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Zhou Y, Zhou F, Xu S, Shi D, Ding D, Wang S, Poongavanam V, Tang K, Liu X, Zhan P. Hydrophobic tagging of small molecules: an overview of the literature and future outlook. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2024; 19:799-813. [PMID: 38825802 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2024.2360416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hydrophobic tagging (HyT) technology presents a distinct therapeutic strategy diverging from conventional small molecule drugs, providing an innovative approach to drug design. This review aims to provide an overview of the HyT literature and future outlook to offer guidance for drug design. AREAS COVERED In this review, the authors introduce the composition, mechanisms and advantages of HyT technology, as well as summarize the detailed applications of HyT technology in anti-cancer, neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and other fields. Furthermore, this review discusses key aspects of the future development of HyT molecules. EXPERT OPINION HyT emerges as a highly promising targeted protein degradation (TPD) strategy, following the successful development of proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTAC) and molecular glue. Based on exploring new avenues, modification of the HyT molecule itself potentially enhances the technology. Improved synthetic pathways and emphasis on pharmacokinetic (PK) properties will facilitate the development of HyT. Furthermore, elucidating the biochemical basis by which the compound's hydrophobic moiety recruits the protein homeostasis network will enable the development of more precise assays that can guide the optimization of the linker and hydrophobic moiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, PR China
| | - Fan Zhou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, PR China
| | - Shujing Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, PR China
| | - Dazhou Shi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, PR China
| | - Dang Ding
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, PR China
| | - Shuo Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, PR China
| | | | - Kai Tang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, PR China
| | - Xinyong Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, PR China
| | - Peng Zhan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, PR China
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Lin R, Yang J, Liu T, Wang M, Ke C, Luo C, Lin J, Li J, Lin H. Discovery of HyT-Based Degraders of CDK9-Cyclin T1 Complex. Chem Biodivers 2023; 20:e202300769. [PMID: 37349855 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202300769] [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: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Direct modulation of the non-kinase functions of cyclin and CDK-cyclin complexes poses challenges. We utilize hydrophobic tag (HyT) based small-molecule degraders induced degradation of cyclin T1 and its corresponding kinase partner CDK9. LL-CDK9-12 demonstrated the most potent and selective degradation ability, with DC50 values of 0.362 μM against CDK9 and 0.680 μM against cyclin T1. In prostate cancer cells, LL-CDK9-12 showed enhanced anti-proliferative activity than its parental molecule SNS032 and LL-K9-3, the previous reported CDK9-cyclin T1 degrader. Moreover, LL-CDK9-12 suppressed the downstream signaling of CDK9 and AR efficiently. Altogether, LL-CDK9-12 was an effective dual degrader of CDK9-cyclin T1 and helped study the unknown function of CDK9-cyclin T1. These results suggest that HyT-based degraders could be used as a strategy to induce the degradation of protein complexes, providing insights for the design of protein complexes' degraders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongkun Lin
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, China
| | - Jie Yang
- Biomedical Research Center of South China, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350117, China
| | - Ting Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, China
| | - Mingyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chongrong Ke
- National and Local United Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microbiology and Fermentation Technology, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350117, Fujian, China
| | - Cheng Luo
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan, 528437, China
- Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China
| | - Jin Lin
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, China
| | - Jiacheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Hua Lin
- Biomedical Research Center of South China, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350117, China
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Danazumi AU, Ishmam IT, Idris S, Izert MA, Balogun EO, Górna MW. Targeted protein degradation might present a novel therapeutic approach in the fight against African trypanosomiasis. Eur J Pharm Sci 2023; 186:106451. [PMID: 37088149 PMCID: PMC11032742 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2023.106451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
African trypanosomiasis (AT) is a hemoparasitic disease caused by infection with African trypanosomes and it is prevalent in many sub-Saharan African countries, affecting both humans and domestic animals. The disease is transmitted mostly by haematophagous insects of the genus Glossina while taking blood meal, in the process spreading the parasites from an infected animal to an uninfected animal. The disease is fatal if untreated, and the available drugs are generally ineffective and resulting in toxicities. Therefore, it is still pertinent to explore novel methods and targets for drug discovery. Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) present a new strategy for development of therapeutic molecules that mimic cellular proteasomal-mediated protein degradation to target proteins involved in different disease types. PROTACs have been used to degrade proteins involved in various cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, and immune disorders with remarkable success. Here, we highlight the problems associated with the current treatments for AT, discuss the concept of PROTACs and associated targeted protein degradation (TPD) approaches, and provide some insights on the future potential for the use of these emerging technologies (PROTACs and TPD) for the development of new generation of anti-Trypanosoma drugs and the first "TrypPROTACs".
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Affiliation(s)
- Ammar Usman Danazumi
- Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland; Department of Biochemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
| | | | - Salisu Idris
- Department of Biochemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
| | - Matylda Anna Izert
- Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Emmanuel Oluwadare Balogun
- Department of Biochemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria; African Centre of Excellence for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Forensic Biotechnology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
| | - Maria Wiktoria Górna
- Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
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Guo J, Zhou Y, Lu X. Advances in protein kinase drug discovery through targeting gatekeeper mutations. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2023; 18:1349-1366. [PMID: 37811637 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2265303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Acquired resistance caused by gatekeeper mutations has become a major challenge for approved kinase inhibitors used in the clinic. Consequently, the development of new-generation inhibitors or degraders to overcome clinical resistance has become an important research focus for the field. AREAS COVERED This review summarizes the common gatekeeper mutations in druggable kinases and the constantly evolving inhibitors or degraders designed to overcome single or double mutations of gatekeeper residues. Furthermore, the authors provide their perspectives on the medicinal chemistry strategies for addressing clinical resistance with gatekeeper mutations. EXPERT OPINION The authors suggest optimizing kinase inhibitors to interact effectively with gatekeeper residues, altering the binding mode or binding pocket to avoid steric clashes, improving binding affinity with the target, utilizing protein degraders, and developing combination therapy. These approaches have the potential to be effective in overcoming resistance due to gatekeeper residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Guo
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Discovery of Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE), Guangzhou City Key Laboratory of Precision Chemical Drug Development, School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yang Zhou
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Discovery of Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE), Guangzhou City Key Laboratory of Precision Chemical Drug Development, School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyun Lu
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Discovery of Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE), Guangzhou City Key Laboratory of Precision Chemical Drug Development, School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
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Vadevoo SMP, Gurung S, Lee HS, Gunassekaran GR, Lee SM, Yoon JW, Lee YK, Lee B. Peptides as multifunctional players in cancer therapy. Exp Mol Med 2023; 55:1099-1109. [PMID: 37258584 PMCID: PMC10318096 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-023-01016-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Peptides exhibit lower affinity and a shorter half-life in the body than antibodies. Conversely, peptides demonstrate higher efficiency in tissue penetration and cell internalization than antibodies. Regardless of the pros and cons of peptides, they have been used as tumor-homing ligands for delivering carriers (such as nanoparticles, extracellular vesicles, and cells) and cargoes (such as cytotoxic peptides and radioisotopes) to tumors. Additionally, tumor-homing peptides have been conjugated with cargoes such as small-molecule or chemotherapeutic drugs via linkers to synthesize peptide-drug conjugates. In addition, peptides selectively bind to cell surface receptors and proteins, such as immune checkpoints, receptor kinases, and hormone receptors, subsequently blocking their biological activity or serving as hormone analogs. Furthermore, peptides internalized into cells bind to intracellular proteins and interfere with protein-protein interactions. Thus, peptides demonstrate great application potential as multifunctional players in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sri Murugan Poongkavithai Vadevoo
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
- Cell & Matrix Research Institute, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
| | - Smriti Gurung
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
- Cell & Matrix Research Institute, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Su Lee
- Department of Physiology, Daegu Catholic University School of Medicine, 33 Duryugongwon-ro 17-gil, Nam-gu, Daegu, 42472, Republic of Korea
| | - Gowri Rangaswamy Gunassekaran
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
- Cell & Matrix Research Institute, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
| | - Seok-Min Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
- Cell & Matrix Research Institute, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Won Yoon
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
- Cell & Matrix Research Institute, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun-Ki Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
- Cell & Matrix Research Institute, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea
| | - Byungheon Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Biomedical Science, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea.
- Cell & Matrix Research Institute, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea.
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6
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Xie S, Zhan F, Zhu J, Sun Y, Zhu H, Liu J, Chen J, Zhu Z, Yang DH, Chen ZS, Yao H, Xu J, Xu S. Discovery of Norbornene as a Novel Hydrophobic Tag Applied in Protein Degradation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202217246. [PMID: 36670545 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202217246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Hydrophobic tagging (HyT) is a potential therapeutic strategy for targeted protein degradation (TPD). Norbornene was discovered as an unprecedented hydrophobic tag in this study and was used to degrade the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion protein by linking it to ALK inhibitors. The most promising degrader, Hyt-9, potently reduced ALK levels through Hsp70 and the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) in vitro without compensatory upregulation of ALK. Furthermore, Hyt-9 exhibited a significant tumor-inhibiting effect in vivo with moderate oral bioavailability. More importantly, norbornene can also be used to degrade the intractable enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) when tagged with the EZH2 inhibitor tazemetostat. Thus, the discovery of novel hydrophobic norbornene tags shows promise for the future development of TPD technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaowen Xie
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, China
| | - Feiyan Zhan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, China
| | - Jingjie Zhu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, China
| | - Yuan Sun
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, China
| | - Huajian Zhu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Department of Organic Chemistry, School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First People's Hospital of Kunshan, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215300, China
| | - Zheying Zhu
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics and Formulation, School of Pharmacy, The University of Nottingham, University Park, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Dong-Hua Yang
- College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Zhe-Sheng Chen
- College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Hong Yao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, China
| | - Jinyi Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, China
| | - Shengtao Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, China.,Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First People's Hospital of Kunshan, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215300, China
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Heo AJ, Ji CH, Kwon YT. The Cys/N-degron pathway in the ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy. Trends Cell Biol 2023; 33:247-259. [PMID: 35945077 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2022.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
The N-degron pathway is a degradative system in which the N-terminal residues of proteins modulate the half-lives of proteins and other cellular materials. The majority of amino acids in the genetic code have the potential to induce cis or trans degradation in diverse processes, which requires selective recognition between N-degrons and cognate N-recognins. Of particular interest is the Cys/N-degron branch, in which the N-terminal cysteine (Nt-Cys) induces proteolysis via either the ubiquitin (Ub)-proteasome system (UPS) or the autophagy-lysosome pathway (ALP), depending on physiological conditions. Recent studies provided new insights into the central role of Nt-Cys in sensing the fluctuating levels of oxygen and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Here, we discuss the components, regulations, and functions of the Cys/N-degron pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ah Jung Heo
- Cellular Degradation Biology Center and Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Chang Hoon Ji
- Cellular Degradation Biology Center and Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea; AUTOTAC Bio Inc., Changkyunggung-ro 254, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03077, Korea
| | - Yong Tae Kwon
- Cellular Degradation Biology Center and Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea; AUTOTAC Bio Inc., Changkyunggung-ro 254, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03077, Korea; Ischemic/Hypoxic Disease Institute, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 110-799, Korea.
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8
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Salama AKAA, Trkulja MV, Casanova E, Uras IZ. Targeted Protein Degradation: Clinical Advances in the Field of Oncology. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:15440. [PMID: 36499765 PMCID: PMC9741350 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The field of targeted protein degradation (TPD) is a rapidly developing therapeutic modality with the promise to tame disease-relevant proteins in ways that are difficult or impossible to tackle with other strategies. While we move into the third decade of TPD, multiple degrader drugs have entered the stage of the clinic and many more are expected to follow. In this review, we provide an update on the most recent advances in the field of targeted degradation with insights into possible clinical implications for cancer prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Iris Z. Uras
- Department of Pharmacology, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology & Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC), Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Venkatesan J, Murugan D, Rangasamy L. A Perspective on Newly Emerging Proteolysis-Targeting Strategies in Antimicrobial Drug Discovery. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:1717. [PMID: 36551374 PMCID: PMC9774230 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11121717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation is a new aspect in the field of drug discovery. Traditionally, developing an antibiotic includes tedious and expensive processes, such as drug screening, lead optimization, and formulation. Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are new-generation drugs that use the proteolytic mechanism to selectively degrade and eliminate proteins involved in human diseases. The application of PROTACs is explored immensely in the field of cancer, and various PROTACs are in clinical trials. Thus, researchers have a profound interest in pursuing PROTAC technology as a new weapon to fight pathogenic viruses and bacteria. This review highlights the importance of antimicrobial PROTACs and other similar "PROTAC-like" techniques to degrade pathogenic target proteins (i.e., viral/bacterial proteins). These techniques can perform specific protein degradation of the pathogenic protein to avoid resistance caused by mutations or abnormal expression of the pathogenic protein. PROTAC-based antimicrobial therapeutics have the advantage of high specificity and the ability to degrade "undruggable" proteins, such as nonenzymatic and structural proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janarthanan Venkatesan
- Drug Discovery Unit (DDU), Centre for Biomaterials, Cellular, and Molecular Theranostics (CBCMT), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
- School of Advanced Sciences (SAS), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Dhanashree Murugan
- Drug Discovery Unit (DDU), Centre for Biomaterials, Cellular, and Molecular Theranostics (CBCMT), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
- School of Biosciences and Technology (SBST), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Loganathan Rangasamy
- Drug Discovery Unit (DDU), Centre for Biomaterials, Cellular, and Molecular Theranostics (CBCMT), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
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10
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Moreno R, Casares L, Higgins M, Ali KX, Honda T, Wiel C, Sayin VI, Dinkova-Kostova AT, de la Vega L. Biotinylation of an acetylenic tricyclic bis(cyanoenone) lowers its potency as an NRF2 activator while creating a novel activity against BACH1. Free Radic Biol Med 2022; 191:203-211. [PMID: 36084789 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.08.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The transcription factor BACH1 regulates the expression of a variety of genes including genes involved in oxidative stress responses, inflammation, cell motility, cancer cell invasion and cancer metabolism. Based on this, BACH1 has become a promising therapeutic target in cancer (as anti-metastatic target) and also in chronic conditions linked to oxidative stress and inflammation, where BACH1 inhibitors share a therapeutic space with activators of transcription factor NRF2. However, while there is a growing number of NRF2 activators, there are only a few described BACH1 inhibitors/degraders. The synthetic acetylenic tricyclic bis(cyanoenone),(±)-(4bS,8aR,10aS)-10a-ethynyl-4b,8,8-trimethyl-3,7-dioxo-3.4b,7,8,8a,9,10, 10a-octahydrophenanthrene-2,6-dicarbonitrile, TBE31 is a potent activator of NRF2 without any BACH1 activity. Herein we found that biotinylation of TBE31 greatly reduces its potency as NRF2 activator (50-75-fold less active) while acquiring a novel activity as a BACH1 degrader (100-200-fold more active). We demonstrate that TBE56, the biotinylated TBE31, interacts and promotes the degradation of BACH1 via a mechanism involving the E3 ligase FBXO22. TBE56 is a potent and sustained BACH1 degrader (50-fold more potent than hemin) and accordingly a powerful HMOX1 inducer. TBE56 degrades BACH1 in lung and breast cancer cells, impairing breast cancer cell migration and invasion in a BACH1-dependent manner, while TBE31 has no significant effect. Altogether, our study identifies that the biotinylation of TBE31 provides novel activities with potential therapeutic value, providing a rationale for further characterisation of this and related compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Moreno
- Jacqui Wood Cancer Centre, Division of Cellular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, UK
| | - Laura Casares
- Jacqui Wood Cancer Centre, Division of Cellular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, UK
| | - Maureen Higgins
- Jacqui Wood Cancer Centre, Division of Cellular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, UK
| | - Kevin X Ali
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Department of Surgery, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Tadashi Honda
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Chemical Biology & Drug Discovery, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-3400, USA
| | - Clotilde Wiel
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Department of Surgery, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Volkan I Sayin
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Department of Surgery, Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Albena T Dinkova-Kostova
- Jacqui Wood Cancer Centre, Division of Cellular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, UK; Department of Medicine and Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Laureano de la Vega
- Jacqui Wood Cancer Centre, Division of Cellular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, UK.
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Bai C, Yang W, Ouyang R, Li Z, Zhang L. Study of hsa_circRNA_000121 and hsa_circRNA_004183 in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma. Open Life Sci 2022; 17:726-734. [PMID: 35891968 PMCID: PMC9281586 DOI: 10.1515/biol-2022-0080] [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: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We detected the expressions of hsa_circRNA_000121 and hsa_circRNA_ 004183 in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) and explored their relationship with the invasiveness of PTMC. PTMC patients with (n = 30; metastasis group) and without lymph node metastasis (n = 30; nonmetastasis group) were included. The levels of hsa_circRNA_000121, hsa_circRNA_004183, hsa-miR-4763, hsa-miR-6775, sarcoma gene (SRC), and MMP-14 were detected with real-time polymerase chain reaction. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analyzed the diagnostic value of hsa_circRNA_000121 and hsa_circRNA_004183. Binary logistic regression analysis evaluated the relationship of gene expression with PTMC invasiveness. In PTMC tissue samples, compared with the metastasis group, the expression of hsa_circRNA_000121, hsa_circRNA_004183, SRC, and MMP-14 in the nonmetastasis group decreased, while the expression of hsa-miR-4763 and hsa-miR-6775 increased. In peripheral blood, compared with the metastasis group, the expression of hsa_circ_000121 and hsa_circRNA_004183 in the nonmetastasis group decreased. Both hsa_circRNA_000121 and hsa_circRNA_004183 had good sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing PTMC lymph node metastasis, with a cut-off value of 0.796 and 0.938, respectively. However, the gene expressions were not significantly associated with PTMC lymph node metastasis. Hsa_circRNA_000121 may upregulate SRC expression through hsa-miR-4763, while hsa_circRNA 000121 may upregulate MMP-14 expression through hsa-miR-6775, thereby promoting the aggressiveness of PTMC and ultimately leading to cervical lymph node metastasis. hsa_circRNA_000121 and hsa_circRNA_004183 may become potential biomarkers of PTMC aggressiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Bai
- Department of Vascular and Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830054, China
| | - Wenwen Yang
- The Second Department of General Internal Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830054, China
| | - Ru Ouyang
- Department of Endocrinology, Sanya Central Hospital, No. 1154, Jiefang 4th Road, Tianya District, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Zongbao Li
- Department of Endocrinology, Sanya Central Hospital, No. 1154, Jiefang 4th Road, Tianya District, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology, Sanya Central Hospital, No. 1154, Jiefang 4th Road, Tianya District, Sanya 572000, China
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12
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Design, Synthesis and Biological Characterization of Histone Deacetylase 8 (HDAC8) Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) with Anti-Neuroblastoma Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147535. [PMID: 35886887 PMCID: PMC9322761 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In addition to involvement in epigenetic gene regulation, histone deacetylases (HDACs) regulate multiple cellular processes through mediating the activity of non-histone protein substrates. The knockdown of HDAC8 isozyme is associated with the inhibition of cell proliferation and apoptosis enhancement in several cancer cell lines. As shown in several studies, HDAC8 can be considered a potential target in the treatment of cancer forms such as childhood neuroblastoma. The present work describes the development of proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) of HDAC8 based on substituted benzhydroxamic acids previously reported as potent and selective HDAC8 inhibitors. Within this study, we investigated the HDAC8-degrading profiles of the synthesized PROTACs and their effect on the proliferation of neuroblastoma cells. The combination of in vitro screening and cellular testing demonstrated selective HDAC8 PROTACs that show anti-neuroblastoma activity in cells.
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