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Deng H, Zhang J, Liu L, Zhang H, Han Y, Wu L, Jing Y, Huang M, Zhao L. Discovery of Novel Mcl-1 Inhibitors with a 3-Substituted-1 H-indole-1-yl Moiety Binding to the P1-P3 Pockets to Induce Apoptosis in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells. J Med Chem 2024. [PMID: 39121336 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/11/2024]
Abstract
Mcl-1 is a main antiapoptotic protein in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is used as a target to develop inhibitors. Currently, potent Mcl-1 inhibitors primarily interact with the P2-P4 pockets of Mcl-1, but pharmacological modulation by targeting the P1 pocket is less explored. We designed a series of 1H-indole-2-carboxylic acid compounds as novel Mcl-1 inhibitors occupying the P1-P3 pockets and evaluated their Mcl-1 inhibition and apoptosis induction in AML cells. Two-dimensional 15N-HSQC spectroscopy indicated that 47 (Ki = 24 nM) bound to the BH3 binding groove, occupied the P1 pocket in Mcl-1, and formed interactions with Lys234 and Val249. 47 exhibited good microsomal stability and pharmacokinetic profiles, with low potential risk of cardiotoxicity. 47 inhibited tumor growth in HL-60 and THP-1 xenograft models with growth inhibition rate of 63.7% and 57.4%, respectively. Collectively, 47 represents a novel Mcl-1 inhibitor targeting the P1-P3 pockets with excellent antileukemia effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongguang Deng
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Jingyi Zhang
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Targeting Drugs for Hematological Malignancies, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Liang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yu Han
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Linlin Wu
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Targeting Drugs for Hematological Malignancies, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yongkui Jing
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Targeting Drugs for Hematological Malignancies, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Min Huang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Linxiang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
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Izumi M, Fujii M, Kobayashi IS, Ho V, Kashima Y, Udagawa H, Costa DB, Kobayashi SS. Integrative single-cell RNA-seq and spatial transcriptomics analyses reveal diverse apoptosis-related gene expression profiles in EGFR-mutated lung cancer. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:580. [PMID: 39122703 PMCID: PMC11316060 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06940-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: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
In EGFR-mutated lung cancer, the duration of response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) is limited by the development of acquired drug resistance. Despite the crucial role played by apoptosis-related genes in tumor cell survival, how their expression changes as resistance to EGFR-TKIs emerges remains unclear. Here, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of apoptosis-related genes, including BCL-2 and IAP family members, using single-cell RNA sequence (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics (ST). scRNA-seq of EGFR-mutated lung cancer cell lines captures changes in apoptosis-related gene expression following EGFR-TKI treatment, most notably BCL2L1 upregulation. scRNA-seq of EGFR-mutated lung cancer patient samples also reveals high BCL2L1 expression, specifically in tumor cells, while MCL1 expression is lower in tumors compared to non-tumor cells. ST analysis of specimens from transgenic mice with EGFR-driven lung cancer indicates spatial heterogeneity of tumors and corroborates scRNA-seq findings. Genetic ablation and pharmacological inhibition of BCL2L1/BCL-XL overcome or delay EGFR-TKI resistance. Overall, our findings indicate that BCL2L1/BCL-XL expression is important for tumor cell survival as EGFR-TKI resistance emerges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Motohiro Izumi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Masanori Fujii
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Ikei S Kobayashi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Vivian Ho
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Yukie Kashima
- Division of Translational Genomics, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa, 277-8577, Japan
| | - Hibiki Udagawa
- Division of Translational Genomics, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa, 277-8577, Japan
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, 277-8577, Japan
| | - Daniel B Costa
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Susumu S Kobayashi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Division of Translational Genomics, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa, 277-8577, Japan.
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, 113-8431, Japan.
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Sun W, Cai H, Zhang K, Cui H, Zhao E. Targeting MCL1 with Sanggenon C overcomes MCL1-driven adaptive chemoresistance via dysregulation of autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum stress in cervical cancer. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 133:155935. [PMID: 39126925 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cervical cancer ranks as one of the most prevalent malignancies among women worldwide and poses a significant threat to health and quality of life. MCL1 is an antiapoptotic protein closely linked to tumorigenesis, drug-resistance and poor prognosis in various cancers. Sanggenon C, a natural flavonoid derived from Morus albal., exhibits multiple activities, including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, antivirus, and antitumor properties. However, the molecular mechanisms by which Sanggenon C exerts antitumor effects on in cervical cancer remain unclear. PURPOSE To investigate the oncogenic role of MCL1 and elucidate the antitumor activity of Sanggenon C, along with its molecular mechanisms, in cervical cancer. METHODS In vitro, the effects of Sanggenon C on proliferation, the cell cycle, apoptosis, and autophagy were explored. Transcriptome sequencing was employed to analyze critical genes and pathways. The expression of genes or proteins was evaluated via immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting. To identify targets of Sanggenon C, various techniques such as clinical database analysis, molecular docking, cellular thermal shift assays, co-immunoprecipitation, and ubiquitination assays were utilized. Additionally, Xenograft mouse models were established to further investigate Sanggenon C as a novel MCL1 inhibitor and its anti-tumor activity in vivo. RESULTS Our investigation reveals that Sanggenon C effectively inhibits cervical cancer cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, Sanggenon C induces endoplasmic reticulum stress and triggers protective autophagy via activation of the ATF4-DDIT3-TRIB3-AKT-MTOR signaling axis. Furthermore, Sanggenon C specifically targets MCL1 to exert its antitumor effects by modulating MCL1 protein stability through SYVN1-mediated ubiquitination. Notably, MCL1 overexpression attenuates the Sanggenon C-induced decrease in cell viability and apoptosis. Our study further characterizes the role of MCL1 in cisplatin resistance and identifies MCL1 as a promising target for Sanggenon C, which effectively inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in cisplatin-resistant cervical cancer cells. Importantly, combining Sanggenon C with an autophagy inhibitor represents a promising strategy to enhance therapeutic outcomes in cisplatin-resistant cervical cancer cells. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrates that Sanggenon C induces endoplasmic reticulum stress and highlights the potential of targeting MCL1 to exploit vulnerabilities in drug-resistant cervical cancer cells. Sanggenon C emerges as a promising therapeutic agent against MCL1-driven adaptive chemoresistance through disruption of autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum stress in cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Huarui Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Jinfeng Laboratory, Chongqing 401329, China; Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Silk Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Kui Zhang
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Hongjuan Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Jinfeng Laboratory, Chongqing 401329, China; Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Silk Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine, Chongqing 400716, China.
| | - Erhu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Jinfeng Laboratory, Chongqing 401329, China; Chongqing Engineering and Technology Research Center for Silk Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine, Chongqing 400716, China.
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Walker RL, Hornicek FJ, Duan Z. Transcriptional regulation and therapeutic potential of cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) in sarcoma. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 226:116342. [PMID: 38848777 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116342] [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: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Sarcomas include various subtypes comprising two significant groups - soft tissue and bone sarcomas. Although the survival rate for some sarcoma subtypes has improved over time, the current methods of treatment remain efficaciously limited, as recurrent, and metastatic diseases remain a major obstacle. There is a need for better options and therapeutic strategies in treating sarcoma. Cyclin dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) is a transcriptional kinase and has emerged as a promising target for treating various cancers. The aberrant expression and activation of CDK9 have been observed in several sarcoma subtypes, including rhabdomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and chordoma. Enhanced CDK9 expression has also been correlated with poorer prognosis in sarcoma patients. As a master regulator of transcription, CDK9 promotes transcription elongation by phosphorylation and releasing RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) from its promoter proximal pause. Release of RNAPII from this pause induces transcription of critical genes in the tumor cell. Overexpression and activation of CDK9 have been observed to lead to the expression of oncogenes, including MYC and MCL-1, that aid sarcoma development and progression. Inhibition of CDK9 in sarcoma has been proven to reduce these oncogenes' expression and decrease proliferation and growth in different sarcoma cells. Currently, there are several CDK9 inhibitors in preclinical and clinical investigations. This review aims to highlight the recent discovery and results on the transcriptional role and therapeutic potential of CDK9 in sarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert L Walker
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sarcoma Biology Laboratory, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Papanicolaou Cancer Research Building, 1550 N.W. 10(th) Avenue, Miami, FL 33136. USA
| | - Francis J Hornicek
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sarcoma Biology Laboratory, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Papanicolaou Cancer Research Building, 1550 N.W. 10(th) Avenue, Miami, FL 33136. USA
| | - Zhenfeng Duan
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sarcoma Biology Laboratory, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Papanicolaou Cancer Research Building, 1550 N.W. 10(th) Avenue, Miami, FL 33136. USA.
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Kai J, Kang K, Jiang Z, Xiong F, Wang S. Capivasertib reverses chemotherapy-induced esophageal cancer resistance via inhibiting Akt-associated Mcl-1 upregulation. Heliyon 2024; 10:e33567. [PMID: 39050467 PMCID: PMC11266993 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33567] [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: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 06/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of resistance to chemotherapy in esophageal cancer represents a significant challenge in cancer treatment. Therefore, our study aimed to identify effective therapeutic strategies by examining the molecules involved in this chemoresistance. We consistently observed an increase in the expression of Mcl-1 in cells exposed to both short and long-term treatment with cisplatin, a drug commonly used in esophageal cancer therapy. Functional analysis showed that Mcl-1 regulates esophageal cancer cell response to cisplatin treatment. Notably, this upregulation of Mcl-1 was not dependent on eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E). Instead, it was associated with increased stability due to the activation of Akt. Capivasertib, a potent pan-Akt kinase drug, significantly decreased Mcl-1 level via inhibiting Akt signaling pathway in chemo-resistant cells. In addition, capivasertib not only decreased the viability of chemo-resistant esophageal cancer cells but also synergistically enhanced the effects of cisplatin. In multiple mouse models, representing both chemo-resistant and chemo-sensitive esophageal cancer, capivasertib administered at non-toxic doses demonstrated remarkable efficacy. It significantly extended the overall survival of the mice. Our research underscores the pivotal role of Akt-associated Mcl-1 upregulation in the development of chemo-resistance in esophageal cancer cells. Furthermore, it highlights the potential of capivasertib to reverse this resistance mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Zhixiao Jiang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 116 Zhuodaoquan South Load, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Fei Xiong
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 116 Zhuodaoquan South Load, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Sheng Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 116 Zhuodaoquan South Load, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430079, China
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Palominos C, Fuentes-Retamal S, Salazar JP, Guzmán-Rivera D, Correa P, Mellado M, Araya-Maturana R, Urra FA. Mitochondrial bioenergetics as a cell fate rheostat for responsive to Bcl-2 drugs: New cues for cancer chemotherapy. Cancer Lett 2024; 594:216965. [PMID: 38788967 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216965] [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: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Pro-survival BCL-2 proteins prevent the initiation of intrinsic apoptosis (mitochondria-dependent pathway) by inhibiting the pro-apoptotic proteins BAX and BAK, while BH3-only proteins promote apoptosis by blocking pro-survival BCL-2 proteins. Disruptions in this delicate balance contribute to cancer cell survival and chemoresistance. Recent advances in cancer therapeutics involve a new generation of drugs known as BH3-mimetics, which are small molecules designed to mimic the action of BH3-only proteins. Promising effects have been observed in patients with hematological and solid tumors undergoing treatment with these agents. However, the rapid emergence of mitochondria-dependent resistance to BH3-mimetics has been reported. This resistance involves increased mitochondrial respiration, altered mitophagy, and mitochondria with higher and tighter cristae. Conversely, mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2, catalyzing R-2-hydroxyglutarate production, promote sensitivity to venetoclax. This evidence underscores the urgency for comprehensive studies on bioenergetics-based adaptive responses in both BH3 mimetics-sensitive and -resistant cancer cells. Ongoing clinical trials are evaluating BH3-mimetics in combination with standard chemotherapeutics. In this article, we discuss the role of mitochondrial bioenergetics in response to BH3-mimetics and explore potential therapeutic opportunities through metabolism-targeting strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Palominos
- Metabolic Plasticity and Bioenergetics Laboratory, Clinical and Molecular Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Interdisciplinary Group on Mitochondrial Targeting and Bioenergetics (MIBI), Talca, 3480094, Chile
| | - Sebastián Fuentes-Retamal
- Metabolic Plasticity and Bioenergetics Laboratory, Clinical and Molecular Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Interdisciplinary Group on Mitochondrial Targeting and Bioenergetics (MIBI), Talca, 3480094, Chile; Universidad Andrés Bello. Escuela de Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Medicina, 8320000, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan Pablo Salazar
- Metabolic Plasticity and Bioenergetics Laboratory, Clinical and Molecular Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Interdisciplinary Group on Mitochondrial Targeting and Bioenergetics (MIBI), Talca, 3480094, Chile
| | - Daniela Guzmán-Rivera
- Metabolic Plasticity and Bioenergetics Laboratory, Clinical and Molecular Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Universidad Andrés Bello. Escuela de Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Medicina, 8320000, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pablo Correa
- Metabolic Plasticity and Bioenergetics Laboratory, Clinical and Molecular Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Interdisciplinary Group on Mitochondrial Targeting and Bioenergetics (MIBI), Talca, 3480094, Chile
| | - Mathias Mellado
- Metabolic Plasticity and Bioenergetics Laboratory, Clinical and Molecular Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, 8380453, Chile
| | - Ramiro Araya-Maturana
- Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Interdisciplinary Group on Mitochondrial Targeting and Bioenergetics (MIBI), Talca, 3480094, Chile; Instituto de Química de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Talca, Talca, 3460000, Chile
| | - Félix A Urra
- Metabolic Plasticity and Bioenergetics Laboratory, Clinical and Molecular Pharmacology Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, 8380453, Chile; Interdisciplinary Group on Mitochondrial Targeting and Bioenergetics (MIBI), Talca, 3480094, Chile; Interuniversity Center for Healthy Aging (CIES), Consortium of Universities of the State of Chile (CUECH), Santiago, 8320216, Chile.
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Liu W, Khalid M, Wahab S, Faizan Siddiqui M, Hasan Khan S, Sadiq M, Khatoon Z. A multitier virtual screening study of phytoconstituents as Myeloid Cell Leukemias 1 inhibitors. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:5219-5228. [PMID: 37418235 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2226739] [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: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Myeloid Cell Leukemia 1 (MCL1) is an anti-apoptotic protein that plays a critical role in regulating cell survival, particularly in cancer cells. It is a member of the BCL-2 family of proteins, which control the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. MCL1 has emerged as a promising target for cancer therapy because it is overexpressed in a wide range of cancers, including breast, lung, prostate, and hematologic malignancies. Due to its remarkable role in cancer progression, it has been reflected as a promising drug target for cancer therapy. A few MCL1 inhibitors have been identified previously, but further research is needed to develop novel, effective and safe MCL1 inhibitors that can overcome resistance mechanisms and minimize toxicity in normal cells. In this study, we aim to search for compounds that target the critical binding site of MCL1 from phytoconstituent library from the IMPPAT database. To accomplish this, a multitier virtual screening approach involving molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) were used to evaluate their suitability for the receptor. Notably, certain screened phytoconstituents have appreciable docking scores and stable interactions toward the binding pocket of MCL1. The screened compounds underwent ADMET and bioactivity analysis to establish their anticancer properties. One phytoconstituent, Isopongaflavone, was identified that exhibiting higher docking and drug-likeness than the already reported MCL1 inhibitor, Tapotoclax. Isopongaflavone and and Tapotoclax, along with MCL1, were subjected to 100 nanoseconds (ns) MDS study to verify their stability inside the binding site of MCL1. The MDS findings demonstrated a strong binding affinity between Isopongaflavone and the MCL1 binding pocket, resulting in reduced conformational fluctuations. This investigation proposes Isopongaflavone as a promising candidate for the development of innovative anticancer therapeutics, pending the necessary validation procedures. Also, the findings provide valuable information for designing MCL1 inhibitors based on the protein's structure.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjun Liu
- School of Environment and Resources, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing, China
| | - Mohammad Khalid
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shadma Wahab
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Shaheer Hasan Khan
- Enzymology and nanotechnology laboratory, Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
| | - Mohd Sadiq
- Department of Computer Science, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Zeenat Khatoon
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
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Dong C, Wang Y, Chen Z, Yan C, Zhang J, Song C, Wang L. Deformable Smart DNA Nanomachine for Synergistic Intracellular Cancer-Related miRNAs Imaging and Chemo-Gene Therapy of Drug-Resistant Tumors. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2308562. [PMID: 38441369 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202308562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/26/2024]
Abstract
Diagnosis and treatment of tumor especially drug-resistant tumor remains a huge challenge, which requires intelligent nanomedicines with low toxic side effects and high efficacy. Herein, deformable smart DNA nanomachines are developed for synergistic intracellular cancer-related miRNAs imaging and chemo-gene therapy of drug-resistant tumors. The tetrahedral DNA framework (MA-TDNA) with fluorescence quenched component and five antennas is self-assembled first, and then DOX molecules are loaded on the MA-TDNAs followed by linking MUC1-aptamer and Mcl-1 siRNA to the antennas of MA-TDNA, so that the apt-MA-TDNA@DOX-siRNA (DNA nanomachines) is constructed. The DNA nanomachine can respond to two tumor-related miRNAs in vitro and in vivo, which can undergo intelligent miRNA-triggered opening of the framework, resulting in the "turn on" of the fluorescence for sensitively and specifically sensing intracellular miRNAs. Meanwhile, both miRNA-responded rapid release and pH-responded release of DOX are achieved for chemotherapy of tumor. In addition, the gene therapy of the DNA nanomachines is achieved due to the miRNA-specific capture and the RNase H triggered release of Mcl-1 siRNA. The DNA nanomachines intergrading both tumor imaging and chemo-gene therapy in single nanostructures realized efficient tumor-targeted, image-guided, and microenvironment-responsive tumor diagnosis and treatment, which provides a synergetic antitumor effect on drug-resistant tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Dong
- State Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergistic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yeran Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergistic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Zhilong Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergistic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Chenlong Yan
- State Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergistic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergistic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Chunyuan Song
- State Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergistic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Lianhui Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergistic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
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9
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Wang WJ, Gao L, Wang S, Huang W, Meng XY, Hu H, Chen Z, Sun J, Yuan Y, Zhou Y, Diao X, Huang R, Li J, Chen XH. Discovery of Orally Bioavailable and Potent CDK9 Inhibitors for Targeting Transcription Regulation in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. J Med Chem 2024; 67:10035-10056. [PMID: 38885173 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00233] [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: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents a highly aggressive and heterogeneous malignancy. Currently, effective therapies for TNBC are very limited and remain a significant unmet clinical need. Targeting the transcription-regulating cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) has emerged as a promising avenue for therapeutic treatment of TNBC. Herein, we report the design, synthesis, optimization, and evaluation of a new series of aminopyrazolotriazine compounds as orally bioavailable, potent, and CDK9/2 selectivity-improved inhibitors, enabling efficacious inhibition of TNBC cell growth, as well as notable antitumor effect in TNBC models. The compound C35 demonstrated low-nanomolar potency with substantially improved CDK9/2 selectivity, downregulated the CDK9-downstream targets (e.g., MCL-1), and induced apoptosis in TNBC cell lines. Moreover, with the desired oral bioavailability, oral administration of C35 could significantly suppress the tumor progression in two TNBC mouse models. This study demonstrates that target transcriptional regulation is an effective strategy and holds promising potential as a targeted therapy for the treatment of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Jing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lixin Gao
- The National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Simei Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wensi Huang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xin-Yu Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ziqiang Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jingya Sun
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yali Yuan
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yubo Zhou
- The National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, The Institutes of Drug Discovery and Development, CAS, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Xingxing Diao
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ruimin Huang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jia Li
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, The Institutes of Drug Discovery and Development, CAS, Zhongshan 528400, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Drug Discovery, Bohai Rim Advanced Research Institute for Drug Discovery, Yantai, Shandong 264117, China
| | - Xiao-Hua Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
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10
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Krkoška M, Paruch K, Šošolíková T, Vázquez-Gómez G, Herůdková J, Novotný J, Ovesná P, Sova P, Hyršlová Vaculová A. Inhibition of Chk1 stimulates cytotoxic action of platinum-based drugs and TRAIL combination in human prostate cancer cells. Biol Chem 2024; 405:395-406. [PMID: 38452398 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2023-0111] [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: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) plays an important role in regulation of the cell cycle, DNA damage response and cell death, and represents an attractive target in anticancer therapy. Small-molecule inhibitors of Chk1 have been intensively investigated either as single agents or in combination with various chemotherapeutic drugs and they can enhance the chemosensitivity of numerous tumor types. Here we newly demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition of Chk1 using potent and selective inhibitor SCH900776, currently profiled in phase II clinical trials, significantly enhances cytotoxic effects of the combination of platinum-based drugs (cisplatin or LA-12) and TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand) in human prostate cancer cells. The specific role of Chk1 in the drug combination-induced cytotoxicity was confirmed by siRNA-mediated silencing of this kinase. Using RNAi-based methods we also showed the importance of Bak-dependent mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in the combined anticancer action of SCH900776, cisplatin and TRAIL. The triple drug combination-induced cytotoxicity was partially enhanced by siRNA-mediated Mcl-1 silencing. Our findings suggest that targeting Chk1 may be used as an efficient strategy for sensitization of prostate cancer cells to killing action of platinum-based chemotherapeutic drugs and TRAIL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Krkoška
- Department of Cytokinetics, 86853 Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences , Královopolská 135, CZ-612 65 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, 117204 Masaryk University , Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kamil Paruch
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital, Pekařská 53, CZ-602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, CaZ-625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Šošolíková
- Department of Cytokinetics, 86853 Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences , Královopolská 135, CZ-612 65 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, 117204 Masaryk University , Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Gerardo Vázquez-Gómez
- Department of Cytokinetics, 86853 Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences , Královopolská 135, CZ-612 65 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jarmila Herůdková
- Department of Cytokinetics, 86853 Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences , Královopolská 135, CZ-612 65 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Novotný
- Department of Cytokinetics, 86853 Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences , Královopolská 135, CZ-612 65 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, 117204 Masaryk University , Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Ovesná
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, 117204 Masaryk University , Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Sova
- Platinum Pharmaceuticals, a.s., CZ Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Alena Hyršlová Vaculová
- Department of Cytokinetics, 86853 Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences , Královopolská 135, CZ-612 65 Brno, Czech Republic
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11
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Karabay AZ, Ozkan T, Karadag Gurel A, Koc A, Hekmatshoar Y, Sunguroglu A, Aktan F, Buyukbingöl Z. Identification of exosomal microRNAs and related hub genes associated with imatinib resistance in chronic myeloid leukemia. NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERG'S ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY 2024:10.1007/s00210-024-03198-1. [PMID: 38916832 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-024-03198-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Chemotherapy resistance is a major obstacle in cancer therapy, and identifying novel druggable targets to reverse this phenomenon is essential. The exosome-mediated transmittance of drug resistance has been shown in various cancer models including ovarian and prostate cancer models. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of exosomal miRNA transfer in chronic myeloid leukemia drug resistance. For this purpose, firstly exosomes were isolated from imatinib sensitive (K562S) and resistant (K562R) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells and named as Sexo and Rexo, respectively. Then, miRNA microarray was used to compare miRNA profiles of K562S, K562R, Sexo, Rexo, and Rexo-treated K562S cells. According to our results, miR-125b-5p and miR-99a-5p exhibited increased expression in resistant cells, their exosomes, and Rexo-treated sensitive cells compared to their sensitive counterparts. On the other hand, miR-210-3p and miR-193b-3p were determined to be the two miRNAs which exhibited decreased expression profile in resistant cells and their exosomes compared to their sensitive counterparts. Gene targets, signaling pathways, and enrichment analysis were performed for these miRNAs by TargetScan, KEGG, and DAVID. Potential interactions between gene candidates at the protein level were analyzed via STRING and Cytoscape software. Our findings revealed CCR5, GRK2, EDN1, ARRB1, P2RY2, LAMC2, PAK3, PAK4, and GIT2 as novel gene targets that may play roles in exosomal imatinib resistance transfer as well as mTOR, STAT3, MCL1, LAMC1, and KRAS which are already linked to imatinib resistance. MDR1 mRNA exhibited higher expression in Rexo compared to Sexo as well as in K562S cells treated with Rexo compared to K562S cells which may suggest exosomal transfer of MDR1 mRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arzu Zeynep Karabay
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Tulin Ozkan
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Aynur Karadag Gurel
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Usak University, Usak, Turkey.
| | - Asli Koc
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Yalda Hekmatshoar
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Altinbas University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Asuman Sunguroglu
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Fugen Aktan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Zeliha Buyukbingöl
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
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12
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Turk A, Čeh E, Calin GA, Kunej T. Multiple omics levels of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:293. [PMID: 38906881 PMCID: PMC11192936 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-02068-2] [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: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a lymphoproliferative malignancy characterized by the proliferation of functionally mature but incompetent B cells. It is the most prevalent type of leukemia in Western populations, accounting for approximately 25% of new leukemia cases. While recent advances, such as ibrutinib and venetoclax treatment have improved patient outlook, aggressive forms of CLL such as Richter transformation still pose a significant challenge. This discrepancy may be due to the heterogeneity of factors contributing to CLL development at multiple -omics levels. However, information on the omics of CLL is fragmented, hindering multi-omics-based research into potential treatment options. To address this, we aggregated and presented a selection of important aspects of various omics levels of the disease in this review. The purpose of the present literature analysis is to portray examples of CLL studies from different omics levels, including genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, epitranscriptomics, proteomics, epiproteomics, metabolomics, glycomics and lipidomics, as well as those identified by multi-omics approaches. The review includes the list of 102 CLL-associated genes with relevant genomics information. While single-omics studies yield substantial and useful data, they omit a significant level of complex biological interplay present in the disease. As multi-omics studies integrate several different layers of data, they may be better suited for complex diseases such as CLL and have thus far yielded promising results. Future multi-omics studies may assist clinicians in improved treatment choices based on CLL subtypes as well as allow the identification of novel biomarkers and targets for treatments.
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Grants
- P4-0220 Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS (Slovenian Research Agency)
- Dr. Calin is the Felix L. Haas Endowed Professor in Basic Science. Work in G.A.C.’s laboratory is supported by NCI grants 1R01 CA182905-01 and 1R01CA222007-01A1, NIGMS grant 1R01GM122775-01, DoD Idea Award W81XWH-21-1-0030, a Team DOD grant in Gastric Cancer W81XWH-21-1-0715, a Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Moonshot Flagship project, a CLL Global Research Foundation 2019 grant, a CLL Global Research Foundation 2020 grant, a CLL Global Research Foundation 2022 grant, The G. Harold & Leila Y. Mathers Foundation, two grants from Torrey Coast Foundation, an Institutional Research Grant and Development Grant associated with the Brain SPORE 2P50CA127001.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksander Turk
- Clinical Institute of Genomic Medicine, University Clinical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Eva Čeh
- Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - George A Calin
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, Division of Pathology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Tanja Kunej
- Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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13
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Alhammadi SHA, Baby B, Antony P, Jobe A, Humaid RSM, Alhammadi FJA, Vijayan R. Modeling the Binding of Anticancer Peptides and Mcl-1. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6529. [PMID: 38928234 PMCID: PMC11203456 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126529] [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: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Mcl-1 (myeloid cell leukemia 1), a member of the Bcl-2 family, is upregulated in various types of cancer. Peptides representing the BH3 (Bcl-2 homology 3) region of pro-apoptotic proteins have been demonstrated to bind the hydrophobic groove of anti-apoptotic Mcl-1, and this interaction is responsible for regulating apoptosis. Structural studies have shown that, while there is high overall structural conservation among the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 (B-cell lymphoma 2) proteins, differences in the surface groove of these proteins facilitates binding specificity. This binding specificity is crucial for the mechanism of action of the Bcl-2 family in regulating apoptosis. Bim-based peptides bind specifically to the hydrophobic groove of Mcl-1, emphasizing the importance of these interactions in the regulation of cell death. Molecular docking was performed with BH3-like peptides derived from Bim to identify high affinity peptides that bind to Mcl-1 and to understand the molecular mechanism of their interactions. The interactions of three identified peptides, E2gY, E2gI, and XXA1_F3dI, were further evaluated using 250 ns molecular dynamics simulations. Conserved hydrophobic residues of the peptides play an important role in their binding and the structural stability of the complexes. Understanding the molecular basis of interaction of these peptides will assist in the development of more effective Mcl-1 specific inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shamsa Husain Ahmed Alhammadi
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bincy Baby
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Priya Antony
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Amie Jobe
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Raghad Salman Mohammed Humaid
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Fatema Jumaa Ahmed Alhammadi
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ranjit Vijayan
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- The Big Data Analytics Center, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- Zayed Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
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14
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Nwosu GO, Ross DM, Powell JA, Pitson SM. Venetoclax therapy and emerging resistance mechanisms in acute myeloid leukaemia. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:413. [PMID: 38866760 PMCID: PMC11169396 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06810-7] [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: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a highly aggressive and devastating malignancy of the bone marrow and blood. For decades, intensive chemotherapy has been the frontline treatment for AML but has yielded only poor patient outcomes as exemplified by a 5-year survival rate of < 30%, even in younger adults. As knowledge of the molecular underpinnings of AML has advanced, so too has the development new strategies with potential to improve the treatment of AML patients. To date the most promising of these targeted agents is the BH3-mimetic venetoclax which in combination with standard of care therapies, has manageable non-haematological toxicity and exhibits impressive efficacy. However, approximately 30% of AML patients fail to respond to venetoclax-based regimens and almost all treatment responders eventually relapse. Here, we review the emerging mechanisms of intrinsic and acquired venetoclax resistance in AML and highlight recent efforts to identify novel strategies to overcome resistance to venetoclax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gus O Nwosu
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - David M Ross
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Department of Haematology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Department of Haematology, Flinders University and Medical Centre, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Jason A Powell
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
- Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
| | - Stuart M Pitson
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
- Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
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15
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Korell F, Olson ML, Salas-Benito D, Leick MB, Larson RC, Bouffard A, Silva H, Gasparetto A, Berger TR, Kann MC, Mergen M, Kienka T, Wehrli M, Haradhvala NJ, Bailey SR, Letai A, Maus MV. Comparative analysis of Bcl-2 family protein overexpression in CAR T cells alone and in combination with BH3 mimetics. Sci Transl Med 2024; 16:eadk7640. [PMID: 38838132 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adk7640] [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: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Approximately 50% of patients with hematologic malignancies relapse after chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell treatment; mechanisms of failure include loss of CAR T persistence and tumor resistance to apoptosis. We hypothesized that both of these challenges could potentially be overcome by overexpressing one or more of the Bcl-2 family proteins in CAR T cells to reduce their susceptibility to apoptosis, both alone and in the presence of BH3 mimetics, which can be used to activate apoptotic machinery in malignant cells. We comprehensively investigated overexpression of different Bcl-2 family proteins in CAR T cells with different signaling domains as well as in different tumor types. We found that Bcl-xL and Bcl-2 overexpression in CAR T cells bearing a 4-1BB costimulatory domain resulted in increased expansion and antitumor activity, reduced exhaustion, and decreased apoptotic priming. In addition, CAR T cells expressing either Bcl-xL or a venetoclax-resistant Bcl-2 variant led to enhanced antitumor efficacy and survival in murine xenograft models of lymphoma and leukemia in the presence or absence of the BH3 mimetic venetoclax, a clinically approved BH3 mimetic. In this setting, Bcl-xL overexpression had stronger effects than overexpression of Bcl-2 or the Bcl-2(G101V) variant. These findings suggest that CAR T cells could be optimally engineered by overexpressing Bcl-xL to enhance their persistence while opening a therapeutic window for combination with BH3 mimetics to prime tumors for apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Korell
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Michael L Olson
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Diego Salas-Benito
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mark B Leick
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rebecca C Larson
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Amanda Bouffard
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Harrison Silva
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Alessandro Gasparetto
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Trisha R Berger
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Michael C Kann
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Markus Mergen
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Tamina Kienka
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Marc Wehrli
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nicholas J Haradhvala
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Stefanie R Bailey
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Anthony Letai
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Marcela V Maus
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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16
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Duan L, Tadi MJ, O'Hara KM, Maki CG. Novel markers of MCL1 inhibitor sensitivity in triple-negative breast cancer cells. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107375. [PMID: 38762181 PMCID: PMC11208921 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107375] [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: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer sub-type with limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Currently, standard treatments for TNBC include surgery, chemotherapy, and anti-PDL1 therapy. These therapies have limited efficacy in advanced stages. Myeloid-cell leukemia 1 (MCL1) is an anti-apoptotic BCL2 family protein. High expression of MCL1 contributes to chemotherapy resistance and is associated with a worse prognosis in TNBC. MCL1 inhibitors are in clinical trials for TNBC, but response rates to these inhibitors can vary and predictive markers are lacking. Currently, we identified a 4-member (AXL, ETS1, IL6, EFEMP1) gene signature (GS) that predicts MCL1 inhibitor sensitivity in TNBC cells. Factors encoded by these genes regulate signaling pathways to promote MCL1 inhibitor resistance. Small molecule inhibitors of the GS factors can overcome resistance and sensitize otherwise resistant TNBC cells to MCL1 inhibitor treatment. These findings offer insights into potential therapeutic strategies and tumor stratification for MCL1 inhibitor use in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Duan
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
| | - Mehrdad Jafari Tadi
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Kelsey M O'Hara
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Carl G Maki
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
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17
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Belt AJ, Grant S, Tombes RM, Rothschild SC. Myeloid Targeted Human MLL-ENL and MLL-AF9 Induces cdk9 and bcl2 Expression in Zebrafish Embryos. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011308. [PMID: 38829886 PMCID: PMC11175583 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011308] [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: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) accounts for greater than twenty thousand new cases of leukemia annually in the United States. The average five-year survival rate is approximately 30%, pointing to the need for developing novel model systems for drug discovery. In particular, patients with chromosomal rearrangements in the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) gene have higher relapse rates with poor outcomes. In this study we investigated the expression of human MLL-ENL and MLL-AF9 in the myeloid lineage of zebrafish embryos. We observed an expansion of MLL positive cells and determined these cells colocalized with the myeloid markers spi1b, mpx, and mpeg. In addition, expression of MLL-ENL and MLL-AF9 induced the expression of endogenous bcl2 and cdk9, genes that are often dysregulated in MLL-r-AML. Co-treatment of lyz: MLL-ENL or lyz:MLL-AF9 expressing embryos with the BCL2 inhibitor, Venetoclax, and the CDK9 inhibitor, Flavopiridol, significantly reduced the number of MLL positive cells compared to embryos treated with vehicle or either drug alone. In addition, cotreatment with Venetoclax and Flavopiridol significantly reduced the expression of endogenous mcl1a compared to vehicle, consistent with AML. This new model of MLL-r-AML provides a novel tool to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying disease progression and a platform for drug discovery.
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MESH Headings
- Zebrafish/genetics
- Zebrafish/embryology
- Animals
- Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 9/genetics
- Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 9/metabolism
- Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 9/antagonists & inhibitors
- Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein/genetics
- Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein/metabolism
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/genetics
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism
- Humans
- Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/genetics
- Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/metabolism
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/pharmacology
- Sulfonamides/pharmacology
- Piperidines/pharmacology
- Embryo, Nonmammalian
- Flavonoids/pharmacology
- Myeloid Cells/metabolism
- Myeloid Cells/drug effects
- Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase/genetics
- Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase/metabolism
- Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
- Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex J. Belt
- Life Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Steven Grant
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Robert M. Tombes
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Sarah C. Rothschild
- Life Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
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18
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Vanga MK, Bhukya R, Thumma V, Ambadipudi SSSSS, Nayak VL, Andugulapati SB, Manga V. Design and synthesis of Meldrum's acid based 7-azaindole anchored 1,2,3-triazole hybrids as anticancer agents. RSC Med Chem 2024; 15:1709-1721. [PMID: 38784465 PMCID: PMC11110793 DOI: 10.1039/d4md00015c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
A series of Meldrum's acid, 7-azaindole and 1,2,3-triazole hybrids were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activity against five different cancer cell lines viz. MCF-7 (breast cancer), HeLa (cervical cancer), DU-145 (prostate cancer), HepG2 (liver cancer) and K562 (myelogenous leukemia cell). Among the series, compound 6b containing a 4-methyl substitution showed potent activity against HeLa cell line. Cell cycle analysis revealed that compound 6b induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and induced apoptosis. Apoptotic activity was further confirmed by Hoechst staining and Annexin V-FITC assay. Compound 6b has been found to exhibit higher activity in all four cell lines, with IC50 values of 6.67 ± 0.39 μM, 4.44 ± 0.32 μM, 12.38 ± 0.51 μM and 9.97 ± 0.25 μM against MCF-7, HeLa, DU-145 and HepG2 cell lines respectively. Compounds 6m (9.68 ± 0.10 μM) and 6n (9.52 ± 0.38 μM), which have dimethoxy and trimethoxy substitutions, respectively, have demonstrated significant anticancer activity against HeLa cells compared to the other cells. The molecular docking study of ligand 6b against the crystal structure of EGFR and Mcl-1 scored notable binding energy values and displayed important interactions like H-bond, π-cation and other hydrophobic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rambabu Bhukya
- Department of Chemistry, Osmania University Hyderabad-500007 Telangana India
| | - Vishnu Thumma
- Department of Sciences and Humanities, Matrusri Engineering College Hyderabad-500059 Telangana India
| | - S S S S Sudha Ambadipudi
- Department of Applied Biology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology Hyderabad-500007 India
| | - V Lakshma Nayak
- Department of Applied Biology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology Hyderabad-500007 India
| | - Sai Balaji Andugulapati
- Department of Applied Biology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology Hyderabad-500007 India
| | - Vijjulatha Manga
- Department of Chemistry, Osmania University Hyderabad-500007 Telangana India
- Telangana Mahila Viswavidyalayam Hyderabad - 500095 Telangana India
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19
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Li Y, Wu M, Fu Y, Xue J, Yuan F, Qu T, Rissanou AN, Wang Y, Li X, Hu H. Therapeutic stapled peptides: Efficacy and molecular targets. Pharmacol Res 2024; 203:107137. [PMID: 38522761 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Peptide stapling, by employing a stable, preformed alpha-helical conformation, results in the production of peptides with improved membrane permeability and enhanced proteolytic stability, compared to the original peptides, and provides an effective solution to accelerate the rapid development of peptide drugs. Various reviews present peptide stapling chemistries, anchoring residues and one- or two-component cyclization, however, therapeutic stapled peptides have not been systematically summarized, especially focusing on various disease-related targets. This review highlights the latest advances in therapeutic peptide drug development facilitated by the application of stapling technology, including different stapling techniques, synthetic accessibility, applicability to biological targets, potential for solving biological problems, as well as the current status of development. Stapled peptides as therapeutic drug candidates have been classified and analysed mainly by receptor- and ligand-based stapled peptide design against various diseases, including cancer, infectious diseases, inflammation, and diabetes. This review is expected to provide a comprehensive reference for the rational design of stapled peptides for different diseases and targets to facilitate the development of therapeutic peptides with enhanced pharmacokinetic and biological properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulei Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China.
| | - Minghao Wu
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Yinxue Fu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Jingwen Xue
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Fei Yuan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Tianci Qu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Anastassia N Rissanou
- Theoretical & Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, Athens 11635, Greece
| | - Yilin Wang
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 131 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xiang Li
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Honggang Hu
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444, China.
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20
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Rahmati A, Mafi A, Vakili O, Soleymani F, Alishahi Z, Yahyazadeh S, Gholinezhad Y, Rezaee M, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A. Non-coding RNAs in leukemia drug resistance: new perspectives on molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways. Ann Hematol 2024; 103:1455-1482. [PMID: 37526673 DOI: 10.1007/s00277-023-05383-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Like almost all cancer types, timely diagnosis is needed for leukemias to be effectively cured. Drug efflux, attenuated drug uptake, altered drug metabolism, and epigenetic alterations are just several of the key mechanisms by which drug resistance develops. All of these mechanisms are orchestrated by up- and downregulators, in which non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) do not encode specific proteins in most cases; albeit, some of them have been found to exhibit the potential for protein-coding. Notwithstanding, ncRNAs are chiefly known for their contribution to the regulation of physiological processes, as well as the pathological ones, such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, and immune responses. Specifically, in the case of leukemia chemo-resistance, ncRNAs have been recognized to be responsible for modulating the initiation and progression of drug resistance. Herein, we comprehensively reviewed the role of ncRNAs, specifically its effect on molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways, in the development of leukemia drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atefe Rahmati
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran
| | - Alireza Mafi
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Omid Vakili
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Autophagy Research Center, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Firooze Soleymani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Nanotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Zahra Alishahi
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran
| | - Sheida Yahyazadeh
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Yasaman Gholinezhad
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Malihe Rezaee
- School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Tehran Heart Center, Cardiovascular Diseases Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Thomas P Johnston
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Amirhossein Sahebkar
- Biotechnology Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, the, Islamic Republic of Iran.
- Applied Biomedical Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, the, Islamic Republic of Iran.
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, the, Islamic Republic of Iran.
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21
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Fowler-Shorten DJ, Hellmich C, Markham M, Bowles KM, Rushworth SA. BCL-2 inhibition in haematological malignancies: Clinical application and complications. Blood Rev 2024; 65:101195. [PMID: 38523032 DOI: 10.1016/j.blre.2024.101195] [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: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) family proteins are fundamental regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway which modulate cellular fate. In many haematological malignancies, overexpression of anti-apoptotic factors (BCL-2, BCL-XL and MCL-1) circumvent apoptosis. To address this cancer hallmark, a concerted effort has been made to induce apoptosis by inhibiting BCL-2 family proteins. A series of highly selective BCL-2 homology 3 (BH3) domain mimetics are in clinical use and in ongoing clinical trials for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), and multiple myeloma (MM). These inhibitors serve as promising candidates, both as single agents or in combination therapy to improve patient outcomes. In other diseases such as follicular lymphoma, efficacy has been notably limited. There are also clinical problems with BCL-2 family inhibition, including drug resistance, disease relapse, tumour lysis syndrome, and clinically relevant cytopenias. Here, we provide a balanced view on both the clinical benefits of BCL-2 inhibition as well as the associated challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic J Fowler-Shorten
- Centre for Metabolic Health, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Charlotte Hellmich
- Centre for Metabolic Health, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK; Department of Haematology, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UY, UK
| | - Matthew Markham
- Centre for Metabolic Health, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Kristian M Bowles
- Centre for Metabolic Health, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK; Department of Haematology, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UY, UK
| | - Stuart A Rushworth
- Centre for Metabolic Health, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK.
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22
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Dakkak BE, Taneera J, El-Huneidi W, Abu-Gharbieh E, Hamoudi R, Semreen MH, Soares NC, Abu-Rish EY, Alkawareek MY, Alkilany AM, Bustanji Y. Unlocking the Therapeutic Potential of BCL-2 Associated Protein Family: Exploring BCL-2 Inhibitors in Cancer Therapy. Biomol Ther (Seoul) 2024; 32:267-280. [PMID: 38589288 PMCID: PMC11063480 DOI: 10.4062/biomolther.2023.149] [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: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis, programmed cell death pathway, is a vital physiological mechanism that ensures cellular homeostasis and overall cellular well-being. In the context of cancer, where evasion of apoptosis is a hallmark, the overexpression of anti-apoptotic proteins like Bcl2, Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 has been documented. Consequently, these proteins have emerged as promising targets for therapeutic interventions. The BCL-2 protein family is central to apoptosis and plays a significant importance in determining cellular fate serving as a critical determinant in this biological process. This review offers a comprehensive exploration of the BCL-2 protein family, emphasizing its dual nature. Specifically, certain members of this family promote cell survival (known as anti-apoptotic proteins), while others are involved in facilitating cell death (referred to as pro-apoptotic and BH3-only proteins). The potential of directly targeting these proteins is examined, particularly due to their involvement in conferring resistance to traditional cancer therapies. The effectiveness of such targeting strategies is also discussed, considering the tumor's propensity for anti-apoptotic pathways. Furthermore, the review highlights emerging research on combination therapies, where BCL-2 inhibitors are used synergistically with other treatments to enhance therapeutic outcomes. By understanding and manipulating the BCL-2 family and its associated pathways, we open doors to innovative and more effective cancer treatments, offering hope for resistant and aggressive cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bisan El Dakkak
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Jalal Taneera
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Waseem El-Huneidi
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Eman Abu-Gharbieh
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rifat Hamoudi
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mohammad H. Semreen
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Nelson C. Soares
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Human Genetics, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA), Lisbon 1649-016, Portugal
| | - Eman Y. Abu-Rish
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
| | | | | | - Yasser Bustanji
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
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23
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Deng H, Han Y, Liu L, Zhang H, Liu D, Wen J, Huang M, Zhao L. Targeting Myeloid Leukemia-1 in Cancer Therapy: Advances and Directions. J Med Chem 2024; 67:5963-5998. [PMID: 38597264 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01998] [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: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
As a tripartite cell death switch, B-cell lymphoma protein 2 (Bcl-2) family members precisely regulate the endogenous apoptosis pathway in response to various cell signal stresses through protein-protein interactions. Myeloid leukemia-1 (Mcl-1), a key anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member, is positioned downstream in the endogenous apoptotic pathway and plays a central role in regulating mitochondrial function. Mcl-1 is highly expressed in a variety of hematological malignancies and solid tumors, contributing to tumorigenesis, poor prognosis, and chemoresistance, making it an attractive target for cancer treatment. This Perspective aims to discuss the mechanism by which Mcl-1 regulates apoptosis and non-apoptotic functions in cancer cells and to outline the discovery and optimization process of potent Mcl-1 modulators. In addition, we summarize the structural characteristics of potent inhibitors that bind to Mcl-1 through multiple co-crystal structures and analyze the cardiotoxicity caused by current Mcl-1 inhibitors, providing prospects for rational targeting of Mcl-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongguang Deng
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yu Han
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Liang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Jiachen Wen
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Min Huang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Linxiang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
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24
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Wils LJ, Buijze M, Stigter-van Walsum M, Brink A, van Kempen BE, Peferoen L, Brouns ER, de Visscher JGAM, van der Meij EH, Bloemena E, Poell JB, Brakenhoff RH. Genomic Engineering of Oral Keratinocytes to Establish In Vitro Oral Potentially Malignant Disease Models as a Platform for Treatment Investigation. Cells 2024; 13:710. [PMID: 38667326 PMCID: PMC11049138 DOI: 10.3390/cells13080710] [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: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Precancerous cells in the oral cavity may appear as oral potentially malignant disorders, but they may also present as dysplasia without visual manifestation in tumor-adjacent tissue. As it is currently not possible to prevent the malignant transformation of these oral precancers, new treatments are urgently awaited. Here, we generated precancer culture models using a previously established method for the generation of oral keratinocyte cultures and incorporated CRISPR/Cas9 editing. The generated cell lines were used to investigate the efficacy of a set of small molecule inhibitors. Tumor-adjacent mucosa and oral leukoplakia biopsies were cultured and genetically characterized. Mutations were introduced in CDKN2A and TP53 using CRISPR/Cas9 and combined with the ectopic activation of telomerase to generate cell lines with prolonged proliferation. The method was tested in normal oral keratinocytes and tumor-adjacent biopsies and subsequently applied to a large set of oral leukoplakia biopsies. Finally, a subset of the immortalized cell lines was used to assess the efficacy of a set of small molecule inhibitors. Culturing and genomic engineering was highly efficient for normal and tumor-adjacent oral keratinocytes, but success rates in oral leukoplakia were remarkably low. Knock-out of CDKN2A in combination with either the activation of telomerase or knock-out of TP53 seemed a prerequisite for immortalization. Prolonged culturing was accompanied by additional genetic aberrations in these cultures. The generated cell lines were more sensitive than normal keratinocytes to small molecule inhibitors of previously identified targets. In conclusion, while very effective for normal keratinocytes and tumor-adjacent biopsies, the success rate of oral leukoplakia cell culturing methods was very low. Genomic engineering enabled the prolonged culturing of OL-derived keratinocytes but was associated with acquired genetic changes. Further studies are required to assess to what extent the immortalized cultures faithfully represent characteristics of the cells in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon J. Wils
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (L.J.W.); (J.G.A.M.d.V.); (E.B.)
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands (A.B.)
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pathology, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
- Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), 1081 LA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam (CCA), Cancer Biology and Immunology, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marijke Buijze
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands (A.B.)
- Cancer Center Amsterdam (CCA), Cancer Biology and Immunology, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marijke Stigter-van Walsum
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands (A.B.)
- Cancer Center Amsterdam (CCA), Cancer Biology and Immunology, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Arjen Brink
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands (A.B.)
- Cancer Center Amsterdam (CCA), Cancer Biology and Immunology, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Britt E. van Kempen
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands (A.B.)
- Cancer Center Amsterdam (CCA), Cancer Biology and Immunology, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Peferoen
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pathology, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Elisabeth R. Brouns
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (L.J.W.); (J.G.A.M.d.V.); (E.B.)
- Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), 1081 LA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jan G. A. M. de Visscher
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (L.J.W.); (J.G.A.M.d.V.); (E.B.)
- Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), 1081 LA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Erik H. van der Meij
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (L.J.W.); (J.G.A.M.d.V.); (E.B.)
- Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), 1081 LA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth Bloemena
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (L.J.W.); (J.G.A.M.d.V.); (E.B.)
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands (A.B.)
- Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), 1081 LA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam (CCA), Cancer Biology and Immunology, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jos B. Poell
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands (A.B.)
- Cancer Center Amsterdam (CCA), Cancer Biology and Immunology, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ruud H. Brakenhoff
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands (A.B.)
- Cancer Center Amsterdam (CCA), Cancer Biology and Immunology, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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25
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Wang R, Li X, Wang J. Butein inhibits oral squamous cell carcinoma growth via promoting MCL-1 ubiquitination. J Cancer 2024; 15:3173-3182. [PMID: 38706892 PMCID: PMC11064257 DOI: 10.7150/jca.94546] [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: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignant head and neck carcinoma type. Myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL-1), an anti-apoptotic BCL-1 protein, has been verified to be among the most highly upregulated pathologic proteins in human cancers linked to tumor relapse, poor prognosis and therapeutic resistance. Herein, therapeutic targeting MCL-1 is an attractive focus for cancer treatment. The present study found that butein, a potential phytochemical compound, exerted profound antitumor effects on OSCC cells. Butein treatment significantly inhibited cell viability, proliferation capacity and colony formation ability, and activated cell apoptotic process. Further potential mechanism investigation showed that promoting MCL-1 ubiquitination and degradation is the major reason for butein-mediated OSCC cell cytotoxicity. Our results uncovered that butein could facilitate E3 ligase FBW7 combined with MCL-1, which contributed to an increase in the ubiquitination of MCL-1 Ub-K48 and degradation. The results of both in vitro cell experiments and in vivo xenograft models imply a critical antitumor function of butein with the well-tolerated feature, and it might be an attractive and promising agent for OSCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruirui Wang
- Department of Radiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Xiaoying Li
- Department of Radiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Jidong Wang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Changde Hospital, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University (The first people's hospital of Changde City), Changde, Hunan 415000, China
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26
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Bao Y, Yang S, Zhao H, Wang Y, Li K, Liu X, Zhang W, Zhu X. A prognostic model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis constructed based on macrophage and mitochondria-related genes. BMC Pulm Med 2024; 24:176. [PMID: 38609879 PMCID: PMC11015635 DOI: 10.1186/s12890-024-02976-0] [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: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies have shown that mitochondrial function and macrophages may play a role in the development of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, the understanding of the interactions and specific mechanisms between mitochondrial function and macrophages in pulmonary fibrosis is still very limited. METHODS To construct a prognostic model for IPF based on Macrophage- related genes (MaRGs) and Mitochondria-related genes (MitoRGs), differential analysis was performed to achieve differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between IPF and Control groups in the GSE28042 dataset. Then, MitoRGs, MaRGs and DEGs were overlapped to screen out the signature genes. The univariate Cox analysis and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm were implemented to achieve key genes. Furthermore, the independent prognostic analysis was employed. The ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) was employed to further understand the molecular mechanisms of key genes.Next, the immune infiltration analysis was implemented to identify differential immune cells between two risk subgroups. RESULTS There were 4791 DEGs between IPF and Control groups. Furthermore, 26 signature genes were achieved by the intersection processing. Three key genes including ALDH2, MCL1, and BCL2A1 were achieved, and the risk model based on the key genes was created. In addition, a nomogram for survival forecasting of IPF patients was created based on riskScore, Age, and Gender, and we found that key genes were associated with classical pathways including 'Apoptosis Signaling', 'PI3K/AKT Signaling', and so on. Next, two differential immune cells including Monocytes and CD8 T cells were identified between two risk subgroups. Moreover, we found that MIR29B2CHG and hsa-mir-1-3p could regulate the expression of ALDH2. CONCLUSION We achieved 3 key genes including ALDH2, MCL1,, and BCL2A1 associated with IPF, providing a new theoretical basis for clinical treatment of IPF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Bao
- First School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong, China
| | - Shiyuan Yang
- First School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong, China
| | - Hailan Zhao
- First School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong, China
| | - Yezhen Wang
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital, Shandong, China
| | - Ke Li
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital, Shandong, China
| | - Xue Liu
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital, Shandong, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital, Shandong, China
| | - Xue Zhu
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital, Shandong, China.
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27
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Jia J, Ji W, Saliba AN, Csizmar CM, Ye K, Hu L, Peterson KL, Schneider PA, Meng XW, Venkatachalam A, Patnaik MM, Webster JA, Smith BD, Ghiaur G, Wu X, Zhong J, Pandey A, Flatten KS, Deng Q, Wang H, Kaufmann SH, Dai H. AMPK inhibition sensitizes acute leukemia cells to BH3 mimetic-induced cell death. Cell Death Differ 2024; 31:405-416. [PMID: 38538744 PMCID: PMC11043078 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-024-01283-9] [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: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BH3 mimetics, including the BCL2/BCLXL/BCLw inhibitor navitoclax and MCL1 inhibitors S64315 and tapotoclax, have undergone clinical testing for a variety of neoplasms. Because of toxicities, including thrombocytopenia after BCLXL inhibition as well as hematopoietic, hepatic and possible cardiac toxicities after MCL1 inhibition, there is substantial interest in finding agents that can safely sensitize neoplastic cells to these BH3 mimetics. Building on the observation that BH3 mimetic monotherapy induces AMP kinase (AMPK) activation in multiple acute leukemia cell lines, we report that the AMPK inhibitors (AMPKis) dorsomorphin and BAY-3827 sensitize these cells to navitoclax or MCL1 inhibitors. Cell fractionation and phosphoproteomic analyses suggest that sensitization by dorsomorphin involves dephosphorylation of the proapoptotic BCL2 family member BAD at Ser75 and Ser99, leading BAD to translocate to mitochondria and inhibit BCLXL. Consistent with these results, BAD knockout or mutation to BAD S75E/S99E abolishes the sensitizing effects of dorsomorphin. Conversely, dorsomorphin synergizes with navitoclax or the MCL1 inhibitor S63845 to induce cell death in primary acute leukemia samples ex vivo and increases the antitumor effects of navitoclax or S63845 in several xenograft models in vivo with little or no increase in toxicity in normal tissues. These results suggest that AMPK inhibition can sensitize acute leukemia to multiple BH3 mimetics, potentially allowing administration of lower doses while inducing similar antineoplastic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Jia
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China
| | - Wenbo Ji
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China
| | - Antoine N Saliba
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Clifford M Csizmar
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Kaiqin Ye
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China
| | - Lei Hu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China
| | - Kevin L Peterson
- Division of Oncology Research, Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Paula A Schneider
- Division of Oncology Research, Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - X Wei Meng
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Division of Oncology Research, Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Annapoorna Venkatachalam
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Division of Oncology Research, Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Mrinal M Patnaik
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Jonathan A Webster
- Adult Leukemia Program, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - B Douglas Smith
- Adult Leukemia Program, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Gabriel Ghiaur
- Adult Leukemia Program, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Xinyan Wu
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Jun Zhong
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Akhilesh Pandey
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, Kamataka, India
| | - Karen S Flatten
- Division of Oncology Research, Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Qingmei Deng
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China
| | - Hongzhi Wang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China
| | - Scott H Kaufmann
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
- Division of Oncology Research, Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
| | - Haiming Dai
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China.
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China.
- Division of Oncology Research, Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
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28
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Li KQ, Bai X, Ke AT, Ding SQ, Zhang CD, Dai DQ. Ubiquitin-specific proteases: From biological functions to potential therapeutic applications in gastric cancer. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 173:116323. [PMID: 38401523 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116323] [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: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Deubiquitination, a post-translational modification regulated by deubiquitinases, is essential for cancer initiation and progression. Ubiquitin-specific proteases (USPs) are essential elements of the deubiquitinase family, and are overexpressed in gastric cancer (GC). Through the regulation of several signaling pathways, such as Wnt/β-Catenin and nuclear factor-κB signaling, and the promotion of the expression of deubiquitination- and stabilization-associated proteins, USPs promote the proliferation, metastasis, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of GC. In addition, the expression of USPs is closely related to clinicopathological features, patient prognosis, and chemotherapy resistance. USPs therefore could be used as prognostic biomarkers. USP targeting small molecule inhibitors have demonstrated strong anticancer activity. However, they have not yet been tested in the clinic. This article provides an overview of the latest fundamental research on USPs in GC, aiming to enhance the understanding of how USPs contribute to GC progression, and identifying possible targets for GC treatment to improve patient survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Qiang Li
- Department of Surgical Oncology, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province 110032, China
| | - Xiao Bai
- Department of Surgical Oncology, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province 110032, China
| | - Ang-Ting Ke
- Department of Surgical Oncology, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province 110032, China
| | - Si-Qi Ding
- Department of Surgical Oncology, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province 110032, China
| | - Chun-Dong Zhang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province 110032, China
| | - Dong-Qiu Dai
- Department of Surgical Oncology, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province 110032, China; Cancer Center, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province 110032, China.
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29
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Cao X, Yan Z, Chen Z, Ge Y, Hu X, Peng F, Huang W, Zhang P, Sun R, Chen J, Ding M, Zong D, He X. The Emerging Role of Deubiquitinases in Radiosensitivity. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2024; 118:1347-1370. [PMID: 38092257 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.12.003] [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: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Radiation therapy is a primary treatment for cancer, but radioresistance remains a significant challenge in improving efficacy and reducing toxicity. Accumulating evidence suggests that deubiquitinases (DUBs) play a crucial role in regulating cell sensitivity to ionizing radiation. Traditional small-molecule DUB inhibitors have demonstrated radiosensitization effects, and novel deubiquitinase-targeting chimeras (DUBTACs) provide a promising strategy for radiosensitizer development by harnessing the ubiquitin-proteasome system. This review highlights the mechanisms by which DUBs regulate radiosensitivity, including DNA damage repair, the cell cycle, cell death, and hypoxia. Progress on DUB inhibitors and DUBTACs is summarized, and their potential radiosensitization effects are discussed. Developing drugs targeting DUBs appears to be a promising alternative approach to overcoming radioresistance, warranting further research into their mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Cao
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhenyu Yan
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zihan Chen
- Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yizhi Ge
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xinyu Hu
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fanyu Peng
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wenxuan Huang
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Pingchuan Zhang
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ruozhou Sun
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jiazhen Chen
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Mingjun Ding
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dan Zong
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Xia He
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China; Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China; Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
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30
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Vella V, Ditsiou A, Chalari A, Eravci M, Wooller SK, Gagliano T, Bani C, Kerschbamer E, Karakostas C, Xu B, Zhang Y, Pearl FM, Lopez G, Peng L, Stebbing J, Klinakis A, Giamas G. Kinome-Wide Synthetic Lethal Screen Identifies PANK4 as a Modulator of Temozolomide Resistance in Glioblastoma. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2306027. [PMID: 38353396 PMCID: PMC11022721 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202306027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Temozolomide (TMZ) represents the cornerstone of therapy for glioblastoma (GBM). However, acquisition of resistance limits its therapeutic potential. The human kinome is an undisputable source of druggable targets, still, current knowledge remains confined to a limited fraction of it, with a multitude of under-investigated proteins yet to be characterized. Here, following a kinome-wide RNAi screen, pantothenate kinase 4 (PANK4) isuncovered as a modulator of TMZ resistance in GBM. Validation of PANK4 across various TMZ-resistant GBM cell models, patient-derived GBM cell lines, tissue samples, as well as in vivo studies, corroborates the potential translational significance of these findings. Moreover, PANK4 expression is induced during TMZ treatment, and its expression is associated with a worse clinical outcome. Furthermore, a Tandem Mass Tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomic approach, reveals that PANK4 abrogation leads to a significant downregulation of a host of proteins with central roles in cellular detoxification and cellular response to oxidative stress. More specifically, as cells undergo genotoxic stress during TMZ exposure, PANK4 depletion represents a crucial event that can lead to accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequent cell death. Collectively, a previously unreported role for PANK4 in mediating therapeutic resistance to TMZ in GBM is unveiled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviana Vella
- Department of Biochemistry and BiomedicineSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, FalmerBrightonBN1 9QGUK
| | - Angeliki Ditsiou
- Department of Biochemistry and BiomedicineSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, FalmerBrightonBN1 9QGUK
| | - Anna Chalari
- Center of Basic ResearchBiomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of AthensAthens11527Greece
| | - Murat Eravci
- Department of Biochemistry and BiomedicineSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, FalmerBrightonBN1 9QGUK
| | - Sarah K. Wooller
- School of Life SciencesBioinformatics GroupUniversity of Sussex, FalmerBrightonBN1 9QGUK
| | | | - Cecilia Bani
- Department of Biochemistry and BiomedicineSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, FalmerBrightonBN1 9QGUK
| | | | - Christos Karakostas
- Center of Basic ResearchBiomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of AthensAthens11527Greece
| | - Bin Xu
- Cancer CenterRenmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhanHubei430064China
| | - Yongchang Zhang
- Department of Medical OncologyLung Cancer and Gastrointestinal UnitHunan Cancer Hospital/The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of MedicineCentral South UniversityChangshaHunan430064China
| | - Frances M.G. Pearl
- School of Life SciencesBioinformatics GroupUniversity of Sussex, FalmerBrightonBN1 9QGUK
| | - Gianluca Lopez
- Division of PathologyFondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda – Ospedale Maggiore PoliclinicoMilan20122Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental SciencesUniversity of MilanMilan20122Italy
| | - Ling Peng
- Department of Respiratory DiseaseZhejiang Provincial People's HospitalHangzhouZhejiang310003China
| | - Justin Stebbing
- Department of Life SciencesAnglia Ruskin UniversityEast RoadCambridgeCB1 1PTUK
| | - Apostolos Klinakis
- Center of Basic ResearchBiomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of AthensAthens11527Greece
| | - Georgios Giamas
- Department of Biochemistry and BiomedicineSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, FalmerBrightonBN1 9QGUK
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31
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Yu X, Li X, Chen Q, Wang S, Xu R, He Y, Qin X, Zhang J, Yang W, Shi L, Lu L, Zheng Y, Pang Z, Peng S. High Intensity Focused Ultrasound-Driven Nanomotor for Effective Ferroptosis-Immunotherapy of TNBC. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2305546. [PMID: 38342612 PMCID: PMC11022700 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202305546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
The heterogeneity of triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) remains challenging for various treatments. Ferroptosis, a recently identified form of cell death resulting from the unrestrained peroxidation of phospholipids, represents a potential vulnerability in TNBC. In this study, a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)-driven nanomotor is developed for effective therapy of TNBC through induction of ferroptosis. Through bioinformatics analysis of typical ferroptosis-associated genes in the FUSCCTNBC dataset, gambogic acid is identified as a promising ferroptosis drug and loaded it into the nanomotor. It is found that the rapid motion of nanomotors propelled by HIFU significantly enhanced tumor accumulation and penetration. More importantly, HIFU not only actuated nanomotors to trigger effective ferroptosis of TNBC cells, but also drove nanomotors to activate ferroptosis-mediated antitumor immunity in primary and metastatic TNBC models, resulting in effective tumor regression and prevention of metastases. Overall, HIFU-driven nanomotors show great potential for ferroptosis-immunotherapy of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangrong Yu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University)ZhuhaiGuangdong519000P. R. China
| | - Xuejing Li
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, School of PharmacyFudan UniversityShanghai201203P.R. China
| | - Qingwang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Human Phenome InstituteFudan University2005 Songhu RoadShanghai200438P.R. China
| | - Siyu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, School of PharmacyFudan UniversityShanghai201203P.R. China
| | - Ruizhe Xu
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, School of PharmacyFudan UniversityShanghai201203P.R. China
| | - Ying He
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, School of PharmacyFudan UniversityShanghai201203P.R. China
| | - Xifeng Qin
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, School of PharmacyFudan UniversityShanghai201203P.R. China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical NeurobiologyFudan University12 Wulumuqi Middle RoadShanghai200040China
| | - Wuli Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers & Department of Macromolecular ScienceFudan UniversityShanghai200433China
| | - Leming Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Human Phenome InstituteFudan University2005 Songhu RoadShanghai200438P.R. China
| | - Ligong Lu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University)ZhuhaiGuangdong519000P. R. China
| | - Yuanting Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Human Phenome InstituteFudan University2005 Songhu RoadShanghai200438P.R. China
| | - Zhiqing Pang
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, School of PharmacyFudan UniversityShanghai201203P.R. China
| | - Shaojun Peng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University)ZhuhaiGuangdong519000P. R. China
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32
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Mukherjee N, Katsnelson E, Brunetti TM, Michel K, Couts KL, Lambert KA, Robinson WA, McCarter MD, Norris DA, Tobin RP, Shellman YG. MCL1 inhibition targets Myeloid Derived Suppressors Cells, promotes antitumor immunity and enhances the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:198. [PMID: 38459020 PMCID: PMC10923779 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06524-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: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are now the first-line treatment for patients with advanced melanoma. Despite promising clinical results, many patients fail to respond to these therapies. BH3 mimetics, a novel class of small molecule inhibitors that bind and inhibit anti-apoptotic members of the BCL2 family proteins such as BCL2 or MCL1, have been very successful in treating hematologic malignancies. However, there are limited studies on the immunomodulatory role of the BH3 mimetics. Several factors contribute to ICI resistance including myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) that exert immunosuppressive effects through direct and indirect inhibition of antitumor immunity. Thus, targeting MDSCs to enhance antitumor immunity has the potential to enhance the efficacy of ICIs. In this study, we show that the MCL1 inhibitor S64315 reduces melanoma tumor growth in an immune cell-dependent manner in mice. Specifically, S64315 enhances antitumor immunity by reducing MDSC frequency and by promoting the activity of CD8+T cells. Additionally, human MDSCs are 10 times more sensitive to S64315 than cutaneous melanoma lines. Further, we found that a higher expression of MCL1 is associated with poor survival for patients treated with anti-PD-1. Finally, combining S64315 and anti-PD-1 significantly slowed tumor growth compared to either agent alone. Together, this proof-of-concept study demonstrates the potential of combining an MCL1 inhibitor with anti-PD-1 in the treatment of melanoma. It justifies the further development of next generation MCL1 inhibitors to improve efficacy of ICIs in treating malignant melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nabanita Mukherjee
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Elizabeth Katsnelson
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Division of Surgical Oncology, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Tonya M Brunetti
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Kylie Michel
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Kasey L Couts
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Karoline A Lambert
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - William A Robinson
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Martin D McCarter
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Division of Surgical Oncology, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - David A Norris
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Dermatology Section, Denver, CO, 80220, USA
| | - Richard P Tobin
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Division of Surgical Oncology, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
| | - Yiqun G Shellman
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
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33
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Wang L, Xi C, Liu R, Ye T, Xiang N, Deng J, Li H. Dual targeting of Mcl-1 and Bcl-2 to overcome chemoresistance in cervical and colon cancer. Anticancer Drugs 2024; 35:219-226. [PMID: 37948336 DOI: 10.1097/cad.0000000000001553] [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: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
After an initial positive response to chemotherapy, cancer patients often become resistant and experience relapse. Our previous research identified eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) as a crucial target to overcome chemoresistance. In this study, we delved further into the role and therapeutic potential of myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1), an eIF4E-mediated target, in chemoresistance. We showed that the levels of phosphor and total eIF4E, as well as Mcl-1, were elevated in chemoresistant cervical but not colon cancer cells. Mcl-1 inhibitor S64315 decreased Mcl-1 levels in chemoresistant cancer cells, regardless of Mcl-1 upregulation, decreased viability in chemoresistant cancer cells and acted synergistically with chemotherapy drugs. The combined inhibition of Mcl-1 and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), employing both genetic and pharmacological approaches, led to a markedly more substantial decrease in viability compared with the inhibition of either target individually. The combination of S64315 and Bcl-2 inhibitors reduced tumor growth in chemoresistant cervical and colon cancer models without causing general toxicity in mice. This combination also prolonged overall survival compared with using S64315 or venetoclax alone. Our research highlights the therapeutic potential of inhibiting Mcl-1 and Bcl-2 simultaneously in chemoresistant cancers and provides a rationale for initiating clinical trials to investigate the combination of S64315 and venetoclax for the treatment of advanced colon and cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
| | - Changlei Xi
- Department of Anorectal Surgery, Jingzhou Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
| | - Rong Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
| | | | - Ning Xiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
| | | | - Hui Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
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34
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Yadav AK, Wang S, Shin YM, Jang BC. PHA-665752's Antigrowth and Proapoptotic Effects on HSC-3 Human Oral Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2871. [PMID: 38474118 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052871] [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: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
c-Met is a tyrosine-kinase receptor, and its aberrant activation plays critical roles in tumorigenesis, invasion, and metastatic spread in many human tumors. PHA-665752 (PHA) is an inhibitor of c-Met and has antitumor effects on many hematological malignancies and solid cancers. However, the activation and expression of c-Met and its role and the antitumor effect of PHA on human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells remain unclear. Here, we investigated the activation and expression of c-Met and the effects of PHA on the growth of a highly tumorigenic HSC-3 human OSCC cell line with high c-Met phosphorylation and expression. Of note, c-Met was highly expressed and phosphorylated on Y1234/1235 in HSC-3 cells, and PHA treatment significantly suppressed the growth and induced apoptosis of these cells. Moreover, PHA that inhibited the phosphorylation (activation) of c-Met further caused the reduced phosphorylation and expression levels of Src, protein kinase B (PKB), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTtor), and myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) in HSC-3 cells. In addition, the antiangiogenic property of PHA in HSC-3 cells was shown, as evidenced by the drug's suppressive effect on the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), a critical tumor angiogenic transcription factor. Importantly, genetic ablation of c-Met caused the reduced growth of HSC-3 cells and decreased Src phosphorylation and HIF-1α expression. Together, these results demonstrate that c-Met is highly activated in HSC-3 human oral cancer cells, and PHA exhibits strong antigrowth, proapoptotic, and antiangiogenic effects on these cells, which are mediated through regulation of the phosphorylation and expression of multiple targets, including c-Met, Src, PKB, mTOR, Mcl-1, and HIF-1α.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil Kumar Yadav
- Department of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeoldaero, Dalseo-gu, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55455, USA
| | - Saini Wang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeoldaero, Dalseo-gu, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Min Shin
- Department of Dentistry, College of Medicine, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeoldaero, Dalseo-gu, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea
| | - Byeong-Churl Jang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeoldaero, Dalseo-gu, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea
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Gong Q, Wang H, Zhou M, Zhou L, Wang R, Li Y. B-cell lymphoma-2 family proteins in the crosshairs: Small molecule inhibitors and activators for cancer therapy. Med Res Rev 2024; 44:707-737. [PMID: 37983840 DOI: 10.1002/med.21999] [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: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
The B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) family of proteins plays a crucial role in the regulation of apoptosis, offering a dual mechanism for its control. Numerous studies have established a strong association between gene disorders of these proteins and the proliferation of diverse cancer cell types. Consequently, the identification and development of drugs targeting BCL-2 family proteins have emerged as a prominent area in antitumor therapy. Over the last two decades, several small-molecules have been designed to modulate the protein-protein interactions between anti- and proapoptotic BCL-2 proteins, effectively suppressing tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. The primary focus of research has been on developing BCL-2 homology 3 (BH3) mimetics to target antiapoptotic BCL-2 proteins, thereby competitively releasing proapoptotic BCL-2 proteins and restoring the blocked intrinsic apoptotic program. Additionally, for proapoptotic BCL-2 proteins, exogenous small molecules have been explored to activate cell apoptosis by directly interacting with executioner proteins such as BCL-2-associated X protein (BAX) or BCL-2 homologous antagonist/killer protein (BAK). In this comprehensive review, we summarize the inhibitors and activators (sensitizers) of BCL-2 family proteins developed over the past decades, highlighting their discovery, optimization, preclinical and clinical status, and providing an overall landscape of drug development targeting these proteins for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qineng Gong
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Haojie Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Mi Zhou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Zhou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Renxiao Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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Kim R, Kin T, Beck WT. Impact of Complex Apoptotic Signaling Pathways on Cancer Cell Sensitivity to Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:984. [PMID: 38473345 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16050984] [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: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Anticancer drugs induce apoptotic and non-apoptotic cell death in various cancer types. The signaling pathways for anticancer drug-induced apoptotic cell death have been shown to differ between drug-sensitive and drug-resistant cells. In atypical multidrug-resistant leukemia cells, the c-Jun/activator protein 1 (AP-1)/p53 signaling pathway leading to apoptotic death is altered. Cancer cells treated with anticancer drugs undergo c-Jun/AP-1-mediated apoptotic death and are involved in c-Jun N-terminal kinase activation and growth arrest- and DNA damage-inducible gene 153 (Gadd153)/CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein pathway induction, regardless of the p53 genotype. Gadd153 induction is associated with mitochondrial membrane permeabilization after anticancer drug treatment and involves a coupled endoplasmic reticulum stress response. The induction of apoptosis by anticancer drugs is mediated by the intrinsic pathway (cytochrome c, Cyt c) and subsequent activation of the caspase cascade via proapoptotic genes (e.g., Bax and Bcl-xS) and their interactions. Anticancer drug-induced apoptosis involves caspase-dependent and caspase-independent pathways and occurs via intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. The targeting of antiapoptotic genes such as Bcl-2 enhances anticancer drug efficacy. The modulation of apoptotic signaling by Bcl-xS transduction increases the sensitivity of multidrug resistance-related protein-overexpressing epidermoid carcinoma cells to anticancer drugs. The significance of autophagy in cancer therapy remains to be elucidated. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of cancer cell death-related signaling pathways and their alterations during anticancer drug treatment and discuss potential strategies to enhance treatment efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryungsa Kim
- Department of Breast Surgery, Hiroshima Mark Clinic, 1-4-3F, 2-Chome Ohte-machi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima 730-0051, Japan
| | - Takanori Kin
- Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - William T Beck
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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Hekking KFW, Maroto S, van Kekem K, Haasjes FS, Slootweg JC, Oude Alink PGB, Dirks R, Sardana M, Bolster MG, Kuijpers B, Smith D, Doodeman R, Scheepstra M, Zech B, Mulvihill M, Renzetti LM, Babiss L, Centrella PA, Clark MA, Cuozzo JW, Guié MA, Sigel E, Habeshian S, Hupp CD, Liu J, Thomson HA, Zhang Y, Keefe AD, Müller G, Gremmen S. Development of Potent Mcl-1 Inhibitors: Structural Investigations on Macrocycles Originating from a DNA-Encoded Chemical Library Screen. J Med Chem 2024; 67:3039-3065. [PMID: 38306405 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02206] [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: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Evasion of apoptosis is critical for the development and growth of tumors. The pro-survival protein myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1) is an antiapoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, associated with tumor aggressiveness, poor survival, and drug resistance. Development of Mcl-1 inhibitors implies blocking of protein-protein interactions, generally requiring a lengthy optimization process of large, complex molecules. Herein, we describe the use of DNA-encoded chemical library synthesis and screening to directly generate complex, yet conformationally privileged macrocyclic hits that serve as Mcl-1 inhibitors. By applying a conceptual combination of conformational analysis and structure-based design in combination with a robust synthetic platform allowing rapid analoging, we optimized in vitro potency of a lead series into the low nanomolar regime. Additionally, we demonstrate fine-tuning of the physicochemical properties of the macrocyclic compounds, resulting in the identification of lead candidates 57/59 with a balanced profile, which are suitable for future development toward therapeutic use.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ron Dirks
- Symeres, 6546BB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Birgit Zech
- X-Rx, Inc., New York, New York 10016, United States
| | | | | | - Lee Babiss
- X-Rx, Inc., New York, New York 10016, United States
| | | | | | - John W Cuozzo
- X-Chem, Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts 02453, United States
| | | | - Eric Sigel
- X-Chem, Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts 02453, United States
| | | | | | - Julie Liu
- X-Chem, Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts 02453, United States
| | | | - Ying Zhang
- X-Chem, Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts 02453, United States
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Hoogenboezem EN, Patel SS, Lo JH, Cavnar AB, Babb LM, Francini N, Gbur EF, Patil P, Colazo JM, Michell DL, Sanchez VM, McCune JT, Ma J, DeJulius CR, Lee LH, Rosch JC, Allen RM, Stokes LD, Hill JL, Vickers KC, Cook RS, Duvall CL. Structural optimization of siRNA conjugates for albumin binding achieves effective MCL1-directed cancer therapy. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1581. [PMID: 38383524 PMCID: PMC10881965 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45609-0] [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: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The high potential of siRNAs to silence oncogenic drivers remains largely untapped due to the challenges of tumor cell delivery. Here, divalent lipid-conjugated siRNAs are optimized for in situ binding to albumin to improve pharmacokinetics and tumor delivery. Systematic variation of the siRNA conjugate structure reveals that the location of the linker branching site dictates tendency toward albumin association versus self-assembly, while the lipid hydrophobicity and reversibility of albumin binding also contribute to siRNA intracellular delivery. The lead structure increases tumor siRNA accumulation 12-fold in orthotopic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) tumors over the parent siRNA. This structure achieves approximately 80% silencing of the anti-apoptotic oncogene MCL1 and yields better survival outcomes in three TNBC models than an MCL-1 small molecule inhibitor. These studies provide new structure-function insights on siRNA-lipid conjugate structures that are intravenously injected, associate in situ with serum albumin, and improve pharmacokinetics and tumor treatment efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella N Hoogenboezem
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Shrusti S Patel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Justin H Lo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ashley B Cavnar
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Lauren M Babb
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Nora Francini
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Eva F Gbur
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Prarthana Patil
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Juan M Colazo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Danielle L Michell
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Violeta M Sanchez
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Joshua T McCune
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jinqi Ma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Carlisle R DeJulius
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Linus H Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jonah C Rosch
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ryan M Allen
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Larry D Stokes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jordan L Hill
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Kasey C Vickers
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Rebecca S Cook
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Craig L Duvall
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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Abrehdari-Tafreshi Z, Arefian E, Rakhshani N, Najafi SMA. The Role of miR-29a and miR-143 on the Anti-apoptotic MCL-1/cIAP-2 Genes Expression in EGFR Mutated Non-small Cell Lung Carcinoma Patients. Biochem Genet 2024:10.1007/s10528-024-10740-6. [PMID: 38379036 DOI: 10.1007/s10528-024-10740-6] [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: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
The survival rate of lung cancer is low due to the high frequency of drug resistance in patients with mutations in the driver genes. Overexpression of anti-apoptotic genes is one of the most prominent features of tumor drug resistance. EGFR signaling induces the expression of anti-apoptotic genes. Also, microRNAs (miRNAs) have a critical role in regulating biological functions such as apoptosis; a process mostly eluded in cancer progression. The mutation screening was performed on one thousand non-small cell lung carcinoma patients to enroll clinical samples in this study. Bioinformatics analysis predicted that miRNAs (miR-29a, miR-143) might regulate MCL-1 and cIAP-2 expression. We investigated the expression of MCL-1, cIAP-2, miR-29a, and miR-143 encoding genes in adenocarcinoma patients with or without EGFR mutations before treatment. The potential role of miR-29a and miR-143 on gene expression was evaluated by overexpression and luciferase assays in HEK-293T cells. EGFR mutations were found in 262 patients (26.2%) with a greater incidence in females (36.23% vs. 20.37%, P = 0.001). The expression levels of MCL-1 and cIAP-2 genes in patients with mutated EGFR were higher than those of wild-type EGFR. In contrast, compared to those of patients with wild-type EGFR, the expression levels of miR-29a and miR-143 were lower in the patients carrying EGFR mutations. In cell culture, overexpression of miR-29a and miR-143 significantly downregulated the expression of MCL-1 and cIAP-2. Dual-luciferase reporter experiments confirmed that miR-29a and miR-143 target MCL-1 and cIAP-2 mRNAs, respectively. Our results suggest that upregulation of EGFR signaling in lung cancer cells may increase anti-apoptotic MCL-1 and cIAP-2 gene expression, possibly through downregulation of miR-29a-3p and miR-143-3p.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Abrehdari-Tafreshi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14155-6455, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Ehsan Arefian
- Department of Microbiology, School of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 1417614481, Tehran, Iran
- Pediatric Cell and Gene Therapy Research Center, Cell & Tissue Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Gene, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nasser Rakhshani
- Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Firoozgar Hospital, Tehran, Iran
| | - S Mahmoud A Najafi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14155-6455, Tehran, Iran.
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Xia Y, Pei T, Zhao J, Wang Z, Shen Y, Yang Y, Liang J. Long noncoding RNA H19: functions and mechanisms in regulating programmed cell death in cancer. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:76. [PMID: 38355574 PMCID: PMC10866971 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-01832-8] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a group of noncoding RNAs with transcript lengths of >200 nucleotides. Mounting evidence suggests that lncRNAs are closely associated with tumorigenesis. LncRNA H19 (H19) was the first lncRNA to function as an oncogene in many malignant tumors. Apart from the established role of H19 in promoting cell growth, proliferation, invasion, migration, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and metastasis, it has been recently discovered that H19 also inhibits programmed cell death (PCD) of cancer cells. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms by which H19 regulates PCD in cancer cells through various signaling pathways, molecular mechanisms, and epigenetic modifications. H19 regulates PCD through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway. It also acts as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) in PCD regulation. The interaction between H19 and RNA-binding proteins (RBP) regulates apoptosis in cancer. Moreover, epigenetic modifications, including DNA and RNA methylation and histone modifications, are also involved in H19-associated PCD regulation. In conclusion, we summarize the role of H19 signaling via PCD in cancer chemoresistance, highlighting the promising research significance of H19 as a therapeutic target. We hope that our study will contribute to a broader understanding of H19 in cancer development and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyang Xia
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China
| | - Tianjiao Pei
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Junjie Zhao
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China
| | - Zilin Wang
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China
| | - Yu Shen
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiayu Liang
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China.
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41
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Li X, Xu SJ, Jin B, Lu HS, Zhao SK, Ding XF, Xu LL, Li HJ, Liu SC, Chen J, Chen G. Heparanase inhibitor OGT 2115 induces prostate cancer cell apoptosis via the downregulation of MCL‑1. Oncol Lett 2024; 27:83. [PMID: 38249815 PMCID: PMC10797316 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2024.14217] [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: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Heparanase (HPSE), an endo-β-D-glucuronidase, cleaves heparan sulfate and serves an important role in the tumor microenvironment and thus in tumorigenesis. HPSE is known to promote tumor cell evasion of apoptosis. However, the underlying mechanism of this requires further study. In the present study, the results demonstrated that myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL-1), an antiapoptotic protein, and HPSE were upregulated in prostate cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. In addition, the HPSE inhibitor, OGT 2115, inhibited PC-3 and DU-145 prostate cancer cell viability in a dose-dependent manner, with IC50 values of 20.2 and 97.2 µM, respectively. Furthermore, annexin V/PI double-staining assays demonstrated that OGT 2115 induced apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. OGT 2115 treatment markedly decreased MCL-1 protein expression levels, whereas RNA interference-mediated downregulation of MCL-1 and OGT 2115 drug treatment synergistically induced apoptosis in PC-3 and DU-145 cells. In vivo, OGT 2115 40 mg/kg (ig) significantly inhibited PC-3 cell xenograft growth in nude mice and increased the positive TUNEL staining rate of xenograft tissues. It was therefore hypothesized that MCL-1 was an important signaling molecule in OGT 2115-induced apoptosis. The results of the present study also demonstrated that the proteasome inhibitor, MG-132, markedly inhibited the downregulation of MCL-1 protein expression levels induced by OGT 2115. However, the protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide, did not affect the role of OGT 2115 in regulating MCL-1. In summary, the results of the present study demonstrated that the proapoptotic activity of OGT 2115 was achieved by downregulating MCL-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- Department of Urology, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang 318000, P.R. China
| | - Shuai-Jun Xu
- Graduate School of Medicine, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, Hebei 075000, P.R. China
| | - Bin Jin
- Graduate School of Medicine, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, Hebei 075000, P.R. China
| | - Hong-Sheng Lu
- Department of Pathology, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, Zhejiang 318000, P.R. China
| | - Shan-Kun Zhao
- Department of Urology, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang 318000, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Fei Ding
- Department of Pharmacology, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang 318000, P.R. China
| | - Ling-Long Xu
- Department of Hematology, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, Zhejiang 318000, P.R. China
| | - Hai-Jun Li
- Department of Neurology, Taizhou Second People's Hospital, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang 318000, P.R. China
| | - Shuang-Chun Liu
- Laboratory Department, Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang 318000, P.R. China
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang 318000, P.R. China
| | - Guang Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang 318000, P.R. China
- Department of Hematology, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, Zhejiang 318000, P.R. China
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Zhang Y, Liu F, Zheng J, Jiang K, Ai H, Liu L, Mao D. MAPRE3 as an epigenetic target of EZH2 restricts ovarian cancer proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Exp Cell Res 2024; 435:113913. [PMID: 38199479 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2024.113913] [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: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OC) is a lethal gynecologic cancer and the common cause of death within women worldwide. The polycomb group protein enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a histone methyltransferase highly expressed in various tumors, including OC. However, the mechanistic basis of EZH2 oncogenic activity in OC remain incompletely understood. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the expression of MAPRE3 was lower in OC tissues than in normal tissues, and was positively correlated with the overall survival. MAPRE3 overexpression decreased cell growth, inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in OC cells, whereas MAPRE3 silencing promoted proliferation and accelerated cell cycle progression of OC cells. The in vivo study validated that overexpression of MAPRE3 impeded tumor formation and growth of OC xenografts in nude mice. In addition, knockdown of EZH2 in OC cells downregulated H3K27me3 expression and increased MAPRE3 expression. Inhibiting EZH2 in OC cells reduced the enrichment of H3K27me3 on the promoter of MAPRE3. Furthermore, MAPRE3 silencing significantly reversed changes in the expression of cell cycle and apoptosis-related markers and cell growth mediated by EZH2 knockdown in OC cells. MAPRE3 functions as a suppressor of OC and is epigenetic repressed by EZH2, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy for OC by targeting EZH2/MAPRE3 axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China; Liaoning Key Laboratory of Follicular Development and Reproductive Health, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China.
| | - Fanglin Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China.
| | - Jindan Zheng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China.
| | - Keping Jiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China.
| | - Hao Ai
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Follicular Development and Reproductive Health, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China.
| | - Lili Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China.
| | - Dong Mao
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China.
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43
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Wyżewski Z, Stępkowska J, Kobylińska AM, Mielcarska A, Mielcarska MB. Mcl-1 Protein and Viral Infections: A Narrative Review. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1138. [PMID: 38256213 PMCID: PMC10816053 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021138] [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: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
MCL-1 is the prosurvival member of the Bcl-2 family. It prevents the induction of mitochondria-dependent apoptosis. The molecular mechanisms dictating the host cell viability gain importance in the context of viral infections. The premature apoptosis of infected cells could interrupt the pathogen replication cycle. On the other hand, cell death following the effective assembly of progeny particles may facilitate virus dissemination. Thus, various viruses can interfere with the apoptosis regulation network to their advantage. Research has shown that viral infections affect the intracellular amount of MCL-1 to modify the apoptotic potential of infected cells, fitting it to the "schedule" of the replication cycle. A growing body of evidence suggests that the virus-dependent deregulation of the MCL-1 level may contribute to several virus-driven diseases. In this work, we have described the role of MCL-1 in infections caused by various viruses. We have also presented a list of promising antiviral agents targeting the MCL-1 protein. The discussed results indicate targeted interventions addressing anti-apoptotic MCL1 as a new therapeutic strategy for cancers as well as other diseases. The investigation of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in viral infections engaging MCL1 may contribute to a better understanding of the regulation of cell death and survival balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zbigniew Wyżewski
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, Dewajtis 5, 01-815 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Justyna Stępkowska
- Institute of Family Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, Dewajtis 5, 01-815 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Aleksandra Maria Kobylińska
- Division of Immunology, Department of Preclinical Sciences, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland; (A.M.K.); (M.B.M.)
| | - Adriana Mielcarska
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Nutritional Disorders and Pediatrics, The Children’s Memorial Health Institute, Av. Dzieci Polskich 20, 04-730 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Matylda Barbara Mielcarska
- Division of Immunology, Department of Preclinical Sciences, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland; (A.M.K.); (M.B.M.)
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44
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Kuchukulla RR, Hwang I, Kim SH, Kye Y, Park N, Cha H, Moon S, Chung HW, Lee C, Kong G, Hur W. Identification of a novel potent CDK inhibitor degrading cyclinK with a superb activity to reverse trastuzumab-resistance in HER2-positive breast cancer in vivo. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 264:116014. [PMID: 38061230 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.116014] [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: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
CDK12 is overexpressed in HER2-positive breast cancers and promotes tumorigenesis and trastuzumab resistance. Thus CDK12 is a good therapeutic target for the HER2-positive breast tumors resistant to trastuzumab. We previously reported a novel purine-based CDK inhibitor with an ability to degrade cyclinK. Herein, we further explored and synthesized new derivatives, and identified a new potent pan-CDK inhibitor degrading cyclinK (32e). Compound 32e potently inhibited CDK12/cyclinK with IC50 = 3 nM, and suppressed the growth of the both trastuzumab-sensitive and trastuzumab-resistant HER2-positive breast cancer cell lines (GI50's = 9-21 nM), which is superior to a potent, clinical pan-CDK inhibitor dinaciclib. Moreover, 32e (10, 20 mg/kg, ip, twice a week) showed a dose-dependent inhibition of tumor growth and a more dramatic anti-cancer effect than dinaciclib in mouse in vivo orthotopic breast cancer model of trastuzumab-resistant HCC1954 cells. Kinome-wide inhibition profiling revealed that 32e at 1 μM exhibits a decent selectivity toward CDK-family kinases including CDK12 over other wildtype protein kinases. Quantitative global proteomic analysis of 32e-treated HCC1954 cells demonstrated that 32e also showed a decent selectivity in degrading cyclinK over other cyclins. Compound 32e could be developed as a drug for intractable trastuzumab-resistant HER2-positive breast cancers. Our current study would provide a useful insight in designing potent cyclinK degraders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratnakar Reddy Kuchukulla
- HY-KIST Bioconvergence, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimniro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Injeoung Hwang
- HY-KIST Bioconvergence, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimniro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea; Medicinal Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), 5 Hwarangro 14 gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Suhn Hyung Kim
- Medicinal Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), 5 Hwarangro 14 gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Younghyeon Kye
- HY-KIST Bioconvergence, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimniro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Narae Park
- Chemical & Biological Integrative Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), 5 Hwarangro 14 gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea; KHU-KIST Department of Converging Science and Technology, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedaero, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Heary Cha
- HY-KIST Bioconvergence, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimniro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Sojeong Moon
- HY-KIST Bioconvergence, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimniro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Hwan Won Chung
- Computational Science Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), 5 Hwarangro 14 gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Cheolju Lee
- Chemical & Biological Integrative Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), 5 Hwarangro 14 gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Gu Kong
- HY-KIST Bioconvergence, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimniro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea; Medicinal Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), 5 Hwarangro 14 gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea; Department of Pathology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, 222 Wangsimniro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea.
| | - Wooyoung Hur
- HY-KIST Bioconvergence, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimniro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea; Medicinal Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), 5 Hwarangro 14 gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.
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45
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Ma P, Luo Z, Li Z, Lin Y, Li Z, Wu Z, Ren C, Wu YL. Mitochondrial Artificial K + Channel Construction Using MPTPP@5F8 Nanoparticles for Overcoming Cancer Drug Resistance via Disrupting Cellular Ion Homeostasis. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2302012. [PMID: 37742136 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202302012] [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: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondrial potassium ion channels have become a promising target for cancer therapy. However, in malignant tumors, their low expression or inhibitory regulation typically leads to undesired cancer therapy, or even induces drug resistance. Herein, this work develops an in situ mitochondria-targeted artificial K+ channel construction strategy, with the purpose to trigger cancer cell apoptosis by impairing mitochondrial ion homeostasis. Considering the fact that cancer cells have a lower membrane potential than that of normal cells, this strategy can selectively deliver artificial K+ channel molecule 5F8 to the mitochondria of cancer cells, by using a mitochondria-targeting triphenylphosphine (TPP) modified block polymer (MPTPP) as a carrier. More importantly, 5F8 can further specifically form a K+ -selective ion channel through the directional assembly of crown ethers on the mitochondrial membrane, thereby inducing mitochondrial K+ influx and disrupting ions homeostasis. Thanks to this design, mitochondrial dysfunction, including decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, reduced adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis, downregulated antiapoptotic BCL-2 and MCL-1 protein levels, and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, can further effectively induce the programmed apoptosis of multidrug-resistant cancer cells, no matter in case of pump or nonpump dependent drug resistance. In short, this mitochondria-targeted artificial K+ -selective ion channel construction strategy may be beneficial for potential drug resistance cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panqin Ma
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Zheng Luo
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis, #08-03, Singapore, 138634, Singapore
| | - Zhiguo Li
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Yuchao Lin
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Zibiao Li
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis, #08-03, Singapore, 138634, Singapore
- Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment (ISCE2), A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), 1 Pesek Road, Jurong Island, Singapore, 627833, Singapore
| | - Zhen Wu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Changliang Ren
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Xiamen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518057, China
| | - Yun-Long Wu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research and State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
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46
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Li Y, Zhang J, Ni X, Wang X, Zhang J, Xie X, Dou X, Jiao X, Tang B. Bio-orthogonally Activatable Fluorescent Probe for Specific Imaging of Myeloid Cell Leukemia 1 Protein. Anal Chem 2023; 95:18836-18843. [PMID: 38079286 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04024] [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: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
The antiapoptotic protein myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1) has been increasingly identified as a promising potential therapeutic target attributed to its critical regulation effect in diverse cellar physiopathological events. Current fluorescence imaging strategies tend to be susceptible to the cellular microenvironment, and straightforward mapping of Mcl-1's level variation remains challenging. In this paper, an activatable "off-on" fluorescence strategy for Mcl-1 specific labeling was presented based on bio-orthogonal chemistry by introducing tetrazine-functionalized borondipyrromethene (TB) as a fluorescent reporter and trans-cyclooctyne-derived indole-2-carboxylic acid (TI) as an Mcl-1 targeting moiety. With the click pair of TB and TI, the Mcl-1 expression level in vitro and in vivo was successfully mapped straightforward. Also, the level changes of Mcl-1 upon drug challenge were demonstrated. This work provides a robust fluorescence strategy for Mcl-1 in situ imaging, and the results would further facilitate the comprehensive revelation of the Mcl-1 biological effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Li
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Molecular and Nano Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, P. R. China
| | - Jiangong Zhang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Molecular and Nano Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, P. R. China
| | - Xiaolong Ni
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Molecular and Nano Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, P. R. China
| | - Xu Wang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Molecular and Nano Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, P. R. China
| | - Jian Zhang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Molecular and Nano Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, P. R. China
| | - Xilei Xie
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Molecular and Nano Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, P. R. China
| | - Xueyu Dou
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Molecular and Nano Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyun Jiao
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Molecular and Nano Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, P. R. China
| | - Bo Tang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Molecular and Nano Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, P. R. China
- Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao 266237, P. R. China
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47
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Chan O, Walker AR. Novel therapies upon failure of HMA plus venetoclax. HEMATOLOGY. AMERICAN SOCIETY OF HEMATOLOGY. EDUCATION PROGRAM 2023; 2023:702-708. [PMID: 38066883 PMCID: PMC10727075 DOI: 10.1182/hematology.2023000456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
The efficacy and tolerability of the combination of hypomethylating agents with venetoclax (HMA-VEN) in patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia has been a practice-changing milestone in the field. However, treatment failure and relapse remain major barriers to prolonged survival. TP53 mutation is a predictor of primary induction failure and portends especially poor outcomes. Prelinical data suggest that VEN resistance stems from these genetic changes, which lead to increases in antiapoptotic proteins such as MCL-1 and BCLXL. For patients who discontinue HMA-VEN for reasons other than disease progression, such as post allotransplantation, infection, and personal preference, rechallenge with HMA-VEN at the time of relapse may be considered. For those who progress on HMA-VEN, clinical trials with novel agents or rational drug combinations are preferred if available. If no trial option is available, fit patients may benefit from intensive chemotherapy. Emerging therapies aim to overcome venetoclax resistance, target interactions that promote leukemogenesis, and harness the immune system to irradicate leukemic blasts and stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Onyee Chan
- Department of Malignant Hematology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL
| | - Alison R Walker
- Department of Malignant Hematology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL
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48
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Chen L, Lowe B, Fletcher S. Tetrazole and acylsulfonamide bioisosteric replacements of the carboxylic acid in a dual MCL-1/BCL-x L inhibitor are tolerated. RSC Adv 2023; 13:34322-34334. [PMID: 38024975 PMCID: PMC10664828 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra05711a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Overexpression of the anti-apoptotic protein MCL-1 is associated with a plethora of human cancers, and it reduces the sensitivity of cancer cells to approved chemotherapies. Accordingly, the discovery of MCL-1 inhibitors is an active area of interest. Many inhibitors of the anti-apoptotic MCL-1 protein bear a crucial carboxylic acid that may engage Arg263 in the BH3-binding groove. We previously described the salicylic acid-based dual MCL-1/BCL-xL inhibitor 17cd, which is currently undergoing lead optimization. As part of that process, we wished to investigate bioisosteric replacement of 17cd's key carboxylic acid. Herein we describe the synthesis of a variety of analogues of a simpler analogue of 17cd presenting carboxylic acid surrogates. The acylsulfonamide and tetrazole motifs, which exhibit comparable pKas to the carboxylic acid function, displayed similar, or better, binding affinities to MCL-1 and BCL-xL as the corresponding carboxylic acid-containing lead. Our best compound was acylsulfonamide 7d with a Ki of 800 nM against MCL-1 and 1.82 mM against BCL-xL, and demonstrated an improved effect on the viability of the HL60 acute myeloid leukemia cell line relative to the parent carboxylic acid-containing dual inhibitor from which it was derived.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijia Chen
- University of Maryland School of Pharmacy 20N Pine St Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Brandon Lowe
- University of Maryland School of Pharmacy 20N Pine St Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Steven Fletcher
- University of Maryland School of Pharmacy 20N Pine St Baltimore MD 21201 USA
- University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center 20 S. Greene St. Baltimore MD 21201 USA
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49
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Brady PB, Sorensen BK, Risi RM, Curtin ML, Mantei RA, Florjancic AS, Mastracchio A, Ji C, Kunzer AR, Lai C, Storer GE, Chan VS, Henry RF, Souers AJ, Michaelides MR, Judd AS, Hansen TM. Enabling, Decagram-Scale Synthesis of Macrocyclic MCL-1 Inhibitor ABBV-467. J Org Chem 2023; 88:15562-15568. [PMID: 37909857 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.3c00939] [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: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
ABBV-467 is a highly potent and selective MCL-1 inhibitor that was advanced to a phase I clinical trial for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Due to its large size and structural complexity, ABBV-467 is a challenging synthetic target. Herein, we describe the synthesis of ABBV-467 on a decagram scale, which enabled preclinical characterization. The strategy is convergent and stereoselective, featuring a hindered biaryl cross coupling, enantioselective hydrogenation, and conformationally preorganized macrocyclization by C-O bond formation as key steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick B Brady
- Centralized Organic Synthesis Group, Small Molecule Therapeutic and Platform Technologies, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Bryan K Sorensen
- Centralized Organic Synthesis Group, Small Molecule Therapeutic and Platform Technologies, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Roberto M Risi
- Centralized Organic Synthesis Group, Small Molecule Therapeutic and Platform Technologies, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Michael L Curtin
- Centralized Organic Synthesis Group, Small Molecule Therapeutic and Platform Technologies, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Robert A Mantei
- Centralized Organic Synthesis Group, Small Molecule Therapeutic and Platform Technologies, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Alan S Florjancic
- Centralized Organic Synthesis Group, Small Molecule Therapeutic and Platform Technologies, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Anthony Mastracchio
- Global Medicinal Chemistry, Small Molecule Therapeutic and Platform Technologies, AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Cheng Ji
- Global Medicinal Chemistry, Small Molecule Therapeutic and Platform Technologies, AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Aaron R Kunzer
- Global Medicinal Chemistry, Small Molecule Therapeutic and Platform Technologies, AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Chunqiu Lai
- Centralized Organic Synthesis Group, Small Molecule Therapeutic and Platform Technologies, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Gregory E Storer
- Center of Catalysis, Process Research and Development, AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Vincent S Chan
- Center of Catalysis, Process Research and Development, AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Rodger F Henry
- Analytical Sciences, Small Molecule Therapeutic and Platform Technologies, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Andrew J Souers
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | | | - Andrew S Judd
- Global Medicinal Chemistry, Small Molecule Therapeutic and Platform Technologies, AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - T Matthew Hansen
- Centralized Organic Synthesis Group, Small Molecule Therapeutic and Platform Technologies, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
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50
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Chong SJF, Zhu F, Dashevsky O, Mizuno R, Lai JX, Hackett L, Ryan CE, Collins MC, Iorgulescu JB, Guièze R, Penailillo J, Carrasco R, Hwang YC, Muñoz DP, Bouhaddou M, Lim YC, Wu CJ, Allan JN, Furman RR, Goh BC, Pervaiz S, Coppé JP, Mitsiades CS, Davids MS. Hyperphosphorylation of BCL-2 family proteins underlies functional resistance to venetoclax in lymphoid malignancies. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e170169. [PMID: 37751299 PMCID: PMC10645378 DOI: 10.1172/jci170169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The B cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) inhibitor venetoclax is effective in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL); however, resistance may develop over time. Other lymphoid malignancies such as diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are frequently intrinsically resistant to venetoclax. Although genomic resistance mechanisms such as BCL2 mutations have been described, this probably only explains a subset of resistant cases. Using 2 complementary functional precision medicine techniques - BH3 profiling and high-throughput kinase activity mapping - we found that hyperphosphorylation of BCL-2 family proteins, including antiapoptotic myeloid leukemia 1 (MCL-1) and BCL-2 and proapoptotic BCL-2 agonist of cell death (BAD) and BCL-2 associated X, apoptosis regulator (BAX), underlies functional mechanisms of both intrinsic and acquired resistance to venetoclax in CLL and DLBCL. Additionally, we provide evidence that antiapoptotic BCL-2 family protein phosphorylation altered the apoptotic protein interactome, thereby changing the profile of functional dependence on these prosurvival proteins. Targeting BCL-2 family protein phosphorylation with phosphatase-activating drugs rewired these dependencies, thus restoring sensitivity to venetoclax in a panel of venetoclax-resistant lymphoid cell lines, a resistant mouse model, and in paired patient samples before venetoclax treatment and at the time of progression.
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MESH Headings
- Mice
- Animals
- Humans
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/pathology
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/genetics
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/pharmacology
- bcl-X Protein/genetics
- Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
- Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/drug therapy
- Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/genetics
- Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/pathology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use
- Apoptosis/genetics
- Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein/genetics
- Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Jun Fei Chong
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Fen Zhu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Olga Dashevsky
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rin Mizuno
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jolin X.H. Lai
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Liam Hackett
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Christine E. Ryan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mary C. Collins
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - J. Bryan Iorgulescu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Romain Guièze
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Johany Penailillo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ruben Carrasco
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yeonjoo C. Hwang
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Denise P. Muñoz
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Mehdi Bouhaddou
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Yaw Chyn Lim
- Cancer Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Catherine J. Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - John N. Allan
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Richard R. Furman
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Boon Cher Goh
- Cancer Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shazib Pervaiz
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jean-Philippe Coppé
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Constantine S. Mitsiades
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Matthew S. Davids
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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