1
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Chen H, Guan X, He C, Lu T, Lin X, Liao X. Current strategies for targeting HPK1 in cancer and the barriers to preclinical progress. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2024; 28:237-250. [PMID: 38650383 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2024.2344697] [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: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1), a 97-kDa serine/threonine Ste20-related protein kinase, functions as an intracellular negative regulator, primarily in hematopoietic lineage cells, where it regulates T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, and other immune cells. Loss of HPK1 kinase activity results in exacerbated cytokine secretion, enhanced T cell signaling, improved viral clearance, and thus increased restraint of tumor growth. These findings highlight HPK1 as a promising target for immuno-oncology treatments, culminating in the advancement of candidate compounds targeting HPK1 to clinical trials by several biotech enterprises. AREAS COVERED Through searching PubMed, Espacenet-patent search, and clinicaltrials.gov, this review provides a comprehensive analysis of HPK1, encompassing its structure and roles in various downstream signaling pathways, the consequences of constitutive activation of HPK1, and potential therapeutic strategies to treat HPK1-driven malignancies. Moreover, the review outlines the patents issued for small molecule inhibitors and clinical investigations of HPK1. EXPERT OPINION To enhance the success of tumor immunotherapy in clinical trials, it is important to develop protein degraders, allosteric inhibitors, and antibody-drug conjugates based on the crystal structure of HPK1, and to explore combination therapy approaches. Although several challenges remain, the development of HPK1 inhibitors display promising in preclinical and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangna Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Chi He
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Tingting Lu
- Zhuhai Yufan Biotechnologies Co., Ltd, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Xingyu Lin
- Zhuhai Yufan Biotechnologies Co., Ltd, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Xuebin Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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2
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Zhang J, Li Y, Tang H, Zhou Q, Tong L, Ding J, Xie H, Xiong B, Liu T. Design and synthesis of 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives as hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) inhibitors. Bioorg Chem 2023; 140:106811. [PMID: 37659145 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106811] [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: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Despite immune checkpoint inhibitors' tremendous success in the treatment of tumors, the moderate response rate limits their widespread use. Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is served as an essential negative regulator of T-cell receptor, which has been identified as a promising target for enhancing antitumor immunity. However, the development of a selective HPK1 inhibitor is still challenging. Herein, we reported a novel series of 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives as HPK1 inhibitors by structure-based rational design. The optimal compound 10n significantly inhibited HPK1 with an IC50 value of 29.0 nM and the phosphorylation of SLP76 at a concentration as low as 0.1 μM. Furthermore, compound 10n exhibited good selectivity over a panel of 25 kinases, including GLK from the same MAP4K family. Together, the current study provided a novel, potent, and selective HPK1 inhibitor, acting as a lead compound for the future development of cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Yan Li
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China
| | - Haotian Tang
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Qianqian Zhou
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China; Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, PR China
| | - Linjiang Tong
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China
| | - Jian Ding
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China; Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, PR China
| | - Hua Xie
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China; Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, PR China.
| | - Bing Xiong
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Tongchao Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China.
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3
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Schlicher L, Green LG, Romagnani A, Renner F. Small molecule inhibitors for cancer immunotherapy and associated biomarkers - the current status. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1297175. [PMID: 38022587 PMCID: PMC10644399 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1297175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Following the success of cancer immunotherapy using large molecules against immune checkpoint inhibitors, the concept of using small molecules to interfere with intracellular negative regulators of anti-tumor immune responses has emerged in recent years. The main targets for small molecule drugs currently include enzymes of negative feedback loops in signaling pathways of immune cells and proteins that promote immunosuppressive signals within the tumor microenvironment. In the adaptive immune system, negative regulators of T cell receptor signaling (MAP4K1, DGKα/ζ, CBL-B, PTPN2, PTPN22, SHP1), co-receptor signaling (CBL-B) and cytokine signaling (PTPN2) have been preclinically validated as promising targets and initial clinical trials with small molecule inhibitors are underway. To enhance innate anti-tumor immune responses, inhibitory immunomodulation of cGAS/STING has been in the focus, and inhibitors of ENPP1 and TREX1 have reached the clinic. In addition, immunosuppressive signals via adenosine can be counteracted by CD39 and CD73 inhibition, while suppression via intratumoral immunosuppressive prostaglandin E can be targeted by EP2/EP4 antagonists. Here, we present the status of the most promising small molecule drug candidates for cancer immunotherapy, all residing relatively early in development, and the potential of relevant biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Schlicher
- Cancer Cell Targeted Therapy, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Luke G. Green
- Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Romagnani
- Cancer Cell Targeted Therapy, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Florian Renner
- Cancer Cell Targeted Therapy, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland
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4
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Toure M, Johnson T, Li B, Schmidt R, Ma H, Neagu C, Lopez AU, Wang Y, Guler S, Xiao Y, Henkes R, Ho K, Zhang S, Chu CL, Gundra UM, Porichis F, Li L, Maurer CK, Fang Z, Musil D, DiPoto M, Friis E, Jones R, Jones C, Cummings J, Chekler E, Tanzer EM, Huck B, Sherer B. Discovery of quinazoline HPK1 inhibitors with high cellular potency. Bioorg Med Chem 2023; 92:117423. [PMID: 37531921 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117423] [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: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is regarded as a highly validated target in pre-clinical immune oncology. HPK1 has been described as regulating multiple critical signaling pathway in both adaptive and innate cells. In support of this role, HPK1 KO T cells show enhanced sensitivity to TCR activation and HPK1 KO mice display enhanced anti-tumor activity. Taken together, inhibition of HPK1 has the potential to induce enhanced anti-tumor immune response. Herein, we described the discovery of highly potent HPK1 inhibitors starting form a weak HTS hit. Using a structure-based drug design, HPK1 inhibitors exhibiting excellent cellular single-digit nanomolar potency in both proximal (pSLP76) and distal (IL-2) biomarkers along with sustained elevation of IL-2 cytokine secretion were discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Momar Toure
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States.
| | - Theresa Johnson
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Bin Li
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Ralf Schmidt
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Hong Ma
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Constantin Neagu
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Andrea Unzue Lopez
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Yanping Wang
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Satenig Guler
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - YuFang Xiao
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Renate Henkes
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Kevin Ho
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Susan Zhang
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Chia Lin Chu
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Uma Mahesh Gundra
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Filippos Porichis
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Long Li
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Christine Katharina Maurer
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Zhizhou Fang
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Djordje Musil
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Maria DiPoto
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Emily Friis
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Reinaldo Jones
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Christopher Jones
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - James Cummings
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Eugene Chekler
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Eva Maria Tanzer
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Bayard Huck
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
| | - Brian Sherer
- Discovery & Development Technologies, Medicinal Chemistry, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA 01821, United States
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5
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Zhou L, Ye X, Wang K, Shen H, Wang T, Zhang X, Jiang S, Xiao Y, Zhang K. Discovery of diaminotriazine carboxamides as potent inhibitors of hematopoetic progenitor kinase 1. Bioorg Chem 2023; 138:106682. [PMID: 37339563 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106682] [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: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1), a member of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase (MAP4K) family of Ste20 serine/threonine kinases, is a negative regulator of T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling. Inactivating HPK1 kinase has been reported to be sufficient to elicit antitumor immune response. Therefore, HPK1 has attracted much attention as a promising target for tumor immunotherapy. A few of HPK1 inhibitors have been reported, and none of them have been approved for clinical applications. Hence, more effective HPK1 inhibitors are needed. Herein, a series of structurally novel diaminotriazine carboxamides were rationally designed, synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory activity against HPK1 kinase. Most of them exhibited potent inhibitory potency against HPK1 kinase. In particular, compound 15b showed more robust HPK1 inhibitory activity than that of 11d developed by Merck in kinase activity assay (IC50 = 3.1 and 8.2 nM, respectively). The significant inhibitory potency against SLP76 phosphorylation in Jurkat T cells further confirmed the efficacy of compound 15b. In human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) functional assays, compound 15b more significantly induced the production of interleukin 2 (IL-2) and interferon γ (IFN-γ) relative to 11d. Furthermore, 15b alone or in combination with anti-PD-1 antibodies showed potent in vivo antitumor efficacy in MC38 tumor-bearing mice. Compound 15b represents a promising lead for the development of effective HPK1 small-molecule inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixin Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xiuquan Ye
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Kaizhen Wang
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Hongtao Shen
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Tianyu Wang
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xiangyu Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Sheng Jiang
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Yibei Xiao
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Kuojun Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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6
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Laletin V, Bernard PL, Costa da Silva C, Guittard G, Nunes JA. Negative intracellular regulators of T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling as potential antitumor immunotherapy targets. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:jitc-2022-005845. [PMID: 37217244 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy strategies aim to mobilize immune defenses against tumor cells by targeting mainly T cells. Co-inhibitory receptors or immune checkpoints (ICPs) (such as PD-1 and CTLA4) can limit T cell receptor (TCR) signal propagation in T cells. Antibody-based blocking of immune checkpoints (immune checkpoint inhibitors, ICIs) enable escape from ICP inhibition of TCR signaling. ICI therapies have significantly impacted the prognosis and survival of patients with cancer. However, many patients remain refractory to these treatments. Thus, alternative approaches for cancer immunotherapy are needed. In addition to membrane-associated inhibitory molecules, a growing number of intracellular molecules may also serve to downregulate signaling cascades triggered by TCR engagement. These molecules are known as intracellular immune checkpoints (iICPs). Blocking the expression or the activity of these intracellular negative signaling molecules is a novel field of action to boost T cell-mediated antitumor responses. This area is rapidly expanding. Indeed, more than 30 different potential iICPs have been identified. Over the past 5 years, several phase I/II clinical trials targeting iICPs in T cells have been registered. In this study, we summarize recent preclinical and clinical data demonstrating that immunotherapies targeting T cell iICPs can mediate regression of solid tumors including (membrane associated) immune-checkpoint inhibitor refractory cancers. Finally, we discuss how these iICPs are targeted and controlled. Thereby, iICP inhibition is a promising strategy opening new avenues for future cancer immunotherapy treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Laletin
- Immunity and Cancer, Cancer Research Centre Marseille, Marseille, France
- Onco-hematology and immuno-oncology (OHIO), Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Pierre-Louis Bernard
- Immunity and Cancer, Cancer Research Centre Marseille, Marseille, France
- Onco-hematology and immuno-oncology (OHIO), Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Cathy Costa da Silva
- Immunity and Cancer, Cancer Research Centre Marseille, Marseille, France
- Onco-hematology and immuno-oncology (OHIO), Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Geoffrey Guittard
- Immunity and Cancer, Cancer Research Centre Marseille, Marseille, France
- Onco-hematology and immuno-oncology (OHIO), Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Jacques A Nunes
- Immunity and Cancer, Cancer Research Centre Marseille, Marseille, France
- Onco-hematology and immuno-oncology (OHIO), Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille, Marseille, France
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7
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Gallego RA, Bernier L, Chen H, Cho-Schultz S, Chung L, Collins M, Del Bel M, Elleraas J, Costa Jones C, Cronin CN, Edwards M, Fang X, Fisher T, He M, Hoffman J, Huo R, Jalaie M, Johnson E, Johnson TW, Kania RS, Kraus M, Lafontaine J, Le P, Liu T, Maestre M, Matthews J, McTigue M, Miller N, Mu Q, Qin X, Ren S, Richardson P, Rohner A, Sach N, Shao L, Smith G, Su R, Sun B, Timofeevski S, Tran P, Wang S, Wang W, Zhou R, Zhu J, Nair SK. Design and Synthesis of Functionally Active 5-Amino-6-Aryl Pyrrolopyrimidine Inhibitors of Hematopoietic Progenitor Kinase 1. J Med Chem 2023; 66:4888-4909. [PMID: 36940470 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c02038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2023]
Abstract
Immune activating agents represent a valuable class of therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. An area of active research is expanding the types of these therapeutics that are available to patients via targeting new biological mechanisms. Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is a negative regulator of immune signaling and a target of high interest for the treatment of cancer. Herein, we present the discovery and optimization of novel amino-6-aryl pyrrolopyrimidine inhibitors of HPK1 starting from hits identified via virtual screening. Key components of this discovery effort were structure-based drug design aided by analyses of normalized B-factors and optimization of lipophilic efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A Gallego
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Louise Bernier
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Hui Chen
- WuXi AppTec, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Sujin Cho-Schultz
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Loanne Chung
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Michael Collins
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Matthew Del Bel
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Jeff Elleraas
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Cinthia Costa Jones
- Oncology Research Unit, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Ciaran N Cronin
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Martin Edwards
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Xu Fang
- WuXi AppTec, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Timothy Fisher
- Oncology Research Unit, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Mingying He
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Jacqui Hoffman
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Ruiduan Huo
- WuXi AppTec, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Mehran Jalaie
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Eric Johnson
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Ted W Johnson
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Robert S Kania
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Manfred Kraus
- Oncology Research Unit, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Jennifer Lafontaine
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Phuong Le
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Tongnan Liu
- WuXi AppTec, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Michael Maestre
- La Jolla Laboratories, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Jean Matthews
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Michele McTigue
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Nichol Miller
- Oncology Research Unit, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Qiming Mu
- WuXi AppTec, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Xulong Qin
- WuXi AppTec, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Shijian Ren
- WuXi AppTec, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Paul Richardson
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Allison Rohner
- Oncology Research Unit, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Neal Sach
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Li Shao
- WuXi AppTec, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Graham Smith
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Ruirui Su
- WuXi AppTec, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Bin Sun
- WuXi AppTec, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Sergei Timofeevski
- Oncology Research Unit, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Phuong Tran
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Shuiwang Wang
- WuXi AppTec, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Ru Zhou
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Jinjiang Zhu
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
| | - Sajiv K Nair
- Oncology Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, 10770 Science Center Drive, La Jolla, California 92121, United States
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8
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Stumpf A, Xu D, Ranjan R, Angelaud R, Gosselin F. A Convergent Synthesis of HPK1 Inhibitor GNE-6893 via Palladium-Catalyzed Functionalization of a Tetrasubstituted Isoquinoline. Org Process Res Dev 2023. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.oprd.2c00384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Stumpf
- Department of Small Molecule Process Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Di Xu
- Department of Small Molecule Process Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Rohit Ranjan
- Department of Small Molecule Process Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Remy Angelaud
- Department of Small Molecule Process Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Francis Gosselin
- Department of Small Molecule Process Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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9
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Ye Q, Liu K, Ye HF, Pan J, Sokolsky A, Wang A, Zhang K, Hummel JR, Kong L, Behshad E, He X, Conlen P, Stump K, Ye M, Diamond S, Covington M, Yeleswaram S, Atasoylu O, Vechorkin O, Yao W. Discovery of Pyrazolopyridine Derivatives as HPK1 Inhibitors. ACS Med Chem Lett 2023; 14:5-10. [PMID: 36655125 PMCID: PMC9841581 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00238] [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: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In spite of the great success of immune checkpoint inhibitors in immune-oncology therapy, an urgent need still exists to identify alternative approaches to broaden the scope of therapeutic coverage. Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1), also known as MAP4K1, functions as a negative regulator of activation signals generated by the T cell antigen receptor. Herein we report the discovery of novel pyrazolopyridine derivatives as selective inhibitors of HPK1. The structure-activity relationship campaign led to the discovery of compound 16, which has shown promising enzymatic and cellular potency with encouraging kinome selectivity. The outstanding pharmacokinetic profiles of 16 in rats and monkeys supported further evaluations of its efficacy and safety in preclinical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinda Ye
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Kai Liu
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Hai-Fen Ye
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Jun Pan
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Alexander Sokolsky
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Anlai Wang
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Ke Zhang
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Joshua R. Hummel
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Ling Kong
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Elham Behshad
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Xin He
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Patricia Conlen
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Kristine Stump
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Min Ye
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Sharon Diamond
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Maryanne Covington
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Swamy Yeleswaram
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Onur Atasoylu
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Oleg Vechorkin
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Wenqing Yao
- Incyte Research Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
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10
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Sokolsky A, Vechorkin O, Hummel JR, Styduhar ED, Wang A, Nguyen MH, Ye HF, Liu K, Zhang K, Pan J, Ye Q, Atasoylu O, Behshad E, He X, Conlen P, Stump K, Ye M, Diamond S, Covington M, Yeleswaram S, Yao W. Potent and Selective Biaryl Amide Inhibitors of Hematopoietic Progenitor Kinase 1 (HPK1). ACS Med Chem Lett 2023; 14:116-122. [PMID: 36655134 PMCID: PMC9841582 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Herein we report the discovery of a novel biaryl amide series as selective inhibitors of hematopoietic protein kinase 1 (HPK1). Structure-activity relationship development, aided by molecular modeling, identified indazole 5b as a core for further exploration because of its outstanding enzymatic and cellular potency coupled with encouraging kinome selectivity. Late-stage manipulation of the right-hand aryl and amine moieties surmounted issues of selectivity over TRKA, MAP4K2, and STK4 as well as generating compounds with balanced in vitro ADME profiles and promising pharmacokinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Sokolsky
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
| | - Oleg Vechorkin
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
| | - Joshua R. Hummel
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
| | - Evan D. Styduhar
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
| | - Anlai Wang
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
| | - Minh H. Nguyen
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
| | - Hai Fen Ye
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
| | - Kai Liu
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
| | - Ke Zhang
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
| | - Jun Pan
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
| | - Qinda Ye
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
| | - Onur Atasoylu
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
| | - Elham Behshad
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
| | - Xin He
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
| | - Patricia Conlen
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
| | - Kristine Stump
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
| | - Min Ye
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
| | - Sharon Diamond
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
| | - Maryanne Covington
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
| | - Swamy Yeleswaram
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
| | - Wenqing Yao
- Incyte Research
Institute, 1801 Augustine Cut-Off, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United
States
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11
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Ge H, Peng L, Sun Z, Liu H, Shen Y, Yao X. Discovery of Novel HPK1 Inhibitors Through Structure-Based Virtual Screening. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:850855. [PMID: 35370676 PMCID: PMC8967249 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.850855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase (HPK1) is a negative regulator of T-cell receptor and B-cell signaling, which has been recognized as a novel antitumor target for immunotherapy. In this work, Glide docking-based virtual screening and kinase inhibition assay were performed to identify novel HPK1 inhibitors. The kinase inhibition assay results demonstrated five compounds with IC50 values below 20 μM, and the most potent one (compound M074-2865) had an IC50 value of 2.93 ± 0.09 μM. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to delve into the interaction of sunitinib and the identified compound M074-2865 with the kinase domain of HPK1. The five compounds identified in this work could be considered promising hit compounds for further development of HPK1 inhibitors for immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huizhen Ge
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Lizeng Peng
- Institute of Agro-Food Science and Technology Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Agro-Products Processing Technology of Shandong Province, Key Laboratory of Novel Food Resources Processing Ministry of Agriculture, Jinan, China
| | - Zhou Sun
- Academy of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, China
| | - Huanxiang Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | | | - Xiaojun Yao
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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12
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Freeman SS, Sade-Feldman M, Kim J, Stewart C, Gonye AL, Ravi A, Arniella MB, Gushterova I, LaSalle TJ, Blaum EM, Yizhak K, Frederick DT, Sharova T, Leshchiner I, Elagina L, Spiro OG, Livitz D, Rosebrock D, Aguet F, Carrot-Zhang J, Ha G, Lin Z, Chen JH, Barzily-Rokni M, Hammond MR, Vitzthum von Eckstaedt HC, Blackmon SM, Jiao YJ, Gabriel S, Lawrence DP, Duncan LM, Stemmer-Rachamimov AO, Wargo JA, Flaherty KT, Sullivan RJ, Boland GM, Meyerson M, Getz G, Hacohen N. Combined tumor and immune signals from genomes or transcriptomes predict outcomes of checkpoint inhibition in melanoma. Cell Rep Med 2022; 3:100500. [PMID: 35243413 PMCID: PMC8861826 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2021.100500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (CPB) improves melanoma outcomes, but many patients still do not respond. Tumor mutational burden (TMB) and tumor-infiltrating T cells are associated with response, and integrative models improve survival prediction. However, integrating immune/tumor-intrinsic features using data from a single assay (DNA/RNA) remains underexplored. Here, we analyze whole-exome and bulk RNA sequencing of tumors from new and published cohorts of 189 and 178 patients with melanoma receiving CPB, respectively. Using DNA, we calculate T cell and B cell burdens (TCB/BCB) from rearranged TCR/Ig sequences and find that patients with TMBhigh and TCBhigh or BCBhigh have improved outcomes compared to other patients. By combining pairs of immune- and tumor-expressed genes, we identify three gene pairs associated with response and survival, which validate in independent cohorts. The top model includes lymphocyte-expressed MAP4K1 and tumor-expressed TBX3. Overall, RNA or DNA-based models combining immune and tumor measures improve predictions of melanoma CPB outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel S. Freeman
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Moshe Sade-Feldman
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jaegil Kim
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Chip Stewart
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Anna L.K. Gonye
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Arvind Ravi
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | - Irena Gushterova
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Thomas J. LaSalle
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Emily M. Blaum
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Keren Yizhak
- Department of Cell Biology and Cancer Science, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 2611001, Israel
| | - Dennie T. Frederick
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Tatyana Sharova
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Ignaty Leshchiner
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | | | - Oliver G. Spiro
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Dimitri Livitz
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - François Aguet
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jian Carrot-Zhang
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Gavin Ha
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle 98109, WA, USA
| | - Ziao Lin
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Harvard University, Cambridge MA, 02138
| | - Jonathan H. Chen
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114, MA, USA
| | - Michal Barzily-Rokni
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Marc R. Hammond
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | | | - Shauna M. Blackmon
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Yunxin J. Jiao
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Stacey Gabriel
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Donald P. Lawrence
- Department of Medical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Lyn M. Duncan
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114, MA, USA
| | | | - Jennifer A. Wargo
- Department of Surgical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Keith T. Flaherty
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Ryan J. Sullivan
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Genevieve M. Boland
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02115, MA, USA
| | - Matthew Meyerson
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02115, MA, USA
| | - Gad Getz
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Harvard University, Cambridge MA, 02138
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02115, MA, USA
| | - Nir Hacohen
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02115, MA, USA
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13
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Wang W, Mevellec L, Liu A, Struble G, Miller R, Allen SJ, Federowicz K, Wroblowski B, Vialard J, Ahn K, Krosky D. Discovery of an Allosteric, Inactive Conformation-Selective Inhibitor of Full-Length HPK1 Utilizing a Kinase Cascade Assay. Biochemistry 2021; 60:3114-3124. [PMID: 34608799 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Achieving selectivity across the human kinome is a major hurdle in kinase inhibitor drug discovery. Assays using active, phosphorylated protein kinases bias hits toward poorly selective inhibitors that bind within the highly conserved adenosine triphosphate (ATP) pocket. Targeting inactive (vs active) kinase conformations offers advantages in achieving selectivity because of their more diversified structures. Kinase cascade assays are typically initiated with target kinases in their unphosphorylated inactive forms, which are activated during the assays. Therefore, these assays are capable of identifying inhibitors that preferentially bind to the unphosphorylated form of the enzyme in addition to those that bind to the active form. We applied this cascade assay to the emerging cancer immunotherapy target hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1), a serine/threonine kinase that negatively regulates T cell receptor signaling. Using this approach, we discovered an allosteric, inactive conformation-selective triazolopyrimidinone HPK1 inhibitor, compound 1. Compound 1 binds to unphosphorylated HPK1 >24-fold more potently than active HPK1, is not competitive with ATP, and is highly selective against kinases critical for T cell signaling. Furthermore, compound 1 does not bind to the isolated HPK1 kinase domain alone but requires other domains. Together, these data indicate that 1 is an allosteric HPK1 inhibitor that attenuates kinase autophosphorylation by binding to a pocket consisting of residues within and outside of the kinase domain. Our study demonstrates that cascade assays can lead to the discovery of highly selective kinase inhibitors. The triazolopyrimidinone described in this study may represent a privileged chemical scaffold for further development of potent and selective HPK1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weixue Wang
- Discovery Technologies and Molecular Pharmacology, Janssen Research and Development, 1400 McKean Road, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Laurence Mevellec
- Discovery Chemistry, Janssen Research and Development, Campus de Maigremont, Val de Reuil 27106, France
| | - Annie Liu
- Discovery Technologies and Molecular Pharmacology, Janssen Research and Development, 1400 McKean Road, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Geoff Struble
- Discovery Technologies and Molecular Pharmacology, Janssen Research and Development, 1400 McKean Road, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Robyn Miller
- Discovery Technologies and Molecular Pharmacology, Janssen Research and Development, 1400 McKean Road, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Samantha J Allen
- Discovery Technologies and Molecular Pharmacology, Janssen Research and Development, 1400 McKean Road, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Kelly Federowicz
- Discovery Technologies and Molecular Pharmacology, Janssen Research and Development, 1400 McKean Road, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Berthold Wroblowski
- Computational Chemistry, Janssen Research and Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Jorge Vialard
- Oncology Discovery Biology, Janssen Research and Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Kay Ahn
- Discovery Technologies and Molecular Pharmacology, Janssen Research and Development, 1400 McKean Road, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Daniel Krosky
- Discovery Technologies and Molecular Pharmacology, Janssen Research and Development, 1400 McKean Road, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
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14
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Vara BA, Levi SM, Achab A, Candito DA, Fradera X, Lesburg CA, Kawamura S, Lacey BM, Lim J, Methot JL, Xu Z, Xu H, Smith DM, Piesvaux JA, Miller JR, Bittinger M, Ranganath SH, Bennett DJ, DiMauro EF, Pasternak A. Discovery of Diaminopyrimidine Carboxamide HPK1 Inhibitors as Preclinical Immunotherapy Tool Compounds. ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 12:653-661. [PMID: 33859804 PMCID: PMC8040257 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1), a serine/threonine kinase, is a negative immune regulator of T cell receptor (TCR) and B cell signaling that is primarily expressed in hematopoietic cells. Accordingly, it has been reported that HPK1 loss-of-function in HPK1 kinase-dead syngeneic mouse models shows enhanced T cell signaling and cytokine production as well as tumor growth inhibition in vivo, supporting its value as an immunotherapeutic target. Herein, we present the structurally enabled discovery of novel, potent, and selective diaminopyrimidine carboxamide HPK1 inhibitors. The key discovery of a carboxamide moiety was essential for enhanced enzyme inhibitory potency and kinome selectivity as well as sustained elevation of cellular IL-2 production across a titration range in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The elucidation of structure-activity relationships using various pendant amino ring systems allowed for the identification of several small molecule type-I inhibitors with promising in vitro profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon A. Vara
- Discovery Chemistry, Computational and Structural Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics
and Drug Metabolism, Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co.,
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Samuel M. Levi
- Discovery Chemistry, Computational and Structural Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics
and Drug Metabolism, Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co.,
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Abdelghani Achab
- Discovery Chemistry, Computational and Structural Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics
and Drug Metabolism, Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co.,
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - David A. Candito
- Discovery Chemistry, Computational and Structural Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics
and Drug Metabolism, Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co.,
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Xavier Fradera
- Discovery Chemistry, Computational and Structural Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics
and Drug Metabolism, Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co.,
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Charles A. Lesburg
- Discovery Chemistry, Computational and Structural Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics
and Drug Metabolism, Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co.,
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Shuhei Kawamura
- Discovery Chemistry, Computational and Structural Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics
and Drug Metabolism, Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co.,
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Brian M. Lacey
- Discovery Chemistry, Computational and Structural Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics
and Drug Metabolism, Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co.,
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Jongwon Lim
- Discovery Chemistry, Computational and Structural Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics
and Drug Metabolism, Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co.,
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Joey L. Methot
- Discovery Chemistry, Computational and Structural Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics
and Drug Metabolism, Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co.,
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Zangwei Xu
- Discovery Chemistry, Computational and Structural Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics
and Drug Metabolism, Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co.,
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Haiyan Xu
- Discovery Chemistry, Computational and Structural Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics
and Drug Metabolism, Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co.,
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Dustin M. Smith
- Discovery Chemistry, Computational and Structural Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics
and Drug Metabolism, Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co.,
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Jennifer A. Piesvaux
- Discovery Chemistry, Computational and Structural Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics
and Drug Metabolism, Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co.,
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - J. Richard Miller
- Discovery Chemistry, Computational and Structural Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics
and Drug Metabolism, Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co.,
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Mark Bittinger
- Discovery Chemistry, Computational and Structural Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics
and Drug Metabolism, Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co.,
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Sheila H. Ranganath
- Discovery Chemistry, Computational and Structural Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics
and Drug Metabolism, Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co.,
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - David J. Bennett
- Discovery Chemistry, Computational and Structural Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics
and Drug Metabolism, Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co.,
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Erin F. DiMauro
- Discovery Chemistry, Computational and Structural Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics
and Drug Metabolism, Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co.,
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Alexander Pasternak
- Discovery Chemistry, Computational and Structural Chemistry, Quantitative Biosciences, Pharmacokinetics
and Drug Metabolism, Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co.,
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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15
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Degnan AP, Kumi GK, Allard CW, Araujo EV, Johnson WL, Zimmermann K, Pearce BC, Sheriff S, Futran A, Li X, Locke GA, You D, Morrison J, Parrish KE, Stromko C, Murtaza A, Liu J, Johnson BM, Vite GD, Wittman MD. Discovery of Orally Active Isofuranones as Potent, Selective Inhibitors of Hematopoetic Progenitor Kinase 1. ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 12:443-450. [PMID: 33732413 PMCID: PMC7957935 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.0c00660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
![]()
While the discovery of immune checkpoint
inhibitors has led to
robust, durable responses in a range of cancers, many patients do
not respond to currently available therapeutics. Therefore, an urgent
need exists to identify alternative mechanisms to augment the immune-mediated
clearance of tumors. Hematopoetic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is a
serine-threonine kinase that acts as a negative regulator of T-cell
receptor (TCR) signaling, to dampen the immune response. Herein we
describe the structure-based discovery of isofuranones as inhibitors
of HPK1. Optimization of the chemotype led to improvements in potency,
selectivity, plasma protein binding, and metabolic stability, culminating
in the identification of compound 24. Oral administration
of 24, in combination with an anti-PD1 antibody, demonstrated
robust enhancement of anti-PD1 efficacy in a syngeneic tumor model
of colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P. Degnan
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Godwin K. Kumi
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Christopher W. Allard
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Wallingford, Connecticut 06492, United States
| | - Erika V. Araujo
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Wallingford, Connecticut 06492, United States
| | - Walter L. Johnson
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Redwood City, California 94063, United States
| | - Kurt Zimmermann
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Wallingford, Connecticut 06492, United States
| | - Bradley C. Pearce
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Wallingford, Connecticut 06492, United States
| | - Steven Sheriff
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Alan Futran
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Xin Li
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Gregory A. Locke
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Dan You
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, 100 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - John Morrison
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Karen E. Parrish
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Caitlyn Stromko
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Anwar Murtaza
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Jinqi Liu
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Benjamin M. Johnson
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, 100 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Gregory D. Vite
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Mark D. Wittman
- Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, 100 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
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16
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Yu EC, Methot JL, Fradera X, Lesburg CA, Lacey BM, Siliphaivanh P, Liu P, Smith DM, Xu Z, Piesvaux JA, Kawamura S, Xu H, Miller JR, Bittinger M, Pasternak A. Identification of Potent Reverse Indazole Inhibitors for HPK1. ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 12:459-466. [PMID: 33738073 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.0c00672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase (HPK1), a negative regulator of TCR-mediated T-cell activation, has been recognized as a novel antitumor immunotherapy target. Structural optimization of kinase inhibitor 4 through a systematic two-dimensional diversity screen of pyrazolopyridines led to the identification of potent and selective compounds. Crystallographic studies with HPK1 revealed a favorable water-mediated interaction with Asp155 and a salt bridge to Asp101 with optimized heterocyclic solvent fronts that were critical for enhanced potency and selectivity. Computational studies of model systems revealed differences in torsional profiles that allowed for these beneficial protein-ligand interactions. Further optimization of molecular properties led to identification of potent and selective reverse indazole inhibitor 36 that inhibited phosphorylation of adaptor protein SLP76 in human PBMC and exhibited low clearance with notable bioavailability in in vivo rat studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsie C. Yu
- Discovery Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
| | - Joey L. Methot
- Discovery Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
| | - Xavier Fradera
- Computational and Structural Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
| | - Charles A. Lesburg
- Computational and Structural Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
| | - Brian M. Lacey
- Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
| | - Phieng Siliphaivanh
- Discovery Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
| | - Ping Liu
- External Discovery Chemistry, Merck & Co Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, 07065, United States
| | - Dustin M. Smith
- Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
| | - Zangwei Xu
- Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
| | - Jennifer A. Piesvaux
- Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
| | - Shuhei Kawamura
- Discovery Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
| | - Haiyan Xu
- Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
| | - J. Richard Miller
- Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
| | - Mark Bittinger
- Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
| | - Alexander Pasternak
- Discovery Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
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17
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You D, Hillerman S, Locke G, Chaudhry C, Stromko C, Murtaza A, Fan Y, Koenitzer J, Chen Y, Briceno S, Bhadra R, Duperret E, Gullo-Brown J, Gao C, Zhao D, Feder J, Curtin J, Degnan AP, Kumi G, Wittman M, Johnson BM, Parrish KE, Gokulrangan G, Morrison J, Quigley M, Hunt JT, Salter-Cid L, Lees E, Sanjuan MA, Liu J. Enhanced antitumor immunity by a novel small molecule HPK1 inhibitor. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:jitc-2020-001402. [PMID: 33408094 PMCID: PMC7789447 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-001402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1 or MAP4K1) has been demonstrated as a negative intracellular immune checkpoint in mediating antitumor immunity in studies with HPK1 knockout and kinase dead mice. Pharmacological inhibition of HPK1 is desirable to investigate the role of HPK1 in human immune cells with therapeutic implications. However, a significant challenge remains to identify a small molecule inhibitor of HPK1 with sufficient potency, selectivity, and other drug-like properties suitable for proof-of-concept studies. In this report, we identified a novel, potent, and selective HPK1 small molecule kinase inhibitor, compound K (CompK). A series of studies were conducted to investigate the mechanism of action of CompK, aiming to understand its potential application in cancer immunotherapy. Methods Human primary T cells and dendritic cells (DCs) were investigated with CompK treatment under conditions relevant to tumor microenvironment (TME). Syngeneic tumor models were used to assess the in vivo pharmacology of CompK followed by human tumor interrogation ex vivo. Results CompK treatment demonstrated markedly enhanced human T-cell immune responses under immunosuppressive conditions relevant to the TME and an increased avidity of the T-cell receptor (TCR) to recognize viral and tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) in significant synergy with anti-PD1. Animal model studies, including 1956 sarcoma and MC38 syngeneic models, revealed improved immune responses and superb antitumor efficacy in combination of CompK with anti-PD-1. An elevated immune response induced by CompK was observed with fresh tumor samples from multiple patients with colorectal carcinoma, suggesting a mechanistic translation from mouse model to human disease. Conclusion CompK treatment significantly improved human T-cell functions, with enhanced TCR avidity to recognize TAAs and tumor cytolytic activity by CD8+ T cells. Additional benefits include DC maturation and priming facilitation in tumor draining lymph node. CompK represents a novel pharmacological agent to address cancer treatment resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan You
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Stephen Hillerman
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Gregory Locke
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Charu Chaudhry
- Oncology Discovery, Johnson and Johnson Limited, Spring House, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Caitlyn Stromko
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Anwar Murtaza
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Yi Fan
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | | | - Yali Chen
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Stephanie Briceno
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | | | | | | | - Chan Gao
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Dandan Zhao
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - John Feder
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Joshua Curtin
- Oncology Discovery, Johnson and Johnson Limited, Spring House, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Andrew P Degnan
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Godwin Kumi
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Mark Wittman
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Benjamin M Johnson
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Karen E Parrish
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | | | - John Morrison
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Michael Quigley
- Oncology Discovery, Gilead Sciences Inc, Foster City, California, USA
| | - John T Hunt
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | | | - Emma Lees
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Miguel A Sanjuan
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Jinqi Liu
- Oncology Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
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18
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Lau WL, Pearce B, Malakian H, Rodrigo I, Xie D, Gao M, Marsilio F, Chang C, Ruzanov M, Muckelbauer JK, Newitt JA, Lipovšek D, Sheriff S. Using yeast surface display to engineer a soluble and crystallizable construct of hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1). Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2021; 77:22-28. [PMID: 33439152 PMCID: PMC7805552 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x20016015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is an intracellular kinase that plays an important role in modulating tumor immune response and thus is an attractive target for drug discovery. Crystallization of the wild-type HPK1 kinase domain has been hampered by poor expression in recombinant systems and poor solubility. In this study, yeast surface display was applied to a library of HPK1 kinase-domain variants in order to select variants with an improved expression level and solubility. The HPK1 variant with the most improved properties contained two mutations, crystallized readily in complex with several small-molecule inhibitors and provided valuable insight to guide structure-based drug design. This work exemplifies the benefit of yeast surface display towards engineering crystallizable proteins and thus enabling structure-based drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wai L. Lau
- Biologics Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, 100 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Bradley Pearce
- Molecular Structure and Design, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, 5 Research Parkway, Wallingford, CT 06492, USA
| | - Heather Malakian
- Biologics Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, 100 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Iyoncy Rodrigo
- Protein Science, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Dianlin Xie
- Protein Science, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Mian Gao
- Protein Science, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Frank Marsilio
- Protein Science, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Chiehying Chang
- Molecular Structure and Design, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Max Ruzanov
- Molecular Structure and Design, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Jodi K. Muckelbauer
- Molecular Structure and Design, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - John A. Newitt
- Protein Science, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Daša Lipovšek
- Biologics Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, 100 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Steven Sheriff
- Molecular Structure and Design, Bristol-Myers Squibb Research and Development, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
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19
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Wang Y, Zhang K, Georgiev P, Wells S, Xu H, Lacey BM, Xu Z, Laskey J, Mcleod R, Methot JL, Bittinger M, Pasternak A, Ranganath S. Pharmacological inhibition of hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 positively regulates T-cell function. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0243145. [PMID: 33270695 PMCID: PMC7714195 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1), a hematopoietic cell-specific Ste20-related serine/threonine kinase, is a negative regulator of signal transduction in immune cells, including T cells, B cells, and dendritic cells (DCs). In mice, HPK1 deficiency subverts inhibition of the anti-tumor immune response and is associated with functional augmentation of anti-tumor T cells. We have used a potent, small molecule HPK1 inhibitor, Compound 1, to investigate the effects of pharmacological intervention of HPK1 kinase activity in immune cells. Compound 1 enhanced Th1 cytokine production in T cells and fully reverted immune suppression imposed by the prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and adenosine pathways in human T cells. Moreover, the combination of Compound 1 with pembrolizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), demonstrated a synergistic effect, resulting in enhanced interferon (IFN)-γ production. Collectively, our results suggest that blocking HPK1 kinase activity with small molecule inhibitors alone or in combination with checkpoint blockade may be an attractive approach for the immunotherapy of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Wang
- Department of Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Kelvin Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Pharmacogenomics, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Peter Georgiev
- Department of Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Steven Wells
- Department of Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Haiyan Xu
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Brian M. Lacey
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Zangwei Xu
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jason Laskey
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Robbie Mcleod
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Joey L. Methot
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Mark Bittinger
- Department of Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Alexander Pasternak
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail: (AP); (SR)
| | - Sheila Ranganath
- Department of Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail: (AP); (SR)
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20
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Ernst MPT, Broeders M, Herrero-Hernandez P, Oussoren E, van der Ploeg AT, Pijnappel WWMP. Ready for Repair? Gene Editing Enters the Clinic for the Treatment of Human Disease. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2020; 18:532-557. [PMID: 32775490 PMCID: PMC7393410 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2020.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
We present an overview of clinical trials involving gene editing using clustered interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), or zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) and discuss the underlying mechanisms. In cancer immunotherapy, gene editing is applied ex vivo in T cells, transgenic T cell receptor (tTCR)-T cells, or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells to improve adoptive cell therapy for multiple cancer types. This involves knockouts of immune checkpoint regulators such as PD-1, components of the endogenous TCR and histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex to generate universal allogeneic CAR-T cells, and CD7 to prevent self-destruction in adoptive cell therapy. In cervix carcinoma caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), E6 and E7 genes are disrupted using topically applied gene editing machinery. In HIV infection, the CCR5 co-receptor is disrupted ex vivo to generate HIV-resistant T cells, CAR-T cells, or hematopoietic stem cells. In β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease, hematopoietic stem cells are engineered ex vivo to induce the production of fetal hemoglobin. AAV-mediated in vivo gene editing is applied to exploit the liver for systemic production of therapeutic proteins in hemophilia and mucopolysaccharidoses, and in the eye to restore splicing of the CEP920 gene in Leber's congenital amaurosis. Close consideration of safety aspects and education of stakeholders will be essential for a successful implementation of gene editing technology in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martijn P T Ernst
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Center for Lysosomal and Metabolic Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GE Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mike Broeders
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Center for Lysosomal and Metabolic Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GE Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Pablo Herrero-Hernandez
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Center for Lysosomal and Metabolic Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GE Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Esmee Oussoren
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Center for Lysosomal and Metabolic Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GE Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ans T van der Ploeg
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Center for Lysosomal and Metabolic Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GE Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - W W M Pim Pijnappel
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Center for Lysosomal and Metabolic Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GE Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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21
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Sawasdikosol S, Burakoff S. A perspective on HPK1 as a novel immuno-oncology drug target. eLife 2020; 9:55122. [PMID: 32896273 PMCID: PMC7478889 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In this perspective review, the role Hematopoietic Progenitor Kinase 1 (HPK1) in tumor immunity will be reviewed, with special emphasis on how T cells are negatively-regulated at different junctures of cancer-immunity cycle by this regulatory kinase. The review will highlight the strengths and weaknesses of HPK1 as a candidate target for novel immuno-oncology (IO) drug development that is centered on the use of small molecule kinase inhibitor to modulate the immune response against cancer. Such a therapeutic approach, if proven successful, could supplement the cancer cell-centric standard of care therapies in order to fully meet the therapeutic needs of cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sansana Sawasdikosol
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Hess Center for Science and Medicine, New York, United States
| | - Steven Burakoff
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Hess Center for Science and Medicine, New York, United States
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22
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Lacey BM, Xu Z, Chai X, Laskey J, Fradera X, Mittal P, Mishra S, Piesvaux J, Saradjian P, Shaffer L, Vassileva G, Gerdt C, Wang Y, Ferguson H, Smith DM, Ballard J, Wells S, Jain R, Mueller U, Addona G, Kariv I, Methot JL, Bittinger M, Ranganath S, Mcleod R, Pasternak A, Miller JR, Xu H. Development of High-Throughput Assays for Evaluation of Hematopoietic Progenitor Kinase 1 Inhibitors. SLAS DISCOVERY 2020; 26:88-99. [PMID: 32844715 DOI: 10.1177/2472555220952071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1), also referred to as mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase 1 (MAP4K1), is a serine/threonine kinase that negatively regulates T-cell signaling by phosphorylating Ser376 of Src homology 2 (SH2) domain-containing leukocyte protein of 76 kDa (SLP-76), a critical mediator of T-cell receptor activation. HPK1 loss of function mouse models demonstrated enhanced immune cell activation and beneficial antitumor activity. To enable discovery and functional characterization of high-affinity small-molecule HPK1 inhibitors, we have established high-throughput biochemical, cell-based, and novel pharmacodynamic (PD) assays. Kinase activity-based time-resolved fluorescence energy transfer (TR-FRET) assays were established as the primary biochemical approach to screen for potent inhibitors and assess selectivity against members of MAP4K and other closely related kinases. A proximal target engagement (TE) assay quantifying pSLP-76 levels as a readout and a distal assay measuring IL-2 secretion as a functional response were established using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from two healthy donors. Significant correlations between biochemical and cellular assays as well as excellent correlation between the two donors for the cellular assays were observed. pSLP-76 levels were further used as a PD marker in the preclinical murine model. This effort required the development of a novel ultrasensitive single-molecule array (SiMoA) assay to monitor pSLP-76 changes in mouse spleen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian M Lacey
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zangwei Xu
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xiaomei Chai
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jason Laskey
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xavier Fradera
- Department of Computational and Structural Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Payal Mittal
- Department of Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sasmita Mishra
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer Piesvaux
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Peter Saradjian
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lynsey Shaffer
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Galya Vassileva
- Department of Genetics and Pharmacogenomics, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Catherine Gerdt
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yun Wang
- Department of Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Heidi Ferguson
- Department of Preclinical Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Steven Wells
- Department of Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rishabh Jain
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Uwe Mueller
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - George Addona
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ilona Kariv
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joey L Methot
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mark Bittinger
- Department of Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sheila Ranganath
- Department of Oncology Early Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robbie Mcleod
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - J Richard Miller
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Haiyan Xu
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
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23
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Tolba MF. Revolutionizing the landscape of colorectal cancer treatment: The potential role of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Int J Cancer 2020; 147:2996-3006. [PMID: 32415713 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents the third cause of cancer-related mortalities worldwide. The progression of CRC to the metastatic phase significantly compromises the overall survival rates. Despite the advances in the therapeutic protocols, CRC treatment is still challenging. Cancer immunotherapy joined the ranks of surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapy as the fifth pillar in the foundation of cancer therapeutics. Interruption of the immunosuppressive signals within the tumor microenvironment and reactivation of antitumor immunity via targeting the molecular immune checkpoints generated promising therapeutic outcomes in several types of hard-to-treat cancers. The year 2017 witnessed the first US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) immunotherapy for the management of CRC. The approval was granted to pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1) for the treatment of patients with advanced/metastatic solid malignancies with mismatch-repair deficiency including CRCs. Such natively immunogenic tumors constitute only a minor percentage of all CRCs. Therefore, it is imperative to utilize novel combinatorial regimens to enhance the response of a wider range of CRC tumors to cancer immunotherapy and help in extending the survival rates in patients with advanced/metastatic disease. This review highlights the novel approaches under clinical development to overcome the resistance of CRCs to immunotherapy and improve the therapeutic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mai F Tolba
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Center of Drug Discovery Research and Development, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
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Kumar S, Principe DR, Singh SK, Viswakarma N, Sondarva G, Rana B, Rana A. Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Inhibitors and T-Cell-Dependent Immunotherapy in Cancer. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:E9. [PMID: 31936067 PMCID: PMC7168889 DOI: 10.3390/ph13010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling networks serve to regulate a wide range of physiologic and cancer-associated cell processes. For instance, a variety of oncogenic mutations often lead to hyperactivation of MAPK signaling, thereby enhancing tumor cell proliferation and disease progression. As such, several components of the MAPK signaling network have been proposed as viable targets for cancer therapy. However, the contributions of MAPK signaling extend well beyond the tumor cells, and several MAPK effectors have been identified as key mediators of the tumor microenvironment (TME), particularly with respect to the local immune infiltrate. In fact, a blockade of various MAPK signals has been suggested to fundamentally alter the interaction between tumor cells and T lymphocytes and have been suggested a potential adjuvant to immune checkpoint inhibition in the clinic. Therefore, in this review article, we discuss the various mechanisms through which MAPK family members contribute to T-cell biology, as well as circumstances in which MAPK inhibition may potentiate or limit cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Kumar
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (S.K.); (D.R.P.); (S.K.S.); (N.V.); (G.S.); (B.R.)
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Daniel R. Principe
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (S.K.); (D.R.P.); (S.K.S.); (N.V.); (G.S.); (B.R.)
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Sunil Kumar Singh
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (S.K.); (D.R.P.); (S.K.S.); (N.V.); (G.S.); (B.R.)
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Navin Viswakarma
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (S.K.); (D.R.P.); (S.K.S.); (N.V.); (G.S.); (B.R.)
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Gautam Sondarva
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (S.K.); (D.R.P.); (S.K.S.); (N.V.); (G.S.); (B.R.)
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Basabi Rana
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (S.K.); (D.R.P.); (S.K.S.); (N.V.); (G.S.); (B.R.)
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System Cancer Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Ajay Rana
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (S.K.); (D.R.P.); (S.K.S.); (N.V.); (G.S.); (B.R.)
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System Cancer Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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Chen YH, Chen SH, Hou J, Ke ZB, Wu YP, Lin TT, Wei Y, Xue XY, Zheng QS, Huang JB, Xu N. Identifying hub genes of clear cell renal cell carcinoma associated with the proportion of regulatory T cells by weighted gene co-expression network analysis. Aging (Albany NY) 2019; 11:9478-9491. [PMID: 31672930 PMCID: PMC6874443 DOI: 10.18632/aging.102397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) experience drug resistance after immunotherapy. Regulatory T (Treg) cells may work as a suppressor for anti-tumor immune response. PURPOSE We performed bioinformatics analysis to better understand the role of Treg cells in ccRCC. RESULTS Module 10 revealed the most relevance with Treg cells. Functional annotation showed that biological processes and pathways were mainly related to activation of the immune system and the processes of immunoreaction. Four hub genes were selected: LCK, MAP4K1, SLAMF6, and RHOH. Further validation showed that the four hub genes well-distinguished tumor and normal tissues and were good prognostic biomarkers for ccRCC. CONCLUSION The identified hub genes facilitate our knowledge of the underlying molecular mechanism of how Treg cells affect ccRCC in anti-tumor immune therapy. METHODS The CIBERSORT algorithm was performed to evaluate tumor-infiltrating immune cells based on the Cancer Genome Atlas cohort. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was conducted to explore the modules related to Treg cells. Gene Ontology analysis and pathway enrichment analysis were performed for functional annotation and a protein-protein interaction network was built. Samples from the International Cancer Genomics Consortium database was used as a validation set.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye-Hui Chen
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China
| | - Shao-Hao Chen
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China
| | - Jian Hou
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China
| | - Zhi-Bin Ke
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China
| | - Yu-Peng Wu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China
| | - Ting-Ting Lin
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China
| | - Yong Wei
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China
| | - Xue-Yi Xue
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China
| | - Qing-Shui Zheng
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China
| | - Jin-Bei Huang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China
| | - Ning Xu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China
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Johnson E, McTigue M, Gallego RA, Johnson TW, Timofeevski S, Maestre M, Fisher TS, Kania R, Sawasdikosol S, Burakoff S, Cronin CN. Multiple conformational states of the HPK1 kinase domain in complex with sunitinib reveal the structural changes accompanying HPK1 trans-regulation. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:9029-9036. [PMID: 31018963 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ac119.007466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1 or MAP4K1) is a Ser/Thr kinase that operates via the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathways to dampen the T-cell response and antitumor immunity. Accordingly, selective HPK1 inhibition is considered a means to enhance antitumor immunity. Sunitinib, a multi-receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitor approved for the management of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and pancreatic cancer, has been reported to inhibit HPK1 in vitro In this report, we describe the crystal structures of the native HPK1 kinase domain in both nonphosphorylated and doubly phosphorylated states, in addition to a double phosphomimetic mutant (T165E,S171E), each complexed with sunitinib at 2.17-3.00-Å resolutions. The native nonphosphorylated cocrystal structure revealed an inactive dimer in which the activation loop of each monomer partially occupies the ATP- and substrate-binding sites of the partner monomer. In contrast, the structure of the protein with a doubly phosphorylated activation loop exhibited an active kinase conformation with a greatly reduced monomer-monomer interface. Conversely, the phosphomimetic mutant cocrystal structure disclosed an alternative arrangement in which the activation loops are in an extended domain-swapped configuration. These structural results indicate that HPK1 is a highly dynamic kinase that undergoes trans-regulation via dimer formation and extensive intramolecular and intermolecular remodeling of the activation segment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Johnson
- From the La Jolla Laboratories, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, San Diego, California 92121 and
| | - Michele McTigue
- From the La Jolla Laboratories, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, San Diego, California 92121 and
| | - Rebecca A Gallego
- From the La Jolla Laboratories, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, San Diego, California 92121 and
| | - Ted W Johnson
- From the La Jolla Laboratories, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, San Diego, California 92121 and
| | - Sergei Timofeevski
- From the La Jolla Laboratories, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, San Diego, California 92121 and
| | - Michael Maestre
- From the La Jolla Laboratories, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, San Diego, California 92121 and
| | - Timothy S Fisher
- From the La Jolla Laboratories, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, San Diego, California 92121 and
| | - Robert Kania
- From the La Jolla Laboratories, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, San Diego, California 92121 and
| | - Sansana Sawasdikosol
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Steven Burakoff
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Ciarán N Cronin
- From the La Jolla Laboratories, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, San Diego, California 92121 and
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