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Lozon L, Ramadan WS, Kawaf RR, Al-Shihabi AM, El-Awady R. Decoding cell death signalling: Impact on the response of breast cancer cells to approved therapies. Life Sci 2024; 342:122525. [PMID: 38423171 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2024.122525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Breast cancer is a principal cause of cancer-related mortality in female worldwide. While many approved therapies have shown promising outcomes in treating breast cancer, understanding the intricate signalling pathways controlling cell death is crucial for optimizing the treatment outcome. A growing body of evidence has unveiled the aberrations in multiple cell death pathways across diverse cancer types, highlighting these pathways as appealing targets for therapeutic interventions. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge on the cell death signalling mechanisms with a particular focus on their impact on the response of breast cancer cells to approved therapies. Additionally, we discuss the potentials of combination therapies that exploit the synergy between approved drugs and therapeutic agents targeting modulators of cell death pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lama Lozon
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Wafaa S Ramadan
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Rawan R Kawaf
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Aya M Al-Shihabi
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Raafat El-Awady
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates.
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Johnson ML, Patel MR, Aljumaily R, Jones SF, Burris Iii HA, Spigel DR. A Phase Ib Dose-Escalation Study of LCL161 Plus Oral Topotecan for Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Small Cell Lung Cancer and Select Gynecologic Malignancies. Oncologist 2023:7147832. [PMID: 37129455 DOI: 10.1093/oncolo/oyad029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This was an open-label, multicenter, single-arm phase Ib dose-escalation study of oral LCL161 administered in combination with oral topotecan in patients with relapsed/refractory small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and select gynecological cancers. METHODS Cohorts of 3-6 patients initiated treatment with LCL161 and topotecan in escalating doses. LCL161 was administered orally on days 1, 8, and 15 of each 21-day cycle; topotecan was administered orally for the first 5 days of each 21-day cycle. RESULTS A total of 35 patients were enrolled in 6 cohorts; 30 patients were female; 4 patients had SCLC and 19 patients had ovarian cancer. Median prior lines of therapy were 3 (1-10). Median duration of treatment was 7.1 weeks (0.1-174). The most frequent grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events were thrombocytopenia (51.43%) and anemia (31.43%). ORR was 9.7%; 58% of patients had SD. The study was stopped early before the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended phase II dose (RP2D) were determined. CONCLUSION The addition of LCL161 to oral topotecan caused more myelosuppression when dosed together than what was associated with either drug alone. Moreover, the drug combination did not improve outcomes. The study was terminated early (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02649673).
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa L Johnson
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Nashville, TN, USA
- Tennessee Oncology, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Manish R Patel
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Nashville, TN, USA
- Florida Cancer Specialists, Sarasota, FL, USA
| | - Raid Aljumaily
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Nashville, TN, USA
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | | | - Howard A Burris Iii
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Nashville, TN, USA
- Tennessee Oncology, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - David R Spigel
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Nashville, TN, USA
- Tennessee Oncology, Nashville, TN, USA
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Abstract
Smac mimetics, or IAP antagonists, are a class of drugs currently being evaluated as anti-cancer therapeutics. These agents antagonize IAP proteins, including cIAP1/2 and XIAP, to induce cell death via apoptotic or, upon caspase-8 deficiency, necroptotic cell death pathways. Many cancer cells are unresponsive to Smac mimetic treatment as a single agent but can be sensitized to killing in the presence of the cytokine TNFα, provided either exogenously or via autocrine production. We found that high concentrations of a subset of Smac mimetics could provoke death in cells that did not produce TNFα, despite sensitization at lower concentrations by TNFα. The ability of these drugs to kill did not correlate with valency. These cells remained responsive to the lethal effects of Smac mimetics at high concentrations despite genetic or pharmacological impairments in apoptotic, necroptotic, pyroptotic, autophagic and ferroptotic cell death pathways. Analysis of dying cells revealed necrotic morphology, which was accompanied by the release of lactate dehydrogenase and cell membrane rupture without prior phosphatidylserine exposure implying cell lysis, which occurred over a several hours. Our study reveals that cells incapable of autocrine TNFα production are sensitive to some Smac mimetic compounds when used at high concentrations, and this exposure elicits a lytic cell death phenotype that occurs via a mechanism not requiring apoptotic caspases or necroptotic effectors RIPK3 or MLKL. These data reveal the possibility that non-canonical cell death pathways can be triggered by these drugs when applied at high concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Miles
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia.
| | - Sarah Caruso
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Amy A Baxter
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Ivan K H Poon
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Christine J Hawkins
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
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Abstract
The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) presents many opportunities for pharmacological intervention. Key players in the UPS are E3 ubiquitin ligases, responsible for conjugation of ubiquitin to specific cognate substrates. Numbering more than 600 members, these ligases represent the most selective way to intervene within this physiologically important system. This Perspective highlights some of the dedicated medicinal chemistry efforts directed at inhibiting the function of specific single-protein and multicomponent RING-type E3 ubiquitin ligases. We present opportunities and challenges associated with targeting this important class of enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Blaquiere
- Discovery Chemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Elisia Villemure
- Discovery Chemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Steven T Staben
- Discovery Chemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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Abstract
New therapeutic approaches for chronic inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis are needed because current treatments are often suboptimal in terms of both efficacy and the risks of serious adverse events. Inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) are E3 ubiquitin ligases that inhibit cell death pathways and are themselves inhibited by second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases (SMAC). SMAC mimetics (SMs), small-molecule antagonists of IAPs, are being evaluated as cancer therapies in clinical trials. IAPs are also crucial regulators of inflammatory pathways because they influence both the activation of inflammatory genes and the induction of cell death through the receptor-interacting serine-threonine protein kinases (RIPKs), nuclear factor κB (NF-κB)-inducing kinase, and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Furthermore, there is an increasing interest in specifically targeting the substrates of IAP-mediated ubiquitylation, especially RIPK1, RIPK2, and RIPK3, as druggable nodes in inflammation control. Several studies have revealed an anti-inflammatory potential of RIPK inhibitors that either block inflammatory signaling or block the form of inflammatory cell death known as necroptosis. Expanding research on innate immune signaling through pattern recognition receptors that stimulate proinflammatory NF-κB and MAPK signaling may further contribute to uncovering the complex molecular roles used by IAPs and downstream RIPKs in inflammatory signaling. This may benefit and guide the development of SMs or selective RIPK inhibitors as anti-inflammatory therapeutics for various chronic inflammatory conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Jensen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Medical Section, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, 1 Borgmester Ib Juuls Vej, DK-2730 Herlev, Denmark
| | - Jakob Benedict Seidelin
- Department of Gastroenterology, Medical Section, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, 1 Borgmester Ib Juuls Vej, DK-2730 Herlev, Denmark.
| | - Eric Charles LaCasse
- Apoptosis Research Centre, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8L1, Canada
| | - Ole Haagen Nielsen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Medical Section, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, 1 Borgmester Ib Juuls Vej, DK-2730 Herlev, Denmark
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Affiliation(s)
- Prajwal Boddu
- Department of Hematology and Oncology Yale University School of Medicine New Haven CTUSA
| | - Bing Z. Carter
- Department of Leukemia University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston TX USA
| | - Srdan Verstovsek
- Department of Leukemia University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston TX USA
| | - Naveen Pemmaraju
- Department of Leukemia University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston TX USA
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Alexandrou S, George SM, Ormandy CJ, Lim E, Oakes SR, Caldon CE. The Proliferative and Apoptotic Landscape of Basal-like Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20030667. [PMID: 30720718 PMCID: PMC6387372 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20030667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) is an aggressive molecular subtype that represents up to 15% of breast cancers. It occurs in younger patients, and typically shows rapid development of locoregional and distant metastasis, resulting in a relatively high mortality rate. Its defining features are that it is positive for basal cytokeratins and, epidermal growth factor receptor and/or c-Kit. Problematically, it is typically negative for the estrogen receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), which means that it is unsuitable for either hormone therapy or targeted HER2 therapy. As a result, there are few therapeutic options for BLBC, and a major priority is to define molecular subgroups of BLBC that could be targeted therapeutically. In this review, we focus on the highly proliferative and anti-apoptotic phenotype of BLBC with the goal of defining potential therapeutic avenues, which could take advantage of these aspects of tumor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Alexandrou
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 2010 Sydney, Australia.
| | - Sandra Marie George
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 2010 Sydney, Australia.
| | - Christopher John Ormandy
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 2010 Sydney, Australia.
- St. Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, 2052 Sydney, Australia.
| | - Elgene Lim
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 2010 Sydney, Australia.
- St. Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, 2052 Sydney, Australia.
| | - Samantha Richelle Oakes
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 2010 Sydney, Australia.
- St. Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, 2052 Sydney, Australia.
| | - C Elizabeth Caldon
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 2010 Sydney, Australia.
- St. Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, 2052 Sydney, Australia.
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Abstract
Inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family comprises a group of endogenous proteins that function as main regulators of caspase activity and cell death. They are considered the main culprits in evasion of apoptosis, which is a fundamental hallmark of carcinogenesis. Overexpression of IAP proteins has been documented in various solid and hematological malignancies, rendering them resistant to standard chemotherapeutics and radiation therapy and conferring poor prognosis. This observation has urged their exploitation as therapeutic targets in cancer with promising pre-clinical outcomes. This review describes the structural and functional features of IAP proteins to elucidate the mechanism of their anti-apoptotic activity. We also provide an update on patterns of IAP expression in different tumors, their impact on treatment response and prognosis, as well as the emerging investigational drugs targeting them. This aims at shedding the light on the advances in IAP targeting achieved to date, and encourage further development of clinically applicable therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mervat S Mohamed
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry Speciality, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
- , Tabuk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Mai K Bishr
- Department of Radiotherapy, Children's Cancer Hospital Egypt (CCHE), Cairo, Egypt
| | - Fahad M Almutairi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ayat G Ali
- Department of Biochemistry, El Sahel Teaching Hospital, Cairo, Egypt
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