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Mullen NJ, Shukla SK, Thakur R, Kollala SS, Wang D, Chaika N, Santana JF, Miklavcic WR, LaBreck DA, Mallareddy JR, Price DH, Natarajan A, Mehla K, Sykes DB, Hollingsworth MA, Singh PK. DHODH inhibition enhances the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade by increasing cancer cell antigen presentation. bioRxiv 2024:2023.04.03.535399. [PMID: 37066260 PMCID: PMC10103971 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.03.535399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis is a druggable metabolic dependency of cancer cells, and chemotherapy agents targeting pyrimidine metabolism are the backbone of treatment for many cancers. Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) is an essential enzyme in the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway that can be targeted by clinically approved inhibitors. However, despite robust preclinical anticancer efficacy, DHODH inhibitors have shown limited single-agent activity in phase 1 and 2 clinical trials. Therefore, novel combination therapy strategies are necessary to realize the potential of these drugs. To search for therapeutic vulnerabilities induced by DHODH inhibition, we examined gene expression changes in cancer cells treated with the potent and selective DHODH inhibitor brequinar (BQ). This revealed that BQ treatment causes upregulation of antigen presentation pathway genes and cell surface MHC class I expression. Mechanistic studies showed that this effect is 1) strictly dependent on pyrimidine nucleotide depletion, 2) independent of canonical antigen presentation pathway transcriptional regulators, and 3) mediated by RNA polymerase II elongation control by positive transcription elongation factor B (P-TEFb). Furthermore, BQ showed impressive single-agent efficacy in the immunocompetent B16F10 melanoma model, and combination treatment with BQ and dual immune checkpoint blockade (anti-CTLA-4 plus anti-PD-1) significantly prolonged mouse survival compared to either therapy alone. Our results have important implications for the clinical development of DHODH inhibitors and provide a rationale for combination therapy with BQ and immune checkpoint blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Mullen
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA
| | - Surendra K. Shukla
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
| | - Ravi Thakur
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
| | - Sai Sundeep Kollala
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA
| | - Dezhen Wang
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA
| | - Nina Chaika
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA
| | - Juan F. Santana
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - William R. Miklavcic
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA
| | - Drew A. LaBreck
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
| | - Jayapal Reddy Mallareddy
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA
| | - David H. Price
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Amarnath Natarajan
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA
| | - Kamiya Mehla
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
| | - David B. Sykes
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michael A. Hollingsworth
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA
| | - Pankaj K. Singh
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
- OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
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Jiang M, Song Y, Liu H, Jin Y, Li R, Zhu X. DHODH Inhibition Exerts Synergistic Therapeutic Effect with Cisplatin to Induce Ferroptosis in Cervical Cancer through Regulating mTOR Pathway. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15. [PMID: 36672495 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15020546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Ferroptosis exhibits a potent antitumor effect and dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) has recently been identified as a novel ferroptosis defender. However, the role of DHODH inhibition in cervical cancer cells is unclear, particularly in synergy with cisplatin via ferroptosis. Herein, shRNA and brequinar were used to knock down DHODH and directly inhibit DHODH, respectively. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting assays were performed to measure the expression of proteins. CCK-8 and colony formation assays were employed to assess the cell viability and proliferation. Ferroptosis was monitored through flow cytometry, the malondialdehyde assay kit and JC-1 staining analyses. The nude mouse xenograft model was generated to examine the effect of combination of DHODH inhibition and cisplatin on tumor growth in vivo. The expression of DHODH was increased in cervical cancer tissues. DHODH inhibition inhibited the proliferation and promoted the ferroptosis in cervical cancer cells. A combination of DHODH inhibition and cisplatin synergistically induced both in vitro and in vivo ferroptosis and downregulated the ferroptosis defender mTOR pathway. Therefore, the combination of DHODH inhibition and cisplatin exhibits synergistic effects on ferroptosis induction via inhibiting the mTOR pathway could provide a promising way for cervical cancer therapy.
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Grigoryan R, Arabyan E, Izmailyan R, Karalyan Z, Jordão N, Ferreira F, Zakaryan H. Antiviral activity of brequinar against African swine fever virus infection in vitro. Virus Res 2022; 317:198826. [PMID: 35618075 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2022.198826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a double-stranded DNA virus that causes an acute and hemorrhagic disease in domestic swine, resulting in significant economic losses to the global porcine industry. The lack of vaccines and antiviral drugs highlights the urgent need for antiviral studies against ASFV. Here, we report that brequinar (BQR), which is a specific inhibitor of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, robustly inhibits ASFV replication in Vero cells, as well as in porcine macrophages. We demonstrate that BQR exerts its antiviral activity in a dose-dependent manner through the depletion of pyrimidine pool. Although BQR does not affect the synthesis of an early viral protein, pI215L, the synthesis of late viral proteins, p17 and p72, is suppressed in the presence of BQR. We also show that BQR is able to induce cellular antiviral response in ASFV-infected macrophages by enhancing the expression of interferon-stimulated genes. Taken together, our study reveals that targeting nucleotide biosynthesis represents a promising strategy for developing antiviral agents against ASFV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafayela Grigoryan
- Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, E. Hasratyan 7, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Erik Arabyan
- Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, E. Hasratyan 7, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Roza Izmailyan
- Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, E. Hasratyan 7, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Zaven Karalyan
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Virology, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, E. Hasratyan 7, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Nuno Jordão
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS)
| | - Fernando Ferreira
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS)
| | - Hovakim Zakaryan
- Laboratory of Antiviral Drug Discovery, Institute of Molecular Biology of NAS, E. Hasratyan 7, 0014, Yerevan, Armenia; Denovo Sciences CJSC, H. Hakobyan 3, 0033, Yerevan, Armenia.
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Benjamin SR, Jackson CP, Fang S, Carlson DP, Guo Z, Tumey LN. Thiolation of Q295: Site-Specific Conjugation of Hydrophobic Payloads without the Need for Genetic Engineering. Mol Pharm 2019; 16:2795-2807. [PMID: 31067063 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.9b00323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Site-specific conjugation technology frequently relies on antibody engineering to incorporate rare or non-natural amino acids into the primary sequence of the protein. However, when the primary sequence is unknown or when antibody engineering is not feasible, there are very limited options for site-specific protein modification. We have developed a transglutaminase-mediated conjugation that incorporates a thiol at a "privileged" location on deglycosylated antibodies (Q295). Perhaps surprisingly, this conjugation employs a reported transglutaminase inhibitor, cystamine, as the key enzyme substrate. The chemical incorporation of a thiol at the Q295 site allows for the site-specific attachment of a plethora of commonly used and commercially available payloads via maleimide chemistry. Herein, we demonstrate the utility of this method by comparing the conjugatability, plasma stability, and in vitro potency of these site-specific antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with analogous endogenous cysteine conjugates. Cytotoxic ADCs prepared using this methodology are shown to exhibit comparable in vitro efficacy to stochastic cysteine conjugates while displaying dramatically improved plasma stability and conjugatability. In particular, we note that this technique appears to be useful for the incorporation of highly hydrophobic linker payloads without the addition of PEG modifiers. We postulate a possible mechanism for this feature by probing the local environment of the Q295 site with two fluorescent probes that are known to be sensitive to the local hydrophobic environment. In summary, we describe a highly practical method for the site-specific conjugation of genetically nonengineered antibodies, which results in plasma-stable ADCs with low intrinsic hydrophobicity. We believe that this technology will find broad utility in the ADC community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha R Benjamin
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Binghamton University , P.O. Box 6000, Binghamton , New York 13902 , United States
| | - Courtney P Jackson
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Binghamton University , P.O. Box 6000, Binghamton , New York 13902 , United States
| | - Siteng Fang
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Binghamton University , P.O. Box 6000, Binghamton , New York 13902 , United States
| | - Dane P Carlson
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Binghamton University , P.O. Box 6000, Binghamton , New York 13902 , United States
| | - Zhongyuan Guo
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Binghamton University , P.O. Box 6000, Binghamton , New York 13902 , United States
| | - L Nathan Tumey
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Binghamton University , P.O. Box 6000, Binghamton , New York 13902 , United States
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Lolli ML, Sainas S, Pippione AC, Giorgis M, Boschi D, Dosio F. Use of human Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase (hDHODH) Inhibitors in Autoimmune Diseases and New Perspectives in Cancer Therapy. Recent Pat Anticancer Drug Discov 2018; 13:86-105. [PMID: 29119937 DOI: 10.2174/1574892812666171108124218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (hDHODH, EC 1.3.5.2), a flavindependent mitochondrial enzyme involved in de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis, is a validated therapeutic target for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. However, human DHODH inhibitors have also been investigated as treatment for cancer, parasite infections (i.e. malaria) and viruses as well as in the agrochemicals industry. OBJECTIVE An overview of current knowledge of hDHODH inhibitors and their potential uses in diseases where hDHODH is involved. METHOD This review focuses on recent advances in the development and application of hDHODH inhibitors, specifically covering the patent field, starting from a brief description of enzyme topography and of the strategies usually followed in designing its selective inhibitors. RESULTS The most important and well-described novelty is the fact that the discovery, in the autumn of 2016, that hDHODH inhibitors are able to induce in vivo myeloid differentiation has led to the possibility of developing novel hDHODH based treatments for Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). CONCLUSION The review will describe a variety of specific inhibitor classes and conclude on recent and future therapeutic perspectives for this target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco L Lolli
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125 Turin. Italy
| | - Stefano Sainas
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125 Turin. Italy
| | - Agnese C Pippione
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125 Turin. Italy
| | - Marta Giorgis
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125 Turin. Italy
| | - Donatella Boschi
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125 Turin. Italy
| | - Franco Dosio
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125 Turin. Italy
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Sykes DB, Kfoury YS, Mercier FE, Wawer MJ, Law JM, Haynes MK, Lewis TA, Schajnovitz A, Jain E, Lee D, Meyer H, Pierce KA, Tolliday NJ, Waller A, Ferrara SJ, Eheim AL, Stoeckigt D, Maxcy KL, Cobert JM, Bachand J, Szekely BA, Mukherjee S, Sklar LA, Kotz JD, Clish CB, Sadreyev RI, Clemons PA, Janzer A, Schreiber SL, Scadden DT. Inhibition of Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase Overcomes Differentiation Blockade in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Cell 2016; 167:171-186.e15. [PMID: 27641501 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.08.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 307] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Revised: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/23/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
While acute myeloid leukemia (AML) comprises many disparate genetic subtypes, one shared hallmark is the arrest of leukemic myeloblasts at an immature and self-renewing stage of development. Therapies that overcome differentiation arrest represent a powerful treatment strategy. We leveraged the observation that the majority of AML, despite their genetically heterogeneity, share in the expression of HoxA9, a gene normally downregulated during myeloid differentiation. Using a conditional HoxA9 model system, we performed a high-throughput phenotypic screen and defined compounds that overcame differentiation blockade. Target identification led to the unanticipated discovery that inhibition of the enzyme dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) enables myeloid differentiation in human and mouse AML models. In vivo, DHODH inhibitors reduced leukemic cell burden, decreased levels of leukemia-initiating cells, and improved survival. These data demonstrate the role of DHODH as a metabolic regulator of differentiation and point to its inhibition as a strategy for overcoming differentiation blockade in AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B Sykes
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Youmna S Kfoury
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - François E Mercier
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Mathias J Wawer
- Center for the Development of Therapeutics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jason M Law
- Center for the Science of Therapeutics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Mark K Haynes
- Center for Molecular Discovery, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Timothy A Lewis
- Center for the Science of Therapeutics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Amir Schajnovitz
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Esha Jain
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Dongjun Lee
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | - Kerry A Pierce
- Metabolite Profiling Platform, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Nicola J Tolliday
- Center for the Development of Therapeutics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Anna Waller
- Center for Molecular Discovery, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Steven J Ferrara
- Center for the Development of Therapeutics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | | | - Katrina L Maxcy
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Julien M Cobert
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jacqueline Bachand
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Brian A Szekely
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Siddhartha Mukherjee
- Irving Cancer Research Center, Columbia University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Larry A Sklar
- Center for Molecular Discovery, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Joanne D Kotz
- Center for the Science of Therapeutics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Clary B Clish
- Metabolite Profiling Platform, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Ruslan I Sadreyev
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Paul A Clemons
- Center for the Science of Therapeutics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Stuart L Schreiber
- Center for the Science of Therapeutics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - David T Scadden
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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