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Chen M, Zhu H, Li J, Luo D, Zhang J, Liu W, Wang J. Research progress on the relationship between AURKA and tumorigenesis: the neglected nuclear function of AURKA. Ann Med 2024; 56:2282184. [PMID: 38738386 PMCID: PMC11095293 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2023.2282184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
AURKA is a threonine or serine kinase that needs to be activated by TPX2, Bora and other factors. AURKA is located on chromosome 20 and is amplified or overexpressed in many human cancers, such as breast cancer. AURKA regulates some basic cellular processes, and this regulation is realized via the phosphorylation of downstream substrates. AURKA can function in either the cytoplasm or the nucleus. It can promote the transcription and expression of oncogenes together with other transcription factors in the nucleus, including FoxM1, C-Myc, and NF-κB. In addition, it also sustains carcinogenic signaling, such as N-Myc and Wnt signaling. This article will focus on the role of AURKA in the nucleus and its carcinogenic characteristics that are independent of its kinase activity to provide a theoretical explanation for mechanisms of resistance to kinase inhibitors and a reference for future research on targeted inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menghua Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Huijun Zhu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Jian Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Danjing Luo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Jiaming Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Wenqi Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Jue Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
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2
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Machour FE, R Abu-Zhayia E, Kamar J, Barisaac AS, Simon I, Ayoub N. Harnessing DNA replication stress to target RBM10 deficiency in lung adenocarcinoma. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6417. [PMID: 39080280 PMCID: PMC11289143 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50882-0] [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: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The splicing factor RNA-binding motif protein 10 (RBM10) is frequently mutated in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) (9-25%). Most RBM10 cancer mutations are loss-of-function, correlating with increased tumorigenesis and limiting the efficacy of current LUAD targeted therapies. Remarkably, therapeutic strategies leveraging RBM10 deficiency remain unexplored. Here, we conduct a CRISPR-Cas9 synthetic lethality (SL) screen and identify ~60 RBM10 SL genes, including WEE1 kinase. WEE1 inhibition sensitizes RBM10-deficient LUAD cells in-vitro and in-vivo. Mechanistically, we identify a splicing-independent role of RBM10 in regulating DNA replication fork progression and replication stress response, which underpins RBM10-WEE1 SL. Additionally, RBM10 interacts with active DNA replication forks, relying on DNA Primase Subunit 1 (PRIM1) that synthesizes Okazaki RNA primers. Functionally, we demonstrate that RBM10 serves as an anchor for recruiting Histone Deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) to facilitate H4K16 deacetylation and R-loop homeostasis to maintain replication fork stability. Collectively, our data reveal a role of RBM10 in fine-tuning DNA replication and provide therapeutic arsenal for targeting RBM10-deficient tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feras E Machour
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Enas R Abu-Zhayia
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Joyce Kamar
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Itamar Simon
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Nabieh Ayoub
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
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3
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Bagnyukova T, Egleston BL, Pavlov VA, Serebriiskii IG, Golemis EA, Borghaei H. Synergy of EGFR and AURKA Inhibitors in KRAS-mutated Non-small Cell Lung Cancers. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:1227-1239. [PMID: 38639476 PMCID: PMC11078142 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-23-0482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
The most common oncogenic driver mutations for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) activate EGFR or KRAS. Clinical trials exploring treatments for EGFR- or KRAS-mutated (EGFRmut or KRASmut) cancers have focused on small-molecule inhibitors targeting the driver mutations. Typically, these inhibitors perform more effectively based on combination with either chemotherapies, or other targeted therapies. For EGFRmut NSCLC, a combination of inhibitors of EGFR and Aurora-A kinase (AURKA), an oncogene commonly overexpressed in solid tumors, has shown promising activity in clinical trials. Interestingly, a number of recent studies have indicated that EGFR activity supports overall viability of tumors lacking EGFR mutations, and AURKA expression is abundant in KRASmut cell lines. In this study, we have evaluated dual inhibition of EGFR and AURKA in KRASmut NSCLC models. These data demonstrate synergy between the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib and the AURKA inhibitor alisertib in reducing cell viability and clonogenic capacity in vitro, associated with reduced activity of EGFR pathway effectors, accumulation of enhanced aneuploid cell populations, and elevated cell death. Importantly, the erlotinib-alisertib combination also synergistically reduces xenograft growth in vivo. Analysis of signaling pathways demonstrated that the combination of erlotinib and alisertib was more effective than single-agent treatments at reducing activity of EGFR and pathway effectors following either brief or extended administration of the drugs. In sum, this study indicates value of inhibiting EGFR in KRASmut NSCLC, and suggests the specific value of dual inhibition of AURKA and EGFR in these tumors. SIGNIFICANCE The introduction of specific KRAS G12C inhibitors to the clinical practice in lung cancer has opened up opportunities that did not exist before. However, G12C alterations are only a subtype of all KRAS mutations observed. Given the high expression of AURKA in KRASmut NSCLC, our study could point to a potential therapeutic option for this subgroup of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetyana Bagnyukova
- Program in Cell Signaling and Metastasis, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Brian L. Egleston
- Program in Cell Signaling and Metastasis, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Valerii A. Pavlov
- Program in Cell Signaling and Metastasis, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russian Federation
| | - Ilya G. Serebriiskii
- Program in Cell Signaling and Metastasis, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russian Federation
| | - Erica A. Golemis
- Program in Cell Signaling and Metastasis, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Department of Cancer and Cellular Biology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Hossein Borghaei
- Program in Cell Signaling and Metastasis, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Division of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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4
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Jia X, Tian J, Fu Y, Wang Y, Yang Y, Zhang M, Yang C, Liu Y. Identification of AURKA as a Biomarker Associated with Cuproptosis and Ferroptosis in HNSCC. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4372. [PMID: 38673957 PMCID: PMC11050640 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084372] [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: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Cuproptosis and ferroptosis represent copper- and iron-dependent forms of cell death, respectively, and both are known to play pivotal roles in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, few studies have explored the prognostic signatures related to cuproptosis and ferroptosis in HNSCC. Our objective was to construct a prognostic model based on genes associated with cuproptosis and ferroptosis. We randomly assigned 502 HSNCC samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) into training and testing sets. Pearson correlation analysis was utilized to identify cuproptosis-associated ferroptosis genes in the training set. Cox proportional hazards (COX) regression and least absolute shrinkage operator (LASSO) were employed to construct the prognostic model. The performance of the prognostic model was internally validated using single-factor COX regression, multifactor COX regression, Kaplan-Meier analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis. Additionally, we obtained 97 samples from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database for external validation. The constructed model, based on 12 cuproptosis-associated ferroptosis genes, proved to be an independent predictor of HNSCC prognosis. Among these genes, the increased expression of aurora kinase A (AURKA) has been implicated in various cancers. To further investigate, we employed small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to knock down AURKA expression and conducted functional experiments. The results demonstrated that AURKA knockdown significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of HNSCC cells (Cal27 and CNE2). Therefore, AURKA may serve as a potential biomarker in HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin 300000, China; (X.J.); (J.T.); (Y.F.); (Y.W.); (Y.Y.)
- Key Laboratory of Evidence Science, China University of Political Science and Law University, Beijing 100088, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Judicial Civilization, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing 100088, China
| | - Jiao Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin 300000, China; (X.J.); (J.T.); (Y.F.); (Y.W.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Yueyue Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin 300000, China; (X.J.); (J.T.); (Y.F.); (Y.W.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Yiqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin 300000, China; (X.J.); (J.T.); (Y.F.); (Y.W.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Yang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin 300000, China; (X.J.); (J.T.); (Y.F.); (Y.W.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Mengzhou Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Evidence Science, China University of Political Science and Law University, Beijing 100088, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Judicial Civilization, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing 100088, China
| | - Cheng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin 300000, China; (X.J.); (J.T.); (Y.F.); (Y.W.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Yijin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin 300000, China; (X.J.); (J.T.); (Y.F.); (Y.W.); (Y.Y.)
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5
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Smith E, Paloots R, Giagkos D, Baudis M, Stockinger K. Data-driven information extraction and enrichment of molecular profiling data for cancer cell lines. BIOINFORMATICS ADVANCES 2024; 4:vbae045. [PMID: 38560553 PMCID: PMC10978572 DOI: 10.1093/bioadv/vbae045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Motivation With the proliferation of research means and computational methodologies, published biomedical literature is growing exponentially in numbers and volume. Cancer cell lines are frequently used models in biological and medical research that are currently applied for a wide range of purposes, from studies of cellular mechanisms to drug development, which has led to a wealth of related data and publications. Sifting through large quantities of text to gather relevant information on cell lines of interest is tedious and extremely slow when performed by humans. Hence, novel computational information extraction and correlation mechanisms are required to boost meaningful knowledge extraction. Results In this work, we present the design, implementation, and application of a novel data extraction and exploration system. This system extracts deep semantic relations between textual entities from scientific literature to enrich existing structured clinical data concerning cancer cell lines. We introduce a new public data exploration portal, which enables automatic linking of genomic copy number variants plots with ranked, related entities such as affected genes. Each relation is accompanied by literature-derived evidences, allowing for deep, yet rapid, literature search, using existing structured data as a springboard. Availability and implementation Our system is publicly available on the web at https://cancercelllines.org.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellery Smith
- Institute for Intelligent Information Systems, Zürich University of Applied Sciences, 8400 Winterthur, Switzerland
| | - Rahel Paloots
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Michael Baudis
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kurt Stockinger
- Institute for Intelligent Information Systems, Zürich University of Applied Sciences, 8400 Winterthur, Switzerland
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Wang Z, Li W, Li F, Xiao R. An update of predictive biomarkers related to WEE1 inhibition in cancer therapy. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2024; 150:13. [PMID: 38231277 PMCID: PMC10794259 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-05527-y] [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: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE WEE1 is a crucial kinase involved in the regulation of G2/M checkpoint within the cell cycle. This article aims to comprehensively review the existing knowledge on the implication of WEE1 as a therapeutic target in tumor progression and drug resistance. Furthermore, we summarize the current predictive biomarkers employed to treat cancer with WEE1 inhibitors. METHODS A systematic review of the literature was conducted to analyze the association between WEE1 inhibition and cancer progression, including tumor advancement and drug resistance. Special attention was paid to the identification and utilization of predictive biomarkers related to therapeutic response to WEE1 inhibitors. RESULTS The review highlights the intricate involvement of WEE1 in tumor progression and drug resistance. It synthesizes the current knowledge on predictive biomarkers employed in WEE1 inhibitor treatments, offering insights into their prognostic significance. Notably, the article elucidates the potential for precision medicine by understanding these biomarkers in the context of tumor treatment outcomes. CONCLUSION WEE1 plays a pivotal role in tumor progression and is a promising therapeutic target. Distinguishing patients that would benefit from WEE1 inhibition will be a major direction of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zizhuo Wang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenting Li
- Department of Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832000, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Fuxia Li
- Department of Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832000, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Rourou Xiao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
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7
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Lin X, Pan F, Abudoureyimu M, Wang T, Hao L, Wang R. Aurora-A inhibitor synergistically enhances the inhibitory effect of anlotinib on hepatocellular carcinoma. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 690:149247. [PMID: 38000292 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.149247] [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: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly malignant tumor with a global prevalence. In addition to the existing clinical guidelines, the effectiveness of anlotinib and Aurora-A inhibitors in treating HCC has also been demonstrated. However, Anlotinib, as an anti-angiogenesis therapy, has shown significant benefits in clinical trials but is limited by its single-agent treatment and the development of drug resistance. Aurora-A inhibitors are currently being tested in clinical trials but have limited efficacy. Combination therapy may offer clear advantages over monotherapy in this context. METHODS In this study, we used HCC cell lines to investigate whether the combination of the two drugs could enhance their individual strengths and mitigate their weaknesses, thereby providing greater clinical benefits both in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS Our findings confirmed that the Aurora-A inhibitor alisertib and anlotinib exhibited a time-dose-dependent inhibitory effect on HCC cells. In vitro cytological experiments demonstrated that the combination of the two drugs synergistically inhibited cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis, while promoting cell apoptosis. Furthermore, we identified the underlying molecular mechanism by which the combination of the Aurora-A inhibitor alisertib and anlotinib inhibited HCC through the inhibition of the NF-ĸB signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS In summary, we have demonstrated the effectiveness of combining anlotinib with an Aurora-A inhibitor, which expands the potential applications of anlotinib in the clinical treatment of HCC in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinrong Lin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Fan Pan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Mubalake Abudoureyimu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Liping Hao
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
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Kumari P, Beeraka NM, Tengli A, Bannimath G, Baath RK, Patil M. Recent Updates on Oncogenic Signaling of Aurora Kinases in Chemosensitive, Chemoresistant Cancers: Novel Medicinal Chemistry Approaches for Targeting Aurora Kinases. Curr Med Chem 2024; 31:3502-3528. [PMID: 37138483 DOI: 10.2174/0929867330666230503124408] [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: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The Aurora Kinase family (AKI) is composed of serine-threonine protein kinases involved in the modulation of the cell cycle and mitosis. These kinases are required for regulating the adherence of hereditary-related data. Members of this family can be categorized into aurora kinase A (Ark-A), aurora kinase B (Ark-B), and aurora kinase C (Ark-C), consisting of highly conserved threonine protein kinases. These kinases can modulate cell processes such as spindle assembly, checkpoint pathway, and cytokinesis during cell division. The main aim of this review is to explore recent updates on the oncogenic signaling of aurora kinases in chemosensitive/chemoresistant cancers and to explore the various medicinal chemistry approaches to target these kinases. We searched Pubmed, Scopus, NLM, Pubchem, and Relemed to obtain information pertinent to the updated signaling role of aurora kinases and medicinal chemistry approaches and discussed the recently updated roles of each aurora kinases and their downstream signaling cascades in the progression of several chemosensitive/chemoresistant cancers; subsequently, we discussed the natural products (scoulerine, Corynoline, Hesperidin Jadomycin-B, fisetin), and synthetic, medicinal chemistry molecules as aurora kinase inhibitors (AKIs). Several natural products' efficacy was explained as AKIs in chemosensitization and chemoresistant cancers. For instance, novel triazole molecules have been used against gastric cancer, whereas cyanopyridines are used against colorectal cancer and trifluoroacetate derivatives could be used for esophageal cancer. Furthermore, quinolone hydrazine derivatives can be used to target breast cancer and cervical cancer. In contrast, the indole derivatives can be preferred to target oral cancer whereas thiosemicarbazone-indole could be used against prostate cancer, as reported in an earlier investigation against cancerous cells. Moreover, these chemical derivatives can be examined as AKIs through preclinical studies. In addition, the synthesis of novel AKIs through these medicinal chemistry substrates in the laboratory using in silico and synthetic routes could be beneficial to develop prospective novel AKIs to target chemoresistant cancers. This study is beneficial to oncologists, chemists, and medicinal chemists to explore novel chemical moiety synthesis to target specifically the peptide sequences of aurora kinases in several chemoresistant cancer cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Kumari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (JSS AHER), Mysuru, Karnataka, India
| | - Narasimha Murthy Beeraka
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (JSS AHER), Mysuru, Karnataka, India
- Department of Human Anatomy, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), 8/2 Trubetskaya str., Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Anandkumar Tengli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (JSS AHER), Mysuru, Karnataka, India
| | - Gurupadayya Bannimath
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (JSS AHER), Mysuru, Karnataka, India
| | - Ramandeep Kaur Baath
- Department of Pharmaceautics, IFTM University, Lodhipur Rajput, NH-24 Delhi Road, Moradabad 244102, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Mayuri Patil
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (JSS AHER), Mysuru, Karnataka, India
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Li C, Liao J, Wang X, Chen FX, Guo X, Chen X. Combined Aurora Kinase A and CHK1 Inhibition Enhances Radiosensitivity of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Through Induction of Apoptosis and Mitotic Catastrophe Associated With Excessive DNA Damage. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2023; 117:1241-1254. [PMID: 37393021 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE There is an urgent need for biomarkers and new actionable targets to improve radiosensitivity of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) tumors. We characterized the radiosensitizing effects and underlying mechanisms of combined Aurora kinase A (AURKA) and CHK1 inhibition in TNBC. METHODS AND MATERIALS Different TNBC cell lines were treated with AURKA inhibitor (AURKAi, MLN8237) and CHK1 inhibitor (CHK1i, MK8776). Cell responses to irradiation (IR) were then evaluated. Cell apoptosis, DNA damage, cell cycle distribution, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase (PI3K) pathways were evaluated in vitro. Transcriptomic analysis was performed to facilitate the identification of potential biomarkers. Xenograft and immunohistochemistry were carried out to investigate the radiosensitizing effects of dual inhibition in vivo. Finally, the prognostic effect of CHEK1/AURKA in TNBC samples in the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and our center were analyzed. RESULTS AURKAi (MLN8237) induced overexpression of phospho-CHK1 in TNBC cells. The addition of MK8776 (CHK1i) to MLN8237 greatly reduced cell viability and increased radiosensitivity compared with either the control or MLN8237 alone in vitro. Mechanistically, dual inhibition resulted in inducing excessive DNA damage by prompting G2/M transition to cells with defective spindles, leading to mitotic catastrophe and induction of apoptosis after IR. We also observed that dual inhibition suppressed the phosphorylation of ERK, while activation of ERK with its agonist or overexpression of active ERK1/2 allele could attenuate the apoptosis induced by dual inhibition with IR. Additionally, dual inhibition of AURKA and CHK1 synergistically enhanced radiosensitivity in MDA-MB-231 xenografts. Moreover, we detected that both CHEK1 and AURKA were overexpressed in patients with TNBC and negatively correlated with patient survival. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggested that AURKAi in combination with CHK1i enhanced TNBC radiosensitivity in preclinical models, potentially providing a novel strategy of precision treatment for patients with TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyan Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiatao Liao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuanyi Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Xavier Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai, China; Institutes of Biomedical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xiaomao Guo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xingxing Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai, China.
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10
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Houben R, Alimova P, Sarma B, Hesbacher S, Schulte C, Sarosi EM, Adam C, Kervarrec T, Schrama D. 4-[(5-Methyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)amino]-2H-phenyl-1-phthalazinone Inhibits MCPyV T Antigen Expression in Merkel Cell Carcinoma Independent of Aurora Kinase A. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15092542. [PMID: 37174007 PMCID: PMC10177447 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15092542] [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: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is frequently caused by the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), and MCPyV-positive tumor cells depend on expression of the virus-encoded T antigens (TA). Here, we identify 4-[(5-methyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)amino]-2H-phenyl-1-phthalazinone (PHT)-a reported inhibitor of Aurora kinase A-as a compound inhibiting growth of MCC cells by repressing noncoding control region (NCCR)-controlled TA transcription. Surprisingly, we find that TA repression is not caused by inhibition of Aurora kinase A. However, we demonstrate that β-catenin-a transcription factor repressed by active glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3)-is activated by PHT, suggesting that PHT bears a hitherto unreported inhibitory activity against GSK3, a kinase known to function in promoting TA transcription. Indeed, applying an in vitro kinase assay, we demonstrate that PHT directly targets GSK3. Finally, we demonstrate that PHT exhibits in vivo antitumor activity in an MCC xenograft mouse model, suggesting a potential use in future therapeutic settings for MCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Houben
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology und Allergology, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Pamela Alimova
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology und Allergology, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Bhavishya Sarma
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology und Allergology, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sonja Hesbacher
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology und Allergology, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Carolin Schulte
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology und Allergology, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Eva-Maria Sarosi
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology und Allergology, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christian Adam
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology und Allergology, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thibault Kervarrec
- Department of Pathology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Tours, INRA UMR 1282 BIP, 37200 Tours, France
| | - David Schrama
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology und Allergology, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
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11
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Fatma H, Siddique HR. AURORA KINASE A and related downstream molecules: A potential network for cancer therapy. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2023; 134:115-145. [PMID: 36858732 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2022.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Aurora-A kinase (AURKA) belongs to the serine/threonine kinase family specific to cell division. In normal cells, activation of the AURKA protein is essential for regulating chromosomal segregation and centrosome maturation. The physiological concentration of AURKA accumulation has utmost importance during cell division. AURKA starts accumulating during the S phase of the cell cycle, gets functionally activated during the G2/M phase, attaches to the microtubule, and gets degraded during mitotic exit. Overexpression of AURKA could lead to deregulated cell cycle division, which is intrinsic to numerous cancers. Moreover, dysregulated AURKA affects various downstream molecules that aid in cancer pathogenesis. AURKA phosphorylates its substrates, including oncoproteins, transcriptional factors, tumor suppressor proteins, or other kinases central to various oncogenic signaling pathways critical to cancer. Considering the central role of AURKA in cell proliferation and tumorigenesis, targeting AURKA can be a novel alternative to cancer management. Several AURKA inhibitors have shown promising responses against different cancers either as a single agent or combined with various therapies. This chapter briefly discusses the role of AURKA and its downstream molecules in cancer vis-à-vis the role of AURKA inhibitor in chemoprevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Homa Fatma
- Molecular Cancer Genetics & Translational Research Laboratory, Section of Genetics, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Hifzur R Siddique
- Molecular Cancer Genetics & Translational Research Laboratory, Section of Genetics, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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12
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Sun C, Qu Z, Liu W, Qiu Z, Lü Y, Sun Z. The Synergistic Anti-colon Cancer Effect of Aurora A Inhibitors and AKT Inhibitors Through PI3K/AKT Pathway. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2023; 23:87-93. [PMID: 35466883 DOI: 10.2174/1871520622666220422133537] [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: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Both AKT and Aurora inhibitors are a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of malignant tumors. However, the role of combined inhibition of AKT and Aurora in colon cancer and its underlying mechanism have yet to be fully investigated. OBJECTIVE To investigate the role of combined AKT and Aurora inhibitors in colon cancer and its underlying mechanisms. METHODS CCK8 assay, colony formation assay, and flow cytometry were performed to analyze the proliferation and apoptosis of colon cancer cell line SW480 treated with combined AKT inhibitor MK2206 and Aurora inhibitor Alisertib, respectively. And tumor formation and growth were measured in tumor allograft model mice administered with the combined inhibitors. Western blot analysis was used to examine the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins and signal transduction pathway components. The PI3K agonist 740Y-P and Overexpression of AKT are used to verify whether the PI3K/AKT pathway plays an anti-tumor effect when combined with inhibitory administration. RESULTS Aurora A inhibitor Alisertib and AKT inhibitor MK2206 displayed consistent and synergistic antiproliferation and proapoptotic effects. Combined inhibition of Aurora A and AKT down-regulated the expression of Bcl-2/Bax and up-regulated the expression of cleaved-caspase-3 and cleaved-PARP. While single-drug treatment can significantly inhibit the expression of P-PI3K and P-AKT as well as increase the expression of P53 and H2A.X, the combined drugs had a more significant inhibitory effect than the single drug. Moreover, administration of PI3K agonist 740Y-P and AKT1 overexpression in experiments proved that the combined drugs exert an anticancer effect by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT pathway. Meanwhile, we showed that the combined administration had an anti-colon cancer effect on tumor allograft mice, and the underlying mechanism involved inhibition of the PI3K/AKT pathway. CONCLUSION Combined administration of Aurora A inhibitor Alisertib and AKT inhibitor MK2206 can inhibit the proliferation of colon cancer cells and induce apoptosis, while inhibiting tumor growth in vivo. The underlying mechanism may involve the PI3K/AKT pathway and DNA damage pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Sun
- Medical Oncology Division, Qingdao Chengyang People's Hospital, Qingdao 266109, Shandong Province, China
| | - Zhen Qu
- Department of Oncology, 970 Hospitals, Joint Logistics Support Force of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Yantai 264002, Shandong Province, China
| | - Weilin Liu
- Chengyang District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Qingdao 266109, Shandong Province, China
| | - Zhigang Qiu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 59 Haier Road, Qingdao 266100, Shandong Province, China
| | - Yanfeng Lü
- Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, No. 247 Beiyuan Street, Jinan 250033, Shandong Province, China
| | - Zhenqing Sun
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 59 Haier Road, Qingdao 266100, Shandong Province, China
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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 PMCID: PMC11132912 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-022-00558-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 106.0] [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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Lei H, He A, Jiang Y, Ruan M, Han N. Targeting DNA damage response as a potential therapeutic strategy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1031944. [PMID: 36338767 PMCID: PMC9634729 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1031944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells experience both endogenous and exogenous DNA damage daily. To maintain genome integrity and suppress tumorigenesis, individuals have evolutionarily acquired a series of repair functions, termed DNA damage response (DDR), to repair DNA damage and ensure the accurate transmission of genetic information. Defects in DNA damage repair pathways may lead to various diseases, including tumors. Accumulating evidence suggests that alterations in DDR-related genes, such as somatic or germline mutations, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and promoter methylation, are closely related to the occurrence, development, and treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Despite recent advances in surgery combined with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy, there has been no substantial improvement in the survival rate of patients with HNSCC. Therefore, targeting DNA repair pathways may be a promising treatment for HNSCC. In this review, we summarized the sources of DNA damage and DNA damage repair pathways. Further, the role of DNA damage repair pathways in the development of HNSCC and the application of small molecule inhibitors targeting these pathways in the treatment of HNSCC were focused.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Lei
- School of Stomatology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Ading He
- School of Stomatology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Yingying Jiang
- School of Stomatology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Min Ruan
- School of Stomatology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
- Department of Oral Maxillofacio-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Nannan Han
- School of Stomatology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
- Department of Oral Maxillofacio-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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15
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Ghosh S, Mazumdar T, Xu W, Powell RT, Stephan C, Shen L, Shah PA, Pickering CR, Myers JN, Wang J, Frederick MJ, Johnson FM. Combined TRIP13 and Aurora Kinase Inhibition Induces Apoptosis in Human Papillomavirus-Driven Cancers. Clin Cancer Res 2022; 28:4479-4493. [PMID: 35972731 PMCID: PMC9588713 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-1627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes >5% of cancers, but no therapies uniquely target HPV-driven cancers. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We tested the cytotoxic effect of 864 drugs in 16 HPV-positive and 17 HPV-negative human squamous cancer cell lines. We confirmed apoptosis in vitro and in vivo using patient-derived xenografts. Mitotic pathway components were manipulated with drugs, knockdown, and overexpression. RESULTS Aurora kinase inhibitors were more effective in vitro and in vivo in HPV-positive than in HPV-negative models. We hypothesized that the mechanism of sensitivity involves retinoblastoma (Rb) expression because the viral oncoprotein E7 leads to Rb protein degradation, and basal Rb protein expression correlates with Aurora inhibition-induced apoptosis. Manipulating Rb directly, or by inducing E7 expression, altered cells' sensitivity to Aurora kinase inhibitors. Rb affects expression of the mitotic checkpoint genes MAD2L1 and BUB1B, which we found to be highly expressed in HPV-positive patient tumors. Knockdown of MAD2L1 or BUB1B reduced Aurora kinase inhibition-induced apoptosis, whereas depletion of the MAD2L1 regulator TRIP13 enhanced it. TRIP13 is a potentially druggable AAA-ATPase. Combining Aurora kinase inhibition with TRIP13 depletion led to extensive apoptosis in HPV-positive cancer cells but not in HPV-negative cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS Our data support a model in which HPV-positive cancer cells maintain a balance of MAD2L1 and TRIP13 to allow mitotic exit and survival in the absence of Rb. Because it does not affect cells with intact Rb function, this novel combination may have a wide therapeutic window, enabling the effective treatment of Rb-deficient cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soma Ghosh
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Tuhina Mazumdar
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Wei Xu
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Reid T. Powell
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Clifford Stephan
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Li Shen
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Pooja A. Shah
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Curtis R. Pickering
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas
| | - Jeffery N. Myers
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas
| | | | - Faye M. Johnson
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas
- Corresponding author. Faye M. Johnson, M.D., PhD., Faculty, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; Professor, Thoracic, Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe, Box 432, Houston, TX 77030, phone 713-792-6363, fax 713-792-1220,
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Mitotic Checkpoints and the Role of WEE1 Inhibition in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cancer J 2022; 28:381-386. [PMID: 36165727 DOI: 10.1097/ppo.0000000000000613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The WEE1 kinase family plays a crucial role in cell cycle regulation and DNA damage response pathways in malignant cells. Inhibition of WEE1 effectively overrides G2 cell cycle arrest and results in the accumulation of extensive DNA damage within dividing cells, potentiating mitotic catastrophe and cell death. As such, the development of WEE1 inhibitors as antineoplastic therapeutics has gained increasing interest in recent years. In particular, the role of WEE1 inhibitors for treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas remains an area of active research with both preclinical and clinical studies investigating their use as both single-agent therapy and chemosensitizers when used in tandem with traditional chemotherapy, particularly in the context of TP53-mutant tumors. Here, we review the relevant available preclinical and clinical data on hand investigating the efficacy of WEE1 inhibitors for the treatment of head and neck cancers.
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17
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Lazo PA. Targeting Histone Epigenetic Modifications and DNA Damage Responses in Synthetic Lethality Strategies in Cancer? Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14164050. [PMID: 36011043 PMCID: PMC9406467 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14164050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic lethality strategies are likely to be integrated in effective and specific cancer treatments. These strategies combine different specific targets, either in similar or cooperating pathways. Chromatin remodeling underlies, directly or indirectly, all processes of tumor biology. In this context, the combined targeting of proteins associated with different aspects of chromatin remodeling can be exploited to find new alternative targets or to improve treatment for specific individual tumors or patients. There are two major types of proteins, epigenetic modifiers of histones and nuclear or chromatin kinases, all of which are druggable targets. Among epigenetic enzymes, there are four major families: histones acetylases, deacetylases, methylases and demethylases. All these enzymes are druggable. Among chromatin kinases are those associated with DNA damage responses, such as Aurora A/B, Haspin, ATM, ATR, DNA-PK and VRK1-a nucleosomal histone kinase. All these proteins converge on the dynamic regulation chromatin organization, and its functions condition the tumor cell viability. Therefore, the combined targeting of these epigenetic enzymes, in synthetic lethality strategies, can sensitize tumor cells to toxic DNA-damage-based treatments, reducing their toxicity and the selective pressure for tumor resistance and increasing their immunogenicity, which will lead to an improvement in disease-free survival and quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro A. Lazo
- Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca-IBSAL, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
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18
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Kumarasamy V, Nambiar R, Wang J, Rosenheck H, Witkiewicz AK, Knudsen ES. RB loss determines selective resistance and novel vulnerabilities in ER-positive breast cancer models. Oncogene 2022; 41:3524-3538. [PMID: 35676324 PMCID: PMC10680093 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02362-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The management of metastatic estrogen receptor (ER) positive HER2 negative breast cancer (ER+) has improved; however, therapeutic resistance and disease progression emerges in majority of cases. Using unbiased approaches, as expected PI3K and MTOR inhibitors emerge as potent inhibitors to delay proliferation of ER+ models harboring PIK3CA mutations. However, the cytostatic efficacy of these drugs is hindered due to marginal impact on the expression of cyclin D1. Different combination approaches involving the inhibition of ER pathway or cell cycle result in durable growth arrest via RB activation and subsequent inhibition of CDK2 activity. However, cell cycle alterations due to RB loss or ectopic CDK4/cyclin D1 activation yields resistance to these cytostatic combination treatments. To define means to counter resistance to targeted therapies imparted with RB loss; complementary drug screens were performed with RB-deleted isogenic cell lines. In this setting, RB loss renders ER+ breast cancer models more vulnerable to drugs that target DNA replication and mitosis. Pairwise combinations using these classes of drugs defines greater selectivity for RB deficiency. The combination of AURK and WEE1 inhibitors, yields synergistic cell death selectively in RB-deleted ER+ breast cancer cells via apoptosis and yields profound disease control in vivo. Through unbiased efforts the XIAP/CIAP inhibitor birinapant was identified as a novel RB-selective agent. Birinapant further enhances the cytotoxic effect of chemotherapies and targeted therapies used in the treatment of ER+ breast cancer models selectively in the RB-deficient setting. Using organoid culture and xenograft models, we demonstrate the highly selective use of birinapant based combinations for the treatment of RB-deficient tumors. Together, these data illustrate the critical role of RB-pathway in response to many agents used to treat ER+ breast cancer, whilst informing new therapeutic approaches that could be deployed against resistant disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishnu Kumarasamy
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Ram Nambiar
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jianxin Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Hanna Rosenheck
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Agnieszka K Witkiewicz
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA.
| | - Erik S Knudsen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA.
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19
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Liang B, Zhou Y, Jiao J, Xu L, Yan Y, Wu Q, Tong X, Yan H. Integrated Analysis of Transcriptome Data Revealed AURKA and KIF20A as Critical Genes in Medulloblastoma Progression. Front Oncol 2022; 12:875521. [PMID: 35574421 PMCID: PMC9092218 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.875521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Medulloblastoma is the neuroepithelial tumor with the highest degree of malignancy in the central nervous system, accounting for about 8% to 10% of children’s brain tumors. It has a high degree of malignancy and is easily transmitted through cerebrospinal fluid, with a relatively poor prognosis. Although medulloblastoma has been widely studied and treated, its molecular mechanism remains unclear. To determine which gene plays a crucial role in medulloblastoma development and progression, we analyzed three microarray datasets from Gene Expression Omnibus. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes were used to detect and evaluate differentially expressed genes. Protein interaction network was established, and the hub genes were determined in cytoHubba through various assessment methods, while the target genes were screened out using survival analysis. Ultimately, human medulloblastoma samples were utilized to confirm target gene expression. In conclusion, This study found that aurora kinase A (AURKA) and kinesin family member 20A (KIF20A) may be involved in the initiation and development of medulloblastoma, have a close association with prognosis, and may become a potential therapeutic target and prognostic marker of MED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Liang
- Clinical College of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Neurorehabilitation, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, The Fifith Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yan Zhou
- Clinical College of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Neurorehabilitation, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jiji Jiao
- Clinical College of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Neurorehabilitation, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Lixia Xu
- Tianjin Neurosurgical Institute, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cerebrovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yan Yan
- Clinical Laboratory, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Qiaoli Wu
- Tianjin Neurosurgical Institute, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cerebrovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoguang Tong
- Tianjin Neurosurgical Institute, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cerebrovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Hua Yan
- Tianjin Neurosurgical Institute, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cerebrovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, Tianjin, China
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20
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Small cell lung cancer: novel treatments beyond immunotherapy. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 86:376-385. [PMID: 35568295 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) arises in peribronchial locations and infiltrates the bronchial submucosa, including about 15% of lung cancer cases. Despite decades of research, the prognosis for SCLC patients remains poor because this tumor is characterized by an exceptionally high proliferative rate, strong tendency for early widespread metastasis and acquired chemoresistance. Omics profiling revealed that SCLC harbor extensive chromosomal rearrangements and a very high mutation burden. This led to the development of immune-checkpoint inhibitors as single agents or in combination with chemotherapy, which however resulted in a prolonged benefit only for a small subset of patients. Thus, the present review discusses the rationale and limitations of immunotherapeutic approaches, presenting the current biological understanding of aberrant signaling pathways that might be exploited with new potential treatments. In particular, new agents targeting DNA damage repair, cell cycle checkpoint, and apoptosis pathways showed several promising results in different preclinical models. Epigenetic alterations, gene amplifications and mutations can act as biomarkers in this context. Future research and improved clinical outcome for SCLC patients will depend on the integration between these omics and pharmacological studies with clinical translational research, in order to identify specific predictive biomarkers that will be hopefully validated using clinical trials with biomarker-selected targeted treatments.
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21
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Aurora kinase A inhibition induces synthetic lethality in SMAD4-deficient colorectal cancer cells via spindle assembly checkpoint activation. Oncogene 2022; 41:2734-2748. [PMID: 35393542 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02293-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
SMAD4 loss-of-function mutations have been frequently observed in colorectal cancer (CRC) and are recognized as a drug target for therapeutic exploitation. In this study, we performed a synthetic lethal drug screening with SMAD4-isogenic CRC cells and found that aurora kinase A (AURKA) inhibition is synthetic lethal with SMAD4 loss. Inhibition of AURKA selectively inhibited the growth of SMAD4-/- CRC in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, SMAD4 negatively regulated AURKA level, resulting in the significant elevation of AURKA in SMAD4-/- CRC cells. Inhibition of AURKA induced G2/M cell cycle delay in SMAD4+/+ CRC cells, but induced apoptosis in SMAD4-/- CRC cells. We further observed that a high level of AURKA in SMAD4-/- CRC cells led to abnormal mitotic spindles, leading to cellular aneuploidy. Moreover, SMAD4-/- CRC cells expressed high levels of spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) proteins, suggesting the hyperactivation of SAC. The silencing of key SAC proteins significantly rescued the AURKA inhibition-induced cell death in SMAD4-/- cells, suggesting that SMAD4-/- CRC cells are hyper-dependent on AURKA activity for mitotic exit and survival during SAC hyperactivation. This study presents a unique synthetic lethal interaction between SMAD4 and AURKA and suggests that AURKA could be a potential drug target in SMAD4-deficient CRC.
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22
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Suchanti S, Stephen BJ, Awasthi S, Awasthi SK, Singh G, Singh A, Mishra R. Harnessing the role of epigenetic histone modification in targeting head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Epigenomics 2022; 14:279-293. [PMID: 35184601 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2020-0348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most prevalent form of cancer worldwide. Despite advancements made in treatment strategies, the fatality rate of HNSCC is very high. An accumulating body of evidence suggests that epigenetic modification of histones plays an influential role in the development and progression of the disease. In this review we discuss the role of epigenetic modifications in HNSCC and the inter-relationships of human papillomavirus oncoproteins and histone-modifying agents. Further, we explore the possibility of identifying these modifications as biomarkers for their use as drugs in treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surabhi Suchanti
- Department of Biosciences, Manipal University Jaipur, Rajasthan, 303007, India
| | - Bjorn J Stephen
- Department of Biosciences, Manipal University Jaipur, Rajasthan, 303007, India
| | - Sonali Awasthi
- Department of Life Sciences, CSJM University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208024, India
| | - Sudhir K Awasthi
- Department of Life Sciences, CSJM University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208024, India
| | - Gyanendra Singh
- Toxicology Division, ICMR-National Institute of Occupational Health, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380016, India
| | - Abhijeet Singh
- Department of Biosciences, Manipal University Jaipur, Rajasthan, 303007, India
| | - Rajeev Mishra
- Department of Life Sciences, CSJM University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208024, India
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Hu A, Zhang JW, Yang LY, Qiao PP, Lu D. AHRR contributes to inflammatory lymphangiogenesis by activating the EPAS1/VEGFD signaling axis in head and neck cancer. Am J Cancer Res 2022; 12:537-548. [PMID: 35261785 PMCID: PMC8899997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is associated with poor survival in patients with Head and Neck cancer (HNC). Aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor (AHRR) is thought to be responsible for increased lymphangiogenesis and LNM. AHRR and endothelial PAS domain-containing protein 1 (EPAS1) are basic helix-loop-helix/per-arnt-sim family transcription factors, however, its central role in lymphangiogenesis remains to be explored. In this study, we explored that EPAS1 dimerizes with HIF-1β during lymphangiogenes and tumor growth, inducing expression of many genes, including vascular endothelial growth factor-d (VEGFD). AHRR wild-type (Ahrr +/+) transgenic carcinoma of the mice develop tumors with greater frequency than AHRR-null (Ahrr -/-) mice, even though prevalence of squamous epithelial hyperplasia is not inhibited. Hypoxia induced VEGFD protein in a genotype-dependent fashion in Ahrr +/+, Ahrr +/- and Ahrr -/- HNC. However, hypoxia induced upstream proteins in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-signaling cascade to a similar extent in HNC of each Ahrr genotype, evidenced by Akt phosphorylation. These findings suggest that AHRR induces HIF-1β expression, increasing interaction with EPAS1 enhancing VEGFD production and lymphangiogenesis in HNC.
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Affiliation(s)
- An Hu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Gongli Hospital, Second Military Medical UniversityPudong New Area, Shanghai 200135, China
| | - Jian-Wei Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Gongli Hospital, Second Military Medical UniversityPudong New Area, Shanghai 200135, China
| | - Li-Yun Yang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Gongli Hospital, Second Military Medical UniversityPudong New Area, Shanghai 200135, China
| | - Pei-Pei Qiao
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Gongli Hospital, Second Military Medical UniversityPudong New Area, Shanghai 200135, China
- The Graduate School, Ningxia Medical UniversityYinchuan 750004, Ningxia, China
| | - Dan Lu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Gongli Hospital, Second Military Medical UniversityPudong New Area, Shanghai 200135, China
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24
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Cell death mechanisms in head and neck cancer cells in response to low and high-LET radiation. Expert Rev Mol Med 2022. [DOI: 10.1017/erm.2021.31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
AbstractHead and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a common malignancy that develops in or around the throat, larynx, nose, sinuses and mouth, and is mostly treated with a combination of chemo- and radiotherapy (RT). The main goal of RT is to kill enough of the cancer cell population, whilst preserving the surrounding normal and healthy tissue. The mechanisms by which conventional photon RT achieves this have been extensively studied over several decades, but little is known about the cell death pathways that are activated in response to RT of increasing linear energy transfer (LET), including proton beam therapy and heavy ions. Here, we provide an up-to-date review on the observed radiobiological effects of low- versus high-LET RT in HNSCC cell models, particularly in the context of specific cell death mechanisms, including apoptosis, necrosis, autophagy, senescence and mitotic death. We also detail some of the current therapeutic strategies targeting cell death pathways that have been investigated to enhance the radiosensitivity of HNSCC cells in response to RT, including those that may present with clinical opportunities for eventual patient benefit.
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Aurora Kinases as Therapeutic Targets in Head and Neck Cancer. Cancer J 2022; 28:387-400. [PMID: 36165728 PMCID: PMC9836054 DOI: 10.1097/ppo.0000000000000614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The Aurora kinases (AURKA and AURKB) have attracted attention as therapeutic targets in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Aurora kinases were first defined as regulators of mitosis that localization to the centrosome (AURKA) and centromere (AURKB), governing formation of the mitotic spindle, chromatin condensation, activation of the core mitotic kinase CDK1, alignment of chromosomes at metaphase, and other processes. Subsequently, additional roles for Aurora kinases have been defined in other phases of cell cycle, including regulation of ciliary disassembly and DNA replication. In cancer, elevated expression and activity of Aurora kinases result in enhanced or neomorphic locations and functions that promote aggressive disease, including promotion of MYC expression, oncogenic signaling, stem cell identity, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and drug resistance. Numerous Aurora-targeted inhibitors have been developed and are being assessed in preclinical and clinical trials, with the goal of improving head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treatment.
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V B, Femina T A, Iyengar D, K A, Ravi M. Approaches for Head and Neck Cancer Research - Current Status and the Way Forward. Cancer Invest 2021; 40:151-172. [PMID: 34806936 DOI: 10.1080/07357907.2021.2009850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Head and neck cancers (HNCs) are seeing an increasing trend in their prevalence among both genders and are the seventh most common cancer type occurring at the global level. Studies addressing both the cancer cell physiology and individual differences in response to a specific treatment modality should be understood for arriving at effective treatment and management of the HNCs. In this article, we discuss the trends in HNC research and their various approaches starting from 2D in vitro models, which are the traditional experimental materials to recently established Cancer-Tissue Originated Spheroids (CTOS) distinctly contributing towards personalized or precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barghavi V
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, India
| | - Arokia Femina T
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, India
| | - DivyaSowrirajan Iyengar
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, India
| | - Archana K
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, India
| | - Maddaly Ravi
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, India
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Kałafut J, Czerwonka A, Anameriç A, Przybyszewska-Podstawka A, Misiorek JO, Rivero-Müller A, Nees M. Shooting at Moving and Hidden Targets-Tumour Cell Plasticity and the Notch Signalling Pathway in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:6219. [PMID: 34944837 PMCID: PMC8699303 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13246219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) is often aggressive, with poor response to current therapies in approximately 40-50% of the patients. Current therapies are restricted to operation and irradiation, often combined with a small number of standard-of-care chemotherapeutic drugs, preferentially for advanced tumour patients. Only very recently, newer targeted therapies have entered the clinics, including Cetuximab, which targets the EGF receptor (EGFR), and several immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the immune receptor PD-1 and its ligand PD-L1. HNSCC tumour tissues are characterized by a high degree of intra-tumour heterogeneity (ITH), and non-genetic alterations that may affect both non-transformed cells, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and transformed carcinoma cells. This very high degree of heterogeneity likely contributes to acquired drug resistance, tumour dormancy, relapse, and distant or lymph node metastasis. ITH, in turn, is likely promoted by pronounced tumour cell plasticity, which manifests in highly dynamic and reversible phenomena such as of partial or hybrid forms of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and enhanced tumour stemness. Stemness and tumour cell plasticity are strongly promoted by Notch signalling, which remains poorly understood especially in HNSCC. Here, we aim to elucidate how Notch signal may act both as a tumour suppressor and proto-oncogenic, probably during different stages of tumour cell initiation and progression. Notch signalling also interacts with numerous other signalling pathways, that may also have a decisive impact on tumour cell plasticity, acquired radio/chemoresistance, and metastatic progression of HNSCC. We outline the current stage of research related to Notch signalling, and how this pathway may be intricately interconnected with other, druggable targets and signalling mechanisms in HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Kałafut
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, ul. Chodzki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.K.); (A.C.); (A.A.); (A.P.-P.); (A.R.-M.)
| | - Arkadiusz Czerwonka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, ul. Chodzki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.K.); (A.C.); (A.A.); (A.P.-P.); (A.R.-M.)
| | - Alinda Anameriç
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, ul. Chodzki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.K.); (A.C.); (A.A.); (A.P.-P.); (A.R.-M.)
| | - Alicja Przybyszewska-Podstawka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, ul. Chodzki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.K.); (A.C.); (A.A.); (A.P.-P.); (A.R.-M.)
| | - Julia O. Misiorek
- Department of Molecular Neurooncology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland;
| | - Adolfo Rivero-Müller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, ul. Chodzki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.K.); (A.C.); (A.A.); (A.P.-P.); (A.R.-M.)
| | - Matthias Nees
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, ul. Chodzki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.K.); (A.C.); (A.A.); (A.P.-P.); (A.R.-M.)
- Western Finland Cancer Centre (FICAN West), Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, 20101 Turku, Finland
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Miralaei N, Majd A, Ghaedi K, Peymani M, Safaei M. Integrated pan-cancer of AURKA expression and drug sensitivity analysis reveals increased expression of AURKA is responsible for drug resistance. Cancer Med 2021; 10:6428-6441. [PMID: 34337875 PMCID: PMC8446408 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.4161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The AURKA gene encodes a protein kinase involved in cell cycle regulation and plays an oncogenic role in many cancers. The main objective of this study is to analyze AURKA expression in 13 common cancers and its role in prognostic and drug resistance. Method Using the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) as well as CCLE and GDSC data, the level of AURKA gene expression and its role in prognosis and its association with drug resistance were evaluated, respectively. In addition, the expression level of AURKA was assessed in colorectal cancer (CRC) and gastric cancer (GC) samples. Besides, using Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data, drugs that could affect the expression level of this gene were also identified. Results The results indicated that the expression level of AURKA gene in 13 common cancers increased significantly compared to normal samples or it survived poorly (HR >1, p < 0.01) in lung, prostate, kidney, bladder, and uterine cancers. Also, the gene expression data showed increased expression in CRC and GC samples compared to normal ones. The level of AURKA was significantly associated with the resistance to SB 505124, NU‐7441, and irinotecan drugs (p < 0.01). Eventually, GEO data showed that JQ1, actinomycin D1, and camptothecin could reduce the expression of AURKA gene in different cancer cell lines (logFC < 1, p < 0.01). Conclusion Increased expression of AURKA is observed in prevalent cancers and associated with poor prognostic and the development of drug resistance. In addition, some chemotherapy drugs can reduce the expression of this gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noushin Miralaei
- Department of Biology, Tehran North Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ahmad Majd
- Department of Biology, Tehran North Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kamran Ghaedi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Maryam Peymani
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Masoomeh Safaei
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Institute, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Das BK, Kannan A, Nguyen Q, Gogoi J, Zhao H, Gao L. Selective Inhibition of Aurora Kinase A by AK-01/LY3295668 Attenuates MCC Tumor Growth by Inducing MCC Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13153708. [PMID: 34359608 PMCID: PMC8345130 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13153708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an often-lethal skin cancer with increasing incidence and limited treatment options. Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have become the standard of care in advanced MCC, 50% of all MCC patients are ineligible for ICIs, and amongst those treated, many patients develop resistance. There is no therapeutic alternative for these patients, highlighting the urgent clinical need for alternative therapeutic strategies. Using patient-derived genetic insights and data generated in our lab, we identified aurora kinase as a promising therapeutic target for MCC. In this study, we examined the efficacy of the recently developed and highly selective AURKA inhibitor, AK-01 (LY3295668), in six patient-derived MCC cell lines and two MCC cell-line-derived xenograft mouse models. We found that AK-01 potently suppresses MCC survival through apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, particularly in MCPyV-negative MCC cells without RB expression. Despite the challenge posed by its short in vivo durability upon discontinuation, the swift and substantial tumor suppression with low toxicity makes AK-01 a strong potential candidate for MCC management, particularly in combination with existing regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhaba K. Das
- Southern California Institute for Research and Education, Long Beach, CA 90822, USA; (B.K.D.); (J.G.); (H.Z.)
- Veterans Affairs Long Beach Healthcare System, Long Beach, CA 90822, USA;
| | - Aarthi Kannan
- Veterans Affairs Long Beach Healthcare System, Long Beach, CA 90822, USA;
- Department of Dermatology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Quy Nguyen
- Genomics High Throughput Sequencing Facility, Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA;
| | - Jyoti Gogoi
- Southern California Institute for Research and Education, Long Beach, CA 90822, USA; (B.K.D.); (J.G.); (H.Z.)
| | - Haibo Zhao
- Southern California Institute for Research and Education, Long Beach, CA 90822, USA; (B.K.D.); (J.G.); (H.Z.)
- Veterans Affairs Long Beach Healthcare System, Long Beach, CA 90822, USA;
| | - Ling Gao
- Southern California Institute for Research and Education, Long Beach, CA 90822, USA; (B.K.D.); (J.G.); (H.Z.)
- Veterans Affairs Long Beach Healthcare System, Long Beach, CA 90822, USA;
- Department of Dermatology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Correspondence:
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30
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Sun S, Zhou W, Li X, Peng F, Yan M, Zhan Y, An F, Li X, Liu Y, Liu Q, Piao H. Nuclear Aurora kinase A triggers programmed death-ligand 1-mediated immune suppression by activating MYC transcription in triple-negative breast cancer. Cancer Commun (Lond) 2021; 41:851-866. [PMID: 34251762 PMCID: PMC8441052 DOI: 10.1002/cac2.12190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Increasing studies have reported that oncogenes regulate components of the immune system, suggesting that this is a mechanism for tumorigenesis. Aurora kinase A (AURKA), a serine/threonine kinase, is involved in cell mitosis and is essential for tumor cell proliferation, metastasis, and drug resistance. However, the mechanism by which AURKA is involved in immune response regulation is unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the role of AURKA in immune regulation in triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC). Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were co‐cultured with TNBC cells. The xCELLigence Real‐Time Cell Analyzer‐MP system was used to detect the killing efficiency of immune cells on TNBC cells. The expression of immune effector molecules was tested by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) to evaluate immune function. Furthermore, to validate AURKA‐regulated immune response in vivo, 4T1 murine breast cancer cell line with AURKA overexpression or downregulation was engrafted into BALB/c mice. The distribution and proportion of immune cells in tumors were further evaluated by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. Results Downregulation of AURKA in TNBC cells increased immune response by activating CD8+ T cell proliferation and activity. Nuclear rather than cytoplasmic AURKA‐derived programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) expression was independent of its kinase activity. Mechanistic investigations showed that nuclear AURKA increased PD‐L1 expression via an MYC‐dependent pathway. PD‐L1 overexpression mostly reversed AURKA silencing‐induced expression of immune effector molecules, including interleukin‐ (IL‐2), interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ), and perforin. Moreover, AURKA expression was negatively correlated with the enrichment and activity of tumor‐infiltrating CD8+ T cells in 4T1 engrafted BALB/c mouse model. Conclusions Nuclear AURKA elevated PD‐L1 expression via an MYC‐dependent pathway and contributed to immune evasion in TNBC. Therapies targeting nuclear AURKA may restore immune responses against tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shulan Sun
- Central Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Dalian Medical University Clinical Oncology College, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110042, P. R. China
| | - Wei Zhou
- Central Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Dalian Medical University Clinical Oncology College, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110042, P. R. China.,Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, 116044, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoxi Li
- Central Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Dalian Medical University Clinical Oncology College, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110042, P. R. China
| | - Fei Peng
- Central Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Dalian Medical University Clinical Oncology College, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110042, P. R. China.,Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, 116044, P. R. China
| | - Min Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Yajing Zhan
- Central Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Dalian Medical University Clinical Oncology College, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110042, P. R. China.,Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, 116044, P. R. China
| | - Fan An
- Central Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Dalian Medical University Clinical Oncology College, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110042, P. R. China.,Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, 116044, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyan Li
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and institute, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110042, P. R. China
| | - Yunyong Liu
- Department of Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110042, P. R. China
| | - Quentin Liu
- Central Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Dalian Medical University Clinical Oncology College, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110042, P. R. China.,Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, 116044, P. R. China.,State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Haozhe Piao
- Central Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Dalian Medical University Clinical Oncology College, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110042, P. R. China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110042, P. R. China
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Murakami K, Kita Y, Sakatani T, Hamada A, Mizuno K, Nakamura K, Takada H, Matsumoto K, Sano T, Goto T, Akamatsu S, Saito R, Tsuruyama T, Ogawa O, Kobayashi T. Antitumor effect of WEE1 blockade as monotherapy or in combination with cisplatin in urothelial cancer. Cancer Sci 2021; 112:3669-3681. [PMID: 34212455 PMCID: PMC8409401 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Overcoming cisplatin (CDDP) resistance is a major issue in urothelial cancer (UC), in which CDDP‐based chemotherapy is the first‐line treatment. WEE1, a G2/M checkpoint kinase, confers chemoresistance in response to genotoxic agents. However, the efficacy of WEE1 blockade in UC has not been reported. MK‐1775, a WEE1 inhibitor also known as AZD‐1775, blocked proliferation of UC cell lines in a dose‐dependent manner irrespective of TP53 status. MK‐1775 synergized with CDDP to block proliferation, inducing apoptosis and mitotic catastrophe in TP53‐mutant UC cells but not in TP53‐WT cells. Knocking down TP53 in TP53‐WT cells induced synergism of MK‐1775 and CDDP. In UMUC3 cell xenografts and two patient‐derived xenograft lines with MDM2 overexpression, in which the p53/cell cycle pathway was inactivated, AZD‐1775 combined with CDDP suppressed tumor growth inducing both M‐phase entry and apoptosis, whereas AZD‐1775 alone was as effective as the combination in RT4 cell xenografts. Drug susceptibility assay using an ex vivo cancer tissue‐originated spheroid system showed correlations with the in vivo efficacy of AZD‐1775 alone or combined with CDDP. We determined the feasibility of the drug susceptibility assay using spheroids established from UC surgical specimens obtained by transurethral resection. In conclusion, WEE1 is a promising therapeutic target in the treatment of UC, and a highly specific small molecule inhibitor is currently in early phase clinical trials for cancer. Differential antitumor efficacy of WEE1 blockade alone or combined with CDDP could exist according to p53/cell cycle pathway activity, which might be predictable using an ex vivo 3D primary culture system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaoru Murakami
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuki Kita
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Toru Sakatani
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Akihiro Hamada
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kei Mizuno
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kenji Nakamura
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hideaki Takada
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Keiyu Matsumoto
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takeshi Sano
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takayuki Goto
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shusuke Akamatsu
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ryoichi Saito
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tatsuaki Tsuruyama
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Osamu Ogawa
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takashi Kobayashi
- Department of Urology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
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van Harten AM, Brakenhoff RH. Targeted Treatment of Head and Neck (Pre)Cancer: Preclinical Target Identification and Development of Novel Therapeutic Applications. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:2774. [PMID: 34204886 PMCID: PMC8199752 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13112774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) develop in the mucosal lining of the upper-aerodigestive tract. In carcinogen-induced HNSCC, tumors emerge from premalignant mucosal changes characterized by tumor-associated genetic alterations, also coined as 'fields' that are occasionally visible as leukoplakia or erythroplakia lesions but are mostly invisible. Consequently, HNSCC is generally diagnosed de novo at more advanced stages in about 70% of new diagnosis. Despite intense multimodality treatment protocols, the overall 5-years survival rate is 50-60% for patients with advanced stage of disease and seems to have reached a plateau. Of notable concern is the lack of further improvement in prognosis despite advances in treatment. This can be attributed to the late clinical presentation, failure of advanced HNSCC to respond to treatment, the deficit of effective targeted therapies to eradicate tumors and precancerous changes, and the lack of suitable markers for screening and personalized therapy. The molecular landscape of head and neck cancer has been elucidated in great detail, but the absence of oncogenic mutations hampers the identification of druggable targets for therapy to improve outcome of HNSCC. Currently, functional genomic approaches are being explored to identify potential therapeutic targets. Identification and validation of essential genes for both HNSCC and oral premalignancies, accompanied with biomarkers for therapy response, are being investigated. Attentive diagnosis and targeted therapy of the preceding oral premalignant (preHNSCC) changes may prevent the development of tumors. As classic oncogene addiction through activating mutations is not a realistic concept for treatment of HNSCC, synthetic lethality and collateral lethality need to be exploited, next to immune therapies. In recent studies it was shown that cell cycle regulation and DNA damage response pathways become significantly altered in HNSCC causing replication stress, which is an avenue that deserves further exploitation as an HNSCC vulnerability for treatment. The focus of this review is to summarize the current literature on the preclinical identification of potential druggable targets for therapy of (pre)HNSCC, emerging from the variety of gene knockdown and knockout strategies, and the testing of targeted inhibitors. We will conclude with a future perspective on targeted therapy of HNSCC and premalignant changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne M. van Harten
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tumor Biology & Immunology Section, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; or
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Ruud H. Brakenhoff
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tumor Biology & Immunology Section, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; or
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Guo C, Gao YY, Ju QQ, Zhang CX, Gong M, Li ZL. The landscape of gene co-expression modules correlating with prognostic genetic abnormalities in AML. J Transl Med 2021; 19:228. [PMID: 34051812 PMCID: PMC8164775 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-021-02914-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The heterogenous cytogenetic and molecular variations were harbored by AML patients, some of which are related with AML pathogenesis and clinical outcomes. We aimed to uncover the intrinsic expression profiles correlating with prognostic genetic abnormalities by WGCNA. Methods We downloaded the clinical and expression dataset from BeatAML, TCGA and GEO database. Using R (version 4.0.2) and ‘WGCNA’ package, the co-expression modules correlating with the ELN2017 prognostic markers were identified (R2 ≥ 0.4, p < 0.01). ORA detected the enriched pathways for the key co-expression modules. The patients in TCGA cohort were randomly assigned into the training set (50%) and testing set (50%). The LASSO penalized regression analysis was employed to build the prediction model, fitting OS to the expression level of hub genes by ‘glmnet’ package. Then the testing and 2 independent validation sets (GSE12417 and GSE37642) were used to validate the diagnostic utility and accuracy of the model. Results A total of 37 gene co-expression modules and 973 hub genes were identified for the BeatAML cohort. We found that 3 modules were significantly correlated with genetic markers (the ‘lightyellow’ module for NPM1 mutation, the ‘saddlebrown’ module for RUNX1 mutation, the ‘lightgreen’ module for TP53 mutation). ORA revealed that the ‘lightyellow’ module was mainly enriched in DNA-binding transcription factor activity and activation of HOX genes. The ‘saddlebrown’ module was enriched in immune response process. And the ‘lightgreen’ module was predominantly enriched in mitosis cell cycle process. The LASSO- regression analysis identified 6 genes (NFKB2, NEK9, HOXA7, APRC5L, FAM30A and LOC105371592) with non-zero coefficients. The risk score generated from the 6-gene model, was associated with ELN2017 risk stratification, relapsed disease, and prior MDS history. The 5-year AUC for the model was 0.822 and 0.824 in the training and testing sets, respectively. Moreover, the diagnostic utility of the model was robust when it was employed in 2 validation sets (5-year AUC 0.743–0.79). Conclusions We established the co-expression network signature correlated with the ELN2017 recommended prognostic genetic abnormalities in AML. The 6-gene prediction model for AML survival was developed and validated by multiple datasets. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12967-021-02914-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Guo
- Department of Hematology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Yinghua East Street, Beijing, China
| | - Ya-Yue Gao
- Department of Hematology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Yinghua East Street, Beijing, China
| | - Qian-Qian Ju
- Department of Hematology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Yinghua East Street, Beijing, China
| | - Chun-Xia Zhang
- Department of Hematology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Yinghua East Street, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Gong
- Department of Hematology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Yinghua East Street, Beijing, China
| | - Zhen-Ling Li
- Department of Hematology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Yinghua East Street, Beijing, China.
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Lynch KN, Liu JF, Kesten N, Chow KH, Shetty A, He R, Afreen MF, Yuan L, Matulonis UA, Growdon WB, Muto MG, Horowitz NS, Feltmate CM, Worley MJ, Berkowitz RS, Crum CP, Rueda BR, Hill SJ. Enhanced Efficacy of Aurora Kinase Inhibitors in G2/M Checkpoint Deficient TP53 Mutant Uterine Carcinomas Is Linked to the Summation of LKB1-AKT-p53 Interactions. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13092195. [PMID: 34063609 PMCID: PMC8125555 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13092195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cancers arising from the lining of the uterus, endometrial cancers, are the most common gynecologic malignancy in the United States. Once endometrial cancer escapes the uterus and grows in distant locations, there are limited therapeutic options. The most aggressive and lethal endometrial cancers carry alterations in the protein p53, which is a critical guardian of many cellular functions. The role of these p53 alterations in endometrial cancer is not well understood. The goal of this work was to use p53 altered models of endometrial cancer to understand which, if any, therapeutically targetable vulnerabilities these p53 alterations may confer in endometrial cancer. Here we show that many of these p53 altered cells have problems with cell division which can be targeted with novel single and combination therapies. These discoveries may lead to relevant new therapies for difficult to treat advanced stage endometrial cancers. Abstract Uterine carcinoma (UC) is the most common gynecologic malignancy in the United States. TP53 mutant UCs cause a disproportionate number of deaths due to limited therapies for these tumors and the lack of mechanistic understanding of their fundamental vulnerabilities. Here we sought to understand the functional and therapeutic relevance of TP53 mutations in UC. We functionally profiled targetable TP53 dependent DNA damage repair and cell cycle control pathways in a panel of TP53 mutant UC cell lines and patient-derived organoids. There were no consistent defects in DNA damage repair pathways. Rather, most models demonstrated dependence on defective G2/M cell cycle checkpoints and subsequent upregulation of Aurora kinase-LKB1-p53-AKT signaling in the setting of baseline mitotic defects. This combination makes them sensitive to Aurora kinase inhibition. Resistant lines demonstrated an intact G2/M checkpoint, and combining Aurora kinase and WEE1 inhibitors, which then push these cells through mitosis with Aurora kinase inhibitor-induced spindle defects, led to apoptosis in these cases. Overall, this work presents Aurora kinase inhibitors alone or in combination with WEE1 inhibitors as relevant mechanism driven therapies for TP53 mutant UCs. Context specific functional assessment of the G2/M checkpoint may serve as a biomarker in identifying Aurora kinase inhibitor sensitive tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine N. Lynch
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (K.N.L.); (J.F.L.); (N.K.); (M.F.A.); (U.A.M.)
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Joyce F. Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (K.N.L.); (J.F.L.); (N.K.); (M.F.A.); (U.A.M.)
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nikolas Kesten
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (K.N.L.); (J.F.L.); (N.K.); (M.F.A.); (U.A.M.)
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kin-Hoe Chow
- Center for Patient Derived Models, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (K.-H.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Aniket Shetty
- Center for Patient Derived Models, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (K.-H.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Ruiyang He
- Department of Biochemistry, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK;
| | - Mosammat Faria Afreen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (K.N.L.); (J.F.L.); (N.K.); (M.F.A.); (U.A.M.)
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Liping Yuan
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (L.Y.); (C.P.C.)
| | - Ursula A. Matulonis
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (K.N.L.); (J.F.L.); (N.K.); (M.F.A.); (U.A.M.)
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Whitfield B. Growdon
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; (W.B.G.); (B.R.R.)
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (M.G.M.); (N.S.H.); (C.M.F.); (M.J.W.J.); (R.S.B.)
| | - Michael G. Muto
- Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (M.G.M.); (N.S.H.); (C.M.F.); (M.J.W.J.); (R.S.B.)
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Neil S. Horowitz
- Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (M.G.M.); (N.S.H.); (C.M.F.); (M.J.W.J.); (R.S.B.)
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Colleen M. Feltmate
- Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (M.G.M.); (N.S.H.); (C.M.F.); (M.J.W.J.); (R.S.B.)
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Michael J. Worley
- Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (M.G.M.); (N.S.H.); (C.M.F.); (M.J.W.J.); (R.S.B.)
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ross S. Berkowitz
- Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (M.G.M.); (N.S.H.); (C.M.F.); (M.J.W.J.); (R.S.B.)
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christopher P. Crum
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (L.Y.); (C.P.C.)
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Bo R. Rueda
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; (W.B.G.); (B.R.R.)
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (M.G.M.); (N.S.H.); (C.M.F.); (M.J.W.J.); (R.S.B.)
| | - Sarah J. Hill
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (K.N.L.); (J.F.L.); (N.K.); (M.F.A.); (U.A.M.)
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (L.Y.); (C.P.C.)
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Corresponding Author: Sarah J. Hill, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Smith 834, 450 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA 02215. Tel.: 617-272-5451; Fax: 617-582-8601; E-mail:
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Mou PK, Yang EJ, Shi C, Ren G, Tao S, Shim JS. Aurora kinase A, a synthetic lethal target for precision cancer medicine. Exp Mol Med 2021; 53:835-847. [PMID: 34050264 PMCID: PMC8178373 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-021-00635-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies and data science have facilitated the development of precision medicine to treat cancer patients. Synthetic lethality is one of the core methodologies employed in precision cancer medicine. Synthetic lethality describes the phenomenon of the interplay between two genes in which deficiency of a single gene does not abolish cell viability but combined deficiency of two genes leads to cell death. In cancer treatment, synthetic lethality is leveraged to exploit the dependency of cancer cells on a pathway that is essential for cell survival when a tumor suppressor is mutated. This approach enables pharmacological targeting of mutant tumor suppressors that are theoretically undruggable. Successful clinical introduction of BRCA-PARP synthetic lethality in cancer treatment led to additional discoveries of novel synthetic lethal partners of other tumor suppressors, including p53, PTEN, and RB1, using high-throughput screening. Recent work has highlighted aurora kinase A (AURKA) as a synthetic lethal partner of multiple tumor suppressors. AURKA is a serine/threonine kinase involved in a number of central biological processes, such as the G2/M transition, mitotic spindle assembly, and DNA replication. This review introduces synthetic lethal interactions between AURKA and its tumor suppressor partners and discusses the potential of AURKA inhibitors in precision cancer medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pui Kei Mou
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Eun Ju Yang
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Changxiang Shi
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Guowen Ren
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Shishi Tao
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Joong Sup Shim
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China.
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China.
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36
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Du R, Jiang F, Yin Y, Xu J, Li X, Hu L, Wang X. Knockdown of lncRNA X inactive specific transcript (XIST) radiosensitizes non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells through regulation of miR-16-5p/WEE1 G2 checkpoint kinase (WEE1) axis. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol 2021; 35:2058738420966087. [PMID: 33583218 PMCID: PMC7890721 DOI: 10.1177/2058738420966087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) X inactive specific transcript (XIST) is reported to play an oncogenic role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the role of XIST in regulating the radiosensitivity of NSCLC cells remains unclear. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expressions of XIST and miR-16-5p in NSCLC in tissues and cells, and Western blot was used to assess the expression of WEE1 G2 checkpoint kinase (WEE1). Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation and flow cytometry assays were used to determine cell viability and apoptosis after NSCLC cells were exposed to different doses of X-rays. The interaction between XIST and miR-16-5p was confirmed by StarBase database, qRT-PCR and dual-luciferase reporter gene assays. TargetScan database was used to predict WEE1 as a target of miR-16-5p, and their targeting relationship was further validated by Western blot, qRT-PCR and dual-luciferase reporter gene assays. XIST was highly expressed in both NSCLC tissue and cell lines, and knockdown of XIST repressed NSCLC cell viability and cell survival, and facilitated apoptosis under the irradiation. MiR-16-5p was a target of XIST, and rescue experiments demonstrated that miR-16-5p inhibitors could reverse the role of XIST knockdown on radiosensitivity in NSCLC cells. WEE1 was validated as a target gene of miR-16-5p, and WEE1 could be negatively regulated by XIST. XIST promotes the radioresistance of NSCLC cells by regulating the expressions of miR-16-5p and WEE1, which can be a novel target for NSCLC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Du
- Department of Pathology, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong, China
| | - Feng Jiang
- Department of Thoracic surgery, Liaocheng Tumor Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong, China
| | - Yanhua Yin
- Department of Pathology, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong, China
| | - Jinfen Xu
- Department of Oncology, Laigang Hospital Affiliated to Taishan Medical University, Laiwu, Shandong, China
| | - Xia Li
- Department of Oncology, Laigang Hospital Affiliated to Taishan Medical University, Laiwu, Shandong, China
| | - Likuan Hu
- Department of Radiation and Oncology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xiuyu Wang
- Department of Pathology, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong, China
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37
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Ye S, Sharipova D, Kozinova M, Klug L, D'Souza J, Belinsky MG, Johnson KJ, Einarson MB, Devarajan K, Zhou Y, Litwin S, Heinrich MC, DeMatteo R, von Mehren M, Duncan JS, Rink L. Identification of Wee1 as a target in combination with avapritinib for gastrointestinal stromal tumor treatment. JCI Insight 2021; 6:143474. [PMID: 33320833 PMCID: PMC7934848 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.143474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Management of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) has been revolutionized by the identification of activating mutations in KIT and PDGFRA and clinical application of RTK inhibitors in advanced disease. Stratification of GISTs into molecularly defined subsets provides insight into clinical behavior and response to approved targeted therapies. Although these RTK inhibitors are effective in most GISTs, resistance remains a significant clinical problem. Development of effective treatment strategies for refractory GISTs requires identification of novel targets to provide additional therapeutic options. Global kinome profiling has the potential to identify critical signaling networks and reveal protein kinases essential in GISTs. Using multiplexed inhibitor beads and mass spectrometry, we explored the majority of the kinome in GIST specimens from the 3 most common molecular subtypes (KIT mutant, PDGFRA mutant, and succinate dehydrogenase deficient) to identify kinase targets. Kinome profiling with loss-of-function assays identified an important role for G2/M tyrosine kinase, Wee1, in GIST cell survival. In vitro and in vivo studies revealed significant efficacy of MK-1775 (Wee1 inhibitor) in combination with avapritinib in KIT mutant and PDGFRA mutant GIST cell lines as well as notable efficacy of MK-1775 as a monotherapy in the engineered PDGFRA mutant line. These studies provide strong preclinical justification for the use of MK-1775 in GIST.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Ye
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Dinara Sharipova
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Marya Kozinova
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Lilli Klug
- Portland VA Health Care System and OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Jimson D'Souza
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Martin G Belinsky
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Margret B Einarson
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Karthik Devarajan
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Yan Zhou
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Samuel Litwin
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Michael C Heinrich
- Portland VA Health Care System and OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Ronald DeMatteo
- Department of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Margaret von Mehren
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Lori Rink
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Du R, Huang C, Liu K, Li X, Dong Z. Targeting AURKA in Cancer: molecular mechanisms and opportunities for Cancer therapy. Mol Cancer 2021; 20:15. [PMID: 33451333 PMCID: PMC7809767 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-020-01305-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 234] [Impact Index Per Article: 78.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aurora kinase A (AURKA) belongs to the family of serine/threonine kinases, whose activation is necessary for cell division processes via regulation of mitosis. AURKA shows significantly higher expression in cancer tissues than in normal control tissues for multiple tumor types according to the TCGA database. Activation of AURKA has been demonstrated to play an important role in a wide range of cancers, and numerous AURKA substrates have been identified. AURKA-mediated phosphorylation can regulate the functions of AURKA substrates, some of which are mitosis regulators, tumor suppressors or oncogenes. In addition, enrichment of AURKA-interacting proteins with KEGG pathway and GO analysis have demonstrated that these proteins are involved in classic oncogenic pathways. All of this evidence favors the idea of AURKA as a target for cancer therapy, and some small molecules targeting AURKA have been discovered. These AURKA inhibitors (AKIs) have been tested in preclinical studies, and some of them have been subjected to clinical trials as monotherapies or in combination with classic chemotherapy or other targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruijuan Du
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China. .,China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, No. 127, Dongming Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China.
| | - Chuntian Huang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China.,China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, No. 127, Dongming Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China
| | - Kangdong Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China.,China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, No. 127, Dongming Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China.,The Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Province for Cancer Chemoprevention, Zhengzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China. .,China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, No. 127, Dongming Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China. .,The Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Province for Cancer Chemoprevention, Zhengzhou, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
| | - Zigang Dong
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China. .,China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, No. 127, Dongming Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China. .,The Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Province for Cancer Chemoprevention, Zhengzhou, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China. .,College of medicine, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China.
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Tagal V, Roth MG. Loss of Aurora Kinase Signaling Allows Lung Cancer Cells to Adopt Endoreplication and Form Polyploid Giant Cancer Cells That Resist Antimitotic Drugs. Cancer Res 2020; 81:400-413. [PMID: 33172929 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-1693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCC) are common in tumors and have been associated with resistance to cancer therapy, tumor relapse, malignancy, immunosuppression, metastasis, cancer stem cell production, and modulation of the tumor microenvironment. However, the molecular mechanisms that cause these cells to form are not yet known. In this study, we discover that Aurora kinases are synergistic determinants of a switch from the proliferative cell cycle to polyploid growth and multinucleation in lung cancer cell lines. When Aurora kinases were inhibited together, lung cancer cells uniformly grew into multinucleated PGCCs. These cells adopted an endoreplication in which the genome replicates, mitosis is omitted, and cells grow in size. Consequently, such cells continued to safely grow in the presence of antimitotic agents. These PGCC re-entered the proliferative cell cycle and grew in cell number when treatment was terminated. Thus, PGCC formation might represent a fundamental cellular response to Aurora kinase inhibitors and contributes to therapy resistance or tumor relapse. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings provide a novel insight about how cancer cells respond to Aurora kinase inhibitors and identify a new mechanism responsible for resistance to these agents and other antimitotic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vural Tagal
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
| | - Michael G Roth
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.,Harold Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
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Zhu G, Pan C, Bei JX, Li B, Liang C, Xu Y, Fu X. Mutant p53 in Cancer Progression and Targeted Therapies. Front Oncol 2020; 10:595187. [PMID: 33240819 PMCID: PMC7677253 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.595187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
TP53 is the most frequently mutated tumor suppressor gene in human cancer. The majority of mutations of p53 are missense mutations, leading to the expression of the full length p53 mutant proteins. Mutant p53 (Mutp53) proteins not only lose wild-type p53-dependent tumor suppressive functions, but also frequently acquire oncogenic gain-of-functions (GOF) that promote tumorigenesis. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in our understanding of the oncogenic GOF of mutp53 and the potential therapies targeting mutp53 in human cancers. In particular, we discuss the promising drugs that are currently under clinical trials as well as the emerging therapeutic strategies, including CRISPR/Cas9 based genome edition of mutant TP53 allele, small peptide mediated restoration of wild-type p53 function, and immunotherapies that directly eliminate mutp53 expressing tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaoyang Zhu
- Postdoctoral Research Center, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People's Hospital of Shunde), Foshan, China
| | - Chaoyun Pan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jin-Xin Bei
- Department of Experimental Research, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chen Liang
- Shenzhen International Institute for Biomedical Research, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yang Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China.,Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Xuemei Fu
- Department of Pediatrics, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
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Synthetic lethality of RB1 and aurora A is driven by stathmin-mediated disruption of microtubule dynamics. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5105. [PMID: 33037191 PMCID: PMC7547687 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18872-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
RB1 mutational inactivation is a cancer driver in various types of cancer including lung cancer, making it an important target for therapeutic exploitation. We performed chemical and genetic vulnerability screens in RB1-isogenic lung cancer pair and herein report that aurora kinase A (AURKA) inhibition is synthetic lethal in RB1-deficient lung cancer. Mechanistically, RB1−/− cells show unbalanced microtubule dynamics through E2F-mediated upregulation of the microtubule destabilizer stathmin and are hypersensitive to agents targeting microtubule stability. Inhibition of AURKA activity activates stathmin function via reduced phosphorylation and facilitates microtubule destabilization in RB1−/− cells, heavily impacting the bipolar spindle formation and inducing mitotic cell death selectively in RB1−/− cells. This study shows that stathmin-mediated disruption of microtubule dynamics is critical to induce synthetic lethality in RB1-deficient cancer and suggests that upstream factors regulating microtubule dynamics, such as AURKA, can be potential therapeutic targets in RB1-deficient cancer. Retinoblastoma susceptibility gene (RB1) is frequently mutated in lung cancers. Here the authors perform chemical and genetic vulnerability screens and identify aurora A kinase (AURKA) as a synthetic lethal candidate for RB1-deficient lung cancer cells and that AURKA inhibition sensitizes these cells to mitotic cell death.
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Pharmacological Inhibition of WEE1 Potentiates the Antitumoral Effect of the dl922-947 Oncolytic Virus in Malignant Mesothelioma Cell Lines. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21197333. [PMID: 33020398 PMCID: PMC7582744 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a very aggressive asbestos-related cancer, for which no therapy proves to be effective. We have recently shown that the oncolytic adenovirus dl922-947 had antitumor effects in MM cell lines and murine xenografts. Previous studies demonstrated that dl922-947-induced host cell cycle checkpoint deregulation and consequent DNA lesions associated with the virus efficacy. However, the cellular DNA damage response (DDR) can counteract this virus action. Therefore, we assessed whether AZD1775, an inhibitor of the G2/M DNA damage checkpoint kinase WEE1, could enhance MM cell sensitivity to dl922-947. Through cell viability assays, we found that AZD1775 synergized with dl922-947 selectively in MM cell lines and increased dl922-947-induced cell death, which showed hallmarks of apoptosis (annexinV-positivity, caspase-dependency, BCL-XL decrease, chromatin condensation). Predictably, dl922-947 and/or AZD1775 activated the DDR, as indicated by increased levels of three main DDR players: phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX), phospho-replication protein A (RPA)32, phospho-checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1). Dl922-947 also increased inactive Tyr-15-phosphorylated cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1), a key WEE1 substrate, which is indicative of G2/M checkpoint activation. This increase in phospho-CDK1 was effectively suppressed by AZD1775, thus suggesting that this compound could, indeed, abrogate the dl922-947-induced DNA damage checkpoint in MM cells. Overall, our data suggest that the dl922-947-AZD1775 combination could be a feasible strategy against MM.
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Ghelli Luserna di Rorà A, Cerchione C, Martinelli G, Simonetti G. A WEE1 family business: regulation of mitosis, cancer progression, and therapeutic target. J Hematol Oncol 2020; 13:126. [PMID: 32958072 PMCID: PMC7507691 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-020-00959-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The inhibition of the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway in the treatment of cancer has recently gained interest, and different DDR inhibitors have been developed. Among them, the most promising ones target the WEE1 kinase family, which has a crucial role in cell cycle regulation and DNA damage identification and repair in both nonmalignant and cancer cells. This review recapitulates and discusses the most recent findings on the biological function of WEE1/PKMYT1 during the cell cycle and in the DNA damage repair, with a focus on their dual role as tumor suppressors in nonmalignant cells and pseudo-oncogenes in cancer cells. We here report the available data on the molecular and functional alterations of WEE1/PKMYT1 kinases in both hematological and solid tumors. Moreover, we summarize the preclinical information on 36 chemo/radiotherapy agents, and in particular their effect on cell cycle checkpoints and on the cellular WEE1/PKMYT1-dependent response. Finally, this review outlines the most important pre-clinical and clinical data available on the efficacy of WEE1/PKMYT1 inhibitors in monotherapy and in combination with chemo/radiotherapy agents or with other selective inhibitors currently used or under evaluation for the treatment of cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ghelli Luserna di Rorà
- Biosciences Laboratory (Onco-hematology Unit), Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST) IRCCS, Via P. Maroncelli 40, 47014, Meldola, FC, Italy
| | - Claudio Cerchione
- Biosciences Laboratory (Onco-hematology Unit), Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST) IRCCS, Via P. Maroncelli 40, 47014, Meldola, FC, Italy
| | - Giovanni Martinelli
- Biosciences Laboratory (Onco-hematology Unit), Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST) IRCCS, Via P. Maroncelli 40, 47014, Meldola, FC, Italy
| | - Giorgia Simonetti
- Biosciences Laboratory (Onco-hematology Unit), Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST) IRCCS, Via P. Maroncelli 40, 47014, Meldola, FC, Italy.
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Gamez ME, Blakaj A, Zoller W, Bonomi M, Blakaj DM. Emerging Concepts and Novel Strategies in Radiation Therapy for Laryngeal Cancer Management. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12061651. [PMID: 32580375 PMCID: PMC7352689 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12061651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common head and neck cancer. Its pathogenesis is strongly associated with smoking. The management of this disease is challenging and mandates multidisciplinary care. Currently, accepted treatment modalities include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy—all focused on improving survival while preserving organ function. Despite changes in smoking patterns resulting in a declining incidence of laryngeal cancer, the overall outcomes for this disease have not improved in the recent past, likely due to changes in treatment patterns and treatment-related toxicities. Here, we review emerging concepts and novel strategies in the use of radiation therapy in the management of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma that could improve the relationship between tumor control and normal tissue damage (therapeutic ratio).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio E. Gamez
- Division of Radiation Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (W.Z.); (D.M.B.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Adriana Blakaj
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale School of Medicine, 35 Park St., New Haven, CT 06519, USA;
| | - Wesley Zoller
- Division of Radiation Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (W.Z.); (D.M.B.)
| | - Marcelo Bonomi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 320 West 10th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
| | - Dukagjin M. Blakaj
- Division of Radiation Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (W.Z.); (D.M.B.)
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Pitts TM, Simmons DM, Bagby SM, Hartman SJ, Yacob BW, Gittleman B, Tentler JJ, Cittelly D, Ormond DR, Messersmith WA, Eckhardt SG, Diamond JR. Wee1 Inhibition Enhances the Anti-Tumor Effects of Capecitabine in Preclinical Models of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12030719. [PMID: 32204315 PMCID: PMC7140086 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12030719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [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: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype defined by lack of hormone receptor expression and non-amplified HER2. Adavosertib (AZD1775) is a potent, small-molecule, ATP-competitive inhibitor of the Wee1 kinase that potentiates the activity of many DNA-damaging chemotherapeutics and is currently in clinical development for multiple indications. The purpose of this study was to investigate the combination of AZD1775 and capecitabine/5FU in preclinical TNBC models. TNBC cell lines were treated with AZD1775 and 5FU and cellular proliferation was assessed in real-time using IncuCyte® Live Cell Analysis. Apoptosis was assessed via the Caspase-Glo 3/7 assay system. Western blotting was used to assess changes in expression of downstream effectors. TNBC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models were treated with AZD1775, capecitabine, or the combination and assessed for tumor growth inhibition. From the initial PDX screen, two of the four TNBC PDX models demonstrated a better response in the combination treatment than either of the single agents. As confirmation, two PDX models were expanded for statistical comparison. Both PDX models demonstrated a significant growth inhibition in the combination versus either of the single agents. (TNBC012, p < 0.05 combo vs. adavosertib or capecitabine, TNBC013, p < 0.01 combo vs. adavosertib or capecitabine.) An enhanced anti-proliferative effect was observed in the adavosertib/5FU combination treatment as measured by live cell analysis. An increase in apoptosis was observed in two of the four cell lines in the combination when compared to single-agent treatment. Treatment with adavosertib as a single agent resulted in a decrease in p-CDC2 in a dose-dependent manner that was also observed in the combination treatment. An increase in γH2AX in two of the four cell lines tested was also observed. No significant changes were observed in Bcl-xL following treatment in any of the cell lines. The combination of adavosertib and capecitabine/5FU demonstrated enhanced combination effects both in vitro and in vivo in preclinical models of TNBC. These results support the clinical investigation of this combination in patients with TNBC, including those with brain metastasis given the CNS penetration of both agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd M. Pitts
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 E 17th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (D.M.S.); (S.M.B.); (S.J.H.); (B.W.Y.); (B.G.); (J.J.T.); (W.A.M.); (J.R.D.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Dennis M. Simmons
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 E 17th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (D.M.S.); (S.M.B.); (S.J.H.); (B.W.Y.); (B.G.); (J.J.T.); (W.A.M.); (J.R.D.)
| | - Stacey M. Bagby
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 E 17th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (D.M.S.); (S.M.B.); (S.J.H.); (B.W.Y.); (B.G.); (J.J.T.); (W.A.M.); (J.R.D.)
| | - Sarah J. Hartman
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 E 17th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (D.M.S.); (S.M.B.); (S.J.H.); (B.W.Y.); (B.G.); (J.J.T.); (W.A.M.); (J.R.D.)
| | - Betelehem W. Yacob
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 E 17th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (D.M.S.); (S.M.B.); (S.J.H.); (B.W.Y.); (B.G.); (J.J.T.); (W.A.M.); (J.R.D.)
| | - Brian Gittleman
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 E 17th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (D.M.S.); (S.M.B.); (S.J.H.); (B.W.Y.); (B.G.); (J.J.T.); (W.A.M.); (J.R.D.)
| | - John J. Tentler
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 E 17th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (D.M.S.); (S.M.B.); (S.J.H.); (B.W.Y.); (B.G.); (J.J.T.); (W.A.M.); (J.R.D.)
| | - Diana Cittelly
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 E 17th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, USA;
| | - D. Ryan Ormond
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 E 17th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, USA;
| | - Wells A. Messersmith
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 E 17th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (D.M.S.); (S.M.B.); (S.J.H.); (B.W.Y.); (B.G.); (J.J.T.); (W.A.M.); (J.R.D.)
| | - S. Gail Eckhardt
- Dell Medical School, Department of Oncology, The University of Texas Austin, 1701 Trinity Street, Austin, TX 78712, USA;
| | - Jennifer R. Diamond
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 E 17th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (D.M.S.); (S.M.B.); (S.J.H.); (B.W.Y.); (B.G.); (J.J.T.); (W.A.M.); (J.R.D.)
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Deneka AY, Einarson MB, Bennett J, Nikonova AS, Elmekawy M, Zhou Y, Lee JW, Burtness BA, Golemis EA. Synthetic Lethal Targeting of Mitotic Checkpoints in HPV-Negative Head and Neck Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12020306. [PMID: 32012873 PMCID: PMC7072436 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12020306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) affect more than 800,000 people annually worldwide, causing over 15,000 deaths in the US. Among HNSCC cancers, human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative HNSCC has the worst outcome, motivating efforts to improve therapy for this disease. The most common mutational events in HPV-negative HNSCC are inactivation of the tumor suppressors TP53 (>85%) and CDKN2A (>57%), which significantly impairs G1/S checkpoints, causing reliance on other cell cycle checkpoints to repair ongoing replication damage. We evaluated a panel of cell cycle-targeting clinical agents in a group of HNSCC cell lines to identify a subset of drugs with single-agent activity in reducing cell viability. Subsequent analyses demonstrated potent combination activity between the CHK1/2 inhibitor LY2606268 (prexasertib), which eliminates a G2 checkpoint, and the WEE1 inhibitor AZD1775 (adavosertib), which promotes M-phase entry, in induction of DNA damage, mitotic catastrophe, and apoptosis, and reduction of anchorage independent growth and clonogenic capacity. These phenotypes were accompanied by more significantly reduced activation of CHK1 and its paralog CHK2, and enhanced CDK1 activation, eliminating breaks on the mitotic entry of cells with DNA damage. These data suggest the potential value of dual inhibition of CHK1 and WEE1 in tumors with compromised G1/S checkpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Y. Deneka
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA; (A.Y.D.); (M.B.E.); (J.B.); (A.S.N.); (M.E.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kazan Federal University, 420000 Kazan, Russia
| | - Margret B. Einarson
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA; (A.Y.D.); (M.B.E.); (J.B.); (A.S.N.); (M.E.)
| | - John Bennett
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA; (A.Y.D.); (M.B.E.); (J.B.); (A.S.N.); (M.E.)
- Department of Biology, Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia, PA 19118, USA
| | - Anna S. Nikonova
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA; (A.Y.D.); (M.B.E.); (J.B.); (A.S.N.); (M.E.)
| | - Mohamed Elmekawy
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA; (A.Y.D.); (M.B.E.); (J.B.); (A.S.N.); (M.E.)
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Yan Zhou
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA;
| | - Jong Woo Lee
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine and Yale Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; (J.W.L.); (B.A.B.)
| | - Barbara A. Burtness
- Section of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine and Yale Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; (J.W.L.); (B.A.B.)
| | - Erica A. Golemis
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA; (A.Y.D.); (M.B.E.); (J.B.); (A.S.N.); (M.E.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-215-728-2860
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Abstract
Immunohistochemistry (IHC), also known as immunohistochemical staining, is an immune morphological analysis. It is a process of selectively identifying antigens (proteins) by antibodies in cells or tissue sections. This chapter introduces the procedure and application of immunohistochemistry. Although immunohistochemistry has a vast application in basic and clinical studies, this chapter focuses on its application in biomarker study, particularly in biomarkers that related to cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and drug development. Detail protocol of immunohistochemistry in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue sections is included.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aihua Li
- Epitomics-An Abcam Company, Burlingame, CA, USA.
| | - Dong-Hua Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY, USA.
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Bi S, Wei Q, Zhao Z, Chen L, Wang C, Xie S. Wee1 Inhibitor AZD1775 Effectively Inhibits the Malignant Phenotypes of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Vitro and In Vivo. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:864. [PMID: 31427973 PMCID: PMC6688135 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a common malignant diagnosed cancer with increasing incidence rate and few treatment options. As a specific small-molecule inhibitor of the Wee1 tyrosine kinase, AZD1775 has previously shown potent antitumor effect on multiple types of cancer in various preclinical studies and clinical trials. However, the expression of Wee1 and the role of AZD1775 in ESCC remain unclear. In the present study, we found that the expression of Wee1 was much higher in ESCC cell lines and clinical samples than that of the corresponding controls. In addition, we demonstrated that AZD1775 exhibited strong inhibitory effect against Wee1 kinase in both tested ESCC cells at nanomolar concentrations. Moreover, AZD1775 effectively suppressed ESCC cell growth and triggered apoptosis via the mitochondrial-dependent signaling pathway. AZD1775 also diminished cell migration and invasion as well as the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Interestingly, knockdown of Wee1 displayed a similar inhibitory effect of AZD1775 on ESCC cells. In addition, there was a synergism between AZD1775 and 5-fluorouracil or cisplatin in inducing cell death. More importantly, the in vivo experiments also demonstrated that AZD1775 potently inhibited ESCC cell growth and metastasis. In summary, our data suggest that the Wee1 inhibitor AZD1775 may be a potential therapeutic agent and warrants a clinical trial for patients with ESCC, even those with metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuning Bi
- Institute of Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Qiuren Wei
- Institute of Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Zhijun Zhao
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Luohe Medical College, Luohe, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Institute of Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Chaojie Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine and Immuno-Engineering, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Songqiang Xie
- Institute of Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
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Yang H, Jin X, Dan H, Chen Q. Histone modifications in oral squamous cell carcinoma and oral potentially malignant disorders. Oral Dis 2019; 26:719-732. [PMID: 31056829 DOI: 10.1111/odi.13115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Huamei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Medicine of Carcinogenesis and Management West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University Chengdu China
| | - Xin Jin
- College of Stomatology Chongqing Medical University Chongqing China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences Chongqing China
| | - Hongxia Dan
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Medicine of Carcinogenesis and Management West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University Chengdu China
| | - Qianming Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Medicine of Carcinogenesis and Management West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University Chengdu China
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