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Madasu C, Liao Z, Parks SE, Sharma KL, Bohren KM, Ye Q, Li F, Palaniappan M, Tan Z, Yuan F, Creighton CJ, Tang S, Masand RP, Guan X, Young DW, Monsivais D, Matzuk MM. Identification of potent pan-ephrin receptor kinase inhibitors using DNA-encoded chemistry technology. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2322934121. [PMID: 38701119 PMCID: PMC11087803 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2322934121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
EPH receptors (EPHs), the largest family of tyrosine kinases, phosphorylate downstream substrates upon binding of ephrin cell surface-associated ligands. In a large cohort of endometriotic lesions from individuals with endometriosis, we found that EPHA2 and EPHA4 expressions are increased in endometriotic lesions relative to normal eutopic endometrium. Because signaling through EPHs is associated with increased cell migration and invasion, we hypothesized that chemical inhibition of EPHA2/4 could have therapeutic value. We screened DNA-encoded chemical libraries (DECL) to rapidly identify EPHA2/4 kinase inhibitors. Hit compound, CDD-2693, exhibited picomolar/nanomolar kinase activity against EPHA2 (Ki: 4.0 nM) and EPHA4 (Ki: 0.81 nM). Kinome profiling revealed that CDD-2693 bound to most EPH family and SRC family kinases. Using NanoBRET target engagement assays, CDD-2693 had nanomolar activity versus EPHA2 (IC50: 461 nM) and EPHA4 (IC50: 40 nM) but was a micromolar inhibitor of SRC, YES, and FGR. Chemical optimization produced CDD-3167, having picomolar biochemical activity toward EPHA2 (Ki: 0.13 nM) and EPHA4 (Ki: 0.38 nM) with excellent cell-based potency EPHA2 (IC50: 8.0 nM) and EPHA4 (IC50: 2.3 nM). Moreover, CDD-3167 maintained superior off-target cellular selectivity. In 12Z endometriotic epithelial cells, CDD-2693 and CDD-3167 significantly decreased EFNA5 (ligand) induced phosphorylation of EPHA2/4, decreased 12Z cell viability, and decreased IL-1β-mediated expression of prostaglandin synthase 2 (PTGS2). CDD-2693 and CDD-3167 decreased expansion of primary endometrial epithelial organoids from patients with endometriosis and decreased Ewing's sarcoma viability. Thus, using DECL, we identified potent pan-EPH inhibitors that show specificity and activity in cellular models of endometriosis and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandrashekhar Madasu
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Zian Liao
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Sydney E. Parks
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Kiran L. Sharma
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Kurt M. Bohren
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Qiuji Ye
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Feng Li
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Murugesan Palaniappan
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Zhi Tan
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Fei Yuan
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Chad J. Creighton
- Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center Division of Biostatistics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Suni Tang
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Ramya P. Masand
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Xiaoming Guan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Damian W. Young
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Diana Monsivais
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Martin M. Matzuk
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
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2
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Veiga RN, de Azevedo ALK, de Oliveira JC, Gradia DF. Targeting EphA2: a promising strategy to overcome chemoresistance and drug resistance in cancer. J Mol Med (Berl) 2024; 102:479-493. [PMID: 38393661 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-024-02431-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular A2 (EphA2) is a vital member of the Eph tyrosine kinase receptor family and has been associated with developmental processes. However, it is often overexpressed in tumors and correlates with cancer progression and worse prognosis due to the activation of its noncanonical signaling pathway. Throughout cancer treatment, the emergence of drug-resistant tumor cells is relatively common. Since the early 2000s, researchers have focused on understanding the role of EphA2 in promoting drug resistance in different types of cancer, as well as finding efficient and secure EphA2 inhibitors. In this review, the current knowledge regarding induced resistance by EphA2 in cancer treatment is summarized, and the types of cancer that lead to the most cancer-related deaths are highlighted. Some EphA2 inhibitors were also investigated. Regardless of whether the cancer treatment has reached a drug-resistance stage in EphA2-overexpressing tumors, once EphA2 is involved in cancer progression and aggressiveness, targeting EphA2 is a promising therapeutic strategy, especially in combination with other target-drugs for synergistic effect. For that reason, monoclonal antibodies against EphA2 and inhibitors of this receptor should be investigated for efficacy and drug toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaela Nasser Veiga
- Laboratory of Human Cytogenetics and Oncogenetics, Postgraduate Program in Genetics. Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal Do Paraná, Rua Coronel Francisco Heráclito Dos Santos, 100, Jardim das AméricasCuritiba, CEP, 81531-980, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Luiz Korte de Azevedo
- Laboratory of Human Cytogenetics and Oncogenetics, Postgraduate Program in Genetics. Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal Do Paraná, Rua Coronel Francisco Heráclito Dos Santos, 100, Jardim das AméricasCuritiba, CEP, 81531-980, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline Carvalho de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Human Cytogenetics and Oncogenetics, Postgraduate Program in Genetics. Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal Do Paraná, Rua Coronel Francisco Heráclito Dos Santos, 100, Jardim das AméricasCuritiba, CEP, 81531-980, Brazil
| | - Daniela Fiori Gradia
- Laboratory of Human Cytogenetics and Oncogenetics, Postgraduate Program in Genetics. Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal Do Paraná, Rua Coronel Francisco Heráclito Dos Santos, 100, Jardim das AméricasCuritiba, CEP, 81531-980, Brazil.
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3
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Kottom TJ, Carmona EM, Limper AH. Targeting host tyrosine kinase receptor EphA2 signaling via small-molecule ALW-II-41-27 inhibits macrophage pro-inflammatory signaling responses to Pneumocystis carinii β-glucans. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2024; 68:e0081123. [PMID: 38206037 PMCID: PMC10848750 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00811-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Pneumocystis jirovecii, the fungus that causes Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP), is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised individuals. We have previously shown that lung epithelial cells can bind Pneumocystis spp. β-glucans via the EphA2 receptor, resulting in activation and release of proinflammatory cytokines. Herein, we show that in vivo Pneumocystis spp. β-glucans activation of the inflammatory signaling cascade in macrophages can be pharmacodynamically inhibited with the EphA2 receptor small-molecule inhibitor ALW-II-41-27. In vitro, when ALW-II-41-27 is administrated via intraperitoneal to mice prior to the administration of highly proinflammatory Saccharomyces cerevisiae β-glucans in the lung, a significant reduction in TNF-alpha release was noted in the ALW-II-41-27 pre-treated group. Taken together, our data suggest that targeting host lung macrophage activation via EphA2 receptor-fungal β-glucans interactions with ALW-II-41-27 or other EphA2 receptor kinase targeting inhibitors might be an attractive and viable strategy to reduce detrimental lung inflammation associated with PJP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodore J. Kottom
- Departments of Medicine and Biochemistry, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Thoracic Diseases Research Unit, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Eva M. Carmona
- Departments of Medicine and Biochemistry, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Thoracic Diseases Research Unit, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Andrew H. Limper
- Departments of Medicine and Biochemistry, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Thoracic Diseases Research Unit, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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4
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Wang L, Bohmer MJ, Wang J, Nardella F, Calla J, Laureano De Souza M, Schindler KA, Montejo L, Mittal N, Rocamora F, Treat M, Charlton JT, Tumwebaze PK, Rosenthal PJ, Cooper RA, Chakrabarti R, Winzeler EA, Chakrabarti D, Gray NS. Discovery of Potent Antimalarial Type II Kinase Inhibitors with Selectivity over Human Kinases. J Med Chem 2024; 67:1460-1480. [PMID: 38214254 PMCID: PMC10950204 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
While progress has been made in the effort to eradicate malaria, the disease remains a significant threat to global health. Acquired resistance to frontline treatments is emerging in Africa, urging a need for the development of novel antimalarial agents. Repurposing human kinase inhibitors provides a potential expedited route given the availability of a diverse array of kinase-targeting drugs that are approved or in clinical trials. Phenotypic screening of a library of type II human kinase inhibitors identified compound 1 as a lead antimalarial, which was initially developed to target human ephrin type A receptor 2 (EphA2). Here, we report a structure-activity relationship study and lead optimization of compound 1, which led to compound 33, with improved antimalarial activity and selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lushun Wang
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, ChEM-H, Stanford Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Monica J Bohmer
- Division of Molecular Microbiology, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Jinhua Wang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Flore Nardella
- Division of Molecular Microbiology, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Jaeson Calla
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Mariana Laureano De Souza
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Kyra A Schindler
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Lukas Montejo
- Division of Molecular Microbiology, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Nimisha Mittal
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Frances Rocamora
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Mayland Treat
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley California 94704, United States
| | - Jordan T Charlton
- Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Dominican University of California, San Rafael, California 94901, United States
| | | | - Philip J Rosenthal
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California 94110, United States
| | - Roland A Cooper
- Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Dominican University of California, San Rafael, California 94901, United States
| | - Ratna Chakrabarti
- Division of Cancer Research, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Elizabeth A Winzeler
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Debopam Chakrabarti
- Division of Molecular Microbiology, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, ChEM-H, Stanford Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
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5
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Pasquale EB. Eph receptors and ephrins in cancer progression. Nat Rev Cancer 2024; 24:5-27. [PMID: 37996538 PMCID: PMC11015936 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-023-00634-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Evidence implicating Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their ephrin ligands (that together make up the 'Eph system') in cancer development and progression has been accumulating since the discovery of the first Eph receptor approximately 35 years ago. Advances in the past decade and a half have considerably increased the understanding of Eph receptor-ephrin signalling mechanisms in cancer and have uncovered intriguing new roles in cancer progression and drug resistance. This Review focuses mainly on these more recent developments. I provide an update on the different mechanisms of Eph receptor-ephrin-mediated cell-cell communication and cell autonomous signalling, as well as on the interplay of the Eph system with other signalling systems. I further discuss recent advances in elucidating how the Eph system controls tumour expansion, invasiveness and metastasis, supports cancer stem cells, and drives therapy resistance. In addition to functioning within cancer cells, the Eph system also mediates the reciprocal communication between cancer cells and cells of the tumour microenvironment. The involvement of the Eph system in tumour angiogenesis is well established, but recent findings also demonstrate roles in immune cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts and the extracellular matrix. Lastly, I discuss strategies under evaluation for therapeutic targeting of Eph receptors-ephrins in cancer and conclude with an outlook on promising future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena B Pasquale
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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6
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Tröster A, Jores N, Mineev KS, Sreeramulu S, DiPrima M, Tosato G, Schwalbe H. Targeting EPHA2 with Kinase Inhibitors in Colorectal Cancer. ChemMedChem 2023; 18:e202300420. [PMID: 37736700 PMCID: PMC10843416 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
The ephrin type-A 2 receptor tyrosine kinase (EPHA2) is involved in the development and progression of various cancer types, including colorectal cancer (CRC). There is also evidence that EPHA2 plays a key role in the development of resistance to the endothelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody Cetuximab used clinically in CRC. Despite the promising pharmacological potential of EPHA2, only a handful of specific inhibitors are currently available. In this concept paper, general strategies for EPHA2 inhibition with molecules of low molecular weight (small molecules) are described. Furthermore, available examples of inhibiting EPHA2 in CRC using small molecules are summarized, highlighting the potential of this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alix Tröster
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Nathalie Jores
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Konstantin S Mineev
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sridhar Sreeramulu
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Michael DiPrima
- Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), 37 Convent Drive, NIH Bethesda Campus Building 37, Room 4124, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Giovanna Tosato
- Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), 37 Convent Drive, NIH Bethesda Campus Building 37, Room 4124, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Harald Schwalbe
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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7
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Tröster A, DiPrima M, Jores N, Kudlinzki D, Sreeramulu S, Gande SL, Linhard V, Ludig D, Schug A, Saxena K, Reinecke M, Heinzlmeir S, Leisegang MS, Wollenhaupt J, Lennartz F, Weiss MS, Kuster B, Tosato G, Schwalbe H. Optimization of the Lead Compound NVP-BHG712 as a Colorectal Cancer Inhibitor. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202203967. [PMID: 36799129 PMCID: PMC10133194 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202203967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
The ephrin type-A receptor 2 (EPHA2) kinase belongs to the largest family of receptor tyrosine kinases. There are several indications of an involvement of EPHA2 in the development of infectious diseases and cancer. Despite pharmacological potential, EPHA2 is an under-examined target protein. In this study, we synthesized a series of derivatives of the inhibitor NVP-BHG712 and triazine-based compounds. These compounds were evaluated to determine their potential as kinase inhibitors of EPHA2, including elucidation of their binding mode (X-ray crystallography), affinity (microscale thermophoresis), and selectivity (Kinobeads assay). Eight inhibitors showed affinities in the low-nanomolar regime (KD <10 nM). Testing in up to seven colon cancer cell lines that express EPHA2 reveals that several derivatives feature promising effects for the control of human colon carcinoma. Thus, we have developed a set of powerful tool compounds for fundamental new research on the interplay of EPH receptors in a cellular context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alix Tröster
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
| | - Michael DiPrima
- Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), 37 Convent Drive, NIH Bethesda Campus, Building 37, Room 4124, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Nathalie Jores
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
| | - Denis Kudlinzki
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany)
| | - Sridhar Sreeramulu
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
| | - Santosh L. Gande
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany)
| | - Verena Linhard
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
| | - Damian Ludig
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
| | - Alexander Schug
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
| | - Krishna Saxena
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
| | - Maria Reinecke
- Chair of Proteomics and Bioanalytics, Technical University of Munich, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354 Freising (Germany)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner-Site Munich and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany)
| | - Stephanie Heinzlmeir
- Chair of Proteomics and Bioanalytics, Technical University of Munich, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354 Freising (Germany)
| | - Matthias S. Leisegang
- Institute for Cardiovascular Physiology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
| | - Jan Wollenhaupt
- Macromolecular Crystallography, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Albert-Einstein-Str. 15, 12489 Berlin (Germany)
| | - Frank Lennartz
- Macromolecular Crystallography, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Albert-Einstein-Str. 15, 12489 Berlin (Germany)
| | - Manfred S. Weiss
- Macromolecular Crystallography, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Albert-Einstein-Str. 15, 12489 Berlin (Germany)
| | - Bernhard Kuster
- Chair of Proteomics and Bioanalytics, Technical University of Munich, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354 Freising (Germany)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner-Site Munich and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany)
- Bavarian Center for Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry (BayBioMS), Technical University of Munich, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354 Freising (Germany)
| | - Giovanna Tosato
- Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), 37 Convent Drive, NIH Bethesda Campus, Building 37, Room 4124, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Harald Schwalbe
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany)
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8
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Eph Receptors in Cancer. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020315. [PMID: 36830852 PMCID: PMC9953285 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Eph receptor tyrosine kinases play critical functions during development, in the formation of tissue and organ borders, and the vascular and neural systems. Uniquely among tyrosine kinases, their activities are controlled by binding to membrane-bound ligands, called ephrins. Ephs and ephrins generally have a low expression in adults, functioning mainly in tissue homeostasis and plasticity, but are often overexpressed in cancers, where they are especially associated with undifferentiated or progenitor cells, and with tumour development, vasculature, and invasion. Mutations in Eph receptors also occur in various tumour types and are suspected to promote tumourigenesis. Ephs and ephrins have the capacity to operate as both tumour promoters and tumour suppressors, depending on the circumstances. They have been demonstrated to impact tumour cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro, as well as tumour development, angiogenesis, and metastases in vivo, making them potential therapeutic targets. However, successful development of therapies will require detailed understanding of the opposing roles of Ephs in various cancers. In this review, we discuss the variations in Eph expression and functions in a variety of malignancies. We also describe the multiple strategies that are currently available to target them in tumours, including preclinical and clinical development.
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Lim JJ, Chow EKH, Toh TB. Eph receptor B2 (EPHB2) regulates cancer stem cell-like properties in hepatocellular carcinoma. Stem Cell Investig 2022; 9:5. [PMID: 36320882 PMCID: PMC9618362 DOI: 10.21037/sci-2022-031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jhin Jieh Lim
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Edward Kai-Hua Chow
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore;,The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore;,The Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tan Boon Toh
- The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore;,The Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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10
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LIM Kinases, Promising but Reluctant Therapeutic Targets: Chemistry and Preclinical Validation In Vivo. Cells 2022; 11:cells11132090. [PMID: 35805176 PMCID: PMC9265711 DOI: 10.3390/cells11132090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
LIM Kinases are important actors in the regulation of cytoskeleton dynamics by controlling microtubule and actin filament turnover. The signaling pathways involving LIM kinases for actin filament remodeling are well established. They are downstream effectors of small G proteins of the Rho-GTPases family and have become promising targets for the treatment of several major diseases because of their position at the lower end of these signaling cascades. Cofilin, which depolymerizes actin filaments, is the best-known substrate of these enzymes. The phosphorylation of cofilin to its inactive form by LIM kinases avoids actin filament depolymerization. The balance between phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated cofilin is thought to play an important role in tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Since 2006, many small molecules have been developed for LIMK inhibition, and in this review article, we will discuss the structure–activity relationships of the few inhibitor families that have been tested in vivo on different pathological models.
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11
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Podkościelna B, Klimek K, Karczmarzyk Z, Wysocki W, Brodacka M, Serafin K, Kozyra P, Kowalczuk D, Ginalska G, Pitucha M. Polymer microspheres modified with pyrazole derivatives as potential agents in anticancer therapy – preliminary studies. Bioorg Chem 2022; 123:105765. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.105765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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12
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Hit Identification of a Novel Quinazoline Sulfonamide as a Promising EphB3 Inhibitor: Design, Virtual Combinatorial Library, Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, and Docking Simulation Studies. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14121247. [PMID: 34959648 PMCID: PMC8708751 DOI: 10.3390/ph14121247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
EphB3 is a major key player in a variety of cellular activities, including cell migration, proliferation, and apoptosis. However, the exact role of EphB3 in cancer remains ambiguous. Accordingly, new EphB3 inhibitors can increase the understanding of the exact roles of the receptor and may act as promising therapeutic candidates. Herein, a hybrid approach of structure-based design and virtual combinatorial library generated 34 quinazoline sulfonamides as potential selective EphB3 inhibitors. A molecular docking study over EphB3 predicted the binding affinities of the generated library, and the top seven hit compounds (3a and 4a–f), with GlideScore ≥ −6.20 Kcal/mol, were chosen for further MM-GBSA calculations. Out of the seven top hits, compound 4c showed the highest MM-GBSA binding free energy (−74.13 Kcal/mol). To validate these predicted results, compounds 3a and 4a–f were synthesized and characterized using NMR, HRMS, and HPLC. The biological evaluation revealed compound 4c as a potent EphB3 inhibitory lead (IC50 = 1.04 µM). The screening of 4c over a mini-panel of kinases consisting of EGFR, Aurora A, Aurora B, CDK2/cyclin A, EphB1, EphB2, EphB4, ERBB2/HER2, and KDR/VEGFR2, showed a promising selective profile against EphB3 isoform. A dose-dependent assay of compound 4c and a molecular docking study over the different forms of EphB provided insights into the elicited biological activities and highlighted reasonable explanations of the selectivity.
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13
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Furukawa T, Kimura H, Torimoto H, Yagi Y, Kawashima H, Arimitsu K, Yasui H. A Putative Single-Photon Emission CT Imaging Tracer for Erythropoietin-Producing Hepatocellular A2 Receptor. ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 12:1238-1244. [PMID: 34413953 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular (Eph) receptors are receptor tyrosine kinases involved in cell-cell contact. The EphA2 receptor is associated with cancer proliferation and migration. Therefore, EphA2 receptor imaging has the potential for cancer diagnosis. Here, we synthesized N-(5-((4-((4-ethylpiperazin-1-yl)methyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)carbamoyl)-2-methylphenyl)-5-[123I]iodonicotinamide ([123I]ETB) and evaluated it as an imaging tracer for single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging of the EphA2 receptor. [123I]ETB was designed on the basis of ALW-II-41-27, an inhibitor of EphA2 receptor kinase. Nonradioactive ETB was also synthesized and has been shown to efficiently inhibit EphA2 receptor kinase activity in vitro (IC50: ETB, 90.2 ± 18.9 nM). A cell-binding assay demonstrated that [125I]ETB binds specifically to the EphA2 receptor. The ex vivo biodistribution study of [125I]ETB in U87MG tumor-bearing mice also revealed tumor uptake (2.2% ID/g at 240 min). In addition, [123I]ETB uptake in tumors was visualized via SPECT/CT imaging. On the basis of the above, [123I]ETB can be considered a potential SPECT imaging tracer for the EphA2 receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takenori Furukawa
- Department of Analytical and Bioinorganic Chemistry, Division of Analytical and Physical Chemistry, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Kimura
- Department of Analytical and Bioinorganic Chemistry, Division of Analytical and Physical Chemistry, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
| | - Hanae Torimoto
- Department of Analytical and Bioinorganic Chemistry, Division of Analytical and Physical Chemistry, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
| | - Yusuke Yagi
- Department of Analytical and Bioinorganic Chemistry, Division of Analytical and Physical Chemistry, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
| | - Hidekazu Kawashima
- Radioisotope Research Center, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 1 Shichono-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8412, Japan
| | - Kenji Arimitsu
- Department of Analytical and Bioinorganic Chemistry, Division of Analytical and Physical Chemistry, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Yasui
- Department of Analytical and Bioinorganic Chemistry, Division of Analytical and Physical Chemistry, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
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14
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Wang H, Qiu W. EPHA2, a promising therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma. Mol Cell Oncol 2021; 8:1910009. [PMID: 34027045 DOI: 10.1080/23723556.2021.1910009] [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: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Identifying critical drivers of oncogenesis and tumor progression is essential for developing effective hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) therapeutics. Our recent findings has demonstrated that targeting Ephrin Receptor A2 (EPHA2) suppresses HCC initiation and progression by dual inhibition of the Protein Kinase B (AKT) and Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wang
- Department of Surgery, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA.,Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Wei Qiu
- Department of Surgery, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA.,Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA
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15
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Vaught DB, Merkel AR, Lynch CC, Edwards J, Tantawy MN, Hilliard T, Wang S, Peterson T, Johnson RW, Sterling JA, Brantley‐Sieders D. EphA2 Is a Clinically Relevant Target for Breast Cancer Bone Metastatic Disease. JBMR Plus 2021; 5:e10465. [PMID: 33869989 PMCID: PMC8046157 DOI: 10.1002/jbm4.10465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) is highly expressed in breast tumor cells across multiple molecular subtypes and correlates with poor patient prognosis. In this study, the potential role of EphA2 in this clinically relevant phenomenon is investigated as metastasis of breast cancer to bone is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients. It was found that the EphA2 function in breast cancer cells promotes osteoclast activation and the development of osteolytic bone disease. Blocking EphA2 function molecularly and pharmacologically in breast tumors reduced the number and size of bone lesions and the degree of osteolytic disease in intratibial and intracardiac mouse models, which correlated with a significant decrease in the number of osteoclasts at the tumor-bone interface. EphA2 loss of function in tumor cells impaired osteoclast progenitor differentiation in coculture, which is mediated, at least in part, by reduced expression of IL-6. EPHA2 transcript levels are enriched in human breast cancer bone metastatic lesions relative to visceral metastatic sites; EphA2 protein expression was detected in breast tumor cells in bone metastases in patient samples, supporting the clinical relevance of the study's findings. These data provide a strong rationale for the development and application of molecularly targeted therapies against EphA2 for the treatment of breast cancer bone metastatic disease. © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B Vaught
- Department of Cancer BiologyVanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleTNUSA
| | - Alyssa R Merkel
- Vanderbilt Center for Bone BiologyVanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleTNUSA
| | - Conor C Lynch
- Department of Tumor BiologyH. Lee Moffitt Cancer CenterTampaFLUSA
| | | | - Mohammed Noor Tantawy
- Radiology and Vanderbilt Institute of Imaging SciencesVanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleTNUSA
| | - Timothy Hilliard
- Radiology and Vanderbilt Institute of Imaging SciencesVanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleTNUSA
| | - Shan Wang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and ImmunologyVanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleTNUSA
| | - Todd Peterson
- Radiology and Vanderbilt Institute of Imaging SciencesVanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleTNUSA
| | - Rachelle W Johnson
- Vanderbilt Center for Bone BiologyVanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleTNUSA
- Vanderbilt‐Ingram Cancer CenterVanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleTNUSA
- Department of Tumor BiologyH. Lee Moffitt Cancer CenterTampaFLUSA
- Division of Clinical PharmacologyVanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleTNUSA
| | - Julie A Sterling
- Vanderbilt Center for Bone BiologyVanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleTNUSA
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (VISN 9)Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTNUSA
| | - Dana Brantley‐Sieders
- Vanderbilt‐Ingram Cancer CenterVanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleTNUSA
- Department of Tumor BiologyH. Lee Moffitt Cancer CenterTampaFLUSA
- Radiology and Vanderbilt Institute of Imaging SciencesVanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleTNUSA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and ImmunologyVanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleTNUSA
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16
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Wang H, Hou W, Perera A, Bettler C, Beach JR, Ding X, Li J, Denning MF, Dhanarajan A, Cotler SJ, Joyce C, Yin J, Ahmed F, Roberts LR, Qiu W. Targeting EphA2 suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma initiation and progression by dual inhibition of JAK1/STAT3 and AKT signaling. Cell Rep 2021; 34:108765. [PMID: 33626345 PMCID: PMC7954228 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains one of the deadliest malignancies worldwide. One major obstacle to treatment is a lack of effective molecular-targeted therapies. In this study, we find that EphA2 expression and signaling are enriched in human HCC and associated with poor prognosis. Loss of EphA2 suppresses the initiation and growth of HCC both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, CRISPR/CAS9-mediated EphA2 inhibition significantly delays tumor development in a genetically engineered murine model of HCC. Mechanistically, we discover that targeting EphA2 suppresses both AKT and JAK1/STAT3 signaling, two separate oncogenic pathways in HCC. We also identify a small molecule kinase inhibitor of EphA2 that suppresses tumor progression in a murine HCC model. Together, our results suggest EphA2 as a promising therapeutic target for HCC.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Benzamides/pharmacology
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/drug therapy
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/enzymology
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Databases, Genetic
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Humans
- Janus Kinase 1/genetics
- Janus Kinase 1/metabolism
- Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Liver Neoplasms/enzymology
- Liver Neoplasms/genetics
- Liver Neoplasms/pathology
- Male
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Molecular Targeted Therapy
- Niacinamide/analogs & derivatives
- Niacinamide/pharmacology
- Phosphorylation
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism
- Receptor, EphA2/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptor, EphA2/genetics
- Receptor, EphA2/metabolism
- Retrospective Studies
- STAT3 Transcription Factor/genetics
- STAT3 Transcription Factor/metabolism
- Signal Transduction
- Tumor Burden/drug effects
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
- Mice
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wang
- Department of Surgery, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA; Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Wei Hou
- Department of Surgery, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA; Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Aldeb Perera
- Department of Surgery, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA; Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Carlee Bettler
- Department of Surgery, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA; Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Jordan R Beach
- Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Xianzhong Ding
- Department of Pathology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Mitchell F Denning
- Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Asha Dhanarajan
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Scott J Cotler
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Cara Joyce
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Jun Yin
- Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Fowsiyo Ahmed
- Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Wei Qiu
- Department of Surgery, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA; Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA.
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17
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Cioce M, Fazio VM. EphA2 and EGFR: Friends in Life, Partners in Crime. Can EphA2 Be a Predictive Biomarker of Response to Anti-EGFR Agents? Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13040700. [PMID: 33572284 PMCID: PMC7915460 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The Eph receptors represent the largest group among Receptor Tyrosine kinase (RTK) families. The Eph/ephrin signaling axis plays center stage during development, and the deep perturbation of signaling consequent to its dysregulation in cancer reveals the multiplicity and complexity underlying its function. In the last decades, they have emerged as key players in solid tumors, including colorectal cancer (CRC); however, what causes EphA2 to switch between tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting function is still an active theater of investigation. This review summarizes the recent advances in understanding EphA2 function in cancer, with detail on the molecular determinants of the oncogene-tumor suppressor switch function of EphA2. We describe tumor context-specific examples of EphA2 signaling and the emerging role EphA2 plays in supporting cancer-stem-cell-like populations and overcoming therapy-induced stress. In such a frame, we detail the interaction of the EphA2 and EGFR pathway in solid tumors, including colorectal cancer. We discuss the contribution of the EphA2 oncogenic signaling to the resistance to EGFR blocking agents, including cetuximab and TKIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Cioce
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotechnology, Department of Medicine, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: (M.C.); (V.M.F.)
| | - Vito Michele Fazio
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotechnology, Department of Medicine, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
- Laboratory of Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), 00133 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: (M.C.); (V.M.F.)
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18
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Zhang X. The Expression Profile and Prognostic Values of EPHA Family Members in Breast Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:619949. [PMID: 34221956 PMCID: PMC8250424 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.619949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND EphAs are a class of ephrin receptors that belong to the membrane-bound receptor tyrosine kinases group. Accumulating experimental evidence has shown that the EphA family is involved in tumor progression, namely in cell proliferation, invasiveness, and metastasis. EphAs are a promising target for anticancer therapy. However, their role in breast cancer (BC) is still not well understood. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used a series of bioinformatic approaches to analyze the expression of the EphA family members and investigate their prognostic value in BC. RESULTS Lower expression levels of EphA2, EphA3, EphA4, EphA5, and EphA7 and higher expression levels of EphA10 were found in BC tissues compared to those in normal tissues. The expression levels of the EphA family genes were correlated with molecular subtyping but not with tumor stage. High expression levels of most EphAs indicated a better prognosis in BC. CONCLUSIONS This study suggested that EphA2, EphA3, EphA4, and EphA5 can act as tumor-inhibiting factors as well as biomarkers for the prognosis of BC.
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19
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Transcriptome profiling reveal Acanthopanax senticosus improves growth performance, immunity and antioxidant capacity by regulating lipid metabolism in GIFT (Oreochromis niloticus). COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY D-GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2020; 37:100784. [PMID: 33360820 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2020.100784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Acanthopanax senticosus (APS) is a natural and officinal herb with an impressive range of health benefits for animal. An 8-week feeding trail with different APS levels (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8‰) was conducted to evaluate the promotive effects of APS in GIFT. Results indicate that APS improved the growth performance, improved specific growth ratio (SGR) and feed efficiency ratio (FER), the optimum APS supplementation was estimated to 1.97‰ based on the regression analysis of SGR. Meanwhile, 2‰ and 4‰ APS improved the immune and antioxidant capacity in some extent evidenced by the plasma and hepatic biomarkers. With the analysis of transcriptome sequencing, 293 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, including 106 up-regulated and 187 down-regulated. According to the GO and KEGG enrichments, DEGs were mainly involved in lipid metabolism regulation, followed by amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, immunity, and antioxidant response. Transcriptional expression of PPARs signaling and key genes retrieved from transcriptome database confirmed that lipid metabolism was the main active biological process in response to dietary APS administration. These results indicate optimum APS (2‰) could be used as a feed additive that improve the growth performance by regulating lipid metabolism. This may provide insights for Chinese herb additive application in aquaculture production.
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20
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Srivastava S, Pang KM, Iida M, Nelson MS, Liu J, Nam A, Wang J, Mambetsariev I, Pillai R, Mohanty A, McDaniel N, Behal A, Kulkarni P, Wheeler DL, Salgia R. Activation of EPHA2-ROBO1 Heterodimer by SLIT2 Attenuates Non-canonical Signaling and Proliferation in Squamous Cell Carcinomas. iScience 2020; 23:101692. [PMID: 33196021 PMCID: PMC7644594 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The tyrosine kinase receptor ephrin receptor A2 (EPHA2) is overexpressed in lung (LSCC) and head and neck (HNSCC) squamous cell carcinomas. Although EPHA2 can inhibit tumorigenesis in a ligand-dependent fashion via phosphorylation of Y588 and Y772, it can promote tumorigenesis in a ligand-independent manner via phosphorylation of S897. Here, we show that EPHA2 and Roundabout Guidance Receptor 1 (ROBO1) interact to form a functional heterodimer. Furthermore, we show that the ROBO1 ligand Slit Guidance Ligand 2 (SLIT2) and ensartinib, an inhibitor of EPHA2, can attenuate growth of HNSCC cells and act synergistically in LSCC cells. Our results suggest that patients with LSCC and HNSCC may be stratified and treated based on their EPHA2 and ROBO1 expression patterns. Although ~73% of patients with LSCC could benefit from SLIT2+ensartinib treatment, ~41% of patients with HNSCC could be treated with either SLIT2 or ensartinib. Thus, EPHA2 and ROBO1 represent potential LSCC and HNSCC theranostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saumya Srivastava
- Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 East Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Ka Ming Pang
- Department of Surgery, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Mari Iida
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research, Madison, WI 53705-2275, USA
| | - Michael S. Nelson
- Light Microscopy Core, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Jiayi Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 East Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Arin Nam
- Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 East Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Jiale Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 East Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Isa Mambetsariev
- Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 East Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Raju Pillai
- Department of Pathology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Atish Mohanty
- Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 East Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Nellie McDaniel
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research, Madison, WI 53705-2275, USA
| | - Amita Behal
- Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 East Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Prakash Kulkarni
- Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 East Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Deric L. Wheeler
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research, Madison, WI 53705-2275, USA
| | - Ravi Salgia
- Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 East Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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21
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Shrestha S, Byrne DP, Harris JA, Kannan N, Eyers PA. Cataloguing the dead: breathing new life into pseudokinase research. FEBS J 2020; 287:4150-4169. [PMID: 32053275 PMCID: PMC7586955 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Pseudoenzymes are present within many, but not all, known enzyme families and lack one or more conserved canonical amino acids that help define their catalytically active counterparts. Recent findings in the pseudokinase field confirm that evolutionary repurposing of the structurally defined bilobal protein kinase fold permits distinct biological functions to emerge, many of which rely on conformational switching, as opposed to canonical catalysis. In this analysis, we evaluate progress in evaluating several members of the 'dark' pseudokinome that are pertinent to help drive this expanding field. Initially, we discuss how adaptions in erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular carcinoma (Eph) receptor tyrosine kinase domains resulted in two vertebrate pseudokinases, EphA10 and EphB6, in which co-evolving sequences generate new motifs that are likely to be important for both nucleotide binding and catalysis-independent signalling. Secondly, we discuss how conformationally flexible Tribbles pseudokinases, which have radiated in the complex vertebrates, control fundamental aspects of cell signalling that may be targetable with covalent small molecules. Finally, we show how species-level adaptions in the duplicated canonical kinase protein serine kinase histone (PSKH)1 sequence have led to the appearance of the pseudokinase PSKH2, whose physiological role remains mysterious. In conclusion, we show how the patterns we discover are selectively conserved within specific pseudokinases, and that when they are modelled alongside closely related canonical kinases, many are found to be located in functionally important regions of the conserved kinase fold. Interrogation of these patterns will be useful for future evaluation of these, and other, members of the unstudied human kinome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Safal Shrestha
- Institute of BioinformaticsUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular BiologyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
| | - Dominic P. Byrne
- Department of BiochemistryInstitute of Integrative BiologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - John A. Harris
- Department of BiochemistryInstitute of Integrative BiologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Natarajan Kannan
- Institute of BioinformaticsUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular BiologyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
| | - Patrick A. Eyers
- Department of BiochemistryInstitute of Integrative BiologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
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22
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Xiang YP, Xiao T, Li QG, Lu SS, Zhu W, Liu YY, Qiu JY, Song ZH, Huang W, Yi H, Tang YY, Xiao ZQ. Y772 phosphorylation of EphA2 is responsible for EphA2-dependent NPC nasopharyngeal carcinoma growth by Shp2/Erk-1/2 signaling pathway. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:709. [PMID: 32848131 PMCID: PMC7449971 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-02831-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
EphA2 is an important oncogenic protein and emerging drug target, but the oncogenic role and mechanism of ligand-independent phosphorylation of EphA2 at tyrosine 772 (pY772-EphA2) is unclear. In this study, we established nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines with stable expression of exogenous EphA2 and EphA2-Y772A (phosphorylation inactivation) using endogenous EphA2-knockdown cells, and observed that pY772A EphA2 was responsible for EphA2-promoting NPC cell proliferation and anchorage-independent and in vivo growth in mice. Mechanistically, EphA2-Y772A mediated EphA2-activating Shp2/Erk-1/2 signaling pathway in the NPC cells, and Gab1 (Grb2-associated binder 1) and Grb2 (growth factor receptor-bound protein 2) were involved in pY772-EphA2 activating this signaling pathway. Our results further showed that Shp2/Erk-1/2 signaling mediated pY772-EphA2-promoting NPC cell proliferation and anchorage-independent growth. Moreover, we observed that EphA2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor ALW-II-41-27 inhibited pY772-EphA2 and EphA2-Y772A decreased the inhibitory effect of ALW-II-41-27 on NPC cell proliferation. Collectively, our results demonstrate that pY772-EphA2 is responsible for EphA2-dependent NPC cell growth in vitro and in vivo by activating Shp2/Erk-1/2 signaling pathway, and is a pharmacologic target of ALW-II-41-27, suggesting that pY772-EphA2 can serve as a therapeutic target in NPC and perhaps in other cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ping Xiang
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,Research Center of Carcinogenesis and Targeted Therapy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,The Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Cancer Proteomics and Translational Medicine of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Ta Xiao
- Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, 210042, China
| | - Qi-Guang Li
- Research Center of Carcinogenesis and Targeted Therapy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,The Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Cancer Proteomics and Translational Medicine of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Shan-Shan Lu
- Research Center of Carcinogenesis and Targeted Therapy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, 210042, China
| | - Wei Zhu
- Research Center of Carcinogenesis and Targeted Therapy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,The Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Cancer Proteomics and Translational Medicine of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Yun-Ya Liu
- Research Center of Carcinogenesis and Targeted Therapy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,The Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Cancer Proteomics and Translational Medicine of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Jie-Ya Qiu
- Research Center of Carcinogenesis and Targeted Therapy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,The Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Cancer Proteomics and Translational Medicine of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Zheng-Hui Song
- Research Center of Carcinogenesis and Targeted Therapy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,The Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Cancer Proteomics and Translational Medicine of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Wei Huang
- Research Center of Carcinogenesis and Targeted Therapy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,The Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Cancer Proteomics and Translational Medicine of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Hong Yi
- Research Center of Carcinogenesis and Targeted Therapy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,The Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Cancer Proteomics and Translational Medicine of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Yao-Yun Tang
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Xiao
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China. .,Research Center of Carcinogenesis and Targeted Therapy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China. .,The Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Cancer Proteomics and Translational Medicine of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
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23
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Xiao T, Xiao Y, Wang W, Tang YY, Xiao Z, Su M. Targeting EphA2 in cancer. J Hematol Oncol 2020; 13:114. [PMID: 32811512 PMCID: PMC7433191 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-020-00944-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Eph receptors and the corresponding Eph receptor-interacting (ephrin) ligands jointly constitute a critical cell signaling network that has multiple functions. The tyrosine kinase EphA2, which belongs to the family of Eph receptors, is highly produced in tumor tissues, while found at relatively low levels in most normal adult tissues, indicating its potential application in cancer treatment. After 30 years of investigation, a large amount of data regarding EphA2 functions have been compiled. Meanwhile, several compounds targeting EphA2 have been evaluated and tested in clinical studies, albeit with limited clinical success. The present review briefly describes the contribution of EphA2-ephrin A1 signaling axis to carcinogenesis. In addition, the roles of EphA2 in resistance to molecular-targeted agents were examined. In particular, we focused on EphA2's potential as a target for cancer treatment to provide insights into the application of EphA2 targeting in anticancer strategies. Overall, EphA2 represents a potential target for treating malignant tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ta Xiao
- Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210042, China
| | - Yuhang Xiao
- Research Center of Carcinogenesis and Targeted Therapy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Wenxiang Wang
- Thoracic Surgery Department 2, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Yan Yan Tang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Zhiqiang Xiao
- Research Center of Carcinogenesis and Targeted Therapy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
| | - Min Su
- Thoracic Surgery Department 2, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China. .,Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China.
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24
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London M, Gallo E. Critical role of EphA3 in cancer and current state of EphA3 drug therapeutics. Mol Biol Rep 2020; 47:5523-5533. [PMID: 32621117 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-020-05571-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The erythropoietin-producing human hepatocellular (Eph) receptors are transmembrane glycoprotein members of the tyrosine kinase receptors family. The Ephs may bind to various ephrin ligands resulting in the phosphorylation of their tyrosine kinase domain and the activation of the Eph receptor. In this review we focus on EphA3, one receptor of the 14 different Ephs, as it carries out both redundant and restricted functions in the germline development of mammals and in the maintenance of various adult tissues. The loss of EphA3 regulation is correlated with various human malignancies, the most notable being cancer. This receptor is overexpressed and/or mutated in multiple tumors, and is also associated with poor prognosis and decreased survival in patients. Here we highlight the role of EphA3 in normal and malignant tissues that are specific to cancer; these include hematologic disorders, gastric cancer, glioblastoma multiforme, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and prostate cancer. Moreover, various anticancer agents against EphA3 have been developed to either inhibit its kinase domain activity or to function as agonists. Thus, we examine the most potent small molecule drugs and mAb-based therapeutics against EphA3 that are currently in pre-clinical or clinical stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max London
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Eugenio Gallo
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada.
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25
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Giorgio C, Zanotti I, Lodola A, Tognolini M. Ephrin or not? Six tough questions on Eph targeting. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2020; 24:403-415. [PMID: 32197575 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2020.1745187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: The Eph-ephrin is a cell-cell communication system generating a forward signal in cell expressing Eph receptors and a reverse signal in ephrin-ligand expressing cells. While clearly involved in the insurgence and progression of cancer, the understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulated by this system needs development; this is a hurdle to the development of therapeutic strategies that can target the Eph receptors and/or their ephrin ligands.Areas covered: We have taken the opportunity to share some key questions on the most effective strategies to target the Eph-ephrin system. This article is based on our experience of the field and therefore is a Perspective and not comprehensive examination of the literature.Expert opinion: Targeting of the Eph-ephrin system has emerged as a potentially valuable approach for cancer therapy. Pharmacological tools have been reported in the last 15 years and these include forward signaling blockers such as kinases inhibitors and antagonists of forward and reverse signaling. Also, biologics including antibodies and recombinant proteins have been developed and some have reached early clinical stages. Data deem the Eph-ephrin system as a signaling axis that is an elusive target. A better understanding of the basic pharmacology behind the activity of available agents and a comprehensive knowledge of the ephrin biology are necessary. We are looking forward to knowing the opinion of the readers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmine Giorgio
- Dipartimento di Scienze degli Alimenti e del Farmaco, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Ilaria Zanotti
- Dipartimento di Scienze degli Alimenti e del Farmaco, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Alessio Lodola
- Dipartimento di Scienze degli Alimenti e del Farmaco, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy
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26
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Incerti M, Russo S, Corrado M, Giorgio C, Ballabeni V, Chiodelli P, Rusnati M, Scalvini L, Callegari D, Castelli R, Vacondio F, Ferlenghi F, Tognolini M, Lodola A. Optimization of EphA2 antagonists based on a lithocholic acid core led to the identification of UniPR505, a new 3α-carbamoyloxy derivative with antiangiogenetic properties. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 189:112083. [PMID: 32000051 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The EphA2 receptor has been validated in animal models as new target for treating tumors depending on angiogenesis and vasculogenic mimicry. In the present work, we extended our current knowledge on structure-activity relationship (SAR) data of two related classes of antagonists of the EphA2 receptor, namely 5β-cholan-24-oic acids and 5β-cholan-24-oyl l-β-homotryptophan conjugates, with the aim to develop new antiangiogenic compounds able to efficiently prevent the formation of blood vessels. As a result of our exploration, we identified UniPR505, N-[3α-(Ethylcarbamoyl)oxy-5β-cholan-24-oyl]-l-β-homo-tryptophan (compound 14), as a submicromolar antagonist of the EphA2 receptor capable to block EphA2 phosphorylation and to inhibit neovascularization in a chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Incerti
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - Simonetta Russo
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - Miriam Corrado
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - Carmine Giorgio
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - Vigilio Ballabeni
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - Paola Chiodelli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - Marco Rusnati
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - Laura Scalvini
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | | | - Riccardo Castelli
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - Federica Vacondio
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | | | | | - Alessio Lodola
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, 43124, Parma, Italy.
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27
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Host-directed kinase inhibitors act as novel therapies against intracellular Staphylococcus aureus. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4876. [PMID: 30890742 PMCID: PMC6425000 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41260-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Host-directed therapeutics are a promising anti-infective strategy against intracellular bacterial pathogens. Repurposing host-targeted drugs approved by the FDA in the US, the MHRA in the UK and/or regulatory equivalents in other countries, is particularly interesting because these drugs are commercially available, safe doses are documented and they have been already approved for other clinical purposes. In this study, we aimed to identify novel therapies against intracellular Staphylococcus aureus, an opportunistic pathogen that is able to exploit host molecular and metabolic pathways to support its own intracellular survival. We screened 133 host-targeting drugs and found three host-directed tyrosine kinase inhibitors (Ibrutinib, Dasatinib and Crizotinib) that substantially impaired intracellular bacterial survival. We found that Ibrutinib significantly increased host cell viability after S. aureus infection via inhibition of cell invasion and intracellular bacterial proliferation. Using phosphoproteomics data, we propose a putative mechanism of action of Ibrutinib involving several host factors, including EPHA2, C-JUN and NWASP. We confirmed the importance of EPHA2 for staphylococcal infection in an EPHA2-knock-out cell line. Our study serves as an important example of feasibility for identifying host-directed therapeutics as candidates for repurposing.
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28
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Martini G, Cardone C, Vitiello PP, Belli V, Napolitano S, Troiani T, Ciardiello D, Della Corte CM, Morgillo F, Matrone N, Sforza V, Papaccio G, Desiderio V, Paul MC, Moreno-Viedma V, Normanno N, Rachiglio AM, Tirino V, Maiello E, Latiano TP, Rizzi D, Signoriello G, Sibilia M, Ciardiello F, Martinelli E. EPHA2 Is a Predictive Biomarker of Resistance and a Potential Therapeutic Target for Improving Antiepidermal Growth Factor Receptor Therapy in Colorectal Cancer. Mol Cancer Ther 2019; 18:845-855. [PMID: 30824612 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-18-0539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 10/28/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The EPHA2 tyrosine kinase receptor is implicated in tumor progression and targeted therapies resistance. We evaluated EPHA2 as a potential resistance marker to the antiepidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody cetuximab in colorectal cancer. We studied activation of EPHA2 in a panel of human colorectal cancer cell lines sensitive or resistant to anti-EGFR drugs. The in vitro and in vivo effects of ALW-II-41-27 (an EPHA2 inhibitor) and/or cetuximab treatment were tested. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor specimens from 82 RAS wild-type (WT) metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with FOLFIRI + cetuximab as first-line therapy in the CAPRI-GOIM trial were assessed for EPHA2 expression by immunohistochemistry and correlated with treatment efficacy. EPHA2 was differentially activated in colorectal cancer cell lines. Combined treatment with ALW-II-41-27 plus cetuximab reverted primary and acquired resistance to cetuximab, causing cell growth inhibition, inducing apoptosis and cell-cycle G1-G2 arrest. In tumor xenograft models, upon progression to cetuximab, ALW-II-41-27 addition significantly inhibited tumor growth. EPHA2 protein expression was detected in 55 of 82 tumor samples, frequently expressed in less-differentiated and left-sided tumors. High levels of EPHA2 significantly correlated with worse progression-free survival [8.6 months; confidence interval (CI) 95%, 6.4-10.8; vs. 12.3 months; CI 95%, 10.4-14.2; P = 0.03] and with increased progression rate (29% vs. 9%, P = 0.02). A specific EPHA2 inhibitor reverts in vitro and in vivo primary and acquired resistance to anti-EGFR therapy. EPHA2 levels are significantly associated with worse outcome in patients treated with FOLFIRI + cetuximab. These results highlight EPHA2 as a potential therapeutic target in metastatic colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Martini
- Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania L. Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Claudia Cardone
- Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania L. Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Pietro Paolo Vitiello
- Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania L. Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Valentina Belli
- Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania L. Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Stefania Napolitano
- Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania L. Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Teresa Troiani
- Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania L. Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Davide Ciardiello
- Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania L. Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Carminia Maria Della Corte
- Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania L. Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Floriana Morgillo
- Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania L. Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Nunzia Matrone
- Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania L. Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Sforza
- Department of Clinical Experimental Thoracic Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS, Fondazione Pascale, Naples, Italy
| | - Gianpaolo Papaccio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli Napoli, IT, Naples, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Desiderio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli Napoli, IT, Naples, Italy
| | - Mariel C Paul
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8a, Vienna, Austria
| | - Veronica Moreno-Viedma
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8a, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nicola Normanno
- Cell Biology and Biotherapy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS, Fondazione Pascale, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Rachiglio
- Cell Biology and Biotherapy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS, Fondazione Pascale, Naples, Italy
| | - Virginia Tirino
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli Napoli, IT, Naples, Italy
| | - Evaristo Maiello
- Medical Oncology, Hospital Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza-San Giovanni Rotondo (Foggia), San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Tiziana Pia Latiano
- Medical Oncology, Hospital Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza-San Giovanni Rotondo (Foggia), San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Daniele Rizzi
- Medical Oncology, Hospital Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza-San Giovanni Rotondo (Foggia), San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Signoriello
- Biostatistics, Dipartimento di Salute Mentale e Fisica e Medicina Preventiva, Università degli Studi della Campania L. Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Sibilia
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8a, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fortunato Ciardiello
- Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania L. Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy.
| | - Erika Martinelli
- Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania L. Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy.
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29
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Tröster A, Heinzlmeir S, Berger BT, Gande SL, Saxena K, Sreeramulu S, Linhard V, Nasiri AH, Bolte M, Müller S, Kuster B, Médard G, Kudlinzki D, Schwalbe H. NVP-BHG712: Effects of Regioisomers on the Affinity and Selectivity toward the EPHrin Family. ChemMedChem 2018; 13:1629-1633. [PMID: 29928781 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201800398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular (EPH) receptors are transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinases. Their extracellular domains bind specifically to ephrin A/B ligands, and this binding modulates intracellular kinase activity. EPHs are key players in bidirectional intercellular signaling, controlling cell morphology, adhesion, and migration. They are increasingly recognized as cancer drug targets. We analyzed the binding of NVP-BHG712 (NVP) to EPHA2 and EPHB4. Unexpectedly, all tested commercially available NVP samples turned out to be a regioisomer (NVPiso) of the inhibitor, initially described in a Novartis patent application. They only differ by the localization of a single methyl group on either one of two adjacent nitrogen atoms. The two compounds of identical mass revealed different binding modes. Furthermore, both in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that the isomers differ in their kinase affinity and selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alix Tröster
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stephanie Heinzlmeir
- Chair of Proteomics and Bioanalytics, Technical University of Munich, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354, Freising, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Benedict-Tilman Berger
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Santosh L Gande
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Krishna Saxena
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sridhar Sreeramulu
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Verena Linhard
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Amir H Nasiri
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Michael Bolte
- Institute for Inorganic Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Susanne Müller
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Bernhard Kuster
- Chair of Proteomics and Bioanalytics, Technical University of Munich, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354, Freising, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Guillaume Médard
- Chair of Proteomics and Bioanalytics, Technical University of Munich, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Denis Kudlinzki
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Harald Schwalbe
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
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30
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Arabzadeh A, McGregor K, Breton V, Van Der Kraak L, Akavia UD, Greenwood CMT, Beauchemin N. EphA2 signaling is impacted by carcinoembryonic antigen cell adhesion molecule 1-L expression in colorectal cancer liver metastasis in a cell context-dependent manner. Oncotarget 2017; 8:104330-104346. [PMID: 29262644 PMCID: PMC5732810 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.22236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We have shown that carcinoembryonic antigen cell adhesion molecule 1 long isoform (CEACAM1-L) expression in MC38 metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) cells results in liver metastasis inhibition via CCL2 and STAT3 signaling. But other molecular mechanisms orchestrating CEACAM1-L-mediated metastasis inhibition remain to be defined. We screened a panel of mouse and human CRC cells and evaluated their metastatic outcome after CEACAM1 overexpression or downregulation. An unbiased transcript profiling and a phospho-receptor tyrosine kinase screen comparing MC38 CEACAM1-L-expressing and non-expressing (CT) CRC cells revealed reduced ephrin type-A receptor 2 (EPHA2) expression and activity. An EPHA2-specific inhibitor reduced EPHA2 downstream signaling in CT cells similar to that in CEACAM1-L cells with decreased proliferation and migration. Human CRC patients exhibiting high CEACAM1 in combination with low EPHA2 expression benefited from longer time to first recurrence/metastasis compared to those with high EPHA2 expression. With the added interaction of CEACAM6, we denoted that CEACAM1 high- and EPHA2 low-expressing patient samples with lower CEACAM6 expression also exhibited a longer time to first recurrence/metastasis. In HT29 human CRC cells, down-regulation of CEACAM1 along with CEA and CEACAM6 up-regulation led to higher metastatic burden. Overall, CEACAM1-L expression in poorly differentiated CRC can inhibit liver metastasis through cell context-dependent EPHA2-mediated signaling. However, CEACAM1’s role should be considered in the presence of other CEACAM family members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azadeh Arabzadeh
- Goodman Cancer Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Kevin McGregor
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Valérie Breton
- Goodman Cancer Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Lauren Van Der Kraak
- Goodman Cancer Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Uri David Akavia
- Goodman Cancer Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Celia M T Greenwood
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Departments of Oncology and Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nicole Beauchemin
- Goodman Cancer Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Departments of Medicine and Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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31
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Chen Y, Zhang H, Zhang Y. Targeting receptor tyrosine kinase EphB4 in cancer therapy. Semin Cancer Biol 2017; 56:37-46. [PMID: 28993206 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2017.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Eph receptors and their Eph receptor-interacting (ephrin) ligands together form an important cell communication system with diverse roles. Experimental evidence demonstrated Eph receptor bidirectional signaling with both tumor-suppressing and tumor-promoting activities in cancer cells. The tyrosine kinase EphB4, a member of the Eph receptor family, has been associated with tumor angiogenesis, growth and metastasis, thus making it a valuable and attractive target for drug design for therapeutic applications. In the past decade, many studies have focused on elucidating the structure and function of EphB4 in complex with its ligand ephrinB2 for their role in carcinogenesis. Meanwhile, an array of compounds targeting EphB4 have been studied and several selective inhibitors have been tested in clinical studies. This review discusses the structure and function of the EphB4 receptor, analyzes its potential as a target for anticancer therapy, and summarizes the information about inhibitors of EphB4 kinase activity. Conclusively, EphB4 is a challenging but promising therapeutic target in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinnan Chen
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Hongmei Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology, Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 1665 Kongjiang Road, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
| | - Yanmin Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 76, Yanta West Street, #54, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710061, PR China.
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32
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Wiemer J, Steinbach J, Pietzsch J, Mamat C. Preparation of a novel radiotracer targeting the EphB4 receptor via radiofluorination using spiro azetidinium salts as precursor. J Labelled Comp Radiopharm 2017; 60:489-498. [DOI: 10.1002/jlcr.3526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jens Wiemer
- Institut für Radiopharmazeutische Krebsforschung; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf; Dresden Germany
| | - Jörg Steinbach
- Institut für Radiopharmazeutische Krebsforschung; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf; Dresden Germany
- Fachbereich Chemie und Lebensmittelchemie; Technische Universität Dresden; Dresden Germany
| | - Jens Pietzsch
- Institut für Radiopharmazeutische Krebsforschung; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf; Dresden Germany
- Fachbereich Chemie und Lebensmittelchemie; Technische Universität Dresden; Dresden Germany
| | - Constantin Mamat
- Institut für Radiopharmazeutische Krebsforschung; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf; Dresden Germany
- Fachbereich Chemie und Lebensmittelchemie; Technische Universität Dresden; Dresden Germany
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33
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Song W, Hwang Y, Youngblood VM, Cook RS, Balko JM, Chen J, Brantley-Sieders DM. Targeting EphA2 impairs cell cycle progression and growth of basal-like/triple-negative breast cancers. Oncogene 2017; 36:5620-5630. [PMID: 28581527 PMCID: PMC5629103 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2017.170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Revised: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Basal-like/triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are among the most aggressive forms of breast cancer, and disproportionally affects young premenopausal women and women of African descent. Patients with TNBC suffer a poor prognosis due in part to a lack of molecularly targeted therapies, which represents a critical barrier for effective treatment. Here, we identify EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase as a clinically relevant target for TNBC. EphA2 expression is enriched in the basal-like molecular subtype in human breast cancers. Loss of EphA2 function in both human and genetically engineered mouse models of TNBC reduced tumor growth in culture and in vivo. Mechanistically, targeting EphA2 impaired cell cycle progression through S-phase via downregulation of c-Myc and stabilization of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27/KIP1. A small molecule kinase inhibitor of EphA2 effectively suppressed tumor cell growth in vivo, including TNBC patient-derived xenografts. Thus, our data identify EphA2 as a novel molecular target for TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Song
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Y Hwang
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - V M Youngblood
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - R S Cook
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.,Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - J M Balko
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.,Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - J Chen
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.,Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Cellular and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.,Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - D M Brantley-Sieders
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.,Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
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34
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Ramachandran SA, Jadhavar PS, Miglani SK, Singh MP, Kalane DP, Agarwal AK, Sathe BD, Mukherjee K, Gupta A, Haldar S, Raja M, Singh S, Pham SM, Chakravarty S, Quinn K, Belmar S, Alfaro IE, Higgs C, Bernales S, Herrera FJ, Rai R. Design, synthesis and optimization of bis-amide derivatives as CSF1R inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2017; 27:2153-2160. [PMID: 28377059 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2017.03.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2016] [Revised: 03/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Signaling via the receptor tyrosine kinase CSF1R is thought to play an important role in recruitment and differentiation of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). TAMs play pro-tumorigenic roles, including the suppression of anti-tumor immune response, promotion of angiogenesis and tumor cell metastasis. Because of the role of this signaling pathway in the tumor microenvironment, several small molecule CSF1R kinase inhibitors are undergoing clinical evaluation for cancer therapy, either as a single agent or in combination with other cancer therapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors. Herein we describe our lead optimization effort that resulted in the identification of a potent, cellular active and orally bioavailable bis-amide CSF1R inhibitor. Docking and biochemical analysis allowed the removal of a metabolically labile and poorly permeable methyl piperazine group from an early lead compound. Optimization led to improved metabolic stability and Caco2 permeability, which in turn resulted in good oral bioavailability in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreekanth A Ramachandran
- Integral BioSciences Pvt. Ltd, C-64, Hosiery Complex Phase II Extension, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306, India
| | - Pradeep S Jadhavar
- Integral BioSciences Pvt. Ltd, C-64, Hosiery Complex Phase II Extension, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306, India
| | - Sandeep K Miglani
- Integral BioSciences Pvt. Ltd, C-64, Hosiery Complex Phase II Extension, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306, India
| | - Manvendra P Singh
- Integral BioSciences Pvt. Ltd, C-64, Hosiery Complex Phase II Extension, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306, India
| | - Deepak P Kalane
- Integral BioSciences Pvt. Ltd, C-64, Hosiery Complex Phase II Extension, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306, India
| | - Anil K Agarwal
- Integral BioSciences Pvt. Ltd, C-64, Hosiery Complex Phase II Extension, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306, India
| | - Balaji D Sathe
- Integral BioSciences Pvt. Ltd, C-64, Hosiery Complex Phase II Extension, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306, India
| | - Kakoli Mukherjee
- Integral BioSciences Pvt. Ltd, C-64, Hosiery Complex Phase II Extension, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306, India
| | - Ashu Gupta
- Integral BioSciences Pvt. Ltd, C-64, Hosiery Complex Phase II Extension, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306, India
| | - Srijan Haldar
- Integral BioSciences Pvt. Ltd, C-64, Hosiery Complex Phase II Extension, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306, India
| | - Mohd Raja
- Integral BioSciences Pvt. Ltd, C-64, Hosiery Complex Phase II Extension, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306, India
| | - Siddhartha Singh
- Integral BioSciences Pvt. Ltd, C-64, Hosiery Complex Phase II Extension, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306, India
| | - Son M Pham
- Medivation, now Pfizer, 525 Market Street, 36th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
| | - Sarvajit Chakravarty
- Medivation, now Pfizer, 525 Market Street, 36th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
| | - Kevin Quinn
- Medivation, now Pfizer, 525 Market Street, 36th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
| | - Sebastian Belmar
- Fundación Ciencia y Vida, Avenida Zañartu 1482, Ñuñoa, Santiago 778027, Chile
| | - Ivan E Alfaro
- Fundación Ciencia y Vida, Avenida Zañartu 1482, Ñuñoa, Santiago 778027, Chile
| | - Christopher Higgs
- Schrödinger, Inc., 120 West 45th Street, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10036, USA
| | - Sebastian Bernales
- Medivation, now Pfizer, 525 Market Street, 36th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
| | - Francisco J Herrera
- Medivation, now Pfizer, 525 Market Street, 36th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
| | - Roopa Rai
- Medivation, now Pfizer, 525 Market Street, 36th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA.
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35
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Borza CM, Su Y, Tran TL, Yu L, Steyns N, Temple KJ, Skwark MJ, Meiler J, Lindsley CW, Hicks BR, Leitinger B, Zent R, Pozzi A. Discoidin domain receptor 1 kinase activity is required for regulating collagen IV synthesis. Matrix Biol 2017; 57-58:258-271. [PMID: 27915093 PMCID: PMC5329129 DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2016.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Revised: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Discoidin domain receptor 1 (DDR1) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that binds to and is activated by collagens. DDR1 expression increases following kidney injury and accumulating evidence suggests that it contributes to the progression of injury. To this end, deletion of DDR1 is beneficial in ameliorating kidney injury induced by angiotensin infusion, unilateral ureteral obstruction, or nephrotoxic nephritis. Most of the beneficial effects observed in the DDR1-null mice are attributed to reduced inflammatory cell infiltration to the site of injury, suggesting that DDR1 plays a pro-inflammatory effect. The goal of this study was to determine whether, in addition to its pro-inflammatory effect, DDR1 plays a deleterious effect in kidney injury by directly regulating extracellular matrix production. We show that DDR1-null mice have reduced deposition of glomerular collagens I and IV as well as decreased proteinuria following the partial renal ablation model of kidney injury. Using mesangial cells isolated from DDR1-null mice, we show that these cells produce significantly less collagen compared to DDR1-null cells reconstituted with wild type DDR1. Moreover, mutagenesis analysis revealed that mutations in the collagen binding site or in the kinase domain significantly reduce DDR1-mediated collagen production. Finally, we provide evidence that blocking DDR1 kinase activity with an ATP-competitive small molecule inhibitor reduces collagen production. In conclusion, our studies indicate that the kinase activity of DDR1 plays a key role in DDR1-induced collagen synthesis and suggest that blocking collagen-mediated DDR1 activation may be beneficial in fibrotic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corina M Borza
- Department of Medicine (Division of Nephrology), Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Yan Su
- Department of Medicine (Division of Nephrology), Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Truc-Linh Tran
- Department of Medicine (Division of Nephrology), Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Ling Yu
- Department of Medicine (Division of Nephrology), Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Nick Steyns
- Department Chemistry, Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Kayla J Temple
- Department Chemistry, Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Marcin J Skwark
- Department Chemistry, Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Jens Meiler
- Department Chemistry, Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Craig W Lindsley
- Department Chemistry, Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Brennan R Hicks
- Department of Medicine (Division of Nephrology), Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Birgit Leitinger
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College of London, London, UK
| | - Roy Zent
- Department of Medicine (Division of Nephrology), Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States; Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States; Veterans Affairs Hospitals, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Ambra Pozzi
- Department of Medicine (Division of Nephrology), Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States; Veterans Affairs Hospitals, Nashville, TN, United States.
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36
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Shiuan E, Chen J. Eph Receptor Tyrosine Kinases in Tumor Immunity. Cancer Res 2016; 76:6452-6457. [PMID: 27811149 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-16-1521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Revised: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The family of Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their ephrin ligands regulate a diverse array of physiologic processes, such as axonal guidance, bone remodeling, and immune cell development and trafficking. Eph/ephrin interactions have also been implicated in various pathologic processes, including inflammation, cancer, and tumor angiogenesis. Because Eph receptors play prominent roles in both the immune system and cancer, they likely impact the tumor immune microenvironment, an area in which Eph receptors remain understudied. Here, we provide the first comprehensive review of Eph receptors in the context of tumor immunity. With the recent rise of cancer immunotherapies as promising therapeutic interventions, further elucidation of the roles of Eph receptors in the tumor immune microenvironment will be critical for understanding and developing novel targets against tumor immune evasion. Cancer Res; 76(22); 6452-7. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen Shiuan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee.,Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Jin Chen
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee. .,Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.,Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee.,Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.,Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee
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37
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Barquilla A, Lamberto I, Noberini R, Heynen-Genel S, Brill LM, Pasquale EB. Protein kinase A can block EphA2 receptor-mediated cell repulsion by increasing EphA2 S897 phosphorylation. Mol Biol Cell 2016; 27:2757-70. [PMID: 27385333 PMCID: PMC5007095 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e16-01-0048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The EphA2 receptor plays multiple roles in cancer through two distinct signaling mechanisms. In a novel cross-talk, the β2-adrenoceptor/cAMP/PKA axis can promote EphA2 pro-oncogenic, ligand-independent signaling, blocking cell repulsion induced by ligand-dependent signaling. PKA emerges as a third kinase, besides AKT and RSK, that can regulate EphA2. The EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase plays key roles in tissue homeostasis and disease processes such as cancer, pathological angiogenesis, and inflammation through two distinct signaling mechanisms. EphA2 “canonical” signaling involves ephrin-A ligand binding, tyrosine autophosphorylation, and kinase activity; EphA2 “noncanonical” signaling involves phosphorylation of serine 897 (S897) by AKT and RSK kinases. To identify small molecules counteracting EphA2 canonical signaling, we developed a high-content screening platform measuring inhibition of ephrin-A1–induced PC3 prostate cancer cell retraction. Surprisingly, most hits from a screened collection of pharmacologically active compounds are agents that elevate intracellular cAMP by activating G protein–coupled receptors such as the β2-adrenoceptor. We found that cAMP promotes phosphorylation of S897 by protein kinase A (PKA) as well as increases the phosphorylation of several nearby serine/threonine residues, which constitute a phosphorylation hotspot. Whereas EphA2 canonical and noncanonical signaling have been viewed as mutually exclusive, we show that S897 phosphorylation by PKA can coexist with EphA2 tyrosine phosphorylation and block cell retraction induced by EphA2 kinase activity. Our findings reveal a novel paradigm in EphA2 function involving the interplay of canonical and noncanonical signaling and highlight the ability of the β2-adrenoceptor/cAMP/PKA axis to rewire EphA2 signaling in a subset of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Barquilla
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Ilaria Lamberto
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Roberta Noberini
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Susanne Heynen-Genel
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Laurence M Brill
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Elena B Pasquale
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037 Pathology Department, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
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38
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Unzue A, Lafleur K, Zhao H, Zhou T, Dong J, Kolb P, Liebl J, Zahler S, Caflisch A, Nevado C. Three stories on Eph kinase inhibitors: From in silico discovery to in vivo validation. Eur J Med Chem 2016; 112:347-366. [PMID: 26907157 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.01.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Revised: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Several selective and potent EphB4 inhibitors have been discovered, optimized and biophysically characterized by our groups over the past years. On the outset of these discoveries high throughput docking techniques were applied. Herein, we review the optimization campaigns started from three of these hits (Xan-A1, Pyr-A1 and Qui-A1) with emphasis on their in depth in vitro and in vivo characterization, together with previously unpublished angiogenesis and fluorescence based assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Unzue
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Karine Lafleur
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Hongtao Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Ting Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jing Dong
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Peter Kolb
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Johanna Liebl
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University Münich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Münich, Germany
| | - Stefan Zahler
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University Münich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Münich, Germany
| | - Amedeo Caflisch
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Cristina Nevado
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland.
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39
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Youngblood VM, Kim LC, Edwards DN, Hwang Y, Santapuram PR, Stirdivant SM, Lu P, Ye F, Brantley-Sieders DM, Chen J. The Ephrin-A1/EPHA2 Signaling Axis Regulates Glutamine Metabolism in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer. Cancer Res 2016; 76:1825-36. [PMID: 26833123 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-15-0847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) contributes to cellular transformation and cancer progression by disrupting key metabolic signaling pathways. The EPHA2 RTK is overexpressed in aggressive forms of breast cancer, including the HER2(+) subtype, and correlates with poor prognosis. However, the role of EPHA2 in tumor metabolism remains unexplored. In this study, we used in vivo and in vitro models of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer to investigate the mechanisms by which EPHA2 ligand-independent signaling promotes tumorigenesis in the absence of its prototypic ligand, ephrin-A1. We demonstrate that ephrin-A1 loss leads to upregulated glutamine metabolism and lipid accumulation that enhanced tumor growth. Global metabolic profiling of ephrin-A1-null, HER2-overexpressing mammary tumors revealed a significant increase in glutaminolysis, a critical metabolic pathway that generates intermediates for lipogenesis. Pharmacologic inhibition of glutaminase activity reduced tumor growth in both ephrin-A1-depleted and EPHA2-overexpressing tumor allografts in vivo Mechanistically, we show that the enhanced proliferation and glutaminolysis in the absence of ephrin-A1 were attributed to increased RhoA-dependent glutaminase activity. EPHA2 depletion or pharmacologic inhibition of Rho, glutaminase, or fatty acid synthase abrogated the increased lipid content and proliferative effects of ephrin-A1 knockdown. Together, these findings highlight a novel, unsuspected connection between the EPHA2/ephrin-A1 signaling axis and tumor metabolism, and suggest potential new therapeutic targets in cancer subtypes exhibiting glutamine dependency. Cancer Res; 76(7); 1825-36. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura C Kim
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Deanna N Edwards
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Yoonha Hwang
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee
| | | | | | - Pengcheng Lu
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Fei Ye
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Dana M Brantley-Sieders
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
| | - Jin Chen
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
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40
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Terai H, Tan L, Beauchamp EM, Hatcher JM, Liu Q, Meyerson M, Gray NS, Hammerman PS. Characterization of DDR2 Inhibitors for the Treatment of DDR2 Mutated Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer. ACS Chem Biol 2015; 10:2687-96. [PMID: 26390252 PMCID: PMC4685943 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.5b00655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Despite advances in precision medicine approaches over the past decade, the majority of nonsmall cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) are refractory to treatment with targeted small molecule inhibitors. Previous work has identified mutations in the Discoidin Domain Receptor 2 (DDR2) kinase as potential therapeutic targets in NSCLCs. While DDR2 is potently targeted by several multitargeted kinase inhibitors, most notably dasatinib, toxicity has limited the clinical application of anti-DDR2 therapy. Here, we have characterized compound 1 and other tool compounds demonstrating selectivity for DDR2 and show that while these compounds inhibit DDR2 in lung cancer model systems, they display limited antiproliferative activity in DDR2 mutated cell lines as compared to dual DDR2/SRC inhibitors. We show that DDR2 and SRC are binding partners, that SRC activity is tied to DDR2 activation, and that dual inhibition of both DDR2 and SRC leads to enhanced suppression of DDR2 mutated lung cancer cell lines. These results support the further evaluation of dual SRC/DDR2 targeting in NSCLC, and we report a tool compound, compound 5, which potently inhibits both SRC and DDR2 with a distinct selectivity profile as compared to dasatinib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideki Terai
- Department
of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Li Tan
- Department
of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Department
of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Ellen M. Beauchamp
- Department
of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - John M. Hatcher
- Department
of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Department
of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Qingsong Liu
- Department
of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Department
of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Matthew Meyerson
- Department
of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Department
of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Massachusetts, United States
- Cancer
Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Nathanael S. Gray
- Department
of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Department
of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Peter S. Hammerman
- Department
of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Cancer
Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
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41
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Kikuchi S, Kaibe N, Morimoto K, Fukui H, Niwa H, Maeyama Y, Takemura M, Matsumoto M, Nakamori S, Miwa H, Hirota S, Sasako M. Overexpression of Ephrin A2 receptors in cancer stromal cells is a prognostic factor for the relapse of gastric cancer. Gastric Cancer 2015; 18:485-94. [PMID: 24908114 DOI: 10.1007/s10120-014-0390-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2014] [Accepted: 05/15/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microenvironments control cancer growth and progression. We explored the prognostic impact of stromal reaction and cancer stromal cells on relapse risk and survival after curative gastrectomy in gastric cancer patients. METHODS Tissue samples were obtained from 107 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent curative (R0) gastrectomy. Primary stromal cells isolated from gastric cancer tissue (GCSC) and normal gastric tissue (Gastric stromal cell: GSC) in each patient were cultured and subjected to comprehensive proteome (LC-MS/MS) and real-time RT-PCR analysis. Expression of Ephrin A2 receptors (EphA2) in cancers and GCSC was evaluated immunohistochemically. Intermingling of EphA2-positive cancer cells and GCSC (IC/A2+) and overexpression of EphA2 in cancer cells (Ca/A2+) in invasive parts of tumors were assessed, as were relationships of IC/A2+, Ca/A2+, and clinicopathological factors with relapse-free survival and overall survival. RESULTS Proteome analysis showed that EphA2 expression was significantly higher in GCSC than GSC. Real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that levels of EphA1/A2/A3/A5 and EphB2/B4 were ≥2.0-fold higher in GCSC than GSC. Ca/A2 and IC/A2 were positive in 65 (60.7 %) and 26 (24.3 %) patients, respectively. Relapse was significantly more frequent in IC/A2-positive than in IC/A2-negative (HR, 2.12; 95 % CI, 1.16-5.41; p = 0.0207) patients. Among the 54 patients who received S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy, relapse-free survival (RFS) was significantly shorter in those who were IC/A2-positive than in those who were IC/A2-negative and Ca/A2-negative (HR, 2.83; 95 % CI, 1.12-12.12; p = 0.0339). Multivariable analysis indicated that pathological stage (p = 0.010) and IC/A2+ (p = 0.008) were independent risk factors for recurrence. CONCLUSION IC/A2+ was predictive of relapse after curative (R0) gastrectomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shojiro Kikuchi
- Department of Surgery, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1 Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, 663-8501, Japan,
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42
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Moccia M, Liu Q, Guida T, Federico G, Brescia A, Zhao Z, Choi HG, Deng X, Tan L, Wang J, Billaud M, Gray NS, Carlomagno F, Santoro M. Identification of Novel Small Molecule Inhibitors of Oncogenic RET Kinase. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0128364. [PMID: 26046350 PMCID: PMC4457528 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Oncogenic mutation of the RET receptor tyrosine kinase is observed in several human malignancies. Here, we describe three novel type II RET tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), ALW-II-41-27, XMD15-44 and HG-6-63-01, that inhibit the cellular activity of oncogenic RET mutants at two digit nanomolar concentration. These three compounds shared a 3-trifluoromethyl-4-methylpiperazinephenyl pharmacophore that stabilizes the ‘DFG-out’ inactive conformation of RET activation loop. They blocked RET-mediated signaling and proliferation with an IC50 in the nM range in fibroblasts transformed by the RET/C634R and RET/M918T oncogenes. They also inhibited autophosphorylation of several additional oncogenic RET-derived point mutants and chimeric oncogenes. At a concentration of 10 nM, ALW-II-41-27, XMD15-44 and HG-6-63-01 inhibited RET kinase and signaling in human thyroid cancer cell lines carrying oncogenic RET alleles; they also inhibited proliferation of cancer, but not non-tumoral Nthy-ori-3-1, thyroid cells, with an IC50 in the nM range. The three compounds were capable of inhibiting the ‘gatekeeper’ V804M mutant which confers substantial resistance to established RET inhibitors. In conclusion, we have identified a type II TKI scaffold, shared by ALW-II-41-27, XMD15-44 and HG-6-63-01, that may be used as novel lead for the development of novel agents for the treatment of cancers harboring oncogenic activation of RET.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marialuisa Moccia
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Qingsong Liu
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts United States of America
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Teresa Guida
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Giorgia Federico
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Annalisa Brescia
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Zheng Zhao
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui, P.R. China
| | - Hwan Geun Choi
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts United States of America
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Xianming Deng
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts United States of America
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Li Tan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts United States of America
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jinhua Wang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts United States of America
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Marc Billaud
- Institut Albert Bonniot, CRI INSERM/UJF U823, La Tronche Cedex, France
| | - Nathanael S. Gray
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts United States of America
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Francesca Carlomagno
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Massimo Santoro
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
- Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR, Naples, Italy
- * E-mail:
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43
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Forse GJ, Uson ML, Nasertorabi F, Kolatkar A, Lamberto I, Pasquale EB, Kuhn P. Distinctive Structure of the EphA3/Ephrin-A5 Complex Reveals a Dual Mode of Eph Receptor Interaction for Ephrin-A5. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0127081. [PMID: 25993310 PMCID: PMC4439037 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2014] [Accepted: 04/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Eph receptor tyrosine kinase/ephrin ligand system regulates a wide spectrum of physiological processes, while its dysregulation has been implicated in cancer progression. The human EphA3 receptor is widely upregulated in the tumor microenvironment and is highly expressed in some types of cancer cells. Furthermore, EphA3 is among the most highly mutated genes in lung cancer and it is also frequently mutated in other cancers. We report the structure of the ligand-binding domain of the EphA3 receptor in complex with its preferred ligand, ephrin-A5. The structure of the complex reveals a pronounced tilt of the ephrin-A5 ligand compared to its orientation when bound to the EphA2 and EphB2 receptors and similar to its orientation when bound to EphA4. This tilt brings an additional area of ephrin-A5 into contact with regions of EphA3 outside the ephrin-binding pocket thereby enlarging the size of the interface, which is consistent with the high binding affinity of ephrin-A5 for EphA3. This large variation in the tilt of ephrin-A5 bound to different Eph receptors has not been previously observed for other ephrins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garry Jason Forse
- Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, 3430 S. Vermont Ave., Suite 105 (110), MC3301, Los Angeles, CA, 90089–3301, United States of America
| | - Maria Loressa Uson
- Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, 3430 S. Vermont Ave., Suite 105 (110), MC3301, Los Angeles, CA, 90089–3301, United States of America
| | - Fariborz Nasertorabi
- Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, 3430 S. Vermont Ave., Suite 105 (110), MC3301, Los Angeles, CA, 90089–3301, United States of America
| | - Anand Kolatkar
- Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, 3430 S. Vermont Ave., Suite 105 (110), MC3301, Los Angeles, CA, 90089–3301, United States of America
| | - Ilaria Lamberto
- Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, United States of America
| | - Elena Bianca Pasquale
- Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093, United States of America
| | - Peter Kuhn
- Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, 3430 S. Vermont Ave., Suite 105 (110), MC3301, Los Angeles, CA, 90089–3301, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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44
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Liu C, Su J, Yang F, Wei K, Ma J, Zhou X. Compound signature detection on LINCS L1000 big data. MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS 2015; 11:714-22. [PMID: 25609570 DOI: 10.1039/c4mb00677a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The Library of Integrated Network-based Cellular Signatures (LINCS) L1000 big data provide gene expression profiles induced by over 10 000 compounds, shRNAs, and kinase inhibitors using the L1000 platform. We developed csNMF, a systematic compound signature discovery pipeline covering from raw L1000 data processing to drug screening and mechanism generation. The csNMF pipeline demonstrated better performance than the original L1000 pipeline. The discovered compound signatures of breast cancer were consistent with the LINCS KINOMEscan data and were clinically relevant. The csNMF pipeline provided a novel and complete tool to expedite signature-based drug discovery leveraging the LINCS L1000 resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenglin Liu
- School of Mathematical Sciences and LMAM, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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45
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Dong J, Zhao H, Zhou T, Spiliotopoulos D, Rajendran C, Li XD, Huang D, Caflisch A. Structural Analysis of the Binding of Type I, I1/2, and II Inhibitors to Eph Tyrosine Kinases. ACS Med Chem Lett 2015; 6:79-83. [PMID: 25589935 DOI: 10.1021/ml500355x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
We have solved the crystal structures of the EphA3 tyrosine kinase in complex with nine small-molecule inhibitors, which represent five different chemotypes and three main binding modes, i.e., types I and I1/2 (DFG in) and type II (DFG out). The three structures with type I1/2 inhibitors show that the higher affinity with respect to type I is due to an additional polar group (hydroxyl or pyrazole ring of indazole) which is fully buried and is involved in the same hydrogen bonds as the (urea or amide) linker of the type II inhibitors. Overall, the type I and type II binding modes belong to the lock-and-key and induced fit mechanism, respectively. In the type II binding, the scaffold in contact with the hinge region influences the position of the Phe765 side chain of the DFG motif and the orientation of the Gly-rich loop. The binding mode of Birb796 in the EphA3 kinase does not involve any hydrogen bond with the hinge region, which is different from the Birb796/p38 MAP kinase complex. Our structural analysis emphasizes the importance of accounting for structural plasticity of the ATP binding site in the design of type II inhibitors of tyrosine kinases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Dong
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hongtao Zhao
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ting Zhou
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dimitrios Spiliotopoulos
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Chitra Rajendran
- Laboratory
of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Xiao-Dan Li
- Laboratory
of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Danzhi Huang
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Amedeo Caflisch
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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46
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Abstract
Eph receptor tyrosine kinases control cell-cell interactions during normal and oncogenic development, and are implicated in a range of processes including angiogenesis, stem cell maintenance and metastasis. They are thus of great interest as targets for cancer therapy. EphA3, originally isolated from leukemic and melanoma cells, is presently one of the most promising therapeutic targets, with multiple tumor-promoting roles in a variety of cancer types. This review focuses on EphA3, its functions in controlling cellular behavior, both in normal and pathological development, and most particularly in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter W Janes
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University , Victoria , Australia and
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47
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Zhao Z, Wu H, Wang L, Liu Y, Knapp S, Liu Q, Gray NS. Exploration of type II binding mode: A privileged approach for kinase inhibitor focused drug discovery? ACS Chem Biol 2014; 9:1230-41. [PMID: 24730530 PMCID: PMC4068218 DOI: 10.1021/cb500129t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 285] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The ATP site of kinases displays
remarkable conformational flexibility
when accommodating chemically diverse small molecule inhibitors. The
so-called activation segment, whose conformation controls catalytic
activity and access to the substrate binding pocket, can undergo a
large conformational change with the active state assuming a ‘DFG-in’
and an inactive state assuming a ‘DFG-out’ conformation.
Compounds that preferentially bind to the DFG-out conformation are
typically called ‘type II’ inhibitors in contrast to ‘type
I’ inhibitors that bind to the DFG-in conformation. This review
surveys the large number of type II inhibitors that have been developed
and provides an analysis of their crystallographically determined
binding modes. Using a small library of type II inhibitors, we demonstrate
that more than 200 kinases can be targeted, suggesting that type II
inhibitors may not be intrinsically more selective than type I inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Zhao
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 1110, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
| | - Hong Wu
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 1110, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230036, P. R. China
| | - Li Wang
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 1110, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
| | - Yi Liu
- Wellspring
Biosciences LLC, 3210
Merryfield Row, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Structural
Genomics Consortium, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building,
Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7DQ, United Kingdom
- Target
Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, NDM Research Building, Roosevelt
Drive, Oxford OX3 7LD, United Kingdom
| | - Qingsong Liu
- High
Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 1110, Hefei, Anhui 230031, P. R. China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230036, P. R. China
| | - Nathanael S. Gray
- Department
of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 250 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachussetts 02115, United States
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48
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Eph receptor tyrosine kinases in cancer stem cells. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2014; 26:1-6. [PMID: 24933439 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2014.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Eph receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and their ligands, ephrins, play critical roles in development, tissue homeostasis, and cancer. Because Eph receptors are expressed in most adult stem cell niches and in many types of cancers, it has been long suspected that this family of RTKs may also regulate the function of cancer stem-like cells (CSCs). This review will focus on recent studies to elucidate the contribution of Eph/ephrin molecules in CSC self-renewal and tumorigenicity, as well as describe efforts to target these molecules in cancer. Because CSCs are often resistant to therapeutic intervention and have been shown to depend on Eph RTKs for self-renewal, targeting Eph receptors may hold promise for the treatment of drug-resistant cancers.
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49
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Amato KR, Wang S, Hastings AK, Youngblood VM, Santapuram PR, Chen H, Cates JM, Colvin DC, Ye F, Brantley-Sieders DM, Cook RS, Tan L, Gray NS, Chen J. Genetic and pharmacologic inhibition of EPHA2 promotes apoptosis in NSCLC. J Clin Invest 2014; 124:2037-49. [PMID: 24713656 DOI: 10.1172/jci72522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2014] [Accepted: 02/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide analyses determined previously that the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) EPHA2 is commonly overexpressed in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). EPHA2 overexpression is associated with poor clinical outcomes; therefore, EPHA2 may represent a promising therapeutic target for patients with NSCLC. In support of this hypothesis, here we have shown that targeted disruption of EphA2 in a murine model of aggressive Kras-mutant NSCLC impairs tumor growth. Knockdown of EPHA2 in human NSCLC cell lines reduced cell growth and viability, confirming the epithelial cell autonomous requirements for EPHA2 in NSCLCs. Targeting EPHA2 in NSCLCs decreased S6K1-mediated phosphorylation of cell death agonist BAD and induced apoptosis. Induction of EPHA2 knockdown within established NSCLC tumors in a subcutaneous murine model reduced tumor volume and induced tumor cell death. Furthermore, an ATP-competitive EPHA2 RTK inhibitor, ALW-II-41-27, reduced the number of viable NSCLC cells in a time-dependent and dose-dependent manner in vitro and induced tumor regression in human NSCLC xenografts in vivo. Collectively, these data demonstrate a role for EPHA2 in the maintenance and progression of NSCLCs and provide evidence that ALW-II-41-27 effectively inhibits EPHA2-mediated tumor growth in preclinical models of NSCLC.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Apoptosis
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/enzymology
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/genetics
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cell Survival
- Heterografts
- Humans
- Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Lung Neoplasms/enzymology
- Lung Neoplasms/genetics
- Lung Neoplasms/pathology
- Mice
- Mice, Knockout
- Neoplasm Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors
- Neoplasm Proteins/genetics
- Neoplasm Proteins/metabolism
- Neoplasm Transplantation
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Receptor, EphA2/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptor, EphA2/genetics
- Receptor, EphA2/metabolism
- Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa/genetics
- Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa/metabolism
- Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 90-kDa/genetics
- Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 90-kDa/metabolism
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50
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Overman RC, Debreczeni JE, Truman CM, McAlister MS, Attwood TK. Completing the structural family portrait of the human EphB tyrosine kinase domains. Protein Sci 2014; 23:627-38. [PMID: 24677421 DOI: 10.1002/pro.2445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Revised: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 02/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The EphB receptors have key roles in cell morphology, adhesion, migration and invasion, and their aberrant action has been linked with the development and progression of many different tumor types. Their conflicting expression patterns in cancer tissues, combined with their high sequence and structural identity, present interesting challenges to those seeking to develop selective therapeutic molecules targeting this large receptor family. Here, we present the first structure of the EphB1 tyrosine kinase domain determined by X-ray crystallography to 2.5Å. Our comparative crystalisation analysis of the human EphB family kinases has also yielded new crystal forms of the human EphB2 and EphB4 catalytic domains. Unable to crystallize the wild-type EphB3 kinase domain, we used rational engineering (based on our new structures of EphB1, EphB2, and EphB4) to identify a single point mutation which facilitated its crystallization and structure determination to 2.2 Å. This mutation also improved the soluble recombinant yield of this kinase within Escherichia coli, and increased both its intrinsic stability and catalytic turnover, without affecting its ligand-binding profile. The partial ordering of the activation loop in the EphB3 structure alludes to a potential cis-phosphorylation mechanism for the EphB kinases. With the kinase domain structures of all four catalytically competent human EphB receptors now determined, a picture begins to emerge of possible opportunities to produce EphB isozyme-selective kinase inhibitors for mechanistic studies and therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross C Overman
- AstraZeneca PLC, Alderley Park, Cheshire, SK10 4TG, United Kingdom
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