Repurposing of the FGFR inhibitor AZD4547 as a potent inhibitor of necroptosis by selectively targeting RIPK1

RIPK1 inhibitors: A key to unlocking the potential of necroptosis in drug development

Within the field of medical science, there is a great deal of interest in investigating cell death pathways in the hopes of discovering new drugs. Over the past two decades, pharmacological research has focused on necroptosis, a cell death process that has just been discovered. Receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1), an essential regulator in the cell death receptor signalling pathway, has been shown to be involved in the regulation of important events, including necrosis, inflammation, and apoptosis. Therefore, researching necroptosis inhibitors offers novel ways to treat a variety of disorders that are not well-treated by the therapeutic medications now on the market. The research and medicinal potential of RIPK1 inhibitors, a promising class of drugs, are thoroughly examined in this study. The journey from the discovery of Necrostatin-1 (Nec-1) to the recent advancements in RIPK1 inhibitors is marked by significant progress, highlighting the integration of traditional medicinal chemistry approaches with modern technologies like high-throughput screening and DNA-encoded library technology. This review presents a thorough exploration of the development and therapeutic potential of RIPK1 inhibitors, a promising class of compounds. Simultaneously, this review highlights the complex roles of RIPK1 in various pathological conditions and discusses potential inhibitors discovered through diverse pathways, emphasizing their efficacy against multiple disease models, providing significant guidance for the expansion of knowledge about RIPK1 and its inhibitors to develop more selective, potent, and safe therapeutic agents.

The Inhibition of the FGFR/PI3K/Akt Axis by AZD4547 Disrupts the Proangiogenic Microenvironment and Vasculogenic Mimicry Arising from the Interplay between Endothelial and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells

Vasculogenic mimicry (VM), a process in which aggressive cancer cells form tube-like structures, plays a crucial role in providing nutrients and escape routes. Highly plastic tumor cells, such as those with the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) phenotype, can develop VM. However, little is known about the interplay between the cellular components of the tumor microenvironment and TNBC cells' VM capacity. In this study, we analyzed the ability of endothelial and stromal cells to induce VM when interacting with TNBC cells and analyzed the involvement of the FGFR/PI3K/Akt pathway in this process. VM was corroborated using fluorescently labeled TNBC cells. Only endothelial cells triggered VM formation, suggesting a predominant role of paracrine/juxtacrine factors from an endothelial origin in VM development. Via immunocytochemistry, qPCR, and secretome analyses, we determined an increased expression of proangiogenic factors as well as stemness markers in VM-forming cancer cells. Similarly, endothelial cells primed by TNBC cells showed an upregulation of proangiogenic molecules, including FGF, VEGFA, and several inflammatory cytokines. Endothelium-dependent TNBC-VM formation was prevented by AZD4547 or LY294002, strongly suggesting the involvement of the FGFR/PI3K/Akt axis in this process. Given that VM is associated with poor clinical prognosis, targeting FGFR/PI3K/Akt pharmacologically may hold promise for treating and preventing VM in TNBC tumors.