1
|
Asumda FZ, Campbell NA, Hassan MA, Fathi R, Vasquez Rico DF, Kiem M, Vang EV, Kim YH, Luo X, O’Brien DR, Buhrow SA, Reid JM, Moore MJ, Ben-Yair VK, Levitt ML, Leiting JL, Abdelrahman AM, Zhu X, Lucien F, Truty MJ, Roberts LR. Combined Antitumor Effect of the Serine Protease Urokinase Inhibitor Upamostat and the Sphingosine Kinase 2 Inhibitor Opaganib on Cholangiocarcinoma Patient-Derived Xenografts. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1050. [PMID: 38473407 PMCID: PMC10930726 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16051050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Upamostat is an orally available small-molecule serine protease inhibitor that is a highly potent inhibitor of trypsin 1, trypsin 2, trypsin 3 (PRSS1/2/3), and the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA). These enzymes are expressed in many cancers, especially during tissue remodeling and subsequent tumor cell invasion. Opaganib (ABC294640), a novel, orally available small molecule is a selective inhibitor of the phosphorylation of sphingosine to sphingosine-1-phosphate (S-1-P) by sphingosine kinase 2 (SPHK2). Both sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1) and SPHK2 are known to regulate the proliferation-inducing compound S-1-P. However, SPHK2 is more critical in cancer pathogenesis. The goal of this project was to investigate the potential antitumor effects of upamostat and opaganib, individually and in combination, on cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) xenografts in nude mice. PAX165, a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) from a surgically resected CCA, expresses substantial levels of SPHK2, PRSS1, PRSS2, and PRSS3. Four groups of 18 mice each were treated with upamostat, opaganib, both, or vehicle. Mouse weights and PAX165 tumor volumes were measured. Tumor volumes in the upamostat, opaganib, and upamostat plus opaganib groups were significantly decreased compared to the control group.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Faizal Z. Asumda
- Departments of Pediatrics and Pathology, Medical College of Georgia-Augusta University Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30912, USA;
| | - Nellie A. Campbell
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; (N.A.C.); (M.J.M.); (X.Z.)
| | | | - Reza Fathi
- RedHill Biopharma, Ltd., 21 Ha’arba’a St., Tel Aviv 6473921, Israel; (R.F.); (M.L.L.)
| | | | - Melanie Kiem
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; (N.A.C.); (M.J.M.); (X.Z.)
- Study of Human Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Ethan V. Vang
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; (N.A.C.); (M.J.M.); (X.Z.)
| | - Yo Han Kim
- Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; (Y.H.K.); (F.L.)
| | - Xin Luo
- Hepatic Surgery Center and Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreatic-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Daniel R. O’Brien
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA;
| | - Sarah A. Buhrow
- Department of Oncology and Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; (S.A.B.); (J.M.R.)
| | - Joel M. Reid
- Department of Oncology and Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; (S.A.B.); (J.M.R.)
| | - Michael J. Moore
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; (N.A.C.); (M.J.M.); (X.Z.)
| | - Vered Katz Ben-Yair
- RedHill Biopharma, Ltd., 21 Ha’arba’a St., Tel Aviv 6473921, Israel; (R.F.); (M.L.L.)
| | - Mark L. Levitt
- RedHill Biopharma, Ltd., 21 Ha’arba’a St., Tel Aviv 6473921, Israel; (R.F.); (M.L.L.)
| | - Jennifer L. Leiting
- Division of Subspecialty General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA;
| | - Amro M. Abdelrahman
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; (A.M.A.); (M.J.T.)
| | - Xinli Zhu
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; (N.A.C.); (M.J.M.); (X.Z.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Fabrice Lucien
- Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; (Y.H.K.); (F.L.)
| | - Mark J. Truty
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; (A.M.A.); (M.J.T.)
| | - Lewis R. Roberts
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; (N.A.C.); (M.J.M.); (X.Z.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mazzocato Y, Perin S, Morales-Sanfrutos J, Romanyuk Z, Pluda S, Acquasaliente L, Borsato G, De Filippis V, Scarso A, Angelini A. A novel genetically-encoded bicyclic peptide inhibitor of human urokinase-type plasminogen activator with better cross-reactivity toward the murine orthologue. Bioorg Med Chem 2023; 95:117499. [PMID: 37879145 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
The inhibition of human urokinase-type plasminogen activator (huPA), a serine protease that plays an important role in pericellular proteolysis, is a promising strategy to decrease the invasive and metastatic activity of tumour cells. However, the generation of selective small molecule huPA inhibitors has proven to be challenging due to the high structural similarity of huPA to other paralogue serine proteases. Efforts to generate more specific therapies have led to the development of cyclic peptide-based inhibitors with much higher selectivity against huPA. While this latter property is desired, the sparing of the orthologue murine poses difficulties for the testing of the inhibitor in preclinical mouse model. In this work, we have applied a Darwinian evolution-based approach to identify phage-encoded bicyclic peptide inhibitors of huPA with better cross-reactivity towards murine uPA (muPA). The best selected bicyclic peptide (UK132) inhibited huPA and muPA with Ki values of 0.33 and 12.58 µM, respectively. The inhibition appears to be specific for uPA, as UK132 only weakly inhibits a panel of structurally similar serine proteases. Removal or substitution of the second loop with one not evolved in vitro led to monocyclic and bicyclic peptide analogues with lower potency than UK132. Moreover, swapping of 1,3,5-tris-(bromomethyl)-benzene with different small molecules not used in the phage selection, resulted in an 80-fold reduction of potency, revealing the important structural role of the branched cyclization linker. Further substitution of an arginine in UK132 to a lysine resulted in a bicyclic peptide UK140 with enhanced inhibitory potency against both huPA (Ki = 0.20 µM) and murine orthologue (Ki = 2.79 µM). By combining good specificity, nanomolar affinity and a low molecular mass, the bicyclic peptide inhibitor developed in this work may provide a novel human and murine cross-reactive lead for the development of a potent and selective anti-metastatic therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ylenia Mazzocato
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy
| | - Stefano Perin
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy
| | - Julia Morales-Sanfrutos
- Proteomics Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), C. de Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Zhanna Romanyuk
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy
| | - Stefano Pluda
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy; Fidia Farmaceutici S.p.A., Via Ponte della Fabbrica 3/A, Abano Terme 35031, Italy
| | - Laura Acquasaliente
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Borsato
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy
| | - Vincenzo De Filippis
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Scarso
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy
| | - Alessandro Angelini
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy; European Centre for Living Technology (ECLT), Ca' Bottacin, Dorsoduro 3911, Calle Crosera, 30123 Venice, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|