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Miramova A, Gartner A, Ivanov D. How to sensitize glioblastomas to temozolomide chemotherapy: a gap-centered view. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1436563. [PMID: 39011394 PMCID: PMC11246897 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1436563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Temozolomide (TMZ) is a methylating agent used as the first-line drug in the chemotherapy of glioblastomas. However, cancer cells eventually acquire resistance, necessitating the development of TMZ-potentiating therapy agents. TMZ induces several DNA base adducts, including O 6 -meG, 3-meA, and 7-meG. TMZ cytotoxicity stems from the ability of these adducts to directly (3-meA) or indirectly (O 6 -meG) impair DNA replication. Although TMZ toxicity is generally attributed to O 6 -meG, other alkylated bases can be similarly important depending on the status of various DNA repair pathways of the treated cells. In this mini-review we emphasize the necessity to distinguish TMZ-sensitive glioblastomas, which do not express methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) and are killed by the futile cycle of mismatch repair (MMR) of the O 6 -meG/T pairs, vs. TMZ-resistant MGMT-positive or MMR-negative glioblastomas, which are selected in the course of the treatment and are killed only at higher TMZ doses by the replication-blocking 3-meA. These two types of cells can be TMZ-sensitized by inhibiting different DNA repair pathways. However, in both cases, the toxic intermediates appear to be ssDNA gaps, a vulnerability also seen in BRCA-deficient cancers. PARP inhibitors (PARPi), which were initially developed to treat BRCA1/2-deficient cancers by synthetic lethality, were re-purposed in clinical trials to potentiate the effects of TMZ. We discuss how the recent advances in our understanding of the genetic determinants of TMZ toxicity might lead to new approaches for the treatment of glioblastomas by inhibiting PARP1 and other enzymes involved in the repair of alkylation damage (e.g., APE1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alila Miramova
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Anton Gartner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School for Health Sciences and Technology, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Republic of Korea
- Center for Genomic Integrity, Institute for Basic Science, Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Dmitri Ivanov
- Center for Genomic Integrity, Institute for Basic Science, Ulsan, Republic of Korea
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Abbas AA, Farghaly TA, Dawood KM. Recent advances on anticancer and antimicrobial activities of directly-fluorinated five-membered heterocycles and their benzo-fused systems. RSC Adv 2024; 14:19752-19779. [PMID: 38899036 PMCID: PMC11185950 DOI: 10.1039/d4ra01387e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Due to the importance of the fluorinated heterocycles as main components of marketed drugs where 20% of the anticancer and antibiotic drugs contain fluorine atoms, this review describes the reported five-membered heterocycles and their benzo-fused systems having directly connected fluorine atom(s). The in vivo and in vitro anticancer and antimicrobial activities of these fluorinated heterocycles are well reported. Some fluorinated heterocycles were found to be lead structures for drug design developments where their activities were almost equal to or exceeded the potency of the reference drugs. In most cases, the fluorine-containing heterocycles showed promising safety index via their reduced cytotoxicity in non-cancerous cell lines. SAR study assigned that fluorinated heterocycles having various electron-donating or electron-withdrawing substituents significantly affected the anticancer and antimicrobial activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashraf A Abbas
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Cairo University Giza 12613 Egypt +202 35727556
| | - Thoraya A Farghaly
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Cairo University Giza 12613 Egypt +202 35727556
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Umm Al-Qura University Makkah Saudi Arabia
| | - Kamal M Dawood
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Cairo University Giza 12613 Egypt +202 35727556
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Siqueira PB, de Sousa Rodrigues MM, de Amorim ÍSS, da Silva TG, da Silva Oliveira M, Rodrigues JA, de Souza da Fonseca A, Mencalha AL. The APE1/REF-1 and the hallmarks of cancer. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:47. [PMID: 38165468 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08946-9] [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: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
APE1/REF-1 (apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 / redox factor-1) is a protein with two domains, with endonuclease function and redox activity. Its main activity described is acting in DNA repair by base excision repair (BER) pathway, which restores DNA damage caused by oxidation, alkylation, and single-strand breaks. In contrast, the APE1 redox domain is responsible for regulating transcription factors, such as AP-1 (activating protein-1), NF-κB (Nuclear Factor kappa B), HIF-1α (Hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha), and STAT3 (Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription 3). These factors are involved in physiological cellular processes, such as cell growth, inflammation, and angiogenesis, as well as in cancer. In human malignant tumors, APE1 overexpression is associated with lung, colon, ovaries, prostate, and breast cancer progression, more aggressive tumor phenotypes, and worse prognosis. In this review, we explore APE1 and its domain's role in cancer development processes, highlighting the role of APE1 in the hallmarks of cancer. We reviewed original articles and reviews from Pubmed related to APE1 and cancer and found that both domains of APE1/REF-1, but mainly its redox activity, are essential to cancer cells. This protein is often overexpressed in cancer, and its expression and activity are correlated to processes such as proliferation, invasion, inflammation, angiogenesis, and resistance to cell death. Therefore, APE1 participates in essential processes of cancer development. Then, the activity of APE1/REF-1 in these hallmarks suggests that targeting this protein could be a good therapeutic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscyanne Barreto Siqueira
- Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Laboratório de Biologia do Câncer, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
| | - Mariana Moreno de Sousa Rodrigues
- Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Laboratório de Biologia do Câncer, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
| | - Ísis Salviano Soares de Amorim
- Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Laboratório de Biologia do Câncer, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
- Laboratório de Alimentos Funcionais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Nutrição Josué de Castro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | - Thayssa Gomes da Silva
- Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Laboratório de Biofotônica, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | - Matheus da Silva Oliveira
- Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Laboratório de Biologia do Câncer, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | - Juliana Alves Rodrigues
- Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Laboratório de Biologia do Câncer, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | - Adenilson de Souza da Fonseca
- Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Laboratório de Biofotônica, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | - Andre Luiz Mencalha
- Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Laboratório de Biologia do Câncer, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
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Das D, Duncton MAJ, Georgiadis TM, Pellicena P, Clark J, Sobol RW, Georgiadis MM, King-Underwood J, Jobes DV, Chang C, Gao Y, Deacon AM, Wilson DM. A New Drug Discovery Platform: Application to DNA Polymerase Eta and Apurinic/Apyrimidinic Endonuclease 1. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16637. [PMID: 38068959 PMCID: PMC10706420 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to quickly discover reliable hits from screening and rapidly convert them into lead compounds, which can be verified in functional assays, is central to drug discovery. The expedited validation of novel targets and the identification of modulators to advance to preclinical studies can significantly increase drug development success. Our SaXPyTM ("SAR by X-ray Poses Quickly") platform, which is applicable to any X-ray crystallography-enabled drug target, couples the established methods of protein X-ray crystallography and fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) with advanced computational and medicinal chemistry to deliver small molecule modulators or targeted protein degradation ligands in a short timeframe. Our approach, especially for elusive or "undruggable" targets, allows for (i) hit generation; (ii) the mapping of protein-ligand interactions; (iii) the assessment of target ligandability; (iv) the discovery of novel and potential allosteric binding sites; and (v) hit-to-lead execution. These advances inform chemical tractability and downstream biology and generate novel intellectual property. We describe here the application of SaXPy in the discovery and development of DNA damage response inhibitors against DNA polymerase eta (Pol η or POLH) and apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1 or APEX1). Notably, our SaXPy platform allowed us to solve the first crystal structures of these proteins bound to small molecules and to discover novel binding sites for each target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debanu Das
- XPose Therapeutics, Inc., San Carlos, CA 94070, USA
- Accelero Biostructures, Inc., San Carlos, CA 94070, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jennifer Clark
- Mitchell Cancer Institute and Department of Pharmacology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA
| | - Robert W. Sobol
- Mitchell Cancer Institute and Department of Pharmacology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Warrant Alpert Medical School & Legorreta Cancer Center, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Millie M. Georgiadis
- XPose Therapeutics, Inc., San Carlos, CA 94070, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | | | - David V. Jobes
- XPose Therapeutics, Inc., San Carlos, CA 94070, USA
- Mid-Atlantic BioTherapeutics, Inc., Doylestown, PA 18902, USA
| | - Caleb Chang
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251, USA
| | - Yang Gao
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251, USA
| | - Ashley M. Deacon
- XPose Therapeutics, Inc., San Carlos, CA 94070, USA
- Accelero Biostructures, Inc., San Carlos, CA 94070, USA
| | - David M. Wilson
- XPose Therapeutics, Inc., San Carlos, CA 94070, USA
- Biomedical Research Institute, Hasselt University, 3500 Diepenbeek, Belgium
- Belgium & Boost Scientific, 3550 Heusden-Zolder, Belgium
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Malfatti MC, Bellina A, Antoniali G, Tell G. Revisiting Two Decades of Research Focused on Targeting APE1 for Cancer Therapy: The Pros and Cons. Cells 2023; 12:1895. [PMID: 37508559 PMCID: PMC10378182 DOI: 10.3390/cells12141895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
APE1 is an essential endodeoxyribonuclease of the base excision repair pathway that maintains genome stability. It was identified as a pivotal factor favoring tumor progression and chemoresistance through the control of gene expression by a redox-based mechanism. APE1 is overexpressed and serum-secreted in different cancers, representing a prognostic and predictive factor and a promising non-invasive biomarker. Strategies directly targeting APE1 functions led to the identification of inhibitors showing potential therapeutic value, some of which are currently in clinical trials. Interestingly, evidence indicates novel roles of APE1 in RNA metabolism that are still not fully understood, including its activity in processing damaged RNA in chemoresistant phenotypes, regulating onco-miRNA maturation, and oxidized RNA decay. Recent data point out a control role for APE1 in the expression and sorting of onco-miRNAs within secreted extracellular vesicles. This review is focused on giving a portrait of the pros and cons of the last two decades of research aiming at the identification of inhibitors of the redox or DNA-repair functions of APE1 for the definition of novel targeted therapies for cancer. We will discuss the new perspectives in cancer therapy emerging from the unexpected finding of the APE1 role in miRNA processing for personalized therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matilde Clarissa Malfatti
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and DNA Repair, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Alessia Bellina
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and DNA Repair, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Giulia Antoniali
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and DNA Repair, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Gianluca Tell
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and DNA Repair, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
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Rai R, Dawodu OI, Johnson SM, Vilseck JZ, Kelley MR, Ziarek JJ, Georgiadis MM. Chemically induced partial unfolding of the multifunctional Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.29.547112. [PMID: 37425839 PMCID: PMC10327033 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.29.547112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Targeting of the multifunctional enzyme apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease I/redox factor 1 (APE1) has produced small molecule inhibitors of both its endonuclease and redox activities. While one of the small molecules, the redox inhibitor APX3330, completed a Phase I clinical trial for solid tumors and a Phase II clinical trial for Diabetic Retinopathy/Diabetic Macular Edema, the mechanism of action for this drug has yet to be fully understood. Here, we demonstrate through HSQC NMR studies that APX3330 induces chemical shift perturbations (CSPs) of both surface and internal residues in a concentration-dependent manner, with a cluster of surface residues defining a small pocket on the opposite face from the endonuclease active site of APE1. Furthermore, APX3330 induces partial unfolding of APE1 as evidenced by a time-dependent loss of chemical shifts for approximately 35% of the residues within APE1 in the HSQC NMR spectrum. Notably, regions that are partially unfolded include adjacent strands within one of two beta sheets that comprise the core of APE1. One of the strands comprises residues near the N-terminal region and a second strand is contributed by the C-terminal region of APE1, which serves as a mitochondrial targeting sequence. These terminal regions converge within the pocket defined by the CSPs. In the presence of a duplex DNA substrate mimic, removal of excess APX3330 resulted in refolding of APE1. Our results are consistent with a reversible mechanism of partial unfolding of APE1 induced by the small molecule inhibitor, APX3330, defining a novel mechanism of inhibition.
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