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Choo N, Keerthikumar S, Ramm S, Ashikari D, Teng L, Niranjan B, Hedwards S, Porter LH, Goode DL, Simpson KJ, Taylor RA, Risbridger GP, Lawrence MG. Co-targeting BET, CBP, and p300 inhibits neuroendocrine signalling in androgen receptor-null prostate cancer. J Pathol 2024; 263:242-256. [PMID: 38578195 DOI: 10.1002/path.6280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
There are diverse phenotypes of castration-resistant prostate cancer, including neuroendocrine disease, that vary in their sensitivity to drug treatment. The efficacy of BET and CBP/p300 inhibitors in prostate cancer is attributed, at least in part, to their ability to decrease androgen receptor (AR) signalling. However, the activity of BET and CBP/p300 inhibitors in prostate cancers that lack the AR is unclear. In this study, we showed that BRD4, CBP, and p300 were co-expressed in AR-positive and AR-null prostate cancer. A combined inhibitor of these three proteins, NEO2734, reduced the growth of both AR-positive and AR-null organoids, as measured by changes in viability, size, and composition. NEO2734 treatment caused consistent transcriptional downregulation of cell cycle pathways. In neuroendocrine models, NEO2734 treatment reduced ASCL1 levels and other neuroendocrine markers, and reduced tumour growth in vivo. Collectively, these results show that epigenome-targeted inhibitors cause decreased growth and phenotype-dependent disruption of lineage regulators in neuroendocrine prostate cancer, warranting further development of compounds with this activity in the clinic. © 2024 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Choo
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shivakumar Keerthikumar
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Susanne Ramm
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Daisaku Ashikari
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Linda Teng
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Birunthi Niranjan
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shelley Hedwards
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Laura H Porter
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - David L Goode
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Computational Cancer Biology Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kaylene J Simpson
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Renea A Taylor
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Physiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Cabrini Institute, Cabrini Health, Malvern, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gail P Risbridger
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Cabrini Institute, Cabrini Health, Malvern, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mitchell G Lawrence
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Cabrini Institute, Cabrini Health, Malvern, Victoria, Australia
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Howard GC, Wang J, Rose KL, Jones C, Patel P, Tsui T, Florian AC, Vlach L, Lorey SL, Grieb BC, Smith BN, Slota MJ, Reynolds EM, Goswami S, Savona MR, Mason FM, Lee T, Fesik S, Liu Q, Tansey WP. Ribosome subunit attrition and activation of the p53-MDM4 axis dominate the response of MLL-rearranged cancer cells to WDR5 WIN site inhibition. eLife 2024; 12:RP90683. [PMID: 38682900 PMCID: PMC11057873 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The chromatin-associated protein WD Repeat Domain 5 (WDR5) is a promising target for cancer drug discovery, with most efforts blocking an arginine-binding cavity on the protein called the 'WIN' site that tethers WDR5 to chromatin. WIN site inhibitors (WINi) are active against multiple cancer cell types in vitro, the most notable of which are those derived from MLL-rearranged (MLLr) leukemias. Peptidomimetic WINi were originally proposed to inhibit MLLr cells via dysregulation of genes connected to hematopoietic stem cell expansion. Our discovery and interrogation of small-molecule WINi, however, revealed that they act in MLLr cell lines to suppress ribosome protein gene (RPG) transcription, induce nucleolar stress, and activate p53. Because there is no precedent for an anticancer strategy that specifically targets RPG expression, we took an integrated multi-omics approach to further interrogate the mechanism of action of WINi in human MLLr cancer cells. We show that WINi induce depletion of the stock of ribosomes, accompanied by a broad yet modest translational choke and changes in alternative mRNA splicing that inactivate the p53 antagonist MDM4. We also show that WINi are synergistic with agents including venetoclax and BET-bromodomain inhibitors. Together, these studies reinforce the concept that WINi are a novel type of ribosome-directed anticancer therapy and provide a resource to support their clinical implementation in MLLr leukemias and other malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Caleb Howard
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleUnited States
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleUnited States
- Center for Quantitative Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleUnited States
| | - Kristie L Rose
- Mass Spectrometry Research Center, Vanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleUnited States
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleUnited States
| | - Camden Jones
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleUnited States
| | - Purvi Patel
- Mass Spectrometry Research Center, Vanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleUnited States
| | - Tina Tsui
- Mass Spectrometry Research Center, Vanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleUnited States
| | - Andrea C Florian
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleUnited States
| | - Logan Vlach
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleUnited States
| | - Shelly L Lorey
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleUnited States
| | - Brian C Grieb
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleUnited States
| | - Brianna N Smith
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleUnited States
| | - Macey J Slota
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleUnited States
| | - Elizabeth M Reynolds
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleUnited States
| | - Soumita Goswami
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleUnited States
| | - Michael R Savona
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleUnited States
| | - Frank M Mason
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleUnited States
| | - Taekyu Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleUnited States
| | - Stephen Fesik
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleUnited States
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleUnited States
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleUnited States
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleUnited States
- Center for Quantitative Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashvilleUnited States
| | - William P Tansey
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleUnited States
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleUnited States
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3
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Gasimli K, Raab M, Mandal R, Krämer A, Peña-Llopis S, Tahmasbi Rad M, Becker S, Strebhardt K, Sanhaji M. Synergistic Sensitization of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Cells Lacking Caspase-8 Expression to Chemotherapeutics Using Combinations of Small-Molecule BRD4 and CDK9 Inhibitors. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 16:107. [PMID: 38201534 PMCID: PMC10778249 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16010107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal gynecological cancers worldwide, with approximately 70% of cases diagnosed in advanced stages. This late diagnosis results from the absence of early warning symptoms and is associated with an unfavorable prognosis. A standard treatment entails a combination of primary chemotherapy with platinum and taxane agents. Tumor recurrence following first-line chemotherapy with Carboplatin and Paclitaxel is detected in 80% of advanced ovarian cancer patients, with disease relapse occurring within 2 years of initial treatment. Platinum-resistant ovarian cancer is one of the biggest challenges in treating patients. Second-line treatments involve PARP or VEGF inhibitors. Identifying novel biomarkers and resistance mechanisms is critical to overcoming resistance, developing newer treatment strategies, and improving patient survival. In this study, we have determined that low Caspase-8 expression in ovarian cancer patients leads to poor prognosis. High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer (HGSOC) cells lacking Caspase-8 expression showed an altered composition of the RNA Polymerase II-containing transcriptional elongation complex leading to increased transcriptional activity. Caspase-8 knockout cells display increased BRD4 expression and CDK9 activity and reduced sensitivities to Carboplatin and Paclitaxel. Based on our work, we are proposing three potential therapeutic approaches to treat advanced ovarian cancer patients who exhibit low Caspase-8 expression and resistance to Carboplatin and/or Paclitaxel-combinations of (1) Carboplatin with small-molecule BRD4 inhibitors; (2) Paclitaxel with small-molecule BRD4 inhibitors, and (3) small-molecule BRD4 and CDK9 inhibitors. In addition, we are also proposing two predictive markers of chemoresistance-BRD4 and pCDK9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khayal Gasimli
- Department of Gynecology, University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (K.G.); (M.R.); (R.M.); (A.K.)
| | - Monika Raab
- Department of Gynecology, University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (K.G.); (M.R.); (R.M.); (A.K.)
| | - Ranadip Mandal
- Department of Gynecology, University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (K.G.); (M.R.); (R.M.); (A.K.)
| | - Andrea Krämer
- Department of Gynecology, University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (K.G.); (M.R.); (R.M.); (A.K.)
| | - Samuel Peña-Llopis
- Translational Genomics, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany;
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 45147 Essen, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Morva Tahmasbi Rad
- Department of Gynecology, University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (K.G.); (M.R.); (R.M.); (A.K.)
| | - Sven Becker
- Department of Gynecology, University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (K.G.); (M.R.); (R.M.); (A.K.)
| | - Klaus Strebhardt
- Department of Gynecology, University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (K.G.); (M.R.); (R.M.); (A.K.)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mourad Sanhaji
- Department of Gynecology, University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (K.G.); (M.R.); (R.M.); (A.K.)
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Ma T, Chen Y, Yi ZG, Li YH, Bai J, Li LJ, Zhang LS. BET in hematologic tumors: Immunity, pathogenesis, clinical trials and drug combinations. Genes Dis 2023; 10:2306-2319. [PMID: 37554207 PMCID: PMC10404881 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2022.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) proteins act as "readers" for lysine acetylation and facilitate the recruitment of transcriptional elongation complexes. BET protein is associated with transcriptional elongation of genes such as c-MYC and BCL-2, and is involved in the regulation of cell cycle and apoptosis. Meanwhile, BET inhibitors (BETi) have regulatory effects on immune checkpoints, immune cells, and cytokine expression. The role of BET proteins and BETi in a variety of tumors has been studied. This paper reviews the recent research progress of BET and BETi in hematologic tumors (mainly leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma) from cellular level studies, animal studies, clinical trials, drug combination, etc. BETi has a promising future in hematologic tumors, and future research directions may focus on the combination with other drugs to improve the efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Ma
- Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
- Department of Hematology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Zhi-Gang Yi
- Department of Hematology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Yan-Hong Li
- Department of Hematology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Jun Bai
- Department of Hematology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Li-Juan Li
- Department of Hematology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Lian-Sheng Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
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5
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Hamilton EP, Wang JS, Oza AM, Patel MR, Ulahannan SV, Bauer T, Karlix JL, Zeron-Medina J, Fabbri G, Marco-Casanova P, Moorthy G, Hattersley MM, Littlewood GM, Mitchell P, Saeh J, Pouliot GP, Moore KN. First-in-human Study of AZD5153, A Small-molecule Inhibitor of Bromodomain Protein 4, in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Malignant Solid Tumors and Lymphoma. Mol Cancer Ther 2023; 22:1154-1165. [PMID: 37486983 PMCID: PMC10544002 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-23-0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
AZD5153, a reversible, bivalent inhibitor of the bromodomain and extraterminal family protein BRD4, has preclinical activity in multiple tumors. This first-in-human, phase I study investigated AZD5153 alone or with olaparib in patients with relapsed/refractory solid tumors or lymphoma. Adults with relapsed tumors intolerant of, or refractory to, prior therapies received escalating doses of oral AZD5153 once daily or twice daily continuously (21-day cycles), or AZD5153 once daily/twice daily continuously or intermittently plus olaparib 300 mg twice daily, until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Between June 30, 2017 and April 19, 2021, 34 patients received monotherapy and 15 received combination therapy. Dose-limiting toxicities were thrombocytopenia/platelet count decreased (n = 4/n = 2) and diarrhea (n = 1). The recommended phase II doses (RP2D) were AZD5153 30 mg once daily or 15 mg twice daily (monotherapy) and 10 mg once daily (intermittent schedule) with olaparib. With AZD5153 monotherapy, common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAE) included fatigue (38.2%), thrombocytopenia, and diarrhea (each 32.4%); common grade ≥ 3 TEAEs were thrombocytopenia (14.7%) and anemia (8.8%). With the combination, common TEAEs included nausea (66.7%) and fatigue (53.3%); the most common grade ≥ 3 TEAE was thrombocytopenia (26.7%). AZD5153 had dose-dependent pharmacokinetics, with minimal accumulation, and demonstrated dose-dependent modulation of peripheral biomarkers, including upregulation of HEXIM1. One patient with metastatic pancreatic cancer receiving combination treatment had a partial response lasting 4.2 months. These results show AZD5153 was tolerable as monotherapy and in combination at the RP2Ds; common toxicities were fatigue, hematologic AEs, and gastrointestinal AEs. Strong evidence of peripheral target engagement was observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika P. Hamilton
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute/Tennessee Oncology, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Judy S. Wang
- Florida Cancer Specialists/Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Sarasota, Florida
| | - Amit M. Oza
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre/University Health Network/Sinai Health Systems, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Manish R. Patel
- Florida Cancer Specialists/Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Sarasota, Florida
| | - Susanna V. Ulahannan
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute/Tennessee Oncology, Nashville, Tennessee
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Todd Bauer
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute/Tennessee Oncology, Nashville, Tennessee
| | | | | | | | | | - Ganesh Moorthy
- Clinical Pharmacology and Quantitative Pharmacology, R&D, AstraZeneca, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | | | | | - Jamal Saeh
- Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Waltham, Massachusetts
| | | | - Kathleen N. Moore
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute/Tennessee Oncology, Nashville, Tennessee
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
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Schöffski P, Machiels JP, Rottey S, Sadrolhefazi B, Musa H, Marzin K, Awada A. Phase Ia dose-escalation trial with the BET protein inhibitor BI 894999 in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumours. Eur J Cancer 2023; 191:112987. [PMID: 37556913 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2023.112987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) inhibitors have demonstrated efficacy in solid tumours and haematological malignancies. BI 894999 is a novel oral BET inhibitor that has demonstrated potent antitumour activity in preclinical studies. PATIENTS AND METHODS 1367.1 was an open-label, Phase Ia/Ib dose-finding study evaluating BI 894999 once daily in patients with advanced solid tumours (Schedule A: 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 5.0 mg, Days 1-21/21-d cycle; Schedule B: 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 mg, Days 1-15/21-d cycle; Schedule C: loading dose 5.0, 6.0, or 7.0 mg on Day 1 followed by maintenance dose 2.5, 3.0, or 3.5 mg, Days 2-7 and 15-21/28-d cycle); 77 patients were enrolled. NCT02516553. RESULTS Grade ≥3 dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were reported in 8/21, 5/25, and 9/31 patients for Schedules A, B, and C, respectively. Thrombocytopenia was reported as a DLT in 28.6%, 4.8%, and 9.7% for Schedules A, B, and C, respectively. Other DLTs occurring in ≥1 patient were troponin T increase (13.6%), hypophosphataemia (4.5%), and elevated creatine phosphokinase (3.0%). Disease control was achieved in 23.8%, 24.0%, and 29.0% of patients for Schedules A, B, and C, respectively. A partial response was achieved in 9.5% and 4% of patients with Schedules A and B, respectively. The best response with Schedule C was stable disease. CONCLUSION The 1.5, 2.5, and 6.0/3.0 mg doses in Schedules A, B, and C, respectively, were declared as maximum tolerated dose. Based on the strength of these data, BI 894999 was further evaluated in a Phase Ib trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Schöffski
- Department of General Medical Oncology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven Cancer Institute, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Jean-Pascal Machiels
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Roi Albert II, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, and Institute for Experimental and Clinical Research (IREC, pôle MIRO), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sylvie Rottey
- Department of Medical Oncology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Hanny Musa
- Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany
| | - Kristell Marzin
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | - Ahmad Awada
- Oncology Medicine Department, Jules Bordet Institute, Brussels, Belgium
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7
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Jeong S, Kim HR, Shin JH, Son MH, Lee IH, Roe JS. Streamlined DNA-encoded small molecule library screening and validation for the discovery of novel chemotypes targeting BET proteins. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids 2023; 32:637-649. [PMID: 37207130 PMCID: PMC10189352 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Targeting aberrant epigenetic programs that drive tumorigenesis is a promising approach to cancer therapy. DNA-encoded library (DEL) screening is a core platform technology increasingly used to identify drugs that bind to protein targets. Here, we use DEL screening against bromodomain and extra-terminal motif (BET) proteins to identify inhibitors with new chemotypes, and successfully identified BBC1115 as a selective BET inhibitor. While BBC1115 does not structurally resemble OTX-015, a clinically active pan-BET inhibitor, our intensive biological characterization revealed that BBC1115 binds to BET proteins, including BRD4, and suppresses aberrant cell fate programs. Phenotypically, BBC1115-mediated BET inhibition impaired proliferation in acute myeloid leukemia, pancreatic, colorectal, and ovarian cancer cells in vitro. Moreover, intravenous administration of BBC1115 inhibited subcutaneous tumor xenograft growth with minimal toxicity and favorable pharmacokinetic properties in vivo. Since epigenetic regulations are ubiquitously distributed across normal and malignant cells, it will be critical to evaluate if BBC1115 affects normal cell function. Nonetheless, our study shows integrating DEL-based small-molecule compound screening and multi-step biological validation represents a reliable strategy to discover new chemotypes with selectivity, efficacy, and safety profiles for targeting proteins involved in epigenetic regulation in human malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seoyeon Jeong
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hwa-Ryeon Kim
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - June-Ha Shin
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | | | | | - Jae-Seok Roe
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
- Corresponding author: Jae-Seok Roe, PhD, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
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8
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Moreno V, Manuel Sepúlveda J, Reardon DA, Pérez-Núñez Á, González León P, Hanna B, Filvaroff E, Aronchik I, Chang H, Amoroso B, Zuraek M, Sanchez-Perez T, Mendez C, Stephens D, Nikolova Z, Vogelbaum MA. Trotabresib, an oral potent bromodomain and extraterminal inhibitor, in patients with high-grade gliomas: A phase I, "window-of-opportunity" study. Neuro Oncol 2023; 25:1113-1122. [PMID: 36455228 PMCID: PMC10237409 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noac263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The bromodomain and extraterminal protein (BET) inhibitor trotabresib has demonstrated antitumor activity in patients with advanced solid tumors, including high-grade gliomas. CC-90010-GBM-001 (NCT04047303) is a phase I study investigating the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and CNS penetration of trotabresib in patients with recurrent high-grade gliomas scheduled for salvage resection. METHODS Patients received trotabresib 30 mg/day on days 1-4 before surgery, followed by maintenance trotabresib 45 mg/day 4 days on/24 days off after surgery. Primary endpoints were plasma pharmacokinetics and trotabresib concentrations in resected tissue. Secondary and exploratory endpoints included safety, pharmacodynamics, and antitumor activity. RESULTS Twenty patients received preoperative trotabresib and underwent resection with no delays or cancelations of surgery; 16 patients received maintenance trotabresib after recovery from surgery. Trotabresib plasma pharmacokinetics were consistent with previous data. Mean trotabresib brain tumor tissue:plasma ratio was 0.84 (estimated unbound partition coefficient [KPUU] 0.37), and modulation of pharmacodynamic markers was observed in blood and brain tumor tissue. Trotabresib was well tolerated; the most frequent grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse event during maintenance treatment was thrombocytopenia (5/16 patients). Six-month progression-free survival was 12%. Two patients remain on treatment with stable disease at cycles 25 and 30. CONCLUSIONS Trotabresib penetrates the blood-brain-tumor barrier in patients with recurrent high-grade glioma and demonstrates target engagement in resected tumor tissue. Plasma pharmacokinetics, blood pharmacodynamics, and safety were comparable with previous results for trotabresib in patients with advanced solid tumors. Investigation of adjuvant trotabresib + temozolomide and concomitant trotabresib + temozolomide + radiotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma is ongoing (NCT04324840).
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Moreno
- START Madrid-FJD, Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - David A Reardon
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ángel Pérez-Núñez
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro González León
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - Bishoy Hanna
- Bristol Myers Squibb, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | | | - Ida Aronchik
- Bristol Myers Squibb, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Henry Chang
- Bristol Myers Squibb, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Barbara Amoroso
- Centre for Innovation and Translational Research Europe, A Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Seville, Spain
| | | | - Tania Sanchez-Perez
- Centre for Innovation and Translational Research Europe, A Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Seville, Spain
| | - Cristina Mendez
- Centre for Innovation and Translational Research Europe, A Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Seville, Spain
| | | | - Zariana Nikolova
- Centre for Innovation and Translational Research Europe, A Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Seville, Spain
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9
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Quintela M, James DW, Pociute A, Powell L, Edwards K, Coombes Z, Garcia J, Garton N, Das N, Lutchman-Singh K, Margarit L, Beynon AL, Rioja I, Prinjha RK, Harker NR, Gonzalez D, Conlan RS, Francis LW. Bromodomain inhibitor i-BET858 triggers a unique transcriptional response coupled to enhanced DNA damage, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in high-grade ovarian carcinoma cells. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:63. [PMID: 37060086 PMCID: PMC10105475 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01477-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ovarian cancer has a specific unmet clinical need, with a persistently poor 5-year survival rate observed in women with advanced stage disease warranting continued efforts to develop new treatment options. The amplification of BRD4 in a significant subset of high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas (HGSC) has led to the development of BET inhibitors (BETi) as promising antitumour agents that have subsequently been evaluated in phase I/II clinical trials. Here, we describe the molecular effects and ex vivo preclinical activities of i-BET858, a bivalent pan-BET inhibitor with proven in vivo BRD inhibitory activity. RESULTS i-BET858 demonstrates enhanced cytotoxic activity compared with earlier generation BETis both in cell lines and primary cells derived from clinical samples of HGSC. At molecular level, i-BET858 triggered a bipartite transcriptional response, comprised of a 'core' network of genes commonly associated with BET inhibition in solid tumours, together with a unique i-BET858 gene signature. Mechanistically, i-BET858 elicited enhanced DNA damage, cell cycle arrest and apoptotic cell death compared to its predecessor i-BET151. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our ex vivo and in vitro studies indicate that i-BET858 represents an optimal candidate to pursue further clinical validation for the treatment of HGSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Quintela
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - David W James
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Agne Pociute
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Lydia Powell
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Kadie Edwards
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Zoe Coombes
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Jetzabel Garcia
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Neil Garton
- Immunology Research Unit, GlaxoSmithKline, Medicines Research Centre, Stevenage, SG1 2NY, UK
| | - Nagindra Das
- Swansea Bay University Health Board, Swansea, SA12 7BR, UK
| | | | - Lavinia Margarit
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
- Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, Swansea, SA2 8QA, UK
| | | | - Inmaculada Rioja
- Immunology Research Unit, GlaxoSmithKline, Medicines Research Centre, Stevenage, SG1 2NY, UK
| | - Rab K Prinjha
- Immunology Research Unit, GlaxoSmithKline, Medicines Research Centre, Stevenage, SG1 2NY, UK
| | - Nicola R Harker
- Immunology Research Unit, GlaxoSmithKline, Medicines Research Centre, Stevenage, SG1 2NY, UK
| | - Deyarina Gonzalez
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - R Steven Conlan
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Lewis W Francis
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK.
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10
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Aggarwal R, Starodub AN, Koh BD, Xing G, Armstrong AJ, Carducci MA. Phase Ib Study of the BET Inhibitor GS-5829 as Monotherapy and Combined with Enzalutamide in Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2022; 28:3979-3989. [PMID: 35816286 PMCID: PMC9475238 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-0175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE A phase Ib study (1604) was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of GS-5829, an oral bromodomain and extraterminal inhibitor, alone and in combination with enzalutamide in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). A phase I study (1599) in solid tumors/lymphoma was also conducted. PATIENTS AND METHODS Men with confirmed mCRPC and disease progression despite abiraterone and/or enzalutamide treatment were enrolled in a 3 + 3 dose escalation paradigm starting at 2 mg daily with GS-5829 alone and in combination with 160 mg daily enzalutamide. The primary efficacy endpoint was nonprogression rate at week 24; secondary endpoints included prostate-specific antigen reduction from baseline, progression-free survival, and GS-5829 pharmacokinetics (PK). PK and safety were also evaluated in Study 1599. RESULTS Thirty-one men, with a median of five prior regimens, received at least 1 dose of study drug in Study 1604. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAE) were reported in 94% of patients; 16% discontinued for TEAEs. There were no dose-dependent increases in the AUCtau or Cmax after once-daily administration of GS-5829 2 to 9 mg, and biomarkers CCR2 inhibition and HEXIM1 induction were increased only at higher doses of monotherapy. A high degree of interpatient variability existed across all doses in PK and pharmacodynamic parameters. The proportion with nonprogression at week 24, estimated by Kaplan-Meier model, was 25% (95% confidence interval, 10-42) for all treated patients. CONCLUSIONS GS-5829 was generally tolerated but demonstrated limited efficacy and lack of dose proportional increases in plasma concentrations in patients with mCRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Aggarwal
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, California.,Corresponding Author: Rahul Aggarwal, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, 550 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94158. Phone: 415-476-4616; E-mail:
| | | | | | - Guan Xing
- Gilead Sciences, Inc., Foster City, California
| | - Andrew J. Armstrong
- Duke Cancer Institute Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancer, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Michael A. Carducci
- Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland
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11
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French CA, Cheng ML, Hanna GJ, DuBois SG, Chau NG, Hann CL, Storck S, Salgia R, Trucco M, Tseng J, Stathis A, Piekarz R, Lauer UM, Massard C, Bennett K, Coker S, Tontsch-Grunt U, Sos ML, Liao S, Wu CJ, Polyak K, Piha-Paul SA, Shapiro GI. Report of the First International Symposium on NUT Carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res 2022; 28:2493-2505. [PMID: 35417004 PMCID: PMC9197941 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-0591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
NUT carcinoma is a rare, aggressive cancer defined by rearrangements of the NUTM1 gene. No routinely effective treatments of NUT carcinoma exist, despite harboring a targetable oncoprotein, most commonly BRD4-NUT. The vast majority of cases are fatal. Poor awareness of the disease is a major obstacle to progress in the treatment of NUT carcinoma. While the incidence likely exceeds that of Ewing sarcoma, and BRD4-NUT heralded the bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) inhibitor class of selective epigenetic modulators, NUT carcinoma is incorrectly perceived as "impossibly rare," and therefore receives comparatively little private or governmental funding or prioritization by pharma. To raise awareness, propagate scientific knowledge, and initiate a consensus on standard and targeted treatment of NUT carcinoma, we held the First International Symposium on NUT Carcinoma on March 3, 2021. This virtual event had more than eighty attendees from the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Patients with NUT carcinoma and family members were represented and shared perspectives. Broadly, the four areas discussed by experts in the field included (1) the biology of NUT carcinoma; (2) standard approaches to the treatment of NUT carcinoma; (3) results of clinical trials using BET inhibitors; and (4) future directions, including novel BET bromodomain inhibitors, combinatorial approaches, and immunotherapy. It was concluded that standard chemotherapeutic approaches and first-generation BET bromodomain inhibitors, the latter complicated by a narrow therapeutic window, are only modestly effective in a minority of cases. Nonetheless, emerging second-generation targeted inhibitors, novel rational synergistic combinations, and the incorporation of immuno-oncology approaches hold promise to improve the prognosis of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Steven G. DuBois
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA,Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicole G. Chau
- British Columbia Cancer Agency, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Simone Storck
- Swabian Children’s Cancer Center, Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Ravi Salgia
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | | | | | - Anastasios Stathis
- Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, EOC, Bellinzona, Switzerland and Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Universita della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Richard Piekarz
- Investigational Drug Branch, Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP), Bethesda, MD
| | | | - Christophe Massard
- Gustave Roussy-Molecular Radiotherapy INSERM U1030, Faculty of Medicine Kremlin-Bicêtre and Paris-Saclay University , France
| | | | - Shodeinde Coker
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Lawrenceville, New Jersey, USA
| | | | - Martin L. Sos
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Institute of Pathology, Molecular Pathology University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany and Department of Translational Genomics and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Sida Liao
- TScan Therapeutics, Waltham, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Sarina A. Piha-Paul
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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12
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Baek M, Chai JC, Choi HI, Yoo E, Binas B, Lee YS, Jung KH, Chai YG. Comprehensive transcriptome profiling of BET inhibitor-treated HepG2 cells. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0266966. [PMID: 35486664 PMCID: PMC9053788 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and poor prognosis. Emerging evidence suggests that epigenetic alterations play a crucial role in HCC, suggesting epigenetic inhibition as a promising therapeutic approach. Indeed, the bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) inhibitors inhibit the proliferation and invasion of various cancers but still lack a strong mechanistic rationale. Here, we identified the differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) and lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) in human HCC cell line HepG2 treated with the BET inhibitors, JQ1, OTX015, or ABBV-075. We analyzed the correlation between DEmRNAs and DElncRNAs in common for the three inhibitors based on their expression profiles and performed functional annotation pathway enrichment analysis. Most of these shared DEmRNAs and DElncRNAs, including some novel transcripts, were downregulated, indicating decreased proliferation/adhesion and increased apoptosis/inflammation. Our study suggests that BET proteins play a crucial role in regulating cancer progression-related genes and provide a valuable resource for novel putative biomarkers and therapeutic targets in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Baek
- Department of Molecular and Life Science, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Natural Science and Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Choul Chai
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae In Choi
- Department of Bionanotechnology, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunyoung Yoo
- Department of Bionanotechnology, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Bert Binas
- Department of Molecular and Life Science, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Seek Lee
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail: (YGC); (KHJ); (YSL)
| | - Kyoung Hwa Jung
- Department of Biopharmaceutical System, Gwangmyeong Convergence Technology Campus of Korea Polytechnic II, Incheon, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail: (YGC); (KHJ); (YSL)
| | - Young Gyu Chai
- Department of Molecular and Life Science, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of Korea
- Department of Bionanotechnology, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail: (YGC); (KHJ); (YSL)
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13
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Tontsch-Grunt U, Traexler PE, Baum A, Musa H, Marzin K, Wang S, Trapani F, Engelhardt H, Solca F. Therapeutic impact of BET inhibitor BI 894999 treatment: backtranslation from the clinic. Br J Cancer 2022; 127:577-586. [PMID: 35444289 PMCID: PMC9346113 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-022-01815-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND BET inhibitors have been tested in several clinical trials where, despite encouraging preclinical results, substantial clinical benefit in monotherapy remains limited. This work illustrates the translational challenges and reports new data around the novel BET inhibitor, BI 894999. At clinically achievable concentrations, mechanistic studies were carried out to study pathway modulation and rational drug combinations. METHODS BRD-NUT fusions are oncogenic drivers in NUT carcinoma (NC). The effects of BI 894999 on proliferation, chromatin binding and pathway modulation were studied in NC in vitro. These studies were complemented by efficacy studies either as a single agent or in combination with the clinical p300/CBP inhibitor CCS1477. RESULTS Based on the modelling of preclinical and clinical data, we proposed and implemented a new clinical scheduling regimen. This led to plasma levels sufficient to fully dislodge BRD-NUT from chromatin and to sustained and pronounced pharmacodynamic (PD) modulation of HEXIM1 and HIST2H2BF. Platelet counts in patient blood samples were improved compared to previous schedules. Rational combination studies of BI 894999 performed at clinically meaningful concentrations led to tumour regressions in all NC xenograft models tested. CONCLUSIONS BI 894999 holds significant potential as a combination drug and CCS1477 p300/CBP inhibitor is a promising partner for future clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anke Baum
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, A-1120, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hanny Musa
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach, Germany
| | - Kristell Marzin
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach, Germany
| | - Shaonan Wang
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany
| | | | | | - Flavio Solca
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, A-1120, Vienna, Austria
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14
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Tarantelli C, Cannas E, Ekeh H, Moscatello C, Gaudio E, Cascione L, Napoli S, Rech C, Testa A, Maniaci C, Rinaldi A, Zucca E, Stathis A, Ciulli A, Bertoni F. The bromodomain and extra-terminal domain degrader MZ1 exhibits preclinical anti-tumoral activity in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the activated B cell-like type. Explor Target Antitumor Ther 2021; 2:586-601. [PMID: 36046113 PMCID: PMC9400774 DOI: 10.37349/etat.2021.00065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim Bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) proteins are epigenetic readers that play a fundamental role in transcription regulation. Preclinical and early clinical evidence sustain BET targeting as an anti-cancer approach. BET degraders are chimeric compounds comprising of a BET inhibitor, which allows the binding to BET bromodomains, linked to a small molecule, binder for an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, triggering BET proteins degradation via the proteasome. These degraders, called proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs), can exhibit greater target specificity compared to BET inhibitors and overcome some of their limitations, such as the upregulation of the BET proteins themselves. Here are presented data on the anti-tumor activity and the mechanism of action of the BET degrader MZ1 in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the activated B-cell like (ABC, ABC DLBCL), using a BET inhibitor as a comparison. Methods Established lymphoma cell lines were exposed for 72 h to increasing doses of the compounds. Cell proliferation was evaluated by using an 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide (MTT) assay. Fluorescent-Activated Cell Sorter (FACS) analysis was performed to measure apoptotic activation and RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) to study the transcriptional changes induced by the compounds. Results MZ1, and not its negative control epimer cisMZ1, was very active with a median half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 49 nmol/L. MZ1 was more in vitro active than the BET inhibitor birabresib (OTX015). Importantly, MZ1 induced cell death in all the ABC DLBCL cell lines, while the BET inhibitor was cytotoxic only in a fraction of them. BET degrader and inhibitor shared partially similar changes at transcriptome level but the MZ1 effect was stronger and overlapped with that caused cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) inhibition. Conclusions The BET degrader MZ1 had strong cytotoxic activity in all the ABC DLBCL cell lines that were tested, and, at least in vitro, it elicited more profound effects than BET inhibitors, and encourages further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Tarantelli
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Eleonora Cannas
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Hillarie Ekeh
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Carmelo Moscatello
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, I-66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Eugenio Gaudio
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Luciano Cascione
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1000 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sara Napoli
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Cesare Rech
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Testa
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, Scotland, UK
| | - Chiara Maniaci
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, Scotland, UK
| | - Andrea Rinaldi
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Emanuele Zucca
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Anastasios Stathis
- Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Alessio Ciulli
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, Scotland, UK
| | - Francesco Bertoni
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
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15
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Kang SK, Bae HJ, Kwon WS, Kim TS, Kim KH, Park S, Yu SY, Hwang J, Park J, Chung HC, Rha SY. Inhibition of the bromodomain and extra-terminal family of epigenetic regulators as a promising therapeutic approach for gastric cancer. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2021; 44:1387-1403. [PMID: 34791636 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-021-00647-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Epigenetic dysregulation is a common characteristic of cancers, including gastric cancer (GC), and contributes to cancer development and progression. Although the efficacy of BET (an epigenetic regulator) inhibition has been demonstrated in various cancer types, predictive genetic markers of its efficacy in GC are currently lacking. Therefore, we aimed to identify markers that predict the response of BET inhibition in GC and, suggest an effective treatment regimen through combined therapy. METHODS The effect of BET inhibition was evaluated using iBET-151, a small-molecule inhibitor of BET proteins, in a large panel (n = 49) of GC cell lines and xenograft mouse models. Comprehensive genetic information was used to identify cell lines sensitive to iBET-151. Flow cytometry, Western blotting, and colony-formation and migration assays were used to evaluate the effects of iBET-151 and/or paclitaxel. The synergistic effect of iBET-151 and paclitaxel was evaluated using an organoid model. RESULTS We found that iBET-151 showed a modest growth-inhibitory effect in GC cells (73%, 36/49). iBET-151 inhibited tumorigenicity in vitro and significantly promoted cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Based on comprehensive genetic information analysis in relation to BET family expression, we found that BRD4 was highly expressed in the iBET-151-sensitive cell lines. We also identified WNT5B and IRS2 as potential biomarkers that are predictive for sensitivity to iBET-151. In GC xenograft model mice, iBET-151 significantly decreased tumor volumes and Ki-67 and BRD4 expression. Combination treatment showed that iBET-151 increased the sensitivity of GC cells to paclitaxel in approximately 70% of the cell lines (34/49) tested. iBET-151 plus paclitaxel significantly promoted cell cycle arrest and apoptosis and suppressed c-Myc, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expression. In GC organoids, iBET-151 and paclitaxel showed a synergistic effect. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our data suggest that iBET-151 is a potential therapeutic agent for GC, especially in combination with paclitaxel, and that WNT5B and IRS2 may predict iBET-151 sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun Kyoung Kang
- Songdang Institute for Cancer Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- MD Biolab Co., Ltd, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Joo Bae
- Songdang Institute for Cancer Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo Sun Kwon
- Songdang Institute for Cancer Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Soo Kim
- Songdang Institute for Cancer Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyoo Hyun Kim
- Songdang Institute for Cancer Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sejung Park
- Songdang Institute for Cancer Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biostatistics and Computing, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seo Young Yu
- Songdang Institute for Cancer Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihyun Hwang
- Songdang Institute for Cancer Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Juin Park
- Songdang Institute for Cancer Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Cheol Chung
- Songdang Institute for Cancer Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun Young Rha
- Songdang Institute for Cancer Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
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16
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Cousin S, Blay JY, Garcia IB, de Bono JS, Le Tourneau C, Moreno V, Trigo J, Hann CL, Azad AA, Im SA, Cassier PA, French CA, Italiano A, Keedy VL, Plummer R, Sablin MP, Hemming ML, Ferron-Brady G, Wyce A, Khaled A, Datta A, Foley SW, McCabe MT, Wu Y, Horner T, Kremer BE, Dhar A, O'Dwyer PJ, Shapiro GI, Piha-Paul SA. Safety, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and clinical activity of molibresib for the treatment of nuclear protein of the testis carcinoma and other cancers: Results of a Phase I/II open-label, dose escalation study. Int J Cancer 2021; 150:993-1006. [PMID: 34724226 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Molibresib is an orally bioavailable, selective, small molecule BET protein inhibitor. Results from a first time in human study in solid tumors resulted in the selection of a 75 mg once daily dose of the besylate formulation of molibresib as the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D). Here we present the results of Part 2 of our study, investigating safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and clinical activity of molibresib at the RP2D for nuclear protein in testis carcinoma (NC), small cell lung cancer, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), triple-negative breast cancer, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumor. The primary safety endpoints were incidence of adverse events (AEs) and serious AEs; the primary efficacy endpoint was overall response rate. Secondary endpoints included plasma concentrations and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Molibresib 75 mg once daily demonstrated no unexpected toxicities. The most common treatment-related AEs (any grade) were thrombocytopenia (64%), nausea (43%) and decreased appetite (37%); 83% of patients required dose interruptions and 29% required dose reductions due to AEs. Antitumor activity was observed in NC and CRPC (one confirmed partial response each, with observed reductions in tumor size), although predefined clinically meaningful response rates were not met for any tumor type. Total active moiety median plasma concentrations after single and repeated administration were similar across tumor cohorts. GSEA revealed that gene expression changes with molibresib varied by patient, response status and tumor type. Investigations into combinatorial approaches that use BET inhibition to eliminate resistance to other targeted therapies are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Cousin
- Medical Oncology Department, Institut Bergonié, Bordeaux, France
| | - Jean-Yves Blay
- Medical Oncology Department, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Irene Braña Garcia
- Medical Oncology Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Vall d'Hebron Institut of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Johann S de Bono
- The Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK
| | - Christophe Le Tourneau
- Department of Drug Development and Innovation (D3i), INSERM U900 Research Unit, Institut Curie, Paris-Saclay University, Paris and Saint-Cloud, France
| | - Victor Moreno
- Medical Oncology, START Madrid-FJD, Fundación Jiménez Díaz Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose Trigo
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria y Regional, IBIMA, Málaga, Spain
| | - Christine L Hann
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Arun A Azad
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Victoria, Australia
| | - Seock-Ah Im
- Seoul National University Hospital, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Christopher A French
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Antoine Italiano
- Early Phase Trials and Sarcoma Units, Institut Bergonié, Bordeaux, France
| | - Vicki L Keedy
- Department of Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Ruth Plummer
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Marie-Paule Sablin
- Department of Drug Development and Innovation (D3i), INSERM U900 Research Unit, Institut Curie, Paris-Saclay University, Paris and Saint-Cloud, France
| | - Matthew L Hemming
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Yuehui Wu
- GSK, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | | | | | - Peter J O'Dwyer
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Geoffrey I Shapiro
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sarina A Piha-Paul
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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Gusyatiner O, Bady P, Pham MDT, Lei Y, Park J, Daniel RT, Delorenzi M, Hegi ME. BET inhibitors repress expression of Interferon-stimulated genes and synergize with HDAC inhibitors in glioblastoma. Neuro Oncol 2021; 23:1680-1692. [PMID: 33987681 PMCID: PMC8485441 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noab115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The development of rational combination therapies is key to overcome inherent treatment resistance of glioblastoma (GBM). We aim at identifying new druggable targets by disturbing GBM cells with inhibitors of bromodomain and extra-terminal motif (BET) proteins to reveal cancer-relevant vulnerabilities that may sensitize to a second drug. BET proteins are epigenetic modulators and have been associated with proto-oncogene overexpression in cancer. Methods A GBM-derived sphere-line was treated with the BET inhibitor (BETi) JQ1 over a time-course of 48 hours, followed by RNA-sequencing. Four chromatin marks were investigated by chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq). Signatures of interest were functionally validated in vitro and in orthotopic xenografts. Combination therapies were evaluated for synergistic effects. Results Cancer-relevant pathways significantly modulated by JQ1 comprised interferon alpha (IFN-α) response genes and response signatures to histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi). The IFN-signature was reminiscent of a GBM-derived IFN-signature comprising CD274 (PD-L1). Functional pathway analysis suggested that JQ1 was acting directly on the transcriptional level of IFN-response genes and not via the canonical JAK/STAT pathway. This was in line with JQ1 modulated expression and BRD4 and Pol II occupancy at IFN-signature genes, supporting a direct mechanistic interaction. Finally, we showed that combining HDACi with JQ1 acts synergistically in reducing cell viability of GS-lines. Conclusions Our approach identified BETi-induced vulnerabilities in cancer-relevant pathways, potentially amenable to synergistic combinatorial therapy, such as combination with HDACi. The direct inhibitory effect of BETi on IFN-responsive genes in GBM cells, including CD274, indicates modulation of the tumor immune landscape and warrants further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Gusyatiner
- Neuroscience Research Centre, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland.,Service of Neurosurgery, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL)
| | - Pierre Bady
- Neuroscience Research Centre, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland.,Service of Neurosurgery, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Bioinformatics Core Facility, SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL)
| | - Minh D T Pham
- Neuroscience Research Centre, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Yvonne Lei
- Neuroscience Research Centre, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Jungyeon Park
- Neuroscience Research Centre, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Roy T Daniel
- Service of Neurosurgery, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mauro Delorenzi
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland.,Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL)
| | - Monika E Hegi
- Service of Neurosurgery, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL)
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18
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Shorstova T, Foulkes WD, Witcher M. Achieving clinical success with BET inhibitors as anti-cancer agents. Br J Cancer 2021; 124:1478-1490. [PMID: 33723398 PMCID: PMC8076232 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-021-01321-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcriptional upregulation of oncogenes is a driving force behind the progression of many tumours. However, until a decade ago, the concept of 'switching off' these oncogenic pathways represented a formidable challenge. Research has revealed that members of the bromo- and extra-terminal domain (BET) motif family are key activators of oncogenic networks in a spectrum of cancers; their function depends on their recruitment to chromatin through two bromodomains (BD1 and BD2). The advent of potent inhibitors of BET proteins (BETi), which target either one or both bromodomains, represents an important step towards the goal of suppressing oncogenic networks within tumours. Here, we discuss the biology of BET proteins, advances in BETi design and highlight potential biomarkers predicting their activity. We also outline the logic of incorporating BETi into combination therapies to enhance its efficacy. We suggest that understanding mechanisms of activity, defining predictive biomarkers and identifying potent synergies represents a roadmap for clinical success using BETi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Shorstova
- grid.414980.00000 0000 9401 2774Departments of Oncology and Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Lady Davis Institute and Segal Cancer Centre, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - William D. Foulkes
- grid.414980.00000 0000 9401 2774Departments of Oncology and Human Genetics, McGill University, Lady Davis Institute and Segal Cancer Centre, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Michael Witcher
- grid.414980.00000 0000 9401 2774Departments of Oncology and Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Lady Davis Institute and Segal Cancer Centre, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC Canada
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19
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Schutzius G, Kolter C, Bergling S, Tortelli F, Fuchs F, Renner S, Guagnano V, Cotesta S, Rueeger H, Faller M, Bouchez L, Salathe A, Nigsch F, Richards SM, Louis M, Gruber V, Aebi A, Turner J, Grandjean F, Li J, Dimitri C, Thomas JR, Schirle M, Blank J, Drueckes P, Vaupel A, Tiedt R, Manley PW, Klopp J, Hemmig R, Zink F, Leroy N, Carbone W, Roma G, Keller CG, Dales N, Beyerbach A, Zimmerlin A, Bonenfant D, Terranova R, Berwick A, Sahambi S, Reynolds A, Jennings LL, Ruffner H, Tarsa P, Bouwmeester T, Driver V, Frederiksen M, Lohmann F, Kirkland S. BET bromodomain inhibitors regulate keratinocyte plasticity. Nat Chem Biol 2021; 17:280-90. [PMID: 33462494 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-020-00716-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Although most acute skin wounds heal rapidly, non-healing skin ulcers represent an increasing and substantial unmet medical need that urgently requires effective therapeutics. Keratinocytes resurface wounds to re-establish the epidermal barrier by transitioning to an activated, migratory state, but this ability is lost in dysfunctional chronic wounds. Small-molecule regulators of keratinocyte plasticity with the potential to reverse keratinocyte malfunction in situ could offer a novel therapeutic approach in skin wound healing. Utilizing high-throughput phenotypic screening of primary keratinocytes, we identify such small molecules, including bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) protein family inhibitors (BETi). BETi induce a sustained activated, migratory state in keratinocytes in vitro, increase activation markers in human epidermis ex vivo and enhance skin wound healing in vivo. Our findings suggest potential clinical utility of BETi in promoting keratinocyte re-epithelialization of skin wounds. Importantly, this novel property of BETi is exclusively observed after transient low-dose exposure, revealing new potential for this compound class.
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20
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Cummin TEC, Cox KL, Murray TD, Turaj AH, Dunning L, English VL, Fell R, Packham G, Ma Y, Powell B, Johnson PWM, Cragg MS, Carter MJ. BET inhibitors synergize with venetoclax to induce apoptosis in MYC-driven lymphomas with high BCL-2 expression. Blood Adv 2020; 4:3316-3328. [PMID: 32717030 PMCID: PMC7391160 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2020002231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the MYC oncogenic network represents an attractive therapeutic target for lymphoma, MYC inhibitors have been difficult to develop. Alternatively, inhibitors of epigenetic/ transcriptional regulators, particularly the bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) family, have been used to modulate MYC. However, current benzodiazepine-derivative BET inhibitors (BETi) elicit disappointing responses and dose-limiting toxicity in relapsed/refractory lymphoma, potentially because of enrichment of high-risk molecular features and chemical backbone-associated toxicities. Consequently, novel nonbenzodiazepine BETi and improved mechanistic understanding are required. Here we characterize the responses of aggressive MYC-driven lymphomas to 2 nonbenzodiazepine BETi: PLX51107 and PLX2853. Both invoked BIM-dependent apoptosis and in vivo therapy, associated with miR-17∼92 repression, in murine Eµ-myc lymphomas, with PLX2853 exhibiting enhanced potency. Accordingly, exogenous BCL-2 expression abrogated these effects. Because high BCL-2 expression is common in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), BETi were ineffective in driving apoptosis and in vivo therapy of DLBCL cell lines, mirroring clinical results. However, BETi-mediated BIM upregulation and miR-17∼92 repression remained intact. Consequently, coadministration of BETi and ABT199/venetoclax restored cell death and in vivo therapy. Collectively, these data identify BIM-dependent apoptosis as a critical mechanism of action for this class of BETi that, via coadministration of BH3 mimetics, can deliver effective tumor control in DLBCL.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kerry L Cox
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology
| | - Tom D Murray
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology
| | - Anna H Turaj
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology
| | - Lisa Dunning
- Preclinical Unit, Centre for Cancer Immunology, and
| | | | - Rachel Fell
- Cancer Research UK Centre, Cancer Sciences Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom; and
| | - Graham Packham
- Cancer Research UK Centre, Cancer Sciences Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom; and
| | - Yan Ma
- Plexxikon Inc., Berkeley, CA
| | | | - Peter W M Johnson
- Cancer Research UK Centre, Cancer Sciences Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom; and
| | - Mark S Cragg
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology
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21
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Spriano F, Stathis A, Bertoni F. Targeting BET bromodomain proteins in cancer: The example of lymphomas. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 215:107631. [PMID: 32693114 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The Bromo- and Extra-Terminal domain (BET) family proteins act as "readers" of acetylated histones and they are important transcription regulators. BRD2, BRD3, BRD4 and BRDT, part of the BET family, are important in different tumors, where upregulation or translocation often occurs. The potential of targeting BET proteins as anti-cancer treatment originated with data obtained with a first series of compounds, and there are now several data supporting BET inhibition in both solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Despite very positive preclinical data in different tumor types, the clinical results have been so far moderate. Using lymphoma as an example to review the data produced in the laboratory and in the context of the early clinical trials, we discuss the modalities to make BET targeting more efficient both generating novel generation of compounds and by exploring the combination with small molecules affecting various signaling pathways, BCL2, or DNA damage response signaling, but also with additional epigenetic agents and with immunotherapy. We also discuss the mechanisms of resistance and the toxicity profiles so far reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Spriano
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Anastasios Stathis
- Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona, Switzerland; Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Bertoni
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, Bellinzona, Switzerland; Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona, Switzerland.
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22
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Carew JS, Espitia CM, Zhao W, Visconte V, Anwer F, Kelly KR, Nawrocki ST. Rational cotargeting of HDAC6 and BET proteins yields synergistic antimyeloma activity. Blood Adv 2019; 3:1318-29. [PMID: 31015208 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2018026484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibition of bromodomain and extra terminal (BET) protein family members, including BRD4, decreases the expression of c-MYC and other key oncogenic factors and also significantly induces histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) expression. On the basis of the role of HDAC6 in malignant pathogenesis, we hypothesized that rational cotargeting of HDAC6 and BET family proteins may represent a novel approach that yields synergistic antimyeloma activity. We used genetic and pharmacologic approaches to selectively impair HDAC6 and BET function and evaluated the consequential impact on myeloma pathogenesis. These studies identified HDAC6 upregulation as an efficacy reducing mechanism for BET inhibitors because antagonizing HDAC6 activity synergistically enhanced the activity of JQ1 in a panel of multiple myeloma (MM) cell lines and primary CD138+ cells obtained from patients with MM. The synergy of this therapeutic combination was linked to significant reductions in c-MYC expression and increases in apoptosis induction. Administration of the clinical HDAC6 inhibitor ricolinostat was very well tolerated and significantly augmented the in vivo antimyeloma activity of JQ1. Ex vivo pharmacodynamic analyses demonstrated that the combination of JQ1 and ricolinostat led to significantly lower MM cell proliferation and increased apoptosis and diminished expression of c-MYC and BCL-2. These data demonstrate that cotargeting of HDAC6 and BET family members is a novel and clinically actionable approach to augment the efficacy of both classes of agents that warrants further investigation.
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23
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Shergalis AG, Hu S, Bankhead A, Neamati N. Role of the ERO1-PDI interaction in oxidative protein folding and disease. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 210:107525. [PMID: 32201313 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum is an oxidative process that relies on protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) and endoplasmic reticulum oxidase 1 (ERO1). Over 30% of proteins require the chaperone PDI to promote disulfide bond formation. PDI oxidizes cysteines in nascent polypeptides to form disulfide bonds and can also reduce and isomerize disulfide bonds. ERO1 recycles reduced PDI family member PDIA1 using a FAD cofactor to transfer electrons to oxygen. ERO1 dysfunction critically affects several diseases states. Both ERO1 and PDIA1 are overexpressed in cancers and implicated in diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. Cancer-associated ERO1 promotes cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, the ERO1-PDIA1 interaction is critical for epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Co-expression analysis of ERO1A gene expression in cancer patients demonstrated that ERO1A is significantly upregulated in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), glioblastoma and low-grade glioma (GBMLGG), pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PAAD), and kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma (KIRP) cancers. ERO1Α knockdown gene signature correlates with knockdown of cancer signaling proteins including IGF1R, supporting the search for novel, selective ERO1 inhibitors for the treatment of cancer. In this review, we explore the functions of ERO1 and PDI to support inhibition of this interaction in cancer and other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea G Shergalis
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Shuai Hu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Armand Bankhead
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Nouri Neamati
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
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24
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Chiarella AM, Butler KV, Gryder BE, Lu D, Wang TA, Yu X, Pomella S, Khan J, Jin J, Hathaway NA. Dose-dependent activation of gene expression is achieved using CRISPR and small molecules that recruit endogenous chromatin machinery. Nat Biotechnol 2020; 38:50-55. [PMID: 31712774 PMCID: PMC6954327 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-019-0296-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression can be activated or suppressed using CRISPR--Cas9 systems. However, tools that enable dose-dependent activation of gene expression without the use of exogenous transcription regulatory proteins are lacking. Here we describe chemical epigenetic modifiers (CEMs) designed to activate the expression of target genes by recruiting components of the endogenous chromatin-activating machinery, eliminating the need for exogenous transcriptional activators. The system has two parts: catalytically inactive Cas9 (dCas9) in complex with FK506-binding protein (FKBP) and a CEM consisting of FK506 linked to a molecule that interacts with cellular epigenetic machinery. We show that CEMs upregulate gene expression at target endogenous loci up to 20-fold or more depending on the gene. We also demonstrate dose-dependent control of transcriptional activation, function across multiple diverse genes, reversibility of CEM activity and specificity of our best-in-class CEM across the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Chiarella
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kyle V Butler
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Berkley E Gryder
- Oncogenomics Section, Genetics Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dongbo Lu
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tiffany A Wang
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Xufen Yu
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Silvia Pomella
- Oncogenomics Section, Genetics Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Bambino Gesu' Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Javed Khan
- Oncogenomics Section, Genetics Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jian Jin
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Nathaniel A Hathaway
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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25
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Kim E, Ten Hacken E, Sivina M, Clarke A, Thompson PA, Jain N, Ferrajoli A, Estrov Z, Keating MJ, Wierda WG, Bhalla KN, Burger JA. The BET inhibitor GS-5829 targets chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells and their supportive microenvironment. Leukemia 2020; 34:1588-98. [PMID: 31862959 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-019-0682-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Despite major improvements in treatment outcome with novel targeted therapies, such as the Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor ibrutinib, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) remains incurable in the majority of patients. Activation of PI3K, NF-κB, and/or MYC has been linked to residual disease and/or resistance in ibrutinib-treated patients. These pathways can be targeted by inhibitors of bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) proteins. Here we report about the preclinical activity of GS-5829, a novel BET inhibitor, in CLL. GS-5829 inhibited CLL cell proliferation and induced leukemia cell apoptosis through deregulation of key signaling pathways, such as BLK, AKT, ERK1/2, and MYC. IκBα modulation indicates that GS-5829 also inhibited NF-κB signaling. GS-5829-induced apoptosis resulted from an imbalance between positive (BIM) and negative regulators (BCL-XL) of the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. The antileukemia activity of GS-5829 increased synergistically in combinations with B-cell receptor signaling inhibitors, the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib, the PI3Kδ inhibitor idelalisib, and the SYK inhibitor entospletinib. In cocultures that mimic the lymph node microenvironment, GS-5829 inhibited signaling pathways within nurselike cells and their growth, indicating that BET inhibitors also can target the supportive CLL microenvironment. Collectively, these data provide a rationale for the clinical evaluation of BET inhibitors in CLL.
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26
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Abstract
Background Immune therapies have revolutionized cancer treatment over the last few years by allowing improvements in overall survival. However, the majority of patients is still primary or secondary resistant to such therapies, and enhancing sensitivity to immune therapies is therefore crucial to improve patient outcome. Several recent lines of evidence suggest that epigenetic modifiers have intrinsic immunomodulatory properties, which could be of therapeutic interest. Material and methods We reviewed preclinical evidence and clinical studies which describe or exploit immunomodulatory properties of epigenetic agents. Experimental approaches, clinical applicability and corresponding ongoing clinical trials are described. Results Several epigenetic modifiers, such as histone deacetylase inhibitors, DNA methyl transferase inhibitors, bromodomain inhibitors, lysine-specific histone demethylase 1 inhibitors and enhancer of zeste homolog 2 inhibitors, display intrinsic immunomodulatory properties. The latter can be achieved through the action of these drugs either on cancer cells (e.g. presentation and generation of neoantigens, induction of immunogenic cell death, modulation of cytokine secretion), on immune cells (e.g. linage, differentiation, activation status and antitumor capability), or on components of the microenvironment (e.g. regulatory T cells and macrophages). Several promising combinations, notably with immune checkpoint blockers or adoptive T-cell therapy, can be envisioned. Dedicated clinically relevant approaches for patient selection and trial design will be required to optimally develop such combinations. Conclusion In an era where immune therapies are becoming a treatment backbone in many tumour types, epigenetic modifiers could play a crucial role in modulating tumours' immunogenicity and sensitivity to immune agents. Optimal trial design, including window of opportunity trials, will be key in the success of this approach, and clinical evaluation is ongoing.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Aspeslagh
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Jules Bordet - ULB, Brussels, Belgium
| | - D Morel
- INSERM, UMR981, Villejuif, France
| | - J-C Soria
- INSERM, UMR981, Villejuif, France; Drug Development Department (DITEP, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Paris-Saclay University, Villejuif, France
| | - S Postel-Vinay
- INSERM, UMR981, Villejuif, France; Drug Development Department (DITEP, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Paris-Saclay University, Villejuif, France.
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27
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Chen L, Zeng T, Pan X, Zhang YH, Huang T, Cai YD. Identifying Methylation Pattern and Genes Associated with Breast Cancer Subtypes. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E4269. [PMID: 31480430 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20174269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is regarded worldwide as a severe human disease. Various genetic variations, including hereditary and somatic mutations, contribute to the initiation and progression of this disease. The diagnostic parameters of breast cancer are not limited to the conventional protein content and can include newly discovered genetic variants and even genetic modification patterns such as methylation and microRNA. In addition, breast cancer detection extends to detailed breast cancer stratifications to provide subtype-specific indications for further personalized treatment. One genome-wide expression–methylation quantitative trait loci analysis confirmed that different breast cancer subtypes have various methylation patterns. However, recognizing clinically applied (methylation) biomarkers is difficult due to the large number of differentially methylated genes. In this study, we attempted to re-screen a small group of functional biomarkers for the identification and distinction of different breast cancer subtypes with advanced machine learning methods. The findings may contribute to biomarker identification for different breast cancer subtypes and provide a new perspective for differential pathogenesis in breast cancer subtypes.
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28
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Piha-Paul SA, Sachdev JC, Barve M, LoRusso P, Szmulewitz R, Patel SP, Lara PN, Chen X, Hu B, Freise KJ, Modi D, Sood A, Hutti JE, Wolff J, O'Neil BH. First-in-Human Study of Mivebresib (ABBV-075), an Oral Pan-Inhibitor of Bromodomain and Extra Terminal Proteins, in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Solid Tumors. Clin Cancer Res 2019; 25:6309-6319. [DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-19-0578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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29
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Tian CQ, Chen L, Chen HD, Huan XJ, Hu JP, Shen JK, Xiong B, Wang YQ, Miao ZH. Inhibition of the BET family reduces its new target gene IDO1 expression and the production of L-kynurenine. Cell Death Dis 2019; 10:557. [PMID: 31324754 PMCID: PMC6642217 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-1793-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The bromodomain and extra terminal domain (BET) family members, including BRD2, BRD3, and BRD4, act as epigenetic readers to regulate gene expression. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is an enzyme that participates in tumor immune escape primarily by catalyzing tryptophan to L-kynurenine. Here, we report that IDO1 is a new target gene of the BET family. RNA profiling showed that compound 9, a new BET inhibitor, reduced IDO1 mRNA up to seven times in Ty-82 cells. IDO1 differentially expressed in tumor cells and its expression could be induced with interferon gamma (IFN-γ). BET inhibitors (ABBV-075, JQ1, and OTX015) inhibited both constitutive and IFN-γ-inducible expression of IDO1. Similarly, reduction of BRD2, BRD3, or BRD4 decreased IDO1 expression. All these BET family members bound to the IDO1 promoter via the acetylated histone H3. JQ1 led to their release and reduced enrichment of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) on the promoter. IFN-γ increased the binding of BRD2, BRD3, BRD4, and Pol II on the IDO1 promoter by increasing the acetylation of histone H3, which could be prevented by JQ1 partially or even completely. Furthermore, both JQ1 and OTX015 decreased the production of L-kynurenine. The combination of BET inhibitors with the IDO1 inhibitor further reduced L-kynurenine, though only marginally. Importantly, the BET inhibitor ABBV-075 significantly inhibited the growth of human Ty-82 xenografts in nude mice and reduced both protein and mRNA levels of IDO1 in the xenografts. This finding lays a basis for the potential combination of BET inhibitors and IDO1 inhibitors for the treatment of IDO1-expressing cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Qing Tian
- Division of Anti-Tumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201203, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201203, Shanghai, China
| | - Hua-Dong Chen
- Division of Anti-Tumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201203, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Xia-Juan Huan
- Division of Anti-Tumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201203, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian-Ping Hu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, 100049, Beijing, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201203, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing-Kang Shen
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, 100049, Beijing, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201203, Shanghai, China
| | - Bing Xiong
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, 100049, Beijing, China. .,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201203, Shanghai, China.
| | - Ying-Qing Wang
- Division of Anti-Tumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201203, Shanghai, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, 100049, Beijing, China.
| | - Ze-Hong Miao
- Division of Anti-Tumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201203, Shanghai, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, 100049, Beijing, China. .,Open Studio for Drugability Research of Marine Natural Products, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), 266237, Shandong, China.
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30
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Abstract
Super-enhancers (SEs) in a broad range of human cell types are large clusters of enhancers with aberrant high levels of transcription factor binding, which are central to drive expression of genes in controlling cell identity and stimulating oncogenic transcription. Cancer cells acquire super-enhancers at oncogene and cancerous phenotype relies on these abnormal transcription propelled by SEs. Furthermore, specific inhibitors targeting SEs assembly and activation have offered potential targets for treating various tumors including hematological malignancies. Here, we first review the identification, functional significance of SEs. Next, we summarize recent findings of SEs and SE-driven gene regulation in normal hematopoiesis and hematologic malignancies. The importance and various modes of SE-mediated MYC oncogene amplification are illustrated. Finally, we highlight the progress of SEs as selective therapeutic targets in basic research and clinical trials. Some open questions regarding functional significance and future directions of targeting SEs in the clinic will be discussed too.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlu Jia
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Centre for Translational Medicine, Singapore, 117599, Republic of Singapore.,Department of Surgical Oncology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wee-Joo Chng
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Centre for Translational Medicine, Singapore, 117599, Republic of Singapore.,Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597, Republic of Singapore.,Department of Hematology-Oncology, National University Cancer Institute of Singapore (NCIS), The National University Health System (NUHS), 1E, Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Republic of Singapore
| | - Jianbiao Zhou
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Centre for Translational Medicine, Singapore, 117599, Republic of Singapore. .,Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597, Republic of Singapore.
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31
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Abstract
Less than a decade ago, it was shown that bromodomains, acetyl lysine 'reader' modules found in proteins with varied functions, were highly tractable small-molecule targets. This is an unusual property for protein-protein or protein-peptide interaction domains, and it prompted a wave of chemical probe discovery to understand the biological potential of new agents that targeted bromodomains. The original examples, inhibitors of the bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) class of bromodomains, showed enticing anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities, and several compounds have since advanced to human clinical trials. Here, we review the current state of BET inhibitor biology in relation to clinical development, and we discuss the next wave of bromodomain inhibitors with clinical potential in oncology and non-oncology indications. The lessons learned from BET inhibitor programmes should affect efforts to develop drugs that target non-BET bromodomains and other epigenetic readers.
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32
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Watanabe K, Panchy N, Noguchi S, Suzuki H, Hong T. Combinatorial perturbation analysis reveals divergent regulations of mesenchymal genes during epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2019; 5:21. [PMID: 31275609 PMCID: PMC6570767 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-019-0097-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a fundamental transdifferentiation process in development, produces diverse phenotypes in different physiological or pathological conditions. Many genes involved in EMT have been identified to date, but mechanisms contributing to the phenotypic diversity and those governing the coupling between the dynamics of epithelial (E) genes and that of the mesenchymal (M) genes are unclear. In this study, we employed combinatorial perturbations to mammary epithelial cells to induce a series of EMT phenotypes by manipulating two essential EMT-inducing elements, namely TGF-β and ZEB1. By measuring transcriptional changes in more than 700 E-genes and M-genes, we discovered that the M-genes exhibit a significant diversity in their dependency to these regulatory elements and identified three groups of M-genes that are controlled by different regulatory circuits. Notably, functional differences were detected among the M-gene clusters in motility regulation and in survival of breast cancer patients. We computationally predicted and experimentally confirmed that the reciprocity and reversibility of EMT are jointly regulated by ZEB1. Our integrative analysis reveals the key roles of ZEB1 in coordinating the dynamics of a large number of genes during EMT, and it provides new insights into the mechanisms for the diversity of EMT phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhide Watanabe
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045 Japan
| | - Nicholas Panchy
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN 37996 USA
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, Knoxville, TN 37996 USA
| | - Shuhei Noguchi
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045 Japan
| | - Harukazu Suzuki
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045 Japan
| | - Tian Hong
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN 37996 USA
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, Knoxville, TN 37996 USA
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33
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Yang Y, Chen P, Zhao L, Zhang F, Zhang B, Xu C, Zhang H, Zhou J. Exploiting the 7-methylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8(7H)-one scaffold for the development of novel chemical inhibitors for Bromodomain and Extraterminal Domain (BET) family. Bioorg Chem 2019; 90:103044. [PMID: 31220668 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2019.103044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) family of proteins play a crucial role in promoting gene expression of critical oncogenes. Novel BET bromodomain inhibitors with excellent potency, drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) properties were in strong need for development. We reported a series of potential BET inhibitors through incorporation of imidazole into pyridine scaffold. Among them, a novel BET inhibitor with 7-methylimidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8(7H)-one core, compound 28, was considered to be the most promising for in-depth study. Compound 28 exhibited excellent BRD4-inhibitory activity with IC50 value of 33 nM and anti-proliferation potency with IC50 value of 110 nM in HL-60 (human promyelocytic leukemia) cancer cell lines. Western Blot indicated that compound 28 can effectively trigger apoptosis in BxPc3 cells by modulating the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. In conclusion, these results suggested that compound 28 has merely potential for leukemia treatment.
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34
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Pharmacological inhibition of Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal (BET) domain proteins is a very exciting epigenetic therapeutic modality. Due to the central role of BET proteins in transcription regulation, their inhibition heavily affects lymphoma cells and BET inhibitors show a clear preclinical antitumor activity as single agents and in combination, paired with early reports of clinical activity. RECENT FINDINGS Relevant data have been recently presented on the mechanism of action of the BET inhibitors, on modalities to improve their activity in lymphomas, and their clinical evaluation. SUMMARY There are now plenty of preclinical data sustaining BET proteins as therapeutic targets in lymphomas. Newer compounds and combinations with other agents may be pursued in the future aiming also to identify those patients that they most likely benefit from BET inhibition.
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35
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Fiskus W, Cai T, DiNardo CD, Kornblau SM, Borthakur G, Kadia TM, Pemmaraju N, Bose P, Masarova L, Rajapakshe K, Perera D, Coarfa C, Mill CP, Saenz DT, Saenz DN, Sun B, Khoury JD, Shen Y, Konopleva M, Bhalla KN. Superior efficacy of cotreatment with BET protein inhibitor and BCL2 or MCL1 inhibitor against AML blast progenitor cells. Blood Cancer J 2019; 9:4. [PMID: 30647404 PMCID: PMC6333829 DOI: 10.1038/s41408-018-0165-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 11/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
First-generation bromodomain extra-terminal protein (BETP) inhibitors (BETi) (e.g., OTX015) that disrupt binding of BETP BRD4 to chromatin transcriptionally attenuate AML-relevant progrowth and prosurvival oncoproteins. BETi treatment induces apoptosis of AML BPCs, reduces in vivo AML burden and induces clinical remissions in a minority of AML patients. Clinical efficacy of more potent BETis, e.g., ABBV-075 (AbbVie, Inc.), is being evaluated. Venetoclax and A-1210477 bind and inhibit the antiapoptotic activity of BCL2 and MCL1, respectively, lowering the threshold for apoptosis. BETi treatment is shown here to perturb accessible chromatin and activity of enhancers/promoters, attenuating MYC, CDK6, MCL1 and BCL2, while inducing BIM, HEXIM1, CDKN1A expressions and apoptosis of AML cells. Treatment with venetoclax increased MCL1 protein levels, but cotreatment with ABBV-075 reduced MCL1 and Bcl-xL levels. ABBV-075 cotreatment synergistically induced apoptosis with venetoclax or A-1210477 in patient-derived, CD34+ AML cells. Compared to treatment with either agent alone, cotreatment with ABBV-075 and venetoclax was significantly more effective in reducing AML cell-burden and improving survival, without inducing toxicity, in AML-engrafted immune-depleted mice. These findings highlight the basis of superior activity and support interrogation of clinical efficacy and safety of cotreatment with BETi and BCL2 or MCL1 inhibitor in AML.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Binding Sites
- Biomarkers, Tumor
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Disease Models, Animal
- Drug Synergism
- Female
- Humans
- Indoles/pharmacology
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/mortality
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology
- Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein/antagonists & inhibitors
- Neoplastic Stem Cells/drug effects
- Neoplastic Stem Cells/metabolism
- Protein Binding
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/antagonists & inhibitors
- Pyridones/pharmacology
- Sulfonamides/pharmacology
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
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Affiliation(s)
- Warren Fiskus
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Tianyu Cai
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Courtney D DiNardo
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Steven M Kornblau
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Gautam Borthakur
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Tapan M Kadia
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Naveen Pemmaraju
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Prithviraj Bose
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Lucia Masarova
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kimal Rajapakshe
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Dimuthu Perera
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Cristian Coarfa
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Christopher P Mill
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Dyana T Saenz
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - David N Saenz
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Baohua Sun
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Joseph D Khoury
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yu Shen
- AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA
| | - Marina Konopleva
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kapil N Bhalla
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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36
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Pérez-peña J, Győrffy B, Amir E, Pandiella A, Ocaña A. Epigenetic modulation of FOXM1-gene interacting network by BET inhibitors in breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2018; 172:725-32. [DOI: 10.1007/s10549-018-4965-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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37
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Gerlach D, Tontsch-Grunt U, Baum A, Popow J, Scharn D, Hofmann MH, Engelhardt H, Kaya O, Beck J, Schweifer N, Gerstberger T, Zuber J, Savarese F, Kraut N. The novel BET bromodomain inhibitor BI 894999 represses super-enhancer-associated transcription and synergizes with CDK9 inhibition in AML. Oncogene 2018; 37:2687-2701. [PMID: 29491412 PMCID: PMC5955861 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-018-0150-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) protein inhibitors have been reported as treatment options for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in preclinical models and are currently being evaluated in clinical trials. This work presents a novel potent and selective BET inhibitor (BI 894999), which has recently entered clinical trials (NCT02516553). In preclinical studies, this compound is highly active in AML cell lines, primary patient samples, and xenografts. HEXIM1 is described as an excellent pharmacodynamic biomarker for target engagement in tumors as well as in blood. Mechanistic studies show that BI 894999 targets super-enhancer-regulated oncogenes and other lineage-specific factors, which are involved in the maintenance of the disease state. BI 894999 is active as monotherapy in AML xenografts, and in addition leads to strongly enhanced antitumor effects in combination with CDK9 inhibitors. This treatment combination results in a marked decrease of global p-Ser2 RNA polymerase II levels and leads to rapid induction of apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Together, these data provide a strong rationale for the clinical evaluation of BI 894999 in AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gerlach
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, 1120, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Anke Baum
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, 1120, Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes Popow
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, 1120, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dirk Scharn
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, 1120, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marco H Hofmann
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, 1120, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Onur Kaya
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, 1120, Vienna, Austria
| | - Janina Beck
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, 1120, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Johannes Zuber
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030, Vienna, Austria.,Medical University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fabio Savarese
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, 1120, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Norbert Kraut
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, 1120, Vienna, Austria.
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38
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Tontsch-Grunt U, Rudolph D, Waizenegger I, Baum A, Gerlach D, Engelhardt H, Wurm M, Savarese F, Schweifer N, Kraut N. Synergistic activity of BET inhibitor BI 894999 with PLK inhibitor volasertib in AML in vitro and in vivo. Cancer Lett 2018; 421:112-120. [PMID: 29454094 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Revised: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Interactions between a new potent Bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) inhibitor BI 894999 and the polo-like kinase (PLK) inhibitor volasertib were studied in acute myeloid leukemia cell lines in vitro and in vivo. We provide data for the distinct mechanisms of action of these two compounds with a potential utility in AML based on gene expression, cell cycle profile and modulation of PD biomarkers such as MYC and HEXIM1. In contrast to BI 894999, volasertib treatment neither affects MYC nor HEXIM1 expression, but augments and prolongs the decrease of MYC expression caused by BI 894999 treatment. In vitro combination of both compounds leads to a decrease in S-Phase and to increased apoptosis. In vitro scheduling experiments guided in vivo experiments in disseminated AML mouse models. Co-administration of BI 894999 and volasertib dramatically reduces tumor burden accompanied by long-term survival of tumor-bearing mice and eradication of AML cells in mouse bone marrow. Together, these preclinical findings provide evidence for the strong synergistic effect of BI 894999 and volasertib, warranting future clinical studies in patients with AML to investigate this paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Anke Baum
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, A-1120 Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Gerlach
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, A-1120 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Melanie Wurm
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, A-1120 Vienna, Austria
| | - Fabio Savarese
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, A-1120 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Norbert Kraut
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, A-1120 Vienna, Austria
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39
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Ozer HG, El-Gamal D, Powell B, Hing ZA, Blachly JS, Harrington B, Mitchell S, Grieselhuber NR, Williams K, Lai TH, Alinari L, Baiocchi RA, Brinton L, Baskin E, Cannon M, Beaver L, Goettl VM, Lucas DM, Woyach JA, Sampath D, Lehman AM, Yu L, Zhang J, Ma Y, Zhang Y, Spevak W, Shi S, Severson P, Shellooe R, Carias H, Tsang G, Dong K, Ewing T, Marimuthu A, Tantoy C, Walters J, Sanftner L, Rezaei H, Nespi M, Matusow B, Habets G, Ibrahim P, Zhang C, Mathé EA, Bollag G, Byrd JC, Lapalombella R. BRD4 Profiling Identifies Critical Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Oncogenic Circuits and Reveals Sensitivity to PLX51107, a Novel Structurally Distinct BET Inhibitor. Cancer Discov 2018; 8:458-477. [PMID: 29386193 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-17-0902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) family proteins are key regulators of gene expression in cancer. Herein, we utilize BRD4 profiling to identify critical pathways involved in pathogenesis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). BRD4 is overexpressed in CLL and is enriched proximal to genes upregulated or de novo expressed in CLL with known functions in disease pathogenesis and progression. These genes, including key members of the B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling pathway, provide a rationale for this therapeutic approach to identify new targets in alternative types of cancer. Additionally, we describe PLX51107, a structurally distinct BET inhibitor with novel in vitro and in vivo pharmacologic properties that emulates or exceeds the efficacy of BCR signaling agents in preclinical models of CLL. Herein, the discovery of the involvement of BRD4 in the core CLL transcriptional program provides a compelling rationale for clinical investigation of PLX51107 as epigenetic therapy in CLL and application of BRD4 profiling in other cancers.Significance: To date, functional studies of BRD4 in CLL are lacking. Through integrated genomic, functional, and pharmacologic analyses, we uncover the existence of BRD4-regulated core CLL transcriptional programs and present preclinical proof-of-concept studies validating BET inhibition as an epigenetic approach to target BCR signaling in CLL. Cancer Discov; 8(4); 458-77. ©2018 AACR.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 371.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use
- Cell Cycle Proteins
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cell Proliferation
- Gene Expression Profiling
- Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic
- Humans
- Isoxazoles/pharmacology
- Isoxazoles/therapeutic use
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/genetics
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/metabolism
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/physiopathology
- Mice
- Mice, SCID
- Nuclear Proteins/genetics
- Nuclear Proteins/metabolism
- Pyridines/pharmacology
- Pyridines/therapeutic use
- Pyrroles/pharmacology
- Pyrroles/therapeutic use
- Signal Transduction
- Transcription Factors/genetics
- Transcription Factors/metabolism
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
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Affiliation(s)
- Hatice Gulcin Ozer
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Dalia El-Gamal
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | | | - Zachary A Hing
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - James S Blachly
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Bonnie Harrington
- College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Shaneice Mitchell
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Nicole R Grieselhuber
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Katie Williams
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Tzung-Huei Lai
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Lapo Alinari
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Robert A Baiocchi
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Lindsey Brinton
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Elizabeth Baskin
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Matthew Cannon
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Larry Beaver
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Virginia M Goettl
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - David M Lucas
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Jennifer A Woyach
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Deepa Sampath
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Amy M Lehman
- Center for Biostatistics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Lianbo Yu
- Center for Biostatistics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | | | - Yan Ma
- Plexxikon Inc., Berkeley, California
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ken Dong
- Plexxikon Inc., Berkeley, California
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ewy A Mathé
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | | | - John C Byrd
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
| | - Rosa Lapalombella
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
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40
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francesco Bertoni
- Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Università della Svizzera italiana, Istituto Oncologico di Ricerca, Bellinzona, Switzerland
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41
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McDaniel KF, Wang L, Soltwedel T, Fidanze SD, Hasvold LA, Liu D, Mantei RA, Pratt JK, Sheppard GS, Bui MH, Faivre EJ, Huang X, Li L, Lin X, Wang R, Warder SE, Wilcox D, Albert DH, Magoc TJ, Rajaraman G, Park CH, Hutchins CW, Shen JJ, Edalji RP, Sun CC, Martin R, Gao W, Wong S, Fang G, Elmore SW, Shen Y, Kati WM. Discovery of N-(4-(2,4-Difluorophenoxy)-3-(6-methyl-7-oxo-6,7-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyridin-4-yl)phenyl)ethanesulfonamide (ABBV-075/Mivebresib), a Potent and Orally Available Bromodomain and Extraterminal Domain (BET) Family Bromodomain Inhibitor. J Med Chem 2017; 60:8369-8384. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b00746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Keith F. McDaniel
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Le Wang
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Todd Soltwedel
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Steven D. Fidanze
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Lisa A. Hasvold
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Dachun Liu
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Robert A. Mantei
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - John K. Pratt
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - George S. Sheppard
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Mai H. Bui
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Emily J. Faivre
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Xiaoli Huang
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Leiming Li
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Xiaoyu Lin
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Rongqi Wang
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Scott E. Warder
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Denise Wilcox
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Daniel H. Albert
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Terrance J. Magoc
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Ganesh Rajaraman
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Chang H. Park
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Charles W. Hutchins
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Jianwei J. Shen
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Rohinton P. Edalji
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Chaohong C. Sun
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Ruth Martin
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Wenqing Gao
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Shekman Wong
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Guowei Fang
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Steven W. Elmore
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Yu Shen
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Warren M. Kati
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie Inc., 1 North
Waukegan Rd., North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
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42
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Abstract
Tumoral cells not only depend on oncogenic abnormalities to maintain its malignant phenotype but on non-oncogenic vulnerabilities. Targeting epigenomics can modify specific cellular functions required for malignant transformation. The Bromodomain (BRD) family mediates their effect by recruiting proteins of the transcription machinery, recognizing acetylated-lysine residues in nucleosomal histones. Bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) inhibitors have shown to produce growth inhibition in several tumors through the inhibition of the expression of several transcription factors. In this review we will discuss the current knowledge regarding BET inhibitors in breast cancer. Recent data demonstrates their antiproliferative effect in several cancer subtypes, including the triple negative subtype, or when combined with cell signaling inhibitors. We will also describe options for therapeutic combinations or potential mechanisms of resistance, with special emphasis on their future clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Ocaña
- Unidad de Investigación Traslacional, Hospital Universitario de Albacete, Universidad de Castilla La Mancha, Albacete, Spain
| | - Cristina Nieto-Jiménez
- Unidad de Investigación Traslacional, Hospital Universitario de Albacete, Universidad de Castilla La Mancha, Albacete, Spain
| | - Atanasio Pandiella
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer and CIBERONC, CSIC-Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
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43
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Alekseyenko AA, Walsh EM, Zee BM, Pakozdi T, Hsi P, Lemieux ME, Dal Cin P, Ince TA, Kharchenko PV, Kuroda MI, French CA. Ectopic protein interactions within BRD4-chromatin complexes drive oncogenic megadomain formation in NUT midline carcinoma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E4184-92. [PMID: 28484033 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1702086114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
To investigate the mechanism that drives dramatic mistargeting of active chromatin in NUT midline carcinoma (NMC), we have identified protein interactions unique to the BRD4-NUT fusion oncoprotein compared with wild-type BRD4. Using cross-linking, affinity purification, and mass spectrometry, we identified the EP300 acetyltransferase as uniquely associated with BRD4 through the NUT fusion in both NMC and non-NMC cell types. We also discovered ZNF532 associated with BRD4-NUT in NMC patient cells but not detectable in 293T cells. EP300 and ZNF532 are both implicated in feed-forward regulatory loops leading to propagation of the oncogenic chromatin complex in BRD4-NUT patient cells. Adding key functional significance to our biochemical findings, we independently discovered a ZNF532-NUT translocation fusion in a newly diagnosed NMC patient. ChIP sequencing of the major players NUT, ZNF532, BRD4, EP300, and H3K27ac revealed the formation of ZNF532-NUT-associated hyperacetylated megadomains, distinctly localized but otherwise analogous to those found in BRD4-NUT patient cells. Our results support a model in which NMC is dependent on ectopic NUT-mediated interactions between EP300 and components of BRD4 regulatory complexes, leading to a cascade of misregulation.
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44
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Lam LT, Lin X, Faivre EJ, Yang Z, Huang X, Wilcox DM, Bellin RJ, Jin S, Tahir SK, Mitten M, Magoc T, Bhathena A, Kati WM, Albert DH, Shen Y, Uziel T. Vulnerability of Small-Cell Lung Cancer to Apoptosis Induced by the Combination of BET Bromodomain Proteins and BCL2 Inhibitors. Mol Cancer Ther 2017; 16:1511-1520. [PMID: 28468776 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-16-0459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Revised: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Ten percent to 15% of all lung cancers are small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). SCLC usually grows and metastasizes before it is diagnosed and relapses rapidly upon treatment. Unfortunately, no new targeted agent has been approved in the past 30 years for patients with SCLC. The BET (bromodomain and extraterminal) proteins bind acetylated histones and recruit protein complexes to promote transcription initiation and elongation. BET proteins have been shown to regulate expression of key genes in oncogenesis, such as MYC, CCND2, and BCL2L1 Here, we demonstrate that approximately 50% of SCLC cell lines are exquisitely sensitive to growth inhibition by the BET inhibitor, ABBV-075. The majority of these SCLC cell lines underwent apoptosis in response to ABBV-075 treatment via induction of caspase-3/7 activity. ABBV-075 enhanced the expression of proapoptotic protein BIM and downregulated antiapoptotic proteins BCL2 and BCLxl to a lesser extent. Furthermore, BET inhibition increased BCL2-BIM complex, thus priming the cells for apoptosis. Indeed, strong synergy was observed both in vitro and in vivo when cotreating the cells with BET inhibitor and the BH3-mimetic, BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax (ABT-199). ABBV-075 interaction with venetoclax positively correlated with BCL2 expression. Taken together, our studies provide a rationale for treating SCLC with BET and BCL2 inhibitors in tumors with high BCL2 protein expression. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(8); 1511-20. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lloyd T Lam
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, Illinois.
| | - Xiaoyu Lin
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, Illinois
| | - Emily J Faivre
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, Illinois
| | - Ziping Yang
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, Illinois
| | - Xiaoli Huang
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, Illinois
| | | | | | - Sha Jin
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, Illinois
| | | | - Michael Mitten
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, Illinois
| | - Terry Magoc
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, Illinois
| | | | - Warren M Kati
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, Illinois
| | | | - Yu Shen
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, Illinois
| | - Tamar Uziel
- Oncology Discovery, AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, Illinois
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