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Xie S, Zhou Y, Zhu H, Xu X, Zhang H, Yuan C, Huang M, Xu P, Li J, Liu Y. Interface-driven structural evolution on diltiazem as novel uPAR inhibitors: from in silico design to in vitro evaluation. Mol Divers 2024:10.1007/s11030-024-10908-7. [PMID: 38935305 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-024-10908-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
The urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) emerges as a key target for anti-metastasis owing to its pivotal role in facilitating the invasive and migratory processes of cancer cells. Recently, we identified the uPAR-targeting anti-metastatic ability of diltiazem (22), a commonly used antihypertensive agent. Fine-tuning the chemical structures of known hits represents a vital branch of drug development. To develop novel anti-metastatic drugs, we performed an interface-driven structural evolution strategy on 22. The uPAR-targeting and anti-cancer abilities of this antihypertensive drug wereidentified by us recently. Based on in silico strategy, including extensive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, hierarchical binding free energy predictions, and ADMET profilings, we designed, synthesized, and identified three new diltiazem derivatives (221-8, 221-57, and 221-68) as uPAR inhibitors. Indeed, all of these three derivatives exhibited uPAR-depending inhibitory activity against PC-3 cell line invasion at micromolar level. Particularly, derivatives 221-68 and 221-8 showed enhanced uPAR-dependent inhibitory activity against the tumor cell invasion compared to the original compound. Microsecond timesclae MD simulations demonstrated the optimized moiety of 221-68 and 221-8 forming more comprehensive interactions with the uPAR, highlighting the reasonability of our strategy. This work introduces three novel uPAR inhibitors, which not only pave the way for the development of effective anti-metastatic therapeutics, but also emphasize the efficacy and robustness of an in silico-based lead compound optimization strategy in drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Xie
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, China
| | - Yang Zhou
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, China
| | - Hao Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xinyi Xu
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, China
| | - Han Zhang
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, China
| | - Cai Yuan
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, China
| | - Mingdong Huang
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, China
| | - Peng Xu
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, China
| | - Jinyu Li
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350116, China.
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Xiamen, 361005, China.
| | - Yichang Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China.
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2
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Dai H, Zhu C, Huai Q, Xu W, Zhu J, Zhang X, Zhang X, Sun B, Xu H, Zheng M, Li X, Wang H. Chimeric antigen receptor-modified macrophages ameliorate liver fibrosis in preclinical models. J Hepatol 2024; 80:913-927. [PMID: 38340812 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2024.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Treatments directly targeting fibrosis remain limited. Given the unique intrinsic features of macrophages and their capacity to engraft in the liver, we genetically engineered bone marrow-derived macrophages with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) to direct their phagocytic activity against hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in multiple mouse models. This study aimed to demonstrate the therapeutic efficacy of CAR macrophages (CAR-Ms) in mouse models of fibrosis and cirrhosis and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. METHODS uPAR expression was studied in patients with fibrosis/cirrhosis and in murine models of liver fibrosis, including mice treated with carbon tetrachloride, a 5-diethoxycarbonyl-1, 4-dihydrocollidine diet, or a high-fat/cholesterol/fructose diet. The safety and efficacy of CAR-Ms were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS Adoptive transfer of CAR-Ms resulted in a significant reduction in liver fibrosis and the restoration of function in murine models of liver fibrosis. CAR-Ms modulated the hepatic immune microenvironment to recruit and modify the activation of endogenous immune cells to drive fibrosis regression. These CAR-Ms were able to recruit and present antigens to T cells and mount specific antifibrotic T-cell responses to reduce fibroblasts and liver fibrosis in mice. CONCLUSION Collectively, our findings demonstrate the potential of using macrophages as a platform for CAR technology to provide an effective treatment option for liver fibrosis. CAR-Ms might be developed for treatment of patients with liver fibrosis. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS Liver fibrosis is an incurable condition that afflicts millions of people globally. Despite the clear clinical need, therapies for liver fibrosis are limited. Our findings provide the first preclinical evidence that chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-macrophages (CAR-Ms) targeting uPAR can attenuate liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. We show that macrophages expressing this uPAR CAR exert a direct antifibrotic effect and elicit a specific T-cell response that augments the immune response against liver fibrosis. These findings demonstrate the potential of using CAR-Ms as an effective cell-based therapy for the treatment of liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanren Dai
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Cheng Zhu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Qian Huai
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Wentao Xu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jiejie Zhu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xianzheng Zhang
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Beicheng Sun
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Honghai Xu
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Minghua Zheng
- MAFLD Research Center, Department of Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xiaolei Li
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
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3
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Awasthi A, Tiwari K, Yadav P, Bhowmick S, Tiwari DK. Synthesis of 4-styrylquinolines via direct oxidative C3-alkenylation of anthranils under Pd(II) catalysis. Chem Commun (Camb) 2024; 60:2054-2057. [PMID: 38288529 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc05790a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
The palladium-catalyzed oxidative C3-alkenylation of anthranils (2,1-benzisoxazoles) with various styrenes has been successfully achieved. The C3-alkenylated anthranils were subsequently utilized in a [4+2]-cycloaddition with in situ generated α,β-unsaturated ketones leading to the synthesis of a diverse range of olefin-containing quinolines. Notably, this reaction exclusively yielded mono-alkenylated products with E-selectivity. The optimized catalytic conditions were compatible with a wide variety of substituted olefins and anthranils, forming various C3-alkenylated anthranils with good yields. To showcase the application of the present methodology, the C3-alkenylated anthranils have been employed as synthons to access a wide range of substituted quinolines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annapurna Awasthi
- Department of Biological and Synthetic Chemistry, Center of Biomedical Research, Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences Campus, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226014, Uttar Pradesh, India. dktiwari.@cbmr.res.in
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, 221005, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Khushboo Tiwari
- Department of Biological and Synthetic Chemistry, Center of Biomedical Research, Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences Campus, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226014, Uttar Pradesh, India. dktiwari.@cbmr.res.in
| | - Pushpendra Yadav
- Department of Biological and Synthetic Chemistry, Center of Biomedical Research, Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences Campus, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226014, Uttar Pradesh, India. dktiwari.@cbmr.res.in
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, 221005, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Suman Bhowmick
- Department of Biological and Synthetic Chemistry, Center of Biomedical Research, Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences Campus, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226014, Uttar Pradesh, India. dktiwari.@cbmr.res.in
| | - Dharmendra Kumar Tiwari
- Department of Biological and Synthetic Chemistry, Center of Biomedical Research, Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences Campus, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226014, Uttar Pradesh, India. dktiwari.@cbmr.res.in
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4
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Xie S, Yang G, Wu J, Jiang L, Yuan C, Xu P, Huang M, Liu Y, Li J. In silico screening of natural products as uPAR inhibitors via multiple structure-based docking and molecular dynamics simulations. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-12. [PMID: 38111151 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2295386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Cancer remains one of the most pressing challenges to global healthcare, exerting a significant impact on patient life expectancy. Cancer metastasis is a critical determinant of the lethality and treatment resistance of cancer. The urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) shows great potential as a target for anticancer and antimetastatic therapies. In this work, we aimed to identify potential uPAR inhibitors by structural dynamics-based virtual screenings against a natural product library on four representative apo-uPAR structural models recently derived from long-timescale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Fifteen potential inhibitors (NP1-NP15) were initially identified through molecular docking, consensus scoring, and visual inspection. Subsequently, we employed MD-based molecular mechanics-generalized Born surface area (MM-GBSA) calculations to evaluate their binding affinities to uPAR. Structural dynamics analyses further indicated that all of the top 6 compounds exhibited stable binding to uPAR and interacted with the critical residues in the binding interface between uPAR and its endogenous ligand uPA, suggesting their potential as uPAR inhibitors by interrupting the uPAR-uPA interaction. We finally predicted the ADMET properties of these compounds. The natural products NP5, NP12, and NP14 with better binding affinities to uPAR than the uPAR inhibitors previously discovered by us were proven to be potentially orally active in humans. This work offers potential uPAR inhibitors that may contribute to the development of novel effective anticancer and antimetastatic therapeutics.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Xie
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Guiqian Yang
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Juhong Wu
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | | | - Cai Yuan
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Peng Xu
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | | | - Yichang Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jinyu Li
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Xiamen, China
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Micalet A, Tappouni LJ, Peszko K, Karagianni D, Lam A, Counsell JR, Quezada SA, Moeendarbary E, Cheema U. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) regulates invasion and matrix remodelling in colorectal cancer. Matrix Biol Plus 2023; 19-20:100137. [PMID: 38020586 PMCID: PMC10667746 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbplus.2023.100137] [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: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cancer cells remodel their local physical environment through processes of matrix reorganisation, deposition, stiffening and degradation. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), which is encoded by the PLAU gene, is an extracellular proteolytic enzyme known to be involved in cancer progression and tumour microenvironment (TME) remodelling. Perturbing uPA therefore has a strong potential as a mechano-based cancer therapy. This work is a bioengineering investigation to validate whether 1) uPA is involved in matrix degradation and 2) preventing matrix degradation by targeting uPA can reduce cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Methods To this aim, we used an engineered 3D in vitro model, termed the tumouroid, that appropriately mimics the tumour's native biophysical environment (3 kPa). A CRISPR-Cas9 mediated uPA knockout was performed to introduce a loss of function mutation in the gene coding sequence. Subsequently, to validate the translational potential of blocking uPA action, we tested a pharmacological inhibitor, UK-371,801. The changes in matrix stiffness were measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Invasion was quantified using images of the tumouroid, obtained after 21 days of culture. Results We showed that uPA is highly expressed in invasive breast and colorectal cancers, and these invasive cancer cells locally degrade their TME. PLAU (uPA) gene knock-out (KO) completely stopped matrix remodelling and significantly reduced cancer invasion. Many invasive cancer gene markers were also downregulated in the PLAU KO tumouroids. Pharmacological inhibition of uPA showed similarly promising results, where matrix degradation was reduced and so was the cancer invasion. Conclusion This work supports the role of uPA in matrix degradation. It demonstrates that the invasion of cancer cells was significantly reduced when enzymatic breakdown of the TME matrix was prevented. Collectively, this provides strong evidence of the effectiveness of targeting uPA as a mechano-based cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Auxtine Micalet
- UCL Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, United Kingdom
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Luke J. Tappouni
- UCL Centre for Targeted Cancer Therapies, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, United Kingdom
| | - Katarzyna Peszko
- UCL Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, United Kingdom
| | - Despoina Karagianni
- Immune Regulation and Tumour Immunotherapy Group, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6DD, United Kingdom
| | - Ashley Lam
- UCL Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, United Kingdom
| | - John R. Counsell
- UCL Centre for Targeted Cancer Therapies, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, United Kingdom
| | - Sergio A. Quezada
- Immune Regulation and Tumour Immunotherapy Group, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6DD, United Kingdom
| | - Emad Moeendarbary
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
- 199 Biotechnologies Ltd., Gloucester Road, London W2 6LD, United Kingdom
| | - Umber Cheema
- UCL Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, United Kingdom
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6
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Lourenço AL, Chuo SW, Bohn MF, Hann B, Khan S, Yevalekar N, Patel N, Yang T, Xu L, Lv D, Drakas R, Lively S, Craik CS. High-throughput optofluidic screening of single B cells identifies novel cross-reactive antibodies as inhibitors of uPAR with antibody-dependent effector functions. MAbs 2023; 15:2184197. [PMID: 36859773 PMCID: PMC9988344 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2023.2184197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) is an essential regulator for cell signaling in tumor cell proliferation, adhesion, and metastasis. The ubiquitous nature of uPAR in many aggressive cancer types makes uPAR an attractive target for immunotherapy. Here, we present a rapid and successful workflow for developing cross-reactive anti-uPAR recombinant antibodies (rAbs) using high-throughput optofluidic screening of single B-cells from human uPAR-immunized mice. A total of 80 human and cynomolgus uPAR cross-reactive plasma cells were identified, and selected mouse VH/VL domains were linked to the trastuzumab (Herceptin®) constant domains for the expression of mouse-human chimeric antibodies. The resulting rAbs were characterized by their tumor-cell recognition, binding activity, and cell adhesion inhibition on triple-negative breast cancer cells. In addition, the rAbs were shown to enact antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) in the presence of either human natural killer cells or peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and were evaluated for the potential use of uPAR-targeting antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Three lead antibodies (11857, 8163, and 3159) were evaluated for their therapeutic efficacy in vivo and were shown to suppress tumor growth. Finally, the binding epitopes of the lead antibodies were characterized, providing information on their unique binding modes to uPAR. Altogether, the strategy identified unique cross-reactive antibodies with ADCC, ADC, and functional inhibitory effects by targeting cell-surface uPAR, that can be tested in safety studies and serve as potential immunotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Luiz Lourenço
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Shih-Wei Chuo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Markus F Bohn
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Byron Hann
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Shireen Khan
- ChemPartner, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Nitin Patel
- ChemPartner, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Teddy Yang
- Shanghai ChemPartner Co Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | - Lina Xu
- Shanghai ChemPartner Co Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | - Dandan Lv
- Shanghai ChemPartner Co Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | - Robert Drakas
- ShangPharma Innovation Inc, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Sarah Lively
- ChemPartner, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Charles S Craik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.,Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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7
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Qin L, Wang L, Zhang J, Zhou H, Yang Z, Wang Y, Cai W, Wen F, Jiang X, Zhang T, Ye H, Long B, Qin J, Shi W, Guan X, Yu Z, Yang J, Wang Q, Jiao Z. Therapeutic strategies targeting uPAR potentiate anti-PD-1 efficacy in diffuse-type gastric cancer. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn3774. [PMID: 35613265 PMCID: PMC9132454 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn3774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The diffuse-type gastric cancer (DGC) is a subtype of gastric cancer (GC) associated with low HER2 positivity rate and insensitivity to chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Here, we identify urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) as a potential therapeutic target for DGC. We have developed a novel anti-uPAR monoclonal antibody, which targets the domains II and III of uPAR and blocks the binding of urokinase-type plasminogen activator to uPAR. We show that the combination of anti-uPAR and anti-Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) remarkably inhibits tumor growth and prolongs survival via multiple mechanisms, using cell line-derived xenograft and patient-derived xenograft mouse models. Furthermore, uPAR chimeric antigen receptor-expressing T cells based on the novel anti-uPAR effectively kill DGC patient-derived organoids and exhibit impressive survival benefit in the established mouse models, especially when combined with PD-1 blockade therapy. Our study provides a new possibility of DGC treatment by targeting uPAR in a unique manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Qin
- Cuiying Biomedical Research Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, China
| | - Long Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, China
| | - Junchang Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, China
| | - Huinian Zhou
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, China
| | - Zhiliang Yang
- Lanzhou Huazhitiancheng Biotechnologies Co., Ltd, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Lanzhou Huazhitiancheng Biotechnologies Co., Ltd, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Weiwen Cai
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, China
| | - Fei Wen
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, China
| | - Xiangyan Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, China
| | - Tiansheng Zhang
- Lanzhou Huazhitiancheng Biotechnologies Co., Ltd, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Huili Ye
- Cuiying Biomedical Research Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, China
| | - Bo Long
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, China
| | - Junjie Qin
- Cuiying Biomedical Research Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, China
| | - Wengui Shi
- Cuiying Biomedical Research Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, China
| | - Xiaoying Guan
- Department of Pathology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, China
| | - Zeyuan Yu
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Cuiying Biomedical Research Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, China
- Corresponding author. (Z.J.); (Q.W.); (J.Y.)
| | - Qi Wang
- Lanzhou Huazhitiancheng Biotechnologies Co., Ltd, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
- Corresponding author. (Z.J.); (Q.W.); (J.Y.)
| | - Zuoyi Jiao
- Cuiying Biomedical Research Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, China
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730030, China
- Corresponding author. (Z.J.); (Q.W.); (J.Y.)
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Zhai BT, Tian H, Sun J, Zou JB, Zhang XF, Cheng JX, Shi YJ, Fan Y, Guo DY. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) as a therapeutic target in cancer. J Transl Med 2022; 20:135. [PMID: 35303878 PMCID: PMC8932206 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03329-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) is an attractive target for the treatment of cancer, because it is expressed at low levels in healthy tissues but at high levels in malignant tumours. uPAR is closely related to the invasion and metastasis of malignant tumours, plays important roles in the degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM), tumour angiogenesis, cell proliferation and apoptosis, and is associated with the multidrug resistance (MDR) of tumour cells, which has important guiding significance for the judgement of tumor malignancy and prognosis. Several uPAR-targeted antitumour therapeutic agents have been developed to suppress tumour growth, metastatic processes and drug resistance. Here, we review the recent advances in the development of uPAR-targeted antitumor therapeutic strategies, including nanoplatforms carrying therapeutic agents, photodynamic therapy (PDT)/photothermal therapy (PTT) platforms, oncolytic virotherapy, gene therapy technologies, monoclonal antibody therapy and tumour immunotherapy, to promote the translation of these therapeutic agents to clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing-Tao Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Research & Development of Characteristic Qin Medicine Resources (Cultivation), and Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Fundamentals and New Drugs Research, and Shaanxi Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, 712046, China
| | - Huan Tian
- Xi'an Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, 710021, China
| | - Jing Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Research & Development of Characteristic Qin Medicine Resources (Cultivation), and Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Fundamentals and New Drugs Research, and Shaanxi Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, 712046, China
| | - Jun-Bo Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Research & Development of Characteristic Qin Medicine Resources (Cultivation), and Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Fundamentals and New Drugs Research, and Shaanxi Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, 712046, China
| | - Xiao-Fei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Research & Development of Characteristic Qin Medicine Resources (Cultivation), and Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Fundamentals and New Drugs Research, and Shaanxi Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, 712046, China
| | - Jiang-Xue Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Research & Development of Characteristic Qin Medicine Resources (Cultivation), and Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Fundamentals and New Drugs Research, and Shaanxi Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, 712046, China
| | - Ya-Jun Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Research & Development of Characteristic Qin Medicine Resources (Cultivation), and Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Fundamentals and New Drugs Research, and Shaanxi Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, 712046, China
| | - Yu Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Research & Development of Characteristic Qin Medicine Resources (Cultivation), and Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Fundamentals and New Drugs Research, and Shaanxi Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, 712046, China
| | - Dong-Yan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Research & Development of Characteristic Qin Medicine Resources (Cultivation), and Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Fundamentals and New Drugs Research, and Shaanxi Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, 712046, China.
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9
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Tan X, Banerjee P, Shi L, Xiao GY, Rodriguez BL, Grzeskowiak CL, Liu X, Yu J, Gibbons DL, Russell WK, Creighton CJ, Kurie JM. p53 loss activates prometastatic secretory vesicle biogenesis in the Golgi. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabf4885. [PMID: 34144984 PMCID: PMC8213221 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf4885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cells exhibit hyperactive secretory states that maintain cancer cell viability and remodel the tumor microenvironment. However, the oncogenic signals that heighten secretion remain unclear. Here, we show that p53 loss activates prometastatic secretory vesicle biogenesis in the Golgi. p53 loss up-regulates the expression of a Golgi scaffolding protein, progestin and adipoQ receptor 11 (PAQR11), which recruits an adenosine diphosphate ribosylation factor 1-containing protein complex that loads cargos into secretory vesicles. PAQR11-dependent secretion of a protease, PLAU, prevents anoikis and initiates autocrine activation of a PLAU receptor/signal transducer and activator of transcription-3-dependent pathway that up-regulates PAQR11 expression, thereby completing a feedforward loop that amplifies prometastatic effector protein secretion. Pharmacologic inhibition of PLAU receptor impairs the growth and metastasis of p53-deficient cancers. Blockade of PAQR11-dependent secretion inhibits immunosuppressive processes in the tumor microenvironment. Thus, Golgi reprogramming by p53 loss is a key driver of hypersecretion in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochao Tan
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Priyam Banerjee
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lei Shi
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Guan-Yu Xiao
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - B Leticia Rodriguez
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Caitlin L Grzeskowiak
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Medicine, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xin Liu
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jiang Yu
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Don L Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - William K Russell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Chad J Creighton
- Department of Medicine, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jonathan M Kurie
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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10
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The Urokinase Receptor: A Multifunctional Receptor in Cancer Cell Biology. Therapeutic Implications. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22084111. [PMID: 33923400 PMCID: PMC8073738 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22084111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteolysis is a key event in several biological processes; proteolysis must be tightly controlled because its improper activation leads to dramatic consequences. Deregulation of proteolytic activity characterizes many pathological conditions, including cancer. The plasminogen activation (PA) system plays a key role in cancer; it includes the serine-protease urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA). uPA binds to a specific cellular receptor (uPAR), which concentrates proteolytic activity at the cell surface, thus supporting cell migration. However, a large body of evidence clearly showed uPAR involvement in the biology of cancer cell independently of the proteolytic activity of its ligand. In this review we will first describe this multifunctional molecule and then we will discuss how uPAR can sustain most of cancer hallmarks, which represent the biological capabilities acquired during the multistep cancer development. Finally, we will illustrate the main data available in the literature on uPAR as a cancer biomarker and a molecular target in anti-cancer therapy.
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11
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Yuan C, Guo Z, Yu S, Jiang L, Huang M. Development of inhibitors for uPAR: blocking the interaction of uPAR with its partners. Drug Discov Today 2021; 26:1076-1085. [PMID: 33486111 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) mediates a multitude of biological activities, has key roles in several clinical indications, including malignancies and inflammation, and, thus, has attracted intensive research over the past few decades. The pleiotropic functions of uPAR can be attributed to its interaction with an array of partners. Many inhibitors have been developed to intervene with the interaction of uPAR with these partners. Here, we review the development of these classes of uPAR inhibitor and their inhibitory mechanisms to promote the translation of these inhibitors to clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cai Yuan
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350116, China
| | - Zhanzhi Guo
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350116, China
| | - Shujuan Yu
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fujian, 350116, China
| | - Longguang Jiang
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fujian, 350116, China.
| | - Mingdong Huang
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fujian, 350116, China.
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12
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Bum-Erdene K, Liu D, Xu D, Ghozayel MK, Meroueh SO. Design and Synthesis of Fragment Derivatives with a Unique Inhibition Mechanism of the uPAR·uPA Interaction. ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 12:60-66. [PMID: 33488965 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.0c00422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
There is substantial interest in the development of small molecules that inhibit the tight and highly challenging protein-protein interaction between the glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored cell surface receptor uPAR and the serine protease uPA. While preparing derivatives of a fragment-like compound that previously emerged from a computational screen, we identified compound 5 (IPR-3242), which inhibited binding of uPA to uPAR with submicromolar IC50s. The high inhibition potency prompted us to carry out studies to rule out potential aggregation, lack of stability, reactivity, and nonspecific inhibition. We designed and prepared 16 derivatives to further explore the role of each substituent. Interestingly, the compounds only partially inhibited binding of a fluorescently labeled α-helical peptide that binds to uPAR at the uPAR·uPA interface. Collectively, the results suggest that the compounds bind to uPAR outside of the uPAR·uPA interface, trapping the receptor into a conformation that is not able to bind to uPA. Additional studies will have to be carried out to determine whether this unique inhibition mechanism can occur at the cell surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khuchtumur Bum-Erdene
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Degang Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - David Xu
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Mona K. Ghozayel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Samy O. Meroueh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
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13
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Xu D, Bum-Erdene K, Leth JM, Ghozayel MK, Ploug M, Meroueh SO. Small-Molecule Inhibition of the uPAR ⋅ uPA Interaction by Conformational Selection. ChemMedChem 2020; 16:377-387. [PMID: 33107192 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202000558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The urokinase receptor (uPAR) is a cell surface receptor that binds to the serine protease urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) with high affinity. This interaction is beneficial for extravascular fibrin clearance, but it has also been associated with a broad range of pathological conditions including cancer, atherosclerosis, and kidney disease. Here, starting with a small molecule that we previously discovered by virtual screening and cheminformatics analysis, we design and synthesize several derivatives that were tested for binding and inhibition of the uPAR ⋅ uPA interaction. To confirm the binding site and establish a binding mode of the compounds, we carried out biophysical studies using uPAR mutants, among them uPARH47C-N259C , a mutant previously developed to mimic the structure of uPA-bound uPAR. Remarkably, a substantial increase in potency is observed for inhibition of uPARH47C-N259C binding to uPA compared to wild-type uPAR, consistent with our use of the structure of uPAR in its uPA-bound state to design small-molecule uPAR ⋅ uPA antagonists. Combined with the biophysical studies, molecular docking followed by extensive explicit-solvent molecular dynamics simulations and MM-GBSA free energy calculations yielded the most favorable binding pose of the compound. Collectively, these results suggest that potent inhibition of uPAR binding to uPA with small molecules will likely only be achieved by developing small molecules that exhibit high-affinity to solution apo structures of uPAR, rather than uPA-bound structures of the receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.,Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Khuchtumur Bum-Erdene
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Julie M Leth
- Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark.,Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Mona K Ghozayel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Michael Ploug
- Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark.,Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Samy O Meroueh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
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14
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A facile access to 2-substituted naphtho[2,3-g]quinoline-3-carboxylic acid esters via intramolecular cyclization and PyBOP-promoted functionalization. Tetrahedron 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2020.131418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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15
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Lin C, Arancillo M, Whisenant J, Burgess K. Unconventional Secondary Structure Mimics: Ladder‐Rungs. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202002639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chen‐Ming Lin
- Department of Chemistry Texas A&M University Box 30012 College Station TX 77842 USA
| | - Maritess Arancillo
- Department of Chemistry Texas A&M University Box 30012 College Station TX 77842 USA
| | - Jonathan Whisenant
- Department of Chemistry Texas A&M University Box 30012 College Station TX 77842 USA
| | - Kevin Burgess
- Department of Chemistry Texas A&M University Box 30012 College Station TX 77842 USA
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16
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Lin CM, Arancillo M, Whisenant J, Burgess K. Unconventional Secondary Structure Mimics: Ladder-Rungs. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 59:9398-9402. [PMID: 32176815 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202002639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Secondary structures tend to be recognizable because they have repeating structural motifs, but mimicry of these does not have to follow such well-defined patterns. Bioinformatics studies to match side-chain orientations of a novel hydantoin triazole chemotype (1) to protein-protein interfaces revealed it tends to align well across parallel and antiparallel sheets, like rungs on a ladder. One set of these overlays was observed for the protein-protein interaction uPA⋅uPAR. Consequently, chemotype 1 was made with appropriate side-chains to mimic uPA at this interface. Biophysical assays indicate these compounds did in fact bind uPAR, and elicit cellular responses that affected invasion, migration, and wound healing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Ming Lin
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, Box 30012, College Station, TX, 77842, USA
| | - Maritess Arancillo
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, Box 30012, College Station, TX, 77842, USA
| | - Jonathan Whisenant
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, Box 30012, College Station, TX, 77842, USA
| | - Kevin Burgess
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, Box 30012, College Station, TX, 77842, USA
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17
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Rodrigo E, Baunis H, Suna E, Waldvogel SR. Simple and scalable electrochemical synthesis of 2,1-benzisoxazoles and quinoline N-oxides. Chem Commun (Camb) 2019; 55:12255-12258. [DOI: 10.1039/c9cc06054e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
At carbon electrodes in a scalable electrosynthetic way to two classes of useful heterocycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Rodrigo
- Institut für Organische Chemie
- Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
- 55128 Mainz
- Germany
| | - Haralds Baunis
- Institut für Organische Chemie
- Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
- 55128 Mainz
- Germany
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis
| | - Edgars Suna
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis
- Aizkraukles 21
- Latvia
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18
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Hosseini S, Bawel SA, Mubarak MS, Peters DG. Rapid and High‐Yield Electrosynthesis of Benzisoxazole and Some Derivatives. ChemElectroChem 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/celc.201801321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Seth A. Bawel
- Department of ChemistryIndiana University 800 East Kirkwood Avenue Bloomington, IN 47405 USA
| | | | - Dennis G. Peters
- Department of ChemistryIndiana University 800 East Kirkwood Avenue Bloomington, IN 47405 USA
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19
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Wyganowska-Świątkowska M, Tarnowski M, Murtagh D, Skrzypczak-Jankun E, Jankun J. Proteolysis is the most fundamental property of malignancy and its inhibition may be used therapeutically (Review). Int J Mol Med 2018; 43:15-25. [PMID: 30431071 PMCID: PMC6257838 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2018.3983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The mortality rates of cancer patients decreased by ~1.5% per year between 2001 and 2015, although the decrease depends on patient sex, ethnic group and type of malignancy. Cancer remains a significant global health problem, requiring a search for novel treatments. The most common property of malignant tumors is their capacity to invade adjacent tissue and to metastasize, and this cancer aggressiveness is contingent on overexpression of proteolytic enzymes. The components of the plasminogen activation system (PAS) and the metal-loproteinase family [mainly matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)] are overexpressed in malignant tumors, driving the local invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis. This is the case for numerous types of cancer, such as breast, colon, prostate and oral carcinoma, among others. Present chemotherapeutics agents typically attack all dividing cells; however, for future therapeutic agents to be clinically successful, they need to be highly selective for a specific protein(s) and act on the cancerous tissues without adverse systemic effects. Inhibition of proteolysis in cancerous tissue has the ability to attenuate tumor invasion, angiogenesis and migration. For that purpose, inhibiting both PAS and MMPs may be another approach, since the two groups of enzymes are overexpressed in cancer. In the present review, the roles and new findings on PAS and MMP families in cancer formation, growth and possible treatments are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Daniel Murtagh
- Urology Research Center, Department of Urology, Health Science Campus, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614‑2598, USA
| | - Ewa Skrzypczak-Jankun
- Urology Research Center, Department of Urology, Health Science Campus, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614‑2598, USA
| | - Jerzy Jankun
- Urology Research Center, Department of Urology, Health Science Campus, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614‑2598, USA
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20
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Tikhomirov AS, Lin CY, Volodina YL, Dezhenkova LG, Tatarskiy VV, Schols D, Shtil AA, Kaur P, Chueh PJ, Shchekotikhin AE. New antitumor anthra[2,3-b]furan-3-carboxamides: Synthesis and structure-activity relationship. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 148:128-139. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.02.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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21
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Liu J, Ming B, Gong GH, Wang D, Bao GL, Yu LJ. Current research on anti-breast cancer synthetic compounds. RSC Adv 2018. [DOI: 10.1039/c7ra12912b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer for females and its incidence tends to increase year by year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Liu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology Institute
- Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities
- Tongliao
- People's Republic of China
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Mongolian Medicine Pharmacology for Cardio-Cerebral Vascular System
| | - Bian Ming
- Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology Institute
- Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities
- Tongliao
- People's Republic of China
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Mongolian Medicine Pharmacology for Cardio-Cerebral Vascular System
| | - Guo-Hua Gong
- First Clinical Medical of Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities
- Tongliao
- People's Republic of China
| | - Di Wang
- Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology Institute
- Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities
- Tongliao
- People's Republic of China
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Mongolian Medicine Pharmacology for Cardio-Cerebral Vascular System
| | - Gui-Lan Bao
- Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology Institute
- Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities
- Tongliao
- People's Republic of China
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Mongolian Medicine Pharmacology for Cardio-Cerebral Vascular System
| | - Li-Jun Yu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology Institute
- Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities
- Tongliao
- People's Republic of China
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Mongolian Medicine Pharmacology for Cardio-Cerebral Vascular System
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22
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Platonov ME, Borovjagin AV, Kaverina N, Xiao T, Kadagidze Z, Lesniak M, Baryshnikova M, Ulasov IV. KISS1 tumor suppressor restricts angiogenesis of breast cancer brain metastases and sensitizes them to oncolytic virotherapy in vitro. Cancer Lett 2017; 417:75-88. [PMID: 29269086 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2017.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
KISS1 tumor suppressor protein regulates cancer cell invasion via MMP9 metalloproteinase. Downregulation of KISS1 gene expression promotes progression of breast cancer and melanoma, resulting in the development of distant metastases. In the current study, we investigated whether restoration of KISS1 expression in KISS1-deficient human metastatic breast cancer cells holds potential as an advanced anticancer strategy. To this end we engineered an infectivity-enhanced conditionally-replicative human adenovirus type 5 encoding KISS1 as an "arming" transgene in the Ad5 E3 region for an ectopic KISS1 expression in transduced cancer cells. The oncolytic potential of the vector was examined using brain-invading metastatic clones of CN34 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, which supported high levels of AdKISS1 replication, correlating with a robust CRAd-mediated cytotoxicity. Secretion of cellular factors responsible for tumor angiogenesis, cell-to-cell communication and anti-tumoral immune responses upon KISS1 expression in breast cancer cells was analyzed by a RayBiotech Kiloplex Quantibody array. Overall, our results indicate that KISS1 transgene expression provides an important benefit for CRAd-mediated cytotoxicity in breast cancer cells and holds potential as an anticancer treatment in conjunction with oncolytic virotherapy of breast and other metastatic cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail E Platonov
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Anton V Borovjagin
- Institute of Oral Health Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Natalya Kaverina
- N.N. Blokhin Cancer Research Center, RAMN, Kashirskoe Shosse 23, Moscow, 115478, Russia
| | - Ting Xiao
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, 60611, USA
| | - Zaira Kadagidze
- N.N. Blokhin Cancer Research Center, RAMN, Kashirskoe Shosse 23, Moscow, 115478, Russia
| | - Maciej Lesniak
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, 60611, USA
| | - Marya Baryshnikova
- N.N. Blokhin Cancer Research Center, RAMN, Kashirskoe Shosse 23, Moscow, 115478, Russia
| | - Ilya V Ulasov
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
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23
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Heterocyclic Analogs of 5,12-Naphthacenequinone 14*. Synthesis of naphtho[2,3-f]indole-3-carboxylic Acid Derivatives. Chem Heterocycl Compd (N Y) 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10593-017-2173-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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24
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Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) expression enhances invasion and metastasis in RAS mutated tumors. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9388. [PMID: 28839232 PMCID: PMC5571185 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10062-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) is a GPI-anchored cell membrane receptor that focuses urokinase (uPA) proteolytic activity on the cell surface. Its expression is increased in many human cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and colorectal cancer (CRC), and correlates with a poor prognosis and early invasion and metastasis. uPAR is able to control, through a cross-talk with tyrosine kinase receptors, the shift between tumor dormancy and proliferation, that usually precedes metastasis formation. Therefore, we investigated the role of uPAR expression in RAS mutated NSCLC and CRC cells. In this study we provided evidence, for the first time, that RAS mutational condition is functionally correlated to uPAR overexpression in NSCLC and CRC cancer cell lines and patient-derived tissue samples. Moreover, oncogenic features related to uPAR overexpression in RAS mutated NSCLC and CRC, such as adhesion, migration and metastatic process may be targeted, in vitro and in vivo, by new anti-uPAR small molecules, specific inhibitors of uPAR-vitronectin interaction. Therefore, anti-uPAR drugs could represent an effective pharmacological strategy for NSCLC and CRC patients carrying RAS mutations.
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25
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Yamada Y, Kanayama S, Ito F, Kurita N, Kobayashi H. A novel peptide blocking cancer cell invasion by structure-based drug design. Biomed Rep 2017; 7:221-225. [PMID: 28819560 DOI: 10.3892/br.2017.957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The receptor for the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), uPAR, facilitates tumor cell invasion and metastasis by focusing on several ligands, including uPA, integrins and vitronectin. With computational prediction algorithms and structure-based drug design, we identified peptides containing the Gly-Lys-Gly-Glu-Gly-Glu-Gly-Lys-Gly sequence (peptide H1), which strongly interacts with uPAR. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of allosteric inhibition at the uPAR interface using a novel synthetic peptide and its function on ovarian cancer cell invasion. The molecular and functional mechanisms of H1 were determined by complementary biochemical and biological methods in the promyeloid U937 cell line as well as ovarian cancer cell lines, including serous carcinoma SKOV3 and clear cell carcinoma TOV21G. The effects of H1 treatment on cancer cell invasion were evaluated in vitro. H1 inhibited cancer cell invasion, without affecting cell viability, accompanied by the suppression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-1 phosphorylation and then matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 expression. H1 failed to block the interaction of uPA-uPAR protein-protein interaction in cells, but antagonized the uPA function. H1 failed to disrupt the uPA-uPAR complex, but abolished the invasion of ovarian cancer cells at least through suppression of the ERK-MMP-9 signaling pathway. Further studies are needed to confirm our observations and to describe the underlying molecular mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Yamada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara 634-8522, Japan
| | - Seiji Kanayama
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara 634-8522, Japan
| | - Fuminori Ito
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara 634-8522, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Kurita
- Department of Computer Science of Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Toyohashi 441-8580, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kobayashi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara 634-8522, Japan
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26
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Patil VV, Gayakwad EM, Patel KP, Shankarling GS. Efficient, facile metal free protocols for the bromination of commercially important deactivated aminoanthracene-9,10-diones. Tetrahedron Lett 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2017.05.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Liu D, Xu D, Liu M, Knabe WE, Yuan C, Zhou D, Huang M, Meroueh SO. Small Molecules Engage Hot Spots through Cooperative Binding To Inhibit a Tight Protein-Protein Interaction. Biochemistry 2017; 56:1768-1784. [PMID: 28186725 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.6b01039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions drive every aspect of cell signaling, yet only a few small-molecule inhibitors of these interactions exist. Despite our ability to identify critical residues known as hot spots, little is known about how to effectively engage them to disrupt protein-protein interactions. Here, we take advantage of the ease of preparation and stability of pyrrolinone 1, a small-molecule inhibitor of the tight interaction between the urokinase receptor (uPAR) and its binding partner, the urokinase-type plasminogen activator uPA, to synthesize more than 40 derivatives and explore their effect on the protein-protein interaction. We report the crystal structure of uPAR bound to previously discovered pyrazole 3 and to pyrrolinone 12. While both 3 and 12 bind to uPAR and compete with a fluorescently labeled peptide probe, only 12 and its derivatives inhibit the full uPAR·uPA interaction. Compounds 3 and 12 mimic and engage different hot-spot residues on uPA and uPAR, respectively. Interestingly, 12 is involved in a π-cation interaction with Arg-53, which is not considered a hot spot. Explicit-solvent molecular dynamics simulations reveal that 3 and 12 exhibit dramatically different correlations of motion with residues on uPAR. Free energy calculations for the wild-type and mutant uPAR bound to uPA or 12 show that Arg-53 interacts with uPA or with 12 in a highly cooperative manner, thereby altering the contributions of hot spots to uPAR binding. The direct engagement of peripheral residues not considered hot spots through π-cation or salt-bridge interactions could provide new opportunities for enhanced small-molecule engagement of hot spots to disrupt challenging protein-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Degang Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - David Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States.,Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States.,Department of BioHealth Informatics, Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing , Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Min Liu
- Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Science , Gulou District, Fuzhou, Fujian 3500002, China
| | - William Eric Knabe
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Cai Yuan
- Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Science , Gulou District, Fuzhou, Fujian 3500002, China
| | - Donghui Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Mingdong Huang
- Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Science , Gulou District, Fuzhou, Fujian 3500002, China
| | - Samy O Meroueh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States.,Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
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Montuori N, Pesapane A, Rossi FW, Giudice V, De Paulis A, Selleri C, Ragno P. Urokinase type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) as a new therapeutic target in cancer. Transl Med UniSa 2016; 15:15-21. [PMID: 27896223 PMCID: PMC5120746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The urokinase (uPA)-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) is a GPI-anchored receptor that focuses urokinase (uPA) proteolytic activity on the cell surface. uPAR also regulates cell adhesion, migration and proliferation, protects from apoptosis and contributes to epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), independently of uPA enzymatic activity. Indeed, uPAR interacts with beta1, beta2 and beta3 integrins, thus regulating their activities. uPAR cross-talks with receptor tyrosine kinases through integrins and regulates cancer cell dormancy, proliferation and angiogenesis. Moreover, uPAR mediates uPA-dependent cell migration and chemotaxis induced by fMet-Leu-Phe (fMLF), through its association with fMLF-receptors (fMLF-Rs). Further, uPAR is an adhesion receptor because it binds vitronectin (VN), a component of provisional extracellular matrix. High uPAR expression predicts for more aggressive disease in several cancer types for its ability to increase invasion and metastasis. In fact, uPAR has been hypothesized to be the link between tumor cell dormancy and proliferation that usually precedes the onset of metastasis. Thus, inhibiting uPAR could be a feasible approach to affect tumor growth and metastasis. Here, we review the more recent advances in the development of uPAR-targeted anti-cancer therapeutic agents suitable for further optimization or ready for the evaluation in early clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nunzia Montuori
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Ada Pesapane
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca W Rossi
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Valentina Giudice
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Amato De Paulis
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Carmine Selleri
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Pia Ragno
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
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Chen WL, Wang ZH, Feng TT, Li DD, Wang CH, Xu XL, Zhang XJ, You QD, Guo XK. Discovery, design and synthesis of 6H-anthra[1,9-cd]isoxazol-6-one scaffold as G9a inhibitor through a combination of shape-based virtual screening and structure-based molecular modification. Bioorg Med Chem 2016; 24:6102-6108. [PMID: 27720557 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2016.09.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Revised: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Protein lysine methyltransferase G9a is widely considered as an appealing antineoplastic target. Herein we present an integrated workflow combining shape-based virtual screening and structure-based molecular modification for the identification of novel G9a inhibitors. The shape-based similarity screening through ROCS overlay on the basis of the structure of UNC0638 was performed to identify CPUY074001 contained a 6H-anthra[1,9-cd]isoxazol-6-one scaffold as a hit. Analysis of the binding mode of CPUY074001 with G9a and 3D-QSAR results, two series compounds were designed and synthesized. The derivatives were confirmed to be active by in vitro assay and the SAR was explored by docking stimulations. Besides, several analogues showed acceptable anti-proliferative effects against several cancer cell lines. Among them, CPUY074020 displayed potent dual G9a inhibitory activity and anti-proliferative activity. Furthermore, CPUY074020 induced cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner and displayed a significant decrease in dimethylation of H3K9. Simultaneously, CPUY074020 showed reasonable in vivo PK properties. Altogether, our workflow supplied a high efficient strategy in the identification of novel G9a inhibitors. Compounds reported here can serve as promising leads for further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Lin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Zhi-Hui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Tao-Tao Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Dong-Dong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Chu-Hui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xiao-Li Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xiao-Jin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; Department of Organic Chemistry, School of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Qi-Dong You
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Xiao-Ke Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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Rullo AF, Fitzgerald KJ, Muthusamy V, Liu M, Yuan C, Huang M, Kim M, Cho AE, Spiegel DA. Re-engineering the Immune Response to Metastatic Cancer: Antibody-Recruiting Small Molecules Targeting the Urokinase Receptor. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2016; 55:3642-6. [PMID: 26879524 PMCID: PMC5597302 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201510866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Revised: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Developing selective strategies to treat metastatic cancers remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report the first antibody-recruiting small molecule (ARM) that is capable of recognizing the urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR), a uniquely overexpressed cancer cell-surface marker, and facilitating the immune-mediated destruction of cancer cells. A co-crystal structure of the ARM-U2/uPAR complex was obtained, representing the first crystal structure of uPAR complexed with a non-peptide ligand. Finally, we demonstrated that ARM-U2 substantially suppresses tumor growth in vivo with no evidence of weight loss, unlike the standard-of-care agent doxorubicin. This work underscores the promise of antibody-recruiting molecules as immunotherapeutics for treating cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony F Rullo
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, 225 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Kelly J Fitzgerald
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Viswanathan Muthusamy
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, 225 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Min Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 155 Yang Qiao West Road, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
| | - Cai Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 155 Yang Qiao West Road, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
| | - Mingdong Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 155 Yang Qiao West Road, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
| | - Minsup Kim
- Department of Bioinformatics, Korea University, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong, 339-700, Korea
| | - Art E Cho
- Department of Bioinformatics, Korea University, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong, 339-700, Korea
| | - David A Spiegel
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, 225 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
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Rullo AF, Fitzgerald KJ, Muthusamy V, Liu M, Yuan C, Huang M, Kim M, Cho AE, Spiegel DA. Re-engineering the Immune Response to Metastatic Cancer: Antibody-Recruiting Small Molecules Targeting the Urokinase Receptor. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201510866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anthony F. Rullo
- Department of Chemistry; Yale University; 225 Prospect Street New Haven CT 06511 USA
| | - Kelly J. Fitzgerald
- Department of Pharmacology; Yale School of Medicine; 333 Cedar Street New Haven CT 06520 USA
| | - Viswanathan Muthusamy
- Department of Chemistry; Yale University; 225 Prospect Street New Haven CT 06511 USA
| | - Min Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry; Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter; Chinese Academy of Sciences; 155 Yang Qiao West Road Fuzhou Fujian 350002 China
| | - Cai Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry; Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter; Chinese Academy of Sciences; 155 Yang Qiao West Road Fuzhou Fujian 350002 China
| | - Mingdong Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry; Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter; Chinese Academy of Sciences; 155 Yang Qiao West Road Fuzhou Fujian 350002 China
| | - Minsup Kim
- Department of Bioinformatics; Korea University; 2511 Sejong-ro Sejong 339-700 Korea
| | - Art E. Cho
- Department of Bioinformatics; Korea University; 2511 Sejong-ro Sejong 339-700 Korea
| | - David A. Spiegel
- Department of Chemistry; Yale University; 225 Prospect Street New Haven CT 06511 USA
- Department of Pharmacology; Yale School of Medicine; 333 Cedar Street New Haven CT 06520 USA
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Surfing the Protein-Protein Interaction Surface Using Docking Methods: Application to the Design of PPI Inhibitors. Molecules 2015; 20:11569-603. [PMID: 26111183 PMCID: PMC6272567 DOI: 10.3390/molecules200611569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2015] [Revised: 06/02/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Blocking protein-protein interactions (PPI) using small molecules or peptides modulates biochemical pathways and has therapeutic significance. PPI inhibition for designing drug-like molecules is a new area that has been explored extensively during the last decade. Considering the number of available PPI inhibitor databases and the limited number of 3D structures available for proteins, docking and scoring methods play a major role in designing PPI inhibitors as well as stabilizers. Docking methods are used in the design of PPI inhibitors at several stages of finding a lead compound, including modeling the protein complex, screening for hot spots on the protein-protein interaction interface and screening small molecules or peptides that bind to the PPI interface. There are three major challenges to the use of docking on the relatively flat surfaces of PPI. In this review we will provide some examples of the use of docking in PPI inhibitor design as well as its limitations. The combination of experimental and docking methods with improved scoring function has thus far resulted in few success stories of PPI inhibitors for therapeutic purposes. Docking algorithms used for PPI are in the early stages, however, and as more data are available docking will become a highly promising area in the design of PPI inhibitors or stabilizers.
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Liu D, Zhou D, Wang B, Knabe WE, Meroueh SO. A new class of orthosteric uPAR·uPA small-molecule antagonists are allosteric inhibitors of the uPAR·vitronectin interaction. ACS Chem Biol 2015; 10:1521-34. [PMID: 25671694 DOI: 10.1021/cb500832q] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The urokinase receptor (uPAR) is a GPI-anchored cell surface receptor that is at the center of an intricate network of protein-protein interactions. Its immediate binding partners are the serine proteinase urokinase (uPA), and vitronectin (VTN), a component of the extracellular matrix. uPA and VTN bind at distinct sites on uPAR to promote extracellular matrix degradation and integrin signaling, respectively. Here, we report the discovery of a new class of pyrrolone small-molecule inhibitors of the tight ∼1 nM uPAR·uPA protein-protein interaction. These compounds were designed to bind to the uPA pocket on uPAR. The highest affinity compound, namely 7, displaced a fluorescently labeled α-helical peptide (AE147-FAM) with an inhibition constant Ki of 0.7 μM and inhibited the tight uPAR·uPAATF interaction with an IC50 of 18 μM. Biophysical studies with surface plasmon resonance showed that VTN binding is highly dependent on uPA. This cooperative binding was confirmed as 7, which binds at the uPAR·uPA interface, also inhibited the distal VTN·uPAR interaction. In cell culture, 7 blocked the uPAR·uPA interaction in uPAR-expressing human embryonic kidney (HEK-293) cells and impaired cell adhesion to VTN, a process that is mediated by integrins. As a result, 7 inhibited integrin signaling in MDA-MB-231 cancer cells as evidenced by a decrease in focal adhesion kinase (FAK) phosphorylation and Rac1 GTPase activation. Consistent with these results, 7 blocked breast MDA-MB-231 cancer cell invasion with IC50 values similar to those observed in ELISA and surface plasmon resonance competition studies. Explicit-solvent molecular dynamics simulations show that the cooperativity between uPA and VTN is attributed to stabilization of uPAR motion by uPA. In addition, free energy calculations revealed that uPA stabilizes the VTNSMB·uPAR interaction through more favorable electrostatics and entropy. Disruption of the uPAR·VTNSMB interaction by 7 is consistent with the cooperative binding to uPAR by uPA and VTN. Interestingly, the VTNSMB·uPAR interaction was less favorable in the VTNSMB·uPAR·7 complex suggesting potential cooperativity between 7 and VTN. Compound 7 provides an excellent starting point for the development of more potent derivatives to explore uPAR biology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Bo Wang
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | | | - Samy O. Meroueh
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
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Stabilizing a Flexible Interdomain Hinge Region Harboring the SMB Binding Site Drives uPAR into Its Closed Conformation. J Mol Biol 2015; 427:1389-1403. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2015.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2014] [Revised: 01/02/2015] [Accepted: 01/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Abstract
Low molecular weight compound competing for the binding of the p53 tumor suppressor to the MDM2 oncoprotein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Didier Rognan
- Laboratory for Therapeutical Innovation
- UMR7200 CNRS-Université de Strasbourg
- MEDALIS Drug Discovery Center
- 67400 Illkirch
- France
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Patil VV, Shankarling GS. Nonanebis(peroxoic acid): a stable peracid for oxidative bromination of aminoanthracene-9,10-dione. Beilstein J Org Chem 2014; 10:921-8. [PMID: 24991241 PMCID: PMC4077418 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.10.90] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2013] [Accepted: 04/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
A new protocol for the oxidative bromination of aminoanthracene-9,10-dione, which is highly deactivated towards the electrophilic substitution is investigated. The peracid, nonanebis(peroxoic acid), possesses advantages such as better stability at room temperature, it is easy to prepare and non-shock sensitiv as compared to the conventional peracids. The present protocol has a broad scope for the bromination of various substituted and unsubstituted aminoanthracene-9,10-diones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vilas Venunath Patil
- Department of Dyestuff Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, N. P. Marg, Matunga, Mumbai - 400019, India. Tel.: 91-22-33612708
| | - Ganapati Subray Shankarling
- Department of Dyestuff Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, N. P. Marg, Matunga, Mumbai - 400019, India. Tel.: 91-22-33612708
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Downregulation of galectin-3 causes a decrease in uPAR levels and inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Oncol Rep 2014; 32:411-8. [PMID: 24807674 DOI: 10.3892/or.2014.3170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2014] [Accepted: 04/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Galectin-3 (Gal-3), a multifunctional β-galactoside-binding protein, is highly expressed and associated with the prognosis of HCC. However, the functions of Gal-3 in HCC cells are not fully understood. To address the function of Gal-3 in HCC cells, we used small interfering RNA (siRNA) to knock down Gal-3 expression in HepG2, an HCC cell line. We found that in vitro the silencing of Gal-3 decreased the proliferative activity, colony formation ability, migratory and invasive potential of HepG2 cells. The silencing of Gal-3 significantly decreased the mRNA and protein levels of urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) as well as uPAR's downstream signaling transduction pathway, including phosphorylation of AKT. Furthermore, the downregulation of Gal-3 by siRNA resulted in significantly decreased activity of the MEK/ERK signaling pathway, and the treatment of HepG2 cells with MEK/ERK inhibitor U0126 significantly reduced the mRNA and protein levels of uPAR. Taken together, our results suggest that Gal-3 modulates uPAR expression via the MEK/ERK pathway, and that Gal-3 may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC.
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Zhang S, Ma Y, Jiang J, Dai Z, Gao X, Yin X, Xi W, Min W. Inhibition of urokinase-type plasminogen activator expression by dihydroartemisinin in breast cancer cells. Oncol Lett 2014; 7:1375-1380. [PMID: 24765140 PMCID: PMC3997666 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2014.1918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2013] [Accepted: 11/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) on the primary tumor growth and metastasis of the human breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, in vitro. The expression levels of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) were detected by immunocytochemistry in two cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231). The MDA-MB-231 cell activity was inhibited by various concentration gradients of DHA. The inhibitory rate, cell growth curve and apoptotic morphological observations were obtained using the MTT assay at 0, 24, 48 and 72 h. Cell scratch migration was performed at various time-points to test the cell proliferation and migration capacity. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze the effect of DHA on uPA mRNA expression in breast cancer cells. The human breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, possesses higher metastatic potential and relatively higher expression of uPA when compared with the MCF-7 cell line. DHA was found to inhibit the proliferation and migration capacity of the cell line, MDA-MB-231, in vitro. The growth inhibition occurred in a time- and dose-dependent manner, with IC50 values of 117.76±0.04, 60.26±0.12 and 52.96±0.07 μmol/l following 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. The inhibition of uPA was observed to decrease breast cancer cell growth and migration. Thus, results of the present study indicate that DHA may be used for further studies with regard to breast cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuqun Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, P.R. China
| | - Yinan Ma
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, P.R. China
| | - Jiantao Jiang
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, P.R. China
| | - Zhijun Dai
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoyan Gao
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoran Yin
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, P.R. China
| | - Wentao Xi
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, P.R. China
| | - Weili Min
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, P.R. China
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Gao X, Wang H, Yang J, Liu ZR. Prevent protein interactions to prevent cancer metastasis. Expert Rev Proteomics 2014; 10:207-9. [DOI: 10.1586/epr.13.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Mani T, Liu D, Zhou D, Li L, Knabe WE, Wang F, Oh K, Meroueh SO. Probing binding and cellular activity of pyrrolidinone and piperidinone small molecules targeting the urokinase receptor. ChemMedChem 2013; 8:1963-77. [PMID: 24115356 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201300340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2013] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The urokinase receptor (uPAR) is a cell-surface protein that is part of an intricate web of transient and tight protein interactions that promote cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Here, we evaluate the binding and biological activity of a new class of pyrrolidinone and piperidinone compounds, along with derivatives of previously-identified pyrazole and propylamine compounds. Competition assays revealed that the compounds displace a fluorescently labeled peptide (AE147-FAM) with inhibition constant (Ki ) values ranging from 6 to 63 μM. Structure-based computational pharmacophore analysis followed by extensive explicit-solvent molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and free energy calculations suggested the pyrazole-based and piperidinone-based compounds adopt different binding modes, despite their similar two-dimensional structures. In cells, pyrazole-based compounds showed significant inhibition of breast adenocarcinoma (MDA-MB-231) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell proliferation, but piperidinone-containing compounds exhibited no cytotoxicity even at concentrations of 100 μM. One pyrazole-based compound impaired MDA-MB-231 invasion, adhesion, and migration in a concentration-dependent manner, while the piperidinone inhibited only invasion. The pyrazole derivative inhibited matrix metalloprotease-9 (gelatinase) activity in a concentration-dependent manner, while the piperidinone showed no effect suggesting different mechanisms for inhibition of cell invasion. Signaling studies further highlighted these differences, showing that pyrazole compounds completely inhibited ERK phosphorylation and impaired HIF1α and NF-κB signaling, while pyrrolidinones and piperidinones had no effect. Annexin V staining suggested that the effect of the pyrazole-based compound on proliferation was due to cell killing through an apoptotic mechanism. The compounds identified represent valuable leads in the design of further derivatives with higher affinities and potential probes to unravel the protein-protein interactions of uPAR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timmy Mani
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202 (USA)
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Wang HT, Guo HF, Tan XD, Zhang J, Li HS, Yang YF, Wang ZP, Sun Y, Zhang XB. Involvement of plasminogen cascade proteins in the invasion of pancreatic cancer cells. Shijie Huaren Xiaohua Zazhi 2013; 21:2258-2266. [DOI: 10.11569/wcjd.v21.i23.2258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM: To discuss the potential role of plasminogen cascade proteins in the dissociation and subsequent invasion of pancreatic cancer cells.
METHODS: The expression of plasminogen, urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA) and uPA receptor (uPAR) was detected by Western blot and immunocytochemistry in cell lines and by immunohistochemistry in tissue samples of pancreatic cancer. The correlation between expression of plasminogen cascade proteins and cell dissociation and invasion was analyzed.
RESULTS: Plasminogen, uPA and uPAR were strongly expressed in conditioned medium of dissociated pancreatic cancer cells (PC-1.0), but weakly expressed in conditioned medium of non-dissociated pancreatic cancer cells (PC-1). uPA treatment significantly induced the expression of plasminogen and uPAR in conditioned medium of non-dissociated pancreatic cancer cells (PC-1). Stronger expression of plasminogen and uPAR was observed at the invasive front end than at the center of human pancreatic cancer tissue. Plasmin treatment induced matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), MMP-7 and MMP-9 expression in PC-1 cells. Treatment with plasmin or uPA obviously induced invasiveness and dissociation of cell colonies in PC-1 cells.
CONCLUSION: The plasminogen cascade is involved in cell dissociation in the early stage of invasion of pancreatic cancer cells. The plasminogen cascade may be a potential molecular target for anti-invasion and anti-metastasis therapy for pancreatic cancer.
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