1
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Nwosu GO, Ross DM, Powell JA, Pitson SM. Venetoclax therapy and emerging resistance mechanisms in acute myeloid leukaemia. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:413. [PMID: 38866760 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06810-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a highly aggressive and devastating malignancy of the bone marrow and blood. For decades, intensive chemotherapy has been the frontline treatment for AML but has yielded only poor patient outcomes as exemplified by a 5-year survival rate of < 30%, even in younger adults. As knowledge of the molecular underpinnings of AML has advanced, so too has the development new strategies with potential to improve the treatment of AML patients. To date the most promising of these targeted agents is the BH3-mimetic venetoclax which in combination with standard of care therapies, has manageable non-haematological toxicity and exhibits impressive efficacy. However, approximately 30% of AML patients fail to respond to venetoclax-based regimens and almost all treatment responders eventually relapse. Here, we review the emerging mechanisms of intrinsic and acquired venetoclax resistance in AML and highlight recent efforts to identify novel strategies to overcome resistance to venetoclax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gus O Nwosu
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - David M Ross
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Department of Haematology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Department of Haematology, Flinders University and Medical Centre, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Jason A Powell
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
- Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
| | - Stuart M Pitson
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
- Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
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2
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Belt AJ, Grant S, Tombes RM, Rothschild SC. Myeloid Targeted Human MLL-ENL and MLL-AF9 Induces cdk9 and bcl2 Expression in Zebrafish Embryos. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011308. [PMID: 38829886 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) accounts for greater than twenty thousand new cases of leukemia annually in the United States. The average five-year survival rate is approximately 30%, pointing to the need for developing novel model systems for drug discovery. In particular, patients with chromosomal rearrangements in the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) gene have higher relapse rates with poor outcomes. In this study we investigated the expression of human MLL-ENL and MLL-AF9 in the myeloid lineage of zebrafish embryos. We observed an expansion of MLL positive cells and determined these cells colocalized with the myeloid markers spi1b, mpx, and mpeg. In addition, expression of MLL-ENL and MLL-AF9 induced the expression of endogenous bcl2 and cdk9, genes that are often dysregulated in MLL-r-AML. Co-treatment of lyz: MLL-ENL or lyz:MLL-AF9 expressing embryos with the BCL2 inhibitor, Venetoclax, and the CDK9 inhibitor, Flavopiridol, significantly reduced the number of MLL positive cells compared to embryos treated with vehicle or either drug alone. In addition, cotreatment with Venetoclax and Flavopiridol significantly reduced the expression of endogenous mcl1a compared to vehicle, consist with AML. This new model of MLL-r-AML provides a novel tool to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying disease progression and a platform for drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex J Belt
- Life Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Steven Grant
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Robert M Tombes
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Sarah C Rothschild
- Life Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
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3
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Wang K, Jiang M, Liu H, Meng C, Li M, Lu H. Discovery of novel co-degradation CK1α and CDK7/9 PROTACs with p53 activation for treating acute myeloid leukemia. Bioorg Chem 2024; 147:107319. [PMID: 38593529 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Reactivating p53 activity to restore its anticancer function is an attractive cancer treatment strategy. In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of novel PROTACs to reactivate p53 via the co-degradation of CK1α and CDK7/9 proteins. Bioactivity studies showed that the selected PROTAC 13i exhibited potency antiproliferative activity in MV4-11 (IC50 = 0.096 ± 0.012 μM) and MOLM-13 (IC50 = 0.072 ± 0.014 μM) cells, and induced apoptosis of MV4-11 cells. Western-blot analysis showed that PROTAC 13i triple CK1α and CDK7/9 protein degradation resulted in the significantly increased expression of p53. At the same time, the transcriptional repression due to the degradation significantly reduced downstream gene expression of MYC, MDM2, BCL-2 and MCL-1, and reduced the inflammatory cytokine levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in PMBCs. These results indicate the beneficial impact of simultaneous CK1α and CDK7/9 degradation for acute myeloid leukemia therapy.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry
- Antineoplastic Agents/chemical synthesis
- Casein Kinase Ialpha/metabolism
- Casein Kinase Ialpha/antagonists & inhibitors
- Cell Proliferation/drug effects
- Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
- Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 9/antagonists & inhibitors
- Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 9/metabolism
- Structure-Activity Relationship
- Molecular Structure
- Cyclin-Dependent Kinases/antagonists & inhibitors
- Cyclin-Dependent Kinases/metabolism
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Apoptosis/drug effects
- Drug Discovery
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Proteolysis/drug effects
- Tumor Cells, Cultured
- Proteolysis Targeting Chimera
- Cyclin-Dependent Kinase-Activating Kinase
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Meixu Jiang
- College of Pharmacy, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Huimin Liu
- College of Pharmacy, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Chen Meng
- College of Pharmacy, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Mengyuan Li
- College of Pharmacy, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Haibin Lu
- College of Pharmacy, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.
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4
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Riabov V, Xu Q, Schmitt N, Streuer A, Ge G, Bolanos L, Wunderlich M, Jann JC, Wein A, Altrock E, Demmerle M, Mukherjee S, Ali AM, Rapp F, Nowak V, Weimer N, Obländer J, Palme I, Göl M, Jawhar A, Darwich A, Wuchter P, Weiss C, Raza A, Foulks JM, Starczynowski DT, Yang FC, Metzgeroth G, Steiner L, Jawhar M, Hofmann WK, Nowak D. ASXL1 mutations are associated with a response to alvocidib and 5-azacytidine combination in myelodysplastic neoplasms. Haematologica 2024; 109:1426-1438. [PMID: 37916386 PMCID: PMC11063838 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2023.282921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibitors of anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family proteins in combination with chemotherapy and hypomethylating agents (HMA) are promising therapeutic approaches in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Alvocidib, a cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) inhibitor and indirect transcriptional repressor of the anti-apoptotic factor MCL-1, has previously shown clinical activity in AML. Availability of biomarkers for response to the alvocidib + 5-azacytidine (5-AZA) could also extend the rationale of this treatment concept to high-risk MDS. In this study, we performed a comprehensive in vitro assessment of alvocidib and 5-AZA effects in N=45 high-risk MDS patients. Our data revealed additive cytotoxic effects of the combination treatment. Mutational profiling of MDS samples identified ASXL1 mutations as predictors of response. Further, increased response rates were associated with higher gene expression of the pro-apoptotic factor NOXA in ASXL1-mutated samples. The higher sensitivity of ASXL1 mutant cells to the combination treatment was confirmed in vivo in ASXL1Y588X transgenic mice. Overall, our study demonstrated augmented activity for the alvocidib + 5-AZA combination in higher-risk MDS and identified ASXL1 mutations as a biomarker of response for potential stratification studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Riabov
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim.
| | - Qingyu Xu
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim
| | - Nanni Schmitt
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim
| | - Alexander Streuer
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim
| | - Guo Ge
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Lyndsey Bolanos
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Mark Wunderlich
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Johann-Christoph Jann
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim
| | - Alina Wein
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim
| | - Eva Altrock
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim
| | - Marie Demmerle
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim
| | - Sanjay Mukherjee
- Myelodysplastic Syndromes Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York
| | - Abdullah Mahmood Ali
- Myelodysplastic Syndromes Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York
| | - Felicitas Rapp
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim
| | - Verena Nowak
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim
| | - Nadine Weimer
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim
| | - Julia Obländer
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim
| | - Iris Palme
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim
| | - Melda Göl
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim
| | - Ahmed Jawhar
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim
| | - Ali Darwich
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim
| | - Patrick Wuchter
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine and Immunology, German Red Cross Blood Service Baden-Württemberg-Hessen, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University
| | - Christel Weiss
- Department of Medical Statistics, Biomathematics and Information Processing, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim
| | - Azra Raza
- Myelodysplastic Syndromes Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York
| | | | - Daniel T Starczynowski
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA; University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Feng-Chun Yang
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Georgia Metzgeroth
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim
| | - Laurenz Steiner
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim
| | - Mohamad Jawhar
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim
| | - Wolf-Karsten Hofmann
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim
| | - Daniel Nowak
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim.
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5
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Kawakatsu R, Tadagaki K, Yamasaki K, Yoshida T. Venetoclax efficacy on acute myeloid leukemia is enhanced by the combination with butyrate. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4975. [PMID: 38424468 PMCID: PMC10904797 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55286-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Venetoclax has been approved recently for treatment of Acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Venetoclax is a BH3-mimetic and induces apoptosis via Bcl-2 inhibition. However, venetoclax's effect is still restrictive and a novel strategy is needed. In the present study, we demonstrate that sodium butyrate (NaB) facilitates the venetoclax's efficacy of cell death in AML cells. As a single agent, NaB or venetoclax exerted just a weak effect on cell death induction for AML cell line KG-1. The combination with NaB and venetoclax drastically induced cell death. NaB upregulated pro-apoptotic factors, Bax and Bak, indicating the synergistic effect by the collaboration with Bcl-2 inhibition by venetoclax. The combined treatment with NaB and venetoclax strongly cleaved a caspase substrate poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and a potent pan-caspase inhibitor Q-VD-OPh almost completely blocked the cell death induced by the combination, meaning that the combination mainly induced apoptosis. The combination with NaB and venetoclax also strongly induced cell death in another AML cell line SKNO-1 but did not affect chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cell line K562, indicating that the effect was specific for AML cells. Our results provide a novel strategy to strengthen the effect of venetoclax for AML treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renshi Kawakatsu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Kenjiro Tadagaki
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Kenta Yamasaki
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Tatsushi Yoshida
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan.
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6
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Alpuche-Lazcano SP, Scarborough RJ, Gatignol A. MicroRNAs and long non-coding RNAs during transcriptional regulation and latency of HIV and HTLV. Retrovirology 2024; 21:5. [PMID: 38424561 PMCID: PMC10905857 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-024-00637-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and human T cell leukemia virus (HTLV) have replicative and latent stages of infection. The status of the viruses is dependent on the cells that harbour them and on different events that change the transcriptional and post-transcriptional events. Non-coding (nc)RNAs are key factors in the regulation of retrovirus replication cycles. Notably, micro (mi)RNAs and long non-coding (lnc)RNAs are important regulators that can induce switches between active transcription-replication and latency of retroviruses and have important impacts on their pathogenesis. Here, we review the functions of miRNAs and lncRNAs in the context of HIV and HTLV. We describe how specific miRNAs and lncRNAs are involved in the regulation of the viruses' transcription, post-transcriptional regulation and latency. We further discuss treatment strategies using ncRNAs for HIV and HTLV long remission, reactivation or possible cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio P Alpuche-Lazcano
- Virus-Cell Interactions Laboratory, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, 3999, Côte Ste Catherine St., Montréal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
- National Research Council Canada, Montréal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Robert J Scarborough
- Virus-Cell Interactions Laboratory, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, 3999, Côte Ste Catherine St., Montréal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Anne Gatignol
- Virus-Cell Interactions Laboratory, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, 3999, Côte Ste Catherine St., Montréal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada.
- Department of Medicine, Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada.
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada.
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7
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Zhou F, Tang L, Le S, Ge M, Cicic D, Xie F, Ren J, Lan J, Lu Q. The pharmacodynamic and mechanistic foundation for the antineoplastic effects of GFH009, a potent and highly selective CDK9 inhibitor for the treatment of hematologic malignancies. Oncotarget 2023; 14:997-1008. [PMID: 38117531 PMCID: PMC10732257 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28543] [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: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
To evade cell cycle controls, malignant cells rely upon rapid expression of select proteins to mitigate proapoptotic signals resulting from damage caused by both cancer treatments and unchecked over-proliferation. Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9)-dependent signaling induces transcription of downstream oncogenes promoting tumor growth, especially in hyperproliferative 'oncogene-addicted' cancers, such as human hematological malignancies (HHMs). GFH009, a potent, highly selective CDK9 small molecule inhibitor, demonstrated antiproliferative activity in assorted HHM-derived cell lines, inducing apoptosis at IC50 values below 0.2 μM in 7/10 lines tested. GFH009 inhibited tumor growth at all doses compared to controls and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Twice-weekly injections of GFH009 maleate at 10 mg/kg significantly prolonged the survival of MV-4-11 xenograft-bearing rodents, while their body weight remained stable. There was marked reduction of MCL-1 and c-MYC protein expression post-drug exposure both in vitro and in vivo. Through rapid 'on-off' CDK9 inhibition, GFH009 exerts a proapoptotic effect on HHM preclinical models triggered by dynamic deprivation of crucial cell survival signals. Our results mechanistically establish CDK9 as a targetable vulnerability in assorted HHMs and, along with the previously shown superior class kinome selectivity of GFH009 vs other CDK9 inhibitors, strongly support the rationale for currently ongoing clinical studies with this agent in acute myeloid leukemia and other HHMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fusheng Zhou
- GenFleet Therapeutics (Shanghai) Inc., Shanghai 201203, P.R. China
| | - Lili Tang
- GenFleet Therapeutics (Shanghai) Inc., Shanghai 201203, P.R. China
| | - Siyuan Le
- GenFleet Therapeutics (Shanghai) Inc., Shanghai 201203, P.R. China
| | - Mei Ge
- GenFleet Therapeutics (Shanghai) Inc., Shanghai 201203, P.R. China
| | - Dragan Cicic
- Sellas Life Sciences Group, New York, NY 10036, USA
| | - Fubo Xie
- GenFleet Therapeutics (Shanghai) Inc., Shanghai 201203, P.R. China
| | - Jinmin Ren
- GenFleet Therapeutics (Shanghai) Inc., Shanghai 201203, P.R. China
| | - Jiong Lan
- GenFleet Therapeutics (Shanghai) Inc., Shanghai 201203, P.R. China
| | - Qiang Lu
- GenFleet Therapeutics (Shanghai) Inc., Shanghai 201203, P.R. China
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8
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Wang Z, Himanen SV, Haikala HM, Friedel CC, Vihervaara A, Barborič M. Inhibition of CDK12 elevates cancer cell dependence on P-TEFb by stimulation of RNA polymerase II pause release. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:10970-10991. [PMID: 37811895 PMCID: PMC10639066 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
P-TEFb and CDK12 facilitate transcriptional elongation by RNA polymerase II. Given the prominence of both kinases in cancer, gaining a better understanding of their interplay could inform the design of novel anti-cancer strategies. While down-regulation of DNA repair genes in CDK12-targeted cancer cells is being explored therapeutically, little is known about mechanisms and significance of transcriptional induction upon inhibition of CDK12. We show that selective targeting of CDK12 in colon cancer-derived cells activates P-TEFb via its release from the inhibitory 7SK snRNP. In turn, P-TEFb stimulates Pol II pause release at thousands of genes, most of which become newly dependent on P-TEFb. Amongst the induced genes are those stimulated by hallmark pathways in cancer, including p53 and NF-κB. Consequently, CDK12-inhibited cancer cells exhibit hypersensitivity to inhibitors of P-TEFb. While blocking P-TEFb triggers their apoptosis in a p53-dependent manner, it impedes cell proliferation irrespective of p53 by preventing induction of genes downstream of the DNA damage-induced NF-κB signaling. In summary, stimulation of Pol II pause release at the signal-responsive genes underlies the functional dependence of CDK12-inhibited cancer cells on P-TEFb. Our study establishes the mechanistic underpinning for combinatorial targeting of CDK12 with either P-TEFb or the induced oncogenic pathways in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijia Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland
| | - Samu V Himanen
- Department of Gene Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Heidi M Haikala
- Translational Immunology Research Program (TRIMM), Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland
| | - Caroline C Friedel
- Institute of Informatics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Anniina Vihervaara
- Department of Gene Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Matjaž Barborič
- Department of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland
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9
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Wang L, Yang Z, Li G, Liu Y, Ai C, Rao Y. Discovery of small molecule degraders for modulating cell cycle. Front Med 2023; 17:823-854. [PMID: 37935945 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-023-1027-5] [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: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
The cell cycle is a complex process that involves DNA replication, protein expression, and cell division. Dysregulation of the cell cycle is associated with various diseases. Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and their corresponding cyclins are major proteins that regulate the cell cycle. In contrast to inhibition, a new approach called proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) and molecular glues can eliminate both enzymatic and scaffold functions of CDKs and cyclins, achieving targeted degradation. The field of PROTACs and molecular glues has developed rapidly in recent years. In this article, we aim to summarize the latest developments of CDKs and cyclin protein degraders. The selectivity, application, validation and the current state of each CDK degrader will be overviewed. Additionally, possible methods are discussed for the development of degraders for CDK members that still lack them. Overall, this article provides a comprehensive summary of the latest advancements in CDK and cyclin protein degraders, which will be helpful for researchers working on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liguo Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Zhouli Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Guangchen Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yongbo Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Chao Ai
- Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102218, China.
| | - Yu Rao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
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10
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Sim KM, Kim SY, Hwang S, Park S, Lee BR, Nam K, Oh S, Kim I. A new cyclin-dependent kinase-9 inhibitor A09-003 induces apoptosis in acute myeloid leukemia cells with reduction of myeloid cell leukemia sequence-1 protein. Chem Biol Interact 2023; 382:110554. [PMID: 37271215 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2023.110554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common type of hematological disease in adults, and has a very poor outcome [1]. Based on its wide range of efficacy in AML models, a small-molecule inhibitor of the anti-apoptotic protein BCL-2, venetoclax (ABT-199/GDC-0199), was developed for clinical trials. However, venetoclax showed limited monotherapy activity [2]. The overexpression of myeloid cell leukemia sequence-1 protein (Mcl-1)-due to mutations in Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 internal tandem duplication (FLT-3 ITD)-was considered to be the main reason for low efficacy of venetoclax in clinical trials [3-5]. To achieve venetoclax sensitization in AML, targeting CDK-9 with venetoclax is a promising therapeutic strategy. In this study, we developed A09-003 as a potent inhibitor of CDK-9, with an IC50 value of 16 nM. A09-003 inhibited cell proliferation in various leukemia cell lines. In particular, the proliferation inhibitory effect of A09-003 was most potent in MV4-11 and Molm-14 cells, harboring the FLT-3 ITD mutation with a high expression profile of Mcl-1. Marker analysis revealed that A09-003 reduced CDK-9 phosphorylation and reduced RNA polymerase II activity with decreased Mcl-1 expression. Finally, combining A09-003 with venetoclax induced apoptotic cell death in a synergistic manner. In summary, this study shows the potential of A09-003 in AML therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoung Mi Sim
- Biomedical Research Center, ASAN Institute for Life Sciences, ASAN Medical Center, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - So Young Kim
- Biomedical Research Center, ASAN Institute for Life Sciences, ASAN Medical Center, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Supyong Hwang
- Convergence Medicine Research Center (CREDIT), ASAN Institute for Life Sciences, ASAN Medical Center, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sojung Park
- Convergence Medicine Research Center (CREDIT), ASAN Institute for Life Sciences, ASAN Medical Center, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Bo Ra Lee
- Convergence Medicine Research Center (CREDIT), ASAN Institute for Life Sciences, ASAN Medical Center, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | - SeakHee Oh
- Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital, University Ulsan College of Medicine, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Inki Kim
- Biomedical Research Center, ASAN Institute for Life Sciences, ASAN Medical Center, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Convergence Medicine Research Center (CREDIT), ASAN Institute for Life Sciences, ASAN Medical Center, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Pharmacology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympicro 43 gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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11
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Shan X, Jiang R, Gou D, Xiang J, Zhou P, Xia J, Wang K, Huang A, Tang N, Huang L. Identification of a diketopiperazine-based O-GlcNAc transferase inhibitor sensitizing hepatocellular carcinoma to CDK9 inhibition. FEBS J 2023; 290:4543-4561. [PMID: 37247228 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16877] [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: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
O-GlcNAcylation (O-linked β-N-acetylglucosaminylation) is an important post-translational and metabolic process in cells that is implicated in a wide range of physiological processes. O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) is ubiquitously present in cells and is the only enzyme that catalyses the transfer of O-GlcNAc to nucleocytoplasmic proteins. Aberrant glycosylation by OGT has been linked to a variety of diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders and diabetes. Previously, we and others demonstrated that O-GlcNAcylation is notably elevated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The overexpression of O-GlcNAcylation promotes cancer progression and metastasis. Here, we report the identification of HLY838, a novel diketopiperazine-based OGT inhibitor with the ability to induce a global decrease in cellular O-GlcNAc. HLY838 enhances the in vitro and in vivo anti-HCC activity of CDK9 inhibitor by downregulating c-Myc and downstream E2F1 expression. Mechanistically, c-Myc is regulated by the CDK9 at the transcript level, and stabilized by OGT at the protein level. This work therefore demonstrates that HLY838 potentiates the antitumor responses of CDK9 inhibitor, providing an experimental rationale for developing OGT inhibitor as a sensitizing agent in cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqun Shan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Rong Jiang
- Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Dongmei Gou
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Jin Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Peng Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Jie Xia
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Ailong Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Ni Tang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
| | - Luyi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China
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12
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Agudo-Ibáñez L, Morante M, García-Gutiérrez L, Quintanilla A, Rodríguez J, Muñoz A, León J, Crespo P. ERK2 stimulates MYC transcription by anchoring CDK9 to the MYC promoter in a kinase activity-independent manner. Sci Signal 2023; 16:eadg4193. [PMID: 37463244 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.adg4193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
The transcription factor MYC regulates cell proliferation, transformation, and survival in response to growth factor signaling that is mediated in part by the kinase activity of ERK2. Because ERK2 can also bind to DNA to modify gene expression, we investigated whether it more directly regulates MYC transcription. We identified ERK2 binding sites in the MYC promoter and detected ERK2 at the promoter in various serum-stimulated cell types. Expression of nuclear-localized ERK2 constructs in serum-starved cells revealed that ERK2 in the nucleus-regardless of its kinase activity-increased MYC mRNA expression and MYC protein abundance. ERK2 bound to the promoter through its amino-terminal insert domain and to the cyclin-dependent kinase CDK9 (which activates RNA polymerase II) through its carboxyl-terminal conserved docking domain. Both interactions were essential for ERK2-induced MYC expression, and depleting ERK impaired CDK9 occupancy and RNA polymerase II progression at the MYC promoter. Artificially tethering CDK9 to the MYC promoter by fusing it to the ERK2 insert domain was sufficient to stimulate MYC expression in serum-starved cells. Our findings demonstrate a role for ERK2 at the MYC promoter acting as a kinase-independent anchor for the recruitment of CDK9 to promote MYC expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Agudo-Ibáñez
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Cantabria, Santander 39011, Spain
| | - Marta Morante
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Cantabria, Santander 39011, Spain
| | - Lucía García-Gutiérrez
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Cantabria, Santander 39011, Spain
| | - Andrea Quintanilla
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Cantabria, Santander 39011, Spain
| | - Javier Rodríguez
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Cantabria, Santander 39011, Spain
| | - Alberto Muñoz
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols," Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid 28029, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid 2809, Spain
| | - Javier León
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Cantabria, Santander 39011, Spain
| | - Piero Crespo
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Cantabria, Santander 39011, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid 2809, Spain
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13
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Alsfouk AA, Alshibl HM, Altwaijry NA, Alanazi A, AlKamaly O, Sultan A, Alsfouk BA. New Imadazopyrazines with CDK9 Inhibitory Activity as Anticancer and Antiviral: Synthesis, In Silico, and In Vitro Evaluation Approaches. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1018. [PMID: 37513929 PMCID: PMC10383573 DOI: 10.3390/ph16071018] [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: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
This study describes the synthesis and biological activity of new imadazopyrazines as first-in-class CDK9 inhibitors. The inhibition of CDK9 is a well-established therapeutic target in cancer therapy. The new compounds were assessed using an in vitro kinase assay against CDK9. In this assay, compound 1d exhibited the highest CDK9 inhibition with an IC50 of 0.18 µM. The cytotoxicity effect of the novel compounds was evaluated in three cancer cell lines: HCT116, K652, and MCF7. The results of this assay showed a correlation between the antiproliferative effect of the inhibitors and their CDK9 inhibitory effect in the biochemical assay. This suggests CDK9 inhibition as a mechanistic pathway for their anticancer effect. Several compounds demonstrated potent cytotoxic effects with single-digit micromolar IC50 values yielded through an MTT assay. The compounds with the most promising data were further assessed for their antiviral activity against human Coronavirus 229E. The results showed that compound 4a showed the highest antiviral potency with an IC50 of 63.28 µM and a selectivity index of 4.8. In silico target prediction data showed that 4a displayed a good affinity to proteases. The result of the docking studies of 4a with COVID-19 main protease revealed a high binding affinity, which confirmed the results obtained from in vitro study. The physiochemical and in silico pharmacokinetic parameters indicated reasonable drug-likeness properties of the new compounds, including solubility, lipophilicity, absorption, oral bioavailability, and metabolic stability. Further lead optimization of this novel scaffold could lead to a revolution of a new class of preclinical CDK9 agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisha A Alsfouk
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hanan M Alshibl
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Najla A Altwaijry
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ashwag Alanazi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Omkulthom AlKamaly
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahlam Sultan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bshra A Alsfouk
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
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14
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Perurena N, Lock R, Davis RA, Raghavan S, Pilla NF, Ng R, Loi P, Guild CJ, Miller AL, Sicinska E, Cleary JM, Rubinson DA, Wolpin BM, Gray NS, Santagata S, Hahn WC, Morton JP, Sansom OJ, Aguirre AJ, Cichowski K. USP9X mediates an acute adaptive response to MAPK suppression in pancreatic cancer but creates multiple actionable therapeutic vulnerabilities. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:101007. [PMID: 37030295 PMCID: PMC10140597 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) frequently harbor KRAS mutations. Although MEK inhibitors represent a plausible therapeutic option, most PDACs are innately resistant to these agents. Here, we identify a critical adaptive response that mediates resistance. Specifically, we show that MEK inhibitors upregulate the anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1 by triggering an association with its deubiquitinase, USP9X, resulting in acute Mcl-1 stabilization and protection from apoptosis. Notably, these findings contrast the canonical positive regulation of Mcl-1 by RAS/ERK. We further show that Mcl-1 inhibitors and cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors, which suppress Mcl-1 transcription, prevent this protective response and induce tumor regression when combined with MEK inhibitors. Finally, we identify USP9X as an additional potential therapeutic target. Together, these studies (1) demonstrate that USP9X regulates a critical mechanism of resistance in PDAC, (2) reveal an unexpected mechanism of Mcl-1 regulation in response to RAS pathway suppression, and (3) provide multiple distinct promising therapeutic strategies for this deadly malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naiara Perurena
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ludwig Center at Harvard, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rebecca Lock
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rachel A Davis
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Srivatsan Raghavan
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Natalie F Pilla
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Raymond Ng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Patrick Loi
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Caroline J Guild
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Abigail L Miller
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ewa Sicinska
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - James M Cleary
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Douglas A Rubinson
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Brian M Wolpin
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Chem-H and Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sandro Santagata
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ludwig Center at Harvard, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - William C Hahn
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jennifer P Morton
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK; Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Switchback Road, Glasgow G11 1QH, UK
| | - Owen J Sansom
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK; Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Switchback Road, Glasgow G11 1QH, UK
| | - Andrew J Aguirre
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Karen Cichowski
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ludwig Center at Harvard, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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15
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Tokarski RJ, Sharpe CM, Huntsman AC, Mize BK, Ayinde OR, Stahl EH, Lerma JR, Reed A, Carmichael B, Muthusamy N, Byrd JC, Fuchs JR. Bifunctional degraders of cyclin dependent kinase 9 (CDK9): Probing the relationship between linker length, properties, and selective protein degradation. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 254:115342. [PMID: 37071962 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) is a promising therapeutic target in multiple cancer types, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Protein degraders, also known as proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs), have emerged as tools for the selective degradation of cancer targets, including CDK9, complementing the activity of traditional small-molecule inhibitors. These compounds typically incorporate previously reported inhibitors and a known E3 ligase ligand to induce ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of the target protein. Although many protein degraders have been reported in the literature, the properties of the linker necessary for efficient degradation still require special attention. In this study, a series of protein degraders was developed, employing the clinically tested CDK inhibitor AT7519. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect that linker composition, specifically chain length, would have on potency. In addition to establishing a baseline of activity for various linker compositions, two distinct homologous series, a fully alkyl series and an amide-containing series, were prepared, demonstrating the dependence of degrader potency in these series on linker length and the correlation with predicted physicochemical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Tokarski
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry & Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States
| | - Chia M Sharpe
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, United States
| | - Andrew C Huntsman
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry & Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States
| | - Brittney K Mize
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry & Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States
| | - Oluwatosin R Ayinde
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry & Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States
| | - Emily H Stahl
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States
| | - James R Lerma
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, United States
| | - Andrew Reed
- CCIC Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States
| | - Bridget Carmichael
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States
| | - Natarajan Muthusamy
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States
| | - John C Byrd
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, United States; University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, United States
| | - James R Fuchs
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry & Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States.
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16
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Casado P, Cutillas PR. Proteomic Characterization of Acute Myeloid Leukemia for Precision Medicine. Mol Cell Proteomics 2023; 22:100517. [PMID: 36805445 PMCID: PMC10152134 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2023.100517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a highly heterogeneous cancer of the hematopoietic system with no cure for most patients. In addition to chemotherapy, treatment options for AML include recently approved therapies that target proteins with roles in AML pathobiology, such as FLT3, BLC2, and IDH1/2. However, due to disease complexity, these therapies produce very diverse responses, and survival rates are still low. Thus, despite considerable advances, there remains a need for therapies that target different aspects of leukemic biology and for associated biomarkers that define patient populations likely to respond to each available therapy. To meet this need, drugs that target different AML vulnerabilities are currently in advanced stages of clinical development. Here, we review proteomics and phosphoproteomics studies that aimed to provide insights into AML biology and clinical disease heterogeneity not attainable with genomic approaches. To place the discussion in context, we first provide an overview of genetic and clinical aspects of the disease, followed by a summary of proteins targeted by compounds that have been approved or are under clinical trials for AML treatment and, if available, the biomarkers that predict responses. We then discuss proteomics and phosphoproteomics studies that provided insights into AML pathogenesis, from which potential biomarkers and drug targets were identified, and studies that aimed to rationalize the use of synergistic drug combinations. When considered as a whole, the evidence summarized here suggests that proteomics and phosphoproteomics approaches can play a crucial role in the development and implementation of precision medicine for AML patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Casado
- Cell Signalling & Proteomics Group, Centre for Genomics and Computational Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pedro R Cutillas
- Cell Signalling & Proteomics Group, Centre for Genomics and Computational Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom; The Alan Turing Institute, The British Library, London, United Kingdom; Digital Environment Research Institute (DERI), Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.
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17
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Hubner SE, de Camargo Magalhães ES, Hoff FW, Brown BD, Qiu Y, Horton TM, Kornblau SM. DNA Damage Response-Related Proteins Are Prognostic for Outcome in Both Adult and Pediatric Acute Myelogenous Leukemia Patients: Samples from Adults and from Children Enrolled in a Children's Oncology Group Study. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:5898. [PMID: 36982970 PMCID: PMC10058043 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The survival of malignant leukemic cells is dependent on DNA damage repair (DDR) signaling. Reverse Phase Protein Array (RPPA) data sets were assembled using diagnostic samples from 810 adult and 500 pediatric acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) patients and were probed with 412 and 296 strictly validated antibodies, respectively, including those detecting the expression of proteins directly involved in DDR. Unbiased hierarchical clustering identified strong recurrent DDR protein expression patterns in both adult and pediatric AML. Globally, DDR expression was associated with gene mutational statuses and was prognostic for outcomes including overall survival (OS), relapse rate, and remission duration (RD). In adult patients, seven DDR proteins were individually prognostic for either RD or OS. When DDR proteins were analyzed together with DDR-related proteins operating in diverse cellular signaling pathways, these expanded groupings were also highly prognostic for OS. Analysis of patients treated with either conventional chemotherapy or venetoclax combined with a hypomethylating agent revealed protein clusters that differentially predicted favorable from unfavorable prognoses within each therapy cohort. Collectively, this investigation provides insight into variable DDR pathway activation in AML and may help direct future individualized DDR-targeted therapies in AML patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan E. Hubner
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - Fieke W. Hoff
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Brandon D. Brown
- Division of Pediatrics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yihua Qiu
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Terzah M. Horton
- Department of Pediatrics, Dan Duncan Cancer Center, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77584, USA
| | - Steven M. Kornblau
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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18
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Evaluation of CDK9 Inhibition by Dinaciclib in Combination with Apoptosis Modulating izTRAIL for the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11030928. [PMID: 36979907 PMCID: PMC10045754 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11030928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Treatment options for colorectal cancer (CRC), especially in advanced stages are still insufficient. There, the discovery of Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) was a bright spot. However, most cancers show resistance toward apoptotic signals. Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) plays a crucial role in cell cycle progression in most tissues. We recently demonstrated the role of CDK9 in mediating TRAIL resistance. In this work, we investigated the role of CDK9 in colorectal cancer. Immunohistochemical analysis of CDK9 expression in cancer and normal tissues of CRC specimens was performed. The effect of selective CDK9 inhibition in combination with TRAIL on CRC cells was analyzed via cell viability, colony formation, and induction of apoptosis by flow cytometry. The mechanism of action was conducted via western blotting. We now have confirmed overexpression of CDK9 in cancer tissues, with low expression associated with poorer survival in a subset of CRC patients. In-vitro, CDK9 inhibition could strongly promote TRAIL-induced cell death in TRAIL-resistant CRC cells. Mechanistically, CDK9 inhibition induced apoptosis by downregulation of antiapoptotic proteins, myeloid leukemia cell differentiation protein 1 (Mcl-1) and FLICE-inhibitory protein (c-FLIP). Overall, we identified CDK9 as a prognostic marker and combined CDK9 inhibition and TRAIL as a novel and promising therapeutic approaches for colorectal cancer.
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Xue Q, Zhang Q, Guo Z, Wu L, Chen Y, Chen Z, Yang K, Cao J. Therapeutic Hypothermia Inhibits Hypoxia-Induced Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis Via the MiR-483-3p/Cdk9 Axis. J Am Heart Assoc 2023; 12:e026160. [PMID: 36789845 PMCID: PMC10111479 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.122.026160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Background Therapeutic hypothermia has a beneficial effect on cardiac function after acute myocardial infarction, but the exact mechanism is still unclear. Recent research has suggested that microRNAs participate in acute myocardial infarction to regulate cardiomyocyte survival. This study aimed to explore the ability of hypothermia-regulated microRNA-483-3p (miR-483-3p) to inhibit hypoxia-induced myocardial infarction. Methods and Results Primary cardiomyocytes were cultured under hypoxia at 32 °C to mimic therapeutic hypothermia, and the differentially expressed microRNAs were determined by RNA sequencing. Therapeutic hypothermia recovered hypoxia-induced increases in apoptosis, decreases in ATP levels, and decreases in miR-483-3p expression. Overexpression of miR-483-3p exhibited effects similar to those of therapeutic hypothermia on hypoxia in the treatment of cardiomyocytes to associate with maintaining the mitochondrial membrane potential, and cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (Cdk9) was identified as a target gene with downregulated expression by miR-483-3p. Knockdown of Cdk9 also promoted cardiac survival, ATP production, and mitochondrial membrane potential stability under hypoxia. In vivo, the expression of miR-483-3p and Cdk9 was tested in the cardiac tissue of the mice with acute myocardial infarction, and the expression of miR-483-3p decreased and Cdk9 increased in the region of myocardial infarction. However, miR-483-3p was overexpressed with lentivirus, which suppressed apoptosis, infarct size (miR-483-3p, 22.00±4.04% versus negative control, 28.57±5.44%, P<0.05), and Cdk9 expression to improve cardiac contractility. Conclusions MiR-483-3p antagonizes hypoxia, leading to cardiomyocyte injury by targeting Cdk9, which is a new mechanism of therapeutic hypothermia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiqi Xue
- Department of Geriatrics Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
| | - Qianru Zhang
- Department of Cardiology Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
| | - Zhenzhen Guo
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
| | - Liping Wu
- Department of Cardiac Imaging Center The First Affiliated Hospital, Auhui Medical University Hefei China
| | - Yafen Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University Shanghai China
| | - Zhongli Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Arrhythmia Center, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Beijing China
| | - Ke Yang
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
| | - Jiumei Cao
- Department of Geriatrics Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
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20
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Wu X, Xie Y, Zhao K, Lu J. Targeting the super elongation complex for oncogenic transcription driven tumor malignancies: Progress in structure, mechanisms and small molecular inhibitor discovery. Adv Cancer Res 2023; 158:387-421. [PMID: 36990537 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2022.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Oncogenic transcription activation is associated with tumor development and resistance derived from chemotherapy or target therapy. The super elongation complex (SEC) is an important complex regulating gene transcription and expression in metazoans closely related to physiological activities. In normal transcriptional regulation, SEC can trigger promoter escape, limit proteolytic degradation of transcription elongation factors and increase the synthesis of RNA polymerase II (POL II), and regulate many normal human genes to stimulate RNA elongation. Dysregulation of SEC accompanied by multiple transcription factors in cancer promotes rapid transcription of oncogenes and induce cancer development. In this review, we summarized recent progress in understanding the mechanisms of SEC in regulating normal transcription, and importantly its roles in cancer development. We also highlighted the discovery of SEC complex target related inhibitors and their potential applications in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation (Yantai University), Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, China; Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanqiu Xie
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation (Yantai University), Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, China; Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Kehao Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation (Yantai University), Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, China.
| | - Jing Lu
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation (Yantai University), Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, China.
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Modulation of FLT3-ITD and CDK9 in acute myeloid leukaemia cells by novel proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC). Eur J Med Chem 2022; 243:114792. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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22
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Usikova EV, Kaplanov KD, Vorob'ev VI, Lobanova TI, Ul'yanova MA, Kisilichina DG, Kobzev YN, Shikhbabaeva DI, Vinogradova OY, Ptushkin VV. Efficacy of the combination of venetoclax and hypomethylating agents in the treatment of patients with primary, relapsed and/or refractory acute myeloid leukemia. BULLETIN OF THE MEDICAL INSTITUTE "REAVIZ" (REHABILITATION, DOCTOR AND HEALTH) 2022. [DOI: 10.20340/vmi-rvz.2022.6.clin.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Relevance and goals. Treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia has traditionally been highly intensive and includes induction therapy using cytarabine and anathracyclines. In addition to new opportunities in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia, the problem of toxicity of high-intensity therapy in elderly and young somatically burdened patients is quite acute. International clinical trials of phases I-III demonstrated a combination of high efficacy and acceptable hematological toxicity of combinations of hypomethylating agents and venetoclax in the first line of therapy, as well as in the treatment of resistant forms and relapses of acute myeloid leukemia in the older age group, which contributed to the study of the effectiveness of combinations of hypomethylating agents and venetoclax in the treatment of similar groups of young comorbid patients. In this work, we evaluated the efficiency of a combination of hypomethylating agents and venetoclax and overall and disease-free survival in patients with acute myeloid leukemia in routine practice.Methods. In the period from October 2017 to December 2021 on the basis of the Department of Hematology No. 11 and the Department of Bone Marrow and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation No. 56 of the Botkin Hospital (Moscow, Russia) 33 patients with acute myeloid leukemia received venetoclax therapy in combination with decitabine or azacitidine: 14 (42%) men and 19 (58%) women, median age was 60 years (23–83 years). In 42% (14 of 33) of cases, the regimen was prescribed for resistant course or relapse of acute myeloid leukemia and in 61% (20 of 33) as induction therapy. Three patients (15%) out of 19 from the group of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia received this treatment regimen in the first line, taking into account the ECOG status 3-4. By August 2022, 13 (39%) patients are alive, 20 (61%) people have died. Overall survival, the rate of complete remission and complete remission with incomplete recovery, the rate of achieving negativity of minimal residual disease, the frequency of hematological toxicity and infectious complications were assessed. Statistical data processing used: frequency analysis using contingency tables (Fisher's exact test), survival analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method.Results. Complete remission and complete remission with incomplete recovery were achieved in 72.72% (24 of 33) of patients. In the group of primary acute myeloid leukemia, remissions were observed in 80% (16 out of 20) of cases, in the group with resistant course or recurrence of acute myeloid leukemia in 67% (8 out of 12) (p = 0.3). Determination of minimal residual disease by flow cytometry after the 1st course was performed for 54.54% (18 of 33) patients, while negativity was stated in 84.2% (14 of 18 patients) cases. In both groups, the incidence of hematological toxicity and infectious complications are comparable to those according to the literature data. The median follow-up was 9.5 months (1–47). Median overall survival was 39 months, 2-year overall survival was 63%, and overall 4-year survival was 39%. The disease-free survival rate was 33%.Conclusion. The combination of hypomethylating agents and venetoclax showed good efficacy and fairly high overall survival in patients of all age groups, both for primary acute myeloid leukemia and for relapses and resistant forms, regardless of previous therapy. Given the moderate hematological toxicity, as well as the relatively low rates of infectious complications during therapy, including the rather low mortality rates in case of COVID-19 infection in comparison with those on the background of high-intensity courses of therapy for acute myeloid leukemia, this scheme can be widely used not only in patients of the older age group, but also in young comorbid patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. V. Usikova
- Botkin City Clinical Hospital, Moscow City Hematology Center
| | - K. D. Kaplanov
- Botkin City Clinical Hospital, Moscow City Hematology Center
| | - V. I. Vorob'ev
- Botkin City Clinical Hospital, Moscow City Hematology Center
| | - T. I. Lobanova
- Botkin City Clinical Hospital, Moscow City Hematology Center
| | - M. A. Ul'yanova
- Botkin City Clinical Hospital, Moscow City Hematology Center
| | - D. G. Kisilichina
- Botkin City Clinical Hospital, Moscow City Hematology Center; Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education
| | - Yu. N. Kobzev
- Botkin City Clinical Hospital, Moscow City Hematology Center
| | | | - O. Yu. Vinogradova
- Botkin City Clinical Hospital, Moscow City Hematology Center; N.I. Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
| | - V. V. Ptushkin
- Botkin City Clinical Hospital, Moscow City Hematology Center; N.I. Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
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Nature-Derived Compounds as Potential Bioactive Leads against CDK9-Induced Cancer: Computational and Network Pharmacology Approaches. Processes (Basel) 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/pr10122512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Given the importance of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) in the maintenance of cell development, gene transcription, and other essential biological operations, CDK blockers have been generated to manage a variety of disorders resulting from CDK irregularities. Furthermore, CDK9 has a crucial role in transcription by regulating short-lived anti-apoptotic genes necessary for cancer cell persistence. Addressing CDK9 with blockers has consequently emerged as a promising treatment for cancer. This study scrutinizes the effectiveness of nature-derived compounds (geniposidic acid, quercetin, geniposide, curcumin, and withanolide C) against CDK9 through computational approaches. A molecular docking study was performed after preparing the protein and the ligands. The selected blockers of the CDK9 exerted reliable binding affinities (−8.114 kcal/mol to −13.908 kcal/mol) against the selected protein, resulting in promising candidates compared to the co-crystallized ligand (LCI). The binding affinity of geniposidic acid (−13.908 kcal/mol) to CDK9 is higher than quercetin (−10.775 kcal/mol), geniposide (−9.969 kcal/mol), curcumin (−9.898 kcal/mol), withanolide C (−8.114 kcal/mol), and the co-crystallized ligand LCI (−11.425 kcal/mol). Therefore, geniposidic acid is a promising inhibitor of CDK9. Moreover, the molecular dynamics studies assessed the structure–function relationships and protein–ligand interactions. The network pharmacology study for the selected ligands demonstrated the auspicious compound–target–pathway signaling pathways vital in developing tumor, tumor cell growth, differentiation, and promoting tumor cell progression. Moreover, this study concluded by analyzing the computational approaches the natural-derived compounds that have potential interacting activities against CDK9 and, therefore, can be considered promising candidates for CKD9-induced cancer. To substantiate this study’s outcomes, in vivo research is recommended.
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Cao Z, Shu Y, Wang J, Wang C, Feng T, Yang L, Shao J, Zou L. Super enhancers: Pathogenic roles and potential therapeutic targets for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Genes Dis 2022; 9:1466-1477. [PMID: 36157504 PMCID: PMC9485276 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2022.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignant hematological tumor with disordered oncogenes/tumor suppressor genes and limited treatments. The potent anti-cancer effects of bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) inhibitors, targeting the key component of super enhancers, in early clinical trials on AML patients, implies the critical role of super enhancers in AML. Here, we review the concept and characteristic of super enhancer, and then summarize the current researches about super enhancers in AML pathogenesis, diagnosis and classification, followed by illustrate the potential super enhancer-related targets and drugs, and propose the future directions of super enhancers in AML. This information provides integrated insight into the roles of super enhancers in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyang Cao
- Clinical Research Unit, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200062, PR China
- Institute of Pediatric Infection, Immunity, Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200062, PR China
| | - Yi Shu
- Center for Clinical Molecular Laboratory Medicine of Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, PR China
| | - Jinxia Wang
- Clinical Research Unit, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200062, PR China
- Institute of Pediatric Infection, Immunity, Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200062, PR China
| | - Chunxia Wang
- Clinical Research Unit, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200062, PR China
- Institute of Pediatric Infection, Immunity, Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200062, PR China
| | - Tienan Feng
- Clinical Research Unit, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200062, PR China
- Clinical Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, PR China
| | - Li Yang
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Jingbo Shao
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200062, PR China
| | - Lin Zou
- Clinical Research Unit, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200062, PR China
- Institute of Pediatric Infection, Immunity, Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200062, PR China
- Center for Clinical Molecular Laboratory Medicine of Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, PR China
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Molica M, Perrone S. Molecular targets for the treatment of AML in the forthcoming 5th World Health Organization Classification of Haematolymphoid Tumours. Expert Rev Hematol 2022; 15:973-986. [PMID: 36271671 DOI: 10.1080/17474086.2022.2140137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a genetically heterogeneous disease for which the treatment armamentarium has been historically restricted to chemotherapy. However, genomic and epigenomic alterations that contribute to AML initiation, maintenance, and relapse have disclosed new insights to the 5th update in WHO Classification of Haematolymphoid Tumours. AREAS COVERED After four decades of intensive chemotherapy as a 'one-size-fits-all' concept, several targeted agents have been approved for the treatment of AML. Several compounds, directed against regulators of apoptotic, epigenetic, or micro-environmental pathways, and immune-system modulators, are currently in development and investigation in clinical trials. We review advances in target-based therapy for AML focusing on their mechanism of action, examining the intracellular events and pathways, and the results from published clinical trials. EXPERT OPINION To improve patient clinical outcomes, find new biomarkers for therapeutic response, and pinpoint patients who might benefit from novel targeted medicines, next-generation sequencing is being used to evaluate AML-associated mutations. In fact, the new 5th edition of WHO classification has reaffirmed the importance of genetically defined entities that have a prognostic impact, but not all have a specific treatment available. New class of target drugs are in clinical development and could be beneficial to improve the therapeutic armamentarium available.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Salvatore Perrone
- Hematology, Polo Universitario Pontino, S.M. Goretti Hospital, Latina, Italy.,Division of Hematology, University Hospital Paolo Giaccone, Palermo, Italy
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Izuegbuna OO. Polyphenols: Chemoprevention and therapeutic potentials in hematological malignancies. Front Nutr 2022; 9:1008893. [PMID: 36386899 PMCID: PMC9643866 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1008893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Polyphenols are one of the largest plant-derived natural product and they play an important role in plants' defense as well as in human health and disease. A number of them are pleiotropic molecules and have been shown to regulate signaling pathways, immune response and cell growth and proliferation which all play a role in cancer development. Hematological malignancies on the other hand, are cancers of the blood. While current therapies are efficacious, they are usually expensive and with unwanted side effects. Thus, the search for newer less toxic agents. Polyphenols have been reported to possess antineoplastic properties which include cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis via multiple mechanisms. They also have immunomodulatory activities where they enhance T cell activation and suppress regulatory T cells. They carry out these actions through such pathways as PI3K/Akt/mTOR and the kynurenine. They can also reverse cancer resistance to chemotherapy agents. In this review, i look at some of the molecular mechanism of action of polyphenols and their potential roles as therapeutic agents in hematological malignancies. Here i discuss their anti-proliferative and anti-neoplastic activities especially their abilities modulate signaling pathways as well as immune response in hematological malignancies. I also looked at clinical studies done mainly in the last 10-15 years on various polyphenol combination and how they enhance synergism. I recommend that further preclinical and clinical studies be carried out to ensure safety and efficacy before polyphenol therapies be officially moved to the clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ogochukwu O. Izuegbuna
- Department of Haematology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
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Zhang H, Huang J, Chen R, Cai H, Chen Y, He S, Xu J, Zhang J, Wang L. Ligand- and structure-based identification of novel CDK9 inhibitors for the potential treatment of leukemia. Bioorg Med Chem 2022; 72:116994. [PMID: 36087428 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2022.116994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) plays a vital role in controlling cell transcription and has been an attractive target for cancer treatment. Herein, ten predictive models derived from 1330 unique molecules against CDK9 were constructed based on molecular fingerprints and graphs using two conventional machine learning and four deep learning methods. The evaluation results showed that FP-GNN deep learning architecture performed best for CDK9 inhibitors prediction with the highest BA and F1 values of 0.681 and 0.912 for testing set. We then performed virtual screening to identify new CDK9 inhibitors by incorporating the optimal established predictive model and molecular docking. Five compounds were identified to show broad anticancer activity against various cancer cell lines through bioassays. For example, C9 exhibited antiproliferative activities against HeLa, MOLM-13 and MDA-MB-231 with IC50 values of 2.53, 3.92 and 11.65 μM. Kinase inhibition assay results demonstrated that these compounds displayed submicromolar (214 ∼ 504 nM) inhibitory activities against CDK9. Further cellular mechanism evaluation revealed that C9 suppressed the activity of CDK9 and interfered with the expression of Mcl-1 and cleaved PARP in MOLM-13 cells, resulting in the induction of cellular apoptosis. In addition, C9 displayed a good stability in rat liver microsomes, artificial gastrointestinal fluid and plasm. An online platform (called DEEPCDK9Pred) was developed based on the FP-GNN models to predict or design new CDK9 inhibitors. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that FP-GNN algorithm can achieve accurate prediction of CDK9 inhibitors and the subsequent discovery of C9 as a new potential CDK9 inhibitor deserves further structural modification for the treatment of leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, Joint International Research Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jindi Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, Joint International Research Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Rui Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants & College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China
| | - Hanxuan Cai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, Joint International Research Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yihao Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, Joint International Research Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Shuyun He
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, Joint International Research Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jianrong Xu
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; Academy of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jiquan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants & College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China
| | - Ling Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, Joint International Research Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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Jin P, Jin Q, Wang X, Zhao M, Dong F, Jiang G, Li Z, Shen J, Zhang W, Wu S, Li R, Zhang Y, Li X, Li J. Large-Scale In Vitro and In Vivo CRISPR-Cas9 Knockout Screens Identify a 16-Gene Fitness Score for Improved Risk Assessment in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Clin Cancer Res 2022; 28:4033-4044. [PMID: 35877119 PMCID: PMC9475249 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-1618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The molecular complexity of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) presents a considerable challenge to implementation of clinical genetic testing for accurate risk stratification. Identification of better biomarkers therefore remains a high priority to enable improving established stratification and guiding risk-adapted therapy decisions. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We systematically integrated and analyzed the genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 data from more than 1,000 in vitro and in vivo knockout screens to identify the AML-specific fitness genes. A prognostic fitness score was developed using the sparse regression analysis in a training cohort of 618 cases and validated in five publicly available independent cohorts (n = 1,570) and our RJAML cohort (n = 157) with matched RNA sequencing and targeted gene sequencing performed. RESULTS A total of 280 genes were identified as AML fitness genes and a 16-gene AML fitness (AFG16) score was further generated and displayed highly prognostic power in more than 2,300 patients with AML. The AFG16 score was able to distill downstream consequences of several genetic abnormalities and can substantially improve the European LeukemiaNet classification. The multi-omics data from the RJAML cohort further demonstrated its clinical applicability. Patients with high AFG16 scores had significantly poor response to induction chemotherapy. Ex vivo drug screening indicated that patients with high AFG16 scores were more sensitive to the cell-cycle inhibitors flavopiridol and SNS-032, and exhibited strongly activated cell-cycle signaling. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrated the utility of the AFG16 score as a powerful tool for better risk stratification and selecting patients most likely to benefit from chemotherapy and alternative experimental therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Jin
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiqi Jin
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoling Wang
- Department of Reproductive Medical Center, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ming Zhao
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fangyi Dong
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ge Jiang
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zeyi Li
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Shen
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shishuang Wu
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ran Li
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yunxiang Zhang
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Corresponding Authors: Junmin Li, Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin Rd. II, Shanghai 200025, China. Phone: 86-21-64370045; Fax: 86-21-64743206; E-mail: ; Xiaoyang Li, ; and Yunxiang Zhang,
| | - Xiaoyang Li
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Corresponding Authors: Junmin Li, Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin Rd. II, Shanghai 200025, China. Phone: 86-21-64370045; Fax: 86-21-64743206; E-mail: ; Xiaoyang Li, ; and Yunxiang Zhang,
| | - Junmin Li
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Corresponding Authors: Junmin Li, Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin Rd. II, Shanghai 200025, China. Phone: 86-21-64370045; Fax: 86-21-64743206; E-mail: ; Xiaoyang Li, ; and Yunxiang Zhang,
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Maiti A, Carter BZ, Andreeff M, Konopleva MY. SOHO State of the Art Updates and Next Questions | Beyond BCL-2 Inhibition in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Other Approaches to Leverage the Apoptotic Pathway. CLINICAL LYMPHOMA MYELOMA AND LEUKEMIA 2022; 22:652-658. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clml.2022.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
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Morell A, Budagaga Y, Vagiannis D, Zhang Y, Laštovičková L, Novotná E, Haddad A, Haddad M, Portillo R, Hofman J, Wsól V. Isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 inhibitor enasidenib synergizes daunorubicin cytotoxicity by targeting aldo-keto reductase 1C3 and ATP-binding cassette transporters. Arch Toxicol 2022; 96:3265-3277. [PMID: 35972551 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-022-03359-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Targeting mutations that trigger acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) has emerged as a refined therapeutic approach in recent years. Enasidenib (Idhifa) is the first selective inhibitor of mutated forms of isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2) approved against relapsed/refractory AML. In addition to its use as monotherapy, a combination trial of enasidenib with standard intensive induction therapy (daunorubicin + cytarabine) is being evaluated. This study aimed to decipher enasidenib off-target molecular mechanisms involved in anthracycline resistance, such as reduction by carbonyl reducing enzymes (CREs) and drug efflux by ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. We analysed the effect of enasidenib on daunorubicin (Daun) reduction by several recombinant CREs and different human cell lines expressing aldo-keto reductase 1C3 (AKR1C3) exogenously (HCT116) or endogenously (A549 and KG1a). Additionally, A431 cell models overexpressing ABCB1, ABCG2, or ABCC1 were employed to evaluate enasidenib modulation of Daun efflux. Furthermore, the potential synergism of enasidenib over Daun cytotoxicity was quantified amongst all the cell models. Enasidenib selectively inhibited AKR1C3-mediated inactivation of Daun in vitro and in cell lines expressing AKR1C3, as well as its extrusion by ABCB1, ABCG2, and ABCC1 transporters, thus synergizing Daun cytotoxicity to overcome resistance. This work provides in vitro evidence on enasidenib-mediated targeting of the anthracycline resistance actors AKR1C3 and ABC transporters under clinically achievable concentrations. Our findings may encourage its combination with intensive chemotherapy and even suggest that the effectiveness of enasidenib as monotherapy against AML could lie beyond the targeting of mIDH2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anselm Morell
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Akademika Heyrovskeho 1203, 50005, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Youssif Budagaga
- Department of Pharmacology, Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Akademika Heyrovskeho 1203, 50005, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Dimitrios Vagiannis
- Department of Pharmacology, Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Akademika Heyrovskeho 1203, 50005, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Akademika Heyrovskeho 1203, 50005, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Laštovičková
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Akademika Heyrovskeho 1203, 50005, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Novotná
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Akademika Heyrovskeho 1203, 50005, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Andrew Haddad
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Akademika Heyrovskeho 1203, 50005, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Melodie Haddad
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Akademika Heyrovskeho 1203, 50005, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Ramon Portillo
- Department of Pharmacology, Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Akademika Heyrovskeho 1203, 50005, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Hofman
- Department of Pharmacology, Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Akademika Heyrovskeho 1203, 50005, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimír Wsól
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Akademika Heyrovskeho 1203, 50005, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
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Bai L, Zhang YZ, Yan CH, Wang Y, Xu LP, Zhang XH, Zhang LP, Huang XJ, Cheng YF. Outcomes of allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for paediatric patients with MLL-rearranged acute myeloid leukaemia. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:896. [PMID: 35974319 PMCID: PMC9382754 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09978-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The presence of mixed-lineage leukaemia rearrangement (MLL-r) in paediatric patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a poor prognostic predictor. Whether allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is beneficial in such cases remains unclear. Methods We evaluated the outcomes and prognostic factors of allo-HSCT in 44 paediatric patients with MLL-r AML in the first complete remission (CR1) between 2014 and 2019 at our institution. Results For all the 44 patients, the 3-year overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), and cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) were 74.5%, 64.1%, and 29.1%, respectively. Among them, 37 (84.1%) patients received haploidentical (haplo)-HSCT, and the 3-year OS, EFS, and CIR were 73.0%, 65.6%, and 26.4%, respectively. The 100-day cumulative incidence of grade II–IV acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) post-transplantation was 27.3%, and that of grade III–IV aGVHD was 15.9%. The overall 3-year cumulative incidence of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) post-transplantation was 40.8%, and that of extensive cGVHD was 16.7%. Minimal residual disease (MRD)-positive (MRD +) status pre-HSCT was significantly associated with lower survival and higher risk of relapse. The 3-year OS, EFS, and CIR differed significantly between patients with MRD + pre-HSCT (n = 15; 48.5%, 34.3% and 59%) and those with MRD-pre-HSCT (n = 29; 89.7%, 81.4% and 11.7%). Pre-HSCT MRD + status was an independent risk factor in multivariate analysis. Conclusions Allo-HSCT (especially haplo-HSCT) can be a viable strategy in these patients, and pre-HSCT MRD status significantly affected the outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Bai
- Department of Hematology, Peking University Institute of Hematology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yong-Zhan Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Peking University People's Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Chen-Hua Yan
- Department of Hematology, Peking University Institute of Hematology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Hematology, Peking University Institute of Hematology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Lan-Ping Xu
- Department of Hematology, Peking University Institute of Hematology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Hui Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Peking University Institute of Hematology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Le-Ping Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Peking University People's Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Jun Huang
- Department of Hematology, Peking University Institute of Hematology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yi-Fei Cheng
- Department of Hematology, Peking University Institute of Hematology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
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Selective CDK9 Inhibition by Natural Compound Toyocamycin in Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14143340. [PMID: 35884401 PMCID: PMC9324262 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14143340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary By combining drug screens, transcriptomic studies, and in vitro assays, our study identified the natural product toyocamycin as a potent and selective CDK9 inhibitor. Thus, toyocamycin can be used as a new small molecule to modulate CDK9 activity in preclinical research. Through docking simulations, we identified its specific binding sites, which could spark some interest to design novel small molecule CDK9 inhibitors. Abstract Aberrant transcription in cancer cells involves the silencing of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) and activation of oncogenes. Transcriptomic changes are associated with epigenomic alterations such as DNA-hypermethylation, histone deacetylation, and chromatin condensation in promoter regions of silenced TSGs. To discover novel drugs that trigger TSG reactivation in cancer cells, we used a GFP-reporter system whose expression is silenced by promoter DNA hypermethylation and histone deacetylation. After screening a natural product drug library, we identified that toyocamycin, an adenosine-analog, induces potent GFP reactivation and loss of clonogenicity in human colon cancer cells. Connectivity-mapping analysis revealed that toyocamycin produces a pharmacological signature mimicking cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors. RNA-sequencing revealed that the toyocamycin transcriptomic signature resembles that of a specific CDK9 inhibitor (HH1). Specific inhibition of RNA Pol II phosphorylation level and kinase assays confirmed that toyocamycin specifically inhibits CDK9 (IC50 = 79 nM) with a greater efficacy than other CDKs (IC50 values between 0.67 and 15 µM). Molecular docking showed that toyocamycin efficiently binds the CDK9 catalytic site in a conformation that differs from other CDKs, explained by the binding contribution of specific amino acids within the catalytic pocket and protein backbone. Altogether, we demonstrated that toyocamycin exhibits specific CDK9 inhibition in cancer cells, highlighting its potential for cancer chemotherapy.
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Targeting cyclin-dependent kinase 9 in cancer therapy. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2022; 43:1633-1645. [PMID: 34811514 PMCID: PMC9253122 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-021-00796-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 9 associates mainly with cyclin T1 and forms the positive transcription elongation factor b (p-TEFb) complex responsible for transcriptional regulation. It has been shown that CDK9 modulates the expression and activity of oncogenes, such as MYC and murine double minute 4 (MDM4), and it also plays an important role in development and/or maintenance of the malignant cell phenotype. Malfunction of CDK9 is frequently observed in numerous cancers. Recent studies have highlighted the function of CDK9 through a variety of mechanisms in cancers, including the formation of new complexes and epigenetic alterations. Due to the importance of CDK9 activation in cancer cells, CDK9 inhibitors have emerged as promising candidates for cancer therapy. Natural product-derived and chemically synthesized CDK9 inhibitors are being examined in preclinical and clinical research. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the role of CDK9 in transcriptional regulation, epigenetic regulation, and different cellular factor interactions, focusing on new advances. We show the importance of CDK9 in mediating tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Then, we provide an overview of some CDK9 inhibitors supported by multiple oncologic preclinical and clinical investigations. Finally, we discuss the perspective and challenge of CDK9 modulation in cancer.
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Daks A, Fedorova O, Parfenyev S, Nevzorov I, Shuvalov O, Barlev NA. The Role of E3 Ligase Pirh2 in Disease. Cells 2022; 11:1515. [PMID: 35563824 PMCID: PMC9101203 DOI: 10.3390/cells11091515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The p53-dependent ubiquitin ligase Pirh2 regulates a number of proteins involved in different cancer-associated processes. Targeting the p53 family proteins, Chk2, p27Kip1, Twist1 and others, Pirh2 participates in such cellular processes as proliferation, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis and cellular migration. Thus, it is not surprising that Pirh2 takes part in the initiation and progression of different diseases and pathologies including but not limited to cancer. In this review, we aimed to summarize the available data on Pirh2 regulation, its protein targets and its role in various diseases and pathological processes, thus making the Pirh2 protein a promising therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Daks
- Institute of Cytology RAS, 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia; (O.F.); (S.P.); (I.N.); (O.S.)
| | | | | | | | | | - Nickolai A. Barlev
- Institute of Cytology RAS, 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia; (O.F.); (S.P.); (I.N.); (O.S.)
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Borowczak J, Szczerbowski K, Maniewski M, Zdrenka M, Słupski P, Antosik P, Kołodziejska S, Sekielska-Domanowska M, Dubiel M, Bodnar M, Szylberg Ł. The Prognostic Role of CDK9 in Bladder Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14061492. [PMID: 35326643 PMCID: PMC8945910 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14061492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Most patients with urothelial carcinoma are diagnosed with non-invasive tumors, but the prognosis worsens with the progression of the disease. Overexpression of cyclin-dependent kinase 9 has been recently linked to increased cancer proliferation, faster progression, and worse prognosis. However, some cancers seem to contradict this rule. In this work, we explored the prognostic role of CDK9 expression in urothelial carcinoma. Materials and Methods: We performed immunohistochemical analysis on 72 bladder cancer samples. To assess a larger group of patients, the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database containing 406 cases and transcriptomics information through the Human Pathology Atlas were analyzed. Results: CDK9 is overexpressed in urothelial cancer tissues when compared to normal urothelial tissues (p < 0.05). High CDK9 expression was observed in low-stage, low-grade, and non-muscle-invasive tumors (p < 0.05). The patients with high CDK9 expression had a significantly higher 5-year overall survival rate than those with low CDK9 expression (77.54% vs. 53.6% in the TMA group and 57.75% vs. 35.44% in the TCGA group, respectively) (p < 0.05). The results were consistent in both cohorts. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that low CDK9 status was an independent predictor for poor prognosis in the TCGA cohort (HR 1.60, CL95% 1.1−2.33, p = 0.014). Conclusions: High CDK9 expression predicts a favorable prognosis in urothelial carcinoma and is associated with clinicopathological features characteristic for early-stage disease. The decrease in CDK9 expression can be associated with the build-up of genetic instability and may indicate a key role for CDK9 in the early stages of urothelial carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jędrzej Borowczak
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (K.S.); (M.M.); (P.A.); (M.B.); (Ł.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-52-5854200; Fax: +48-52-5854049
| | - Krzysztof Szczerbowski
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (K.S.); (M.M.); (P.A.); (M.B.); (Ł.S.)
| | - Mateusz Maniewski
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (K.S.); (M.M.); (P.A.); (M.B.); (Ł.S.)
| | - Marek Zdrenka
- Department of Tumor Pathology and Pathomorphology, Oncology Centre—Prof. Franciszek Łukaszczyk Memorial Hospital, 85-796 Bydgoszcz, Poland;
| | - Piotr Słupski
- Department of Urology, University Hospital No. 2 im. Dr. Jan Biziel in Bydgoszcz, 85-168 Bydgoszcz, Poland;
| | - Paulina Antosik
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (K.S.); (M.M.); (P.A.); (M.B.); (Ł.S.)
| | - Sylwia Kołodziejska
- Chair of Pathology, University Hospital No. 2 im. Dr. Jan Biziel in Bydgoszcz, 85-168 Bydgoszcz, Poland;
| | - Marta Sekielska-Domanowska
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Oncology, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 85-168 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (M.S.-D.); (M.D.)
| | - Mariusz Dubiel
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Oncology, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 85-168 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (M.S.-D.); (M.D.)
| | - Magdalena Bodnar
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (K.S.); (M.M.); (P.A.); (M.B.); (Ł.S.)
- Chair of Pathology, University Hospital No. 2 im. Dr. Jan Biziel in Bydgoszcz, 85-168 Bydgoszcz, Poland;
| | - Łukasz Szylberg
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (K.S.); (M.M.); (P.A.); (M.B.); (Ł.S.)
- Department of Tumor Pathology and Pathomorphology, Oncology Centre—Prof. Franciszek Łukaszczyk Memorial Hospital, 85-796 Bydgoszcz, Poland;
- Chair of Pathology, University Hospital No. 2 im. Dr. Jan Biziel in Bydgoszcz, 85-168 Bydgoszcz, Poland;
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Montinaro A, Areso Zubiaur I, Saggau J, Kretz AL, Ferreira RMM, Hassan O, Kitzig E, Müller I, El-Bahrawy MA, von Karstedt S, Kulms D, Liccardi G, Lemke J, Walczak H. Potent pro-apoptotic combination therapy is highly effective in a broad range of cancers. Cell Death Differ 2022; 29:492-503. [PMID: 34535764 PMCID: PMC8901660 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-021-00869-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary or acquired therapy resistance is a major obstacle to the effective treatment of cancer. Resistance to apoptosis has long been thought to contribute to therapy resistance. We show here that recombinant TRAIL and CDK9 inhibition cooperate in killing cells derived from a broad range of cancers, importantly without inducing detectable adverse events. Remarkably, the combination of TRAIL with CDK9 inhibition was also highly effective on cancers resistant to both, standard-of-care chemotherapy and various targeted therapeutic approaches. Dynamic BH3 profiling revealed that, mechanistically, combining TRAIL with CDK9 inhibition induced a drastic increase in the mitochondrial priming of cancer cells. Intriguingly, this increase occurred irrespective of whether the cancer cells were sensitive or resistant to chemo- or targeted therapy. We conclude that this pro-apoptotic combination therapy has the potential to serve as a highly effective new treatment option for a variety of different cancers. Notably, this includes cancers that are resistant to currently available treatment modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Montinaro
- Centre for Cell Death, Cancer, and Inflammation (CCCI), UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Itziar Areso Zubiaur
- Centre for Cell Death, Cancer, and Inflammation (CCCI), UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Julia Saggau
- CECAD Cluster of Excellence, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 52, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Anna-Laura Kretz
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Ulm University Hospital, Albert-Einstein-Allee 23, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Rute M M Ferreira
- Centre for Cell Death, Cancer, and Inflammation (CCCI), UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Omar Hassan
- CECAD Cluster of Excellence, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 52, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ella Kitzig
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Ulm University Hospital, Albert-Einstein-Allee 23, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ines Müller
- Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Mona A El-Bahrawy
- Department of Histopathology, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Silvia von Karstedt
- Centre for Cell Death, Cancer, and Inflammation (CCCI), UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
- CECAD Cluster of Excellence, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Translational Genomics, Center of Integrated Oncology Cologne-Bonn, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Medical Faculty, University Hospital of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Dagmar Kulms
- Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Gianmaria Liccardi
- Center for Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 52, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Johannes Lemke
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Ulm University Hospital, Albert-Einstein-Allee 23, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Henning Walczak
- Centre for Cell Death, Cancer, and Inflammation (CCCI), UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK.
- CECAD Cluster of Excellence, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
- Center for Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 52, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
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An Orally Bioavailable and Highly Efficacious Inhibitor of CDK9/FLT3 for the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14051113. [PMID: 35267421 PMCID: PMC8909834 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14051113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) occur in approximately one-third of AML patients and are associated with a particularly poor prognosis. The most common mutation, FLT3-ITD, is a self-activating internal tandem duplication (ITD) in the FLT3 juxtamembrane domain. Many FLT3 inhibitors have shown encouraging results in clinical trials, but the rapid emergence of resistance has severely limited sustainable efficacy. Co-targeting of CDK9 and FLT3 is a promising two-pronged strategy to overcome resistance as the former plays a role in the transcription of cancer cell-survival genes. Most prominently, MCL-1 is known to be associated with AML tumorigenesis and drug resistance and can be down-regulated by CDK9 inhibition. We have developed CDDD11-8 as a potent CDK9 inhibitor co-targeting FLT3-ITD with Ki values of 8 and 13 nM, respectively. The kinome selectivity has been confirmed when the compound was tested in a panel of 369 human kinases. CDDD11-8 displayed antiproliferative activity against leukemia cell lines, and particularly potent effects were observed against MV4-11 and MOLM-13 cells, which are known to harbor the FLT3-ITD mutation and mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) fusion proteins. The mode of action was consistent with inhibition of CDK9 and FLT3-ITD. Most importantly, CDDD11-8 caused a robust tumor growth inhibition by oral administration in animal xenografts. At 125 mg/kg, CDDD11-8 induced tumor regression, and this was translated to an improved survival of animals. The study demonstrates the potential of CDDD11-8 towards the future development of a novel AML treatment.
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Li L, Han C, Yu X, Shen J, Cao Y. Targeting AraC-Resistant Acute Myeloid Leukemia by Dual Inhibition of CDK9 and Bcl-2: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JOURNAL OF HEALTHCARE ENGINEERING 2022; 2022:2842066. [PMID: 35126914 PMCID: PMC8808115 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2842066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aims to determine the influence of targeting araC-resistant acute myeloid leukemia by dual inhibition cyclin-dependent protein kinase (CDK9) and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2). METHOD The c-Myc inhibitor 10058-F4 and the CDK9 inhibitor AZD4573 were used to determine the cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. RESULTS 10058-F4 reduces c-Myc protein levels and suppresses HepG2 cell proliferation, possibly by upregulating cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors, p21WAF1, and reducing intracellular alpha-fetal protein (AFP) levels. CONCLUSION The combination of AZD4573 and 10058-F4 has a synergistic anti-araC-resistant AML activity, providing a solid database for the aforementioned scientific hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linzhang Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Chengwu Han
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xueying Yu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Shen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yongtong Cao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
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39
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Liu W, Huang Y, Wu L, Liu W, Jiang X, Xu Z, Zhao Q. Novel tacrine derivatives as potential CDK9 inhibitors with low cholinesterase inhibitory properties: design, synthesis, and biological evaluation. NEW J CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d2nj03667c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Novel tacrine derivative ZLWT-48 possessed potent CDK9 inhibition activity (8.639 nM) and good selectivity over CDK2 (SI > 57).
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwu Liu
- Teaching Hospital of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, Shenyang 110840, People's Republic of China
- School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaoguang Huang
- School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Limeng Wu
- School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenjie Liu
- School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaowen Jiang
- School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Zihua Xu
- Teaching Hospital of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, Shenyang 110840, People's Republic of China
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingchun Zhao
- Teaching Hospital of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, Shenyang 110840, People's Republic of China
- School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
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40
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Ke C, Hou H, Su K, Yuan Q, Huang C, Li S, Sun J, Lin Y, Wu C, Zhao Y, Yuan Z. Extracellular vesicle-mediated co-delivery of TRAIL and Dinaciclib for targeted therapy of resistant tumor. Biomater Sci 2022; 10:1498-1514. [DOI: 10.1039/d1bm01751a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Extracellular vesicle (EV) delivery of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) (EV-T) has been shown highly efficient for cancer treatment when combined with the potent cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor, dinaciclib (SCH727965, Dina)....
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41
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Huang Z, Wang T, Wang C, Fan Y. CDK9 Inhibitors in Cancer Research. RSC Med Chem 2022; 13:688-710. [PMID: 35814933 PMCID: PMC9215160 DOI: 10.1039/d2md00040g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclin dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) played an essential role in regulating transcriptional elongation. Aberrations in CDK9 activity have been observed in various cancers, which made CDK9 was an attractive therapeutic...
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Huang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Medicine, Nankai University 94 Weijin Road Tianjin 300071 China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences Hefei 230031 China
| | - Tianqi Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Medicine, Nankai University 94 Weijin Road Tianjin 300071 China
| | - Cheng Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Medicine, Nankai University 94 Weijin Road Tianjin 300071 China
| | - Yan Fan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Medicine, Nankai University 94 Weijin Road Tianjin 300071 China
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42
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Alsfouk A. Small molecule inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinase 9 for cancer therapy. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2021; 36:693-706. [PMID: 33632038 PMCID: PMC7919902 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2021.1890726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) plays a vital role in transcription through regulation of short-lived anti-apoptotic genes required for cancer cell survival. Therefore, targeting CDK9 with small molecule inhibitors has emerged as a potential cancer therapy. This article reviews the most recent CDK9 patent literature (2012-2020) related to small molecule inhibitors in cancer along with their selectivity profile and biological results in preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisha Alsfouk
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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43
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Medina JR, Tian X, Li WH, Suarez D, Mack JF, LaFrance L, Martyr C, Brackley J, Di Marco C, Rivero R, Heerding DA, McHugh C, Minthorn E, Bhaskar A, Rubin J, Butticello M, Carpenter C, Nartey EN, Berrodin TJ, Kallal LA, Mangatt B. Cell-Based Drug Discovery: Identification and Optimization of Small Molecules that Reduce c-MYC Protein Levels in Cells. J Med Chem 2021; 64:16056-16087. [PMID: 34669409 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Elevated expression of the c-MYC oncogene is one of the most common abnormalities in human cancers. Unfortunately, efforts to identify pharmacological inhibitors that directly target MYC have not yet yielded a drug-like molecule due to the lack of any known small molecule binding pocket in the protein, which could be exploited to disrupt MYC function. We have recently described a strategy to target MYC indirectly, where a screening effort designed to identify compounds that can rapidly decrease endogenous c-MYC protein levels in a MYC-amplified cell line led to the discovery of a compound series that phenocopies c-MYC knockdown by siRNA. Herein, we describe our medicinal chemistry program that led to the discovery of potent, orally bioavailable c-MYC-reducing compounds. The development of a minimum pharmacophore model based on empirical structure activity relationship as well as the property-based approach used to modulate pharmacokinetics properties will be highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús R Medina
- Medicinal Science and Technology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
| | - Xinrong Tian
- Medicinal Science and Technology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
| | - William H Li
- Medicinal Science and Technology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
| | - Dominic Suarez
- Medicinal Science and Technology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
| | - James F Mack
- Medicinal Science and Technology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
| | - Louis LaFrance
- Medicinal Science and Technology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
| | - Cuthbert Martyr
- Medicinal Science and Technology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
| | - James Brackley
- Medicinal Science and Technology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
| | - Christina Di Marco
- Medicinal Science and Technology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
| | - Ralph Rivero
- Medicinal Science and Technology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
| | - Dirk A Heerding
- Medicinal Science and Technology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
| | - Charles McHugh
- Oncology Research, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
| | - Elisabeth Minthorn
- Oncology Research, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
| | - Aishwarya Bhaskar
- Oncology Research, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
| | - Jacob Rubin
- Oncology Research, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
| | - Michael Butticello
- Oncology Research, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
| | | | - Eldridge N Nartey
- Medicinal Science and Technology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
| | - Thomas J Berrodin
- Oncology Research, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
| | - Lorena A Kallal
- Medicinal Science and Technology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
| | - Biju Mangatt
- Oncology Research, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, United States
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Zhou FJ, Zeng CX, Kuang W, Cheng C, Liu HC, Yan XY, Chen XP, Zhou G, Cao S. Metformin exerts a synergistic effect with venetoclax by downregulating Mcl-1 protein in acute myeloid leukemia. J Cancer 2021; 12:6727-6739. [PMID: 34659562 PMCID: PMC8518002 DOI: 10.7150/jca.60208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Recently, one of the specific BH3-mimetics, Venetoclax has been approved by FDA providing new options for newly diagnosed AML patient especially who are unfitted to receive conventional chemotherapy. Though the clinical success of venetoclax has been achieved in clinical outcomes such as complete remission (CR) and overall survival. Acquired resistance to ABT-199 which is induced by the regulation of apoptosis pathway is still an important clinical problem. To this end, the attempt to combine drugs which can reverse the compensatory regulation is urgent. Methods: In three AML cell lines (KG-1, Kasumi-1 and THP-1), the anti-AML effects of the combination of ABT-199 (Venetoclax) and metformin or the two drugs used alone were compared. CCK8 was used to evaluate the cell viability, and flow cytometry was used to estimate the rate of apoptosis, Western blot method was performed to detect apoptosis-related protein levels. In mice experiments, female BALB/c-nu nude mice were subcutaneously injected with THP-1 cells for subcutaneous tumor formation, and the combined effect of ABT-199 and metformin was tested. The evaluation indicators were tumor size, tumor weight, and Ki67 staining. Mouse body weight and HE staining were detected to evaluate liver damage and adverse drug reactions. Results: Both in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that compared with metformin or ABT-199 alone, the combined use of the two drugs exerts a synergistic effect on promoting apoptosis, thereby producing a strong anti-leukemia effect. Furthermore, after a short incubation time, ABT-199 swiftly increased the expression level of the anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1, while the combined use of metformin and ABT-199 significantly reduced the level of Mcl-1. Notably, Metformin significantly downregulates the level of Mcl-1 protein by inhibiting its protein production. To less extent, metformin can also downregulate the expression of another anti-apoptotic protein, BCL-xl. Conclusion: Metformin downregulates the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins Mcl-1 and Bcl-xl by inhibiting protein production, and shows a synergistic anti-tumor effect with ABT-199 in acute myeloid leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Jiao Zhou
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, PR China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410078, PR China.,Engineering Research Center of Applied Technology of Pharmacogenomics, Ministry of Education, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410078, PR China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, Hunan, PR China
| | - Chen-Xing Zeng
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, PR China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410078, PR China.,Engineering Research Center of Applied Technology of Pharmacogenomics, Ministry of Education, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410078, PR China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, Hunan, PR China
| | - Wei Kuang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, PR China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410078, PR China.,Engineering Research Center of Applied Technology of Pharmacogenomics, Ministry of Education, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410078, PR China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, Hunan, PR China
| | - Cong Cheng
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, PR China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410078, PR China.,Engineering Research Center of Applied Technology of Pharmacogenomics, Ministry of Education, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410078, PR China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, Hunan, PR China
| | - Hong-Cai Liu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, PR China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410078, PR China.,Engineering Research Center of Applied Technology of Pharmacogenomics, Ministry of Education, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410078, PR China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, Hunan, PR China
| | - Xue-Ying Yan
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, PR China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410078, PR China.,Engineering Research Center of Applied Technology of Pharmacogenomics, Ministry of Education, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410078, PR China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, Hunan, PR China
| | - Xiao-Ping Chen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, PR China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410078, PR China.,Engineering Research Center of Applied Technology of Pharmacogenomics, Ministry of Education, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410078, PR China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, Hunan, PR China
| | - Gan Zhou
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, PR China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410078, PR China.,Engineering Research Center of Applied Technology of Pharmacogenomics, Ministry of Education, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410078, PR China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, Hunan, PR China.,Phase I Clinical Trial Research Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, Hunan, P.R. China
| | - Shan Cao
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, PR China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410078, PR China.,Engineering Research Center of Applied Technology of Pharmacogenomics, Ministry of Education, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410078, PR China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, Hunan, PR China
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45
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Wei D, Wang H, Zeng Q, Wang W, Hao B, Feng X, Wang P, Song N, Kan W, Huang G, Zhou X, Tan M, Zhou Y, Huang R, Li J, Chen XH. Discovery of Potent and Selective CDK9 Degraders for Targeting Transcription Regulation in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. J Med Chem 2021; 64:14822-14847. [PMID: 34538051 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is highly aggressive with very limited treatment options due to the lack of efficient targeted therapies and thus still remains clinically challenging. Targeting transcription-associated cyclin-dependent kinases to remodel transcriptional regulation shows great promise in cancer therapy. Herein, we report the synthesis, optimization, and evaluation of new series of heterobifunctional molecules as highly selective and efficacious CDK9 degraders, enabling potent inhibition of TNBC cell growth and rapidly targeted degradation of CDK9. Moreover, the most potent CDK9 degrader (compound 45) induces cell apoptosis in vitro and inhibits tumor growth in the MDA-MB-231 TNBC model. Furthermore, the RNA-seq, immunohistochemistry assays demonstrate that the CDK9 degrader downregulates the downstream targets, such as MYC, at the transcriptional level, resulting apoptosis in TNBC cells. Our work establishes that 45 is a highly potent and efficacious CDK9 degrader for targeting transcription regulation, which represents an effective strategy and great potential as a new targeted therapy for TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wei
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hanlin Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China.,State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qinghe Zeng
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wenjing Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Bingbing Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xule Feng
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Peipei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ning Song
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Weijuan Kan
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Guifang Huang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhou
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Minjia Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yubo Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, The Institutes of Drug Discovery and Development, CAS, Zhongshan, Guangdong 528400, China
| | - Ruimin Huang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jia Li
- College of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China.,State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, The Institutes of Drug Discovery and Development, CAS, Zhongshan, Guangdong 528400, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Xiao-Hua Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
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46
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Han X, Song N, Saidahmatov A, Wang P, Wang Y, Hu X, Kan W, Zhu W, Gao L, Zeng M, Wang Y, Li C, Li J, Liu H, Zhou Y, Wang J. Rational Design and Development of Novel CDK9 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. J Med Chem 2021; 64:14647-14663. [PMID: 34477384 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
CDK9 is an essential drug target correlated to the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Starting from the hit compound 10, which was discovered through a screening of our in-house compound library, the structural modifications were carried out based on the bioisosterism and scaffold hopping strategies. Consequently, compound 37 displayed the optimal CDK9 inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 5.41 nM, which was nearly 1500-fold higher than compound 10. In addition, compound 37 exhibited significant antiproliferative activity in broad cancer cell lines. Further investigation of in vivo properties demonstrated that compound 37 could be orally administrated with an acceptable bioavailability (F = 33.7%). In MV-4-11 subcutaneous xenograft mouse model, compound 37 (7.5 mg/kg) could significantly suppress the tumor progression with a T/C value of 27.80%. Compound 37 represents a promising lead compound for the development of a novel class of CDK9 inhibitors for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Han
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ning Song
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Abdusaid Saidahmatov
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Peipei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xiaobei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China.,Zhongshan Institute of Drug Discovery, Institution for Drug Discovery Innovation, Chinese Academy of Science, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Weijuan Kan
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Wei Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lixin Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Mingjie Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yujie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Chunpu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jia Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China.,Zhongshan Institute of Drug Discovery, Institution for Drug Discovery Innovation, Chinese Academy of Science, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Hong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yubo Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China.,Zhongshan Institute of Drug Discovery, Institution for Drug Discovery Innovation, Chinese Academy of Science, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Jiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
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47
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Bhurta D, Bharate SB. Analyzing the scaffold diversity of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors and revisiting the clinical and preclinical pipeline. Med Res Rev 2021; 42:654-709. [PMID: 34605036 DOI: 10.1002/med.21856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Kinases have gained an important place in the list of vital therapeutic targets because of their overwhelming clinical success in the last two decades. Among various clinically validated kinases, the cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) are one of the extensively studied drug targets for clinical development. Food and Drug Administration has approved three CDK inhibitors for therapeutic use, and at least 27 inhibitors are under active clinical development. In the last decade, research and development in this area took a rapid pace, and thus the analysis of scaffold diversity is essential for future drug design. Available reviews lack the systematic study and discussion on the scaffold diversity of CDK inhibitors. Herein we have reviewed and critically analyzed the chemical diversity present in the preclinical and clinical pipeline of CDK inhibitors. Our analysis has shown that although several scaffolds represent CDK inhibitors, only the amino-pyrimidine is a well-represented scaffold. The three-nitrogen framework of amino-pyrimidine is a fundamental hinge-binding unit. Further, we have discussed the selectivity aspects among CDKs, the clinical trial dose-limiting toxicities, and highlighted the most advanced clinical candidates. We also discuss the changing paradigm towards selective inhibitors and an overview of ATP-binding pockets of all druggable CDKs. We carefully analyzed the clinical pipeline to unravel the candidates that are currently under active clinical development. In addition to the plenty of dual CDK4/6 inhibitors, there are many selective CDK7, CDK9, and CDK8/19 inhibitors in the clinical pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deendyal Bhurta
- Natural Products & Medicinal Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, India.,Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Sandip B Bharate
- Natural Products & Medicinal Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, India.,Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
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Hu Q, Poulose N, Girmay S, Helevä A, Doultsinos D, Gondane A, Steele RE, Liu X, Loda M, Liu S, Tang D, Mills IG, Itkonen HM. Inhibition of CDK9 activity compromises global splicing in prostate cancer cells. RNA Biol 2021; 18:722-729. [PMID: 34592899 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2021.1983287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) phosphorylates RNA polymerase II to promote productive transcription elongation. Here we show that short-term CDK9 inhibition affects the splicing of thousands of mRNAs. CDK9 inhibition impairs global splicing and there is no evidence for a coordinated response between the alternative splicing and the overall transcriptome. Alternative splicing is a feature of aggressive prostate cancer (CRPC) and enables the generation of the anti-androgen resistant version of the ligand-independent androgen receptor, AR-v7. We show that CDK9 inhibition results in the loss of AR and AR-v7 expression due to the defects in splicing, which sensitizes CRPC cells to androgen deprivation. Finally, we demonstrate that CDK9 expression increases as PC cells develop CRPC-phenotype both in vitro and also in patient samples. To conclude, here we show that CDK9 inhibition compromises splicing in PC cells, which can be capitalized on by targeting the PC-specific addiction androgen receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Hu
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Ninu Poulose
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Samuel Girmay
- Department of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Alma Helevä
- Department of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Dimitrios Doultsinos
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Aishwarya Gondane
- Department of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rebecca E Steele
- PCUK/Movember Centre of Excellence for Prostate Cancer Research, Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology (CCRCB), Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.,Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, the Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Xiaozhuo Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Massimo Loda
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York, USA.,The Broad Institute of Harvard and Mit, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,The New York Genome Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Song Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Dean Tang
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Ian G Mills
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.,PCUK/Movember Centre of Excellence for Prostate Cancer Research, Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology (CCRCB), Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Harri M Itkonen
- Department of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Ding AS, Huq S, Casaos J, Raj D, Morales M, Zhao T, Kim T, Srivastava S, Pant A, Serra R, Gorelick NL, Brem H, Tyler B. Targeting of cyclin-dependent kinases in atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors with multikinase inhibitor TG02. J Neurosurg Pediatr 2021:1-10. [PMID: 34479190 DOI: 10.3171/2021.5.peds20920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (ATRTs) are aggressive pediatric brain tumors with no current standard of care and an estimated median patient survival of 12 to 18 months. Previous genetic analyses have implicated cyclin D1 and enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), a histone methyltransferase that is implicated in many cancers, as key drivers of tumorigenicity in ATRTs. Since the effects of EZH2 and cyclin D1 are facilitated by a host of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), the authors sought to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of targeting CDKs in ATRTs with the multi-CDK inhibitor, TG02. METHODS Human ATRT cell lines BT12, BT37, CHLA05, and CHLA06 were selected for investigation. The effects of TG02 on cell viability, proliferation, clonogenicity, and apoptosis were assessed via Cell Counting Kit-8 assays, cell counting, clonogenic assays, and flow cytometry, respectively. Similar methods were used to determine the effects of TG02 combined with radiation therapy (RT) or cisplatin. Synergism indices for TG02-cisplatin combination therapy were calculated using CompuSyn software. RESULTS TG02 was observed to significantly impair ATRT cell growth in vitro by limiting cell proliferation and clonogenicity, and by inducing apoptosis. TG02 inhibited ATRT cell proliferation and decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner with nanomolar half maximal effective concentration (EC50) values (BT12, 207.0 nM; BT37, 127.8 nM; CHLA05, 29.7 nM; CHLA06, 18.7 nM). TG02 (150 nM) dramatically increased the proportion of apoptotic ATRT cells 72 hours posttreatment (TG02 8.50% vs control 1.52% apoptotic cells in BT12, p < 0.0001; TG02 70.07% vs control 15.36%, p < 0.0001). Combination therapy studies revealed that TG02 acted as a potent radiosensitizer in ATRT cells (BT12 surviving fraction, RT 51.2% vs RT + TG02 21.7%). Finally, CompuSyn analysis demonstrated that TG02 acted synergistically with cisplatin against ATRT cells at virtually all therapeutic doses. These findings were consistent in cell lines that cover all three molecular subgroups of ATRTs. CONCLUSIONS The results of this investigation have established that TG02 is an effective therapeutic against ATRTs in vitro. Given the lack of standard therapy for ATRTs, these findings help fill an unmet need and support further study of TG02 as a potential therapeutic option for patients with this deadly disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy S. Ding
- Hunterian Neurosurgical Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sakibul Huq
- Hunterian Neurosurgical Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Joshua Casaos
- Hunterian Neurosurgical Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Divyaansh Raj
- Hunterian Neurosurgical Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Manuel Morales
- Hunterian Neurosurgical Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Tianna Zhao
- Hunterian Neurosurgical Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Timothy Kim
- Hunterian Neurosurgical Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Siddhartha Srivastava
- Hunterian Neurosurgical Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ayush Pant
- Hunterian Neurosurgical Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Riccardo Serra
- Hunterian Neurosurgical Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Noah L. Gorelick
- Hunterian Neurosurgical Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Henry Brem
- Hunterian Neurosurgical Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Betty Tyler
- Hunterian Neurosurgical Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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50
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Emran AA, Tseng HY, Gunatilake D, Cook SJ, Ahmed F, Wang S, Hersey P, Gallagher SJ, Tiffen JC. A Combination of Epigenetic BET and CDK9 Inhibitors for Treatment of Human Melanoma. J Invest Dermatol 2021; 141:2238-2249.e12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2020.12.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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