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Bai Y, Sui X, Xuan Z, Du Y, Fu M, Zheng Z, Yang K, Xu C, Liu Y, Liu B, Zhong M, Zhang Z, Zheng J, Hu X, Zhang L, Sun H, Shao C. Discovery of a small-molecule NDR1 agonist for prostate cancer therapy. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1367358. [PMID: 38410130 PMCID: PMC10896269 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1367358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Prostatic cancer (PCa) is a common malignant neoplasm in men worldwide. Most patients develop castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) after treatment with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), usually resulting in death. Therefore, investigating new therapeutic targets and drugs for PCa patients is urgently needed. Nuclear Dbf2-related kinase 1 (NDR1), also known as STK38, is a serine/threonine kinase in the NDR/LATS kinase family that plays a critical role in cellular processes, including immunity, inflammation, metastasis, and tumorigenesis. It was reported that NDR1 inhibited the metastasis of prostate cancer cells by suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and decreased NDR1 expression might lead to a poorer prognosis, suggesting the enormous potential of NDR1 in antitumorigenesis. In this study, we characterized a small-molecule agonist named aNDR1, which specifically bound to NDR1 and potently promoted NDR1 expression, enzymatic activity and phosphorylation. aNDR1 exhibited drug-like properties, such as favorable stability, plasma protein binding capacity, cell membrane permeability, and PCa cell-specific inhibition, while having no obvious effect on normal prostate cells. Meanwhile, aNDR1 exhibited good antitumor activity both in vitro and in vivo. aNDR1 inhibited proliferation and migration of PCa cells and promoted apoptosis of PCa cells in vitro. We further found that aNDR1 inhibited subcutaneous tumors and lung metastatic nodules in vivo, with no obvious toxicity to the body. In summary, our study presents a potential small-molecule lead compound that targets NDR1 for clinical therapy of PCa patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Bai
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Xiuyuan Sui
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Zuodong Xuan
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Yifan Du
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Meiling Fu
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Zeyuan Zheng
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Kunao Yang
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Chunlan Xu
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Yankuo Liu
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Bin Liu
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Min Zhong
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Zhengying Zhang
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Jianzhong Zheng
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Xiaoyan Hu
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Huimin Sun
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Chen Shao
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Department of Urology, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
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Tang B, Wu M, Zhang L, Jian S, Lv S, Lin T, Zhu S, Liu L, Wang Y, Yi Z, Jiang F. Combined treatment of disulfiram with PARP inhibitors suppresses ovarian cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1154073. [PMID: 37143950 PMCID: PMC10151711 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1154073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Due to the difficulty of early diagnosis, nearly 70% of ovarian cancer patients are first diagnosed at an advanced stage. Thus, improving current treatment strategies is of great significance for ovarian cancer patients. Fast-developing poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases inhibitors (PARPis) have been beneficial in the treatment of ovarian cancer at different stages of the disease, but PARPis have serious side effects and can result in drug resistance. Using PARPis in combination with other drug therapies could improve the efficacy of PRAPis.In this study, we identified Disulfiram as a potential therapeutic candidate through drug screening and tested its use in combination with PARPis. Methods Cytotoxicity tests and colony formation experiments showed that the combination of Disulfiram and PARPis decreased the viability of ovarian cancer cells. Results The combination of PARPis with Disulfiram also significantly increased the expression of DNA damage index gH2AX and induced more PARP cleavage. In addition, Disulfiram inhibited the expression of genes associated with the DNA damage repair pathway, indicating that Disulfiram functions through the DNA repair pathway. Discussion Based on these findings, we propose that Disulfiram reinforces PARPis activity in ovarian cancer cells by improving drug sensitivity. The combined use of Disulfiram and PARPis provides a novel treatment strategy for patients with ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Tang
- Department of Gynecology, East China Normal University Wuhu Affiliated Hospital (The Second People’s Hospital of Wuhu City), Wuhu, China
| | - Min Wu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuyi Jian
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shiyi Lv
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tongyuan Lin
- Department of Gynecology, East China Normal University Wuhu Affiliated Hospital (The Second People’s Hospital of Wuhu City), Wuhu, China
| | - Shuangshuang Zhu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Layang Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yixue Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhengfang Yi
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Feiyun Jiang, ; Zhengfang Yi,
| | - Feiyun Jiang
- Department of Gynecology, East China Normal University Wuhu Affiliated Hospital (The Second People’s Hospital of Wuhu City), Wuhu, China
- *Correspondence: Feiyun Jiang, ; Zhengfang Yi,
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Ha S, Luo G, Xiang H. A Comprehensive Overview of Small-Molecule Androgen Receptor Degraders: Recent Progress and Future Perspectives. J Med Chem 2022; 65:16128-16154. [PMID: 36459083 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PC), the second most prevalent malignancy in men worldwide, has been proven to depend on the aberrant activation of androgen receptor (AR) signaling. Long-term androgen deprivation for the treatment of PC inevitably leads to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in which AR remains a crucial oncogenic driver. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop new strategies to address this unmet medical need. Targeting AR for degradation has recently been in a vigorous development stage, and accumulating clinical studies have highlighted the benefits of AR degraders in CRPC patients. Herein, we provide a comprehensive summary of small-molecule AR degraders with diverse mechanisms of action including proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs), selective AR degraders (SARDs), hydrophobic tags (HyT), and other AR degraders with distinct mechanisms. Accordingly, their structure-activity relationships, biomedical applications, and therapeutic values are also dissected to provide insights into the future development of promising AR degradation-based therapeutics for CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si Ha
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, P. R. China
| | - Guoshun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, P. R. China
| | - Hua Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, P. R. China
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Huang J, Lin B, Li B. Anti-Androgen Receptor Therapies in Prostate Cancer: A Brief Update and Perspective. Front Oncol 2022; 12:865350. [PMID: 35372068 PMCID: PMC8965587 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.865350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer is a major health issue in western countries and is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men. Prostate cancer depends on the androgen receptor (AR), a transcriptional factor critical for prostate cancer growth and progression. Castration by surgery or medical treatment reduces androgen levels, resulting in prostatic atrophy and prostate cancer regression. Thus, metastatic prostate cancers are initially managed with androgen deprivation therapy. Unfortunately, prostate cancers rapidly relapse after castration therapy and progress to a disease stage called castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Currently, clinical treatment for CRPCs is focused on suppressing AR activity with antagonists like Enzalutamide or by reducing androgen production with Abiraterone. In clinical practice, these treatments fail to yield a curative benefit in CRPC patients in part due to AR gene mutations or splicing variations, resulting in AR reactivation. It is conceivable that eliminating the AR protein in prostate cancer cells is a promising solution to provide a potential curative outcome. Multiple strategies have emerged, and several potent agents that reduce AR protein levels were reported to eliminate xenograft tumor growth in preclinical models via distinct mechanisms, including proteasome-mediated degradation, heat-shock protein inhibition, AR splicing suppression, blockage of AR nuclear localization, AR N-terminal suppression. A few small chemical compounds are undergoing clinical trials combined with existing AR antagonists. AR protein elimination by enhanced protein or mRNA degradation is a realistic solution for avoiding AR reactivation during androgen deprivation therapy in prostate cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Huang
- Pathological Diagnosis and Research Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Biyun Lin
- Pathological Diagnosis and Research Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Benyi Li
- Department of Urology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, United States
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