Non-canonical transcriptional consequences of BET inhibition in cancer

The combination of BET and METTL3 inhibitors elicits synergistic antitumor effects in ovarian cancer cells via reducing SP1 and BCL-2 expression

Ovarian cancer (OC) remains a major health threat to woman despite treatment advances. New therapeutic strategies are demanded to persistently explored. In this study, we found that inhibitors of bromodomain and extra-Terminal domain (BET) and methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) exerted synergistic proliferative inhibition in different OC cell lines. In vitro synergism was translated into in vivo antitumor activity through the combination of BET inhibitor HJP-178 and METTL3 inhibitor STM2457. Mechanistically, this combination mainly enhanced apoptosis rather than affecting cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, it was revealed that HJP-178 decreased the transcription of Specificity protein 1 (SP1) while STM2457 lowered the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) levels of SP1 mRNA. Consequently, their combination synergistically reduces SP1 RNA and protein levels through both transcriptional and post-transcriptional modifications. Further exploration demonstrated that inhibiting SP1 directly downregulates the anti-apoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2), activating the caspase-mediated apoptotic pathway and triggering programmed cell death. Importantly, SP1 overexpression significantly reducing the apoptosis induction and proliferation inhibition induced by the combination. Similarly, BCL-2 overexpression mimicked the effects of increased SP1. These results demonstrate the critical roles of SP1 and BCL-2 in the synergistic antitumor activity between BET and METTL3 inhibitors. Collectively, our findings broaden the potential applications of both drug types and present a promising therapeutic approach for OC, warranting further investigation in clinical settings.

Inhibition of bromodomain and extra-terminal proteins targets constitutively active NFκB and STAT signaling in lymphoma and influences the expression of the antiapoptotic proteins BCL2A1 and c-MYC

The antiapoptotic protein BCL2A1 is highly, but very heterogeneously expressed in Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL). Particularly in the context of resistance to current therapies, BCL2A1 appears to play an important role in protecting cancer cells from the induction of cell death. Reducing BCL2A1 levels may have therapeutic potential, however, no specific inhibitor is currently available. In this study, we hypothesized that the signaling network regulated by epigenetic readers may regulate the transcription of BCL2A1 and hence that inhibition of Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal (BET) proteins may reduce BCL2A1 expression thus leading to cell death in DLBCL cell lines. We found that the mechanisms of action of acetyl-lysine competitive BET inhibitors are different from those of proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) that induce the degradation of BET proteins. Both classes of BETi reduced the expression of BCL2A1 which coincided with a marked downregulation of c-MYC. Mechanistically, BET inhibition attenuated the constitutively active canonical nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B-cells (NFκB) signaling pathway and inhibited p65 activation. Furthermore, signal transducer of activated transcription (STAT) signaling was reduced by inhibiting BET proteins, targeting another pathway that is often constitutively active in DLBCL. Both pathways were also inhibited by the IκB kinase inhibitor TPCA-1, resulting in decreased BCL2A1 and c-MYC expression. Taken together, our study highlights a novel complex regulatory network that links BET proteins to both NFκB and STAT survival signaling pathways controlling both BCL2A1 and c-MYC expression in DLBCL.

BRD4 and MYC: power couple in transcription and disease

The MYC proto-oncogene and BRD4, a BET family protein, are two cardinal proteins that have a broad influence in cell biology and disease. Both proteins are expressed ubiquitously in mammalian cells and play central roles in controlling growth, development, stress responses and metabolic function. As chromatin and transcriptional regulators, they play a critical role in regulating the expression of a burgeoning array of genes, maintaining chromatin architecture and genome stability. Consequently, impairment of their function or regulation leads to many diseases, with cancer being the most predominant. Interestingly, accumulating evidence indicates that regulation of the expression and functions of MYC are tightly intertwined with BRD4 at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Here, we review the mechanisms by which MYC and BRD4 are regulated, their functions in governing various molecular mechanisms and the consequences of their dysregulation that lead to disease. We present a perspective of how the regulatory mechanisms for the two proteins could be entwined at multiple points in a BRD4-MYC nexus that leads to the modulation of their functions and disease upon dysregulation.

Selective degradation of cellular BRD3 and BRD4-L promoted by PROTAC molecules in six cancer cell lines

Targeted degradation of BET family proteins BRD2/3/4 or only BRD4 with PROTAC molecules has been a promising strategy for the treatment of human cancer. Meanwhile, selective degradation of cellular BRD3 and BRD4-L remains a challenging task. We report herein a novel PROTAC molecule 24 that promoted selective degradation of cellular BRD3 and BRD4-L, but not BRD2 or BRD4-S, in a panel of six cancer cell lines. The observed target selectivity was partially attributed to differences in protein degradation kinetics and in types of cell lines. In a MM.1S mouse xenograft model, an optimized lead compound 28 promoted selective degradation of BRD3 and BRD4-L in vivo and exhibited robust antitumor activity. In summary, we have demonstrated that selective degradation of BRD3 and BRD4-L over BRD2 and BRD4-S is a feasible and robust approach in multiple cancer cell lines and an animal model, which could be helpful for further investigations on BRD3 and BRD4-L that ultimately benefitting cancer research and therapeutics.

Two diphosphorylated degrons control c-Myc degradation by the Fbw7 tumor suppressor

c-Myc (hereafter, Myc) is a cancer driver whose abundance is regulated by the SCFFbw7 ubiquitin ligase and proteasomal degradation. Fbw7 binds to a phosphorylated Myc degron centered at threonine 58 (T58), and mutations of Fbw7 or T58 impair Myc degradation in cancers. Here, we identify a second Fbw7 phosphodegron at Myc T244 that is required for Myc ubiquitylation and acts in concert with T58 to engage Fbw7. While Ras-dependent Myc serine 62 phosphorylation (pS62) is thought to stabilize Myc by preventing Fbw7 binding, we find instead that pS62 greatly enhances Fbw7 binding and is an integral part of a high-affinity degron. Crystallographic studies revealed that both degrons bind Fbw7 in their diphosphorylated forms and that the T244 degron is recognized via a unique mode involving Fbw7 arginine 689 (R689), a mutational hotspot in cancers. These insights have important implications for Myc-associated tumorigenesis and therapeutic strategies targeting Myc stability.

Functional Roles of Bromodomain Proteins in Cancer

Histone acetylation is generally associated with an open chromatin configuration that facilitates many cellular processes including gene transcription, DNA repair, and DNA replication. Aberrant levels of histone lysine acetylation are associated with the development of cancer. Bromodomains represent a family of structurally well-characterized effector domains that recognize acetylated lysines in chromatin. As part of their fundamental reader activity, bromodomain-containing proteins play versatile roles in epigenetic regulation, and additional functional modules are often present in the same protein, or through the assembly of larger enzymatic complexes. Dysregulated gene expression, chromosomal translocations, and/or mutations in bromodomain-containing proteins have been correlated with poor patient outcomes in cancer. Thus, bromodomains have emerged as a highly tractable class of epigenetic targets due to their well-defined structural domains, and the increasing ease of designing or screening for molecules that modulate the reading process. Recent developments in pharmacological agents that target specific bromodomains has helped to understand the diverse mechanisms that bromodomains play with their interaction partners in a variety of chromatin processes, and provide the promise of applying bromodomain inhibitors into the clinical field of cancer treatment. In this review, we explore the expression and protein interactome profiles of bromodomain-containing proteins and discuss them in terms of functional groups. Furthermore, we highlight our current understanding of the roles of bromodomain-containing proteins in cancer, as well as emerging strategies to specifically target bromodomains, including combination therapies using bromodomain inhibitors alongside traditional therapeutic approaches designed to re-program tumorigenesis and metastasis.

The roles of PD-1/PD-L1 in the prognosis and immunotherapy of prostate cancer

Multiple studies have confirmed that programmed cell death 1/programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting PD-1/PD-L1 play pivotal roles in the treatment of numerous tumors. Patients suffering from cancer are provided hope in the form of immunotherapy. In this review, we discuss the finding that high PD-L1 expression is associated with poor clinical outcomes in prostate cancer patients. Some molecules exert their antitumor effects by downregulating PD-L1 expression in prostate cancer. Additionally, we discuss and summarize the important roles played by anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy and its combination with other drugs, including chemotherapy and vaccines, in the treatment of prostate cancer.

Transcription and Translation Inhibitors in Cancer Treatment

Transcription and translation are fundamental cellular processes that govern the protein production of cells. These processes are generally up regulated in cancer cells, to maintain the enhanced metabolism and proliferative state of these cells. As such cancerous cells can be susceptible to transcription and translation inhibitors. There are numerous druggable proteins involved in transcription and translation which make lucrative targets for cancer drug development. In addition to proteins, recent years have shown that the "undruggable" transcription factors and RNA molecules can also be targeted to hamper the transcription or translation in cancer. In this review, we summarize the properties and function of the transcription and translation inhibitors that have been tested and developed, focusing on the advances of the last 5 years. To complement this, we also discuss some of the recent advances in targeting oncogenes tightly controlling transcription including transcription factors and KRAS. In addition to natural and synthetic compounds, we review DNA and RNA based approaches to develop cancer drugs. Finally, we conclude with the outlook to the future of the development of transcription and translation inhibitors.