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Xu H, Gitto SB, Ho GY, Medvedev S, Shield-Artin K, Kim H, Beard S, Kinose Y, Wang X, Barker HE, Ratnayake G, Hwang WT, Hansen RJ, Strouse B, Milutinovic S, Hassig C, Wakefield MJ, Vandenberg CJ, Scott CL, Simpkins F. CHK1 inhibitor SRA737 is active in PARP inhibitor resistant and CCNE1 amplified ovarian cancer. iScience 2024; 27:109978. [PMID: 39021796 PMCID: PMC11253285 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
High-grade serous ovarian cancers (HGSOCs) with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) are initially responsive to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi), but resistance ultimately emerges. HGSOC with CCNE1 amplification (CCNE1 amp) are associated with resistance to PARPi and platinum treatments. High replication stress in HRD and CCNE1 amp HGSOC leads to increased reliance on checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1), a key regulator of cell cycle progression and the replication stress response. Here, we investigated the anti-tumor activity of the potent, highly selective, orally bioavailable CHK1 inhibitor (CHK1i), SRA737, in both acquired PARPi-resistant BRCA1/2 mutant and CCNE1 amp HGSOC models. We demonstrated that SRA737 increased replication stress and induced subsequent cell death in vitro. SRA737 monotherapy in vivo prolonged survival in CCNE1 amp models, suggesting a potential biomarker for CHK1i therapy. Combination SRA737 and PARPi therapy increased tumor regression in both PARPi-resistant and CCNE1 amp patient-derived xenograft models, warranting further study in these HGSOC subgroups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haineng Xu
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Division of Gynecology Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sarah B. Gitto
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Division of Gynecology Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Gwo-Yaw Ho
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Sergey Medvedev
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Division of Gynecology Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kristy Shield-Artin
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Hyoung Kim
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Division of Gynecology Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sally Beard
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Yasuto Kinose
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Division of Gynecology Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Xiaolei Wang
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Division of Gynecology Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Holly E. Barker
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | | | - Wei-Ting Hwang
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Australian Ovarian Cancer Study
- Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
- Centre for Cancer Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Ryan J. Hansen
- Centre for Cancer Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Bryan Strouse
- Sierra Oncology, Inc, 885 West Georgia Street, Suite 2150, Vancouver, BC V6C 3E8, Canada
| | - Snezana Milutinovic
- Sierra Oncology, Inc, 885 West Georgia Street, Suite 2150, Vancouver, BC V6C 3E8, Canada
| | - Christian Hassig
- Sierra Oncology, Inc, 885 West Georgia Street, Suite 2150, Vancouver, BC V6C 3E8, Canada
| | - Matthew J. Wakefield
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Cassandra J. Vandenberg
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Clare L. Scott
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- The Royal Women’s Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Fiona Simpkins
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Division of Gynecology Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Chao Y, Chen Y, Zheng W, Demanelis K, Liu Y, Connelly JA, Wang H, Li S, Wang QJ. Synthetic lethal combination of CHK1 and WEE1 inhibition for treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer. Oncogene 2024; 43:789-803. [PMID: 38273024 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-024-02939-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
WEE1 and CHEK1 (CHK1) kinases are critical regulators of the G2/M cell cycle checkpoint and DNA damage response pathways. The WEE1 inhibitor AZD1775 and the CHK1 inhibitor SRA737 are in clinical trials for various cancers, but have not been thoroughly examined in prostate cancer, particularly castration-resistant (CRPC) and neuroendocrine prostate cancers (NEPC). Our data demonstrated elevated WEE1 and CHK1 expressions in CRPC and NEPC cell lines and patient samples. AZD1775 resulted in rapid and potent cell killing with comparable IC50s across different prostate cancer cell lines, while SRA737 displayed time-dependent progressive cell killing with 10- to 20-fold differences in IC50s. Notably, their combination synergistically reduced the viability of all CRPC cell lines and tumor spheroids in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Importantly, in a transgenic mouse model of NEPC, both agents alone or in combination suppressed tumor growth, improved overall survival, and reduced the incidence of distant metastases, with SRA737 exhibiting remarkable single agent anticancer activity. Mechanistically, SRA737 synergized with AZD1775 by blocking AZD1775-induced feedback activation of CHK1 in prostate cancer cells, resulting in increased mitotic entry and accumulation of DNA damage. In summary, this preclinical study shows that CHK1 inhibitor SRA737 alone and its combination with AZD1775 offer potential effective treatments for CRPC and NEPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yapeng Chao
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yuzhou Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Wenxiao Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kathryn Demanelis
- Department of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jaclyn A Connelly
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Hong Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Song Li
- Center for Pharmacogenetics, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Qiming Jane Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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Khamidullina AI, Abramenko YE, Bruter AV, Tatarskiy VV. Key Proteins of Replication Stress Response and Cell Cycle Control as Cancer Therapy Targets. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1263. [PMID: 38279263 PMCID: PMC10816012 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Replication stress (RS) is a characteristic state of cancer cells as they tend to exchange precision of replication for fast proliferation and increased genomic instability. To overcome the consequences of improper replication control, malignant cells frequently inactivate parts of their DNA damage response (DDR) pathways (the ATM-CHK2-p53 pathway), while relying on other pathways which help to maintain replication fork stability (ATR-CHK1). This creates a dependency on the remaining DDR pathways, vulnerability to further destabilization of replication and synthetic lethality of DDR inhibitors with common oncogenic alterations such as mutations of TP53, RB1, ATM, amplifications of MYC, CCNE1 and others. The response to RS is normally limited by coordination of cell cycle, transcription and replication. Inhibition of WEE1 and PKMYT1 kinases, which prevent unscheduled mitosis entry, leads to fragility of under-replicated sites. Recent evidence also shows that inhibition of Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), such as CDK4/6, CDK2, CDK8/19 and CDK12/13 can contribute to RS through disruption of DNA repair and replication control. Here, we review the main causes of RS in cancers as well as main therapeutic targets-ATR, CHK1, PARP and their inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvina I. Khamidullina
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncobiology, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov Street, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (A.I.K.); (Y.E.A.)
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov Street, 119334 Moscow, Russia
| | - Yaroslav E. Abramenko
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncobiology, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov Street, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (A.I.K.); (Y.E.A.)
| | - Alexandra V. Bruter
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov Street, 119334 Moscow, Russia
| | - Victor V. Tatarskiy
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncobiology, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov Street, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (A.I.K.); (Y.E.A.)
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 34/5 Vavilov Street, 119334 Moscow, Russia
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Giridhara Prema S, Chandrasekaran J, Kanekar S, George M, Prasad TSK, Raju R, Dagamajalu S, Balaya RDA. Cisplatin and Procaterol Combination in Gastric Cancer? Targeting Checkpoint Kinase 1 for Cancer Drug Discovery and Repurposing by an Integrated Computational and Experimental Approach. OMICS : A JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY 2024; 28:8-23. [PMID: 38190280 DOI: 10.1089/omi.2023.0163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1), a serine/threonine kinase, plays a crucial role in cell cycle arrest and is a promising therapeutic target for drug development against cancers. CHK1 coordinates cell cycle checkpoints in response to DNA damage, facilitating repair of single-strand breaks, and maintains the genome integrity in response to replication stress. In this study, we employed an integrated computational and experimental approach to drug discovery and repurposing, aiming to identify a potent CHK1 inhibitor among existing drugs. An e-pharmacophore model was developed based on the three-dimensional crystal structure of the CHK1 protein in complex with CCT245737. This model, characterized by seven key molecular features, guided the screening of a library of drugs through molecular docking. The top 10% of scored ligands were further examined, with procaterol emerging as the leading candidate. Procaterol demonstrated interaction patterns with the CHK1 active site similar to CHK1 inhibitor (CCT245737), as shown by molecular dynamics analysis. Subsequent in vitro assays, including cell proliferation, colony formation, and cell cycle analysis, were conducted on gastric adenocarcinoma cells treated with procaterol, both as a monotherapy and in combination with cisplatin. Procaterol, in synergy with cisplatin, significantly inhibited cell growth, suggesting a potentiated therapeutic effect. Thus, we propose the combined application of cisplatin and procaterol as a novel potential therapeutic strategy against human gastric cancer. The findings also highlight the relevance of CHK1 kinase as a drug target for enhancing the sensitivity of cytotoxic agents in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suchitha Giridhara Prema
- Center for Systems Biology and Molecular Medicine, Yenepoya Research Centre, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, India
| | - Jaikanth Chandrasekaran
- Sri Ramachandra Faculty of Pharmacy, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (Deemed to be University), Chennai, India
| | - Saptami Kanekar
- Centre for Integrative Omics Data Science, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, India
| | - Mejo George
- Centre for Integrative Omics Data Science, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, India
| | | | - Rajesh Raju
- Centre for Integrative Omics Data Science, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, India
| | - Shobha Dagamajalu
- Center for Systems Biology and Molecular Medicine, Yenepoya Research Centre, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, India
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Duabil AJN, Cooper CR, Aldujaily E, Halford SER, Hirschberg S, Katugampola SD, Jones GDD. Investigations of the novel checkpoint kinase 1 inhibitor SRA737 in non-small cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer cells of differing tumour protein 53 gene status. EXPLORATION OF TARGETED ANTI-TUMOR THERAPY 2023; 4:1210-1226. [PMID: 38214010 PMCID: PMC10776598 DOI: 10.37349/etat.2023.00193] [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: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Aim In response to DNA damage the serine/threonine-specific protein kinase checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) is activated allowing cells to enter S phase (S) and G2 phase (G2) cell-cycle arrest. CHK1 inhibitors are expected to prevent cells from entering such arrest, thereby enhancing DNA damage-induced cytotoxicity. In contrast, normal cells with intact ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM), CHK2 and tumour suppressor protein 53 (P53) signalling are still able to enter cell-cycle arrest using the functioning G1/S checkpoint, thereby being rescued from enhanced cytotoxicity. The main objective of this work is to investigate the in vitro effects of the novel CHK1 inhibitor SRA737 on pairs of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines, all with genetic aberrations rendering them susceptible to replication stress but of differing tumour protein 53 (TP53) gene status, focusing on DNA damage induction and the subsequent effects on cell proliferation and viability. Methods NSCLC cell lines H23 [TP53 mutant (MUT)] and A549 [TP53 wild-type (WT)] and CRC cell lines HT29 (TP53 MUT) and HCT116 (TP53 WT) were incubated with differing micromolar concentrations of SRA737 for 24 h and then analysed using alkaline comet and phosphorylated H2A.X variant histone (γH2AX)-foci assays to assess mostly DNA single strand break and double strand break damage, respectively. Cell-counting/trypan blue staining was also performed to assess cell proliferation/viability. Results Clear concentration-dependent increases in comet formation and γH2AX-foci/cell were noted for the TP53 MUT cells with no or lower increases being noted in the corresponding TP53 WT cells. Also, greater anti-proliferative and cell killing effects were noted in the TP53 MUT cells than in the TP53 WT cells. Conclusions This study's data suggests that P53 status/functioning is a key factor in determining the sensitivity of NSCLC and CRC cancer cells towards CHK1 inhibition, even in circumstances conducive to high replicative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali JN Duabil
- Leicester Cancer Research Centre, Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, LE1 7RH Leics, UK
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq
| | - Christian R Cooper
- Leicester Cancer Research Centre, Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, LE1 7RH Leics, UK
- MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, University of Oxford, OX3 7DQ Oxon, UK
| | - Esraa Aldujaily
- Leicester Cancer Research Centre, Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, LE1 7RH Leics, UK
- Department of Pathology & Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq
| | - Sarah ER Halford
- Cancer Research UK Centre for Drug Development, London E20 1JQ, UK
| | | | | | - George DD Jones
- Leicester Cancer Research Centre, Department of Genetics & Genome Biology, University of Leicester, LE1 7RH Leics, UK
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Wang Q, Chao Y, Chen Y, Zheng W, Demanelis K, Liu Y, Connelly J, Wang H. Synthetic lethal combination of CHK1 and WEE1 inhibition for treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3564450. [PMID: 37987002 PMCID: PMC10659531 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3564450/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
WEE1 and CHEK1 (CHK1) kinases are critical regulators of the G2/M cell cycle checkpoint and DNA damage response pathways. The WEE1 inhibitor AZD1775 and the CHK1 inhibitor SRA737 are in clinical trials for various cancers, but have not been examined in prostate cancer, particularly castration-resistant (CRPC) and neuroendocrine prostate cancers (NEPC). Our data demonstrated elevated WEE1 and CHK1 expressions in CRPC/NEPC cell lines and patient samples. AZD1775 resulted in rapid and potent cell killing with comparable IC50s across different prostate cancer cell lines, while SRA737 displayed time-dependent progressive cell killing with 10- to 20-fold differences in IC50s. Notably, their combination synergistically reduced the viability of all CRPC cell lines and tumor spheroids in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Importantly, in a transgenic mouse model of NEPC, both agents alone or in combination suppressed tumor growth, improved overall survival, and reduced the incidence of distant metastases, with SRA737 exhibiting remarkable single agent anticancer activity. Mechanistically, SRA737 synergized with AZD1775 by blocking AZD1775-induced feedback activation of CHK1 in prostate cancer cells, resulting in increased mitotic entry and accumulation of DNA damage. In summary, this preclinical study shows that CHK1 inhibitor SRA737 alone and its combination with AZD1775 offer potential effective treatments for CRPC and NEPC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Yu Liu
- University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
| | | | - Hong Wang
- University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
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Kristeleit R, Plummer R, Jones R, Carter L, Blagden S, Sarker D, Arkenau T, Evans TRJ, Danson S, Symeonides SN, Veal GJ, Klencke BJ, Kowalski MM, Banerji U. A Phase 1/2 trial of SRA737 (a Chk1 inhibitor) administered orally in patients with advanced cancer. Br J Cancer 2023; 129:38-45. [PMID: 37120671 PMCID: PMC10307885 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02279-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This was a first-in-human Phase 1/2 open-label dose-escalation study of the novel checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) inhibitor SRA737. METHODS Patients with advanced solid tumours enrolled in dose-escalation cohorts and received SRA737 monotherapy orally on a continuous daily (QD) dosing schedule in 28-day cycles. Expansion cohorts included up to 20 patients with prospectively selected, pre-specified response predictive biomarkers. RESULTS In total, 107 patients were treated at dose levels from 20-1300 mg. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of SRA737 was 1000 mg QD, the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) was 800 mg QD. Common toxicities of diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting were generally mild to moderate. Dose-limiting toxicity at daily doses of 1000 and 1300 mg QD SRA737 included gastrointestinal events, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. Pharmacokinetic analysis at the 800 mg QD dose showed a mean Cmin of 312 ng/mL (546 nM), exceeding levels required to cause growth delay in xenograft models. No partial or complete responses were seen. CONCLUSIONS SRA737 was well tolerated at doses that achieved preclinically relevant drug concentrations but single agent activity did not warrant further development as monotherapy. Given its mechanism of action resulting in abrogating DNA damage repair, further clinical development of SRA737 should be as combination therapy. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02797964.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ruth Plummer
- Newcastle University and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Robert Jones
- Velindre School of Medicine, Cardiff University, and Velindre University NHS Trust, Cardiff, UK
| | - Louise Carter
- Division of Cancer Sciences, The University of Manchester and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Sarah Blagden
- Early Phase Clinical Trials Unit, Churchill Hospital, Oxford University Hospital NHS Trust, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | - Thomas R Jeffry Evans
- The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre and the University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Sarah Danson
- Sheffield ECMC, Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, and Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - Stefan N Symeonides
- Edinburgh ECMC, Institute of Genetics & Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Cancer Centre, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gareth J Veal
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | | | - Udai Banerji
- The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
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Gupta N, Huang TT, Nair JR, An D, Zurcher G, Lampert EJ, McCoy A, Cimino-Mathews A, Swisher EM, Radke MR, Lockwood CM, Reichel JB, Chiang CY, Wilson KM, Chih-Chien Cheng K, Nousome D, Lee JM. BLM overexpression as a predictive biomarker for CHK1 inhibitor response in PARP inhibitor-resistant BRCA-mutant ovarian cancer. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eadd7872. [PMID: 37343085 PMCID: PMC10758289 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.add7872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPis) have changed the treatment paradigm in breast cancer gene (BRCA)-mutant high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSC). However, most patients eventually develop resistance to PARPis, highlighting an unmet need for improved therapeutic strategies. Using high-throughput drug screens, we identified ataxia telangiectasia and rad3-related protein/checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) pathway inhibitors as cytotoxic and further validated the activity of the CHK1 inhibitor (CHK1i) prexasertib in PARPi-sensitive and -resistant BRCA-mutant HGSC cells and xenograft mouse models. CHK1i monotherapy induced DNA damage, apoptosis, and tumor size reduction. We then conducted a phase 2 study (NCT02203513) of prexasertib in patients with BRCA-mutant HGSC. The treatment was well tolerated but yielded an objective response rate of 6% (1 of 17; one partial response) in patients with previous PARPi treatment. Exploratory biomarker analyses revealed that replication stress and fork stabilization were associated with clinical benefit to CHK1i. In particular, overexpression of Bloom syndrome RecQ helicase (BLM) and cyclin E1 (CCNE1) overexpression or copy number gain/amplification were seen in patients who derived durable benefit from CHK1i. BRCA reversion mutation in previously PARPi-treated BRCA-mutant patients was not associated with resistance to CHK1i. Our findings suggest that replication fork-related genes should be further evaluated as biomarkers for CHK1i sensitivity in patients with BRCA-mutant HGSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitasha Gupta
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Tzu-Ting Huang
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jayakumar R. Nair
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Daniel An
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Grant Zurcher
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Erika J. Lampert
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Ann McCoy
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ashley Cimino-Mathews
- Departments of Pathology and Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Swisher
- Brotman Baty Institute of Precision Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Marc R. Radke
- Brotman Baty Institute of Precision Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Christina M. Lockwood
- Brotman Baty Institute of Precision Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Jonathan B. Reichel
- Brotman Baty Institute of Precision Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Chih-Yuan Chiang
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kelli M. Wilson
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ken Chih-Chien Cheng
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, MD 20892, USA
| | - Darryl Nousome
- Center for Cancer Research Collaborative Bioinformatics Resource, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jung-Min Lee
- Women’s Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Chen X, Wang M, Wang X, Liu J, Zhang Z, Tian C. Anticancer potentiating effect and downregulation of PD-L1 expression: Study on the 2-[(p-fluorophenyl)amino]-6-substituted-9H-purine analogues as novel CHK1 inhibitors. Chem Biol Drug Des 2023; 101:626-637. [PMID: 36314430 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.14156] [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: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In this study, a series of 2-[p-fluorophenyl]-6-substituted-9H-purine analogues were designed and synthesized as CHK1 inhibitors, among which compound b22 was the most potent. b22 exhibited nearly no antiproliferative activity toward HT29 cells and displayed a significant antitumor potentiating effect on HT29 cells when treated in combination with gemcitabine (Gem). A time-dependent assay found that treatment with Gem for 8 h before adding b22 achieved the optimal effect. Furthermore, the immunofluorescence and qPCR results demonstrated that b22 can remarkably reverse the upregulation of PD-L1 induced by Gem, which suggested dual effects of b22 in antitumor potentiation and antitumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanzhen Chen
- Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Beihua University, Jilin, China
| | - Xiaowei Wang
- Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Junyi Liu
- Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhili Zhang
- Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Tian
- Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
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10
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Jones R, Plummer R, Moreno V, Carter L, Roda D, Garralda E, Kristeleit R, Sarker D, Arkenau T, Roxburgh P, Walter HS, Blagden S, Anthoney A, Klencke BJ, Kowalski MM, Banerji U. A Phase I/II Trial of Oral SRA737 (a Chk1 Inhibitor) Given in Combination with Low-Dose Gemcitabine in Patients with Advanced Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2023; 29:331-340. [PMID: 36378548 PMCID: PMC10539020 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-2074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This was a Phase I/II trial of the novel checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) inhibitor SRA737 given in combination with gemcitabine. Its objectives were to establish the safety profile, recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D), pharmacokinetics profile, and clinical activity of SRA737. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with advanced solid tumors were enrolled into dose-escalation cohorts and treated in 28-day cycles with oral SRA737 on days 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, and 17, and intravenous gemcitabine on days 1, 8, and 15. Treatment was continued until progression. Each expansion cohort included up to 20 patients with specific genetically defined tumors. RESULTS The RP2D was determined to be 500 mg SRA737 combined with low-dose (250 mg/m2) gemcitabine. Of 143 enrolled patients, 77 were treated at doses of at least 500 mg SRA737 combined with 250 mg/m2 gemcitabine. Common toxicities of nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and diarrhea were primarily mild to moderate, and rarely led to treatment discontinuation. Anemia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia were grade ≥3 in 11.7%, 16.7%, and 10% of patients treated at the RP2D, respectively. The objective response rate (ORR) was 10.8% overall and notably the ORR in anogenital cancer was 25%. Partial tumor responses were observed in anogenital cancer, cervical cancer, high-grade serous ovarian cancer, rectal cancer, and small cell lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS SRA737 in combination with low-dose gemcitabine was well tolerated with lower myelotoxicity than has been seen at standard doses of gemcitabine or with other combinations of Chk1 inhibitors with gemcitabine. Tumor responses were observed in anogenital and other solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Jones
- Velindre School of Medicine, Cardiff University, and Velindre University NHS Trust, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Ruth Plummer
- Newcastle University and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Victor Moreno
- START Madrid-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Louise Carter
- Division of Cancer Sciences, The University of Manchester and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | | | - Elena Garralda
- Hospital Universitario Vall d'Hebron, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Debashis Sarker
- King's College London and Guy's Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Patricia Roxburgh
- University of Glasgow and Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Harriet S. Walter
- University Hospitals of Leicester and University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Blagden
- Early Phase Clinical Trials Unit, Churchill Hospital, Oxford University Hospital NHS Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Alan Anthoney
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds and St. James' University Hospital, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Udai Banerji
- The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden Hospital NHS Foundation trust, London, United Kingdom
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11
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Hunter JE, Campbell AE, Kerridge S, Fraser C, Hannaway NL, Luli S, Ivanova I, Brownridge PJ, Coxhead J, Taylor L, Leary P, Hasoon MSR, Eyers CE, Perkins ND. Up-regulation of the PI3K/AKT and RHO/RAC/PAK signalling pathways in CHK1 inhibitor resistant Eµ-Myc lymphoma cells. Biochem J 2022; 479:2131-2151. [PMID: 36240067 PMCID: PMC9704644 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20220103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The development of resistance and the activation of bypass pathway signalling represents a major problem for the clinical application of protein kinase inhibitors. While investigating the effect of either a c-Rel deletion or RelAT505A phosphosite knockin on the Eµ-Myc mouse model of B-cell lymphoma, we discovered that both NF-κB subunit mutations resulted in CHK1 inhibitor resistance, arising from either loss or alteration of CHK1 activity, respectively. However, since Eµ-Myc lymphomas depend on CHK1 activity to cope with high levels of DNA replication stress and consequent genomic instability, it was not clear how these mutant NF-κB subunit lymphomas were able to survive. To understand these survival mechanisms and to identify potential compensatory bypass signalling pathways in these lymphomas, we applied a multi-omics strategy. With c-Rel-/- Eµ-Myc lymphomas we observed high levels of Phosphatidyl-inositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and AKT pathway activation. Moreover, treatment with the PI3K inhibitor Pictilisib (GDC-0941) selectively inhibited the growth of reimplanted c-Rel-/- and RelAT505A, but not wild type (WT) Eµ-Myc lymphomas. We also observed up-regulation of a RHO/RAC pathway gene expression signature in both Eµ-Myc NF-κB subunit mutation models. Further investigation demonstrated activation of the RHO/RAC effector p21-activated kinase (PAK) 2. Here, the PAK inhibitor, PF-3758309 successfully overcame resistance of RelAT505A but not WT lymphomas. These findings demonstrate that up-regulation of multiple bypass pathways occurs in CHK1 inhibitor resistant Eµ-Myc lymphomas. Consequently, drugs targeting these pathways could potentially be used as either second line or combinatorial therapies to aid the successful clinical application of CHK1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill E. Hunter
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University, Level 6, Herschel Building, Brewery Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Amy E. Campbell
- Centre for Proteome Research, Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, U.K
| | - Scott Kerridge
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University, Level 6, Herschel Building, Brewery Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Callum Fraser
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University, Level 6, Herschel Building, Brewery Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Nicola L. Hannaway
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University, Level 6, Herschel Building, Brewery Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Saimir Luli
- Newcastle University Clinical and Translational Research Institute, Preclinical In Vivo Imaging (PIVI), Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Iglika Ivanova
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University, Level 6, Herschel Building, Brewery Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Philip J. Brownridge
- Centre for Proteome Research, Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, U.K
| | - Jonathan Coxhead
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University, Level 6, Herschel Building, Brewery Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Leigh Taylor
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University, Level 6, Herschel Building, Brewery Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Peter Leary
- Bioinformatics Support Unit, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Megan S. R. Hasoon
- Bioinformatics Support Unit, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Claire E. Eyers
- Centre for Proteome Research, Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, U.K
| | - Neil D. Perkins
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University, Level 6, Herschel Building, Brewery Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
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12
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Hunter JE, Campbell AE, Butterworth JA, Sellier H, Hannaway NL, Luli S, Floudas A, Kenneth NS, Moore AJ, Brownridge PJ, Thomas HD, Coxhead J, Taylor L, Leary P, Hasoon MS, Knight AM, Garrett MD, Collins I, Eyers CE, Perkins ND. Mutation of the RelA(p65) Thr505 phosphosite disrupts the DNA replication stress response leading to CHK1 inhibitor resistance. Biochem J 2022; 479:2087-2113. [PMID: 36240065 PMCID: PMC9704643 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20220089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jill E. Hunter
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University, Herschel Building, Level 6, Brewery Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Amy E. Campbell
- Centre for Proteome Research, Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, U.K
| | - Jacqueline A. Butterworth
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University, Herschel Building, Level 6, Brewery Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Helene Sellier
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University, Herschel Building, Level 6, Brewery Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Nicola L. Hannaway
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University, Herschel Building, Level 6, Brewery Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Saimir Luli
- Newcastle University Clinical and Translational Research Institute, Preclinical In Vivo Imaging, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Achilleas Floudas
- Newcastle University Clinical and Translational Research Institute, Preclinical In Vivo Imaging, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Niall S. Kenneth
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Cell Signalling, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, U.K
| | - Adam J. Moore
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University, Herschel Building, Level 6, Brewery Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Philip J. Brownridge
- Centre for Proteome Research, Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, U.K
| | - Huw D. Thomas
- Newcastle University Clinical and Translational Research Institute, Preclinical In Vivo Imaging, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Jonathan Coxhead
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University, Herschel Building, Level 6, Brewery Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Leigh Taylor
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University, Herschel Building, Level 6, Brewery Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Peter Leary
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Cell Signalling, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, U.K
| | - Megan S.R. Hasoon
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Cell Signalling, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, U.K
| | - Andrew M. Knight
- Newcastle University Clinical and Translational Research Institute, Preclinical In Vivo Imaging, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Michelle D. Garrett
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Stacey Building, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, U.K
| | - Ian Collins
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton SM2 5NG, U.K
| | - Claire E. Eyers
- Centre for Proteome Research, Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, U.K
| | - Neil D. Perkins
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University, Herschel Building, Level 6, Brewery Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
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13
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Hunter JE, Campbell AE, Hannaway NL, Kerridge S, Luli S, Butterworth JA, Sellier H, Mukherjee R, Dhillon N, Sudhindar PD, Shukla R, Brownridge PJ, Bell HL, Coxhead J, Taylor L, Leary P, Hasoon MS, Collins I, Garrett MD, Eyers CE, Perkins ND. Regulation of CHK1 inhibitor resistance by a c-Rel and USP1 dependent pathway. Biochem J 2022; 479:2063-2086. [PMID: 36240066 PMCID: PMC9704646 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20220102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Previously, we discovered that deletion of c-Rel in the Eµ-Myc mouse model of lymphoma results in earlier onset of disease, a finding that contrasted with the expected function of this NF-κB subunit in B-cell malignancies. Here we report that Eµ-Myc/cRel-/- cells have an unexpected and major defect in the CHK1 pathway. Total and phospho proteomic analysis revealed that Eµ-Myc/cRel-/- lymphomas highly resemble wild-type (WT) Eµ-Myc lymphomas treated with an acute dose of the CHK1 inhibitor (CHK1i) CCT244747. Further analysis demonstrated that this is a consequence of Eµ-Myc/cRel-/- lymphomas having lost expression of CHK1 protein itself, an effect that also results in resistance to CCT244747 treatment in vivo. Similar down-regulation of CHK1 protein levels was also seen in CHK1i resistant U2OS osteosarcoma and Huh7 hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Further investigation revealed that the deubiquitinase USP1 regulates CHK1 proteolytic degradation and that its down-regulation in our model systems is responsible, at least in part, for these effects. We demonstrate that treating WT Eµ-Myc lymphoma cells with the USP1 inhibitor ML323 was highly effective at reducing tumour burden in vivo. Targeting USP1 activity may thus be an alternative therapeutic strategy in MYC-driven tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill E. Hunter
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Amy E. Campbell
- Centre for Proteome Research, Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, U.K
| | - Nicola L. Hannaway
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Scott Kerridge
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Saimir Luli
- Newcastle University Clinical and Translational Research Institute, Preclinical In Vivo Imaging (PIVI), Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Jacqueline A. Butterworth
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Helene Sellier
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Reshmi Mukherjee
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Nikita Dhillon
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Praveen D. Sudhindar
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Ruchi Shukla
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Philip J. Brownridge
- Centre for Proteome Research, Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, U.K
| | - Hayden L. Bell
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Jonathan Coxhead
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Leigh Taylor
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Peter Leary
- Bioinformatics Support Unit, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Megan S.R. Hasoon
- Bioinformatics Support Unit, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Ian Collins
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton SM2 5NG, U.K
| | - Michelle D. Garrett
- School of Biosciences, Stacey Building, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, U.K
| | - Claire E. Eyers
- Centre for Proteome Research, Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, U.K
| | - Neil D. Perkins
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
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14
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Feng X, Wu C, Yang W, Wu J, Wang P. Mechanism-Based Sonodynamic–Chemo Combinations against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147981. [PMID: 35887326 PMCID: PMC9315679 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to its noninvasive nature, site-confined irradiation, and high tissue penetrating capabilities, ultrasound (US)-driven sonodynamic treatment (SDT) has been proven to have broad application possibilities in neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases. However, the inefficient buildup of sonosensitizers in the tumor site remarkably impairs SDT efficiency. The present work proposes a deep-penetrating sonochemistry nanoplatform (Pp18-lipos@SRA737&DOX, PSDL) comprising Pp18 liposomes (Pp18-lipos, Plipo), SRA737 (a CHK1 inhibitor), and doxorubicin (DOX) for the controlled formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and release of DOX and SRA737 upon US activation, therefore increasing chemotherapeutic effectiveness and boosting SDT efficacy. Therein, the antitumor activities of DOX have been attributed to its intercalation into the nucleus DNA and induction of cell apoptosis. CHK1 evolved to respond to DNA damage and repair the damage via cell cycle progression. SRA737 is a potent and orally bioavailable clinical drug candidate for inhibiting CHK1, demonstrating adjuvant anticancer effect in vitro and in vivo. It was interesting to find that SRA737 carried into Plipo@DOX could significantly alleviate G2/M cell cycle arrest and aggravate DNA double-strand injuries, resulting in significant cell death. The developed US-switchable nanosystem provides a promising strategy for augmenting sono-chemotherapy against breast cancer controllably and precisely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolan Feng
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Xi’an 710119, China; (X.F.); (C.W.); (W.Y.); (J.W.)
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China
| | - Chen Wu
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Xi’an 710119, China; (X.F.); (C.W.); (W.Y.); (J.W.)
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China
| | - Wenhao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Xi’an 710119, China; (X.F.); (C.W.); (W.Y.); (J.W.)
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China
| | - Jiayi Wu
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Xi’an 710119, China; (X.F.); (C.W.); (W.Y.); (J.W.)
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China
| | - Pan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Xi’an 710119, China; (X.F.); (C.W.); (W.Y.); (J.W.)
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-029-85310275
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15
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Yu D, Liu S, Chen Y, Yang L. Integrative Bioinformatics Analysis Reveals CHEK1 and UBE2C as Luminal A Breast Cancer Subtype Biomarkers. Front Genet 2022; 13:944259. [PMID: 35903365 PMCID: PMC9322798 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.944259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In light of the limited number of targetable oncogenic drivers in breast cancer (BRCA), it is important to identify effective and druggable gene targets for the treatment of this devastating disease. Herein, the GSE102484 dataset containing expression profiling data from 683 BRCA patients was re-analyzed using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The yellow module with the highest correlation to BRCA progression was screened out, followed by functional enrichment analysis and establishment of a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network. After further validation through survival analysis and expression evaluation, CHEK1 and UBE2C were finally identified as hub genes related to the progression of BRCA, especially the luminal A breast cancer subtype. Notably, both hub genes were found to be dysregulated in multiple types of immune cells and closely correlated with tumor infiltration, as revealed by Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) along with other bioinformatic tools. Construction of transcription factors (TF)-hub gene network further confirmed the existence of 11 TFs which could regulate both hub genes simultaneously. Our present study may facilitate the invention of targeted therapeutic drugs and provide novel insights into the understanding of the mechanism beneath the progression of BRCA.
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16
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Wang M, Chen S, Ao D. Targeting DNA repair pathway in cancer: Mechanisms and clinical application. MedComm (Beijing) 2021; 2:654-691. [PMID: 34977872 PMCID: PMC8706759 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the last decades, the growing understanding on DNA damage response (DDR) pathways has broadened the therapeutic landscape in oncology. It is becoming increasingly clear that the genomic instability of cells resulted from deficient DNA damage response contributes to the occurrence of cancer. One the other hand, these defects could also be exploited as a therapeutic opportunity, which is preferentially more deleterious in tumor cells than in normal cells. An expanding repertoire of DDR-targeting agents has rapidly expanded to inhibitors of multiple members involved in DDR pathways, including PARP, ATM, ATR, CHK1, WEE1, and DNA-PK. In this review, we sought to summarize the complex network of DNA repair machinery in cancer cells and discuss the underlying mechanism for the application of DDR inhibitors in cancer. With the past preclinical evidence and ongoing clinical trials, we also provide an overview of the history and current landscape of DDR inhibitors in cancer treatment, with special focus on the combination of DDR-targeted therapies with other cancer treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manni Wang
- Department of BiotherapyCancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Siyuan Chen
- Department of BiotherapyCancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Danyi Ao
- Department of BiotherapyCancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
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17
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Jin T, Xu L, Wang P, Hu X, Zhang R, Wu Z, Du W, Kan W, Li K, Wang C, Zhou Y, Li J, Liu T. Discovery and Development of a Potent, Selective, and Orally Bioavailable CHK1 Inhibitor Candidate: 5-((4-((3-Amino-3-methylbutyl)amino)-5-(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidin-2-yl)amino)picolinonitrile. J Med Chem 2021; 64:15069-15090. [PMID: 34665631 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) plays an important role in the DNA damage response pathway, being a potential anti-cancer drug target. In this study, we used a strategy for trifluoromethyl substitution to obtain orally bioavailable CHK1 inhibitors to overcome the limitations of lead compound 1, which can only be administered intravenously. After detailed investigation, we identified compound 6c as an oral CHK1 inhibitor, which demonstrated a considerably higher plasma exposure in mice. Compound 6c also showed good kinase selectivity. Moreover, it exhibited a significant antiproliferative effect in MV-4-11 cells singly and a synergistic effect in combination with gemcitabine in HT-29, A549, and RPMI-8226 cells. Additionally, compound 6c could inhibit tumor growth in the MV-4-11 xenograft mouse model. The combination of 6c and gemcitabine exhibited synergistic effect in the HT-29 xenograft mouse model. Thus, compound 6c was found to be a selective and oral potential anticancer CHK1 inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Jin
- ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Xu
- State key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.,Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan Tsuihang New District, Zhongshan, Guangdong 528400, China
| | - Peipei Wang
- State key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xiaobei Hu
- State key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.,Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan Tsuihang New District, Zhongshan, Guangdong 528400, China
| | - Runyuan Zhang
- ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiqi Wu
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan Tsuihang New District, Zhongshan, Guangdong 528400, China
| | - Wenxin Du
- ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Weijuan Kan
- State key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Kun Li
- ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Chang Wang
- State key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yubo Zhou
- State key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.,Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan Tsuihang New District, Zhongshan, Guangdong 528400, China
| | - Jia Li
- State key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.,Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan Tsuihang New District, Zhongshan, Guangdong 528400, China
| | - Tao Liu
- ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
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18
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Jin T, Wang P, Long X, Jiang K, Song P, Wu W, Xu G, Zhou Y, Li J, Liu T. Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Orally Bioavailable CHK1 Inhibitors Active against Acute Myeloid Leukemia. ChemMedChem 2021; 16:1477-1487. [PMID: 33591599 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202000882] [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: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 01/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) is a central component in DNA damage response and has emerged as a target for antitumor therapeutics. Herein, we describe the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a novel series of potent diaminopyrimidine CHK1 inhibitors. The compounds exhibited moderate to potent CHK1 inhibition and could suppress the proliferation of malignant hematological cell lines. The optimized compound 13 had a CHK1 IC50 value of 7.73±0.74 nM, and MV-4-11 cells were sensitive to it (IC50 =0.035±0.007 μM). Furthermore, compound 13 was metabolically stable in mouse liver microsomes in vitro and displayed moderate oral bioavailability in vivo. Moreover, treatment of MV-4-11 cells with compound 13 for 2 h led to robust inhibition of CHK1 autophosphorylation on serine 296. Based on these biochemical results, we consider compound 13 to be a promising CHK1 inhibitor and potential anticancer therapeutic agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Jin
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Peipei Wang
- National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, P. R. China
| | - Xiubing Long
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Kailong Jiang
- National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19 A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Pinrao Song
- Shanghai Jemincare Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd, Jemincare Group Research Institute, 1118 Halei Road, Shanghai, 201203, P. R. China
| | - Wenbiao Wu
- National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19 A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Gaoya Xu
- National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, P. R. China
| | - Yubo Zhou
- National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19 A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China.,Zhongshan Institute of Drug Discovery, Institution for Drug Discovery Innovation, Chinese Academy of Science, Zhongshan, 528400, P. R. China
| | - Jia Li
- National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19 A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China.,Zhongshan Institute of Drug Discovery, Institution for Drug Discovery Innovation, Chinese Academy of Science, Zhongshan, 528400, P. R. China
| | - Tao Liu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
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19
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Gorecki L, Andrs M, Korabecny J. Clinical Candidates Targeting the ATR-CHK1-WEE1 Axis in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:795. [PMID: 33672884 PMCID: PMC7918546 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Selective killing of cancer cells while sparing healthy ones is the principle of the perfect cancer treatment and the primary aim of many oncologists, molecular biologists, and medicinal chemists. To achieve this goal, it is crucial to understand the molecular mechanisms that distinguish cancer cells from healthy ones. Accordingly, several clinical candidates that use particular mutations in cell-cycle progressions have been developed to kill cancer cells. As the majority of cancer cells have defects in G1 control, targeting the subsequent intra‑S or G2/M checkpoints has also been extensively pursued. This review focuses on clinical candidates that target the kinases involved in intra‑S and G2/M checkpoints, namely, ATR, CHK1, and WEE1 inhibitors. It provides insight into their current status and future perspectives for anticancer treatment. Overall, even though CHK1 inhibitors are still far from clinical establishment, promising accomplishments with ATR and WEE1 inhibitors in phase II trials present a positive outlook for patient survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Gorecki
- Biomedical Research Center, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; (L.G.); (M.A.)
| | - Martin Andrs
- Biomedical Research Center, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; (L.G.); (M.A.)
- Laboratory of Cancer Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 142 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Korabecny
- Biomedical Research Center, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; (L.G.); (M.A.)
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20
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Ditano JP, Eastman A. Comparative Activity and Off-Target Effects in Cells of the CHK1 Inhibitors MK-8776, SRA737, and LY2606368. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2021; 4:730-743. [PMID: 33860197 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.0c00201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
DNA damage activates the checkpoint protein CHK1 to arrest cell cycle progression, providing time for repair and recovery. Consequently, inhibitors of CHK1 (CHK1i) enhance damage-induced cell death. Additionally, CHK1i elicits single agent cytotoxicity in some cell lines. We compared three CHK1i that have undergone clinical trials and exhibited different toxicities. Each CHK1i inhibits other targets at higher concentrations, and whether these contribute to the toxicity is unknown. We compared their sensitivity in a panel of cell lines, their efficacy at inhibiting CHK1 and CHK2, and their ability to induce DNA damage and abrogate damage-induced S phase arrest. Published in vitro kinase analyses were a poor predictor of selectivity and potency in cells. LY2606368 was far more potent at inhibiting CHK1 and inducing growth arrest, while all three CHK1i inhibited CHK2 at concentrations 10- (MK-8776 and SRA737) to 100- (LY2606368) fold higher. MK-8776 and SRA737 exhibited similar off-target effects: higher concentrations demonstrated transient protection from growth inhibition, circumvented DNA damage, and prevented checkpoint abrogation, possibly due to inhibition of CDK2. Acquired resistance to LY2606368 resulted in limited cross-resistance to other CHK1i. LY2606368-resistant cells still abrogated DNA damage-induced S phase arrest, which requires low CDK2 activity, whereas inappropriately high CDK2 activity is responsible for sensitivity to CHK1i alone. All three CHK1i inhibited protein synthesis in a sensitive cell line correlating with cell death, whereas resistant cells failed to inhibit protein synthesis and underwent transient cytostasis. LY2606368 appears to be the most selective CHK1i, suggesting that further clinical development of this drug is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer P Ditano
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology and Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756, United States
| | - Alan Eastman
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology and Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756, United States
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21
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Carrassa L, Colombo I, Damia G, Bertoni F. Targeting the DNA damage response for patients with lymphoma: Preclinical and clinical evidences. Cancer Treat Rev 2020; 90:102090. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2020.102090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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22
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Huang TT, Brill E, Nair JR, Zhang X, Wilson KM, Chen L, Thomas CJ, Lee JM. Targeting the PI3K/mTOR Pathway Augments CHK1 Inhibitor-Induced Replication Stress and Antitumor Activity in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer. Cancer Res 2020; 80:5380-5392. [PMID: 32998994 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-1439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy in industrialized countries and has limited treatment options. Targeting ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3-related/cell-cycle checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1)-mediated S-phase and G2-M-phase cell-cycle checkpoints has been a promising therapeutic strategy in HGSOC. To improve the efficacy of CHK1 inhibitor (CHK1i), we conducted a high-throughput drug combination screening in HGSOC cells. PI3K/mTOR pathway inhibitors (PI3K/mTORi) showed supra-additive cytotoxicity with CHK1i. Combined treatment with CHK1i and PI3K/mTORi significantly attenuated cell viability and increased DNA damage, chromosomal breaks, and mitotic catastrophe compared with monotherapy. PI3K/mTORi decelerated fork speed by promoting new origin firing via increased CDC45, thus potentiating CHK1i-induced replication stress. PI3K/mTORi also augmented CHK1i-induced DNA damage by attenuating DNA homologous recombination repair activity and RAD51 foci formation. High expression of replication stress markers was associated with poor prognosis in patients with HGSOC. Our findings indicate that combined PI3K/mTORi and CHK1i induces greater cell death in HGSOC cells and in vivo models by causing lethal replication stress and DNA damage. This insight can be translated therapeutically by further developing combinations of PI3K and cell-cycle pathway inhibitors in HGSOC. SIGNIFICANCE: Dual inhibition of CHK1 and PI3K/mTOR pathways yields potent synthetic lethality by causing lethal replication stress and DNA damage in HGSOC, warranting further clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzu-Ting Huang
- Women's Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland.
| | - Ethan Brill
- Women's Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jayakumar R Nair
- Women's Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Xiaohu Zhang
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Kelli M Wilson
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Lu Chen
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Craig J Thomas
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland.,Lymphoid Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jung-Min Lee
- Women's Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
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23
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Neizer-Ashun F, Bhattacharya R. Reality CHEK: Understanding the biology and clinical potential of CHK1. Cancer Lett 2020; 497:202-211. [PMID: 32991949 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The DNA damage response enables cells to cope with various stresses that threaten genomic integrity. A critical component of this response is the serine/threonine kinase CHK1 which is encoded by the CHEK1 gene. Originally identified as a regulator of the G2/M checkpoint, CHK1 has since been shown to play important roles in DNA replication, mitotic progression, DNA repair, and overall cell cycle regulation. However, the potential of CHK1 as a cancer therapy has not been realized clinically. Herein we expound our current understanding of the principal roles of CHK1 and highlight different avenues for CHK1 targeting in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiifi Neizer-Ashun
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, United States
| | - Resham Bhattacharya
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, United States; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, United States; Peggy and Charles Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, United States.
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24
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Fan Z, Luo H, Zhou J, Wang F, Zhang W, Wang J, Li S, Lai Q, Xu Y, Wang G, Liang A, Xu J. Checkpoint kinase‑1 inhibition and etoposide exhibit a strong synergistic anticancer effect on chronic myeloid leukemia cell line K562 by impairing homologous recombination DNA damage repair. Oncol Rep 2020; 44:2152-2164. [PMID: 32901871 PMCID: PMC7551253 DOI: 10.3892/or.2020.7757] [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: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Leukemia, a malignant hematological disease, has poor therapeutic outcomes due to chemotherapeutic resistance. Increasing evidence has confirmed that the elevated capacity for DNA damage repair in cancer cells is a major mechanism of acquired chemotherapeutic resistance. Thus, combining chemotherapy with inhibitors of DNA damage repair pathways is potentially an ideal strategy for treating leukemia. Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) is an important component of the DNA damage response (DDR) and is involved in the G2/M DNA damage checkpoint. In the present study, we demonstrated that shRNA-mediated CHK1 silencing suppressed cell proliferation and enhanced the cytotoxic effects of etoposide (VP16) in the chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cell line K562 through the results of CCK-8, and comet assay. The results demonstrated that shRNA-induced CHK1 silencing can override G2/M arrest and impair homologous recombination (HR) repair by reducing breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) expression. Cells had no time, and thus limited ability, to repair the damage and were thus more sensitive to chemotherapy after CHK1 downregulation. Second, we tested the therapeutic effect of VP16 combined with CCT245737, an orally bioavailable CHK1 inhibitor, and observed strong synergistic anticancer effects in K562 cells. Moreover, we discovered that CCT245737 significantly prevented the G2/M arrest caused by acute exposure to VP16. Interestingly, CCT245737 inhibited both BRCA1 and Rad51, the most important component of the HR repair pathway. In conclusion, these results revealed that CHK1 is potentially an ideal therapeutic target for the treatment of CML and that CCT245737 should be considered a candidate drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoyi Fan
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, P.R. China
| | - Huacheng Luo
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Jie Zhou
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, P.R. China
| | - Fangce Wang
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, P.R. China
| | - Wenjun Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, P.R. China
| | - Jian Wang
- East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, P.R. China
| | - Shuo Li
- Jake Gittlen Laboratories for Cancer Research, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Qian Lai
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361003, P.R. China
| | - Yueshuang Xu
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, P.R. China
| | - Guangming Wang
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, P.R. China
| | - Aibin Liang
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, P.R. China
| | - Jun Xu
- East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, P.R. China
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25
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Noble JN, Mishra A. Development and Significance of Mouse Models in Lymphoma Research. Curr Hematol Malig Rep 2020; 14:119-126. [PMID: 30848424 DOI: 10.1007/s11899-019-00504-0] [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: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Animal models have played an indispensable role in interpreting cancer gene functions, pathogenesis of disease, and in the development of innovative therapeutic approaches targeting aberrant biological pathways in human cancers. RECENT FINDINGS These models have guided the therapeutic targeting of cancer-causing mutations and paved the way for assessing anti-cancer drug responses and the preclinical development of immunotherapies. The mammalian models of cancer utilize genetically edited or transplanted mice that develop fairly accurate disease histopathology. The mouse model also allows us to study the effect of tumor microenvironment in the development of lymphoma. The emergence of patient-derived xenografts provides a better opportunity for recapitulating primary lymphoma characteristics and researching personalized drug therapy. In conclusion, the refinement and advancement of available mouse models in lymphoma significantly minimize the therapeutic translational failures in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan N Noble
- College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Anjali Mishra
- College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA. .,Comprehensive Cancer Center, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA. .,Division of Dermatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA. .,Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, Department of Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, 233 South 10th Street, Philadephia, PA, 19107, USA.
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26
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León TE, Rapoz-D'Silva T, Bertoli C, Rahman S, Magnussen M, Philip B, Farah N, Richardson SE, Ahrabi S, Guerra-Assunção JA, Gupta R, Nacheva EP, Henderson S, Herrero J, Linch DC, de Bruin RAM, Mansour MR. EZH2-Deficient T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Is Sensitized to CHK1 Inhibition through Enhanced Replication Stress. Cancer Discov 2020; 10:998-1017. [PMID: 32349972 PMCID: PMC7611258 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-19-0789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Loss-of-function mutations of EZH2, the enzymatic component of PRC2, have been associated with poor outcome and chemotherapy resistance in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Using isogenic T-ALL cells, with and without CRISPR/Cas9-induced EZH2-inactivating mutations, we performed a cell-based synthetic lethal drug screen. EZH2-deficient cells exhibited increased sensitivity to structurally diverse inhibitors of CHK1, an interaction that could be validated genetically. Furthermore, small-molecule inhibition of CHK1 had efficacy in delaying tumor progression in isogenic EZH2-deficient, but not EZH2 wild-type, T-ALL cells in vivo, as well as in a primary cell model of PRC2-mutant ALL. Mechanistically, EZH2 deficiency resulted in a gene-expression signature of immature T-ALL cells, marked transcriptional upregulation of MYCN, increased replication stress, and enhanced dependency on CHK1 for cell survival. Finally, we demonstrate this phenotype is mediated through derepression of a distal PRC2-regulated MYCN enhancer. In conclusion, we highlight a novel and clinically exploitable pathway in high-risk EZH2-mutated T-ALL. SIGNIFICANCE: Loss-of-function mutations of PRC2 genes are associated with chemotherapy resistance in T-ALL, yet no specific therapy for this aggressive subtype is currently clinically available. Our work demonstrates that loss of EZH2 activity leads to MYCN-driven replication stress, resulting in increased sensitivity to CHK1 inhibition, a finding with immediate clinical relevance.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 890.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa E León
- Department of Haematology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tanya Rapoz-D'Silva
- Department of Haematology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Cosetta Bertoli
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sunniyat Rahman
- Department of Haematology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Magnussen
- Department of Haematology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Brian Philip
- Department of Haematology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nadine Farah
- Department of Haematology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Simon E Richardson
- Department of Haematology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sara Ahrabi
- Department of Haematology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Rajeev Gupta
- Stem Cell Laboratory, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elisabeth P Nacheva
- Health Service Laboratories LLP, UCL Cancer Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Henderson
- Bill Lyons Informatics Centre, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Javier Herrero
- Bill Lyons Informatics Centre, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David C Linch
- Department of Haematology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robertus A M de Bruin
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marc R Mansour
- Department of Haematology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
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27
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Cleary JM, Aguirre AJ, Shapiro GI, D'Andrea AD. Biomarker-Guided Development of DNA Repair Inhibitors. Mol Cell 2020; 78:1070-1085. [PMID: 32459988 PMCID: PMC7316088 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2020.04.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Anti-cancer drugs targeting the DNA damage response (DDR) exploit genetic or functional defects in this pathway through synthetic lethal mechanisms. For example, defects in homologous recombination (HR) repair arise in cancer cells through inherited or acquired mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2, or other genes in the Fanconi anemia/BRCA pathway, and these tumors have been shown to be particularly sensitive to inhibitors of the base excision repair (BER) protein poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Recent work has identified additional genomic and functional assays of DNA repair that provide new predictive and pharmacodynamic biomarkers for these targeted therapies. Here, we examine the development of selective agents targeting DNA repair, including PARP inhibitors; inhibitors of the DNA damage kinases ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3 related (ATR), CHK1, WEE1, and ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM); and inhibitors of classical non-homologous end joining (cNHEJ) and alternative end joining (Alt EJ). We also review the biomarkers that guide the use of these agents and current clinical trials with these therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Cleary
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Andrew J Aguirre
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Geoffrey I Shapiro
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Center for DNA Damage and Repair, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Alan D D'Andrea
- Center for DNA Damage and Repair, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
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28
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Rogers RF, Walton MI, Cherry DL, Collins I, Clarke PA, Garrett MD, Workman P. CHK1 Inhibition Is Synthetically Lethal with Loss of B-Family DNA Polymerase Function in Human Lung and Colorectal Cancer Cells. Cancer Res 2020; 80:1735-1747. [PMID: 32161100 PMCID: PMC7611445 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-19-1372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) is a key mediator of the DNA damage response that regulates cell-cycle progression, DNA damage repair, and DNA replication. Small-molecule CHK1 inhibitors sensitize cancer cells to genotoxic agents and have shown single-agent preclinical activity in cancers with high levels of replication stress. However, the underlying genetic determinants of CHK1 inhibitor sensitivity remain unclear. We used the developmental clinical drug SRA737 in an unbiased large-scale siRNA screen to identify novel mediators of CHK1 inhibitor sensitivity and uncover potential combination therapies and biomarkers for patient selection. We identified subunits of the B-family of DNA polymerases (POLA1, POLE, and POLE2) whose silencing sensitized the human A549 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and SW620 colorectal cancer cell lines to SRA737. B-family polymerases were validated using multiple siRNAs in a panel of NSCLC and colorectal cancer cell lines. Replication stress, DNA damage, and apoptosis were increased in human cancer cells following depletion of the B-family DNA polymerases combined with SRA737 treatment. Moreover, pharmacologic blockade of B-family DNA polymerases using aphidicolin or CD437 combined with CHK1 inhibitors led to synergistic inhibition of cancer cell proliferation. Furthermore, low levels of POLA1, POLE, and POLE2 protein expression in NSCLC and colorectal cancer cells correlated with single-agent CHK1 inhibitor sensitivity and may constitute biomarkers of this phenotype. These findings provide a potential basis for combining CHK1 and B-family polymerase inhibitors in cancer therapy. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings demonstrate how the therapeutic benefit of CHK1 inhibitors may potentially be enhanced and could have implications for patient selection and future development of new combination therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca F Rogers
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael I Walton
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel L Cherry
- School of Biosciences, Stacey Building, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Ian Collins
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paul A Clarke
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michelle D Garrett
- School of Biosciences, Stacey Building, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom.
| | - Paul Workman
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom.
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Warren NJH, Eastman A. Comparison of the different mechanisms of cytotoxicity induced by checkpoint kinase I inhibitors when used as single agents or in combination with DNA damage. Oncogene 2020; 39:1389-1401. [PMID: 31659257 PMCID: PMC7023985 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-019-1079-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Inhibition of the DNA damage response is an emerging strategy to treat cancer. Understanding how DNA damage response inhibitors cause cytotoxicity in cancer cells is crucial to their further clinical development. This review focuses on three different mechanisms of cell killing by checkpoint kinase I inhibitors (CHK1i). DNA damage induced by chemotherapy drugs, such as topoisomerase I inhibitors, results in S and G2 phase arrest. Addition of CHK1i promotes cell cycle progression before repair is completed resulting in mitotic catastrophe. Ribonucleotide reductase inhibitors such as gemcitabine also arrest cells in S phase by preventing dNTP synthesis. Addition of CHK1i re-activates the DNA helicase to unwind DNA, but in the absence of dNTPs, this leads to excessive single-strand DNA that exceeds the protective capacity of the single-strand-binding protein RPA. Unprotected DNA is subjected to nuclease cleavage, resulting in replication catastrophe. CHK1i alone also kills a subset of cell lines through MRE11 and MUS81-mediated DNA cleavage in S phase cells. The choice of mechanism depends on the activation state of CDK2. Low level activation of CDK2 mediates helicase activation, cell cycle progression, and both replication and mitotic catastrophe. In contrast, high CDK2 activity is required for sensitivity to CHK1i as monotherapy. This high CDK2 activity threshold usually occurs late in the cell cycle to prepare for mitosis, but in CHK1i-sensitive cells, high activity can be attained in early S phase, resulting in DNA cleavage and cell death. This sensitivity to CHK1i has previously been associated with endogenous replication stress, but the dependence on high CDK2 activity, as well as MRE11, contradicts this hypothesis. The major unresolved question is why some cell lines fail to restrain their high CDK2 activity and hence succumb to CHK1i in S phase. Resolving this question will facilitate stratification of patients for treatment with CHK1i as monotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J H Warren
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA
| | - Alan Eastman
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA.
- Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA.
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Everything in Moderation: Lessons Learned by Exploiting Moderate Replication Stress in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11091320. [PMID: 31500184 PMCID: PMC6769680 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11091320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The poor selectivity of standard cytotoxic chemotherapy regimens causes severe side-effects in patients and reduces the quality of life during treatment. Targeting cancer-specific vulnerabilities can improve response rates, increase overall survival and limit toxic side effects in patients. Oncogene-induced replication stress serves as a tumour specific vulnerability and rationale for the clinical development of inhibitors targeting the DNA damage response (DDR) kinases (CHK1, ATR, ATM and WEE1). CHK1 inhibitors (CHK1i) have served as the pilot compounds in this class and their efficacy in clinical trials as single agents has been disappointing. Initial attempts to combine CHK1i with chemotherapies agents that enhance replication stress (such as gemcitabine) were reported to be excessively toxic. More recently, it has emerged that combining CHK1i with subclinical doses of replication stress inducers is more effective, better tolerated and more compatible with immunotherapies. Here we focus on the lessons learned during the clinical development of CHK1i with the goal of improving the design of future clinical trials utilizing DDR inhibitors to target replication stress in cancer.
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31
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Boudny M, Zemanova J, Khirsariya P, Borsky M, Verner J, Cerna J, Oltova A, Seda V, Mraz M, Jaros J, Jaskova Z, Spunarova M, Brychtova Y, Soucek K, Drapela S, Kasparkova M, Mayer J, Paruch K, Trbusek M. Novel CHK1 inhibitor MU380 exhibits significant single-agent activity in TP53-mutated chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells. Haematologica 2019; 104:2443-2455. [PMID: 30975914 PMCID: PMC6959166 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2018.203430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction of small-molecule inhibitors of B-cell receptor signaling and BCL2 protein significantly improves therapeutic options in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. However, some patients suffer from adverse effects mandating treatment discontinuation, and cases with TP53 defects more frequently experience early progression of the disease. Development of alternative therapeutic approaches is, therefore, of critical importance. Here we report details of the anti-chronic lymphocytic leukemia single-agent activity of MU380, our recently identified potent, selective, and metabolically robust inhibitor of checkpoint kinase 1. We also describe a newly developed enantioselective synthesis of MU380, which allows preparation of gram quantities of the substance. Checkpoint kinase 1 is a master regulator of replication operating primarily in intra-S and G2/M cell cycle checkpoints. Initially tested in leukemia and lymphoma cell lines, MU380 significantly potentiated efficacy of gemcitabine, a clinically used inducer of replication stress. Moreover, MU380 manifested substantial single-agent activity in both TP53-wild type and TP53-mutated leukemia and lymphoma cell lines. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia-derived cell lines MEC-1, MEC-2 (both TP53-mut), and OSU-CLL (TP53-wt) the inhibitor impaired cell cycle progression and induced apoptosis. In primary clinical samples, MU380 used as a single-agent noticeably reduced the viability of unstimulated chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells as well as those induced to proliferate by anti-CD40/IL-4 stimuli. In both cases, effects were comparable in samples harboring p53 pathway dysfunction (TP53 mutations or ATM mutations) and TP53-wt/ATM-wt cells. Lastly, MU380 also exhibited significant in vivo activity in a xenotransplant mouse model (immunodeficient strain NOD-scid IL2Rγnull) where it efficiently suppressed growth of subcutaneous tumors generated from MEC-1 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miroslav Boudny
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University
| | - Jana Zemanova
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University
| | - Prashant Khirsariya
- Department of Chemistry, CZ Openscreen, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University.,Center of Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering, International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital
| | - Marek Borsky
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University
| | - Jan Verner
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University
| | - Jana Cerna
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University
| | - Alexandra Oltova
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University
| | - Vaclav Seda
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University.,Center of Molecular Medicine, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University
| | - Marek Mraz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University.,Center of Molecular Medicine, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University
| | - Josef Jaros
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University
| | - Zuzana Jaskova
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University
| | - Michaela Spunarova
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University
| | - Yvona Brychtova
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University
| | - Karel Soucek
- Center of Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering, International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital.,Department of Cytokinetics, Institute of Biophysics CAS, v.v.i.,Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Stanislav Drapela
- Center of Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering, International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital.,Department of Cytokinetics, Institute of Biophysics CAS, v.v.i.,Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Marie Kasparkova
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University
| | - Jiri Mayer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University
| | - Kamil Paruch
- Department of Chemistry, CZ Openscreen, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University .,Center of Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering, International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital
| | - Martin Trbusek
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University
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32
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Azenha D, Lopes MC, Martins TC. Claspin: From replication stress and DNA damage responses to cancer therapy. DNA Repair (Amst) 2019; 115:203-246. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2018.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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33
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Tian C, Han Z, Li Y, Wang M, Yang J, Wang X, Zhang Z, Liu J. Synthesis and biological evaluation of 2,6-disubstituted-9H-purine, 2,4-disubstitued-thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidine and -7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine analogues as novel CHK1 inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 151:836-848. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.03.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Revised: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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34
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Oo ZY, Stevenson AJ, Proctor M, Daignault SM, Walpole S, Lanagan C, Chen J, Škalamera D, Spoerri L, Ainger SA, Sturm RA, Haass NK, Gabrielli B. Endogenous Replication Stress Marks Melanomas Sensitive to CHEK1 Inhibitors In Vivo. Clin Cancer Res 2018. [PMID: 29535131 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-17-2701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Purpose: Checkpoint kinase 1 inhibitors (CHEK1i) have single-agent activity in vitro and in vivo Here, we have investigated the molecular basis of this activity.Experimental Design: We have assessed a panel of melanoma cell lines for their sensitivity to the CHEK1i GNE-323 and GDC-0575 in vitro and in vivo The effects of these compounds on responses to DNA replication stress were analyzed in the hypersensitive cell lines.Results: A subset of melanoma cell lines is hypersensitive to CHEK1i-induced cell death in vitro, and the drug effectively inhibits tumor growth in vivo In the hypersensitive cell lines, GNE-323 triggers cell death without cells entering mitosis. CHEK1i treatment triggers strong RPA2 hyperphosphorylation and increased DNA damage in only hypersensitive cells. The increased replication stress was associated with a defective S-phase cell-cycle checkpoint. The number and intensity of pRPA2 Ser4/8 foci in untreated tumors appeared to be a marker of elevated replication stress correlated with sensitivity to CHEK1i.Conclusions: CHEK1i have single-agent activity in a subset of melanomas with elevated endogenous replication stress. CHEK1i treatment strongly increased this replication stress and DNA damage, and this correlated with increased cell death. The level of endogenous replication is marked by the pRPA2Ser4/8 foci in the untreated tumors, and may be a useful marker of replication stress in vivoClin Cancer Res; 24(12); 2901-12. ©2018 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zay Yar Oo
- Mater Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland. Australia
| | - Alexander J Stevenson
- Mater Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Martina Proctor
- Mater Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sheena M Daignault
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland. Australia
| | - Sebastian Walpole
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland. Australia
| | - Catherine Lanagan
- Mater Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - James Chen
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland. Australia
| | - Dubravka Škalamera
- Mater Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Loredana Spoerri
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland. Australia
| | - Stephen A Ainger
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland. Australia
| | - Richard A Sturm
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland. Australia
| | - Nikolas K Haass
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland. Australia
| | - Brian Gabrielli
- Mater Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. .,The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland. Australia
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35
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Geneste CC, Massey AJ. Cell Density Affects the Detection of Chk1 Target Engagement by the Selective Inhibitor V158411. SLAS DISCOVERY 2017; 23:144-153. [PMID: 29048945 DOI: 10.1177/2472555217738534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Understanding drug target engagement and the relationship to downstream pharmacology is critical for drug discovery. Here we have evaluated target engagement of Chk1 by the small-molecule inhibitor V158411 using two different target engagement methods (autophosphorylation and cellular thermal shift assay [CETSA]). Target engagement measured by these methods was subsequently related to Chk1 inhibitor-dependent pharmacology. Inhibition of autophosphorylation was a robust method for measuring V158411 Chk1 target engagement. In comparison, while target engagement determined using CETSA appeared robust, the V158411 CETSA target engagement EC50 values were 43- and 19-fold greater than the autophosphorylation IC50 values. This difference was attributed to the higher cell density in the CETSA assay configuration. pChk1 (S296) IC50 values determined using the CETSA assay conditions were 54- and 33-fold greater than those determined under standard conditions and were equivalent to the CETSA EC50 values. Cellular conditions, especially cell density, influenced the target engagement of V158411 for Chk1. The effects of high cell density on apparent compound target engagement potency should be evaluated when using target engagement assays that necessitate high cell densities (such as the CETSA conditions used in this study). In such cases, the subsequent relation of these data to downstream pharmacological changes should therefore be interpreted with care.
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36
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Carrassa L, Damia G. DNA damage response inhibitors: Mechanisms and potential applications in cancer therapy. Cancer Treat Rev 2017; 60:139-151. [PMID: 28961555 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2017.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Revised: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Over the last decade the unravelling of the molecular mechanisms of the DNA damage response pathways and of the genomic landscape of human tumors have paved the road to new therapeutic approaches in oncology. It is now clear that tumors harbour defects in different DNA damage response steps, mainly signalling and repair, rendering them more dependent on the remaining pathways. We here focus on the proteins ATM, ATR, CHK1 and WEE1, reviewing their roles in the DNA damage response and as targets in cancer therapy. In the last decade specific inhibitors of these proteins have been designed, and their potential antineoplastic activity has been explored both in monotherapy strategies against tumors with specific defects (synthetic lethality approach) and in combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapeutic or molecular targeted agents. The preclinical and clinical evidence of antitumor activity of these inhibitors emanating from these research efforts will be critically reviewed. Lastly, the potential therapeutic feasibility of combining together such inhibitors with the aim to target particular subsets of tumors will be also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Carrassa
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Oncology, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milan, Italy.
| | - Giovanna Damia
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Oncology, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milan, Italy.
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37
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Zangarini M, Berry P, Sludden J, Raynaud FI, Banerji U, Jones P, Edwards D, Veal GJ. Development and validation of a LC-MS/MS method for the quantification of the checkpoint kinase 1 inhibitor SRA737 in human plasma. Bioanalysis 2017; 9:1001-1010. [PMID: 28692309 DOI: 10.4155/bio-2017-0043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM SRA737 is an orally active small-molecule inhibitor of checkpoint kinase 1 being investigated in an oncology setting. A HPLC-MS/MS method for quantifying plasma concentrations of SRA737 was validated. METHODS & RESULTS Sample preparation involved protein precipitation with acetonitrile following addition of 13C15N-deuterated SRA737 as internal standard. A rapid and selective method was fully validated across a range of 5-20,000 ng/ml, exhibiting good sensitivity, overall precision (expressed as coefficient of variation) ≤8.0% and accuracy 96-102%. Consistently high recovery was observed, with no matrix effect and a lower limit of quantitation of 5 ng/ml. CONCLUSION A novel method for analyzing SRA737 in human plasma has been validated and is now being utilized for quantification of SRA737 in a Phase I trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique Zangarini
- Newcastle Cancer Centre Pharmacology Group, Northern Institute for Cancer Research, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH2, UK
| | - Philip Berry
- Newcastle Cancer Centre Pharmacology Group, Northern Institute for Cancer Research, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH2, UK
| | - Julieann Sludden
- Newcastle Cancer Centre Pharmacology Group, Northern Institute for Cancer Research, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH2, UK
| | - Florence I Raynaud
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, Division of Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG3, UK
| | - Udai Banerji
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, Division of Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG3, UK
| | - Paul Jones
- Cancer Research UK Centre for Drug Development, London, EC1V 4AD, UK
| | - David Edwards
- Cancer Research UK Centre for Drug Development, London, EC1V 4AD, UK
| | - Gareth J Veal
- Newcastle Cancer Centre Pharmacology Group, Northern Institute for Cancer Research, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH2, UK
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38
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Montano R, Khan N, Hou H, Seigne J, Ernstoff MS, Lewis LD, Eastman A. Cell cycle perturbation induced by gemcitabine in human tumor cells in cell culture, xenografts and bladder cancer patients: implications for clinical trial designs combining gemcitabine with a Chk1 inhibitor. Oncotarget 2017; 8:67754-67768. [PMID: 28978069 PMCID: PMC5620209 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.18834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2017] [Accepted: 06/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Gemcitabine irreversibly inhibits ribonucleotide reductase and induces S phase arrest but whether this occurs in tumors in mice or patients has not been established. Tumor cells in culture were incubated with gemcitabine for 6 h to approximate the administration schedule in a patient. Concentrations that induced persistent S phase arrest thereafter correlated with cell killing. Administration of gemcitabine to mice also demonstrated a persistent S phase arrest in their tumor. The minimum dose that induced almost complete S phase arrest after 24 h (40 mg/kg) was well below the maximum tolerated dose in mice. S phase arrest was also observed in tumors of bladder cancer patients receiving gemcitabine. The Chk1 inhibitor MK-8776 sensitized cells to gemcitabine with the greatest cell killing when added 18 h after gemcitabine. In mice, the administration of MK-8776 18 h after gemcitabine elicited positivity for the DNA damage marker γH2AX; this also occurred at relatively low dose (40 mg/kg) gemcitabine. Hence, in both cell culture and xenografts, MK-8776 can markedly enhance cell killing of cells reversibly arrested in S phase by gemcitabine. Some cell lines are hypersensitive to MK-8776 as monotherapy, but this was not observed in xenograft models. Effective monotherapy requires a higher dose of Chk1 inhibitor, and target inhibition over a longer time period as compared to its use in combination. These results have important implications for combining Chk1 inhibitors with gemcitabine and suggest that Chk1 inhibitors with increased bioavailability may have improved efficacy both in combination and as monotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Montano
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Nadeem Khan
- Department of Radiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA.,Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Huagang Hou
- Department of Radiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA.,Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - John Seigne
- Department of Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA.,Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Marc S Ernstoff
- Department of Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA.,Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA.,Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Lionel D Lewis
- Department of Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA.,Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Alan Eastman
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA.,Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
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39
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Targeting the ATR-CHK1 Axis in Cancer Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2017; 9:cancers9050041. [PMID: 28448462 PMCID: PMC5447951 DOI: 10.3390/cancers9050041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Revised: 04/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeting the DNA damage response (DDR) is a new therapeutic approach in cancer that shows great promise for tumour selectivity. Key components of the DDR are the ataxia telangiectasia mutated and Rad3 related (ATR) and checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) kinases. This review article describes the role of ATR and its major downstream target, CHK1, in the DDR and why cancer cells are particularly reliant on the ATR-CHK1 pathway, providing the rationale for targeting these kinases, and validation of this hypothesis by genetic manipulation. The recent development of specific inhibitors and preclinical data using these inhibitors not only as chemosensitisers and radiosensitisers but also as single agents to exploit specific pathologies of tumour cells is described. These potent and specific inhibitors have now entered clinical trial and early results are presented.
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40
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Inhibition of ATR-dependent feedback activation of Chk1 sensitises cancer cells to Chk1 inhibitor monotherapy. Cancer Lett 2016; 383:41-52. [PMID: 27693461 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2016.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The Chk1 and ATR kinases are critical mediators of the DNA damage response pathway and help protect cancer cells from endogenous and oncogene induced replication stress. Inhibitors of both kinases are currently being evaluated in clinical trials. Chk1 inhibition with V158411 increases DNA damage and activates the ATR, ATM and DNA-PKcs dependent DNA damage response pathways. Inhibiting ATR, ATM and/or DNA-PKcs has the potential to increase the therapeutic activity of Chk1 inhibitors. ATR inhibition but not ATM or DNA-PKcs inhibition potentiated the cytotoxicity of V158411 in p53 mutant and wild type human cancer cell lines. This increased cytotoxicity correlated with increased nuclear DNA damage and replication stress in a dose and time dependent manner. γH2AX induction following Chk1 inhibition protected cells from caspase-dependent apoptosis. Inhibition of ATR increased Chk1 inhibitor induced cell death independently of caspase activation. The effect of ATR, ATM and/or DNA-PK inhibition on Chk1 inhibitor induced replication stress was dependent on the concentration of Chk1 inhibitor. ATR inhibition potentiated Chk1 inhibitor induced replication stress and cytotoxicity via the abrogation of ATR-dependent feedback activation of Chk1 induced by Chk1 inhibitor generated replication stress. This study suggests that combining an ATR inhibitor to lower the threshold by which a Chk1 inhibitor induces replication stress, DNA damage and tumour cell death in a wide range of cancer types may be a useful clinical approach.
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Kanu N, Cerone MA, Goh G, Zalmas LP, Bartkova J, Dietzen M, McGranahan N, Rogers R, Law EK, Gromova I, Kschischo M, Walton MI, Rossanese OW, Bartek J, Harris RS, Venkatesan S, Swanton C. DNA replication stress mediates APOBEC3 family mutagenesis in breast cancer. Genome Biol 2016; 17:185. [PMID: 27634334 PMCID: PMC5025597 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-016-1042-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The APOBEC3 family of cytidine deaminases mutate the cancer genome in a range of cancer types. Although many studies have documented the downstream effects of APOBEC3 activity through next-generation sequencing, less is known about their upstream regulation. In this study, we sought to identify a molecular basis for APOBEC3 expression and activation. RESULTS HER2 amplification and PTEN loss promote DNA replication stress and APOBEC3B activity in vitro and correlate with APOBEC3 mutagenesis in vivo. HER2-enriched breast carcinomas display evidence of elevated levels of replication stress-associated DNA damage in vivo. Chemical and cytotoxic induction of replication stress, through aphidicolin, gemcitabine, camptothecin or hydroxyurea exposure, activates transcription of APOBEC3B via an ATR/Chk1-dependent pathway in vitro. APOBEC3B activation can be attenuated through repression of oncogenic signalling, small molecule inhibition of receptor tyrosine kinase signalling and alleviation of replication stress through nucleoside supplementation. CONCLUSION These data link oncogene, loss of tumour suppressor gene and drug-induced replication stress with APOBEC3B activity, providing new insights into how cytidine deaminase-induced mutagenesis might be activated in tumourigenesis and limited therapeutically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nnennaya Kanu
- UCL Cancer Institute, CRUK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Paul O'Gorman Building, Huntley St., London, UK
| | - Maria Antonietta Cerone
- UCL Cancer Institute, CRUK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Paul O'Gorman Building, Huntley St., London, UK
| | - Gerald Goh
- UCL Cancer Institute, CRUK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Paul O'Gorman Building, Huntley St., London, UK
| | | | - Jirina Bartkova
- Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Translational Medicine and Chemical Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michelle Dietzen
- UCL Cancer Institute, CRUK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Paul O'Gorman Building, Huntley St., London, UK
| | - Nicholas McGranahan
- Translational Cancer Therapeutics Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Rebecca Rogers
- CRUK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Emily K Law
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Masonic Cancer Center, Institute for Molecular Virology, Center for Genome Engineering, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Irina Gromova
- Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maik Kschischo
- Department of Mathematics and Technology, University of Applied Sciences Koblenz, RheinAhrCampus Remagen, Joseph-Rovan-Allee 2, D-53424, Remagen, Germany
| | - Michael I Walton
- CRUK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Olivia W Rossanese
- CRUK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Jiri Bartek
- Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Translational Medicine and Chemical Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Reuben S Harris
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Masonic Cancer Center, Institute for Molecular Virology, Center for Genome Engineering, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Subramanian Venkatesan
- UCL Cancer Institute, CRUK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Paul O'Gorman Building, Huntley St., London, UK.
- Translational Cancer Therapeutics Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
| | - Charles Swanton
- UCL Cancer Institute, CRUK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Paul O'Gorman Building, Huntley St., London, UK.
- Translational Cancer Therapeutics Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
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Yang SH, Kuo TC, Wu H, Guo JC, Hsu C, Hsu CH, Tien YW, Yeh KH, Cheng AL, Kuo SH. Perspectives on the combination of radiotherapy and targeted therapy with DNA repair inhibitors in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2016; 22:7275-7288. [PMID: 27621574 PMCID: PMC4997635 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i32.7275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2016] [Revised: 06/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is highly lethal. Current research that combines radiation with targeted therapy may dramatically improve prognosis. Cancerous cells are characterized by unstable genomes and activation of DNA repair pathways, which are indicated by increased phosphorylation of numerous factors, including H2AX, ATM, ATR, Chk1, Chk2, DNA-PKcs, Rad51, and Ku70/Ku80 heterodimers. Radiotherapy causes DNA damage. Cancer cells can be made more sensitive to the effects of radiation (radiosensitization) through inhibition of DNA repair pathways. The synergistic effects, of two or more combined non-lethal treatments, led to co-administration of chemotherapy and radiosensitization in BRCA-defective cells and patients, with promising results. ATM/Chk2 and ATR/Chk1 pathways are principal regulators of cell cycle arrest, following DNA double-strand or single-strand breaks. DNA double-stranded breaks activate DNA-dependent protein kinase, catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs). It forms a holoenzyme with Ku70/Ku80 heterodimers, called DNA-PK, which catalyzes the joining of nonhomologous ends. This is the primary repair pathway utilized in human cells after exposure to ionizing radiation. Radiosensitization, induced by inhibitors of ATM, ATR, Chk1, Chk2, Wee1, PP2A, or DNA-PK, has been demonstrated in preclinical pancreatic cancer studies. Clinical trials are underway. Development of agents that inhibit DNA repair pathways to be clinically used in combination with radiotherapy is warranted for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
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Osborne JD, Matthews TP, McHardy T, Proisy N, Cheung KMJ, Lainchbury M, Brown N, Walton MI, Eve PD, Boxall KJ, Hayes A, Henley AT, Valenti MR, De Haven Brandon AK, Box G, Jamin Y, Robinson SP, Westwood IM, van Montfort RLM, Leonard PM, Lamers MBAC, Reader JC, Aherne GW, Raynaud FI, Eccles SA, Garrett MD, Collins I. Multiparameter Lead Optimization to Give an Oral Checkpoint Kinase 1 (CHK1) Inhibitor Clinical Candidate: (R)-5-((4-((Morpholin-2-ylmethyl)amino)-5-(trifluoromethyl)pyridin-2-yl)amino)pyrazine-2-carbonitrile (CCT245737). J Med Chem 2016; 59:5221-37. [PMID: 27167172 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b01938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Multiparameter optimization of a series of 5-((4-aminopyridin-2-yl)amino)pyrazine-2-carbonitriles resulted in the identification of a potent and selective oral CHK1 preclinical development candidate with in vivo efficacy as a potentiator of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damaging chemotherapy and as a single agent. Cellular mechanism of action assays were used to give an integrated assessment of compound selectivity during optimization resulting in a highly CHK1 selective adenosine triphosphate (ATP) competitive inhibitor. A single substituent vector directed away from the CHK1 kinase active site was unexpectedly found to drive the selective cellular efficacy of the compounds. Both CHK1 potency and off-target human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) ion channel inhibition were dependent on lipophilicity and basicity in this series. Optimization of CHK1 cellular potency and in vivo pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) properties gave a compound with low predicted doses and exposures in humans which mitigated the residual weak in vitro hERG inhibition.
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Barnard D, Diaz HB, Burke T, Donoho G, Beckmann R, Jones B, Barda D, King C, Marshall M. LY2603618, a selective CHK1 inhibitor, enhances the anti-tumor effect of gemcitabine in xenograft tumor models. Invest New Drugs 2015; 34:49-60. [PMID: 26612134 DOI: 10.1007/s10637-015-0310-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Pharmacological inhibition of CHK1 in the absence of p53 functionality leads to abrogation of the S and G2/M DNA damage checkpoints. We report the preclinical therapeutic activity of LY2603618 (CHK1 inhibitor) at inhibiting CHK1 activation by gemcitabine and enhancing in vivo efficacy. The in vivo biochemical effects of CHK1 inhibition in the absence or presence of DNA damage were measured in human tumor xenograft models. Colon, lung and pancreatic xenografts models were treated with gemcitabine, LY2603618, or gemcitabine plus LY2603618. Gemcitabine treatment alone induced a significant increase in CHK1 autophosphorylation over untreated tumors. Co-administration of LY2603618 with gemcitabine showed a clear inhibition of CHK1 autophosphorylation for at least 24 h. Combining LY2603618 with gemcitabine resulted in an increase in H2AX serine 139 phosphorylation, indicating a corresponding increase in damaged DNA in the tumors. LY2603618 abrogated the S-phase DNA damage checkpoint in Calu-6 xenograft tumors treated with gemcitabine but did not significantly alter the G2/M checkpoint. Combining gemcitabine with LY2603618 resulted in a significant increase in tumor growth inhibition in Calu-6, HT-29 and PAXF 1869 xenografts over gemcitabine treatment alone. The best combination efficacy occurred when LY2603618 was given 24 h following dosing with gemcitabine. LY2603618 worked effectively to remove the S-phase DNA damage checkpoint and increase the DNA damage and the antitumor activity of gemcitabine treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darlene Barnard
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 46285, USA
| | - H Bruce Diaz
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 46285, USA
| | - Teresa Burke
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 46285, USA
| | - Gregory Donoho
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 46285, USA
| | - Richard Beckmann
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 46285, USA
| | - Bonita Jones
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 46285, USA
| | - David Barda
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 46285, USA
| | - Constance King
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 46285, USA
| | - Mark Marshall
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, 46285, USA.
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