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Hu S, Jiang C, Jin Q. Discovery of pyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidin-6(5H)-one derivatives as checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) inhibitors with potent antitumor efficacy. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 269:116351. [PMID: 38547734 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) plays a crucial role in the DNA damage response pathway, making it an attractive target for cancer therapy. Herein, we present the synthesis, optimization, and evaluation of selective CHK1 inhibitors with a pyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidin-6(5H)-one scaffold. Among them, compound 11 showed single-digit nanomolar potency against CHK1 (IC50: 0.55 nM) with good kinase selectivity. Notably, 11 showed anti-proliferative effect in MV-4-11 cells singly (IC50 = 202 nM) and a synergistic effect in combination with gemcitabine in HT-29 cells (IC50 = 63.53 nM). Furthermore, the combination of 11 and gemcitabine exhibited synergistic effect in the HT-29 xenograft mouse model. Overall, this work provides a strong foundation for the development of selective CHK1 inhibitors and the therapeutic strategy for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shihe Hu
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, Jiangsu, China; Laboratories of Translational Medicine, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, Jiangsu, China; SkyRun Pharma Co., Ltd., No. 9 Weidi Road, Nanjing, 210046, China
| | - Cuihua Jiang
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, Jiangsu, China; Laboratories of Translational Medicine, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qiaomei Jin
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, Jiangsu, China; Laboratories of Translational Medicine, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, Jiangsu, China.
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2
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Soberanis Pina P, Lheureux S. Novel Molecular Targets in Endometrial Cancer: Mechanisms and Perspectives for Therapy. Biologics 2024; 18:79-93. [PMID: 38529411 PMCID: PMC10962462 DOI: 10.2147/btt.s369783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Endometrial cancer (EC) has a high epidemiological impact with incidence and mortality rising worldwide. In recent years, the integration of the pathologic and molecular classification has provided relevant information to understand the heterogeneity in the biology of EC, which led to the evolution in the management of patients. Currently, therapeutic breakthroughs have been made in advanced EC to improve oncologic outcomes, with efforts to include patient reported outcomes. Precision and personalized medicine are under way in EC exploring different combination approaches to target cross-talk pathways, cancer cell microenvironment, and metabolic vulnerabilities and improve drug delivery. Yet, collaborative efforts are needed to face the challenges in practice by refining patient selection, ideal biomarker identification, and de-escalation of therapies according to emerging molecular and genomic features of EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Soberanis Pina
- Department of Medical Oncology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Stephanie Lheureux
- Department of Medical Oncology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
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3
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Huffman BM, Feng H, Parmar K, Wang J, Kapner KS, Kochupurakkal B, Martignetti DB, Sadatrezaei G, Abrams TA, Biller LH, Giannakis M, Ng K, Patel AK, Perez KJ, Singh H, Rubinson DA, Schlechter BL, Andrews E, Hannigan AM, Dunwell S, Getchell Z, Raghavan S, Wolpin BM, Fortier C, D’Andrea AD, Aguirre AJ, Shapiro GI, Cleary JM. A Phase I Expansion Cohort Study Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of the CHK1 Inhibitor LY2880070 with Low-dose Gemcitabine in Patients with Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. Clin Cancer Res 2023; 29:5047-5056. [PMID: 37819936 PMCID: PMC10842136 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Combining gemcitabine with CHK1 inhibition has shown promise in preclinical models of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Here, we report the findings from a phase I expansion cohort study (NCT02632448) investigating low-dose gemcitabine combined with the CHK1 inhibitor LY2880070 in patients with previously treated advanced PDAC. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with metastatic PDAC were treated with gemcitabine intravenously at 100 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, and 15, and LY2880070 50 mg orally twice daily on days 2-6, 9-13, and 16-20 of each 21-day cycle. Pretreatment tumor biopsies were obtained from each patient for correlative studies and generation of organoid cultures for drug sensitivity testing and biomarker analyses. RESULTS Eleven patients with PDAC were enrolled in the expansion cohort between August 27, 2020 and July 30, 2021. Four patients (36%) experienced drug-related grade 3 adverse events. No objective radiologic responses were observed, and all patients discontinued the trial by 3.2 months. In contrast to the lack of efficacy observed in patients, organoid cultures derived from biopsies procured from two patients demonstrated strong sensitivity to the gemcitabine/LY2880070 combination and showed treatment-induced upregulation of replication stress and DNA damage biomarkers, including pKAP1, pRPA32, and γH2AX, as well as induction of replication fork instability. CONCLUSIONS No evidence of clinical activity was observed for combined low-dose gemcitabine and LY2880070 in this treatment-refractory PDAC cohort. However, the gemcitabine/LY2880070 combination showed in vitro efficacy, suggesting that drug sensitivity for this combination in organoid cultures may not predict clinical benefit in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon M. Huffman
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Hanrong Feng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kalindi Parmar
- Center for DNA Damage and Repair, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Junning Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kevin S. Kapner
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Bose Kochupurakkal
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Center for DNA Damage and Repair, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - David B. Martignetti
- Center for DNA Damage and Repair, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Golbahar Sadatrezaei
- Center for DNA Damage and Repair, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Thomas A. Abrams
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Leah H. Biller
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Marios Giannakis
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Kimmie Ng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Anuj K. Patel
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kimberly J. Perez
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Harshabad Singh
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Douglas A. Rubinson
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Benjamin L. Schlechter
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Elizabeth Andrews
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Alison M. Hannigan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Stanley Dunwell
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Zoe Getchell
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Srivatsan Raghavan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Brian M. Wolpin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | - Alan D. D’Andrea
- Center for DNA Damage and Repair, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Andrew J. Aguirre
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Geoffrey I. Shapiro
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Center for DNA Damage and Repair, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - James M. Cleary
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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Gao M, Liu W, Li T, Song Z, Wang X, Zhang X. Identifying Genetic Signatures Associated with Oncogene-Induced Replication Stress in Osteosarcoma and Screening for Potential Targeted Drugs. Biochem Genet 2023:10.1007/s10528-023-10497-4. [PMID: 37672187 DOI: 10.1007/s10528-023-10497-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Osteosarcoma is the most common type of primary malignant bone tumor. Due to the lack of selectivity and sensitivity of chemotherapy drugs to tumor cells, coupled with the use of large doses, chemotherapy drugs often have systemic toxicity. The use of modern sequencing technology to screen tumor markers in a large number of tumor samples is a common method for screening highly specific and selective anti-tumor drugs. This study aims to identify potential biomarkers using the latest reported gene expression signatures of oncogene-induced replication stress (ORS) in aggressive cancers, and potential anti-osteosarcoma drugs were screened in different drug databases. In this study, we obtained 89 osteosarcoma-related samples in the TARGET database, all of which included survival information. According to the median expression of each of six reported ORS gene markers (NAT10/DDX27/ZNF48/C8ORF33/MOCS3/MPP6), we divided 89 osteosarcoma gene expression datasets into a high expression group and a low expression group and then performed a differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis. The coexisting genes of 6 groups of DEGs were used as replication stress-related genes (RSGs) of osteosarcoma. Then, key RSGs were screened using LASSO regression, a Cox risk proportional regression prognostic model and a tenfold cross-validation test. GSE21257 datasets collected from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were used to verify the prognostic model. The final key RSGs selected were used in the L1000PWD and DGIdb databases to mine potential drugs. After further validation by the prognostic model, we identified seven genes associated with ORS in osteosarcoma as key RSGs, including transcription factor 7 like 2 (TCF7L2), solute carrier family 27 member 4 (SLC27A4), proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 5 (PCSK5), nucleolar protein 6 (NOL6), coiled-coil-coil-coil-coil-helix domain containing 4 (CHCHD4), eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit B (EIF3B), and synthesis of cytochrome C oxidase 1 (SCO1). Then, we screened the seven key RSGs in two drug databases and found six potential anti-osteosarcoma drugs (D GIdb database: repaglinide, tacrolimus, sirolimus, cyclosporine, and hydrochlorothiazide; L1000PWD database: the small molecule VU-0365117-1). Seven RSGs (TCF7L2, SLC27A4, PCSK5, NOL6, CHCHD4, EIF3B, and SCO1) may be associated with the ORS gene signatures in osteosarcoma. Repaglinide, tacrolimus, sirolimus, cyclosporine, hydrochlorothiazide and the small molecule VU-0365117-1 are potential therapeutic drugs for osteosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Gao
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Fourth Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Haidian District, 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Weibo Liu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Fourth Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Haidian District, 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Teng Li
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Fourth Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Haidian District, 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - ZeLong Song
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Fourth Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Haidian District, 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - XiangYu Wang
- Department of Pain Medicine, First Medical Center, PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100000, China.
| | - XueSong Zhang
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Fourth Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Haidian District, 51 Fucheng Road, Beijing, 100048, China.
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Nguyen MTH, Imanishi M, Li S, Chau K, Banerjee P, Velatooru LR, Ko KA, Samanthapudi VSK, Gi YJ, Lee LL, Abe RJ, McBeath E, Deswal A, Lin SH, Palaskas NL, Dantzer R, Fujiwara K, Borchrdt MK, Turcios EB, Olmsted-Davis EA, Kotla S, Cooke JP, Wang G, Abe JI, Le NT. Endothelial activation and fibrotic changes are impeded by laminar flow-induced CHK1-SENP2 activity through mechanisms distinct from endothelial-to-mesenchymal cell transition. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:1187490. [PMID: 37711550 PMCID: PMC10499395 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1187490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The deSUMOylase sentrin-specific isopeptidase 2 (SENP2) plays a crucial role in atheroprotection. However, the phosphorylation of SENP2 at T368 under disturbed flow (D-flow) conditions hinders its nuclear function and promotes endothelial cell (EC) activation. SUMOylation has been implicated in D-flow-induced endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (endoMT), but the precise role of SENP2 in counteracting this process remains unclear. Method We developed a phospho-specific SENP2 S344 antibody and generated knock-in (KI) mice with a phospho-site mutation of SENP2 S344A using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. We then investigated the effects of SENP2 S344 phosphorylation under two distinct flow patterns and during hypercholesteremia (HC)-mediated EC activation. Result Our findings demonstrate that laminar flow (L-flow) induces phosphorylation of SENP2 at S344 through the activation of checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1), leading to the inhibition of ERK5 and p53 SUMOylation and subsequent suppression of EC activation. We observed a significant increase in lipid-laden lesions in both the aortic arch (under D-flow) and descending aorta (under L-flow) of female hypercholesterolemic SENP2 S344A KI mice. In male hypercholesterolemic SENP2 S344A KI mice, larger lipid-laden lesions were only observed in the aortic arch area, suggesting a weaker HC-mediated atherogenesis in male mice compared to females. Ionizing radiation (IR) reduced CHK1 expression and SENP2 S344 phosphorylation, attenuating the pro-atherosclerotic effects observed in female SENP2 S344A KI mice after bone marrow transplantation (BMT), particularly in L-flow areas. The phospho-site mutation SENP2 S344A upregulates processes associated with EC activation, including inflammation, migration, and proliferation. Additionally, fibrotic changes and up-regulated expression of EC marker genes were observed. Apoptosis was augmented in ECs derived from the lungs of SENP2 S344A KI mice, primarily through the inhibition of ERK5-mediated expression of DNA damage-induced apoptosis suppressor (DDIAS). Summary In this study, we have revealed a novel mechanism underlying the suppressive effects of L-flow on EC inflammation, migration, proliferation, apoptosis, and fibrotic changes through promoting CHK1-induced SENP2 S344 phosphorylation. The phospho-site mutation SENP2 S344A responds to L-flow through a distinct mechanism, which involves the upregulation of both mesenchymal and EC marker genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minh T. H. Nguyen
- Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Life Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Masaki Imanishi
- Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Shengyu Li
- Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Khanh Chau
- Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Priyanka Banerjee
- Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Loka reddy Velatooru
- Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Kyung Ae Ko
- Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | | | - Young J. Gi
- Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Ling-Ling Lee
- Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Rei J. Abe
- Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Elena McBeath
- Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Anita Deswal
- Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Steven H. Lin
- Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Nicolas L. Palaskas
- Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Robert Dantzer
- Department of Symptom Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Keigi Fujiwara
- Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Mae K. Borchrdt
- Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Estefani Berrios Turcios
- Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Elizabeth A. Olmsted-Davis
- Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sivareddy Kotla
- Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - John P. Cooke
- Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Guangyu Wang
- Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jun-ichi Abe
- Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Nhat-Tu Le
- Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
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Mao J, Ma F, Yu J, Bruyn TD, Ning M, Bowman C, Chen Y. Shared learning from a physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling strategy for human pharmacokinetics prediction through retrospective analysis of Genentech compounds. Biopharm Drug Dispos 2023; 44:315-334. [PMID: 37160730 DOI: 10.1002/bdd.2359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The quantitative prediction of human pharmacokinetics (PK) including the PK profile and key PK parameters are critical for early drug development decisions, successful phase I clinical trials, and the establishment of a range of doses to enable phase II clinical dose selection. Here, we describe an approach employing physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling (Simcyp) to predict human PK and to validate its performance through retrospective analysis of 18 Genentech compounds for which clinical data are available. In short, physicochemical parameters and in vitro data for preclinical species were integrated using PBPK modeling to predict the in vivo PK observed in mouse, rat, dog, and cynomolgus monkey. Through this process, the in vitro to in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) was determined and then incorporated into PBPK modeling in order to predict human PK. Overall, the prediction obtained using this PBPK-IVIVE approach captured the observed human PK profiles of the compounds from the dataset well. The predicted Cmax was within 2-fold of the observed Cmax for 94% of the compounds while the predicted area under the curve (AUC) was within 2-fold of the observed AUC for 72% of the compounds. Additionally, important IVIVE trends were revealed through this investigation, including application of scaling factors determined from preclinical IVIVE to human PK prediction for each molecule. Based upon the analysis, this PBPK-based approach now serves as a practical strategy for human PK prediction at the candidate selection stage at Genentech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialin Mao
- Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Fang Ma
- Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jesse Yu
- Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Tom De Bruyn
- Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Miaoran Ning
- Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Christine Bowman
- Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Yuan Chen
- Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
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7
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Casimir L, Zimmer S, Racine-Brassard F, Goudreau F, Jacques PÉ, Maréchal A. Chronic treatment with ATR and CHK1 inhibitors does not substantially increase the mutational burden of human cells. Mutat Res 2023; 827:111834. [PMID: 37531716 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2023.111834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
DNA replication stress (RS) entails the frequent slow down and arrest of replication forks by a variety of conditions that hinder accurate and processive genome duplication. Elevated RS leads to genome instability, replication catastrophe and eventually cell death. RS is particularly prevalent in cancer cells and its exacerbation to unsustainable levels by chemotherapeutic agents remains a cornerstone of cancer treatments. The adverse consequences of RS are normally prevented by the ATR and CHK1 checkpoint kinases that stabilize stressed forks, suppress origin firing and promote cell cycle arrest when replication is perturbed. Specific inhibitors of these kinases have been developed and shown to potentiate RS and cell death in multiple in vitro cancer settings. Ongoing clinical trials are now probing their efficacy against various cancer types, either as single agents or in combination with mainstay chemotherapeutics. Despite their promise as valuable additions to the anti-cancer pharmacopoeia, we still lack a genome-wide view of the potential mutagenicity of these new drugs. To investigate this question, we performed chronic long-term treatments of TP53-depleted human cancer cells with ATR and CHK1 inhibitors (ATRi, AZD6738/ceralasertib and CHK1i, MK8776/SCH-900776). ATR or CHK1 inhibition did not significantly increase the mutational burden of cells, nor generate specific mutational signatures. Indeed, no notable changes in the numbers of base substitutions, short insertions/deletions and larger scale rearrangements were observed despite induction of replication-associated DNA breaks during treatments. Interestingly, ATR inhibition did induce a slight increase in closely-spaced mutations, a feature previously attributed to translesion synthesis DNA polymerases. The results suggest that ATRi and CHK1i do not have substantial mutagenic effects in vitro when used as standalone agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Casimir
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1K 2R1, QC, Canada; Institut de Recherche sur le Cancer de l'Université de Sherbrooke (IRCUS), Sherbrooke J1K 2R1, QC, Canada
| | - Samuel Zimmer
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1K 2R1, QC, Canada; Institut de Recherche sur le Cancer de l'Université de Sherbrooke (IRCUS), Sherbrooke J1K 2R1, QC, Canada
| | - Félix Racine-Brassard
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1K 2R1, QC, Canada; Institut de Recherche sur le Cancer de l'Université de Sherbrooke (IRCUS), Sherbrooke J1K 2R1, QC, Canada
| | - Félix Goudreau
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1K 2R1, QC, Canada; Institut de Recherche sur le Cancer de l'Université de Sherbrooke (IRCUS), Sherbrooke J1K 2R1, QC, Canada
| | - Pierre-Étienne Jacques
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1K 2R1, QC, Canada; Institut de Recherche sur le Cancer de l'Université de Sherbrooke (IRCUS), Sherbrooke J1K 2R1, QC, Canada; Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (CRCHUS), Sherbrooke J1H 5N3, QC, Canada.
| | - Alexandre Maréchal
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1K 2R1, QC, Canada; Institut de Recherche sur le Cancer de l'Université de Sherbrooke (IRCUS), Sherbrooke J1K 2R1, QC, Canada; Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (CRCHUS), Sherbrooke J1H 5N3, QC, Canada.
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8
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Yu X, Zhu L, Wang T, Li L, Liu J, Che G, Zhou Q. Enhancing the anti-tumor response by combining DNA damage repair inhibitors in the treatment of solid tumors. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2023; 1878:188910. [PMID: 37172653 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.188910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The anti-cancer efficacy of anti-malignancy therapies is related to DNA damage. However, DNA damage-response mechanisms can repair DNA damage, failing anti-tumor therapy. The resistance to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy remains a clinical challenge. Thus, new strategies to overcome these therapeutic resistance mechanisms are needed. DNA damage repair inhibitors (DDRis) continue to be investigated, with polyadenosine diphosphate ribose polymerase inhibitors being the most studied inhibitors. Evidence of their clinical benefits and therapeutic potential in preclinical studies is growing. In addition to their potential as a monotherapy, DDRis may play an important synergistic role with other anti-cancer therapies or in reversing acquired treatment resistance. Here we review the impact of DDRis on solid tumors and the potential value of combinations of different treatment modalities with DDRis for solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianzhe Yu
- Lung Cancer Institute/Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China; Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Chengdu Second People's Hospital, No. 10 Qinyun Nan Street, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Lingling Zhu
- Lung Cancer Institute/Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting Wang
- Lung Cancer Institute/Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Li
- Lung Cancer Institute/Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiewei Liu
- Lung Cancer Institute/Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - Guowei Che
- Lung Cancer Institute/Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - Qinghua Zhou
- Lung Cancer Institute/Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
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9
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Kristeleit R, Plummer R, Jones R, Carter L, Blagden S, Sarker D, Arkenau T, Evans TRJ, Danson S, Symeonides SN, Veal GJ, Klencke BJ, Kowalski MM, Banerji U. A Phase 1/2 trial of SRA737 (a Chk1 inhibitor) administered orally in patients with advanced cancer. Br J Cancer 2023; 129:38-45. [PMID: 37120671 PMCID: PMC10307885 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02279-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This was a first-in-human Phase 1/2 open-label dose-escalation study of the novel checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) inhibitor SRA737. METHODS Patients with advanced solid tumours enrolled in dose-escalation cohorts and received SRA737 monotherapy orally on a continuous daily (QD) dosing schedule in 28-day cycles. Expansion cohorts included up to 20 patients with prospectively selected, pre-specified response predictive biomarkers. RESULTS In total, 107 patients were treated at dose levels from 20-1300 mg. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of SRA737 was 1000 mg QD, the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) was 800 mg QD. Common toxicities of diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting were generally mild to moderate. Dose-limiting toxicity at daily doses of 1000 and 1300 mg QD SRA737 included gastrointestinal events, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. Pharmacokinetic analysis at the 800 mg QD dose showed a mean Cmin of 312 ng/mL (546 nM), exceeding levels required to cause growth delay in xenograft models. No partial or complete responses were seen. CONCLUSIONS SRA737 was well tolerated at doses that achieved preclinically relevant drug concentrations but single agent activity did not warrant further development as monotherapy. Given its mechanism of action resulting in abrogating DNA damage repair, further clinical development of SRA737 should be as combination therapy. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02797964.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ruth Plummer
- Newcastle University and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Robert Jones
- Velindre School of Medicine, Cardiff University, and Velindre University NHS Trust, Cardiff, UK
| | - Louise Carter
- Division of Cancer Sciences, The University of Manchester and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Sarah Blagden
- Early Phase Clinical Trials Unit, Churchill Hospital, Oxford University Hospital NHS Trust, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | - Thomas R Jeffry Evans
- The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre and the University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Sarah Danson
- Sheffield ECMC, Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, and Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - Stefan N Symeonides
- Edinburgh ECMC, Institute of Genetics & Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Cancer Centre, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gareth J Veal
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | | | - Udai Banerji
- The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
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10
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Moreno L, DuBois SG, Glade Bender J, Mauguen A, Bird N, Buenger V, Casanova M, Doz F, Fox E, Gore L, Hawkins DS, Izraeli S, Jones DT, Kearns PR, Molenaar JJ, Nysom K, Pfister S, Reaman G, Smith M, Weigel B, Vassal G, Zwaan CM, Paoletti X, Iasonos A, Pearson AD. Combination Early-Phase Trials of Anticancer Agents in Children and Adolescents. J Clin Oncol 2023; 41:3408-3422. [PMID: 37015036 PMCID: PMC10414747 DOI: 10.1200/jco.22.02430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE There is an increasing need to evaluate innovative drugs for childhood cancer using combination strategies. Strong biological rationale and clinical experience suggest that multiple agents will be more efficacious than monotherapy for most diseases and may overcome resistance mechanisms and increase synergy. The process to evaluate these combination trials needs to maximize efficiency and should be agreed by all stakeholders. METHODS After a review of existing combination trial methodologies, regulatory requirements, and current results, a consensus among stakeholders was achieved. RESULTS Combinations of anticancer therapies should be developed on the basis of mechanism of action and robust preclinical evaluation, and may include data from adult clinical trials. The general principle for combination early-phase studies is that, when possible, clinical trials should be dose- and schedule-confirmatory rather than dose-exploratory, and every effort should be made to optimize doses early. Efficient early-phase combination trials should be seamless, including dose confirmation and randomized expansion. Dose evaluation designs for combinations depend on the extent of previous knowledge. If not previously evaluated, limited evaluation of monotherapy should be included in the same clinical trial as the combination. Randomized evaluation of a new agent plus standard therapy versus standard therapy is the most effective approach to isolate the effect and toxicity of the novel agent. Platform trials may be valuable in the evaluation of combination studies. Patient advocates and regulators should be engaged with investigators early in a proposed clinical development pathway and trial design must consider regulatory requirements. CONCLUSION An optimized, agreed approach to the design and evaluation of early-phase pediatric combination trials will accelerate drug development and benefit all stakeholders, most importantly children and adolescents with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Moreno
- Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Steven G. DuBois
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA
| | | | | | - Nick Bird
- Solving Kids' Cancer UK, London, United Kingdom
| | - Vickie Buenger
- Coalition Against Childhood Cancer (CAC2), Philadelphia, PA
| | | | - François Doz
- Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- SIREDO Centre (Care, Innovation Research in Pediatric, Adolescent and Young Adults Oncology), Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | | | - Lia Gore
- Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO
- University of Colorado, Aurora, CO
| | | | - Shai Izraeli
- Rina Zaizov Pediatric Hematology Oncology Division, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tikva, Israel
- Hematological Malignancies Centre of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - David T.W. Jones
- Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Pamela R. Kearns
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jan J. Molenaar
- Division of Pediatric Neurooncology, DKFZ, KiTZ
- Righospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Karsten Nysom
- Clinical Trial Unit and Childhood Brain Tumors, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Pfister
- Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Pediatric Glioma Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Gilles Vassal
- Innovative Therapies for Children with Cancer, Paris, France
- ACCELERATE, Brussels, Belgium
- Gustave Roussy Cancer Centre, Paris, France
| | - Christian Michel Zwaan
- Righospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology, Erasmus MC, Sophia Children’s Hospital, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Andrew D.J. Pearson
- Innovative Therapies for Children with Cancer, Paris, France
- ACCELERATE, Brussels, Belgium
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11
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Li Y, Wang X, Hou X, Ma X. Could Inhibiting the DNA Damage Repair Checkpoint Rescue Immune-Checkpoint-Inhibitor-Resistant Endometrial Cancer? J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12083014. [PMID: 37109350 PMCID: PMC10144486 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12083014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Endometrial cancer (EC) is increasingly undermining female health worldwide, with poor survival rates for advanced or recurrent/metastatic diseases. The application of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has opened a window of opportunity for patients with first-line therapy failure. However, there is a subset of patients with endometrial cancer who remain insensitive to immunotherapy alone. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new therapeutic agents and further explore reliable combinational strategies to optimize the efficacy of immunotherapy. DNA damage repair (DDR) inhibitors as novel targeted drugs are able to generate genomic toxicity and induce cell death in solid tumors, including EC. Recently, growing evidence has demonstrated the DDR pathway modulates innate and adaptive immunity in tumors. In this review, we concentrate on the exploration of the intrinsic correlation between DDR pathways, especially the ATM-CHK2-P53 pathway and the ATR-CHK1-WEE1 pathway, and oncologic immune response, as well as the feasibility of adding DDR inhibitors to ICIs for the treatment of patients with advanced or recurrent/metastatic EC. We hope that this review will offer some beneficial references to the investigation of immunotherapy and provide a reasonable basis for "double-checkpoint inhibition" in EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinuo Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Xiangyu Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Xin Hou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Xiangyi Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
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12
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Chen X, Wang M, Wang X, Liu J, Zhang Z, Tian C. Anticancer potentiating effect and downregulation of PD-L1 expression: Study on the 2-[(p-fluorophenyl)amino]-6-substituted-9H-purine analogues as novel CHK1 inhibitors. Chem Biol Drug Des 2023; 101:626-637. [PMID: 36314430 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.14156] [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: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In this study, a series of 2-[p-fluorophenyl]-6-substituted-9H-purine analogues were designed and synthesized as CHK1 inhibitors, among which compound b22 was the most potent. b22 exhibited nearly no antiproliferative activity toward HT29 cells and displayed a significant antitumor potentiating effect on HT29 cells when treated in combination with gemcitabine (Gem). A time-dependent assay found that treatment with Gem for 8 h before adding b22 achieved the optimal effect. Furthermore, the immunofluorescence and qPCR results demonstrated that b22 can remarkably reverse the upregulation of PD-L1 induced by Gem, which suggested dual effects of b22 in antitumor potentiation and antitumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanzhen Chen
- Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Beihua University, Jilin, China
| | - Xiaowei Wang
- Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Junyi Liu
- Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhili Zhang
- Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Tian
- Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
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13
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Jones R, Plummer R, Moreno V, Carter L, Roda D, Garralda E, Kristeleit R, Sarker D, Arkenau T, Roxburgh P, Walter HS, Blagden S, Anthoney A, Klencke BJ, Kowalski MM, Banerji U. A Phase I/II Trial of Oral SRA737 (a Chk1 Inhibitor) Given in Combination with Low-Dose Gemcitabine in Patients with Advanced Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2023; 29:331-340. [PMID: 36378548 PMCID: PMC10539020 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-2074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This was a Phase I/II trial of the novel checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) inhibitor SRA737 given in combination with gemcitabine. Its objectives were to establish the safety profile, recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D), pharmacokinetics profile, and clinical activity of SRA737. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with advanced solid tumors were enrolled into dose-escalation cohorts and treated in 28-day cycles with oral SRA737 on days 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, and 17, and intravenous gemcitabine on days 1, 8, and 15. Treatment was continued until progression. Each expansion cohort included up to 20 patients with specific genetically defined tumors. RESULTS The RP2D was determined to be 500 mg SRA737 combined with low-dose (250 mg/m2) gemcitabine. Of 143 enrolled patients, 77 were treated at doses of at least 500 mg SRA737 combined with 250 mg/m2 gemcitabine. Common toxicities of nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and diarrhea were primarily mild to moderate, and rarely led to treatment discontinuation. Anemia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia were grade ≥3 in 11.7%, 16.7%, and 10% of patients treated at the RP2D, respectively. The objective response rate (ORR) was 10.8% overall and notably the ORR in anogenital cancer was 25%. Partial tumor responses were observed in anogenital cancer, cervical cancer, high-grade serous ovarian cancer, rectal cancer, and small cell lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS SRA737 in combination with low-dose gemcitabine was well tolerated with lower myelotoxicity than has been seen at standard doses of gemcitabine or with other combinations of Chk1 inhibitors with gemcitabine. Tumor responses were observed in anogenital and other solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Jones
- Velindre School of Medicine, Cardiff University, and Velindre University NHS Trust, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Ruth Plummer
- Newcastle University and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Victor Moreno
- START Madrid-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Louise Carter
- Division of Cancer Sciences, The University of Manchester and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | | | - Elena Garralda
- Hospital Universitario Vall d'Hebron, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Debashis Sarker
- King's College London and Guy's Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Patricia Roxburgh
- University of Glasgow and Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Harriet S. Walter
- University Hospitals of Leicester and University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Blagden
- Early Phase Clinical Trials Unit, Churchill Hospital, Oxford University Hospital NHS Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Alan Anthoney
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds and St. James' University Hospital, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Udai Banerji
- The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden Hospital NHS Foundation trust, London, United Kingdom
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14
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da Costa AABA, Chowdhury D, Shapiro GI, D'Andrea AD, Konstantinopoulos PA. Targeting replication stress in cancer therapy. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:38-58. [PMID: 36202931 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-022-00558-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 75.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Replication stress is a major cause of genomic instability and a crucial vulnerability of cancer cells. This vulnerability can be therapeutically targeted by inhibiting kinases that coordinate the DNA damage response with cell cycle control, including ATR, CHK1, WEE1 and MYT1 checkpoint kinases. In addition, inhibiting the DNA damage response releases DNA fragments into the cytoplasm, eliciting an innate immune response. Therefore, several ATR, CHK1, WEE1 and MYT1 inhibitors are undergoing clinical evaluation as monotherapies or in combination with chemotherapy, poly[ADP-ribose]polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, or immune checkpoint inhibitors to capitalize on high replication stress, overcome therapeutic resistance and promote effective antitumour immunity. Here, we review current and emerging approaches for targeting replication stress in cancer, from preclinical and biomarker development to clinical trial evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dipanjan Chowdhury
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Geoffrey I Shapiro
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alan D D'Andrea
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Center for DNA Damage and Repair, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
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15
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Repurposing of Commercially Existing Molecular Target Therapies to Boost the Clinical Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Blockade. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14246150. [PMID: 36551637 PMCID: PMC9776741 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14246150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is now standard of care for several metastatic epithelial cancers and prolongs life expectancy for a significant fraction of patients. A hostile tumor microenvironment (TME) induced by intrinsic oncogenic signaling induces an immunosuppressive niche that protects the tumor cells, limiting the durability and efficacy of ICB therapies. Addition of receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (RTKi) as potential modulators of an unfavorable local immune environment has resulted in moderate life expectancy improvement. Though the combination strategy of ICB and RTKi has shown significantly better results compared to individual treatment, the benefits and adverse events are additive whereas synergy of benefit would be preferable. There is therefore a need to investigate the potential of inhibitors other than RTKs to reduce malignant cell survival while enhancing anti-tumor immunity. In the last five years, preclinical studies have focused on using small molecule inhibitors targeting cell cycle and DNA damage regulators such as CDK4/6, CHK1 and poly ADP ribosyl polymerase (PARP) to selectively kill tumor cells and enhance cytotoxic immune responses. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the available drugs that attenuate immunosuppression and overcome hostile TME that could be used to boost FDA-approved ICB efficacy in the near future.
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16
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Wilson J, Loizou JI. Exploring the genetic space of the DNA damage response for cancer therapy through CRISPR-based screens. Mol Oncol 2022; 16:3778-3791. [PMID: 35708734 PMCID: PMC9627789 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13272] [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: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The concepts of synthetic lethality and viability have emerged as powerful approaches to identify vulnerabilities and resistances within the DNA damage response for the treatment of cancer. Historically, interactions between two genes have had a longstanding presence in genetics and have been identified through forward genetic screens that rely on the molecular basis of the characterized phenotypes, typically caused by mutations in single genes. While such complex genetic interactions between genes have been studied extensively in model organisms, they have only recently been prioritized as therapeutic strategies due to technological advancements in genetic screens. Here, we discuss synthetic lethal and viable interactions within the DNA damage response and present how CRISPR-based genetic screens and chemical compounds have allowed for the systematic identification and targeting of such interactions for the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Wilson
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer CentreMedical University of ViennaAustria,CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Joanna I. Loizou
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer CentreMedical University of ViennaAustria,CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of SciencesViennaAustria
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17
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Zhang J, Chan DW, Lin SY. Exploiting DNA Replication Stress as a Therapeutic Strategy for Breast Cancer. Biomedicines 2022; 10:2775. [PMID: 36359297 PMCID: PMC9687274 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10112775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Proliferating cells rely on DNA replication to ensure accurate genome duplication. Cancer cells, including breast cancer cells, exhibit elevated replication stress (RS) due to the uncontrolled oncogenic activation, loss of key tumor suppressors, and defects in the DNA repair machinery. This intrinsic vulnerability provides a great opportunity for therapeutic exploitation. An increasing number of drug candidates targeting RS in breast cancer are demonstrating promising efficacy in preclinical and early clinical trials. However, unresolved challenges lie in balancing the toxicity of these drugs while maintaining clinical efficacy. Furthermore, biomarkers of RS are urgently required to guide patient selection. In this review, we introduce the concept of targeting RS, detail the current therapies that target RS, and highlight the integration of RS with immunotherapies for breast cancer treatment. Additionally, we discuss the potential biomarkers to optimizing the efficacy of these therapies. Together, the continuous advances in our knowledge of targeting RS would benefit more patients with breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - Shiaw-Yih Lin
- Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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18
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Nickoloff JA. Targeting Replication Stress Response Pathways to Enhance Genotoxic Chemo- and Radiotherapy. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27154736. [PMID: 35897913 PMCID: PMC9330692 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27154736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Proliferating cells regularly experience replication stress caused by spontaneous DNA damage that results from endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS), DNA sequences that can assume secondary and tertiary structures, and collisions between opposing transcription and replication machineries. Cancer cells face additional replication stress, including oncogenic stress that results from the dysregulation of fork progression and origin firing, and from DNA damage induced by radiotherapy and most cancer chemotherapeutic agents. Cells respond to such stress by activating a complex network of sensor, signaling and effector pathways that protect genome integrity. These responses include slowing or stopping active replication forks, protecting stalled replication forks from collapse, preventing late origin replication firing, stimulating DNA repair pathways that promote the repair and restart of stalled or collapsed replication forks, and activating dormant origins to rescue adjacent stressed forks. Currently, most cancer patients are treated with genotoxic chemotherapeutics and/or ionizing radiation, and cancer cells can gain resistance to the resulting replication stress by activating pro-survival replication stress pathways. Thus, there has been substantial effort to develop small molecule inhibitors of key replication stress proteins to enhance tumor cell killing by these agents. Replication stress targets include ATR, the master kinase that regulates both normal replication and replication stress responses; the downstream signaling kinase Chk1; nucleases that process stressed replication forks (MUS81, EEPD1, Metnase); the homologous recombination catalyst RAD51; and other factors including ATM, DNA-PKcs, and PARP1. This review provides an overview of replication stress response pathways and discusses recent pre-clinical studies and clinical trials aimed at improving cancer therapy by targeting replication stress response factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jac A Nickoloff
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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19
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Oncogenic RAS sensitizes cells to drug-induced replication stress via transcriptional silencing of P53. Oncogene 2022; 41:2719-2733. [PMID: 35393546 PMCID: PMC9076537 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02291-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cancer cells often experience high basal levels of DNA replication stress (RS), for example due to hyperactivation of oncoproteins like MYC or RAS. Therefore, cancer cells are considered to be sensitive to drugs that exacerbate the level of RS or block the intra S-phase checkpoint. Consequently, RS-inducing drugs including ATR and CHK1 inhibitors are used or evaluated as anti-cancer therapies. However, drug resistance and lack of biomarkers predicting therapeutic efficacy limit efficient use. This raises the question what determines sensitivity of individual cancer cells to RS. Here, we report that oncogenic RAS does not only enhance the sensitivity to ATR/CHK1 inhibitors by directly causing RS. Instead, we observed that HRASG12V dampens the activation of the P53-dependent transcriptional response to drug-induced RS, which in turn confers sensitivity to RS. We demonstrate that inducible expression of HRASG12V sensitized cells to ATR and CHK1 inhibitors. Using RNA-sequencing of FACS-sorted cells we discovered that P53 signaling is the sole transcriptional response to RS. However, oncogenic RAS attenuates the transcription of P53 and TGF-β pathway components which consequently dampens P53 target gene expression. Accordingly, live cell imaging showed that HRASG12V exacerbates RS in S/G2-phase, which could be rescued by stabilization of P53. Thus, our results demonstrate that transcriptional control of P53 target genes is the prime determinant in the response to ATR/CHK1 inhibitors and show that hyperactivation of the MAPK pathway impedes this response. Our findings suggest that the level of oncogenic MAPK signaling could predict sensitivity to intra-S-phase checkpoint inhibition in cancers with intact P53.
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20
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Perspective on the Use of DNA Repair Inhibitors as a Tool for Imaging and Radionuclide Therapy of Glioblastoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14071821. [PMID: 35406593 PMCID: PMC8997380 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14071821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The current routine treatment for glioblastoma (GB), the most lethal high-grade brain tumor in adults, aims to induce DNA damage in the tumor. However, the tumor cells might be able to repair that damage, which leads to therapy resistance. Fortunately, DNA repair defects are common in GB cells, and their survival is often based on a sole backup repair pathway. Hence, targeted drugs inhibiting essential proteins of the DNA damage response have gained momentum and are being introduced in the clinic. This review gives a perspective on the use of radiopharmaceuticals targeting DDR kinases for imaging in order to determine the DNA repair phenotype of GB, as well as for effective radionuclide therapy. Finally, four new promising radiopharmaceuticals are suggested with the potential to lead to a more personalized GB therapy. Abstract Despite numerous innovative treatment strategies, the treatment of glioblastoma (GB) remains challenging. With the current state-of-the-art therapy, most GB patients succumb after about a year. In the evolution of personalized medicine, targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT) is gaining momentum, for example, to stratify patients based on specific biomarkers. One of these biomarkers is deficiencies in DNA damage repair (DDR), which give rise to genomic instability and cancer initiation. However, these deficiencies also provide targets to specifically kill cancer cells following the synthetic lethality principle. This led to the increased interest in targeted drugs that inhibit essential DDR kinases (DDRi), of which multiple are undergoing clinical validation. In this review, the current status of DDRi for the treatment of GB is given for selected targets: ATM/ATR, CHK1/2, DNA-PK, and PARP. Furthermore, this review provides a perspective on the use of radiopharmaceuticals targeting these DDR kinases to (1) evaluate the DNA repair phenotype of GB before treatment decisions are made and (2) induce DNA damage via TRT. Finally, by applying in-house selection criteria and analyzing the structural characteristics of the DDRi, four drugs with the potential to become new therapeutic GB radiopharmaceuticals are suggested.
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Hu W, Wang Z, Zhang H, Mahaman YAR, Huang F, Meng D, Zhou Y, Wang S, Jiang N, Xiong J, Westermarck J, Lu Y, Wang J, Wang X, Shentu Y, Liu R. Chk1 Inhibition Ameliorates Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenesis and Cognitive Dysfunction Through CIP2A/PP2A Signaling. Neurotherapeutics 2022; 19:570-591. [PMID: 35286657 PMCID: PMC9226264 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-022-01204-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease with limited therapeutic strategies. Cell cycle checkpoint protein kinase 1 (Chk1) is a Ser/Thr protein kinase which is activated in response to DNA damage, the latter which is an early event in AD. However, whether DNA damage-induced Chk1 activation participates in the development of AD and Chk1 inhibition ameliorates AD-like pathogenesis remain unclarified. Here, we demonstrate that Chk1 activity and the levels of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) inhibitory protein CIP2A are elevated in AD human brains, APP/PS1 transgenic mice, and primary neurons with Aβ treatment. Chk1 overexpression induces CIP2A upregulation, PP2A inhibition, tau and APP hyperphosphorylation, synaptic impairments, and cognitive memory deficit in mice. Moreover, Chk1 inhibitor (GDC0575) effectively increases PP2A activity, decreases tau phosphorylation, and inhibits Aβ overproduction in AD cell models. GDC0575 also reverses AD-like cognitive deficits and prevents neuron loss and synaptic impairments in APP/PS1 mice. In conclusion, our study uncovers a mechanism by which DNA damage-induced Chk1 activation promotes CIP2A-mediated tau and APP hyperphosphorylation and cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease and highlights the therapeutic potential of Chk1 inhibitors in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Hu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Neurological Disorders, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhuoqun Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Neurological Disorders, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Huiliang Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Neurological Disorders, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yacoubou Abdoul Razak Mahaman
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Neurological Disorders, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Cognitive Impairment Ward of Neurology Department, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fang Huang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Neurological Disorders, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Dongli Meng
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Neurological Disorders, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Shiyi Wang
- Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Nan Jiang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jing Xiong
- Department of Nephrology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jukka Westermarck
- Turku Centre for Biotechnology, University of Turku and Abo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Youming Lu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, The Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jianzhi Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Neurological Disorders, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaochuan Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Neurological Disorders, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Yangping Shentu
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
| | - Rong Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Neurological Disorders, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, The Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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22
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Gupta N, Huang TT, Horibata S, Lee JM. Cell Cycle Checkpoints and Beyond: Exploiting the ATR/CHK1/WEE1 Pathway for the Treatment of PARP Inhibitor–Resistant Cancer. Pharmacol Res 2022; 178:106162. [PMID: 35259479 PMCID: PMC9026671 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (PARPis) have become a mainstay of therapy in ovarian cancer and other malignancies, including BRCA-mutant breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancers. However, a growing number of patients develop resistance to PARPis, highlighting the need to further understand the mechanisms of PARPi resistance and develop effective treatment strategies. Targeting cell cycle checkpoint protein kinases, e.g., ATR, CHK1, and WEE1, which are upregulated in response to replication stress, represents one such therapeutic approach for PARPi-resistant cancers. Mechanistically, activated cell cycle checkpoints promote cell cycle arrest, replication fork stabilization, and DNA repair, demonstrating the interplay of DNA repair proteins with replication stress in the development of PARPi resistance. Inhibitors of these cell cycle checkpoints are under investigation in PARPi-resistant ovarian and other cancers. In this review, we discuss the cell cycle checkpoints and their roles beyond mere cell cycle regulation as part of the arsenal to overcome PARPi-resistant cancers. We also address the current status and recent advancements as well as limitations of cell cycle checkpoint inhibitors in clinical trials.
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An mRNA expression-based signature for oncogene-induced replication-stress. Oncogene 2022; 41:1216-1224. [PMID: 35091678 PMCID: PMC7612401 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-02162-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Oncogene-induced replication stress characterizes many aggressive cancers. Several treatments are being developed that target replication stress, however, identification of tumors with high levels of replication stress remains challenging. We describe a gene expression signature of oncogene-induced replication stress. A panel of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and non-transformed cell lines were engineered to overexpress CDC25A, CCNE1 or MYC, which resulted in slower replication kinetics. RNA sequencing analysis revealed a set of 52 commonly upregulated genes. In parallel, mRNA expression analysis of patient-derived tumor samples (TCGA, n = 10,592) also revealed differential gene expression in tumors with amplification of oncogenes that trigger replication stress (CDC25A, CCNE1, MYC, CCND1, MYB, MOS, KRAS, ERBB2, and E2F1). Upon integration, we identified a six-gene signature of oncogene-induced replication stress (NAT10, DDX27, ZNF48, C8ORF33, MOCS3, and MPP6). Immunohistochemical analysis of NAT10 in breast cancer samples (n = 330) showed strong correlation with expression of phospho-RPA (R = 0.451, p = 1.82 × 10-20) and γH2AX (R = 0.304, p = 2.95 × 10-9). Finally, we applied our oncogene-induced replication stress signature to patient samples from TCGA (n = 8,862) and GEO (n = 13,912) to define the levels of replication stress across 27 tumor subtypes, identifying diffuse large B cell lymphoma, ovarian cancer, TNBC and colorectal carcinoma as cancer subtypes with high levels of oncogene-induced replication stress.
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24
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Recent advances in DDR (DNA damage response) inhibitors for cancer therapy. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 230:114109. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Choi W, Lee ES. Therapeutic Targeting of DNA Damage Response in Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031701. [PMID: 35163621 PMCID: PMC8836062 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA damage response (DDR) is critical to ensure genome stability, and defects in this signaling pathway are highly associated with carcinogenesis and tumor progression. Nevertheless, this also provides therapeutic opportunities, as cells with defective DDR signaling are directed to rely on compensatory survival pathways, and these vulnerabilities have been exploited for anticancer treatments. Following the impressive success of PARP inhibitors in the treatment of BRCA-mutated breast and ovarian cancers, extensive research has been conducted toward the development of pharmacologic inhibitors of the key components of the DDR signaling pathway. In this review, we discuss the key elements of the DDR pathway and how these molecular components may serve as anticancer treatment targets. We also summarize the recent promising developments in the field of DDR pathway inhibitors, focusing on novel agents beyond PARP inhibitors. Furthermore, we discuss biomarker studies to identify target patients expected to derive maximal clinical benefits as well as combination strategies with other classes of anticancer agents to synergize and optimize the clinical benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wonyoung Choi
- Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang 10408, Korea;
- Center for Clinical Trials, National Cancer Center, Goyang 10408, Korea
| | - Eun Sook Lee
- Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang 10408, Korea;
- Center for Breast Cancer, National Cancer Center, Goyang 10408, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-31-920-1633
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Zimmer K, Kocher F, Puccini A, Seeber A. Targeting BRCA and DNA Damage Repair Genes in GI Cancers: Pathophysiology and Clinical Perspectives. Front Oncol 2021; 11:662055. [PMID: 34707985 PMCID: PMC8542868 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.662055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutated germline alleles in the DNA damage repair (DDR) genes “breast cancer gene 1” (BRCA1) and BRCA2 have originally been identified as major susceptibility genes in breast and ovarian cancers. With the establishment and approval of more cost-effective gene sequencing methods, germline and somatic BRCA mutations have been detected in several cancers. Since the approval of poly (ADP)-ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) for BRCA-mutated cancers, BRCA mutations gained rising therapeutic implications. The impact and significance of BRCA mutations have been evaluated extensively in the last decades. Moreover, other genes involved in the DDR pathway, such as ATM, ATR, or CHK1, have emerged as potential new treatment targets, as inhibitors of these proteins are currently under clinical investigation. This review gives a concise overview on the emerging clinical implications of mutations in the DDR genes in gastrointestinal cancers with a focus on BRCA mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Zimmer
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Center Innsbruck, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Florian Kocher
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Center Innsbruck, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Alberto Puccini
- Medical Oncology Unit 1, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino Istituto di ricovero e cura a carattere scientifico (IRCCS), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Andreas Seeber
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Center Innsbruck, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Jin T, Xu L, Wang P, Hu X, Zhang R, Wu Z, Du W, Kan W, Li K, Wang C, Zhou Y, Li J, Liu T. Discovery and Development of a Potent, Selective, and Orally Bioavailable CHK1 Inhibitor Candidate: 5-((4-((3-Amino-3-methylbutyl)amino)-5-(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidin-2-yl)amino)picolinonitrile. J Med Chem 2021; 64:15069-15090. [PMID: 34665631 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) plays an important role in the DNA damage response pathway, being a potential anti-cancer drug target. In this study, we used a strategy for trifluoromethyl substitution to obtain orally bioavailable CHK1 inhibitors to overcome the limitations of lead compound 1, which can only be administered intravenously. After detailed investigation, we identified compound 6c as an oral CHK1 inhibitor, which demonstrated a considerably higher plasma exposure in mice. Compound 6c also showed good kinase selectivity. Moreover, it exhibited a significant antiproliferative effect in MV-4-11 cells singly and a synergistic effect in combination with gemcitabine in HT-29, A549, and RPMI-8226 cells. Additionally, compound 6c could inhibit tumor growth in the MV-4-11 xenograft mouse model. The combination of 6c and gemcitabine exhibited synergistic effect in the HT-29 xenograft mouse model. Thus, compound 6c was found to be a selective and oral potential anticancer CHK1 inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Jin
- ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Xu
- State key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.,Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan Tsuihang New District, Zhongshan, Guangdong 528400, China
| | - Peipei Wang
- State key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xiaobei Hu
- State key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.,Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan Tsuihang New District, Zhongshan, Guangdong 528400, China
| | - Runyuan Zhang
- ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiqi Wu
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan Tsuihang New District, Zhongshan, Guangdong 528400, China
| | - Wenxin Du
- ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Weijuan Kan
- State key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Kun Li
- ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Chang Wang
- State key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yubo Zhou
- State key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.,Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan Tsuihang New District, Zhongshan, Guangdong 528400, China
| | - Jia Li
- State key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.,Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan Tsuihang New District, Zhongshan, Guangdong 528400, China
| | - Tao Liu
- ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
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28
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Moore KN, Hong DS, Patel MR, Pant S, Ulahannan SV, Jones S, Meric-Bernstam F, Wang JS, Aljumaily R, Hamilton EP, Wittchen ES, Wang X, Lin AB, Bendell JC. A Phase 1b Trial of Prexasertib in Combination with Standard-of-Care Agents in Advanced or Metastatic Cancer. Target Oncol 2021; 16:569-589. [PMID: 34559360 DOI: 10.1007/s11523-021-00835-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) inhibitor prexasertib exhibited modest monotherapy antitumor activity in prior trials, suggesting that combination with chemotherapy or other targeted agents may be needed to maximize efficacy. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine the recommended phase II dose and schedule of prexasertib in combination with either cisplatin, cetuximab, pemetrexed, or 5-fluorouracil in patients with advanced and/or metastatic cancer, and to summarize preliminary antitumor activity of these combinations. PATIENTS AND METHODS This phase Ib, nonrandomized, open-label study comprised dose-escalation phase(s) with multiple sub-arms evaluating different prexasertib-drug combinations: Part A, prexasertib + cisplatin (n = 63); Part B, prexasertib + cetuximab (n = 41); Part C, prexasertib + pemetrexed (n = 3); Part D, prexasertib + 5-fluorouracil (n =8). Alternate dose schedules/regimens intended to mitigate toxicity and maximize dose exposure and efficacy were also explored in sub-parts. RESULTS In Part A, the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of prexasertib in combination with cisplatin (75 mg/m2) was declared at 80 mg/m2, with cisplatin administered on Day 1 and prexasertib on Day 2 of a 21-day cycle. The overall objective response rate (ORR) in Part A was 12.7%, and 28 of 55 evaluable patients (50.9%) had a decrease in target lesions from baseline. The most frequent treatment-related adverse events (AEs) in Part A were hematologic, with the most common being white blood cell count decreased/neutrophil count decreased, experienced by 73.0% (any grade) and 66.7% (grade 3 or higher) of patients. In Part B, an MTD of 70 mg/m2 was established for prexasertib administered in combination with cetuximab (500 mg /m2), both administered on Day 1 of a 14-day cycle. The overall ORR in Part B was 4.9%, and 7 of 31 evaluable patients (22.6%) had decreased target lesions compared with baseline. White blood cell count decreased/neutrophil count decreased was also the most common treatment-related AE (56.1% any grade; 53.7% grade 3 or higher). In Parts A and B, hematologic toxicities, even with the addition of prophylactic granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, resulted in frequent dose adjustments (> 60% of patients). In Part C, evaluation of prexasertib + pemetrexed was halted due to dose-limiting toxicities in two of the first three patients; MTD was not established. In Part D, the MTD of prexasertib in combination with 5-fluorouracil (label dose) was declared at 40 mg /m2, both administered on Day 1 of a 14-day cycle. In Part D, overall ORR was 12.5%. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated the proof-of-concept that prexasertib can be combined with cisplatin, cetuximab, and 5-fluorouracil. Schedule was a key determinant of the tolerability and feasibility of combining prexasertib with these standard-of-care agents. Reversible hematologic toxicity was the most frequent AE and was dose-limiting. Insights gleaned from this study will inform future combination strategies for the development of prexasertib and next-generation CHK1 inhibitors. CLINICALTRIALS. GOV IDENTIFIER NCT02124148 (date of registration 28 April 2014).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen N Moore
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 920 Stanton L Young Blvd WP2350, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA. .,Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - David S Hong
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Manish R Patel
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Nashville, TN, USA.,Florida Cancer Specialists and Research Institute, Sarasota, FL, USA
| | - Shubham Pant
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 920 Stanton L Young Blvd WP2350, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.,The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Susanna V Ulahannan
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 920 Stanton L Young Blvd WP2350, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.,Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | | | - Judy S Wang
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Nashville, TN, USA.,Florida Cancer Specialists and Research Institute, Sarasota, FL, USA
| | - Raid Aljumaily
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 920 Stanton L Young Blvd WP2350, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.,Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Erika P Hamilton
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Nashville, TN, USA.,Tennessee Oncology, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | | | | | - Johanna C Bendell
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Nashville, TN, USA.,Tennessee Oncology, Nashville, TN, USA
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29
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Proctor M, Gonzalez Cruz JL, Daignault-Mill SM, Veitch M, Zeng B, Ehmann A, Sabdia M, Snell C, Keane C, Dolcetti R, Haass NK, Wells JW, Gabrielli B. Targeting Replication Stress Using CHK1 Inhibitor Promotes Innate and NKT Cell Immune Responses and Tumour Regression. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:3733. [PMID: 34359633 PMCID: PMC8345057 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13153733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Drugs selectively targeting replication stress have demonstrated significant preclinical activity, but this has not yet translated into an effective clinical treatment. Here we report that targeting increased replication stress with a combination of Checkpoint kinase 1 inhibitor (CHK1i) with a subclinical dose of hydroxyurea targets also promotes pro-inflammatory cytokine/chemokine expression that is independent of cGAS-STING pathway activation and immunogenic cell death in human and murine melanoma cells. In vivo, this drug combination induces tumour regression which is dependent on an adaptive immune response. It increases cytotoxic CD8+ T cell activity, but the major adaptive immune response is a pronounced NKT cell tumour infiltration. Treatment also promotes an immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment through CD4+ Treg and FoxP3+ NKT cells. The number of these accumulated during treatment, the increase in FoxP3+ NKT cells numbers correlates with the decrease in activated NKT cells, suggesting they are a consequence of the conversion of effector to suppressive NKT cells. Whereas tumour infiltrating CD8+ T cell PD-1 and tumour PD-L1 expression was increased with treatment, peripheral CD4+ and CD8+ T cells retained strong anti-tumour activity. Despite increased CD8+ T cell PD-1, combination with anti-PD-1 did not improve response, indicating that immunosuppression from Tregs and FoxP3+ NKT cells are major contributors to the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment. This demonstrates that therapies targeting replication stress can be well tolerated, not adversely affect immune responses, and trigger an effective anti-tumour immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Proctor
- Mater Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia; (M.P.); (A.E.); (M.S.); (C.K.)
| | - Jazmina L. Gonzalez Cruz
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia; (J.L.G.C.); (S.M.D.-M.); (M.V.); (B.Z.); (R.D.); (N.K.H.); (J.W.W.)
| | - Sheena M. Daignault-Mill
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia; (J.L.G.C.); (S.M.D.-M.); (M.V.); (B.Z.); (R.D.); (N.K.H.); (J.W.W.)
| | - Margaret Veitch
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia; (J.L.G.C.); (S.M.D.-M.); (M.V.); (B.Z.); (R.D.); (N.K.H.); (J.W.W.)
| | - Bijun Zeng
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia; (J.L.G.C.); (S.M.D.-M.); (M.V.); (B.Z.); (R.D.); (N.K.H.); (J.W.W.)
| | - Anna Ehmann
- Mater Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia; (M.P.); (A.E.); (M.S.); (C.K.)
| | - Muhammed Sabdia
- Mater Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia; (M.P.); (A.E.); (M.S.); (C.K.)
| | - Cameron Snell
- Mater Pathology, Mater Research, Mater Hospital, Raymond Terrace, South Brisbane, QLD 4101, Australia;
| | - Colm Keane
- Mater Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia; (M.P.); (A.E.); (M.S.); (C.K.)
| | - Riccardo Dolcetti
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia; (J.L.G.C.); (S.M.D.-M.); (M.V.); (B.Z.); (R.D.); (N.K.H.); (J.W.W.)
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Nikolas K. Haass
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia; (J.L.G.C.); (S.M.D.-M.); (M.V.); (B.Z.); (R.D.); (N.K.H.); (J.W.W.)
| | - James W. Wells
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia; (J.L.G.C.); (S.M.D.-M.); (M.V.); (B.Z.); (R.D.); (N.K.H.); (J.W.W.)
| | - Brian Gabrielli
- Mater Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia; (M.P.); (A.E.); (M.S.); (C.K.)
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Repositioning PARP inhibitors in the treatment of thoracic malignancies. Cancer Treat Rev 2021; 99:102256. [PMID: 34261032 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2021.102256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The evaluation of the homologous recombination repair (HRR) status is emerging as a predictive tumor agnostic biomarker for poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibition across different tumor types and testing for HRR-signature is currently a developing area with promising therapeutic implications. Treatment with PARP inhibitors (PARPi) either as single agent or in combination with chemotherapy have shown so far limited activity in patients with thoracic malignancies. A deeper understanding of the biological background underlying HRR-deficient tumors, along with the recent advent of new effective targeted and immunotherapeutic agents, prompted the design of a new generation of clinical trials investigating novel PARPi-combinations in patients with lung cancer as well as malignant pleural mesothelioma. In this review we briefly summarize the biological basis of the DNA damage response pathway inhibition and provide an updated and detailed overview of clinical trials testing different PARPi-combinations strategies in patients with thoracic malignancies.
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Sun Y, Liu Y, Ma X, Hu H. The Influence of Cell Cycle Regulation on Chemotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:6923. [PMID: 34203270 PMCID: PMC8267727 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22136923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell cycle regulation is orchestrated by a complex network of interactions between proteins, enzymes, cytokines, and cell cycle signaling pathways, and is vital for cell proliferation, growth, and repair. The occurrence, development, and metastasis of tumors are closely related to the cell cycle. Cell cycle regulation can be synergistic with chemotherapy in two aspects: inhibition or promotion. The sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapeutic drugs can be improved with the cooperation of cell cycle regulation strategies. This review presented the mechanism of the commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs and the effect of the cell cycle on tumorigenesis and development, and the interaction between chemotherapy and cell cycle regulation in cancer treatment was briefly introduced. The current collaborative strategies of chemotherapy and cell cycle regulation are discussed in detail. Finally, we outline the challenges and perspectives about the improvement of combination strategies for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Sun
- Institute of Biomedical Materials and Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China; (Y.S.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yang Liu
- Institute of Biomedical Materials and Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China; (Y.S.); (Y.L.)
| | - Xiaoli Ma
- Qingdao Institute of Measurement Technology, Qingdao 266000, China;
| | - Hao Hu
- Institute of Biomedical Materials and Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China; (Y.S.); (Y.L.)
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Fernandes SG, Shah P, Khattar E. Recent Advances in Therapeutic Application of DNA Damage Response Inhibitors against Cancer. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2021; 22:469-484. [PMID: 34102988 DOI: 10.2174/1871520621666210608105735] [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: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
DNA integrity is continuously challenged by intrinsic cellular processes and environmental agents. To overcome this genomic damage, cells have developed multiple signaling pathways collectively named as DNA damage response (DDR) and composed of three components: (i) sensor proteins, which detect DNA damage, (ii) mediators that relay the signal downstream and recruit the repair machinery, and (iii) the repair proteins, which restore the damaged DNA. A flawed DDR and failure to repair the damage lead to the accumulation of genetic lesions and increased genomic instability, which is recognized as a hallmark of cancer. Cancer cells tend to harbor increased mutations in DDR genes and often have fewer DDR pathways than normal cells. This makes cancer cells more dependent on particular DDR pathways and thus become more susceptible to compounds inhibiting those pathways compared to normal cells, which have all the DDR pathways intact. Understanding the roles of different DDR proteins in the DNA damage response and repair pathways and identification of their structures have paved the way for the development of their inhibitors as targeted cancer therapy. In this review, we describe the major participants of various DDR pathways, their significance in carcinogenesis, and focus on the inhibitors developed against several key DDR proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stina George Fernandes
- Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM's NMIMS (Deemed to be) University, Mumbai, India
| | - Prachi Shah
- Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM's NMIMS (Deemed to be) University, Mumbai, India
| | - Ekta Khattar
- Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM's NMIMS (Deemed to be) University, Mumbai, India
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Kawahara N, Yamada Y, Kobayashi H. CCNE1 Is a Putative Therapeutic Target for ARID1A-Mutated Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22115869. [PMID: 34070839 PMCID: PMC8198755 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) is resistant to platinum chemotherapy and is characterized by poor prognosis. Today, the use of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, which is based on synthetic lethality strategy and characterized by cancer selectivity, is widely used for new types of molecular-targeted treatment of relapsed platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer. However, it is less effective against OCCC. Methods: We conducted siRNA screening to identify synthetic lethal candidates for the ARID1A mutation; as a result, we identified Cyclin-E1 (CCNE1) as a potential target that affects cell viability. To further clarify the effects of CCNE1, human OCCC cell lines, namely TOV-21G and KOC7c (ARID1A mutant lines), and RMG-I and ES2 (ARID1A wild type lines) were transfected with siRNA targeting CCNE1 or a control vector. Results: Loss of CCNE1 reduced proliferation of the TOV-21G and KOC7c cells but not of the RMG-I and ES2 cells. Furthermore, in vivo interference of CCNE1 effectively inhibited tumor cell proliferation in a xenograft mouse model. Conclusion: This study showed for the first time that CCNE1 is a synthetic lethal target gene to ARID1A-mutated OCCC. Targeting this gene may represent a putative, novel, anticancer strategy in OCCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Kawahara
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-744-29-8877; Fax: +81-(744)-23-6557
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Li M, Huang T, Li X, Shi Z, Sheng Y, Hu M, Song K. GDC-0575, a CHK1 Inhibitor, Impairs the Development of Colitis and Colitis-Associated Cancer by Inhibiting CCR2 + Macrophage Infiltration in Mice. Onco Targets Ther 2021; 14:2661-2672. [PMID: 33897258 PMCID: PMC8058335 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s297132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) plays an important role in DNA damage response and cell cycle progression. Thus, targeting CHK1 is an efficient strategy for cancer therapy. Purpose The present study aimed to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of GDC-0575, a CHK1-specific inhibitor, in colitis-associated cancer (CAC) and colitis. Methods We established a DSS-induced acute colitis model and an azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced CAC model using mice and tested the effect of GDC-0575 on them. Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence were employed to investigate the infiltration of immune cells, and inflammatory cytokine expression in the colon of mice with CAC or colitis was investigated using ELISA and qPCR. We also investigated the correlation between CHK1 and CCL2/CCR2 in human colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues. Results Administration of GDC-0575 significantly inhibited CHK1 expression in the colon and dramatically impaired the development of CAC and colitis in mice. Moreover, the inhibition of CHK1 expression resulted in efficient inhibition of infiltration by iNOS-positive macrophages, but had no significant effect on CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Significant downregulation of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β and dramatic upregulation of IL-10 were observed in the colons of both mice with CAC and colitis treated with GDC-0575. CCL2 expression was also downregulated by GDC-0575 in both mice with CAC and colitis; this was followed by the inhibition of CCR2+ macrophage infiltration in the colon. Furthermore, we report a positive correlation between CHK1 expression and CCL2/CCR2 expression in the malignant tissues of patients with CRC. Conclusion Taken together, we infer that GDC-0575 impairs the development of CAC and colitis by regulating cytokine expression and inhibiting CCR2+ macrophage infiltration in mice colon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jishou University, Jishou, Hunan, 416000, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianqing Huang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jishou University, Jishou, Hunan, 416000, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaolan Li
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jishou University, Jishou, Hunan, 416000, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiwei Shi
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jishou University, Jishou, Hunan, 416000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Sheng
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jishou University, Jishou, Hunan, 416000, People's Republic of China
| | - Mimi Hu
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jishou University, Jishou, Hunan, 416000, People's Republic of China
| | - Kui Song
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jishou University, Jishou, Hunan, 416000, People's Republic of China
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Li L, Kumar AK, Hu Z, Guo Z. Small Molecule Inhibitors Targeting Key Proteins in the DNA Damage Response for Cancer Therapy. Curr Med Chem 2021; 28:963-985. [PMID: 32091326 DOI: 10.2174/0929867327666200224102309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
DNA damage response (DDR) is a complicated interactional pathway. Defects that occur in subordinate pathways of the DDR pathway can lead to genomic instability and cancer susceptibility. Abnormal expression of some proteins in DDR, especially in the DNA repair pathway, are associated with the subsistence and resistance of cancer cells. Therefore, the development of small molecule inhibitors targeting the chief proteins in the DDR pathway is an effective strategy for cancer therapy. In this review, we summarize the development of small molecule inhibitors targeting chief proteins in the DDR pathway, particularly focusing on their implications for cancer therapy. We present the action mode of DDR molecule inhibitors in preclinical studies and clinical cancer therapy, including monotherapy and combination therapy with chemotherapeutic drugs or checkpoint suppression therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 WenYuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Alagamuthu Karthick Kumar
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 WenYuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zhigang Hu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 WenYuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zhigang Guo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 WenYuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
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Adverse Cerebral Cardiovascular Events Associated With Checkpoint Kinase 1 Inhibitors: A Systemic Review. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 2021; 77:549-556. [PMID: 33951693 DOI: 10.1097/fjc.0000000000000997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) plays a broad role in regulating the cell cycle process and is involved in the pathogenesis of various malignant tumors. Preclinical and animal studies have shown that CHK1 inhibitors can enhance the cytotoxic effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Currently, CHK1 inhibitors are actively tested in clinical trials. Nonspecific adverse cerebral cardiovascular events were reported after CHK1 inhibitor use; these events need to be monitored and managed carefully during the clinical application of CHK1 inhibitors. To get a better understanding of these, noteworthy adverse cardiovascular events, we systemically searched the PubMed, Cochrane databases, and clinicaltrials.gov, for relevant clinical trials and case reports. A total of 19 studies were identified and included in this review. Among the reported cerebral cardiovascular events, the most common is incident abnormal blood pressure fluctuations (n = 35), followed by incident QTcF prolongation (n = 15), arrhythmia (n = 13, 3 atrial fibrillation and 10 bradycardia), thromboembolic events (n = 9, 6 pulmonary embolisms, 2 stroke, and 1 cerebrovascular event), cardiac troponin T elevation (n = 2), and ischemic chest pain (n = 2). Besides, the estimated incidence for overall cardiovascular events based on the available data is 0.292 (95% confidence interval: 0.096-0.488). CHK1 inhibitors administered in tumor patients on top of conventional therapies can not only enhance the antitumor effects, but also induce adverse cerebral cardiovascular events. It is, therefore, of importance to carefully monitor and manage the CHK1 inhibitor-induced adverse effects on the cerebral cardiovascular system while applying CHK1 inhibitors to tumor patients.
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Gorecki L, Andrs M, Korabecny J. Clinical Candidates Targeting the ATR-CHK1-WEE1 Axis in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:795. [PMID: 33672884 PMCID: PMC7918546 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Selective killing of cancer cells while sparing healthy ones is the principle of the perfect cancer treatment and the primary aim of many oncologists, molecular biologists, and medicinal chemists. To achieve this goal, it is crucial to understand the molecular mechanisms that distinguish cancer cells from healthy ones. Accordingly, several clinical candidates that use particular mutations in cell-cycle progressions have been developed to kill cancer cells. As the majority of cancer cells have defects in G1 control, targeting the subsequent intra‑S or G2/M checkpoints has also been extensively pursued. This review focuses on clinical candidates that target the kinases involved in intra‑S and G2/M checkpoints, namely, ATR, CHK1, and WEE1 inhibitors. It provides insight into their current status and future perspectives for anticancer treatment. Overall, even though CHK1 inhibitors are still far from clinical establishment, promising accomplishments with ATR and WEE1 inhibitors in phase II trials present a positive outlook for patient survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Gorecki
- Biomedical Research Center, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; (L.G.); (M.A.)
| | - Martin Andrs
- Biomedical Research Center, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; (L.G.); (M.A.)
- Laboratory of Cancer Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 142 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Korabecny
- Biomedical Research Center, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; (L.G.); (M.A.)
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Hong DS, Moore KN, Bendell JC, Karp DD, Wang JS, Ulahannan SV, Jones S, Wu W, Donoho GP, Ding Y, Capen A, Wang X, Bence Lin A, Patel MR. Preclinical Evaluation and Phase Ib Study of Prexasertib, a CHK1 Inhibitor, and Samotolisib (LY3023414), a Dual PI3K/mTOR Inhibitor. Clin Cancer Res 2021; 27:1864-1874. [DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-20-3242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Peng X, Wei Z, Gerweck LE. Making radiation therapy more effective in the era of precision medicine. PRECISION CLINICAL MEDICINE 2020; 3:272-283. [PMID: 35692625 PMCID: PMC8982539 DOI: 10.1093/pcmedi/pbaa038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer has become a leading cause of death and constitutes an enormous burden worldwide. Radiation is a principle treatment modality used alone or in combination with other forms of therapy, with 50%–70% of cancer patients receiving radiotherapy at some point during their illness. It has been suggested that traditional radiotherapy (daily fractions of approximately 1.8–2 Gy over several weeks) might select for radioresistant tumor cell sub-populations, which, if not sterilized, give rise to local treatment failure and distant metastases. Thus, the challenge is to develop treatment strategies and schedules to eradicate the resistant subpopulation of tumorigenic cells rather than the predominant sensitive tumor cell population. With continued technological advances including enhanced conformal treatment technology, radiation oncologists can increasingly maximize the dose to tumors while sparing adjacent normal tissues, to limit toxicity and damage to the latter. Increased dose conformality also facilitates changes in treatment schedules, such as changes in dose per treatment fraction and number of treatment fractions, to enhance the therapeutic ratio. For example, the recently developed large dose per fraction treatment schedules (hypofractionation) have shown clinical advantage over conventional treatment schedules in some tumor types. Experimental studies suggest that following large acute doses of radiation, recurrent tumors, presumably sustained by the most resistant tumor cell populations, may in fact be equally or more radiation sensitive than the primary tumor. In this review, we summarize the related advances in radiotherapy, including the increasing understanding of the molecular mechanisms of radioresistance, and the targeting of these mechanisms with potent small molecule inhibitors, which may selectively sensitize tumor cells to radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingchen Peng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Zhigong Wei
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Leo E Gerweck
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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Fan Z, Luo H, Zhou J, Wang F, Zhang W, Wang J, Li S, Lai Q, Xu Y, Wang G, Liang A, Xu J. Checkpoint kinase‑1 inhibition and etoposide exhibit a strong synergistic anticancer effect on chronic myeloid leukemia cell line K562 by impairing homologous recombination DNA damage repair. Oncol Rep 2020; 44:2152-2164. [PMID: 32901871 PMCID: PMC7551253 DOI: 10.3892/or.2020.7757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Leukemia, a malignant hematological disease, has poor therapeutic outcomes due to chemotherapeutic resistance. Increasing evidence has confirmed that the elevated capacity for DNA damage repair in cancer cells is a major mechanism of acquired chemotherapeutic resistance. Thus, combining chemotherapy with inhibitors of DNA damage repair pathways is potentially an ideal strategy for treating leukemia. Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) is an important component of the DNA damage response (DDR) and is involved in the G2/M DNA damage checkpoint. In the present study, we demonstrated that shRNA-mediated CHK1 silencing suppressed cell proliferation and enhanced the cytotoxic effects of etoposide (VP16) in the chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cell line K562 through the results of CCK-8, and comet assay. The results demonstrated that shRNA-induced CHK1 silencing can override G2/M arrest and impair homologous recombination (HR) repair by reducing breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) expression. Cells had no time, and thus limited ability, to repair the damage and were thus more sensitive to chemotherapy after CHK1 downregulation. Second, we tested the therapeutic effect of VP16 combined with CCT245737, an orally bioavailable CHK1 inhibitor, and observed strong synergistic anticancer effects in K562 cells. Moreover, we discovered that CCT245737 significantly prevented the G2/M arrest caused by acute exposure to VP16. Interestingly, CCT245737 inhibited both BRCA1 and Rad51, the most important component of the HR repair pathway. In conclusion, these results revealed that CHK1 is potentially an ideal therapeutic target for the treatment of CML and that CCT245737 should be considered a candidate drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoyi Fan
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, P.R. China
| | - Huacheng Luo
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Jie Zhou
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, P.R. China
| | - Fangce Wang
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, P.R. China
| | - Wenjun Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, P.R. China
| | - Jian Wang
- East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, P.R. China
| | - Shuo Li
- Jake Gittlen Laboratories for Cancer Research, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Qian Lai
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361003, P.R. China
| | - Yueshuang Xu
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, P.R. China
| | - Guangming Wang
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, P.R. China
| | - Aibin Liang
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, P.R. China
| | - Jun Xu
- East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, P.R. China
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Wang S, Zhou D, Xu Z, Song J, Qian X, Lv X, Luan J. Anti-tumor Drug Targets Analysis: Current Insight and Future Prospect. Curr Drug Targets 2020; 20:1180-1202. [PMID: 30947670 DOI: 10.2174/1389450120666190402145325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The incidence and mortality of malignant tumors are on the rise, which has become the second leading cause of death in the world. At present, anti-tumor drugs are one of the most common methods for treating cancer. In recent years, with the in-depth study of tumor biology and related disciplines, it has been gradually discovered that the essence of cell carcinogenesis is the infinite proliferation of cells caused by the disorder of cell signal transduction pathways, followed by a major shift in the concept of anti-tumor drugs research and development. The focus of research and development is shifting from traditional cytotoxic drugs to a new generation of anti-tumor drugs targeted at abnormal signaling system targets in tumor cells. In this review, we summarize the targets of anti-tumor drugs and analyse the molecular mechanisms of their effects, which lay a foundation for subsequent treatment, research and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, Yijishan Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui Province, China
| | - Dexi Zhou
- Department of Pharmacy, Yijishan Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui Province, China
| | - Zhenyu Xu
- Department of Pharmacy, Yijishan Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui Province, China
| | - Jing Song
- Department of Pharmacy, Yijishan Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui Province, China
| | - Xueyi Qian
- Department of Pharmacy, Yijishan Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui Province, China
| | - Xiongwen Lv
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicines, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Institute for Liver Disease of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Jiajie Luan
- Department of Pharmacy, Yijishan Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui Province, China
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Drápela S, Khirsariya P, van Weerden WM, Fedr R, Suchánková T, Búzová D, Červený J, Hampl A, Puhr M, Watson WR, Culig Z, Krejčí L, Paruch K, Souček K. The CHK1 inhibitor MU380 significantly increases the sensitivity of human docetaxel-resistant prostate cancer cells to gemcitabine through the induction of mitotic catastrophe. Mol Oncol 2020; 14:2487-2503. [PMID: 32579780 PMCID: PMC7530791 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
As treatment options for patients with incurable metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) are considerably limited, novel effective therapeutic options are needed. Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) is a highly conserved protein kinase implicated in the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway that prevents the accumulation of DNA damage and controls regular genome duplication. CHK1 has been associated with prostate cancer (PCa) induction, progression, and lethality; hence, CHK1 inhibitors SCH900776 (also known as MK-8776) and the more effective SCH900776 analog MU380 may have clinical applications in the therapy of PCa. Synergistic induction of DNA damage with CHK1 inhibition represents a promising therapeutic approach that has been tested in many types of malignancies, but not in chemoresistant mCRPC. Here, we report that such therapeutic approach may be exploited using the synergistic action of the antimetabolite gemcitabine (GEM) and CHK1 inhibitors SCH900776 and MU380 in docetaxel-resistant (DR) mCRPC. Given the results, both CHK1 inhibitors significantly potentiated the sensitivity to GEM in a panel of chemo-naïve and matched DR PCa cell lines under 2D conditions. MU380 exhibited a stronger synergistic effect with GEM than clinical candidate SCH900776. MU380 alone or in combination with GEM significantly reduced spheroid size and increased apoptosis in all patient-derived xenograft 3D cultures, with a higher impact in DR models. Combined treatment induced premature mitosis from G1 phase resulting in the mitotic catastrophe as a prestage of apoptosis. Finally, treatment by MU380 alone, or in combination with GEM, significantly inhibited tumor growth of both PC339-DOC and PC346C-DOC xenograft models in mice. Taken together, our data suggest that metabolically robust and selective CHK1 inhibitor MU380 can bypass docetaxel resistance and improve the effectiveness of GEM in DR mCRPC models. This approach might allow for dose reduction of GEM and thereby minimize undesired toxicity and may represent a therapeutic option for patients with incurable DR mCRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Drápela
- Department of Cytokinetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.,International Clinical Research Center, Center for Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Prashant Khirsariya
- International Clinical Research Center, Center for Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Chemistry, CZ Openscreen, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Wytske M van Weerden
- Department of Urology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Radek Fedr
- Department of Cytokinetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.,International Clinical Research Center, Center for Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Suchánková
- Department of Cytokinetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.,International Clinical Research Center, Center for Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Diana Búzová
- Department of Adaptive Biotechnologies, Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Červený
- Department of Adaptive Biotechnologies, Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Aleš Hampl
- International Clinical Research Center, Center for Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Puhr
- Department of Urology, Experimental Urology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria
| | - William R Watson
- School of Medicine, Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Zoran Culig
- International Clinical Research Center, Center for Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Urology, Experimental Urology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Lumír Krejčí
- International Clinical Research Center, Center for Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.,National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kamil Paruch
- International Clinical Research Center, Center for Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Chemistry, CZ Openscreen, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Souček
- Department of Cytokinetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.,International Clinical Research Center, Center for Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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43
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Cleary JM, Aguirre AJ, Shapiro GI, D'Andrea AD. Biomarker-Guided Development of DNA Repair Inhibitors. Mol Cell 2020; 78:1070-1085. [PMID: 32459988 PMCID: PMC7316088 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2020.04.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Anti-cancer drugs targeting the DNA damage response (DDR) exploit genetic or functional defects in this pathway through synthetic lethal mechanisms. For example, defects in homologous recombination (HR) repair arise in cancer cells through inherited or acquired mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2, or other genes in the Fanconi anemia/BRCA pathway, and these tumors have been shown to be particularly sensitive to inhibitors of the base excision repair (BER) protein poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Recent work has identified additional genomic and functional assays of DNA repair that provide new predictive and pharmacodynamic biomarkers for these targeted therapies. Here, we examine the development of selective agents targeting DNA repair, including PARP inhibitors; inhibitors of the DNA damage kinases ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3 related (ATR), CHK1, WEE1, and ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM); and inhibitors of classical non-homologous end joining (cNHEJ) and alternative end joining (Alt EJ). We also review the biomarkers that guide the use of these agents and current clinical trials with these therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Cleary
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Andrew J Aguirre
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Geoffrey I Shapiro
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Center for DNA Damage and Repair, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Alan D D'Andrea
- Center for DNA Damage and Repair, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
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44
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Warren NJH, Eastman A. Comparison of the different mechanisms of cytotoxicity induced by checkpoint kinase I inhibitors when used as single agents or in combination with DNA damage. Oncogene 2020; 39:1389-1401. [PMID: 31659257 PMCID: PMC7023985 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-019-1079-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Inhibition of the DNA damage response is an emerging strategy to treat cancer. Understanding how DNA damage response inhibitors cause cytotoxicity in cancer cells is crucial to their further clinical development. This review focuses on three different mechanisms of cell killing by checkpoint kinase I inhibitors (CHK1i). DNA damage induced by chemotherapy drugs, such as topoisomerase I inhibitors, results in S and G2 phase arrest. Addition of CHK1i promotes cell cycle progression before repair is completed resulting in mitotic catastrophe. Ribonucleotide reductase inhibitors such as gemcitabine also arrest cells in S phase by preventing dNTP synthesis. Addition of CHK1i re-activates the DNA helicase to unwind DNA, but in the absence of dNTPs, this leads to excessive single-strand DNA that exceeds the protective capacity of the single-strand-binding protein RPA. Unprotected DNA is subjected to nuclease cleavage, resulting in replication catastrophe. CHK1i alone also kills a subset of cell lines through MRE11 and MUS81-mediated DNA cleavage in S phase cells. The choice of mechanism depends on the activation state of CDK2. Low level activation of CDK2 mediates helicase activation, cell cycle progression, and both replication and mitotic catastrophe. In contrast, high CDK2 activity is required for sensitivity to CHK1i as monotherapy. This high CDK2 activity threshold usually occurs late in the cell cycle to prepare for mitosis, but in CHK1i-sensitive cells, high activity can be attained in early S phase, resulting in DNA cleavage and cell death. This sensitivity to CHK1i has previously been associated with endogenous replication stress, but the dependence on high CDK2 activity, as well as MRE11, contradicts this hypothesis. The major unresolved question is why some cell lines fail to restrain their high CDK2 activity and hence succumb to CHK1i in S phase. Resolving this question will facilitate stratification of patients for treatment with CHK1i as monotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J H Warren
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA
| | - Alan Eastman
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA.
- Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA.
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45
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Dent P. Investigational CHK1 inhibitors in early phase clinical trials for the treatment of cancer. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2019; 28:1095-1100. [PMID: 31783714 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2019.1694661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) inhibitors have been in development for two decades. The initial CHK1 inhibitor staurosporine analog, UCN01, entered clinical trials whilst it was still considered to act via PKC inhibition; only later were trials performed in a more focused fashion to determine whether CHK1 inhibition could dysregulate cell cycle checkpoints. Many of the subsequently synthesized more specific CHK1 inhibitors have failed because of poor PK/PD or cumulative normal tissue toxicities in patients. CHK1 inhibitor monotherapy often demonstrates limited efficacy and in general, must be combined with other agents. The combination of CHK1 inhibitors with modern signaling regulators may be a better therapeutic strategy.Areas covered: This review discusses the history of, and translational use of CHK1 inhibitors; the latest generation of CHK1 inhibitors to enter clinic development are also examined.Expert opinion: Some CHK1 inhibitors can be administered safely, but that when they are combined with traditional cytotoxic DNA damaging agents, the normal tissue toxicities outweigh the very modest gains in therapeutic efficacy. Researchers need to think outside of the box and consider how CHK1 inhibitors can be combined with other signal transduction modulators such as MEK1/2 and PARP1 inhibitors to kill tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Dent
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
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46
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Everything in Moderation: Lessons Learned by Exploiting Moderate Replication Stress in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11091320. [PMID: 31500184 PMCID: PMC6769680 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11091320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The poor selectivity of standard cytotoxic chemotherapy regimens causes severe side-effects in patients and reduces the quality of life during treatment. Targeting cancer-specific vulnerabilities can improve response rates, increase overall survival and limit toxic side effects in patients. Oncogene-induced replication stress serves as a tumour specific vulnerability and rationale for the clinical development of inhibitors targeting the DNA damage response (DDR) kinases (CHK1, ATR, ATM and WEE1). CHK1 inhibitors (CHK1i) have served as the pilot compounds in this class and their efficacy in clinical trials as single agents has been disappointing. Initial attempts to combine CHK1i with chemotherapies agents that enhance replication stress (such as gemcitabine) were reported to be excessively toxic. More recently, it has emerged that combining CHK1i with subclinical doses of replication stress inducers is more effective, better tolerated and more compatible with immunotherapies. Here we focus on the lessons learned during the clinical development of CHK1i with the goal of improving the design of future clinical trials utilizing DDR inhibitors to target replication stress in cancer.
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47
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Oo ZY, Proctor M, Stevenson AJ, Nazareth D, Fernando M, Daignault SM, Lanagan C, Walpole S, Bonazzi V, Škalamera D, Snell C, Haass NK, Larsen JE, Gabrielli B. Combined use of subclinical hydroxyurea and CHK1 inhibitor effectively controls melanoma and lung cancer progression, with reduced normal tissue toxicity compared to gemcitabine. Mol Oncol 2019; 13:1503-1518. [PMID: 31044505 PMCID: PMC6599846 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Drugs such as gemcitabine that increase replication stress are effective chemotherapeutics in a range of cancer settings. These drugs effectively block replication and promote DNA damage, triggering a cell cycle checkpoint response through the ATR–CHK1 pathway. Inhibiting this signalling pathway sensitises cells to killing by replication stress‐inducing drugs. Here, we investigated the effect of low‐level replication stress induced by low concentrations (> 0.2 mm) of the reversible ribonucleotide reductase inhibitor hydroxyurea (HU), which slows S‐phase progression but has little effect on cell viability or proliferation. We demonstrate that HU effectively synergises with CHK1, but not ATR inhibition, in > 70% of melanoma and non‐small‐cell lung cancer cells assessed, resulting in apoptosis and complete loss of proliferative potential in vitro and in vivo. Normal fibroblasts and haemopoietic cells retain viability and proliferative potential following exposure to CHK1 inhibitor plus low doses of HU, but normal cells exposed to CHK1 inhibitor combined with submicromolar concentrations of gemcitabine exhibited complete loss of proliferative potential. The effects of gemcitabine on normal tissue correlate with irreversible ATR–CHK1 pathway activation, whereas low doses of HU reversibly activate CHK1 independently of ATR. The combined use of CHK1 inhibitor and subclinical HU also triggered an inflammatory response involving the recruitment of macrophages in vivo. These data indicate that combining CHK1 inhibitor with subclinical HU is superior to combination with gemcitabine, as it provides equal anticancer efficacy but with reduced normal tissue toxicity. These data suggest a significant proportion of melanoma and lung cancer patients could benefit from treatment with this drug combination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zay Yar Oo
- Smiling for Smiddy Research Group, Translational Research Institute, Mater Research Institute-The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.,Translational Research Institute, The University of Queensland-Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Martina Proctor
- Smiling for Smiddy Research Group, Translational Research Institute, Mater Research Institute-The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Alexander J Stevenson
- Smiling for Smiddy Research Group, Translational Research Institute, Mater Research Institute-The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Deborah Nazareth
- Smiling for Smiddy Research Group, Translational Research Institute, Mater Research Institute-The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Madushan Fernando
- Smiling for Smiddy Research Group, Translational Research Institute, Mater Research Institute-The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sheena M Daignault
- Translational Research Institute, The University of Queensland-Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Catherine Lanagan
- Smiling for Smiddy Research Group, Translational Research Institute, Mater Research Institute-The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sebastian Walpole
- Translational Research Institute, The University of Queensland-Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Vanessa Bonazzi
- Translational Research Institute, The University of Queensland-Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, Australia.,Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Dubravka Škalamera
- Smiling for Smiddy Research Group, Translational Research Institute, Mater Research Institute-The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Cameron Snell
- Smiling for Smiddy Research Group, Translational Research Institute, Mater Research Institute-The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.,Mater Pathology, Mater Adults Hospital, Mater Misericordiae Limited, South Brisbane, Australia
| | - Nikolas K Haass
- Translational Research Institute, The University of Queensland-Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jill E Larsen
- QIMR-Berghofer Medical Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.,School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Brian Gabrielli
- Smiling for Smiddy Research Group, Translational Research Institute, Mater Research Institute-The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.,Translational Research Institute, The University of Queensland-Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, Australia
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