1
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Hossain MA. Targeting the RAS upstream and downstream signaling pathway for Cancer treatment. Eur J Pharmacol 2024:176727. [PMID: 38866361 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.176727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Cancer often involves the overactivation of RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK (MAPK) and PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathways due to mutations in genes like RAS, RAF, PTEN, and PIK3CA. Various strategies are employed to address the overactivation of these pathways, among which targeted therapy emerges as a promising approach. Directly targeting specific proteins, leads to encouraging results in cancer treatment. For instance, RTK inhibitors such as imatinib and afatinib selectively target these receptors, hindering ligand binding and reducing signaling initiation. These inhibitors have shown potent efficacy against Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Other inhibitors, like lonafarnib targeting Farnesyltransferase and GGTI 2418 targeting geranylgeranyl Transferase, disrupt post-translational modifications of proteins. Additionally, inhibition of proteins like SOS, SH2 domain, and Ras demonstrate promising anti-tumor activity both in vivo and in vitro. Targeting downstream components with RAF inhibitors such as vemurafenib, dabrafenib, and sorafenib, along with MEK inhibitors like trametinib and binimetinib, has shown promising outcomes in treating cancers with BRAF-V600E mutations, including myeloma, colorectal, and thyroid cancers. Furthermore, inhibitors of PI3K (e.g., apitolisib, copanlisib), AKT (e.g., ipatasertib, perifosine), and mTOR (e.g., sirolimus, temsirolimus) exhibit promising efficacy against various cancers such as Invasive Breast Cancer, Lymphoma, Neoplasms, and hematological malignancies. This review offers an overview of small molecule inhibitors targeting specific proteins within the RAS upstream and downstream signaling pathways in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Arafat Hossain
- Department of Pharmacy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj 8100, Bangladesh;.
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2
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Bteich F, Mohammadi M, Li T, Bhat MA, Sofianidi A, Wei N, Kuang C. Targeting KRAS in Colorectal Cancer: A Bench to Bedside Review. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12030. [PMID: 37569406 PMCID: PMC10418782 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512030] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogeneous disease with a myriad of alterations at the cellular and molecular levels. Kristen rat sarcoma (KRAS) mutations occur in up to 40% of CRCs and serve as both a prognostic and predictive biomarker. Oncogenic mutations in the KRAS protein affect cellular proliferation and survival, leading to tumorigenesis through RAS/MAPK pathways. Until recently, only indirect targeting of the pathway had been investigated. There are now several KRAS allele-specific inhibitors in late-phase clinical trials, and many newer agents and targeting strategies undergoing preclinical and early-phase clinical testing. The adequate treatment of KRAS-mutated CRC will inevitably involve combination therapies due to the existence of robust adaptive resistance mechanisms in these tumors. In this article, we review the most recent understanding and findings related to targeting KRAS mutations in CRC, mechanisms of resistance to KRAS inhibitors, as well as evolving treatment strategies for KRAS-mutated CRC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernand Bteich
- Department of Medical Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10467, USA;
- Department of Medical Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; (M.M.); (T.L.); (M.A.B.); (N.W.)
| | - Mahshid Mohammadi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; (M.M.); (T.L.); (M.A.B.); (N.W.)
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Terence Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; (M.M.); (T.L.); (M.A.B.); (N.W.)
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Muzaffer Ahmed Bhat
- Department of Medical Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; (M.M.); (T.L.); (M.A.B.); (N.W.)
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Amalia Sofianidi
- Oncology Unit, Third Department of Internal Medicine, Sotiria General Hospital for Chest Diseases, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece;
| | - Ning Wei
- Department of Medical Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; (M.M.); (T.L.); (M.A.B.); (N.W.)
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Chaoyuan Kuang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10467, USA;
- Department of Medical Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; (M.M.); (T.L.); (M.A.B.); (N.W.)
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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3
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Rathod LS, Dabhade PS, Mokale SN. Recent progress in targeting KRAS mutant cancers with covalent G12C-specific inhibitors. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103557. [PMID: 36934967 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
KRASG12C has been identified as a potential target in the treatment of solid tumors. One of the most often transformed proteins in human cancers is the small Kirsten rat sarcoma homolog (KRAS) subunit of GTPase, which is typically the oncogene driver. KRASG12C is altered to keep the protein in an active GTP-binding form. KRAS has long been considered an 'undrugable' target, but sustained research efforts focusing on the KRASG12C mutant cysteine have achieved promising results. For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has passed emergency approval for sotorasib and adagrasib for the treatment of metastatic lung cancer. Such achievements have sparked several original approaches to KRASG12C. In this review, we focus on the design, development, and history of KRASG12C inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lala S Rathod
- Y.B. Chavan College of Pharmacy, Aurangabad, Maharashtra Pin-431001, India
| | - Pratap S Dabhade
- Y.B. Chavan College of Pharmacy, Aurangabad, Maharashtra Pin-431001, India
| | - Santosh N Mokale
- Y.B. Chavan College of Pharmacy, Aurangabad, Maharashtra Pin-431001, India.
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4
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Structural basis of the oncogenic KRAS mutant and GJ101 complex. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 641:27-33. [PMID: 36516586 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
KRAS mutations occur in a quarter of all human cancers. When activated in its GTP-bound form, RAS stimulates diverse cellular systems, such as cell division, differentiation, growth, and apoptosis through the activations of various signaling pathways, which include mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), phosphoinositide 3 kinases (PI3K), and RAL-GEFs pathways. We found that GJ101 (65LYDVA69) binds directly to the KRAS mutant (G12V) and showed tumor-suppressive activity. In addition, the GJ101 peptide inhibited KRAS mutant as determined by a [α-32P] guanosine triphosphate (GTP) binding assay and suppressed pancreatic cell line in a cell proliferation assay. Herein, the complex structure of KRAS and GJ101 was clarified by X-ray crystallography. Isothermal titration calorimetry showed that GJ101 binds highly with KRAS mutant and the complex structure of KRAS G12V.GJ101 complex presented that the residue of Q61 directly interacted with L65 of GJ101. Overall, the results suggest GJ101 be considered a developmental starting point for KRAS G12V inhibitor.
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5
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Sanders LM, Chandra R, Zebarjadi N, Beale HC, Lyle AG, Rodriguez A, Kephart ET, Pfeil J, Cheney A, Learned K, Currie R, Gitlin L, Vengerov D, Haussler D, Salama SR, Vaske OM. Machine learning multi-omics analysis reveals cancer driver dysregulation in pan-cancer cell lines compared to primary tumors. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1367. [PMID: 36513728 PMCID: PMC9747808 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04075-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cell lines have been widely used for decades to study biological processes driving cancer development, and to identify biomarkers of response to therapeutic agents. Advances in genomic sequencing have made possible large-scale genomic characterizations of collections of cancer cell lines and primary tumors, such as the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). These studies allow for the first time a comprehensive evaluation of the comparability of cancer cell lines and primary tumors on the genomic and proteomic level. Here we employ bulk mRNA and micro-RNA sequencing data from thousands of samples in CCLE and TCGA, and proteomic data from partner studies in the MD Anderson Cell Line Project (MCLP) and The Cancer Proteome Atlas (TCPA), to characterize the extent to which cancer cell lines recapitulate tumors. We identify dysregulation of a long non-coding RNA and microRNA regulatory network in cancer cell lines, associated with differential expression between cell lines and primary tumors in four key cancer driver pathways: KRAS signaling, NFKB signaling, IL2/STAT5 signaling and TP53 signaling. Our results emphasize the necessity for careful interpretation of cancer cell line experiments, particularly with respect to therapeutic treatments targeting these important cancer pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M. Sanders
- grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917Department of Biomolecular Engineering, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA ,grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - Rahul Chandra
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Navid Zebarjadi
- grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, Santa Cruz, CA USA ,grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - Holly C. Beale
- grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, Santa Cruz, CA USA ,grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - A. Geoffrey Lyle
- grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, Santa Cruz, CA USA ,grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - Analiz Rodriguez
- grid.241054.60000 0004 4687 1637Department of Neurosurgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR USA
| | - Ellen Towle Kephart
- grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - Jacob Pfeil
- grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917Department of Biomolecular Engineering, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA ,grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - Allison Cheney
- grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, Santa Cruz, CA USA ,grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - Katrina Learned
- grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917Department of Biomolecular Engineering, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA ,grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - Rob Currie
- grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917Department of Biomolecular Engineering, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA ,grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - Leonid Gitlin
- grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California USA
| | - David Vengerov
- grid.419799.b0000 0004 4662 4679Oracle Labs, Oracle Corporation, Pleasanton, CA USA
| | - David Haussler
- grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917Department of Biomolecular Engineering, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA ,grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - Sofie R. Salama
- grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917Department of Biomolecular Engineering, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA ,grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - Olena M. Vaske
- grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, Santa Cruz, CA USA ,grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA
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6
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Xu J, Grosslight S, Mack KA, Nguyen SC, Clagg K, Lim NK, Timmerman JC, Shen J, White NA, Sirois LE, Han C, Zhang H, Sigman MS, Gosselin F. Atroposelective Negishi Coupling Optimization Guided by Multivariate Linear Regression Analysis: Asymmetric Synthesis of KRAS G12C Covalent Inhibitor GDC-6036. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:20955-20963. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c09917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Xu
- Department of Small Molecule Process Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Samantha Grosslight
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Kyle A. Mack
- Department of Small Molecule Process Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Sierra C. Nguyen
- Department of Small Molecule Process Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Kyle Clagg
- Department of Small Molecule Process Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Ngiap-Kie Lim
- Department of Small Molecule Process Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jacob C. Timmerman
- Department of Small Molecule Process Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jeff Shen
- Department of Small Molecule Process Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Nicholas A. White
- Department of Small Molecule Process Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Lauren E. Sirois
- Department of Small Molecule Process Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Chong Han
- Department of Small Molecule Process Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Haiming Zhang
- Department of Small Molecule Process Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Matthew S. Sigman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Francis Gosselin
- Department of Small Molecule Process Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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7
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Burska AN, Ilyassova B, Dildabek A, Khamijan M, Begimbetova D, Molnár F, Sarbassov DD. Enhancing an Oxidative "Trojan Horse" Action of Vitamin C with Arsenic Trioxide for Effective Suppression of KRAS-Mutant Cancers: A Promising Path at the Bedside. Cells 2022; 11:3454. [PMID: 36359850 PMCID: PMC9657932 DOI: 10.3390/cells11213454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The turn-on mutations of the KRAS gene, coding a small GTPase coupling growth factor signaling, are contributing to nearly 25% of all human cancers, leading to highly malignant tumors with poor outcomes. Targeting of oncogenic KRAS remains a most challenging task in oncology. Recently, the specific G12C mutant KRAS inhibitors have been developed but with a limited clinical outcome because they acquire drug resistance. Alternatively, exploiting a metabolic breach of KRAS-mutant cancer cells related to a glucose-dependent sensitivity to oxidative stress is becoming a promising indirect cancer targeting approach. Here, we discuss the use of a vitamin C (VC) acting in high dose as an oxidative "Trojan horse" agent for KRAS-mutant cancer cells that can be potentiated with another oxidizing drug arsenic trioxide (ATO) to obtain a potent and selective cytotoxic impact. Moreover, we outline the advantages of VC's non-natural enantiomer, D-VC, because of its distinctive pharmacokinetics and lower toxicity. Thus, the D-VC and ATO combination shows a promising path to treat KRAS-mutant cancers in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata N. Burska
- Department of Biology, Nazarbayev University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
| | | | - Aruzhan Dildabek
- Department of Biology, Nazarbayev University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
| | - Medina Khamijan
- Department of Biology, Nazarbayev University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
| | - Dinara Begimbetova
- National Laboratory Astana, Nazarbayev University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
| | - Ferdinand Molnár
- Department of Biology, Nazarbayev University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
| | - Dos D. Sarbassov
- Department of Biology, Nazarbayev University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
- National Laboratory Astana, Nazarbayev University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
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8
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Wang G, Bai Y, Cui J, Zong Z, Gao Y, Zheng Z. Computer-Aided Drug Design Boosts RAS Inhibitor Discovery. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27175710. [PMID: 36080477 PMCID: PMC9457765 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27175710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Rat Sarcoma (RAS) family (NRAS, HRAS, and KRAS) is endowed with GTPase activity to regulate various signaling pathways in ubiquitous animal cells. As proto-oncogenes, RAS mutations can maintain activation, leading to the growth and proliferation of abnormal cells and the development of a variety of human cancers. For the fight against tumors, the discovery of RAS-targeted drugs is of high significance. On the one hand, the structural properties of the RAS protein make it difficult to find inhibitors specifically targeted to it. On the other hand, targeting other molecules in the RAS signaling pathway often leads to severe tissue toxicities due to the lack of disease specificity. However, computer-aided drug design (CADD) can help solve the above problems. As an interdisciplinary approach that combines computational biology with medicinal chemistry, CADD has brought a variety of advances and numerous benefits to drug design, such as the rapid identification of new targets and discovery of new drugs. Based on an overview of RAS features and the history of inhibitor discovery, this review provides insight into the application of mainstream CADD methods to RAS drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ge Wang
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Yuhao Bai
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Jiarui Cui
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Zirui Zong
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Zhen Zheng
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Correspondence:
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9
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Huang QJ, Liao GC, Zhuang XR, Yang ML, Yao JJ, Deng JH, Zhang YM, Wang Y, Qi XX, Pan DF, Guan Y, Huang ZY, Zhang FX, Liu ZQ, Lu LL. Ras inhibitor farnesylthiosalicylic acid conjugated with IR783 dye exhibits improved tumor-targeting and altered anti-breast cancer mechanisms in mice. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2022; 43:1843-1856. [PMID: 34845369 PMCID: PMC9253319 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-021-00775-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Ras has long been viewed as a promising target for cancer therapy. Farnesylthiosalicylic acid (FTS), as the only Ras inhibitor has ever entered phase II clinical trials, has yielded disappointing results due to its strong hydrophobicity, poor tumor-targeting capacity, and low therapeutic efficiency. Thus, enhancing hydrophilicity and tumor-targeting capacity of FTS for improving its therapeutic efficacy is of great significance. In this study we conjugated FTS with a cancer-targeting small molecule dye IR783 and characterized the anticancer properties of the conjugate FTS-IR783. We showed that IR783 conjugation greatly improved the hydrophilicity, tumor-targeting and therapeutic potential of FTS. After a single oral administration in Balb/c mice, the relative bioavailability of FTS-IR783 was increased by 90.7% compared with FTS. We demonstrated that organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) and endocytosis synergistically drove the uptake of the FTS-IR783 conjugate in breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells, resulting in superior tumor-targeting ability of the conjugate both in vitro and in vivo. We further revealed that FTS-IR783 conjugate could bind with and directly activate AMPK rather than affecting Ras, and subsequently regulate the TSC2/mTOR signaling pathway, thus achieving 2-10-fold increased anti-cancer therapeutic efficacy against 6 human breast cancer cell lines compared to FTS both in vivo and in vitro. Overall, our data highlights a promising approach for the modification of the anti-tumor drug FTS using IR783 and makes it possible to return FTS back to the clinic with a better efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiu-ju Huang
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China ,grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Guo-chao Liao
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Xue-rong Zhuang
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Meng-lan Yang
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Jing-jing Yao
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Jian-hua Deng
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Yan-min Zhang
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Ying Wang
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Xiao-xiao Qi
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Dong-feng Pan
- grid.27755.320000 0000 9136 933XDepartment of Radiology and Medical Imaging, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903 USA
| | - Yang Guan
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Zhi-ying Huang
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Feng-xue Zhang
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Zhong-qiu Liu
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China ,grid.259384.10000 0000 8945 4455State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/ Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao, SAR China
| | - Lin-lin Lu
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China ,grid.259384.10000 0000 8945 4455State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/ Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao, SAR China
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10
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Chiappa M, Petrella S, Damia G, Broggini M, Guffanti F, Ricci F. Present and Future Perspective on PLK1 Inhibition in Cancer Treatment. Front Oncol 2022; 12:903016. [PMID: 35719948 PMCID: PMC9201472 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.903016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is the principle member of the well conserved serine/threonine kinase family. PLK1 has a key role in the progression of mitosis and recent evidence suggest its important involvement in regulating the G2/M checkpoint, in DNA damage and replication stress response, and in cell death pathways. PLK1 expression is tightly spatially and temporally regulated to ensure its nuclear activation at the late S-phase, until the peak of expression at the G2/M-phase. Recently, new roles of PLK1 have been reported in literature on its implication in the regulation of inflammation and immunological responses. All these biological processes are altered in tumors and, considering that PLK1 is often found overexpressed in several tumor types, its targeting has emerged as a promising anti-cancer therapeutic strategy. In this review, we will summarize the evidence suggesting the role of PLK1 in response to DNA damage, including DNA repair, cell cycle progression, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, cell death pathways and cancer-related immunity. An update of PLK1 inhibitors currently investigated in preclinical and clinical studies, in monotherapy and in combination with existing chemotherapeutic drugs and targeted therapies will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Chiappa
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri-IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Serena Petrella
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri-IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanna Damia
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri-IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Broggini
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri-IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Guffanti
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri-IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Ricci
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri-IRCCS, Milan, Italy
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11
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Luo L, Zheng T, Wang Q, Liao Y, Zheng X, Zhong A, Huang Z, Luo H. Virtual Screening Based on Machine Learning Explores Mangrove Natural Products as KRASG12C Inhibitors. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15050584. [PMID: 35631410 PMCID: PMC9146975 DOI: 10.3390/ph15050584] [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: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Mangrove secondary metabolites have many unique biological activities. We identified lead compounds among them that might target KRASG12C. KRAS is considered to be closely related to various cancers. A variety of novel small molecules that directly target KRAS are being developed, including covalent allosteric inhibitors for KRASG12C mutant, protein–protein interaction inhibitors that bind in the switch I/II pocket or the A59 site, and GTP-competitive inhibitors targeting the nucleotide-binding site. To identify a candidate pool of mangrove secondary metabolic natural products, we tested various machine learning algorithms and selected random forest as a model for predicting the targeting activity of compounds. Lead compounds were then subjected to virtual screening and covalent docking, integrated absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) testing, and structure-based pharmacophore model validation to select the most suitable compounds. Finally, we performed molecular dynamics simulations to verify the binding mode of the lead compound to KRASG12C. The lazypredict function package was initially used, and the Accuracy score and F1 score of the random forest algorithm exceeded 60%, which can be considered to carry a strong ability to distinguish the data. Four marine natural products were obtained through machine learning identification and covalent docking screening. Compound 44 and compound 14 were selected for further validation after ADME and toxicity studies, and pharmacophore analysis indicated that they had a favorable pharmacodynamic profile. Comparison with the positive control showed that they stabilized switch I and switch II, and like MRTX849, retained a novel binding mechanism at the molecular level. Molecular dynamics analysis showed that they maintained a stable conformation with the target protein, so compound 44 and compound 14 may be effective inhibitors of the G12C mutant. These findings reveal that the mangrove-derived secondary metabolite compound 44 and compound 14 might be potential therapeutic agents for KRASG12C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianxiang Luo
- The Marine Biomedical Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang 524023, China
- The Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Guangdong Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang 524023, China
- Correspondence: (L.L.); (Z.H.); (H.L.)
| | - Tongyu Zheng
- The First Clinical College, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang 524023, China; (T.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.L.); (X.Z.); (A.Z.)
| | - Qu Wang
- The First Clinical College, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang 524023, China; (T.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.L.); (X.Z.); (A.Z.)
| | - Yingling Liao
- The First Clinical College, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang 524023, China; (T.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.L.); (X.Z.); (A.Z.)
| | - Xiaoqi Zheng
- The First Clinical College, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang 524023, China; (T.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.L.); (X.Z.); (A.Z.)
| | - Ai Zhong
- The First Clinical College, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang 524023, China; (T.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.L.); (X.Z.); (A.Z.)
| | - Zunnan Huang
- School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
- Key Laboratory of Big Data Mining and Precision Drug Design of Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
- Correspondence: (L.L.); (Z.H.); (H.L.)
| | - Hui Luo
- The Marine Biomedical Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang 524023, China
- The Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Guangdong Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang 524023, China
- Correspondence: (L.L.); (Z.H.); (H.L.)
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12
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Poorebrahim M, Abazari MF, Moradi L, Shahbazi B, Mahmoudi R, Kalhor H, Askari H, Teimoori-Toolabi L. Multi-targeting of K-Ras domains and mutations by peptide and small molecule inhibitors. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1009962. [PMID: 35472201 PMCID: PMC9041843 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
K-Ras activating mutations are significantly associated with tumor progression and aggressive metastatic behavior in various human cancers including pancreatic cancer. So far, despite a large number of concerted efforts, targeting of mutant-type K-Ras has not been successful. In this regard, we aimed to target this oncogene by a combinational approach consisting of small peptide and small molecule inhibitors. Based on a comprehensive analysis of structural and physicochemical properties of predominantly K-Ras mutants, an anti-cancer peptide library and a small molecule library were screened to simultaneously target oncogenic mutations and functional domains of mutant-type K-Ras located in the P-loop, switch I, and switch II regions. The selected peptide and small molecule showed notable binding affinities to their corresponding binding sites, and hindered the growth of tumor cells carrying K-RasG12D and K-RasG12C mutations. Of note, the expression of K-Ras downstream genes (i.e., CTNNB1, CCND1) was diminished in the treated Kras-positive cells. In conclusion, our combinational platform signifies a new potential for blockade of oncogenic K-Ras and thereby prevention of tumor progression and metastasis. However, further validations are still required regarding the in vitro and in vivo efficacy and safety of this approach. K-Ras activating mutations are associated with tumor progression and aggressive metastatic behavior in cancers. We aimed to target this mutated protein as an oncogene with small peptides and small molecules. The selected peptide and small molecules by computational methods showed notable binding affinities to mutated and oncogenic K-Ras. Also, they hindered the proliferation of pancreatic tumor cells. These compounds diminished the expression of downstream genes to mutant K-Ras too. Our combinatorial approach introduces new candidates for blockade of oncogenic K-Ras which is observed in many types of cancer. The effect of these compounds should be validated by further in vitro and in vivo analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansour Poorebrahim
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mohammad Foad Abazari
- Research Center for Clinical Virology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Leila Moradi
- Molecular Medicine Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Behzad Shahbazi
- Molecular Medicine Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Mahmoudi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Hourieh Kalhor
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran
| | - Hassan Askari
- Gastroenterohepatology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ladan Teimoori-Toolabi
- Molecular Medicine Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- * E-mail:
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13
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Khan SU, Pathania AS, Wani A, Fatima K, Mintoo MJ, Hamza B, Paddar MA, Bhumika W, Anand LK, Maqbool MS, Mir SA, Kour J, Venkateswarlu V, Mondhe DM, Sawant SD, Malik F. Activation of lysosomal mediated cell death in the course of autophagy by mTORC1 inhibitor. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5052. [PMID: 35322026 PMCID: PMC8943151 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07955-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Lysosomal biogenesis plays a vital role in cell fate. Under certain conditions, excessive lysosomal biogenesis leads to susceptibility for lysosomal membrane permeabilization resulting in various pathological conditions including cell death. In cancer cells apoptosis machinery becomes dysregulated during the course of treatment, thus allows cancer cells to escape apoptosis. So it is therefore imperative to identify cytotoxic agents that exploit non-apoptotic mechanisms of cell death. Our study showed that pancreatic cancer cells treated with SDS-203 triggered an incomplete autophagic response and a nuclear translocation of transcriptional factor TFEB. This resulted in abundant biosynthesis and accumulation of autophagosomes and lysosomes into the cells leading to their death. It was observed that the silencing of autophagy genes didn’t alter the cell fate, whereas siRNA-mediated silencing of TFEB subdued SDS-203 mediated lysosomal biogenesis and associated cell death. Further mouse tumors treated with SDS-203 showed a significant reduction in tumor burden and increased expression of lysosomal markers. Taken together this study demonstrates that SDS-203 treatment triggers non-apoptotic cell death in pancreatic cancer cells through a mechanism of lysosome over accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameer Ullah Khan
- Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190005, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Anup Singh Pathania
- Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190005, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Abubakar Wani
- Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190005, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Kaneez Fatima
- Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190005, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Mubashir Javed Mintoo
- Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190005, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Baseerat Hamza
- Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190005, India
| | - Masroor Ahmad Paddar
- Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190005, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Wadhwa Bhumika
- Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190005, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Loveleena Kour Anand
- Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190005, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Mir Shahid Maqbool
- Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190005, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Sameer Ahmad Mir
- Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190005, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India
| | - Jaspreet Kour
- Medicinal Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, India
| | - Vunnam Venkateswarlu
- Medicinal Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, India
| | - Dilip Manikrao Mondhe
- Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190005, India
| | - Sanghapal D Sawant
- Medicinal Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, India
| | - Fayaz Malik
- Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190005, India.
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14
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Targeting KRAS Regulation with PolyPurine Reverse Hoogsteen Oligonucleotides. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042097. [PMID: 35216221 PMCID: PMC8876201 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
KRAS is a GTPase involved in the proliferation signaling of several growth factors. The KRAS gene is GC-rich, containing regions with known and putative G-quadruplex (G4) forming regions. Within the middle of the G-rich proximal promoter, stabilization of the physiologically active G4mid structure downregulates transcription of KRAS; the function and formation of other G4s within the gene are unknown. Herein we identify three putative G4-forming sequences (G4FS) within the KRAS gene, explore their G4 formation, and develop oligonucleotides targeting these three regions and the G4mid forming sequence. We tested Polypurine Reverse Hoogsteen hairpins (PPRHs) for their effects on KRAS regulation via enhancing G4 formation or displacing G-rich DNA strands, downregulating KRAS transcription and mediating an anti-proliferative effect. Five PPRH were designed, two against the KRAS promoter G4mid and three others against putative G4FS in the distal promoter, intron 1 and exon 5. PPRH binding was confirmed by gel electrophoresis. The effect on KRAS transcription was examined by luciferase, FRET Melt2, qRT-PCR. Cytotoxicity was evaluated in pancreatic and ovarian cancer cells. PPRHs decreased activity of a luciferase construct driven by the KRAS promoter. PPRH selectively suppressed proliferation in KRAS dependent cancer cells. PPRH demonstrated synergistic activity with a KRAS promoter selective G4-stabilizing compound, NSC 317605, in KRAS-dependent pancreatic cells. PPRHs selectively stabilize G4 formation within the KRAS mid promoter region and represent an innovative approach to both G4-stabilization and to KRAS modulation with potential for development into novel therapeutics.
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15
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Li P, Qiao G, Lu J, Ji W, Gao C, Qi F. PVT1 is a prognostic marker associated with immune invasion of bladder urothelial carcinoma. MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING : MBE 2022; 19:169-190. [PMID: 34902986 DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2022009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) is involved in multiple signaling pathways and plays an important regulatory role in a variety of malignant tumors. However, its role in the prognosis and immune invasion of bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA) remains unclear. This study investigated the expression of PVT1 in tumor tissue and its relationship with immune invasion, and determined its prognostic role in patients with BLCA. Patients were identified from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA). The enrichment pathway and function of PVT1 were explained by gene ontology (GO) term analysis, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA), and the degree of immune cell infiltration was quantified. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression were used to analyze the correlation between PVT1 and survival rate. PVT1-high BLCA patients had a lower 10-year disease-specific survival (DSS P < 0.05) and overall survival (OS P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that PVT1 (high vs. low) (P = 0.004) was an independent prognostic factor. A nomogram was used to predict the effect of PVT1 on the prognosis. PVT1 plays an important role in the progression and prognosis of BLCA and can be used as a medium biomarker to predict survival after cystectomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiyuan Li
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Gangjie Qiao
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Jian Lu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No. 218, Jixi Road, Shushan District, Hefei 230022, China
| | - Wenbin Ji
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Chao Gao
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Feng Qi
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin 300052, China
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16
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Kim HJ, Lee HN, Jeong MS, Jang SB. Oncogenic KRAS: Signaling and Drug Resistance. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13225599. [PMID: 34830757 PMCID: PMC8616169 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13225599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
RAS proteins play a role in many physiological signals transduction processes, including cell growth, division, and survival. The Ras protein has amino acids 188-189 and functions as GTPase. These proteins are switch molecules that cycle between inactive GDP-bound and active GTP-bound by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs). KRAS is one of the Ras superfamily isoforms (N-RAS, H-RAS, and K-RAS) that frequently mutate in cancer. The mutation of KRAS is essentially performing the transformation in humans. Since most RAS proteins belong to GTPase, mutated and GTP-bound active RAS is found in many cancers. Despite KRAS being an important molecule in mostly human cancer, including pancreatic and breast, numerous efforts in years past have persisted in cancer therapy targeting KRAS mutant. This review summarizes the biological characteristics of these proteins and the recent progress in the exploration of KRAS-targeted anticancer, leading to new insight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeon Jin Kim
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Jangjeon-dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan 46241, Korea; (H.J.K.); (H.N.L.)
| | - Han Na Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Jangjeon-dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan 46241, Korea; (H.J.K.); (H.N.L.)
| | - Mi Suk Jeong
- Institute for Plastic Information and Energy Materials and Sustainable Utilization of Photovoltaic Energy Research Center, Pusan National University, Jangjeon-dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan 46241, Korea
- Correspondence: (M.S.J.); (S.B.J.); Tel.: +82-51-510-2523 (S.B.J.); Fax: +82-51-581-2544 (S.B.J.)
| | - Se Bok Jang
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Jangjeon-dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan 46241, Korea; (H.J.K.); (H.N.L.)
- Correspondence: (M.S.J.); (S.B.J.); Tel.: +82-51-510-2523 (S.B.J.); Fax: +82-51-581-2544 (S.B.J.)
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17
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Peng DH, Rodriguez BL, Diao L, Gaudreau PO, Padhye A, Konen JM, Ochieng JK, Class CA, Fradette JJ, Gibson L, Chen L, Wang J, Byers LA, Gibbons DL. Th17 cells contribute to combination MEK inhibitor and anti-PD-L1 therapy resistance in KRAS/p53 mutant lung cancers. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2606. [PMID: 33972557 PMCID: PMC8110980 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22875-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding resistance mechanisms to targeted therapies and immune checkpoint blockade in mutant KRAS lung cancers is critical to developing novel combination therapies and improving patient survival. Here, we show that MEK inhibition enhanced PD-L1 expression while PD-L1 blockade upregulated MAPK signaling in mutant KRAS lung tumors. Combined MEK inhibition with anti-PD-L1 synergistically reduced lung tumor growth and metastasis, but tumors eventually developed resistance to sustained combinatorial therapy. Multi-platform profiling revealed that resistant lung tumors have increased infiltration of Th17 cells, which secrete IL-17 and IL-22 cytokines to promote lung cancer cell invasiveness and MEK inhibitor resistance. Antibody depletion of IL-17A in combination with MEK inhibition and PD-L1 blockade markedly reduced therapy-resistance in vivo. Clinically, increased expression of Th17-associated genes in patients treated with PD-1 blockade predicted poorer overall survival and response in melanoma and predicated poorer response to anti-PD1 in NSCLC patients. Here we show a triple combinatorial therapeutic strategy to overcome resistance to combined MEK inhibitor and PD-L1 blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- David H Peng
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, 550 First Avenue, Smilow Building 10th Floor, Suite 1010, New York, NY, USA
| | - B Leticia Rodriguez
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Pierre-Olivier Gaudreau
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Thoracic & Upper GI Cancer Research Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Aparna Padhye
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UT Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jessica M Konen
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Joshua K Ochieng
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Caleb A Class
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jared J Fradette
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Laura Gibson
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Limo Chen
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lauren A Byers
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Don L Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. .,Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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18
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Baviskar T, Momin M, Liu J, Guo B, Bhatt L. Target Genetic Abnormalities for the Treatment of Colon Cancer and Its Progression to Metastasis. Curr Drug Targets 2021; 22:722-733. [PMID: 33213339 DOI: 10.2174/1389450121666201119141015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Colorectal carcinogenesis involves various processes from the accumulation of genetic alterations to genetic and epigenetic modulations and chromosomal abnormalities. It also involves mutations in oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes. Genomic instability plays a vital role in CRC. Advances in modern biological techniques and molecular level studies have identified various genes involved in colorectal cancer (CRC). KRAS, BRAF, PI3K, and p53 genes play a significant role in different phases of CRC. Alteration of these genes leads to development or progression and metastasis colon cancer. This review focuses on the role of KRAS, BRAF, PI3KCA, and TP53 genes in carcinogenesis and their significance in various stages of CRC. It also provides insights on specific modulators acting on these genes. Further, this review discusses the mechanism of the pathways involving these genes in carcinogenesis and current molecules and treatment options under various stages of clinical evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tushar Baviskar
- Department of Pharmacology, SVKM's Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Pharmacy, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai, India
| | - Munira Momin
- Department of Pharmacology, SVKM's Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Pharmacy, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai, India
| | - Jingwen Liu
- Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, United States
| | - Bin Guo
- Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, United States
| | - Lokesh Bhatt
- Department of Pharmacology, SVKM's Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Pharmacy, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai, India
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19
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Hu Y, Zhang K, Zhu X, Zheng X, Wang C, Niu X, Jiang T, Ji X, Zhao W, Pang L, Qi Y, Li F, Li L, Xu Z, Gu W, Zou H. Synergistic Inhibition of Drug-Resistant Colon Cancer Growth with PI3K/mTOR Dual Inhibitor BEZ235 and Nano-Emulsioned Paclitaxel via Reducing Multidrug Resistance and Promoting Apoptosis. Int J Nanomedicine 2021; 16:2173-2186. [PMID: 33758505 PMCID: PMC7979685 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s290731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Colon cancer is a top lethal cancer in man and women worldwide and drug resistance is the major cause of cancer-related death. Combinational therapy and drug delivery with nanoparticles have been shown to effectively overcome drug resistance in many cancers. We previously reported that nanoemulsion (NE) loaded paclitaxel (PTX) and BEZ235 could synergistically inhibit colon cancer cell growth. PURPOSE To investigate whether NE loaded PTX and BEZ235 can overcome drug resistance and synergistically inhibit drug-resistant colon cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. METHODS The in vitro treatment effect on cell viability was assayed using CCK8 kit, cell morphological change was detected by β-tubulin immunofluorescence staining, drug resistance-related proteins were analyzed by Western blotting, and in vivo tumor growth test was performed in nude mice xeno-transplanted with 2 drug-resistant colon cancer cell lines HCT116-LOHP and HT29-DDP. RESULTS Both cell lines were sensitive to PTX but relatively insensitive to BEZ235. PTX combined with BEZ235 synergistically inhibited the proliferation of both cell lines. Nanoemulsion loaded PTX (NE-PTX) reduced the IC50 of PTX to approximately 2/5 of free PTX, indicating a high inhibitory efficacy of NE-PTX. When NE-PTX combined with a low concentration of BEZ235 (50 nM), the IC50 was decreased to approximately 2/3 of free PTX. Moreover, NE-PTX+BEZ235 treatment increased apoptosis, decreased Pgp and ABCC1 expression, and reduced tumor weights compared to the single drug treatment and the control group. These results suggest that nanoemulsion loaded PTX+BEZ235 can overcome drug resistance and improve the inhibitory effect on cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth. CONCLUSION Our study thus provides a possible new approach to treat colon cancer patients with drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yali Hu
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases of the Ministry of Education of China, Xinjiang, 832002, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Oncology, Yongcheng People’s Hospital, Henan, 476600, People’s Republic of China
| | - Kunpeng Zhang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases of the Ministry of Education of China, Xinjiang, 832002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xingyao Zhu
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases of the Ministry of Education of China, Xinjiang, 832002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiuyan Zheng
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases of the Ministry of Education of China, Xinjiang, 832002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chao Wang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases of the Ministry of Education of China, Xinjiang, 832002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiao Niu
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases of the Ministry of Education of China, Xinjiang, 832002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Teng Jiang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases of the Ministry of Education of China, Xinjiang, 832002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xinhua Ji
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases of the Ministry of Education of China, Xinjiang, 832002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Weilin Zhao
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases of the Ministry of Education of China, Xinjiang, 832002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lijuan Pang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases of the Ministry of Education of China, Xinjiang, 832002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yan Qi
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases of the Ministry of Education of China, Xinjiang, 832002, People’s Republic of China
| | - Feng Li
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases of the Ministry of Education of China, Xinjiang, 832002, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Pathology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 10000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Li Li
- Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Zhiping Xu
- Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Wenyi Gu
- Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Hong Zou
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases of the Ministry of Education of China, Xinjiang, 832002, People’s Republic of China
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Wang P, van der Hoeven D, Ye N, Chen H, Liu Z, Ma X, Montufar-Solis D, Rehl KM, Cho KJ, Thapa S, Chen W, van der Hoeven R, Frost JA, Hancock JF, Zhou J. Scaffold repurposing of fendiline: Identification of potent KRAS plasma membrane localization inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 217:113381. [PMID: 33756124 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
KRAS plays an essential role in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and survival. Mutated KRAS is a major driver of malignant transformation in multiple human cancers. We showed previously that fendiline (6) is an effective inhibitor of KRAS plasma membrane (PM) localization and function. In this study, we designed, synthesized and evaluated a series of new fendiline analogs to optimize its drug properties. Systemic structure-activity relationship studies by scaffold repurposing led to the discovery of several more active KRAS PM localization inhibitors such as compounds 12f (NY0244), 12h (NY0331) and 22 (NY0335) which exhibit nanomolar potencies. These compounds inhibited oncogenic KRAS-driven cancer cell proliferation at single-digit micromolar concentrations in vitro. In vivo studies in a xenograft model of pancreatic cancer revealed that 12h and 22 suppressed oncogenic KRAS-expressing MiaPaCa-2 tumor growth at a low dose range of 1-5 mg/kg with no vasodilatory effects, indicating their potential as chemical probes and anticancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pingyuan Wang
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Dharini van der Hoeven
- Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77054, USA
| | - Na Ye
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Haiying Chen
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Zhiqing Liu
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Xiaoping Ma
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Dina Montufar-Solis
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kristen M Rehl
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, 45435, USA
| | - Kwang-Jin Cho
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, 45435, USA
| | - Sabita Thapa
- Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77054, USA
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ransome van der Hoeven
- Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77054, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Frost
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - John F Hancock
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Jia Zhou
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA.
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21
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Discovery of novel quinazoline-based covalent inhibitors of KRAS G12C with various cysteine-targeting warheads as potential anticancer agents. Bioorg Chem 2021; 110:104825. [PMID: 33774492 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.104825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
A series of novel quinazoline analogs with a variety of cysteine-targeting warheads (electrophiles) were designed and synthesized based on ARS-1620 as covalent KRAS G12C inhibitors. Among them, compounds LLK10 and LLK14 exhibited similar or better antiproliferative activity than ARS-1620. LLK10 was used for subsequent biological studies due to the higher selectivity towards KRAS G12C-mutated cells than LLK14. LLK10 maintained the mechanism of action by forming a covalent bond with KRAS G12C protein, thus decreasing the level of phosphorylated Mek and Erk, and leading to tumor cell apoptosis. In addition, LLK10 was able to suppress the formation of H358 tumor colonies. Molecular modeling study indicated that LLK10 binds with high affinity to the SWII binding site in KRAS G12C and overlaps well with ARS-1620. The high binding affinity of LLK10 was further confirmed by the isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) assay in which LLK10 exhibited a KD of 115 nM for binding to KRAS G12C. These results suggest that the novel covalent inhibitors of KRAS G12C with different warheads deserve further investigation as potential anticancer agents.
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22
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Nussinov R, Jang H, Gursoy A, Keskin O, Gaponenko V. Inhibition of Nonfunctional Ras. Cell Chem Biol 2021; 28:121-133. [PMID: 33440168 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2020.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Intuitively, functional states should be targeted; not nonfunctional ones. So why could drugging the inactive K-Ras4BG12Cwork-but drugging the inactive kinase will likely not? The reason is the distinct oncogenic mechanisms. Kinase driver mutations work by stabilizing the active state and/or destabilizing the inactive state. Either way, oncogenic kinases are mostly in the active state. Ras driver mutations work by quelling its deactivation mechanisms, GTP hydrolysis, and nucleotide exchange. Covalent inhibitors that bind to the inactive GDP-bound K-Ras4BG12C conformation can thus work. By contrast, in kinases, allosteric inhibitors work by altering the active-site conformation to favor orthosteric drugs. From the translational standpoint this distinction is vital: it expedites effective pharmaceutical development and extends the drug classification based on the mechanism of action. Collectively, here we postulate that drug action relates to blocking the mechanism of activation, not to whether the protein is in the active or inactive state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Nussinov
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Attila Gursoy
- Department of Computer Engineering, Koc University, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
| | - Ozlem Keskin
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Koc University, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
| | - Vadim Gaponenko
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA.
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23
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RNF141 interacts with KRAS to promote colorectal cancer progression. Oncogene 2021; 40:5829-5842. [PMID: 34345014 PMCID: PMC8484013 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-01877-4] [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: 11/21/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
RING finger proteins (RNFs) play a critical role in cancer initiation and progression. RNF141 is a member of RNFs family; however, its clinical significance, roles, and mechanism in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain poorly understood. Here, we examined the expression of RNF141 in 64 pairs of CRC and adjacent normal tissues by real-time PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemical analysis. We found that there was more expression of RNF141 in CRC tissue compared with its adjacent normal tissue and high RNF141 expression associated with T stage. In vivo and in vitro functional experiments were conducted and revealed the oncogenic role of RNF141 in CRC. RNF141 knockdown suppressed proliferation, arrested the cell cycle in the G1 phase, inhibited migration, invasion and HUVEC tube formation but promoted apoptosis, whereas RNF141 overexpression exerted the opposite effects in CRC cells. The subcutaneous xenograft models showed that RNF141 knockdown reduced tumor growth, but its overexpression promoted tumor growth. Mechanistically, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry indicated RNF141 interacted with KRAS, which was confirmed by Co-immunoprecipitation, Immunofluorescence assay. Further analysis with bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) and Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) pull-down assays showed that RNF141 could directly bind to KRAS. Importantly, the upregulation of RNF141 increased GTP-bound KRAS, but its knockdown resulted in a reduction accordingly. Next, we demonstrated that RNF141 induced KRAS activation via increasing its enrichment on the plasma membrane not altering total KRAS expression, which was facilitated by the interaction with LYPLA1. Moreover, KRAS silencing partially abolished the effect of RNF141 on cell proliferation and apoptosis. In addition, our findings presented that RNF141 functioned as an oncogene by upregulating KRAS activity in a manner of promoting KRAS enrichment on the plasma membrane in CRC.
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24
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Identification of a survival-related signature for sarcoma patients through integrated transcriptomic and proteomic profiling analyses. Gene 2020; 764:145105. [PMID: 32882333 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2020.145105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Sarcoma (SARC) represents a group of highly histological and molecular heterogeneous rare malignant tumors with poor prognosis. There are few proposed classifiers for predicting patient's outcome. The Cancer Proteome Atlas (TPCA) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases provide multi-omics datasets that enable a comprehensive investigation for this disease. The proteomic expression profile of SARC patients along with the clinical information was downloaded. 55 proteins were found to be associated with overall survival (OS) of patients using univariate Cox regression analysis. We developed a prognostic risk signature that comprises seven proteins (AMPKALPHA, CHK1, S6, ARID1A, RBM15, ACETYLATUBULINLYS40, and MSH6) with robust predictive performance using multivariate Cox stepwise regression analysis. Additionally, the signature could be an independent prognostic predictor after adjusting for clinicopathological parameters. Patients in high-risk group also have worse progression free intervals (PFI) than that of patients in low-risk group, but not for disease free intervals (DFI). The signature was validated using transcriptomic profile of SARC patients from TCGA. Potential mechanisms between high- and low-risk groups were identified using differentially expressed genes (DEGs) analysis. These DEGs were primarily enriched in RAS and MPAK signaling pathways. The signature protein molecules are candidate biomarkers for SARC, and the analysis of computational biology in tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and immune checkpoint molecules revealed distinctly immune landscapes of high- and low-risk patients. Together, we constructed a prognostic signature for predicting outcomes for SARC integrating proteomic and transcriptomic profiles, this might have value in guiding clinical practice.
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25
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Ou A, Schmidberger JW, Wilson KA, Evans CW, Hargreaves JA, Grigg M, O'Mara ML, Iyer KS, Bond CS, Smith NM. High resolution crystal structure of a KRAS promoter G-quadruplex reveals a dimer with extensive poly-A π-stacking interactions for small-molecule recognition. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:5766-5776. [PMID: 32313953 PMCID: PMC7261167 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant KRAS signaling is a driver of many cancers and yet remains an elusive target for drug therapy. The nuclease hypersensitive element of the KRAS promoter has been reported to form secondary DNA structures called G-quadruplexes (G4s) which may play important roles in regulating KRAS expression, and has spurred interest in structural elucidation studies of the KRAS G-quadruplexes. Here, we report the first high-resolution crystal structure (1.6 Å) of a KRAS G-quadruplex as a 5'-head-to-head dimer with extensive poly-A π-stacking interactions observed across the dimer. Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that the poly-A π-stacking interactions are also maintained in the G4 monomers. Docking and molecular dynamics simulations with two G4 ligands that display high stabilization of the KRAS G4 indicated the poly-A loop was a binding site for these ligands in addition to the 5'-G-tetrad. Given sequence and structural variability in the loop regions provide the opportunity for small-molecule targeting of specific G4s, we envisage this high-resolution crystal structure for the KRAS G-quadruplex will aid in the rational design of ligands to selectively target KRAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnold Ou
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Jason W Schmidberger
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Katie A Wilson
- Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Cameron W Evans
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Jessica A Hargreaves
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Melanie Grigg
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Megan L O'Mara
- Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - K Swaminathan Iyer
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Charles S Bond
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Nicole M Smith
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
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26
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Synthesis of (Z)-3-(arylamino)-1-(3-phenylimidazo[1,5-a]pyridin-1-yl)prop-2-en-1-ones as potential cytotoxic agents. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2020; 30:127432. [PMID: 32717368 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The new derivatives based on (Z)-3-(arylamino)-1-(3-phenylimidazo[1,5-a]pyridin-1-yl)prop-2-en-1-one scaffold was synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxic potential against a panel of cancer cell lines, viz., A549 (human lung cancer), HCT-116 (human colorectal cancer), B16F10 (murine melanoma cancer), BT-474 (human breast cancer), and MDA-MB-231 (human triple-negative breast cancer). Among them, many of the synthesized compounds exhibited promising cytotoxic potential against the panel of tested cancer cell lines with IC50 <30 µM. Based on the preliminary screening results, the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of the compounds was established. Among the synthesized compounds, 15i displayed a potential anti-proliferative activity against HCT-116 cancer cell line with an IC50 value of 1.21 ± 0.14 µM. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that compound 15i arrested the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. Moreover, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, clonogenic assay, acridine orange staining, DAPI nuclear staining, measurement of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and annexin V-FITC assays revealed that compound 15i promoted cell death through apoptosis.
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27
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Charge-reversible lipid derivative: A novel type of pH-responsive lipid for nanoparticle-mediated siRNA delivery. Int J Pharm 2020; 585:119479. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2020.119479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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28
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Shu Q, Liao F, Hong N, Cheng L, Lin Y, Cui H, Su J, Ma G, Wei G, Zhong Y, Xiong J, Fan H. A novel DNA sensor of homogeneous electrochemical signal amplification strategy. Microchem J 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2020.104777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Qiao C, Richter GT, Pan W, Jin Y, Lin X. Extracranial arteriovenous malformations: from bedside to bench. Mutagenesis 2020; 34:299-306. [PMID: 31613971 DOI: 10.1093/mutage/gez028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is defined as a fast-flow vascular anomaly that shunts blood from arteries directly to veins. This short circuit of blood flow contributes to progressive expansion of draining veins, resulting in ischaemia, tissue deformation and in some severe cases, congestive heart failure. Various medical interventions have been employed to treat AVM, however, management of which remains a huge challenge because of its high recurrence rate and lethal complications. Thus, understanding the underlying mechanisms of AVM development and progression will help direct discovery and a potential cure. Here, we summarize current findings in the field of extracranial AVMs with the aim to provide insight into their aetiology and molecular influences, in the hope to pave the way for future treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congzhen Qiao
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Gresham T Richter
- Center for Investigation of Congenital Anomalies of Vascular Development, Arkansas Vascular Biology Program, Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock, AR, USA.,Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.,Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Weijun Pan
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yunbo Jin
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoxi Lin
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Liang Z, Zhang Q, Nie Y, Zhang X, Ma Q. Polarized-Electrochemiluminescence Biosensor Based on Surface Plasmon Coupling Strategy and Fluorine-Doped BN Quantum Dots. Anal Chem 2020; 92:9223-9229. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c01558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zihui Liang
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Yixin Nie
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Qiang Ma
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China
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Chen K, Shang Z, Dai AL, Dai PL. Novel PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway inhibitors plus radiotherapy: Strategy for non-small cell lung cancer with mutant RAS gene. Life Sci 2020; 255:117816. [PMID: 32454155 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.117816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with RAS -mutant gene has been the most difficult obstacle to overcome. Over 25% of muted lung adenocarcinomas have RAS mutation. The prognosis of NSCLC patients with RAS-mutant genes is always poor because there is no effective drug to suppress RAS-mutant genes. NSCLC patients with RAS-mutant usually develop resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which in some cases leads to a 5-10% survival rate for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). As little clinical symptom of NSCLC was presented at its early stages, thus it always brings in disappointing treatment outcome. Currently, NSCLC presents the highest morbidity and mortality all over the world. The combination of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway inhibitors with radiotherapy is a novel strategy to improve radiosensitivity and therapeutic outcome of NSCLC with a RAS-mutant gene. There have been many preclinical studies and clinical trials on the effect of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway inhibitors combined with radiotherapy in NSCLC with a RAS-mutant gene have been reported in the past years. This review provides current knowledge of the combination of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway inhibitors with radiotherapy, which prove to be a significant improvement for the treatment of NSCLC patients with RAS mutations and will benefit NSCLC patients with RAS mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Chen
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China
| | - Zhongjun Shang
- Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Tumor Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming 650118, China
| | - Ai-Lin Dai
- Kunming Medical University Haiyuan School, Kunming 650100, China; Maternal and Child Health and Family Planning Service Center of Wenshan state, 663000, China
| | - Pei-Ling Dai
- Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Tumor Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming 650118, China; Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650100, China.
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Whole-Organ Genomic Characterization of Mucosal Field Effects Initiating Bladder Carcinogenesis. Cell Rep 2020; 26:2241-2256.e4. [PMID: 30784602 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.01.095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We used whole-organ mapping to study the locoregional molecular changes in a human bladder containing multifocal cancer. Widespread DNA methylation changes were identified in the entire mucosa, representing the initial field effect. The field effect was associated with subclonal low-allele frequency mutations and a small number of DNA copy alterations. A founder mutation in the RNA splicing gene, ACIN1, was identified in normal mucosa and expanded clonally with an additional 21 mutations in progression to carcinoma. The patterns of mutations and copy number changes in carcinoma in situ and foci of carcinoma were almost identical, confirming their clonal origins. The pathways affected by the DNA copy alterations and mutations, including the Kras pathway, were preceded by the field changes in DNA methylation, suggesting that they reinforced mechanisms that had already been initiated by methylation. The results demonstrate that DNA methylation can serve as the initiator of bladder carcinogenesis.
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33
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Wan T, Chen Y, Pan Q, Xu X, Kang Y, Gao X, Huang F, Wu C, Ping Y. Genome editing of mutant KRAS through supramolecular polymer-mediated delivery of Cas9 ribonucleoprotein for colorectal cancer therapy. J Control Release 2020; 322:236-247. [PMID: 32169537 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR (clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system has emerged as a powerful genome-editing tool to correct genetic disorders. However, successful intracellular delivery of CRISPR/Cas9, especially in the form of ribonucleoprotein (RNP), remains elusive for clinical translation. Herein, we describe a supramolecular polymer that can mediate efficient controlled delivery of Cas9 RNP in vitro and in vivo. This supramolecular polymer system is prepared by complexing disulfide-bridged biguanidyl adamantine (Ad-SS-GD) with β-cyclodextrin-conjugated low-molecular-weight polyethyleneimime (CP) through supramolecular assembly to generate CP/Ad-SS-GD. Due to multiple, strong hydrogen bonding and salt bridge effects, CP/Ad-SS-GD well interact with Cas9 RNP to form stable nanocomplex CP/Ad-SS-GD/RNP, which can be readily released in the reductive intracellular milieu as a result of the cleavage of disulfide bonds. The supramolecular polymer ensures the efficient intracellular delivery and the release of Cas9 RNP into 293T cells and colorectal cancer (CRC) cells, thus displaying high genome-editing activity in vitro. Importantly, we also found that hyaluronic acid (HA)-decorated CP/Ad-SS-GD/RNP nanocomplexes targeting mutant KRAS effectively inhibit tumor growth as well as metastasis in the tumor-bearing mouse models. Collectively, our findings provide a promising therapeutic strategy against mutant KRAS for the treatment of CRC-activated RAS pathways, offering a new therapeutic genome-editing modality for the colorectal cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Wan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; Institute of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yuxuan Chen
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Qi Pan
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiaojie Xu
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yu Kang
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xue Gao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Feihe Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Center for Chemistry of High Performance & Novel Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Chuanbin Wu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Yuan Ping
- Institute of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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34
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Chen S, Li F, Xu D, Hou K, Fang W, Li Y. The Function of RAS Mutation in Cancer and Advances in its Drug Research. Curr Pharm Des 2020; 25:1105-1114. [PMID: 31057104 DOI: 10.2174/1381612825666190506122228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
RAS (H-ras, K-ras, and N-ras), as the second largest mutated gene driver in various human cancers, has long been a vital research target for cancer. Its function is to transform the extracellular environment into a cascade of intracellular signal transduction. RAS mutant protein regulates tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, metabolism and angiogenesis through downstream MAPK, PI3K and other signaling pathways. In KRAS or other RAS-driven cancers, current treatments include direct inhibitors and upstream/downstream signaling pathway inhibitors. However, the research on these inhibitors has been largely restricted due to their escape inhibition and off-target toxicity. In this paper, we started with the role of normal and mutant RAS genes in cancer, elucidated the relevant RAS regulating pathways, and highlighted the important research advancements in RAS inhibitor research. We concluded that for the crosstalk between RAS pathways, the effect of single regulation may be limited, and the multi-target drug combined compensation mechanism is becoming a research hotspot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijie Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Physiology, China Phar maceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Fengyang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Physiology, China Phar maceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Dan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Physiology, China Phar maceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Kai Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Physiology, China Phar maceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Weirong Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Physiology, China Phar maceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yunman Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Physiology, China Phar maceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
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35
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Peng DH, Kundu ST, Fradette JJ, Diao L, Tong P, Byers LA, Wang J, Canales JR, Villalobos PA, Mino B, Yang Y, Minelli R, Peoples MD, Bristow CA, Heffernan TP, Carugo A, Wistuba II, Gibbons DL. ZEB1 suppression sensitizes KRAS mutant cancers to MEK inhibition by an IL17RD-dependent mechanism. Sci Transl Med 2020; 11:11/483/eaaq1238. [PMID: 30867319 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aaq1238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase (MEK) inhibitors have failed to show clinical benefit in Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS) mutant lung cancer due to various resistance mechanisms. To identify differential therapeutic sensitivities between epithelial and mesenchymal lung tumors, we performed in vivo small hairpin RNA screens, proteomic profiling, and analysis of patient tumor datasets, which revealed an inverse correlation between mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling dependency and a zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1)-regulated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Mechanistic studies determined that MAPK signaling dependency in epithelial lung cancer cells is due to the scaffold protein interleukin-17 receptor D (IL17RD), which is directly repressed by ZEB1. Lung tumors in multiple Kras mutant murine models with increased ZEB1 displayed low IL17RD expression, accompanied by MAPK-independent tumor growth and therapeutic resistance to MEK inhibition. Suppression of ZEB1 function with miR-200 expression or the histone deacetylase inhibitor mocetinostat sensitized resistant cancer cells to MEK inhibition and markedly reduced in vivo tumor growth, showing a promising combinatorial treatment strategy for KRAS mutant cancers. In human lung tumor samples, high ZEB1 and low IL17RD expression correlated with low MAPK signaling, presenting potential markers that predict patient response to MEK inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- David H Peng
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Samrat T Kundu
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jared J Fradette
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Pan Tong
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lauren A Byers
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jaime Rodriguez Canales
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Pamela A Villalobos
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Barbara Mino
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yanan Yang
- Thoracic Disease Research Unit, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cancer Center and College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Rosalba Minelli
- Department of Genomic Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Michael D Peoples
- Department of Genomic Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Institute for Applied Cancer Science, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Christopher A Bristow
- Department of Genomic Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Institute for Applied Cancer Science, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Timothy P Heffernan
- Department of Genomic Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Institute for Applied Cancer Science, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Alessandro Carugo
- Department of Genomic Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Institute for Applied Cancer Science, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ignacio I Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Don L Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. .,Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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36
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Ye N, Xu Q, Li W, Wang P, Zhou J. Recent Advances in Developing K-Ras Plasma Membrane Localization Inhibitors. Curr Top Med Chem 2019; 19:2114-2127. [PMID: 31475899 DOI: 10.2174/1568026619666190902145116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The Ras proteins play an important role in cell growth, differentiation, proliferation and survival by regulating diverse signaling pathways. Oncogenic mutant K-Ras is the most frequently mutated class of Ras superfamily that is highly prevalent in many human cancers. Despite intensive efforts to combat various K-Ras-mutant-driven cancers, no effective K-Ras-specific inhibitors have yet been approved for clinical use to date. Since K-Ras proteins must be associated to the plasma membrane for their function, targeting K-Ras plasma membrane localization represents a logical and potentially tractable therapeutic approach. Here, we summarize the recent advances in the development of K-Ras plasma membrane localization inhibitors including natural product-based inhibitors achieved from high throughput screening, fragment-based drug design, virtual screening, and drug repurposing as well as hit-to-lead optimizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Ye
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China.,Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, United States
| | - Qingfeng Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Wanwan Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Pingyuan Wang
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, United States
| | - Jia Zhou
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, United States
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37
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Chen F, Alphonse MP, Liu Y, Liu Q. Targeting Mutant KRAS for Anticancer Therapy. Curr Top Med Chem 2019; 19:2098-2113. [DOI: 10.2174/1568026619666190902151307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
:Over the past decades, designing therapeutic strategies to target KRAS-mutant cancers, which is one of the most frequent mutant oncogenes among all cancer types, have proven unsuccessful regardless of many concerted attempts. There are key challenges for KRAS-mutant anticancer therapy, as the complex cellular processes involved in KRAS signaling has present. Herein, we highlight the emerging therapeutic approaches for inhibiting KRAS signaling and blocking KRAS functions, in hope to serve as a more effective guideline for future development of therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengqian Chen
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, The Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH), Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79416, United States
| | - Martin P. Alphonse
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Cancer Research Building II, Suite 216, 1550 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD 21231, United States
| | - Yan Liu
- Western University of Health Sciences, 309 E. Second Street, Pomona, CA 91766, United States
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Cancer Research Building II, Suite 216, 1550 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD 21231, United States
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38
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Li B, Rong D, Wang Y. Targeting Protein-Protein Interaction with Covalent Small-Molecule Inhibitors. Curr Top Med Chem 2019; 19:1872-1876. [DOI: 10.2174/1568026619666191011163410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
PPIs are involved in diverse biochemical events and perform their functions through the formation
of protein-protein complexes or PPI networks. The large and flat interacting surfaces of PPIs
make discovery of small-molecule modulators a challenging task. New strategies and more effective
chemical technologies are needed to facilitate the development of PPIs small-molecule inhibitors. Covalent
modification of a nucleophilic residue located proximally to the immediate vicinity of PPIs can
overcome the disadvantages of large interacting surfaces and provides high-affinity inhibitors with increased
duration of action and prolonged target modulation. On the other hand, covalent inhibitors that
target non-conserved protein residues demonstrate improved selectivity over related protein family
members. Herein, we highlight the latest progress of small-molecule covalent PPIs inhibitors and hope
to shed light on future PPIs inhibitor design and development. The relevant challenges and opportunities
are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingbing Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Deqin Rong
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yuanxiang Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
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39
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Wu X, Park M, Sarbassova DA, Ying H, Lee MG, Bhattacharya R, Ellis L, Peterson CB, Hung MC, Lin HK, Bersimbaev RI, Song MS, Sarbassov DD. A chirality-dependent action of vitamin C in suppressing Kirsten rat sarcoma mutant tumor growth by the oxidative combination: Rationale for cancer therapeutics. Int J Cancer 2019; 146:2822-2828. [PMID: 31472018 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.32658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS) mutant cancers, which constitute the vast majority of pancreatic tumors, are characterized by their resistance to established therapies and high mortality rates. Here, we developed a novel and extremely effective combinational therapeutic approach to target KRAS mutant tumors through the generation of a cytotoxic oxidative stress. At high concentrations, vitamin C (VC) is known to provoke oxidative stress and selectively kill KRAS mutant cancer cells, although its effects are limited when it is given as monotherapy. We found that the combination of VC and the oxidizing drug arsenic trioxide (ATO) is an effective therapeutic treatment modality. Remarkably, its efficiency is dependent on chirality of VC as its enantiomer d-optical isomer of VC (d-VC) is significantly more potent than the natural l-optical isomer of VC. Thus, our results demonstrate that the oxidizing combination of ATO and d-VC is a promising approach for the treatment of KRAS mutant human cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinggang Wu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Mikyung Park
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Dilara A Sarbassova
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Haoqiang Ying
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.,The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, TX
| | - Min Gyu Lee
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.,The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, TX
| | - Rajat Bhattacharya
- Department of Surgery, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Lee Ellis
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, TX.,Department of Surgery, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Christine B Peterson
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Mien-Chie Hung
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.,The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, TX
| | - Hui-Kuan Lin
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
| | - Rakhmetkazhi I Bersimbaev
- Department of Natural Sciences, The L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
| | - Min Sup Song
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.,The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, TX
| | - Dos D Sarbassov
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.,The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, TX.,Department of Biology, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
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40
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Marín-Ramos NI, Balabasquer M, Ortega-Nogales FJ, Torrecillas IR, Gil-Ordóñez A, Marcos-Ramiro B, Aguilar-Garrido P, Cushman I, Romero A, Medrano FJ, Gajate C, Mollinedo F, Philips MR, Campillo M, Gallardo M, Martín-Fontecha M, López-Rodríguez ML, Ortega-Gutiérrez S. A Potent Isoprenylcysteine Carboxylmethyltransferase (ICMT) Inhibitor Improves Survival in Ras-Driven Acute Myeloid Leukemia. J Med Chem 2019; 62:6035-6046. [PMID: 31181882 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Blockade of Ras activity by inhibiting its post-translational methylation catalyzed by isoprenylcysteine carboxylmethyltransferase (ICMT) has been suggested as a promising antitumor strategy. However, the paucity of inhibitors has precluded the clinical validation of this approach. In this work we report a potent ICMT inhibitor, compound 3 [UCM-1336, IC50 = 2 μM], which is selective against the other enzymes involved in the post-translational modifications of Ras. Compound 3 significantly impairs the membrane association of the four Ras isoforms, leading to a decrease of Ras activity and to inhibition of Ras downstream signaling pathways. In addition, it induces cell death in a variety of Ras-mutated tumor cell lines and increases survival in an in vivo model of acute myeloid leukemia. Because ICMT inhibition impairs the activity of the four Ras isoforms regardless of its activating mutation, compound 3 surmounts many of the common limitations of available Ras inhibitors described so far. In addition, these results validate ICMT as a valuable target for the treatment of Ras-driven tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nagore I Marín-Ramos
- Departamento de Química Orgánica I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas , Universidad Complutense de Madrid , E-28040 Madrid , Spain.,CEI Campus Moncloa , UCM-UPM and CSIC , E-28040 Madrid , Spain
| | - Moisés Balabasquer
- Departamento de Química Orgánica I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas , Universidad Complutense de Madrid , E-28040 Madrid , Spain
| | - Francisco J Ortega-Nogales
- Departamento de Química Orgánica I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas , Universidad Complutense de Madrid , E-28040 Madrid , Spain
| | - Iván R Torrecillas
- Laboratori de Medicina Computacional, Unitat de Bioestadística, Facultat de Medicina , Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona , E-08193 Bellaterra , Barcelona , Spain
| | - Ana Gil-Ordóñez
- Departamento de Química Orgánica I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas , Universidad Complutense de Madrid , E-28040 Madrid , Spain
| | - Beatriz Marcos-Ramiro
- Departamento de Química Orgánica I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas , Universidad Complutense de Madrid , E-28040 Madrid , Spain
| | - Pedro Aguilar-Garrido
- H12O-CNIO Haematological Malignancies Clinical Research Unit , Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO) , E-28029 Madrid , Spain
| | - Ian Cushman
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology , Duke University Medical Center , Durham , North Carolina 27710 , United States
| | - Antonio Romero
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC , E-28040 Madrid , Spain
| | | | - Consuelo Gajate
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC , E-28040 Madrid , Spain
| | | | - Mark R Philips
- Perlmutter Cancer Center , New York University School of Medicine , New York , New York 10016 , United States
| | - Mercedes Campillo
- Laboratori de Medicina Computacional, Unitat de Bioestadística, Facultat de Medicina , Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona , E-08193 Bellaterra , Barcelona , Spain
| | - Miguel Gallardo
- H12O-CNIO Haematological Malignancies Clinical Research Unit , Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO) , E-28029 Madrid , Spain
| | - Mar Martín-Fontecha
- Departamento de Química Orgánica I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas , Universidad Complutense de Madrid , E-28040 Madrid , Spain
| | - María L López-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Química Orgánica I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas , Universidad Complutense de Madrid , E-28040 Madrid , Spain
| | - Silvia Ortega-Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Química Orgánica I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas , Universidad Complutense de Madrid , E-28040 Madrid , Spain
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41
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Tirella A, Kloc-Muniak K, Good L, Ridden J, Ashford M, Puri S, Tirelli N. CD44 targeted delivery of siRNA by using HA-decorated nanotechnologies for KRAS silencing in cancer treatment. Int J Pharm 2019; 561:114-123. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2019.02.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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42
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Ruder D, Papadimitrakopoulou V, Shien K, Behrens C, Kalhor N, Chen H, Shen L, Lee JJ, Hong WK, Tang X, Girard L, Minna JD, Diao L, Wang J, Mino B, Villalobos P, Rodriguez-Canales J, Hanson NE, Sun J, Miller V, Greenbowe J, Frampton G, Herbst RS, Baladandayuthapani V, Wistuba II, Izzo JG. Concomitant targeting of the mTOR/MAPK pathways: novel therapeutic strategy in subsets of RICTOR/KRAS-altered non-small cell lung cancer. Oncotarget 2018; 9:33995-34008. [PMID: 30338041 PMCID: PMC6188056 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.26129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite a therapeutic paradigm shift into targeted-driven medicinal approaches, resistance to therapy remains a hallmark of lung cancer, driven by biological and molecular diversity. Using genomic and expression data from advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients enrolled in the BATTLE-2 clinical trial, we identified RICTOR alterations in a subset of lung adenocarcinomas and found RICTOR expression to carry worse overall survival. RICTOR-altered cohort was significantly enriched in KRAS/MAPK axis mutations, suggesting a co-oncogenic driver role in these molecular settings. Using NSCLC cell lines, we showed that, distinctly in KRAS mutant backgrounds, RICTOR blockade impairs malignant properties and generates a compensatory enhanced activation of the MAPK pathway, exposing a unique therapeutic vulnerability. In vitro and in vivo concomitant pharmacologic inhibition of mTORC1/2 and MEK1/2 resulted in synergistic responses of anti-tumor effects. Our study provides evidence of a distinctive therapeutic opportunity in a subset of NSCLC carrying concomitant RICTOR/KRAS alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Ruder
- Graduate Program in Human and Molecular Genetics and Cancer Biology, MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Vassiliki Papadimitrakopoulou
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Kazuhiko Shien
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Carmen Behrens
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Neda Kalhor
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Huiqin Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - J Jack Lee
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Waun Ki Hong
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ximing Tang
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Luc Girard
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - John D Minna
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Barbara Mino
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Pamela Villalobos
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jaime Rodriguez-Canales
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Nana E Hanson
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - James Sun
- Foundation Medicine, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Vincent Miller
- Foundation Medicine, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joel Greenbowe
- Foundation Medicine, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Roy S Herbst
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Veera Baladandayuthapani
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ignacio I Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Julie G Izzo
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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Kim SM, Shin SC, Kim EE, Kim SH, Park K, Oh SJ, Jang M. Simple in Vivo Gene Editing via Direct Self-Assembly of Cas9 Ribonucleoprotein Complexes for Cancer Treatment. ACS NANO 2018; 12:7750-7760. [PMID: 30028587 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b01670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP)-mediated delivery has emerged as an ideal approach for in vivo applications. However, the delivery of Cas9 RNPs requires electroporation or lipid- or cationic-reagent-mediated transfection. Here, we developed a carrier-free Cas9 RNP delivery system for robust gene editing in vivo. For simultaneous delivery of Cas9 and a guide RNA into target cells without the aid of any transfection reagents, we established a multifunctional Cas9 fusion protein (Cas9-LMWP) that forms a ternary complex with synthetic crRNA:tracrRNA hybrids in a simple procedure. Cas9-LMWP carrying both a nuclear localization sequence and a low-molecular-weight protamine (LMWP) enables the direct self-assembly of a Cas9:crRNA:tracrRNA ternary complex (a ternary Cas9 RNP) and allows for the delivery of the ternary Cas9 RNPs into the recipient cells, owing to its intrinsic cellular and nuclear translocation ability with low immunogenicity. To demonstrate the potential of this system, we showed extensive synergistic anti-KRAS therapy (CI value: 0.34) via in vitro and in vivo editing of the KRAS gene by the direct delivery of multifunctional Cas9 RNPs in lung cancer. Thus, our carrier-free Cas9 RNP delivery system could be an innovative platform that might serve as an alternative to conventional transfection reagents for simple gene editing and high-throughput genetic screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Min Kim
- Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute , Korea Institute of Science and Technology , Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul 136-791 , South Korea
| | - Sang Chul Shin
- Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute , Korea Institute of Science and Technology , Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul 136-791 , South Korea
| | - Eunice EunKyeong Kim
- Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute , Korea Institute of Science and Technology , Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul 136-791 , South Korea
| | - Sang-Heon Kim
- Center for Biomaterials, Biomedical Research Institute , Korea Institute of Science and Technology , Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul 136-791 , South Korea
| | - Kwideok Park
- Center for Biomaterials, Biomedical Research Institute , Korea Institute of Science and Technology , Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul 136-791 , South Korea
| | - Seung Ja Oh
- Center for Biomaterials, Biomedical Research Institute , Korea Institute of Science and Technology , Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul 136-791 , South Korea
| | - Mihue Jang
- Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute , Korea Institute of Science and Technology , Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul 136-791 , South Korea
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Zhao P, Chen H, Wen D, Mou S, Zhang F, Zheng S. Personalized treatment based on mini patient-derived xenografts and WES/RNA sequencing in a patient with metastatic duodenal adenocarcinoma. Cancer Commun (Lond) 2018; 38:54. [PMID: 30139386 PMCID: PMC6108145 DOI: 10.1186/s40880-018-0323-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Treatment guidelines for a variety of cancers have been increasingly used in clinical practice, and have resulted in major improvement in patient outcomes. However, recommended regimens (even first-line treatments) are clearly not ideal for every patients. In the present study, we used mini patient-derived xenograft (mini-PDX) and next-generation sequencing to develop personalized treatment in a patient with metastatic duodenal adenocarcinoma. Methods Resected metachronous metastatic tumor tissues were implanted into SCID mice to determine the sensitivity to a variety of drug regimens. Mutation profiles were assessed using both DNA whole-exome sequencing (DNA–WES) and RNA sequencing. The results of the analyses were used to select optimal treatment for the patient with metastatic duodenal adenocarcinoma. Results Assessment with mini-PDX models took only 7 days. The results showed high sensitivity to S-1 plus cisplatin, gemcitabine plus cisplatin and everolimus alone. The patient received gemcitabine plus cisplatin initially, but the treatment was terminated due to toxicity. The patient was then switched to treatment with S-1 alone. The overall disease-free survival was 34 months. DNA–WES and RNA sequencing identified KRAS mutation (A146T), TP53 (C229Yfs*10) and RICTOR amplification in the metastatic duodenal adenocarcinoma. These findings provided further support to the results of the mini-PDX, and suggest mTOR inhibitors should be used if and when relapse eventually occurs in this patient. Conclusions Mini-PDX model combined with WES/RNA sequencing can rapidly assess drug sensitivity in cancer patients and reveal key genetic alterations. Further research on this technology for personalized therapy in patients with refractory malignant tumors is warranted. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40880-018-0323-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhao
- Cancer Biotherapy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, P. R. China
| | - Hui Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Zhejiang Hospital, Hangzhou, 310013, P. R. China
| | - Danyi Wen
- LIDE Biotech Co., Ltd, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Shuo Mou
- OrigiMed Co., Ltd, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | | | - Shusen Zheng
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, P. R. China. .,Key Lab of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, Hangzhou, China.
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Abstract
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of proteins reveal the existence of many transient surface pockets; however, the factors determining what small subset of these represent druggable or functionally relevant ligand binding sites, called "cryptic sites," are not understood. Here, we examine multiple X-ray structures for a set of proteins with validated cryptic sites, using the computational hot spot identification tool FTMap. The results show that cryptic sites in ligand-free structures generally have a strong binding energy hot spot very close by. As expected, regions around cryptic sites exhibit above-average flexibility, and close to 50% of the proteins studied here have unbound structures that could accommodate the ligand without clashes. Nevertheless, the strong hot spot neighboring each cryptic site is almost always exploited by the bound ligand, suggesting that binding may frequently involve an induced fit component. We additionally evaluated the structural basis for cryptic site formation, by comparing unbound to bound structures. Cryptic sites are most frequently occluded in the unbound structure by intrusion of loops (22.5%), side chains (19.4%), or in some cases entire helices (5.4%), but motions that create sites that are too open can also eliminate pockets (19.4%). The flexibility of cryptic sites frequently leads to missing side chains or loops (12%) that are particularly evident in low resolution crystal structures. An interesting observation is that cryptic sites formed solely by the movement of side chains, or of backbone segments with fewer than five residues, result only in low affinity binding sites with limited use for drug discovery.
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46
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One-pot, four-component synthesis and SAR STUDIES of spiro[pyrimido[5,4-b]quinoline-10,5′-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine] derivatives catalyzed by β-cyclodextrin in water as potential anticancer agents. RESEARCH ON CHEMICAL INTERMEDIATES 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s11164-018-3353-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Tsuchida N, Murugan AK, Grieco M. Kirsten Ras* oncogene: significance of its discovery in human cancer research. Oncotarget 2018; 7:46717-46733. [PMID: 27102293 PMCID: PMC5216832 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.8773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 04/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The KRAS/ K-RAS oncogene is crucially involved in human cancer. The term "oncogene" -- i.e., a gene able to transform a normal cell into a tumor cell - was introduced in 1969, but the word was not used in the human carcinogenesis literature until much later. Transforming Kras and Hras oncogenes from the Kirsten and Harvey sarcoma viruses were not identified until the early 1980s due to the complicated structures of the viral genomes. Orthologs of these viral oncogenes were then found in transforming DNA fragments in human cancers in the form of mutated versions of the HRAS and KRAS proto-oncogenes. Thus, RAS genes were the first human oncogenes to be identified. Subsequent studies showed that mutated KRAS acted as an in vivo oncogenic driver, as indicated by studies of anti-EGFR therapy for metastatic colorectal cancers. This review addresses the historical background and experimental studies that led to the discovery of Kirsten Ras as an oncogene, the role of mutated KRAS in human carcinogenesis, and recent therapeutic studies of cancer cells with KRAS mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuo Tsuchida
- Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical Dental University, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Michele Grieco
- DiSTABiF, Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche, Seconda Università di Napoli, Caserta, Italy
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Wu D, Zhao B, Qi X, Peng F, Fu H, Chi X, Miao QR, Shao S. Nogo-B receptor promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition in non-small cell lung cancer cells through the Ras/ERK/Snail1 pathway. Cancer Lett 2018; 418:135-146. [PMID: 29331415 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2017] [Revised: 12/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Nogo-B receptor (NgBR) is a specific receptor of Nogo-B that regulates vascular remodeling and angiogenesis. Previously, we found that NgBR promotes the membrane translocation and activation of Ras in breast cancer cells and enhances the chemoresistance of hepatocellular carcinoma cells to 5-fluorouracil. However, the role of NgBR in lung cancer has not yet been elucidated. In the present study, we found that NgBR knockdown inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells in vitro and metastasis of NSCLC cells in vivo. In contrast, NgBR overexpression promoted EMT in and lung metastasis of NSCLC cells. At the molecular level, NgBR modulated the expression of EMT-related proteins and enhanced the protein expression of Snail1, a crucial transcription factor that represses epithelial cell protein marker E-cadherin. Moreover, we found that NgBR overexpression promoted the membrane localization of Ras and activation of downstream MEK/ERK signaling pathway and that NgBR knockdown by using a specific shRNA inversely affected the expression of EMT-related proteins in NSCLC cells. Thus, our results provide novel insights on the regulatory role of NgBR in the metastasis of NSCLC that should be investigated further for developing a therapeutic strategy for treating patients with NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donghua Wu
- Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Baofeng Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Sciences for Analytical Chemistry, National Chromatographic R&A Center, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Xiaoyu Qi
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Children's Research Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA; Divisions of Pediatric Pathology, Department of Pathology, Children's Research Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Fang Peng
- Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Hailu Fu
- Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Xinming Chi
- Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Qing Robert Miao
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Children's Research Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA; Divisions of Pediatric Pathology, Department of Pathology, Children's Research Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
| | - Shujuan Shao
- Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China.
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Sogabe S, Kamada Y, Miwa M, Niida A, Sameshima T, Kamaura M, Yonemori K, Sasaki S, Sakamoto JI, Sakamoto K. Crystal Structure of a Human K-Ras G12D Mutant in Complex with GDP and the Cyclic Inhibitory Peptide KRpep-2d. ACS Med Chem Lett 2017; 8:732-736. [PMID: 28740607 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.7b00128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ras proteins play roles in cell differentiation, proliferation, and survival. Aberrant signaling through Ras-mediated pathways in tumor cells occurs as a result of several types of mutational damage, which most frequently affects the amino acids G12, G13, and Q61. Recently, KRpep-2d was identified as a K-Ras(G12D) selective inhibitory peptide against the G12D mutant of K-Ras, which is a key member of the Ras protein family and an attractive cancer therapeutic target. In this study, the crystal structure of the human K-Ras(G12D) mutant was determined in complex with GDP and KRpep-2d at 1.25 Å resolution. This structure revealed that the peptide binds near Switch II and allosterically blocks protein-protein interactions with the guanine nucleotide exchange factor. This discovery of a unique binding pocket provides valuable information that will facilitate the design of direct Ras inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Sogabe
- Pharmaceutical Research Division, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, 26-1, Muraoka-Higashi 2-chome, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-8555, Japan
| | - Yusuke Kamada
- Pharmaceutical Research Division, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, 26-1, Muraoka-Higashi 2-chome, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-8555, Japan
| | - Masanori Miwa
- Pharmaceutical Research Division, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, 26-1, Muraoka-Higashi 2-chome, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-8555, Japan
| | - Ayumu Niida
- Pharmaceutical Research Division, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, 26-1, Muraoka-Higashi 2-chome, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-8555, Japan
| | - Tomoya Sameshima
- Pharmaceutical Research Division, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, 26-1, Muraoka-Higashi 2-chome, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-8555, Japan
| | - Masahiro Kamaura
- Pharmaceutical Research Division, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, 26-1, Muraoka-Higashi 2-chome, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-8555, Japan
| | - Kazuko Yonemori
- Pharmaceutical Research Division, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, 26-1, Muraoka-Higashi 2-chome, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-8555, Japan
| | - Shigekazu Sasaki
- Pharmaceutical Research Division, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, 26-1, Muraoka-Higashi 2-chome, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-8555, Japan
| | - Jun-ichi Sakamoto
- Pharmaceutical Research Division, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, 26-1, Muraoka-Higashi 2-chome, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-8555, Japan
| | - Kotaro Sakamoto
- Pharmaceutical Research Division, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, 26-1, Muraoka-Higashi 2-chome, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-8555, Japan
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50
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Kaiser CE, Van Ert NA, Agrawal P, Chawla R, Yang D, Hurley LH. Insight into the Complexity of the i-Motif and G-Quadruplex DNA Structures Formed in the KRAS Promoter and Subsequent Drug-Induced Gene Repression. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:8522-8536. [PMID: 28570076 PMCID: PMC5978000 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b02046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Activating KRAS mutations frequently occur in pancreatic, colorectal, and lung adenocarcinomas. While many attempts have been made to target oncogenic KRAS, no clinically useful therapies currently exist. Most efforts to target KRAS have focused on inhibiting the mutant protein; a less explored approach involves targeting KRAS at the transcriptional level. The promoter element of the KRAS gene contains a GC-rich nuclease hypersensitive site with three potential DNA secondary structure-forming regions. These are referred to as the Near-, Mid-, and Far-regions, on the basis of their proximity to the transcription start site. As a result of transcription-induced negative superhelicity, these regions can open up to form unique DNA secondary structures: G-quadruplexes on the G-rich strand and i-motifs on the C-rich strand. While the G-quadruplexes have been well characterized, the i-motifs have not been investigated as thoroughly. Here we show that the i-motif that forms in the C-rich Mid-region is the most stable and exists in a dynamic equilibrium with a hybrid i-motif/hairpin species and an unfolded hairpin species. The transcription factor heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNP K) was found to bind selectively to the i-motif species and to positively modulate KRAS transcription. Additionally, we identified a benzophenanthridine alkaloid that dissipates the hairpin species and destabilizes the interaction of hnRNP K with the Mid-region i-motif. This same compound stabilizes the three existing KRAS G-quadruplexes. The combined effect of the compound on the Mid-region i-motif and the G-quadruplexes leads to downregulation of KRAS gene expression. This dual i-motif/G-quadruplex-interactive compound presents a new mechanism to modulate gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine E. Kaiser
- College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Natalie A. Van Ert
- College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Prashansa Agrawal
- College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Reena Chawla
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Danzhou Yang
- College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
- University of Arizona Cancer Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724, United States
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Laurence H. Hurley
- College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
- University of Arizona Cancer Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724, United States
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
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