle. This article aims to comprehensively review the existing knowledge on the implication of WEE1 as a therapeutic target in tumor progression and drug resistance. Furthermore, we summarize the current predictive biomarkers employed to treat cancer with WEE1 inhibitors. METHODS A systematic review of the literature was conducted to analyze the association between WEE1 inhibition and cancer progression, including tumor advancement and drug resistance. Special attention was paid to the identification and utilization of predictive biomarkers related to therapeutic response to WEE1 inhibitors. RESULTS The review highlights the intricate involvement of WEE1 in tumor progression and drug resistance. It synthesizes the current knowledge on predictive biomarkers employed in WEE1 inhibitor treatments, offering insights into their prognostic significance. Notably, the article elucidates the potential for precision medicine by understanding these biomarkers in the context of tumor treatment outcomes. CONCLUSION WEE1 plays a pivotal role in tumor progression and is a promising therapeutic target. Distinguishing patients that would benefit from WEE1 inhibition will be a major direction of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zizhuo Wang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenting Li
- Department of Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832000, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Fuxia Li
- Department of Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832000, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Rourou Xiao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
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Jin T, Xu W, Chen R, Shen L, Gao J, Xu L, Chi X, Lin N, Zhou L, Shen Z, Zhang B. Discovery of potential WEE1 inhibitors via hybrid virtual screening. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1298245. [PMID: 38143493 PMCID: PMC10740156 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1298245] [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: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
G2/M cell cycle checkpoint protein WEE1 kinase is a promising target for inhibiting tumor growth. Although various WEE1 inhibitors have entered clinical investigations, their therapeutic efficacy and safety profile remain unsatisfactory. In this study, we employed a comprehensive virtual screening workflow, which included Schrödinger-Glide molecular docking at different precision levels, as well as the utilization of tools such as MM/GBSA and Deepdock to predict the binding affinity between targets and ligands, in order to identify potential WEE1 inhibitors. Out of ten molecules screened, 50% of these molecules exhibited strong inhibitory activity against WEE1. Among them, compounds 4 and 5 showed excellent inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 1.069 and 3.77 nM respectively, which was comparable to AZD1775. Further investigations revealed that compound 4 displayed significant anti-proliferative effects in A549, PC9, and HuH-7 cells and could also induce apoptosis and G1 phase arrest in PC9 cells. Additionally, molecular dynamics simulations unveiled the binding details of compound 4 with WEE1, notably the crucial hydrogen bond interactions formed with Cys379. In summary, this comprehensive virtual screening workflow, combined with in vitro testing and computational modeling, holds significant importance in the development of promising WEE1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Jin
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Roufen Chen
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Institute of Drug Discovery and Design, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liteng Shen
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Institute of Drug Discovery and Design, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jian Gao
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Institute of Drug Discovery and Design, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lei Xu
- School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou, China
| | - Xinglong Chi
- Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Drug Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Nengming Lin
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lixin Zhou
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zheyuan Shen
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Institute of Drug Discovery and Design, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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Pu M, Cheng K, Li X, Xin Y, Wei L, Jin S, Zheng W, Peng G, Tang Q, Zhou J, Zhang Y. Using graph-based model to identify cell specific synthetic lethal effects. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:5099-5110. [PMID: 37920819 PMCID: PMC10618116 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic lethal (SL) pairs are pairs of genes whose simultaneous loss-of-function results in cell death, while a damaging mutation of either gene alone does not affect the cell's survival. This makes SL pairs attractive targets for precision cancer therapies, as targeting the unimpaired gene of the SL pair can selectively kill cancer cells that already harbor the impaired gene. Limited by the difficulty of finding true SL pairs, especially on specific cell types, current computational approaches provide only limited insights because of overlooking the crucial aspects of cellular context dependency and mechanistic understanding of SL pairs. As a result, the identification of SL targets still relies on expensive, time-consuming experimental approaches. In this work, we applied cell-line specific multi-omics data to a specially designed deep learning model to predict cell-line specific SL pairs. Through incorporating multiple types of cell-specific omics data with a self-attention module, we represent gene relationships as graphs. Our approach achieves the prediction of SL pairs in a cell-specific manner and demonstrates the potential to facilitate the discovery of cell-specific SL targets for cancer therapeutics, providing a tool to unearth mechanisms underlying the origin of SL in cancer biology. The code and data of our approach can be found at https://github.com/promethiume/SLwise.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kaiyang Cheng
- StoneWise, AI, Ltd., Beijing, China
- Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaorong Li
- StoneWise, AI, Ltd., Beijing, China
- Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | | | | | - Sutong Jin
- StoneWise, AI, Ltd., Beijing, China
- Harbin Institute of Technology, Weihai, China
| | | | | | - Qihong Tang
- StoneWise, AI, Ltd., Beijing, China
- Guilin University of Electronic Science and Technology, Guangxi, China
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Xin Y, Zhang Y. Paralog-based synthetic lethality: rationales and applications. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1168143. [PMID: 37350942 PMCID: PMC10282757 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1168143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor cells can result from gene mutations and over-expression. Synthetic lethality (SL) offers a desirable setting where cancer cells bearing one mutated gene of an SL gene pair can be specifically targeted by disrupting the function of the other genes, while leaving wide-type normal cells unharmed. Paralogs, a set of homologous genes that have diverged from each other as a consequence of gene duplication, make the concept of SL feasible as the loss of one gene does not affect the cell's survival. Furthermore, homozygous loss of paralogs in tumor cells is more frequent than singletons, making them ideal SL targets. Although high-throughput CRISPR-Cas9 screenings have uncovered numerous paralog-based SL pairs, the unclear mechanisms of targeting these gene pairs and the difficulty in finding specific inhibitors that exclusively target a single but not both paralogs hinder further clinical development. Here, we review the potential mechanisms of paralog-based SL given their function and genetic combination, and discuss the challenge and application prospects of paralog-based SL in cancer therapeutic discovery.
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DNA Damage Response Mechanisms in Head and Neck Cancer: Significant Implications for Therapy and Survival. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032760. [PMID: 36769087 PMCID: PMC9917521 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032760] [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: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a term collectively used to describe a heterogeneous group of tumors that arise in the oral cavity, larynx, nasopharynx, oropharynx, and hypopharynx, and represents the sixth most common type of malignancy worldwide. Despite advances in multimodality treatment, the disease has a recurrence rate of around 50%, and the prognosis of metastatic patients remains poor. HNCs are characterized by a high degree of genomic instability, which involves a vicious circle of accumulating DNA damage, defective DNA damage repair (DDR), and replication stress. Nonetheless, the damage that is induced on tumor cells by chemo and radiotherapy relies on defective DDR processes for a successful response to treatment, and may play an important role in the development of novel and more effective therapies. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the genes and proteins that appear to be deregulated in DDR pathways, their implication in HNC pathogenesis, and the rationale behind targeting these genes and pathways for the development of new therapies. We give particular emphasis on the therapeutic targets that have shown promising results at the pre-clinical stage and on those that have so far been associated with a therapeutic advantage in the clinical setting.
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Chen C, Wang Y, Hu MQ, Li H, Chen X, Qiang G, Sun Y, Zhu Y, Li B. Discovery of pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-based molecules as a Wee1 inhibitor template. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2022; 75:128973. [PMID: 36075370 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2022.128973] [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: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
In the past decade, Wee1 inhibition has received widespread attention as a cancer therapy. Our research aims to discover effective, selective and drug-like Wee1 inhibitors. Herein, a series of compounds with pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-based heterocycles were designed, synthesized and confirmed to inhibit Wee1 kinase. The inhibitors afforded good potency in Wee1 Kinase inhibitory activity in enzymatic assays. These compounds showed strong proliferation inhibition against NCI-1299 cell lines and had acceptable pharmacokinetic properties. These derivatives are promising inhibitors that warrant further evaluation, towards the development of potential anticancer drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changjun Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Medicinal Chemistry Department, Shouyao Holdings (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Yeliu Wang
- Medicinal Chemistry Department, Shouyao Holdings (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Min-Qi Hu
- Medicinal Chemistry Department, Shouyao Holdings (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Hongjuan Li
- Discovery Biology Department, Shouyao Holdings (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Medicinal Chemistry Department, Shouyao Holdings (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Gan Qiang
- School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing,China
| | - Yinghui Sun
- Discovery Biology Department, Shouyao Holdings (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Yan Zhu
- Medicinal Chemistry Department, Shouyao Holdings (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, China.
| | - Binghui Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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9
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Mitotic Checkpoints and the Role of WEE1 Inhibition in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cancer J 2022; 28:381-386. [PMID: 36165727 DOI: 10.1097/ppo.0000000000000613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The WEE1 kinase family plays a crucial role in cell cycle regulation and DNA damage response pathways in malignant cells. Inhibition of WEE1 effectively overrides G2 cell cycle arrest and results in the accumulation of extensive DNA damage within dividing cells, potentiating mitotic catastrophe and cell death. As such, the development of WEE1 inhibitors as antineoplastic therapeutics has gained increasing interest in recent years. In particular, the role of WEE1 inhibitors for treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas remains an area of active research with both preclinical and clinical studies investigating their use as both single-agent therapy and chemosensitizers when used in tandem with traditional chemotherapy, particularly in the context of TP53-mutant tumors. Here, we review the relevant available preclinical and clinical data on hand investigating the efficacy of WEE1 inhibitors for the treatment of head and neck cancers.
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Hu Z, Viswanathan R, Cheng H, Chen J, Yang X, Huynh A, Clavijo P, An Y, Robbins Y, Silvin C, Allen C, Ormanoglu P, Martin S, Cornelius S, Saleh A, Chen Z, Van Waes C, Morgan EL. Inhibiting WEE1 and IKK-RELA Crosstalk Overcomes TNFα Resistance in Head and Neck Cancers. Mol Cancer Res 2022; 20:867-882. [PMID: 35176168 PMCID: PMC9177594 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-21-0624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
TNFα is a key mediator of immune and radiotherapy-induced cytotoxicity, but many cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), display TNF resistance due to activation of the canonical IKK-NF-κB/RELA pro-survival pathway. However, toxicities associated with direct targeting of the canonical pathway point to the need to identify mechanism(s) contributing to TNFα resistance and synthetic lethal targets to overcome such resistance in cancer cells. Here, RNAi screening for modulators of TNFα-NF-κB reporter activity and cell survival unexpectedly implicated the WEE1 and CDC2 G2-M checkpoint kinases. The IKKα/β-RELA and WEE1-CDC2 signaling pathways are activated by TNFα and form a complex in cell lines derived from both human papillomavirus (-) and (+) subtypes of HNSCC. WEE1 inhibitor AZD1775 reduced IKK/RELA phosphorylation and the expression of NF-κB-dependent pro-survival proteins Cyclin D1 and BCL2. Combination of TNFα and AZD1775 enhanced caspase-mediated apoptosis in vitro, and combination treatment with radiotherapy and AZD1775 potentiated inhibition of HNSCC tumor xenograft growth in vivo, which could be significantly attenuated by TNFα depletion. These data offer new insight into the interplay between NF-κB signaling and WEE1-mediated regulation of the G2-M cell-cycle checkpoint in HNSCC. IMPLICATIONS Inhibiting WEE1 and IKK-RELA crosstalk could potentially enhance the effects of therapies mediated by TNFα with less systemic immune suppression and toxicity than observed with direct interruption of IKK-NF-κB/RELA signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengbo Hu
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Shaoguan First People’s Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Shaoguan, Guangdong, China
| | - Ramya Viswanathan
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Hui Cheng
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jianghong Chen
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Xinping Yang
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Angel Huynh
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Paul Clavijo
- Translational Tumor Immunology Program, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Yi An
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Yvette Robbins
- Translational Tumor Immunology Program, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Christopher Silvin
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Clint Allen
- Translational Tumor Immunology Program, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Pinar Ormanoglu
- RNAi Screening Facility, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Scott Martin
- RNAi Screening Facility, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Shaleeka Cornelius
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Anthony Saleh
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Zhong Chen
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Carter Van Waes
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Contributed equally as senior authors
| | - Ethan L. Morgan
- Tumor Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Contributed equally as senior authors
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Huang PQ, Boren BC, Hegde SG, Liu H, Unni AK, Abraham S, Hopkins CD, Paliwal S, Samatar AA, Li J, Bunker KD. Discovery of ZN-c3, a Highly Potent and Selective Wee1 Inhibitor Undergoing Evaluation in Clinical Trials for the Treatment of Cancer. J Med Chem 2021; 64:13004-13024. [PMID: 34423975 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Wee1 inhibition has received great attention in the past decade as a promising therapy for cancer treatment. Therefore, a potent and selective Wee1 inhibitor is highly desirable. Our efforts to make safer and more efficacious Wee1 inhibitors led to the discovery of compound 16, a highly selective Wee1 inhibitor with balanced potency, ADME, and pharmacokinetic properties. The chiral ethyl moiety of compound 16 provided an unexpected improvement of Wee1 potency. Compound 16, known as ZN-c3, showed excellent in vivo efficacy and is currently being evaluated in phase 2 clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Q Huang
- Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Brant C Boren
- Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Sayee G Hegde
- Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Hui Liu
- Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Aditya K Unni
- Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Sunny Abraham
- Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Chad D Hopkins
- Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Sunil Paliwal
- Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Ahmed A Samatar
- Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Jiali Li
- Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Kevin D Bunker
- Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, California 92121, United States
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12
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Murakami K, Kita Y, Sakatani T, Hamada A, Mizuno K, Nakamura K, Takada H, Matsumoto K, Sano T, Goto T, Akamatsu S, Saito R, Tsuruyama T, Ogawa O, Kobayashi T. Antitumor effect of WEE1 blockade as monotherapy or in combination with cisplatin in urothelial cancer. Cancer Sci 2021; 112:3669-3681. [PMID: 34212455 PMCID: PMC8409401 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Overcoming cisplatin (CDDP) resistance is a major issue in urothelial cancer (UC), in which CDDP‐based chemotherapy is the first‐line treatment. WEE1, a G2/M checkpoint kinase, confers chemoresistance in response to genotoxic agents. However, the efficacy of WEE1 blockade in UC has not been reported. MK‐1775, a WEE1 inhibitor also known as AZD‐1775, blocked proliferation of UC cell lines in a dose‐dependent manner irrespective of TP53 status. MK‐1775 synergized with CDDP to block proliferation, inducing apoptosis and mitotic catastrophe in TP53‐mutant UC cells but not in TP53‐WT cells. Knocking down TP53 in TP53‐WT cells induced synergism of MK‐1775 and CDDP. In UMUC3 cell xenografts and two patient‐derived xenograft lines with MDM2 overexpression, in which the p53/cell cycle pathway was inactivated, AZD‐1775 combined with CDDP suppressed tumor growth inducing both M‐phase entry and apoptosis, whereas AZD‐1775 alone was as effective as the combination in RT4 cell xenografts. Drug susceptibility assay using an ex vivo cancer tissue‐originated spheroid system showed correlations with the in vivo efficacy of AZD‐1775 alone or combined with CDDP. We determined the feasibility of the drug susceptibility assay using spheroids established from UC surgical specimens obtained by transurethral resection. In conclusion, WEE1 is a promising therapeutic target in the treatment of UC, and a highly specific small molecule inhibitor is currently in early phase clinical trials for cancer. Differential antitumor efficacy of WEE1 blockade alone or combined with CDDP could exist according to p53/cell cycle pathway activity, which might be predictable using an ex vivo 3D primary culture system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaoru Murakami
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuki Kita
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Toru Sakatani
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Akihiro Hamada
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kei Mizuno
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kenji Nakamura
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hideaki Takada
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Keiyu Matsumoto
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takeshi Sano
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takayuki Goto
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shusuke Akamatsu
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ryoichi Saito
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tatsuaki Tsuruyama
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Osamu Ogawa
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takashi Kobayashi
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
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13
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Fallah Y, Demas DM, Jin L, He W, Shajahan-Haq AN. Targeting WEE1 Inhibits Growth of Breast Cancer Cells That Are Resistant to Endocrine Therapy and CDK4/6 Inhibitors. Front Oncol 2021; 11:681530. [PMID: 34277427 PMCID: PMC8281892 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.681530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the success of antiestrogens in extending overall survival of patients with estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast tumors, resistance to these therapies is prevalent. ER+ tumors that progress on antiestrogens are treated with antiestrogens and CDK4/6 inhibitors. However, 20% of these tumors never respond to CDK4/6 inhibitors due to intrinsic resistance. Here, we used endocrine sensitive ER+ MCF7 and T47D breast cancer cells to generate long-term estrogen deprived (LTED) endocrine resistant cells that are intrinsically resistant to CDK4/6 inhibitors. Since treatment with antiestrogens arrests cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle, we hypothesized that a defective G1 checkpoint allows resistant cells to escape this arrest but increases their dependency on G2 checkpoint for DNA repair and growth, and hence, targeting the G2 checkpoint will induce cell death. Indeed, inhibition of WEE1, a crucial G2 checkpoint regulator, with AZD1775 (Adavosertib), significantly decreased cell proliferation and increased G2/M arrest, apoptosis and gamma-H2AX levels (a marker for DNA double stranded breaks) in resistant cells compared with sensitive cells. Thus, targeting WEE1 is a promising anti-cancer therapeutic strategy in standard therapy resistant ER+ breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yassi Fallah
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Diane M Demas
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Lu Jin
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Wei He
- Program in Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, VT Biological Transport, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Ayesha N Shajahan-Haq
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
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14
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Fernandes SG, Shah P, Khattar E. Recent Advances in Therapeutic Application of DNA Damage Response Inhibitors against Cancer. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2021; 22:469-484. [PMID: 34102988 DOI: 10.2174/1871520621666210608105735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
DNA integrity is continuously challenged by intrinsic cellular processes and environmental agents. To overcome this genomic damage, cells have developed multiple signaling pathways collectively named as DNA damage response (DDR) and composed of three components: (i) sensor proteins, which detect DNA damage, (ii) mediators that relay the signal downstream and recruit the repair machinery, and (iii) the repair proteins, which restore the damaged DNA. A flawed DDR and failure to repair the damage lead to the accumulation of genetic lesions and increased genomic instability, which is recognized as a hallmark of cancer. Cancer cells tend to harbor increased mutations in DDR genes and often have fewer DDR pathways than normal cells. This makes cancer cells more dependent on particular DDR pathways and thus become more susceptible to compounds inhibiting those pathways compared to normal cells, which have all the DDR pathways intact. Understanding the roles of different DDR proteins in the DNA damage response and repair pathways and identification of their structures have paved the way for the development of their inhibitors as targeted cancer therapy. In this review, we describe the major participants of various DDR pathways, their significance in carcinogenesis, and focus on the inhibitors developed against several key DDR proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stina George Fernandes
- Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM's NMIMS (Deemed to be) University, Mumbai, India
| | - Prachi Shah
- Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM's NMIMS (Deemed to be) University, Mumbai, India
| | - Ekta Khattar
- Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM's NMIMS (Deemed to be) University, Mumbai, India
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15
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van Harten AM, Brakenhoff RH. Targeted Treatment of Head and Neck (Pre)Cancer: Preclinical Target Identification and Development of Novel Therapeutic Applications. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:2774. [PMID: 34204886 PMCID: PMC8199752 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13112774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) develop in the mucosal lining of the upper-aerodigestive tract. In carcinogen-induced HNSCC, tumors emerge from premalignant mucosal changes characterized by tumor-associated genetic alterations, also coined as 'fields' that are occasionally visible as leukoplakia or erythroplakia lesions but are mostly invisible. Consequently, HNSCC is generally diagnosed de novo at more advanced stages in about 70% of new diagnosis. Despite intense multimodality treatment protocols, the overall 5-years survival rate is 50-60% for patients with advanced stage of disease and seems to have reached a plateau. Of notable concern is the lack of further improvement in prognosis despite advances in treatment. This can be attributed to the late clinical presentation, failure of advanced HNSCC to respond to treatment, the deficit of effective targeted therapies to eradicate tumors and precancerous changes, and the lack of suitable markers for screening and personalized therapy. The molecular landscape of head and neck cancer has been elucidated in great detail, but the absence of oncogenic mutations hampers the identification of druggable targets for therapy to improve outcome of HNSCC. Currently, functional genomic approaches are being explored to identify potential therapeutic targets. Identification and validation of essential genes for both HNSCC and oral premalignancies, accompanied with biomarkers for therapy response, are being investigated. Attentive diagnosis and targeted therapy of the preceding oral premalignant (preHNSCC) changes may prevent the development of tumors. As classic oncogene addiction through activating mutations is not a realistic concept for treatment of HNSCC, synthetic lethality and collateral lethality need to be exploited, next to immune therapies. In recent studies it was shown that cell cycle regulation and DNA damage response pathways become significantly altered in HNSCC causing replication stress, which is an avenue that deserves further exploitation as an HNSCC vulnerability for treatment. The focus of this review is to summarize the current literature on the preclinical identification of potential druggable targets for therapy of (pre)HNSCC, emerging from the variety of gene knockdown and knockout strategies, and the testing of targeted inhibitors. We will conclude with a future perspective on targeted therapy of HNSCC and premalignant changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne M. van Harten
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tumor Biology & Immunology Section, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; or
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Ruud H. Brakenhoff
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tumor Biology & Immunology Section, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; or
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16
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Gruener RF, Ling A, Chang YF, Morrison G, Geeleher P, Greene GL, Huang RS. Facilitating Drug Discovery in Breast Cancer by Virtually Screening Patients Using In Vitro Drug Response Modeling. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:885. [PMID: 33672646 PMCID: PMC7924213 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Drug imputation methods often aim to translate in vitro drug response to in vivo drug efficacy predictions. While commonly used in retrospective analyses, our aim is to investigate the use of drug prediction methods for the generation of novel drug discovery hypotheses. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a severe clinical challenge in need of new therapies. (2) Methods: We used an established machine learning approach to build models of drug response based on cell line transcriptome data, which we then applied to patient tumor data to obtain predicted sensitivity scores for hundreds of drugs in over 1000 breast cancer patients. We then examined the relationships between predicted drug response and patient clinical features. (3) Results: Our analysis recapitulated several suspected vulnerabilities in TNBC and identified a number of compounds-of-interest. AZD-1775, a Wee1 inhibitor, was predicted to have preferential activity in TNBC (p < 2.2 × 10-16) and its efficacy was highly associated with TP53 mutations (p = 1.2 × 10-46). We validated these findings using independent cell line screening data and pathway analysis. Additionally, co-administration of AZD-1775 with standard-of-care paclitaxel was able to inhibit tumor growth (p < 0.05) and increase survival (p < 0.01) in a xenograft mouse model of TNBC. (4) Conclusions: Overall, this study provides a framework to turn any cancer transcriptomic dataset into a dataset for drug discovery. Using this framework, one can quickly generate meaningful drug discovery hypotheses for a cancer population of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert F. Gruener
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; (R.F.G.); (Y.-F.C.); (G.L.G.)
| | - Alexander Ling
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA;
| | - Ya-Fang Chang
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; (R.F.G.); (Y.-F.C.); (G.L.G.)
| | - Gladys Morrison
- Committee for Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA;
| | - Paul Geeleher
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA;
| | - Geoffrey L. Greene
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; (R.F.G.); (Y.-F.C.); (G.L.G.)
| | - R. Stephanie Huang
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA;
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17
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Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) associated with high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) infection is a growing clinical problem. The WEE1 kinase inhibitor AZD1775 (WEE1i) overrides cell cycle checkpoints and is being studied in HNSCC regimens. We show that the HPV16 E6/E7 oncoproteins sensitize HNSCC cells to single-agent WEE1i treatment through activation of a FOXM1-CDK1 circuit that drives mitotic gene expression and DNA damage. An isogenic cell system indicated that E6 largely accounts for these phenotypes in ways that extend beyond p53 inactivation. A targeted genomic analysis implicated FOXM1 signaling downstream of E6/E7 expression and analyses of primary tumors and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data revealed an activated FOXM1-directed promitotic transcriptional signature in HPV+ versus HPV- HNSCCs. Finally, we demonstrate the causality of FOXM1 in driving WEE1i sensitivity. These data suggest that elevated basal FOXM1 activity predisposes HPV+ HNSCC to WEE1i-induced toxicity and provide mechanistic insights into WEE1i and HPV+ HNSCC therapies.
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18
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Development of synthetic lethality in cancer: molecular and cellular classification. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2020; 5:241. [PMID: 33077733 PMCID: PMC7573576 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-020-00358-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, genetically targeted cancer therapies have been a topic of great interest. Synthetic lethality provides a new approach for the treatment of mutated genes that were previously considered unable to be targeted in traditional genotype-targeted treatments. The increasing researches and applications in the clinical setting made synthetic lethality a promising anticancer treatment option. However, the current understandings on different conditions of synthetic lethality have not been systematically assessed and the application of synthetic lethality in clinical practice still faces many challenges. Here, we propose a novel and systematic classification of synthetic lethality divided into gene level, pathway level, organelle level, and conditional synthetic lethality, according to the degree of specificity into its biological mechanism. Multiple preclinical findings of synthetic lethality in recent years will be reviewed and classified under these different categories. Moreover, synthetic lethality targeted drugs in clinical practice will be briefly discussed. Finally, we will explore the essential implications of this classification as well as its prospects in eliminating existing challenges and the future directions of synthetic lethality.
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19
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Topatana W, Juengpanich S, Li S, Cao J, Hu J, Lee J, Suliyanto K, Ma D, Zhang B, Chen M, Cai X. Advances in synthetic lethality for cancer therapy: cellular mechanism and clinical translation. J Hematol Oncol 2020; 13:118. [PMID: 32883316 PMCID: PMC7470446 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-020-00956-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic lethality is a lethal phenomenon in which the occurrence of a single genetic event is tolerable for cell survival, whereas the co-occurrence of multiple genetic events results in cell death. The main obstacle for synthetic lethality lies in the tumor biology heterogeneity and complexity, the inadequate understanding of synthetic lethal interactions, drug resistance, and the challenges regarding screening and clinical translation. Recently, DNA damage response inhibitors are being tested in various trials with promising results. This review will describe the current challenges, development, and opportunities for synthetic lethality in cancer therapy. The characterization of potential synthetic lethal interactions and novel technologies to develop a more effective targeted drug for cancer patients will be explored. Furthermore, this review will discuss the clinical development and drug resistance mechanisms of synthetic lethality in cancer therapy. The ultimate goal of this review is to guide clinicians at selecting patients that will receive the maximum benefits of DNA damage response inhibitors for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Win Topatana
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, China.,School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Sarun Juengpanich
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, China.,School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Shijie Li
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, China
| | - Jiasheng Cao
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, China
| | - Jiahao Hu
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, China
| | - Jiyoung Lee
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | | | - Diana Ma
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, China
| | - Mingyu Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, China. .,School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - Xiujun Cai
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, China. .,School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China. .,Key Laboratory of Endoscopic Technique Research of Zhejiang Province, No.3 East Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
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20
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Deneka AY, Einarson MB, Bennett J, Nikonova AS, Elmekawy M, Zhou Y, Lee JW, Burtness BA, Golemis EA. Synthetic Lethal Targeting of Mitotic Checkpoints in HPV-Negative Head and Neck Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12020306. [PMID: 32012873 PMCID: PMC7072436 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12020306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) affect more than 800,000 people annually worldwide, causing over 15,000 deaths in the US. Among HNSCC cancers, human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative HNSCC has the worst outcome, motivating efforts to improve therapy for this disease. The most common mutational events in HPV-negative HNSCC are inactivation of the tumor suppressors TP53 (>85%) and CDKN2A (>57%), which significantly impairs G1/S checkpoints, causing reliance on other cell cycle checkpoints to repair ongoing replication damage. We evaluated a panel of cell cycle-targeting clinical agents in a group of HNSCC cell lines to identify a subset of drugs with single-agent activity in reducing cell viability. Subsequent analyses demonstrated potent combination activity between the CHK1/2 inhibitor LY2606268 (prexasertib), which eliminates a G2 checkpoint, and the WEE1 inhibitor AZD1775 (adavosertib), which promotes M-phase entry, in induction of DNA damage, mitotic catastrophe, and apoptosis, and reduction of anchorage independent growth and clonogenic capacity. These phenotypes were accompanied by more significantly reduced activation of CHK1 and its paralog CHK2, and enhanced CDK1 activation, eliminating breaks on the mitotic entry of cells with DNA damage. These data suggest the potential value of dual inhibition of CHK1 and WEE1 in tumors with compromised G1/S checkpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Y. Deneka
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA; (A.Y.D.); (M.B.E.); (J.B.); (A.S.N.); (M.E.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kazan Federal University, 420000 Kazan, Russia
| | - Margret B. Einarson
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA; (A.Y.D.); (M.B.E.); (J.B.); (A.S.N.); (M.E.)
| | - John Bennett
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA; (A.Y.D.); (M.B.E.); (J.B.); (A.S.N.); (M.E.)
- Department of Biology, Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia, PA 19118, USA
| | - Anna S. Nikonova
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA; (A.Y.D.); (M.B.E.); (J.B.); (A.S.N.); (M.E.)
| | - Mohamed Elmekawy
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA; (A.Y.D.); (M.B.E.); (J.B.); (A.S.N.); (M.E.)
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Yan Zhou
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA;
| | - Jong Woo Lee
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine and Yale Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; (J.W.L.); (B.A.B.)
| | - Barbara A. Burtness
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine and Yale Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; (J.W.L.); (B.A.B.)
| | - Erica A. Golemis
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA; (A.Y.D.); (M.B.E.); (J.B.); (A.S.N.); (M.E.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-215-728-2860
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21
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Prognosis, Biology, and Targeting of TP53 Dysregulation in Multiple Myeloma. Cells 2020; 9:cells9020287. [PMID: 31991614 PMCID: PMC7072230 DOI: 10.3390/cells9020287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematological cancer and is characterized by genetic features including translocations, chromosomal copy number aberrations, and mutations in key oncogene and tumor suppressor genes. Dysregulation of the tumor suppressor TP53 is important in the pathogenesis of many cancers, including MM. In newly-diagnosed MM patients, TP53 dysregulation occurs in three subsets: monoallelic deletion as part of deletion of chromosome 17p (del17p) (~8%), monoallelic mutations (~6%), and biallelic inactivation (~4%). Del17p is an established high-risk feature in MM and is included in current disease staging criteria. Biallelic inactivation and mutation have also been reported in MM patients but are not yet included in disease staging criteria for high-risk disease. Emerging clinical and genomics data suggest that the biology of high-risk disease is complex, and so far, traditional drug development efforts to target dysregulated TP53 have not been successful. Here we review the TP53 dysregulation literature in cancer and in MM, including the three segments of TP53 dysregulation observed in MM patients. We propose a reverse translational approach to identify novel targets and disease drivers from TP53 dysregulated patients to address the unmet medical need in this setting.
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