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Yan S, Schöpe PC, Lewis J, Putzker K, Uhrig U, Specker E, von Kries JP, Lindemann P, Omran A, Sanchez-Ibarra HE, Unger A, Zischinsky ML, Klebl B, Walther W, Nazaré M, Kobelt D, Stein U. Discovery of tetrazolo-pyridazine-based small molecules as inhibitors of MACC1-driven cancer metastasis. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 168:115698. [PMID: 37865992 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is directly linked to poor prognosis of cancer patients and warrants search for effective anti-metastatic drugs. MACC1 is a causal key molecule for metastasis. High MACC1 expression is prognostic for metastasis and poor survival. Here, we developed novel small molecule inhibitors targeting MACC1 expression to impede metastasis formation. We performed a human MACC1 promoter-driven luciferase reporter-based high-throughput screen (HTS; 118.500 compound library) to identify MACC1 transcriptional inhibitors. HTS revealed 1,2,3,4-tetrazolo[1,5-b]pyridazine-based compounds as efficient transcriptional inhibitors of MACC1 expression, able to decrease MACC1-induced cancer cell motility in vitro. Structure-activity relationships identified the essential inhibitory core structure. Best candidates were evaluated for metastasis inhibition in xenografted mouse models demonstrating metastasis restriction. ADMET showed high drug-likeness of these new candidates for cancer therapy. The NFκB pathway was identified as one mode of action targeted by these compounds. Taken together, 1,2,3,4-tetrazolo[1,5-b]pyridazine-based compounds are effective MACC1 inhibitors and pose promising candidates for anti-metastatic therapies particularly for patients with MACC1-overexpressing cancers, that are at high risk to develop metastases. Although further preclinical and clinical development is necessary, these compounds represent important building blocks for an individualized anti-metastatic therapy for solid cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shixian Yan
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Paul Curtis Schöpe
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Joe Lewis
- The European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kerstin Putzker
- The European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ulrike Uhrig
- The European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Edgar Specker
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, FMP, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens Peter von Kries
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, FMP, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Lindemann
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, FMP, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Anahid Omran
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, FMP, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Hector E Sanchez-Ibarra
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Anke Unger
- Lead Discovery Center GmbH, LDC, Otto-Hahn-Str. 15, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | | | - Bert Klebl
- Lead Discovery Center GmbH, LDC, Otto-Hahn-Str. 15, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Walther
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Marc Nazaré
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, FMP, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Dennis Kobelt
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK Partnersite Berlin), Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ulrike Stein
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK Partnersite Berlin), Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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Jafari S, Ravan M, Karimi-Sani I, Aria H, Hasan-Abad AM, Banasaz B, Atapour A, Sarab GA. Screening and identification of potential biomarkers for pancreatic cancer: An integrated bioinformatics analysis. Pathol Res Pract 2023; 249:154726. [PMID: 37591067 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.154726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is one of the highly invasive and the seventh most common cause of death among cancers worldwide. To identify essential genes and the involved mechanisms in pancreatic cancer, we used bioinformatics analysis to identify potential biomarkers for pancreatic cancer management. Gene expression profiles of pancreatic cancer patients and normal tissues were screened and downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) bioinformatics database. The Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified among gene expression signatures of normal and pancreatic cancer, using R software. Then, enrichment analysis of the DEGs, including Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, was performed by an interactive and collaborative HTML5 gene list enrichment analysis tool (enrichr) and ToppGene. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was also constructed using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) database and ToppGenet web based tool followed by identifying hub genes of the top 100 DEGs in pancreatic cancer using Cytoscape software. Over 2000 DEGs with variable log2 fold (LFC) were identified among 34,706 genes. Principal component analysis showed that the top 20 DEGs, including H1-4, H1-5, H4C3, H4C2, RN7SL2, RN7SL3, RN7SL4P, RN7SKP80, SCARNA12, SCARNA10, SCARNA5, SCARNA7, SCARNA6, SCARNA21, SCARNA9, SCARNA13, SNORA73B, SNORA53, SNORA54 might distinguish pancreatic cancer from normal tissue. GO analysis showed that the top DEGs have more enriched in the negative regulation of gene silencing, negative regulation of chromatin organization, negative regulation of chromatin silencing, nucleosome positioning, regulation of chromatin silencing, and nucleosomal DNA binding. KEGG analysis identified an association between pancreatic cancer and systemic lupus erythematosus, alcoholism, neutrophil extracellular trap formation, and viral carcinogenesis. In PPI network analysis, we found that the different types of histone-encoding genes are involved as hub genes in the carcinogenesis of pancreatic cancer. In conclusion, our bioinformatics analysis identified genes that were significantly related to the prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients. These genes and pathways could serve as new potential prognostic markers and be used to develop treatments for pancreatic cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somayeh Jafari
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Milad Ravan
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Iman Karimi-Sani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Hamid Aria
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran; Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Amin Moradi Hasan-Abad
- Autoimmune Diseases Research Center, Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Bahar Banasaz
- Internal Medicine Department, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
| | - Amir Atapour
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Gholamreza Anani Sarab
- Cellular & Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.
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Rao C, Frodyma DE, Southekal S, Svoboda RA, Black AR, Guda C, Mizutani T, Clevers H, Johnson KR, Fisher KW, Lewis RE. KSR1- and ERK-dependent translational regulation of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. eLife 2021; 10:e66608. [PMID: 33970103 PMCID: PMC8195604 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is considered a transcriptional process that induces a switch in cells from a polarized state to a migratory phenotype. Here, we show that KSR1 and ERK promote EMT-like phenotype through the preferential translation of Epithelial-Stromal Interaction 1 (EPSTI1), which is required to induce the switch from E- to N-cadherin and coordinate migratory and invasive behavior. EPSTI1 is overexpressed in human colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Disruption of KSR1 or EPSTI1 significantly impairs cell migration and invasion in vitro, and reverses EMT-like phenotype, in part, by decreasing the expression of N-cadherin and the transcriptional repressors of E-cadherin expression, ZEB1 and Slug. In CRC cells lacking KSR1, ectopic EPSTI1 expression restored the E- to N-cadherin switch, migration, invasion, and anchorage-independent growth. KSR1-dependent induction of EMT-like phenotype via selective translation of mRNAs reveals its underappreciated role in remodeling the translational landscape of CRC cells to promote their migratory and invasive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaitra Rao
- Eppley Institute, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Danielle E Frodyma
- Eppley Institute, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Siddesh Southekal
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Robert A Svoboda
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Adrian R Black
- Eppley Institute, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Chittibabu Guda
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Tomohiro Mizutani
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and UMC UtrechtUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Hans Clevers
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and UMC UtrechtUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Keith R Johnson
- Eppley Institute, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
- Department of Oral Biology, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Kurt W Fisher
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Robert E Lewis
- Eppley Institute, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
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Pavlov YI. The Study of Cancer Susceptibility Genes. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13092258. [PMID: 34066717 PMCID: PMC8125815 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13092258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Youri I. Pavlov
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA;
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Pathology, Genetics Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
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Southekal S, Mishra NK, Guda C. Pan-Cancer Analysis of Human Kinome Gene Expression and Promoter DNA Methylation Identifies Dark Kinase Biomarkers in Multiple Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13061189. [PMID: 33801837 PMCID: PMC8001681 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13061189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Kinases are a group of intracellular signaling molecules that play critical roles in various biological processes. Even though kinases comprise one of the most well-known therapeutic targets, many have been understudied and therefore warrant further investigation. DNA methylation is one of the key epigenetic regulators that modulate gene expression. In this study, the human kinome's DNA methylation and gene expression patterns were analyzed using the level-3 TCGA data for 32 cancers. Unsupervised clustering based on kinome data revealed the grouping of cancers based on their organ level and tissue type. We further observed significant differences in overall kinase methylation levels (hyper- and hypomethylation) between the tumor and adjacent normal samples from the same tissue. Methylation expression quantitative trait loci (meQTL) analysis using kinase gene expression with the corresponding methylated probes revealed a highly significant and mostly negative association (~92%) within 1.5 kb from the transcription start site (TSS). Several understudied (dark) kinases (PKMYT1, PNCK, BRSK2, ERN2, STK31, STK32A, and MAPK4) were also identified with a significant role in patient survival. This study leverages results from multi-omics data to identify potential kinase markers of prognostic and diagnostic importance and further our understanding of kinases in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Chittibabu Guda
- Correspondence: (N.K.M.); (C.G.); Tel.: +1-402-559-5954 (C.G.)
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