Mcl-1 and anticancer vaccination: identification of an HLA-A2-restricted epitope

Thiazolopyrimidine Scaffold as a Promising Nucleus for Developing Anticancer Drugs: a Review in Last Decade

The thiazolopyrimidine nucleus is a bioisostericanalog of purine and an important class of N-containing heterocycles. Thiazolopyrimidine scaffolds are considered a promising class of bioactive compounds that encompass diverse biological activities such as antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anticancer, corticotrophin-releasing factor antagonists, anti-inflammatory, antituberculosis, and glutamic receptors antagonists. Despite the importance of thiazolopyrimidines from a pharmacological viewpoint, there is hardly a comprehensive review on this important heterocyclic nucleus. Throughout the years, those scaffolds have been studied extensively for its anticancer properties and several compounds were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their anticancer effects with activity in the µM to nM range. However, there are hardly any reviews covering the anticancer effects of thiazolopyrimidines. In this review, an effort was made to compile literatures covering the anticancer activity of thiazolopyrimidines reported in the last decade (2010-2020). Nearly thirty articles were reviewed and compounds which IC50 < 50 µM against at least 50% of the used cell lines were listed in this review. The best ten compounds (10a, 14b, 17g, 18,25e, 25k, 34e, 41i, 49a, & 49c) show the best anticancer activity against the corresponding cell lines during the last 10 years are highlighted. By highlighting the most active compounds, this review article sheds light on the structural features associated with the strongest anticancer effects to provide guidance to future research aiming to develop anticancer molecules.

Leukemia-associated antigens and their relevance to the immunotherapy of acute myeloid leukemia

The graft-versus-leukemia effect of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has shown that the immune system is capable of eradicating acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This knowledge, along with the identification of the target antigens against which antileukemia immune responses are directed, has provided a strong impetus for the development of antigen-targeted immunotherapy of AML. The success of any antigen-specific immunotherapeutic strategy depends critically on the choice of target antigen. Ideal molecules for immune targeting in AML are those that are: (1) leukemia-specific; (2) expressed in most leukemic blasts including leukemic stem cells; (3) important for the leukemic phenotype; (4) immunogenic; and (5) clinically effective. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview on AML-related tumor antigens and assess their applicability for immunotherapy against the five criteria outlined above. In this way, we aim to facilitate the selection of appropriate target antigens, a task that has become increasingly challenging given the large number of antigens identified and the rapid pace at which new targets are being discovered. The information provided in this review is intended to guide the rational design of future antigen-specific immunotherapy trials, which will hopefully lead to new antileukemia therapies with more selectivity and higher efficacy.

The anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family are attractive tumor-associated antigens

Anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family (Bcl-2, Bcl-X(L) and Mcl-2) are pivotal regulators of apoptotic cell death. They are all highly overexpressed in cancers of different origin in which they enhance the survival of the cancer cells. Consequently, they represent prime candidates for anti-cancer therapy and specific antisense oligonucleotides or small molecule inhibitors have shown broad anti-cancer activities in pre-clinical models and are currently tested in clinical trials. In addition, immune-mediated tumor destruction is emerging as an interesting modality to treat cancer patients. Notably, spontaneous cellular immune responses against the Bcl-2 family proteins have been identified as frequent features in cancer patients underscoring that these proteins are natural targets for the immune system. Thus, Bcl-2 family may serve as an important and widely applicable target for anti-cancer immunotherapeutic strategies, alone or in the combination with conventional therapy. Here, we summarize the current knowledge of Bcl-2 family proteins as T-cell antigens, which has set the stage for the first explorative trial using these antigens in therapeutic vaccinations against cancer, and discuss future opportunities.

The anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family are attractive tumor-associated antigens

Anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family (Bcl-2, Bcl-X(L) and Mcl-2) are pivotal regulators of apoptotic cell death. They are all highly overexpressed in cancers of different origin in which they enhance the survival of the cancer cells. Consequently, they represent prime candidates for anti-cancer therapy and specific antisense oligonucleotides or small molecule inhibitors have shown broad anti-cancer activities in pre-clinical models and are currently tested in clinical trials. In addition, immune-mediated tumor destruction is emerging as an interesting modality to treat cancer patients. Notably, spontaneous cellular immune responses against the Bcl-2 family proteins have been identified as frequent features in cancer patients underscoring that these proteins are natural targets for the immune system. Thus, Bcl-2 family may serve as an important and widely applicable target for anti-cancer immunotherapeutic strategies, alone or in the combination with conventional therapy. Here, we summarize the current knowledge of Bcl-2 family proteins as T-cell antigens, which has set the stage for the first explorative trial using these antigens in therapeutic vaccinations against cancer, and discuss future opportunities.