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Choo N, Keerthikumar S, Ramm S, Ashikari D, Teng L, Niranjan B, Hedwards S, Porter LH, Goode DL, Simpson KJ, Taylor RA, Risbridger GP, Lawrence MG. Co-targeting BET, CBP, and p300 inhibits neuroendocrine signalling in androgen receptor-null prostate cancer. J Pathol 2024; 263:242-256. [PMID: 38578195 DOI: 10.1002/path.6280] [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: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
There are diverse phenotypes of castration-resistant prostate cancer, including neuroendocrine disease, that vary in their sensitivity to drug treatment. The efficacy of BET and CBP/p300 inhibitors in prostate cancer is attributed, at least in part, to their ability to decrease androgen receptor (AR) signalling. However, the activity of BET and CBP/p300 inhibitors in prostate cancers that lack the AR is unclear. In this study, we showed that BRD4, CBP, and p300 were co-expressed in AR-positive and AR-null prostate cancer. A combined inhibitor of these three proteins, NEO2734, reduced the growth of both AR-positive and AR-null organoids, as measured by changes in viability, size, and composition. NEO2734 treatment caused consistent transcriptional downregulation of cell cycle pathways. In neuroendocrine models, NEO2734 treatment reduced ASCL1 levels and other neuroendocrine markers, and reduced tumour growth in vivo. Collectively, these results show that epigenome-targeted inhibitors cause decreased growth and phenotype-dependent disruption of lineage regulators in neuroendocrine prostate cancer, warranting further development of compounds with this activity in the clinic. © 2024 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Choo
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shivakumar Keerthikumar
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Susanne Ramm
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Daisaku Ashikari
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Linda Teng
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Birunthi Niranjan
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shelley Hedwards
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Laura H Porter
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - David L Goode
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Computational Cancer Biology Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kaylene J Simpson
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Renea A Taylor
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Physiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Cabrini Institute, Cabrini Health, Malvern, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gail P Risbridger
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Cabrini Institute, Cabrini Health, Malvern, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mitchell G Lawrence
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Cabrini Institute, Cabrini Health, Malvern, Victoria, Australia
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2
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Yao Z, Song P, Jiao W. Pathogenic role of super-enhancers as potential therapeutic targets in lung cancer. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1383580. [PMID: 38681203 PMCID: PMC11047458 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1383580] [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: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is still one of the deadliest malignancies today, and most patients with advanced lung cancer pass away from disease progression that is uncontrollable by medications. Super-enhancers (SEs) are large clusters of enhancers in the genome's non-coding sequences that actively trigger transcription. Although SEs have just been identified over the past 10 years, their intricate structure and crucial role in determining cell identity and promoting tumorigenesis and progression are increasingly coming to light. Here, we review the structural composition of SEs, the auto-regulatory circuits, the control mechanisms of downstream genes and pathways, and the characterization of subgroups classified according to SEs in lung cancer. Additionally, we discuss the therapeutic targets, several small-molecule inhibitors, and available treatment options for SEs in lung cancer. Combination therapies have demonstrated considerable advantages in preclinical models, and we anticipate that these drugs will soon enter clinical studies and benefit patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyuan Yao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Peng Song
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenjie Jiao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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Papadimitropoulou A, Makri M, Zoidis G. MYC the oncogene from hell: Novel opportunities for cancer therapy. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 267:116194. [PMID: 38340508 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116194] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Cancer comprises a heterogeneous disease, characterized by diverse features such as constitutive expression of oncogenes and/or downregulation of tumor suppressor genes. MYC constitutes a master transcriptional regulator, involved in many cellular functions and is aberrantly expressed in more than 70 % of human cancers. The Myc protein belongs to a family of transcription factors whose structural pattern is referred to as basic helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper. Myc binds to its partner, a smaller protein called Max, forming an Myc:Max heterodimeric complex that interacts with specific DNA recognition sequences (E-boxes) and regulates the expression of downstream target genes. Myc protein plays a fundamental role for the life of a cell, as it is involved in many physiological functions such as proliferation, growth and development since it controls the expression of a very large percentage of genes (∼15 %). However, despite the strict control of MYC expression in normal cells, MYC is often deregulated in cancer, exhibiting a key role in stimulating oncogenic process affecting features such as aberrant proliferation, differentiation, angiogenesis, genomic instability and oncogenic transformation. In this review we aim to meticulously describe the fundamental role of MYC in tumorigenesis and highlight its importance as an anticancer drug target. We focus mainly on the different categories of novel small molecules that act as inhibitors of Myc function in diverse ways hence offering great opportunities for an efficient cancer therapy. This knowledge will provide significant information for the development of novel Myc inhibitors and assist to the design of treatments that would effectively act against Myc-dependent cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Papadimitropoulou
- Center for Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, 11527, Greece
| | - Maria Makri
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis-Zografou, GR-15771, Athens, Greece
| | - Grigoris Zoidis
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis-Zografou, GR-15771, Athens, Greece.
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4
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Gupta A, Purohit R. Identification of potent BRD4-BD1 inhibitors using classical and steered molecular dynamics based free energy analysis. J Cell Biochem 2024; 125:e30532. [PMID: 38317535 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.30532] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
In the present work a combination of traditional and steered molecular dynamics based techniques were employed to identify potential inhibitors against the human BRD4 protein (BRD4- BD1); an established drug target for multiple illnesses including various malignancies. Quinoline derivatives that were synthesized in-house were tested for their potential as new BRD4-BD1 inhibitors. Initially molecular docking experiments were performed to determine the binding poses of BRD4-BD1 inhibitors. To learn more about the thermodynamics of inhibitor binding to the BRD4-BD1 active site, the Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) free energy calculations were conducted afterwards. The findings of the MM-PBSA analysis were further reinforced by performing steered umbrella sampling simulations which revealed crucial details about the binding/unbinding process of the most potent quinoline derivatives at the BRD4-BD1 active site. We report a novel quinoline derivative which can be developed into a fully functional BRD4-BD1 inhibitor after experimental validation. The identified compound (4 g) shows better properties than the standard BRD4-BD1 inhibitors considered in the study. The study also highlights the crucial role of Gln78, Phe79, Trp81, Pro82, Phe83, Gln84, Gln85, Val87, Leu92, Leu94, Tyr97, Met105, Cys136, Asn140, Ile146 and Met149 in inhibitor binding. The study provides a possible lead candidate and key amino acids involved in inhibitor recognition and binding at the active site of BRD4-BD1 protein. The findings might be of significance to medicinal chemists involved in the development of potent BRD4-BD1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashish Gupta
- Structural Bioinformatics Lab, Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur, India
| | - Rituraj Purohit
- Structural Bioinformatics Lab, Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur, India
- Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
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5
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Wallbillich NJ, Lu H. Role of c-Myc in lung cancer: Progress, challenges, and prospects. CHINESE MEDICAL JOURNAL PULMONARY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE 2023; 1:129-138. [PMID: 37920609 PMCID: PMC10621893 DOI: 10.1016/j.pccm.2023.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite the recent advances in cancer therapies, the 5-year survival of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients hovers around 20%. Inherent and acquired resistance to therapies (including radiation, chemotherapies, targeted drugs, and combination therapies) has become a significant obstacle in the successful treatment of NSCLC. c-Myc, one of the critical oncoproteins, has been shown to be heavily associated with the malignant cancer phenotype, including rapid proliferation, metastasis, and chemoresistance across multiple cancer types. The c-Myc proto-oncogene is amplified in small cell lung cancers (SCLCs) and overexpressed in over 50% of NSCLCs. c-Myc is known to actively regulate the transcription of cancer stemness genes that are recognized as major contributors to tumor progression and therapeutic resistance; thus, targeting c-Myc either directly or indirectly in mitigation of the cancer stemness phenotype becomes a promising approach for development of a new strategy against drug resistant lung cancers. This review will summarize what is currently known about the mechanisms underlying c-Myc regulation of cancer stemness and its involvement in drug resistance and offer an overview on the current progress and future prospects in therapeutically targeting c-Myc in both SCLC and NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Wallbillich
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1700 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Hua Lu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1700 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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6
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Jeong S, Kim HR, Shin JH, Son MH, Lee IH, Roe JS. Streamlined DNA-encoded small molecule library screening and validation for the discovery of novel chemotypes targeting BET proteins. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2023; 32:637-649. [PMID: 37207130 PMCID: PMC10189352 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Targeting aberrant epigenetic programs that drive tumorigenesis is a promising approach to cancer therapy. DNA-encoded library (DEL) screening is a core platform technology increasingly used to identify drugs that bind to protein targets. Here, we use DEL screening against bromodomain and extra-terminal motif (BET) proteins to identify inhibitors with new chemotypes, and successfully identified BBC1115 as a selective BET inhibitor. While BBC1115 does not structurally resemble OTX-015, a clinically active pan-BET inhibitor, our intensive biological characterization revealed that BBC1115 binds to BET proteins, including BRD4, and suppresses aberrant cell fate programs. Phenotypically, BBC1115-mediated BET inhibition impaired proliferation in acute myeloid leukemia, pancreatic, colorectal, and ovarian cancer cells in vitro. Moreover, intravenous administration of BBC1115 inhibited subcutaneous tumor xenograft growth with minimal toxicity and favorable pharmacokinetic properties in vivo. Since epigenetic regulations are ubiquitously distributed across normal and malignant cells, it will be critical to evaluate if BBC1115 affects normal cell function. Nonetheless, our study shows integrating DEL-based small-molecule compound screening and multi-step biological validation represents a reliable strategy to discover new chemotypes with selectivity, efficacy, and safety profiles for targeting proteins involved in epigenetic regulation in human malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seoyeon Jeong
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hwa-Ryeon Kim
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - June-Ha Shin
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | | | | | - Jae-Seok Roe
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
- Corresponding author: Jae-Seok Roe, PhD, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
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7
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Yan Z, Lyu X, Lin D, Wu G, Gong Y, Ren X, Xiao J, Lou J, Huang H, Chen Y, Zhao Y. Selective degradation of cellular BRD3 and BRD4-L promoted by PROTAC molecules in six cancer cell lines. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 254:115381. [PMID: 37084596 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
Targeted degradation of BET family proteins BRD2/3/4 or only BRD4 with PROTAC molecules has been a promising strategy for the treatment of human cancer. Meanwhile, selective degradation of cellular BRD3 and BRD4-L remains a challenging task. We report herein a novel PROTAC molecule 24 that promoted selective degradation of cellular BRD3 and BRD4-L, but not BRD2 or BRD4-S, in a panel of six cancer cell lines. The observed target selectivity was partially attributed to differences in protein degradation kinetics and in types of cell lines. In a MM.1S mouse xenograft model, an optimized lead compound 28 promoted selective degradation of BRD3 and BRD4-L in vivo and exhibited robust antitumor activity. In summary, we have demonstrated that selective degradation of BRD3 and BRD4-L over BRD2 and BRD4-S is a feasible and robust approach in multiple cancer cell lines and an animal model, which could be helpful for further investigations on BRD3 and BRD4-L that ultimately benefitting cancer research and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqin Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research and Small-Molecule Drug Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xilin Lyu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research and Small-Molecule Drug Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Dongze Lin
- Cancer Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Gaoxing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research and Small-Molecule Drug Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yang Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research and Small-Molecule Drug Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd, Shanghai, 201203, China; School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, China
| | - Xuelian Ren
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Jian Xiao
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China; Cancer Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Jianfeng Lou
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research and Small-Molecule Drug Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - He Huang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China; Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yi Chen
- Cancer Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Yujun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research and Small-Molecule Drug Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China; School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biopharmaceuticals, Shandong Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jinan, 250101, China.
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8
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Yang Q, Zhu W, Gong H. Subtype classification based on t cell proliferation-related regulator genes and risk model for predicting outcomes of lung adenocarcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1148483. [PMID: 37077919 PMCID: PMC10106713 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1148483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundLung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), the major lung cancer histotype, represents 40% lung cancers. Currently, outcomes are remarkably different in LUAD patients with similar AJCC/UICC-TNM features. T cell proliferation-related regulator genes (TPRGs) relate to the proliferation, activity and function of T cells and tumor progression. The values of TPRGs in classifying LUAD patients and predicting outcomes remain unknown.MethodsGene expression profile and corresponding clinical data were downloaded from TCGA and the GEO databases. We systematically analyzed the expression profile characteristics of 35 TPRGs in LUAD patients and investigated the differences in overall survival (OS), biology pathway, immunity and somatic mutation between different TPRGs-related subtypes. Subsequently, we constructed a TPRGs-related risk model in TCGA cohort to quantify risk scores using LASSO cox regression analysis and then validated this risk model in two GEO cohorts. LUAD patients were divided into high- and low-risk subtypes according to the median risk score. We systematically compared the biology pathway, immunity, somatic mutation and drug susceptibility between the two risk subtypes. Finally, we validate biological functions of two TPRGs-encoded proteins (DCLRE1B and HOMER1) in LUAD cells A549.ResultsWe identified different TPRGs-related subtypes (including cluster 1/cluster A and its counterpart cluster 2/cluster B). Compared to the cluster 1/cluster A subtype, cluster 2/cluster B subtype tended to have a prominent survival advantage with an immunosuppressive microenvironment and a higher somatic mutation frequency. Then, we constructed a TPRGs-related 6-gene risk model. The high-risk subtype characterized by higher somatic mutation frequency and lower immunotherapy response had a worse prognosis. This risk model was an independent prognostic factor and showed to be reliable and accurate for LUAD classification. Furthermore, subtypes with different risk scores were significantly associated with drug sensitivity. DCLRE1B and HOMER1 suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion in LUAD cells A549, which was in line with their prognostic values.ConclusionWe construed a novel stratification model of LUAD based on TPRGs, which can accurately and reliably predict the prognosis and might be used as a predictive tool for LUAD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Yang
- School of Basic Medicine, Shaoyang University, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shaoyang University, Shaoyang, Hunan, China
| | - Weiyuan Zhu
- School of Basic Medicine, Shaoyang University, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shaoyang University, Shaoyang, Hunan, China
| | - Han Gong
- Molecular Biology Research Center and Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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9
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Yuan T, Ni P, Zhang Z, Wu D, Sun G, Zhang H, Chen B, Wang X, Cheng Z. Targeting BET proteins inhibited the growth of non-small cell lung carcinoma through downregulation of Met expression. Cell Biol Int 2023; 47:622-633. [PMID: 36448366 DOI: 10.1002/cbin.11962] [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: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR or Met) upregulation has been proven to play important roles in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Interestingly, chemoresistance against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors including erlotinib and gefitinib was also related to Met. Targeting bromodomain and extra terminal domain (BET) proteins, especially BRD4, has shown inhibitory effects on lung cancer, but the mechanism is unclear. Herein, we found that JQ1 (BET inhibitor) suppressed NSCLC cell growth, reduced the Met expression, and contributed to inactivation of PI3K/Akt and MAPK/ERK pathways. Moreover, another BET protein inhibitor I-BET151, or BRD4 depletion, also inhibited NSCLC cell growth and downregulated Met. JQ1 inhibited HGF-induced cell growth and Met/PI3K/Akt activation, also inhibited A549 tumor growth in xenograft mouse models, in parallel with Met downregulation. Moreover, JQ1 inhibited the growth of paired erlotinib-sensitive and resistant HCC827 cells in parallel with Met downregulation and PI3K/Akt signaling inactivation. JQ1 also exerted inhibitory influences on the growth of erlotinib-sensitive and resistant HCC827 tumors in xenograft mouse models. These results suggested that targeting BET proteins inhibited NSCLC via downregulating Met and inactivating PI3K/AKT pathway. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism of BET proteins implicated in NSCLC progression with Met taken into consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Yuan
- Department of Oncology Medical Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Neurology, Affiliated Nanjing Jiangbei Hospital of Nantong University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ping Ni
- Department of Pharmacology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zuhao Zhang
- Department of Oncology Medical Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dandan Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Geng Sun
- Department of Pharmacology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haijun Zhang
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Baoan Chen
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xuerong Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhixiang Cheng
- Department of Oncology Medical Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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10
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Guo J, Zheng Q, Peng Y. BET proteins: Biological functions and therapeutic interventions. Pharmacol Ther 2023; 243:108354. [PMID: 36739915 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2023.108354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) family member proteins (BRD2, BRD3, BRD4 and BRDT) play a pivotal role in interpreting the epigenetic information of histone Kac modification, thus controlling gene expression, remodeling chromatin structures and avoid replicative stress-induced DNA damages. Abnormal activation of BET proteins is tightly correlated to various human diseases, including cancer. Therefore, BET bromodomain inhibitors (BBIs) were considered as promising therapeutics to treat BET-related diseases, raising >70 clinical trials in the past decades. Despite preliminary effects achieved, drug resistance and adverse events represent two major challenges for current BBIs development. In this review, we will introduce the biological functions of BET proteins in both physiological and pathological conditions; and summarize the progress in current BBI drug development. Moreover, we will also discuss the major challenges in the front of BET inhibitor development and provide rational strategies to overcome these obstacles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Guo
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Qingquan Zheng
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yong Peng
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Frontier Medical Center, Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, Chengdu, 610212, China.
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11
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Yu B, Liu L, Cai F, Peng Y, Tang X, Zeng D, Li T, Zhang F, Liang Y, Yuan X, Li J, Dai Z, Liao Q, Lv XB. The synergistic anticancer effect of the bromodomain inhibitor OTX015 and histone deacetylase 6 inhibitor WT-161 in osteosarcoma. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:64. [PMID: 35135529 PMCID: PMC8822767 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02443-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Osteosarcoma (OS) is a tumour with a high malignancy level and a poor prognosis. First-line chemotherapy for OS has not been improved for many decades. Bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) regulate histone acetylation in tandem, and BET and HDACs have emerged as potential cancer therapeutic targets. Methods Cell proliferation, migration, invasion, colony formation, and sphere-forming assays were performed with the two inhibitors alone or in combination to evaluate their suppressive effect on the malignant properties of OS cells. Apoptosis and the cell cycle profile were measured by flow cytometry. The synergistic inhibitory effect of OTX015/WT-161 on tumours was also examined in a nude mouse xenograft model. Results The combined therapy of OTX015/WT-161 synergistically inhibited growth, migration, and invasion and induced apoptosis, resulting in G1/S arrest of OS cells. Additionally, OTX015/WT-161 inhibited the self-renewal ability of OS stem cells (OSCs) in a synergistic manner. Further mechanistic exploration revealed that the synergistic downregulation of β-catenin by OTX015-mediated suppression of FZD2 and WT-161-mediated upregulation of PTEN may be critical for the synergistic effect. Finally, the results of an in vivo assay showed that tumour xenografts were significantly decreased after treatment with the OTX015/WT-161 combination compared with OTX015 or WT-161 alone. Conclusions Our findings in this study demonstrated that OTX015 and WT-161 had synergistic anticancer efficacy against OS, and their combination might be a promising therapeutic strategy for OS. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-022-02443-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Yu
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China.,Department of Orthopedics, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Lang Liu
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China.,Department of Orthopedics, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Cai
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China.,Department of Orthopedics, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanxiang Peng
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China.,Department of Orthopedics, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofeng Tang
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Duo Zeng
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China.,Department of Orthopedics, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Teng Li
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China.,Department of Orthopedics, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Feifei Zhang
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiping Liang
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuhui Yuan
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China.,Department of Orthopedics, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiayu Li
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China.,Department of Orthopedics, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengzai Dai
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China.,Department of Orthopedics, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Liao
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China. .,Department of Orthopedics, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xiao-Bin Lv
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Nanchang, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, North 128 Xiangshan Road, Nanchang, 330008, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China.
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12
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Halder TG, Soldi R, Sharma S. Bromodomain and extraterminal domain protein bromodomain inhibitor based cancer therapeutics. Curr Opin Oncol 2021; 33:526-531. [PMID: 34280171 DOI: 10.1097/cco.0000000000000763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) proteins are evolutionarily conserved, multifunctional super-regulators that specifically recognize acetyl-lysine on histones and other proteins controlling gene transcription. Several studies show that small molecules targeting these regulators preferentially suppress the transcription of cancer-promoting genes. Consequently, several BET inhibitors reached clinical trials and are in various stages for different kind of malignancies. In this review, we provide a concise summary of the molecular basis and preliminary clinical outcomes of BET inhibitors as anticancer therapeutics. RECENT FINDINGS Results from early clinical trials with BET inhibitors confirmed their antitumor potential in both hematologic and solid tumours, but the evidence does not support the application of BET inhibitors as a monotherapy for cancer treatment. Treatment-emergent toxicities such as thrombocytopenia and gastrointestinal disorders are also reported. Preclinical data suggest that BET inhibitors may have a promising future in combination with other anticancer agents. SUMMARY Despite of various challenges, BET inhibitors have high potential in combinatorial therapy and the future development of next-generation inhibitors could be promising. Further studies are needed to determine the predictive biomarkers for therapeutic response, which would translate into the long-term success of BET inhibitors as personalized medicines in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tithi Ghosh Halder
- Applied Cancer Research and Drug Discovery, Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), Phoenix, Arizona, USA
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13
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Quinlan RBA, Brennan PE. Chemogenomics for drug discovery: clinical molecules from open access chemical probes. RSC Chem Biol 2021; 2:759-795. [PMID: 34458810 PMCID: PMC8341094 DOI: 10.1039/d1cb00016k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years chemical probes have proved valuable tools for the validation of disease-modifying targets, facilitating investigation of target function, safety, and translation. Whilst probes and drugs often differ in their properties, there is a belief that chemical probes are useful for translational studies and can accelerate the drug discovery process by providing a starting point for small molecule drugs. This review seeks to describe clinical candidates that have been inspired by, or derived from, chemical probes, and the process behind their development. By focusing primarily on examples of probes developed by the Structural Genomics Consortium, we examine a variety of epigenetic modulators along with other classes of probe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert B A Quinlan
- Target Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford Old Road Campus Oxford OX3 7FZ UK
| | - Paul E Brennan
- Target Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford Old Road Campus Oxford OX3 7FZ UK
- Alzheimer's Research (UK) Oxford Drug Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford Oxford OX3 7FZ UK
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14
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Abstract
The epigenetic landscape, which in part includes DNA methylation, chromatin organization, histone modifications, and noncoding RNA regulation, greatly contributes to the heterogeneity that makes developing effective therapies for lung cancer challenging. This review will provide an overview of the epigenetic alterations that have been implicated in all aspects of cancer pathogenesis and progression as well as summarize clinical applications for targeting epigenetics in the treatment of lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne L Chao
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514, USA
| | - Chad V Pecot
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514, USA
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15
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Servidei T, Meco D, Martini M, Battaglia A, Granitto A, Buzzonetti A, Babini G, Massimi L, Tamburrini G, Scambia G, Ruggiero A, Riccardi R. The BET Inhibitor OTX015 Exhibits In Vitro and In Vivo Antitumor Activity in Pediatric Ependymoma Stem Cell Models. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22041877. [PMID: 33668642 PMCID: PMC7918371 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood ependymomas are heterogenous chemoresistant neoplasms arising from aberrant stem-like cells. Epigenome deregulation plays a pivotal role in ependymoma pathogenesis, suggesting that epigenetic modifiers hold therapeutic promise against this disease. Bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) proteins are epigenome readers of acetylated signals in histones and coactivators for oncogenic and stemness-related transcriptional networks, including MYC/MYCN (Proto-Oncogene, BHLH Transcritpion Factor)-regulated genes. We explored BET inhibition as an anticancer strategy in a panel of pediatric patient-derived ependymoma stem cell models by OTX015-mediated suppression of BET/acetylated histone binding. We found that ependymoma tissues and lines express BET proteins and their targets MYC and MYCN. In vitro, OTX015 reduced cell proliferation by inducing G0/G1-phase accumulation and apoptosis at clinically tolerable doses. Mechanistically, inhibitory p21 and p27 increased in a p53-independent manner, whereas the proliferative driver, phospho-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), decreased. Upregulation of apoptosis-related proteins and survivin downregulation were correlated with cell line drug sensitivity. Minor alterations of MYC/MYCN expression were reported. In vivo, OTX015 significantly improved survival in 2/3 orthotopic ependymoma models. BET proteins represent promising targets for pharmaceutical intervention with OTX015 against ependymoma. The identification of predictive determinants of sensitivity may help identify ependymoma molecular subsets more likely to benefit from BET inhibitor therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Servidei
- UOC Pediatric Oncology, Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.M.); (A.R.); (R.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-06-30155165
| | - Daniela Meco
- UOC Pediatric Oncology, Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.M.); (A.R.); (R.R.)
| | - Maurizio Martini
- Department of Pathology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy; (M.M.); (A.G.)
| | - Alessandra Battaglia
- Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Section of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Alessia Granitto
- Department of Pathology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy; (M.M.); (A.G.)
| | - Alexia Buzzonetti
- UOC Oncological Gynecology, Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.B.); (G.B.); (G.S.)
| | - Gabriele Babini
- UOC Oncological Gynecology, Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.B.); (G.B.); (G.S.)
| | - Luca Massimi
- UOC Neurochirurgia Infantile, Dipartimento di Scienze Dell’Invecchiamento, Neurologiche, Ortopediche e della Testa-Collo, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli—IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Roma, Italy; (L.M.); (G.T.)
| | - Gianpiero Tamburrini
- UOC Neurochirurgia Infantile, Dipartimento di Scienze Dell’Invecchiamento, Neurologiche, Ortopediche e della Testa-Collo, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli—IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Roma, Italy; (L.M.); (G.T.)
| | - Giovanni Scambia
- UOC Oncological Gynecology, Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.B.); (G.B.); (G.S.)
| | - Antonio Ruggiero
- UOC Pediatric Oncology, Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.M.); (A.R.); (R.R.)
| | - Riccardo Riccardi
- UOC Pediatric Oncology, Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.M.); (A.R.); (R.R.)
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16
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Mitra P. Targeting transcription factors in cancer drug discovery. EXPLORATION OF TARGETED ANTI-TUMOR THERAPY 2020; 1:401-412. [PMID: 36046384 PMCID: PMC9402400 DOI: 10.37349/etat.2020.00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer drug discovery is currently dominated by clinical trials or clinical research. Several potential drug candidates have been brought into the pipeline of drug discovery after showing very promising results at the pre-clinical level and are waiting to be tested in human clinical trials. Interestingly, among the potential drug candidates, a few of them have targeted transcription factors highlighting the fundamental undruggable nature of these molecules. However, using advanced technologies, researchers were recently successful in partly unlocking this undruggable nature, which was considered as a ‘grey area’ in the early days of drug discovery, and as a result, several potential candidates have emerged recently. The purpose of the review is to highlight some of the recently reported studies of targeting transcription factors in cancer and their promising outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Partha Mitra
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, the Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4059, Australia
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17
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Wu D, Qiu Y, Jiao Y, Qiu Z, Liu D. Small Molecules Targeting HATs, HDACs, and BRDs in Cancer Therapy. Front Oncol 2020; 10:560487. [PMID: 33262941 PMCID: PMC7686570 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.560487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence for research over the past decade shows that epigenetic regulation mechanisms run through the development and prognosis of tumors. Therefore, small molecular compounds targeting epigenetic regulation have become a research hotspot in the development of cancer therapeutic drugs. According to the obvious abnormality of histone acetylation when tumors occur, it suggests that histone acetylation modification plays an important role in the process of tumorigenesis. Currently, as a new potential anti-cancer therapeutic drugs, many active small molecules that target histone acetylation regulatory enzymes or proteins such as histone deacetylases (HDACs), histone acetyltransferase (HATs) and bromodomains (BRDs) have been developed to restore abnormal histone acetylation levels to normal. In this review, we will focus on summarizing the changes of histone acetylation levels during tumorigenesis, as well as the possible pharmacological mechanisms of small molecules that target histone acetylation in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donglu Wu
- School of Clinical Medical, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China.,Key Laboratory of Effective Components of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Ye Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Effective Components of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China.,School of Pharmacy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Yunshuang Jiao
- School of Pharmacy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Zhidong Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Effective Components of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China.,School of Pharmacy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Da Liu
- Key Laboratory of Effective Components of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China.,School of Pharmacy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
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18
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Chen NC, Borthakur G, Pemmaraju N. Bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) inhibitors in treating myeloid neoplasms. Leuk Lymphoma 2020; 62:528-537. [DOI: 10.1080/10428194.2020.1842399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Cheng Chen
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas School of Health Sciences at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Gautam Borthakur
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Naveen Pemmaraju
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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19
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Zhao Y, Hong XH, Li K, Li YQ, Li YQ, He SW, Zhang PP, Li JY, Li Q, Liang YL, Chen Y, Ma J, Liu N, Chen YP. ZNF582 hypermethylation promotes metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by regulating the transcription of adhesion molecules Nectin-3 and NRXN3. Cancer Commun (Lond) 2020; 40:721-737. [PMID: 33038291 PMCID: PMC7743023 DOI: 10.1002/cac2.12104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Epigenetic regulation plays an important role in the development and progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, the epigenetic mechanisms underlying NPC metastasis remains poorly understood. We aimed to find functional genes which regulate the metastasis of NPC and identify therapeutic targets for NPC treatment. Methods Bisulfite pyrosequencing was used to analyze zinc finger protein 582 (ZNF582) methylation in NPC tissues and cell lines. Quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) and Western blotting were used to determine the expression of ZNF582. In vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to evaluate the biological function of ZNF582 in NPC. ZNF582‐targeting genes were identified by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP‐seq) and were confirmed by ChIP‐qPCR and luciferase assay. Results ZNF582 promoter was hypermethylated in NPC, and both the mRNA and protein levels of ZNF582 were down‐regulated in NPC tissues and cell lines. The restoration of ZNF582 inhibited NPC migration, invasion, and metastasis, while the knockdown of ZNF582 promoted NPC migration, invasion, and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. ZNF582 directly regulated the transcription and expression of adhesion molecules Nectin‐3 and NRXN3. Both Nectin‐3 and NRXN3 were identified as functional targets of ZNF582, and the restoration or abrogation of these genes reversed the tumor suppressor effect of ZNF582 in NPC metastasis. Conclusions ZNF582 acts as a tumor suppressor gene in NPC by regulating the transcription and expression of adhesion molecules Nectin‐3 and NRXN3, which may provide novel therapeutic targets for NPC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Zhao
- Experimental Research Department, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Hong Hong
- Experimental Research Department, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Kang Li
- Center for Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, P. R. China
| | - Ying-Qing Li
- Experimental Research Department, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Ying-Qin Li
- Experimental Research Department, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Shi-Wei He
- Experimental Research Department, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Pan-Pan Zhang
- Experimental Research Department, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Jun-Yan Li
- Experimental Research Department, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Qian Li
- Experimental Research Department, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Ye-Lin Liang
- Experimental Research Department, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Yang Chen
- Experimental Research Department, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Jun Ma
- Experimental Research Department, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Na Liu
- Experimental Research Department, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Yu-Pei Chen
- Experimental Research Department, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, P. R. China
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20
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Jia Q, Chen S, Tan Y, Li Y, Tang F. Oncogenic super-enhancer formation in tumorigenesis and its molecular mechanisms. Exp Mol Med 2020; 52:713-723. [PMID: 32382065 PMCID: PMC7272638 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-020-0428-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 03/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Super-enhancers (SEs) consist of a cluster of many enhancers bound to a great number of transcription factors. They are critical cis-regulatory elements that determine the identity of various human cell types. During tumorigenesis, DNA mutations and indels, chromosomal rearrangements, three-dimensional chromatin structural changes, and viral infections mediate oncogenic SE activation, and activated SEs have been found to regulate the expression of oncogenic genes. Inhibition specifically targeted to oncogenic SE assembly and activation provides a novel powerful therapeutic strategy for various cancers. In this paper, we first introduce the current understanding of oncogenic SE assembly and activation and then summarize the pathogenic factors and mechanism of oncogenic SE activation. Next, we elaborate on the oncogenic functions of SEs in cancers and the application of SEs as therapeutic targets. Finally, we turn our focus to the use of SEs in basic research and clinical trials. Drugs that block the assembly and activation of large DNA segments involved in enhancing gene expression could help in the treatment of cancer. Faqing Tang of Hunan Cancer Hospital in Changsha, China, and colleagues review the ways in which cancer cells hijack clusters of gene-regulating sequences known as super-enhancers, regulatory gene regions that normally help determine a cell’s unique identity, to drive the aberrant gene activity that fuels tumor growth. The researchers describe how numerous factors, ranging from internal DNA alterations, both large and small, to viral infections and other external assaults, can spur the formation of cancer-causing super-enhancers, leading to out-of-control gene expression. Therapies that selectively target these super-enhancers are now in early clinical testing. However, more studies of super-enhancers and their role in cancer development are needed to inform future drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qunying Jia
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Oncotarget Gene and Clinical Laboratory, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Shuhua Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology, The Second People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, 528000, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuan Tan
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Oncotarget Gene and Clinical Laboratory, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Yuejin Li
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Oncotarget Gene and Clinical Laboratory, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Faqing Tang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Oncotarget Gene and Clinical Laboratory, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China.
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21
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Camero S, Camicia L, Marampon F, Ceccarelli S, Shukla R, Mannarino O, Pizer B, Schiavetti A, Pizzuti A, Tombolini V, Marchese C, Dominici C, Megiorni F. BET inhibition therapy counteracts cancer cell survival, clonogenic potential and radioresistance mechanisms in rhabdomyosarcoma cells. Cancer Lett 2020; 479:71-88. [PMID: 32200036 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The antitumour effects of OTX015, a first-in-class BET inhibitor (BETi), were investigated as a single agent or in combination with ionizing radiation (IR) in preclinical in vitro models of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most common childhood soft tissue sarcoma. Herein, we demonstrated the upregulation of BET Bromodomain gene expression in RMS tumour biopsies and cell lines compared to normal skeletal muscle. In vitro experiments showed that OTX015 significantly reduced RMS cell proliferation by altering cell cycle modulators and apoptotic related proteins due to the accumulation of DNA breaks that cells are unable to repair. Interestingly, OTX015 also impaired migration capacity and tumour-sphere architecture by downregulating pro-stemness genes and was able to potentiate ionizing radiation effects by reducing the expression of different drivers of tumour dissemination and resistance mechanisms, including the GNL3 gene, that we correlated for the first time with the RMS phenotype. In conclusion, our research sheds further light on the molecular events of OTX015 action against RMS cells and indicates this novel BETi as an effective option to improve therapeutic strategies and overcome the development of resistant cancer cells in patients with RMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Camero
- Department of Maternal, Infantile, and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Lucrezia Camicia
- Department of Maternal, Infantile, and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesco Marampon
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Simona Ceccarelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Rajeev Shukla
- Department of Perinatal and Paediatric Pathology, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Olga Mannarino
- Department of Maternal, Infantile, and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Barry Pizer
- Department of Oncology, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Eaton Road, Liverpool, L12 2AP, UK.
| | - Amalia Schiavetti
- Department of Maternal, Infantile, and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Antonio Pizzuti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Vincenzo Tombolini
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Cinzia Marchese
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Carlo Dominici
- Department of Maternal, Infantile, and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesca Megiorni
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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22
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Wang J, Quan Y, Lv J, Gong S, Dong D. BRD4 promotes glioma cell stemness via enhancing miR-142-5p-mediated activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY 2020; 35:368-376. [PMID: 31724259 DOI: 10.1002/tox.22873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The bromodomain protein BRD4 exerts carcinogenic effects in many cancers. However, its roles in glioma occurrence are still confused. Here, it is found that BRD4 expression is increased in glioma tissues and negatively correlated with the overall survival of glioma patients. We construct cellular experiments indicating that BRD4 promotes glioma cell stemness by analyzing ALDH1 activity, master stemness regulator expression, and sphere formation ability. Mechanistically, BRD4 knockdown triggers a switch of miR-142-5p promoter methylation, which targets Wnt3a and thus further inactivates Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Importantly, inhibition of miR-142-5p or reactivation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling rescues the inhibition of BRD4 knockdown on glioma cell stemness. As a result, these results not only indicate an unforeseen connection between BRD4, miR-142-5p, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling, but also reveal a promising epigenetic-based therapeutic strategy that might be explored for glioma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jubo Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an City, China
| | - Yu Quan
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an City, China
| | - Jian Lv
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an City, China
| | - Shouping Gong
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an City, China
| | - Danfeng Dong
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an City, China
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23
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Sui JSY, Martin P, Gray SG. Pre-clinical models of small cell lung cancer and the validation of therapeutic targets. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2020; 24:187-204. [PMID: 32068452 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2020.1732353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive form of lung cancer that has a dismal prognosis. One of the factors hindering therapeutic developments for SCLC is that most SCLC is not surgically resected resulting in a paucity of material for analysis. To address this, significant efforts have been made by investigators to develop pre-clinical models of SCLC allowing for downstream target identification in this difficult to treat cancer.Areas covered: In this review, we describe the current pre-clinical models that have been developed to interrogate SCLC, and outline the benefits and limitations associated with each. Using examples we show how each has been used to (i) improve our knowledge of this intractable cancer, and (ii) identify and validate potential therapeutic targets that (iii) are currently under development and testing within the clinic.Expert opinion: The large numbers of preclinical models that have been developed have dramatically improved the ways in which we can examine SCLC and test therapeutic targets/interventions. The newer models are rapidly providing novel avenues for the design and testing of new therapeutics. Despite this many of these models have inherent flaws that limit the possibility of their use for individualized therapy decision-making for SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane S Y Sui
- Thoracic Oncology Research Group, Laboratory Medicine and Molecular Pathology, Central Pathology Laboratory, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.,Department of Medical Oncology, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Petra Martin
- Thoracic Oncology Research Group, Laboratory Medicine and Molecular Pathology, Central Pathology Laboratory, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Steven G Gray
- Thoracic Oncology Research Group, Laboratory Medicine and Molecular Pathology, Central Pathology Laboratory, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.,Labmed Directorate, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.,School of Biological Sciences, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland
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24
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Abstract
MYC is a master transcriptional regulator that controls almost all cellular processes. Over the last several decades, researchers have strived to define the context-dependent transcriptional gene programs that are controlled by MYC, as well as the mechanisms that regulate MYC function, in an effort to better understand the contribution of this oncoprotein to cancer progression. There are a wealth of data indicating that deregulation of MYC activity occurs in a large number of cancers and significantly contributes to disease progression, metastatic potential, and therapeutic resistance. Although the therapeutic targeting of MYC in cancer is highly desirable, there remain substantial structural and functional challenges that have impeded direct MYC-targeted drug development and efficacy. While efforts to drug the ‘undruggable’ may seem futile given these challenges and considering the broad reach of MYC, significant strides have been made to identify points of regulation that can be exploited for therapeutic purposes. These include targeting the deregulation of MYC transcription in cancer through small-molecule inhibitors that induce epigenetic silencing or that regulate the G-quadruplex structures within the MYC promoter. Alternatively, compounds that disrupt the DNA-binding activities of MYC have been the long-standing focus of many research groups, since this method would prevent downstream MYC oncogenic activities regardless of upstream alterations. Finally, proteins involved in the post-translational regulation of MYC have been identified as important surrogate targets to reduce MYC activity downstream of aberrant cell stimulatory signals. Given the complex regulation of the MYC signaling pathway, a combination of these approaches may provide the most durable response, but this has yet to be shown. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the different therapeutic strategies being employed to target oncogenic MYC function, with a focus on post-translational mechanisms.
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25
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Evangelisti C, Chiarini F, Cappellini A, Paganelli F, Fini M, Santi S, Martelli AM, Neri LM, Evangelisti C. Targeting Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. J Cell Physiol 2020; 235:5413-5428. [PMID: 31904116 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematological disorder that results from the clonal transformation of T-cell precursors. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways play a crucial role in T-cell development and in self-renewal of healthy and leukemic stem cells. Notably, β-catenin is a transcriptional regulator of several genes involved in cancer cell proliferation and survival. In this way, aberrations of components belonging to the aforementioned networks contribute to T-ALL pathogenesis. For this reason, inhibition of both pathways could represent an innovative strategy in this hematological malignancy. Here, we show that combined targeting of Wnt/β-catenin pathway through ICG-001, a CBP/β-catenin transcription inhibitor, and of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis through ZSTK-474, a PI3K inhibitor, downregulated proliferation, survival, and clonogenic activity of T-ALL cells. ICG-001 and ZSTK-474 displayed cytotoxic effects, and, when combined together, induced a significant increase in apoptotic cells. This induction of apoptosis was associated with the downregulation of Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways. All these findings were confirmed under hypoxic conditions that mimic the bone marrow niche where leukemic stem cells are believed to reside. Taken together, our findings highlight potentially promising treatment consisting of cotargeting Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways in T-ALL settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Evangelisti
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesca Chiarini
- CNR Institute of Molecular Genetics "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", Bologna, Italy.,IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandra Cappellini
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesca Paganelli
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Milena Fini
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Spartaco Santi
- CNR Institute of Molecular Genetics "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", Bologna, Italy.,IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alberto M Martelli
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Luca M Neri
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.,LTTA-Electron Microscopy Center, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Camilla Evangelisti
- CNR Institute of Molecular Genetics "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", Bologna, Italy.,IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
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26
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Liu WJ, Du Y, Wen R, Yang M, Xu J. Drug resistance to targeted therapeutic strategies in non-small cell lung cancer. Pharmacol Ther 2019; 206:107438. [PMID: 31715289 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2019.107438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Rapidly developing molecular biology techniques have been employed to identify cancer driver genes in specimens from patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Inhibitors and antibodies that specifically target driver gene-mediated signaling pathways to suppress tumor growth and progression are expected to extend the survival time and further improve the quality of life of patients. However, the health of patients with advanced and metastatic NSCLC presents significant challenges due to treatment resistance, mediated by cancer driver gene alteration, epigenetic alteration, and tumor heterogeneity. In this review, we discuss two different resistance mechanisms in NSCLC targeted therapies, namely changes in the targeted oncogenes (on-target resistance) and changes in other related signaling pathways (off-target resistance) in tumor cells. We highlight the conventional mechanisms of drug resistance elicited by the complex heterogeneous microenvironment of NSCLC during targeted therapy, including mutations in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), the receptor tyrosine kinase ROS proto-oncogene 1 (ROS1), and the serine/threonine-protein kinase BRAF (v-Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B). We also discuss the mechanism of action of less common oncoproteins, as in-depth understanding of these molecular mechanisms is important for optimizing treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Juan Liu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, China
| | - Yue Du
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Ru Wen
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, California, USA
| | - Ming Yang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, China.
| | - Jian Xu
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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27
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Letson C, Padron E. Non-canonical transcriptional consequences of BET inhibition in cancer. Pharmacol Res 2019; 150:104508. [PMID: 31698067 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2019.104508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Inhibition of the bromo and extra-terminal domain (BET) protein family in preclinical studies has demonstrated that BET proteins are critical for cancer progression and important therapeutic targets. Downregulation of the MYC oncogene, CDK6, BCL2 and FOSL1 are just a few examples of the effects of BET inhibitors that can lead to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in cancer cells. However, BET inhibitors have had little success in the clinic as a single agent, and there are an increasing number of reports of resistance to BET inhibition emerging after sustained treatment of cancer cells in vitro. Here we summarize the non-canonical consequences of BET inhibition in cancer, and discuss how these may both lead to resistance and inform rational combinations that could greatly enhance the clinical application of these inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Letson
- Moffitt Cancer Center: 12902 USF Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612, United States.
| | - Eric Padron
- Moffitt Cancer Center: 12902 USF Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612, United States.
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28
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Civenni G, Bosotti R, Timpanaro A, Vàzquez R, Merulla J, Pandit S, Rossi S, Albino D, Allegrini S, Mitra A, Mapelli SN, Vierling L, Giurdanella M, Marchetti M, Paganoni A, Rinaldi A, Losa M, Mira-Catò E, D'Antuono R, Morone D, Rezai K, D'Ambrosio G, Ouafik L, Mackenzie S, Riveiro ME, Cvitkovic E, Carbone GM, Catapano CV. Epigenetic Control of Mitochondrial Fission Enables Self-Renewal of Stem-like Tumor Cells in Human Prostate Cancer. Cell Metab 2019; 30:303-318.e6. [PMID: 31130467 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Revised: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) contribute to disease progression and treatment failure in human cancers. The balance among self-renewal, differentiation, and senescence determines the expansion or progressive exhaustion of CSCs. Targeting these processes might lead to novel anticancer therapies. Here, we uncover a novel link between BRD4, mitochondrial dynamics, and self-renewal of prostate CSCs. Targeting BRD4 by genetic knockdown or chemical inhibitors blocked mitochondrial fission and caused CSC exhaustion and loss of tumorigenic capability. Depletion of CSCs occurred in multiple prostate cancer models, indicating a common vulnerability and dependency on mitochondrial dynamics. These effects depended on rewiring of the BRD4-driven transcription and repression of mitochondrial fission factor (Mff). Knockdown of Mff reproduced the effects of BRD4 inhibition, whereas ectopic Mff expression rescued prostate CSCs from exhaustion. This novel concept of targeting mitochondrial plasticity in CSCs through BRD4 inhibition provides a new paradigm for developing more effective treatment strategies for prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Civenni
- Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland
| | - Roberto Bosotti
- Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Timpanaro
- Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland
| | - Ramiro Vàzquez
- Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland
| | - Jessica Merulla
- Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland
| | - Shusil Pandit
- Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland
| | - Simona Rossi
- Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland
| | - Domenico Albino
- Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland
| | - Sara Allegrini
- Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland
| | - Abhishek Mitra
- Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland
| | - Sarah N Mapelli
- Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland; Institute of Computational Science, Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Lugano 6900, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Luca Vierling
- Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland
| | - Martina Giurdanella
- Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland
| | - Martina Marchetti
- Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland
| | - Alyssa Paganoni
- Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Rinaldi
- Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland
| | - Marco Losa
- Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland
| | - Enrica Mira-Catò
- Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland
| | - Rocco D'Antuono
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland
| | - Diego Morone
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland
| | - Keyvan Rezai
- Institute Curie-Hospital René Huguenin, Saint Cloud 92210, France
| | | | | | - Sarah Mackenzie
- Oncology Therapeutic Development (OTD), Clichy 92110, France
| | - Maria E Riveiro
- Oncology Therapeutic Development (OTD), Clichy 92110, France
| | - Esteban Cvitkovic
- Oncology Therapeutic Development (OTD), Clichy 92110, France; Oncoethix GmbH, Merck Sharp and Dohme Corp., Lucerne 6006, Switzerland
| | - Giuseppina M Carbone
- Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland
| | - Carlo V Catapano
- Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona 6500, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland; Department of Oncology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne 1005, Switzerland.
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29
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Astorgues-Xerri L, Vázquez R, Odore E, Rezai K, Kahatt C, Mackenzie S, Bekradda M, Coudé MM, Dombret H, Gardin C, Lokiec F, Raymond E, Noel K, Cvitkovic E, Herait P, Bertoni F, Riveiro ME. Insights into the cellular pharmacological properties of the BET-inhibitor OTX015/MK-8628 (birabresib), alone and in combination, in leukemia models. Leuk Lymphoma 2019; 60:3067-3070. [DOI: 10.1080/10428194.2019.1617860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ramiro Vázquez
- Institute of Oncology Research, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Elodie Odore
- RadioPharmacology Department, Curie Institute–Rene Huguenin Hospital, Saint Cloud, France
| | - Keyvan Rezai
- RadioPharmacology Department, Curie Institute–Rene Huguenin Hospital, Saint Cloud, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Herve Dombret
- Laboratoire de Transfert des Leucémies, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Claude Gardin
- Laboratoire de Transfert des Leucémies, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Francois Lokiec
- RadioPharmacology Department, Curie Institute–Rene Huguenin Hospital, Saint Cloud, France
| | - Eric Raymond
- Medical Oncology Department, CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kay Noel
- Oncoethix SA, Lucerne, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Francesco Bertoni
- Institute of Oncology Research, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
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30
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Cooper JM, Patel AJ, Chen Z, Liao CP, Chen K, Mo J, Wang Y, Le LQ. Overcoming BET Inhibitor Resistance in Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors. Clin Cancer Res 2019; 25:3404-3416. [PMID: 30796033 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-18-2437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE BET bromodomain inhibitors have emerged as a promising therapy for numerous cancer types in preclinical studies, including neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1)-associated malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST). However, potential mechanisms underlying resistance to these inhibitors in different cancers are not completely understood. In this study, we explore new strategy to overcome BET inhibitor resistance in MPNST.Experimental Design: Through modeling tumor evolution by studying genetic changes underlying the development of MPNST, a lethal sarcoma with no effective medical treatment, we identified a targetable addiction to BET bromodomain family member BRD4 in MPNST. This served as a controlled model system to delineate mechanisms of sensitivity and resistance to BET bromodomain inhibitors in this disease. RESULTS Here, we show that a malignant progression-associated increase in BRD4 protein levels corresponds to partial sensitivity to BET inhibition in MPNST. Strikingly, genetic depletion of BRD4 protein levels synergistically sensitized MPNST cells to diverse BET inhibitors in culture and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, MPNST sensitivity to combination genetic and pharmacologic inhibition of BRD4 revealed the presence of a unique addiction to BRD4 in MPNST. Our discovery that a synthetic lethality exists between BET inhibition and reduced BRD4 protein levels nominates MPNST for the investigation of emerging therapeutic interventions such as proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) that simultaneously target bromodomain activity and BET protein abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M Cooper
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Amish J Patel
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas.,Cancer Biology Graduate Program, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Zhiguo Chen
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Chung-Ping Liao
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Kun Chen
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Juan Mo
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Yong Wang
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Lu Q Le
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas. .,Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas.,UTSW Comprehensive Neurofibromatosis Clinic, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas.,Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
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31
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Mensah AA, Cascione L, Gaudio E, Tarantelli C, Bomben R, Bernasconi E, Zito D, Lampis A, Hahne JC, Rinaldi A, Stathis A, Zucca E, Kwee I, Gattei V, Valeri N, Riveiro ME, Bertoni F. Bromodomain and extra-terminal domain inhibition modulates the expression of pathologically relevant microRNAs in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Haematologica 2018; 103:2049-2058. [PMID: 30076183 PMCID: PMC6269312 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2018.191684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant changes in microRNA expression contribute to lymphomagenesis. Bromodomain and extra-terminal domain inhibitors such as OTX015 (MK-8628, birabresib) have demonstrated preclinical and clinical activity in hematologic tumors. MicroRNA profiling of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells treated with OTX015 revealed changes in the expression levels of a limited number of microRNAs, including miR-92a-1-5p, miR-21-3p, miR-155-5p and miR-96-5p. Analysis of publicly available chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing data of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells treated with bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) inhibitors showed that the BET family member BRD4 bound to the upstream regulatory regions of multiple microRNA genes and that this binding decreased following BET inhibition. Alignment of our microRNA profiling data with the BRD4 chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing data revealed that microRNAs downregulated by OTX015 also exhibited reduced BRD4 binding in their promoter regions following treatment with another bromodomain and extra-terminal domain inhibitor, JQ1, indicating that BRD4 contributes directly to microRNA expression in lymphoma. Treatment with bromodomain and extra-terminal domain inhibitors also decreased the expression of the arginine methyltransferase PRMT5, which plays a crucial role in B-cell transformation and negatively modulates the transcription of miR-96-5p. The data presented here indicate that in addition to previously observed effects on the expression of coding genes, bromodomain and extra-terminal domain inhibitors also modulate the expression of microRNAs involved in lymphomagenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afua A Mensah
- Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Luciano Cascione
- Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Eugenio Gaudio
- Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Chiara Tarantelli
- Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Riccardo Bomben
- Clinical and Experimental Onco-Hematology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano, Italy
| | - Elena Bernasconi
- Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Domenico Zito
- The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London and Surrey, UK
| | - Andrea Lampis
- The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London and Surrey, UK
| | - Jens C Hahne
- The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London and Surrey, UK
| | - Andrea Rinaldi
- Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | | | - Emanuele Zucca
- Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Ivo Kwee
- Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IDSIA), Manno, Switzerland
| | - Valter Gattei
- Clinical and Experimental Onco-Hematology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano, Italy
| | - Nicola Valeri
- The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London and Surrey, UK
| | | | - Francesco Bertoni
- Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, Switzerland
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Gu J, Song S, Han H, Xu H, Fan G, Qian C, Qiu Y, Zhou W, Zhuang W, Li B. The BET Bromodomain Inhibitor OTX015 Synergizes with Targeted Agents in Multiple Myeloma. Mol Pharm 2018; 15:5387-5396. [PMID: 30339013 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.8b00880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Treatment failure remains a main challenge in the management of high-risk multiple myeloma (MM) even with the expanding repertoire of new drugs. Combinatorial therapy is considered an encouraging strategy that can overcome the compensatory mechanisms and undesirable off-target effects that limit the benefits of many prospective agents. Preliminary results of a current phase I trial have indicated that the new BET bromodomain inhibitor OTX015 has favorable activity and tolerability. However, OTX015 is not efficacious enough as a monotherapy. Here, we provide evidence that synergistic drug combinations with OTX015 were generally more specific to particular cellular contexts than single agent activities. In addition, pairing OTX015 with three classes of drugs dramatically enhanced the antitumor activity in mouse models of disseminated human myeloma. Our studies further underscored that the BET inhibitor OTX015 sensitized MM cells by interrupting several pathways and genes critical for MM cell proliferation and drug response, which provided the rationale for multiple myeloma therapy with OTX015 combined with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs. Thus, the context specificity of synergistic combinations not only provide profound insights into therapeutically relevant selectivity but also improve control of complex biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Gu
- Department of Haematology , The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Suzhou , China
| | - Sha Song
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Biology & Basic Medical Sciences , Soochow University , Suzhou , China
| | - Huiying Han
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Biology & Basic Medical Sciences , Soochow University , Suzhou , China
| | - Hongxia Xu
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Biology & Basic Medical Sciences , Soochow University , Suzhou , China
| | - Gao Fan
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Biology & Basic Medical Sciences , Soochow University , Suzhou , China
| | - Chen'ao Qian
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Biology & Basic Medical Sciences , Soochow University , Suzhou , China
| | - Yingchun Qiu
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Biology & Basic Medical Sciences , Soochow University , Suzhou , China
| | - Wenqi Zhou
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Biology & Basic Medical Sciences , Soochow University , Suzhou , China
| | - Wenzhuo Zhuang
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Biology & Basic Medical Sciences , Soochow University , Suzhou , China
| | - Bingzong Li
- Department of Haematology , The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Suzhou , China
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Henry KE, Dacek MM, Dilling TR, Caen JD, Fox IL, Evans MJ, Lewis JS. A PET Imaging Strategy for Interrogating Target Engagement and Oncogene Status in Pancreatic Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2018; 25:166-176. [PMID: 30228208 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-18-1485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2018] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most deadly cancers, with a 5-year survival rate of less than 10%. Physicians often rely on biopsy or CT to guide treatment decisions, but these techniques fail to reliably measure the actions of therapeutic agents in PDAC. KRAS mutations are present in >90% of PDAC and are connected to many signaling pathways through its oncogenic cascade, including extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) and MYC. A key downstream event of MYC is transferrin receptor (TfR), which has been identified as a biomarker for cancer therapeutics and imaging. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN In this study, we aimed to test whether zirconium-89 transferrin ([89Zr]Zr-Tf) could measure changes in MYC depending on KRAS status of PDAC, and assess target engagement of anti-MYC and anti-ERK-targeted therapies. RESULTS Mice bearing iKras*p53* tumors showed significantly higher (P < 0.05) uptake of [89Zr]Zr-Tf in mice withdrawn from inducible oncogenic KRAS. A therapy study with JQ1 showed a statistically significant decrease (P < 0.05) of [89Zr]Zr-Tf uptake in drug versus vehicle-treated mice bearing Capan-2 and Suit-2 xenografts. IHC analysis of resected PDAC tumors reflects the data observed via PET imaging and radiotracer biodistribution. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that [89Zr]Zr-Tf is a valuable tool to noninvasively assess oncogene status and target engagement of small-molecule inhibitors downstream of oncogenic KRAS, allowing a quantitative assessment of drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E Henry
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Megan M Dacek
- Program of Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Thomas R Dilling
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Jonathan D Caen
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Ian L Fox
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Michael J Evans
- Departments of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Jason S Lewis
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York. .,Program of Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York.,Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York.,Radiochemistry and Molecular Imaging Probes Core, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
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34
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Marzouka NAD, Eriksson P, Rovira C, Liedberg F, Sjödahl G, Höglund M. A validation and extended description of the Lund taxonomy for urothelial carcinoma using the TCGA cohort. Sci Rep 2018; 8:3737. [PMID: 29487377 PMCID: PMC5829240 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22126-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Global gene expression analysis has been a major tool for urothelial carcinoma subtype discovery. This approach has revealed extensive complexity both in intrinsic features of the tumor cells and in the microenvironment. However, global gene expression cannot distinguish between gene expression signals originating from the tumor cells proper and from normal cells in the biopsy. Here, we use a large cohort of advanced urothelial carcinomas for which both gene expression data and extensive immunohistochemistry are available to create a supervised mRNA expression centroid classifier. This classifier identifies the major Lund taxonomy tumor cell phenotypes as defined by IHC. We apply this classifier to the independent TCGA dataset and show excellent associations between identified subtypes and genomic features. We validate a progressed version of Urothelial-like A (UroA-Prog) that shows FGFR3 mutations and CDKN2A deletions, and we show that the variant Urothelial-like C is almost devoid of FGFR3 mutations. We show that Genomically Unstable tumors are very distinct from Urothelial-like tumors at the genomic level, and that tumors classified as Basal/SCC-like all complied with the established definition for Basal/SCC-like tumors. We identify the Mesenchymal-like and Small-cell/Neuroendocrine-like subtypes, and demonstrate that patients with UroB and Sc/NE-like tumors show the worst overall survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nour-Al-Dain Marzouka
- Division of Oncology and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Pontus Eriksson
- Division of Oncology and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Carlos Rovira
- Division of Oncology and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Liedberg
- Division of Urological Research, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Gottfrid Sjödahl
- Division of Urological Research, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden.
| | - Mattias Höglund
- Division of Oncology and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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35
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Gao Y, Zhang T, Terai H, Ficarro SB, Kwiatkowski N, Hao MF, Sharma B, Christensen CL, Chipumuro E, Wong KK, Marto JA, Hammerman PS, Gray NS, George RE. Overcoming Resistance to the THZ Series of Covalent Transcriptional CDK Inhibitors. Cell Chem Biol 2017; 25:135-142.e5. [PMID: 29276047 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2017.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 08/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Irreversible inhibition of transcriptional cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) provides a therapeutic strategy for cancers that rely on aberrant transcription; however, lack of understanding of resistance mechanisms to these agents will likely impede their clinical evolution. Here, we demonstrate upregulation of multidrug transporters ABCB1 and ABCG2 as a major mode of resistance to THZ1, a covalent inhibitor of CDKs 7, 12, and 13 in neuroblastoma and lung cancer. To counter this obstacle, we developed a CDK inhibitor, E9, that is not a substrate for ABC transporters, and by selecting for resistance, determined that it exerts its cytotoxic effects through covalent modification of cysteine 1039 of CDK12. These results highlight the importance of considering this common mode of resistance in the development of clinical analogs of THZ1, identify a covalent CDK12 inhibitor that is not susceptible to ABC transporter-mediated drug efflux, and demonstrate that target deconvolution can be accomplished through selection for resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Gao
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Tinghu Zhang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hideki Terai
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Scott B Ficarro
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Blais Proteomics Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nicholas Kwiatkowski
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ming-Feng Hao
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Bandana Sharma
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Camilla L Christensen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Kwok-Kin Wong
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jarrod A Marto
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Blais Proteomics Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Peter S Hammerman
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Rani E George
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Stathis A, Bertoni F. BET Proteins as Targets for Anticancer Treatment. Cancer Discov 2017; 8:24-36. [PMID: 29263030 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-17-0605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 311] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Revised: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Francesco Bertoni
- Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Università della Svizzera italiana, Istituto Oncologico di Ricerca, Bellinzona, Switzerland
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37
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Zhang D, Leal AS, Carapellucci S, Zydeck K, Sporn MB, Liby KT. Chemoprevention of Preclinical Breast and Lung Cancer with the Bromodomain Inhibitor I-BET 762. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 2017; 11:143-156. [PMID: 29246957 DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.capr-17-0264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer and lung cancer remain the top two leading causes of cancer-related deaths in women. Because of limited success in reducing the high mortality of these diseases, new drugs and approaches are desperately needed. Cancer prevention is one such promising strategy that is effective in both preclinical and clinical studies. I-BET 762 is a new bromodomain inhibitor that reversibly targets BET (bromodomain and extraterminal) proteins and impairs their ability to bind to acetylated lysines on histones, thus interrupting downstream transcription. This inhibitor has anti-inflammatory effects and induces growth arrest in many cancers and is currently under clinical trials for treatment of cancer. However, few studies have investigated the chemopreventive effects of bromodomain inhibitors. Here, we found that I-BET 762 significantly delayed tumor development in preclinical breast and lung cancer mouse models. This drug not only induced growth arrest and downregulated c-Myc, pSTAT3, and pERK protein expression in tumor cells in vitro and in vivo but also altered immune populations in different organs. These results demonstrate the promising potential of using I-BET 762 for cancer prevention and suggest the striking effects of I-BET 762 are the result of targeting both tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment. Cancer Prev Res; 11(3); 143-56. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Ana S Leal
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Sarah Carapellucci
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Kayla Zydeck
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Michael B Sporn
- Department of Pharmacology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire
| | - Karen T Liby
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
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38
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Lau KW, Seng C, Lim TKH, Tan DSW. Expanded molecular interrogation for potential actionable targets in non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2017; 5:372. [PMID: 29057232 PMCID: PMC5635263 DOI: 10.21037/atm.2017.08.42] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The advent of targeted therapies has established new standards of care for defined molecular subsets of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Not only has this led to significant changes in the routine clinical management of lung cancer e.g., multiplexed genomic testing, but it has provided important principles and benchmarks for determining "actionability". At present, the clinical paradigms are most evolved for EGFR mutations and ALK rearrangements, where multiple randomized phase III trials have determined optimal treatment strategies in both treatment naïve and resistant settings. However, this may not always be feasible with low prevalence alterations e.g., ROS1 and BRAF mutations. Another emerging observation is that not all targets are equally "actionable", necessitating a rigorous preclinical, clinical and translational framework to prosecute new targets and drug candidates. In this review, we will cover the role of targeted therapies for NSCLC harbouring BRAF, MET, HER2 and RET alterations, all of which have shown promise in non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (ns-NSCLC). We further review some early epigenetic targets in NSCLC, an area of emerging interest. With increased molecular segmentation of lung cancer, we discuss the upcoming challenges in drug development and implementation of precision oncology approaches, especially in light of the complex and rapidly evolving therapeutic landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kah Weng Lau
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, ASTAR, Singapore
| | - Claudia Seng
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tony K H Lim
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
| | - Daniel S W Tan
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
- Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Singapore
- Genome Institute of Singapore, ASTAR, Singapore
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39
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Wang Q, Li Y, Xu J, Wang Y, Leung ELH, Liu L, Yao X. Selective inhibition mechanism of RVX-208 to the second bromodomain of bromo and extraterminal proteins: insight from microsecond molecular dynamics simulations. Sci Rep 2017; 7:8857. [PMID: 28821780 PMCID: PMC5562737 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08909-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
RVX-208 is a recently reported inhibitor of bromo and extraterminal (BET) family proteins (including BRD2-4 and BRDT) with selectivity for the second bromodomain (BD2), currently in phase III clinical trials. Despite of its promising antitumor activity, due to the conserved folds of the first and second bromodomains (BD1 and BD2), the detailed selectivity mechanism of RVX-208 towards BD2 over BD1 is still unknown. To elucidate selective inhibition mechanism of RVX-208 to BD2, microsecond molecular dynamics simulations were performed in this study for BRD2-BD1, BRD2-BD2 and BRD4-BD1 with and without RVX-208, respectively. Binding free energy calculations show that there exists strongest interaction between RVX-208 and BRD2-BD2. Leu383 and Asn429 are two most important residues of BRD2-BD2 for binding to RVX-208. Structural network analysis reveals that RVX-208 can shorten the communication path of ZA and BC loops in BRD2-BD2 pocket, making pocket more suitable to accommodate RVX-208. Additionally, different behaviors of His433 (Asp160 in BRD2-BD1) and Val435 (Ile162 in BRD2-BD1) in BRD2-BD2 are key factors responsible for selective binding of RVX-208 to BRD2-BD2. The proposed selective inhibition mechanism of RVX-208 to BRD2-BD2 can be helpful for rational design of novel selective inhibitors of the second bromodomain of BET family proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianqian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Ying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Jiahui Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Yuwei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Elaine Lai-Han Leung
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau, China.
| | - Liang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau, China.
| | - Xiaojun Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau, China.
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40
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Sui J, Xu SY, Han J, Yang SR, Li CY, Yin LH, Pu YP, Liang GY. Integrated analysis of competing endogenous RNA network revealing lncRNAs as potential prognostic biomarkers in human lung squamous cell carcinoma. Oncotarget 2017; 8:65997-66018. [PMID: 29029488 PMCID: PMC5630388 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.19627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence shows the important role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks for predicting survival in tumor patients. However, prognostic biomarkers for lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) are still lacking. The objective of this study is to identify a lncRNA signature for evaluation of overall survival (OS) in 474 LUSC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. A total of 474 RNA sequencing profiles in LUSC patients with clinical data were obtained, providing a large sample of RNA sequencing data, and 83 LUSC-specific lncRNAs, 26 miRNAs, and 85 mRNAs were identified to construct the ceRNA network (fold change>2, P<0.05). Among these above 83 LUSC-specific lncRNAs, 22 were assessed as closely related to OS in LUSC patients using a univariate Cox proportional regression model. Meanwhile, two (FMO6P and PRR26) of the above 22 OS-related lncRNAs were identified using a multivariate Cox regression model to construct a risk score as an independent indicator of the prognostic value of the lncRNA signature in LUSC patients. LUSC patients with low-risk scores were more positively correlated with OS (P<0.001). The present study provides a deeper understanding of the lncRNA-related ceRNA network in LUSC and suggests that the two-lncRNA signature could serve as an independent biomarker for prognosis of LUSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Sui
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, P.R. China
| | - Si-Yi Xu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, P.R. China
| | - Jiali Han
- Department of Epidemiology, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Song-Ru Yang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Nanjing Chest Hospital, Nanjing, P.R. China
| | - Cheng-Yun Li
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, P.R. China
| | - Li-Hong Yin
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, P.R. China
| | - Yue-Pu Pu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, P.R. China
| | - Ge-Yu Liang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, P.R. China
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41
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Bernasconi E, Gaudio E, Lejeune P, Tarantelli C, Cascione L, Kwee I, Spriano F, Rinaldi A, Mensah AA, Chung E, Stathis A, Siegel S, Schmees N, Ocker M, Zucca E, Haendler B, Bertoni F. Preclinical evaluation of the BET bromodomain inhibitor BAY 1238097 for the treatment of lymphoma. Br J Haematol 2017; 178:936-948. [PMID: 28653353 DOI: 10.1111/bjh.14803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The epigenome is often deregulated in cancer and treatment with inhibitors of bromodomain and extra-terminal proteins, the readers of epigenetic acetylation marks, represents a novel therapeutic approach. Here, we have characterized the anti-tumour activity of the novel bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) inhibitor BAY 1238097 in preclinical lymphoma models. BAY 1238097 showed anti-proliferative activity in a large panel of lymphoma-derived cell lines, with a median 50% inhibitory concentration between 70 and 208 nmol/l. The compound showed strong anti-tumour efficacy in vivo as a single agent in two diffuse large B cell lymphoma models. Gene expression profiling showed BAY 1238097 targeted the NFKB/TLR/JAK/STAT signalling pathways, MYC and E2F1-regulated genes, cell cycle regulation and chromatin structure. The gene expression profiling signatures also highly overlapped with the signatures obtained with other BET Bromodomain inhibitors and partially overlapped with HDAC-inhibitors, mTOR inhibitors and demethylating agents. Notably, BAY 1238097 presented in vitro synergism with EZH2, mTOR and BTK inhibitors. In conclusion, the BET inhibitor BAY 1238097 presented promising anti-lymphoma preclinical activity in vitro and in vivo, mediated by the interference with biological processes driving the lymphoma cells. Our data also indicate the use of combination schemes targeting EZH2, mTOR and BTK alongside BET bromodomains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Bernasconi
- Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Eugenio Gaudio
- Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | | | - Chiara Tarantelli
- Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Luciano Cascione
- Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, Switzerland.,Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland (IOSI), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Ivo Kwee
- Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, Switzerland.,IDSIA Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Manno, Switzerland.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Filippo Spriano
- Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Rinaldi
- Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Afua A Mensah
- Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Elaine Chung
- Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Anastasios Stathis
- Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland (IOSI), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Matthias Ocker
- Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland (IOSI), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Emanuele Zucca
- IDSIA Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Manno, Switzerland
| | | | - Francesco Bertoni
- Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Bellinzona, Switzerland.,Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland (IOSI), Bellinzona, Switzerland
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42
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Shin DG, Bayarsaihan D. A Novel Epi-drug Therapy Based on the Suppression of BET Family Epigenetic Readers. THE YALE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2017; 90:63-71. [PMID: 28356894 PMCID: PMC5369046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Recent progress in epigenetic research has made a profound influence on pharmacoepigenomics, one of the fastest growing disciplines promising to provide new epi-drugs for the treatment of a broad range of diseases. Histone acetylation is among the most essential chromatin modifications underlying the dynamics of transcriptional activation. The acetylated genomic regions recruit the BET (bromodomain and extra-terminal) family of bromodomains (BRDs), thereby serving as a molecular scaffold in establishing RNA polymerase II specificity. Over the past several years, the BET epigenetic readers have become the main targets for drug therapy. The discovery of selective small-molecule compounds with capacity to inhibit BET proteins has paved a path for developing novel strategies against cancer, cardiovascular, skeletal, and inflammatory diseases. Therefore, further research into small chemicals impeding the regulatory activity of BRDs could offer therapeutic benefits for many health problems including tumor growth, heart disease, oral, and bone disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Guk Shin
- The Computer Science and Engineering Department University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
| | - Dashzeveg Bayarsaihan
- Institute for System Genomics and Center for Regenerative Medicine and Skeletal Development, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT
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