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Hansson K, Radke K, Aaltonen K, Saarela J, Mañas A, Sjölund J, Smith EM, Pietras K, Påhlman S, Wennerberg K, Gisselsson D, Bexell D. Therapeutic targeting of KSP in preclinical models of high-risk neuroblastoma. Sci Transl Med 2021; 12:12/562/eaba4434. [PMID: 32967973 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aba4434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is a childhood malignancy with often dismal prognosis; relapse is common despite intense treatment. Here, we used human tumor organoids representing multiple MYCN-amplified high-risk neuroblastomas to perform a high-throughput drug screen with approved or emerging oncology drugs. Tumor-selective effects were calculated using drug sensitivity scores. Several drugs with previously unreported anti-neuroblastoma effects were identified by stringent selection criteria. ARRY-520, an inhibitor of kinesin spindle protein (KSP), was among those causing reduced viability. High expression of the KSP-encoding gene KIF11 was associated with poor outcome in neuroblastoma. Genome-scale loss-of-function screens in hundreds of human cancer cell lines across 22 tumor types revealed that KIF11 is particularly important for neuroblastoma cell viability. KSP inhibition in neuroblastoma patient-derived xenograft (PDX) cells resulted in the formation of abnormal monoastral spindles, mitotic arrest, up-regulation of mitosis-associated genes, and apoptosis. In vivo, KSP inhibition caused regression of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma PDX tumors. Furthermore, treatment of mice harboring orthotopic neuroblastoma PDX tumors resulted in increased survival. Our results suggested that KSP inhibition could be a promising treatment strategy in children with high-risk neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Hansson
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 223 81 Lund, Sweden
| | - Katarzyna Radke
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 223 81 Lund, Sweden
| | - Kristina Aaltonen
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 223 81 Lund, Sweden
| | - Jani Saarela
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Adriana Mañas
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 223 81 Lund, Sweden
| | - Jonas Sjölund
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 223 81 Lund, Sweden
| | - Emma M Smith
- Division of Molecular Medicine and Gene Therapy, Lund Strategic Center for Stem Cell Biology, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Kristian Pietras
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 223 81 Lund, Sweden
| | - Sven Påhlman
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 223 81 Lund, Sweden
| | - Krister Wennerberg
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.,BRIC - Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - David Gisselsson
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 221 85 Lund, Sweden.,Department of Pathology, Laboratory Medicine, Medical Services, University Hospital, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Daniel Bexell
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 223 81 Lund, Sweden.
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Song H, Zhou S, Wang R, Li S. Kinesin spindle protein (KSP) inhibitors in combination with chemotherapeutic agents for cancer therapy. ChemMedChem 2013; 8:1736-49. [PMID: 23964020 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201300228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Revised: 07/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
A diverse group of proteins, the activities of which are precisely orchestrated during mitosis, have emerged as targets for cancer therapeutics; these include the Aurora kinases (AKs), Polo-like kinases (PLKs), and the kinesin spindle protein (KSP). KSP is essential for the proper separation of spindle poles during mitosis. Agents that target KSP selectively act on cells undergoing cell division, which means that KSP inhibitors are mitosis-specific drugs, and have demonstrated remarkable activities in vitro. However, a significant obstacle to the success of KSP inhibitors is that these compounds, with tremendous efficacy in vitro, have demonstrated little or even no antitumor activity in vivo. Accumulated data suggest that a combination of KSP inhibitors with various cytostatic drugs will result in a more powerful tumor-killing effect than monotherapy. Combination therapies might predominate and represent the next frontier in the discovery research of KSP inhibitors as potential anticancer drugs. Few published studies have reviewed combination therapy using KSP inhibitors. Herein we provide a comprehensive review of the literature on KSP inhibitor monotherapy and therapeutic combinations. The current state and problems are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hualong Song
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai (PR China)
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Miglarese MR, Carlson RO. Development of new cancer therapeutic agents targeting mitosis. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2006; 15:1411-25. [PMID: 17040200 DOI: 10.1517/13543784.15.11.1411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Targeting cellular proliferation persists as a mainstay of cancer therapeutic strategy. Although microtubule-targeting drugs (such as taxanes and vinca alkaloids) have been used successfully in the clinic to treat a variety of cancers, they carry substantial liabilities that have spurred drug companies to aggressively pursue new tubulin-targeting drug candidates with improved efficacy and toxicity profiles. The recent discoveries of new mitotic targets for cancer therapy (such as kinesin spindle protein, Aurora kinases and Polo-like kinase-1) have also stimulated intense work focused on identifying novel antimitotic drugs directed at these new targets. A number of novel antimitotic drugs have demonstrated encouraging activity in preclinical models and have progressed into clinical development. This review focuses on selected new antimitotic drugs under evaluation in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark R Miglarese
- Array BioPharma, Inc., 3200 Walnut Street, Boulder, CO 80301, USA.
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