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Pagano K, Listro R, Linciano P, Rossi D, Longhi E, Taraboletti G, Molinari H, Collina S, Ragona L. Identification of a novel extracellular inhibitor of FGF2/FGFR signaling axis by combined virtual screening and NMR spectroscopy approach. Bioorg Chem 2023; 136:106529. [PMID: 37084585 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
The aberrant activation of the fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2)/fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) signalling pathway drives severe pathologies, including cancer development and angiogenesis-driven pathologies. The perturbation of the FGF2/FGFR axis via extracellular allosteric small inhibitors is a promising strategy for developing FGFR inhibitors with improved safety and efficacy for cancer treatment. We have previously investigated the role of new extracellular inhibitors, such as rosmarinic acid (RA), which bind the FGFR-D2 domain and directly compete with FGF2 for the same binding site, enabling the disruption of the functional FGF2/FGFR interaction. To select ligands for the previously identified FGF2/FGFR RA binding site, NMR data-driven virtual screening has been performed on an in-house library of non-commercial small molecules and metabolites. A novel drug-like compound, a resorcinol derivative named RBA4 has been identified. NMR interaction studies demonstrate that RBA4 binds the FGF2/FGFR complex, in agreement with docking prediction. Residue-level NMR perturbations analysis highlights that the mode of action of RBA4 is similar to RA in terms of its ability to target the FGF2/FGFR-D2 complex, inducing perturbations on both proteins and triggering complex dissociation. Biological assays proved that RBA4 inhibited FGF2 proliferative activity at a level comparable to the previously reported natural product, RA. Identification of RBA4 chemical groups involved in direct interactions represents a starting point for further optimization of drug-like extracellular inhibitors with improved activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katiuscia Pagano
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche "Giulio Natta" (SCITEC), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Corti 12, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Roberta Listro
- University of Pavia, Department of Drug Sciences, Via Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Pasquale Linciano
- University of Pavia, Department of Drug Sciences, Via Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Daniela Rossi
- University of Pavia, Department of Drug Sciences, Via Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
| | - Elisa Longhi
- Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment, Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche, Mario Negri IRCCS, 24126 Bergamo, Italy
| | - Giulia Taraboletti
- Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment, Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche, Mario Negri IRCCS, 24126 Bergamo, Italy
| | - Henriette Molinari
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche "Giulio Natta" (SCITEC), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Corti 12, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Simona Collina
- University of Pavia, Department of Drug Sciences, Via Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Laura Ragona
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche "Giulio Natta" (SCITEC), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Corti 12, 20133 Milano, Italy.
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Thakur MA, Khandelwal AR, Gu X, Rho O, Carbajal S, Kandula RA, DiGiovanni J, Nathan CAO. Inhibition of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Attenuates Ultraviolet B-Induced Skin Carcinogenesis. J Invest Dermatol 2022; 142:2873-2884.e7. [PMID: 35551922 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2022.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Altered FGFR signaling has been shown to play a role in a number of cancers. However, the role of FGFR signaling in the development and progression of ultraviolet B-induced (UVB) induced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) remains unclear. In the current study, the effect of UVB radiation on FGFR activation and its downstream signaling in mouse skin epidermis was examined. In addition, the impact of FGFR inhibition on UVB-induced signaling and skin carcinogenesis was also investigated. Exposure of mouse dorsal skin to UVB significantly increased phosphorylation of FGFRs in the epidermis as well as activation of downstream signaling pathways, including AKT/mTOR, STATs and MAPK. Topical application of the pan-FGFR inhibitor AZD4547 to mouse skin prior to exposure to UVB significantly inhibited FGFR phosphorylation as well as mTORC1, STAT3 and MAPK activation (i.e., phosphorylation). Moreover, AZD4547 pretreatment significantly inhibited UVB-induced epidermal hyperplasia and hyperproliferation and reduced infiltration of mast cells and macrophages into the dermis. AZD4547 treatment also significantly inhibited mRNA expression of inflammatory genes in the epidermis. Finally, mice treated topically with AZD4547 prior to UVB exposure showed decreased cSCC incidence and increased survival rate. Collectively, the current data supports the hypothesis that inhibition of FGFR in epidermis may provide a new strategy to prevent and/or treat UVB-induced cSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megha A Thakur
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX. USA
| | - Alok R Khandelwal
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA, USA; Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA, USA
| | - Xin Gu
- Department of Pathology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA, USA
| | - Okkyung Rho
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX. USA
| | - Steve Carbajal
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX. USA
| | - Rima A Kandula
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA, USA
| | - John DiGiovanni
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX. USA; LiveStrong Cancer Institutes, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Center for Molecular Carcinogenesis and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
| | - Cherie-Ann O Nathan
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA, USA; Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA, USA; Department of Surgery, Overton Brooks Veterans Affairs Hospital, Shreveport, LA, USA.
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Cimmino F, Montella A, Tirelli M, Avitabile M, Lasorsa VA, Visconte F, Cantalupo S, Maiorino T, De Angelis B, Morini M, Castellano A, Locatelli F, Capasso M, Iolascon A. FGFR1 is a potential therapeutic target in neuroblastoma. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:174. [PMID: 35488346 PMCID: PMC9052553 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02587-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND FGFR1 regulates cell-cell adhesion and extracellular matrix architecture and acts as oncogene in several cancers. Potential cancer driver mutations of FGFR1 occur in neuroblastoma (NB), a neural crest-derived pediatric tumor arising in sympathetic nervous system, but so far they have not been studied experimentally. We investigated the driver-oncogene role of FGFR1 and the implication of N546K mutation in therapy-resistance in NB cells. METHODS Public datasets were used to predict the correlation of FGFR1 expression with NB clinical outcomes. Whole genome sequencing data of 19 paired diagnostic and relapse NB samples were used to find somatic mutations. In NB cell lines, silencing by short hairpin RNA and transient overexpression of FGFR1 were performed to evaluate the effect of the identified mutation by cell growth, invasion and cologenicity assays. HEK293, SHSY5Y and SKNBE2 were selected to investigate subcellular wild-type and mutated protein localization. FGFR1 inhibitor (AZD4547), alone or in combination with PI3K inhibitor (GDC0941), was used to rescue malignant phenotypes induced by overexpression of FGFR1 wild-type and mutated protein. RESULTS High FGFR1 expression correlated with low relapse-free survival in two independent NB gene expression datasets. In addition, we found the somatic mutation N546K, the most recurrent point mutation of FGFR1 in all cancers and already reported in NB, in one out of 19 matched primary and recurrent tumors. Loss of FGFR1 function attenuated invasion and cologenicity in NB cells, whereas FGFR1 overexpression enhanced oncogenicity. The overexpression of FGFR1N546K protein showed a higher nuclear localization compared to wild-type protein and increased cellular invasion and cologenicity. Moreover, N546K mutation caused the failure in response to treatment with FGFR1 inhibitor by activation of ERK, STAT3 and AKT pathways. The combination of FGFR1 and PI3K pathway inhibitors was effective in reducing the invasive and colonigenic ability of cells overexpressing FGFR1 mutated protein. CONCLUSIONS FGFR1 is an actionable driver oncogene in NB and a promising therapy may consist in targeting FGFR1 mutations in patients with therapy-resistant NB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flora Cimmino
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Via Gaetano Salvatore, 486, 80145, Naples, Italy
| | - Annalaura Montella
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Via Gaetano Salvatore, 486, 80145, Naples, Italy.,Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80145, Naples, Italy
| | - Matilde Tirelli
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Via Gaetano Salvatore, 486, 80145, Naples, Italy.,European School of Molecular Medicine, Università Degli Studi di Milano, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Marianna Avitabile
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Via Gaetano Salvatore, 486, 80145, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Feliciano Visconte
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Via Gaetano Salvatore, 486, 80145, Naples, Italy
| | - Sueva Cantalupo
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Via Gaetano Salvatore, 486, 80145, Naples, Italy.,Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80145, Naples, Italy
| | - Teresa Maiorino
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Via Gaetano Salvatore, 486, 80145, Naples, Italy.,Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80145, Naples, Italy
| | - Biagio De Angelis
- Hematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy Department, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, 00165, Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Morini
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147, Genoa, Italy
| | - Aurora Castellano
- Paediatric Haematology/Oncology Department, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, 00165, Rome, Italy
| | - Franco Locatelli
- IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Sapienza, University of Rome, 00165, Rome, Italy
| | - Mario Capasso
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Via Gaetano Salvatore, 486, 80145, Naples, Italy. .,Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80145, Naples, Italy.
| | - Achille Iolascon
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Via Gaetano Salvatore, 486, 80145, Naples, Italy. .,Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80145, Naples, Italy.
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Synthetic Heterocyclic Derivatives as Kinase Inhibitors Tested for the Treatment of Neuroblastoma. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26237069. [PMID: 34885651 PMCID: PMC8658969 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26237069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last few years, small molecules endowed with different heterocyclic scaffolds have been developed as kinase inhibitors. Some of them are being tested at preclinical or clinical levels for the potential treatment of neuroblastoma (NB). This disease is the most common extracranial solid tumor in childhood and is responsible for 10% to 15% of pediatric cancer deaths. Despite the availability of some treatments, including the use of very toxic cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents, high-risk (HR)-NB patients still have a poor prognosis and a survival rate below 50%. For these reasons, new pharmacological options are urgently needed. This review focuses on synthetic heterocyclic compounds published in the last five years, which showed at least some activity on this severe disease and act as kinase inhibitors. The specific mechanism of action, selectivity, and biological activity of these drug candidates are described, when established. Moreover, the most remarkable clinical trials are reported. Importantly, kinase inhibitors approved for other diseases have shown to be active and endowed with lower toxicity compared to conventional cytotoxic agents. The data collected in this article can be particularly useful for the researchers working in this area.
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Li Y, Xu F, Chen F, Chen Y, Ge D, Zhang S, Lu C. Transcriptomics based multi-dimensional characterization and drug screen in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. EBioMedicine 2021; 70:103510. [PMID: 34365093 PMCID: PMC8353400 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains one of the deadly cancer types. Comprehensively dissecting the molecular characterization and the heterogeneity of ESCC paves the way for developing more promising therapeutics. METHODS Expression profiles of multiple ESCC datasets were integrated. ATAC-seq and RNA-seq were combined to reveal the chromatin accessibility features. A prognosis-related subtype classifier (PrSC) was constructed, and its association with the tumor microenvironment (TME) and immunotherapy was assessed. The key gene signature was validated in clinical samples. Based on the TME heterogeneity of ESCC patients, potential subtype-specific therapeutic agents were screened. FINDINGS The common differentially expressed genes (cDEGs) in ESCC were identified. Up-regulated genes (HEATR1, TIMELESS, DTL, GINS1, RUVBL1, and ECT2) were found highly important in ESCC cell survival. The expression alterations of PRIM2, HPGD, NELL2, and TFAP2B were associated with chromatin accessibility changes. PrSC was a robust scoring tool that was not only associated with the prognosis of ESCC patients, but also could reflect the TME heterogeneity. TNS1high fibroblasts were associated with immune exclusion. TG-101348 and Vinorelbine were identified as potential subtype-specific therapeutic agents. Besides, the application of PrSC into two immunotherapy cohorts indicated its potential value in assessing treatment response to immunotherapy. INTERPRETATION Our study depicted the multi-dimensional characterization of ESCC, established a robust scoring tool for the prognosis assessment, highlighted the role of TNS1high fibroblasts in TME, and identified potential drugs for clinical use. FUNDING A full list of funding bodies that contributed to this study can be found in the Acknowledgements section.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fengkai Xu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fanghua Chen
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiwei Chen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Di Ge
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shu Zhang
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Chunlai Lu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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Napolitano A, Ostler AE, Jones RL, Huang PH. Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor (FGFR) Signaling in GIST and Soft Tissue Sarcomas. Cells 2021; 10:cells10061533. [PMID: 34204560 PMCID: PMC8235236 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of rare malignancies originating from mesenchymal tissues with limited therapeutic options. Recently, alterations in components of the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) signaling pathway have been identified in a range of different sarcoma subtypes, most notably gastrointestinal stromal tumors, rhabdomyosarcomas, and liposarcomas. These alterations include genetic events such as translocations, mutations, and amplifications as well as transcriptional overexpression. Targeting FGFR has therefore been proposed as a novel potential therapeutic approach, also in light of the clinical activity shown by multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitors in specific subtypes of sarcomas. Despite promising preclinical evidence, thus far, clinical trials have enrolled very few sarcoma patients and the efficacy of selective FGFR inhibitors appears relatively low. Here, we review the known alterations of the FGFR pathway in sarcoma patients as well as the preclinical and clinical evidence for the use of FGFR inhibitors in these diseases. Finally, we discuss the possible reasons behind the current clinical data and highlight the need for biomarker stratification to select patients more likely to benefit from FGFR targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Napolitano
- Sarcoma Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, 203 Fulham Road, London SW3 6JJ, UK; (A.N.); (A.E.O.); (R.L.J.)
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Alexandra E. Ostler
- Sarcoma Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, 203 Fulham Road, London SW3 6JJ, UK; (A.N.); (A.E.O.); (R.L.J.)
| | - Robin L. Jones
- Sarcoma Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, 203 Fulham Road, London SW3 6JJ, UK; (A.N.); (A.E.O.); (R.L.J.)
- The Institute of Cancer Research, 237 Fulham Road, London SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Paul H. Huang
- The Institute of Cancer Research, 237 Fulham Road, London SW3 6JB, UK
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +44-207-153-5554
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