1
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Apostolidou K, Zografos E, Papatheodoridi MA, Fiste O, Dimopoulos MA, Zagouri F. Oral SERDs alone or in combination with CDK 4/6 inhibitors in breast cancer: Current perspectives and clinical trials. Breast 2024; 75:103729. [PMID: 38599049 PMCID: PMC11011217 DOI: 10.1016/j.breast.2024.103729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the past few decades, first-line therapy for treating advanced and metastatic HR+/HER2-breast cancer has transformed due to the introduction of adjuvant endocrine therapy with cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK 4/6i). However, there is an unmet need for novel classes of endocrine therapy with superior efficacy to improve treatment outcomes and overcome CDK4/6i resistance. New generation selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs), orally administered and with higher bioavailability, could potentially be the novel compounds to meet this emerging need. In this paper, we review accredited clinical studies on the combining effects of CDK4/6 inhibitors and oral SERDs, report efficacy of treatment data when available, and provide a framework for future research focusing on these promising agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kleoniki Apostolidou
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Alexandra Hospital, Medical School, Athens, 11528, Greece.
| | - Eleni Zografos
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Alexandra Hospital, Medical School, Athens, 11528, Greece
| | | | - Oraianthi Fiste
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Alexandra Hospital, Medical School, Athens, 11528, Greece
| | | | - Flora Zagouri
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Alexandra Hospital, Medical School, Athens, 11528, Greece
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2
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Gao X, Ren X, Wang F, Ren X, Liu M, Cui G, Liu X. Immunotherapy and drug sensitivity predictive roles of a novel prognostic model in hepatocellular carcinoma. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9509. [PMID: 38664521 PMCID: PMC11045740 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59877-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most significant causes of cancer-related deaths in the worldwide. Currently, predicting the survival of patients with HCC and developing treatment drugs still remain a significant challenge. In this study, we employed prognosis-related genes to develop and externally validate a predictive risk model. Furthermore, the correlation between signaling pathways, immune cell infiltration, immunotherapy response, drug sensitivity, and risk score was investigated using different algorithm platforms in HCC. Our results showed that 11 differentially expressed genes including UBE2C, PTTG1, TOP2A, SPP1, FCN3, SLC22A1, ADH4, CYP2C8, SLC10A1, F9, and FBP1 were identified as being related to prognosis, which were integrated to construct a prediction model. Our model could accurately predict patients' overall survival using both internal and external datasets. Moreover, a strong correlation was revealed between the signaling pathway, immune cell infiltration, immunotherapy response, and risk score. Importantly, a novel potential drug candidate for HCC treatment was discovered based on the risk score and also validated through ex vivo experiments. Our finds offer a novel perspective on prognosis prediction and drug exploration for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoge Gao
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Ren
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
- Department of Oncology, Jiangyin Clinical College, Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangyin, 214400, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Feitong Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinxin Ren
- School of Information and Artificial Intelligence, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengchen Liu
- School of Bioengineering, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, 519040, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Guozhen Cui
- School of Bioengineering, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, 519040, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangye Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Basic Medical Science Education (Xuzhou Medical University), Xuzhou, 221002, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
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3
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Majeed A, Tahir Ul Qamar M, Maryam A, Mirza MU, Alhussain L, Al Otaibi SO, Almatroudi A, Allemailem KS, Alrumaihi F, Aloliqi AA, Alshehri FF. Structural insights into the mechanism of resistance to bicalutamide by the clinical mutations in androgen receptor in chemo-treatment resistant prostate cancer. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:1181-1190. [PMID: 37144757 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2208203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite advanced diagnosis and detection technologies, prostate cancer (PCa) is the most prevalent neoplasms in males. Dysregulation of the androgen receptor (AR) is centrally involved in the tumorigenesis of PCa cells. Acquisition of drug resistance due to modifications in AR leads to therapeutic failure and relapse in PCa. An overhaul of comprehensive catalogues of cancer-causing mutations and their juxta positioning on 3D protein can help in guiding the exploration of small drug molecules. Among several well-studied PCa-specific mutations, T877A, T877S and H874Y are the most common substitutions in the ligand-binding domain (LBD) of the AR. In this study, we combined structure as well as dynamics-based in silico approaches to infer the mechanistic effect of amino acid substitutions on the structural stability of LBD. Molecular dynamics simulations allowed us to unveil a possible drug resistance mechanism that acts through structural alteration and changes in the molecular motions of LBD. Our findings suggest that the resistance to bicalutamide is partially due to increased flexibility in the H12 helix, which disturbs the compactness, thereby reducing the affinity for bicalutamide. In conclusion, the current study helps in understanding the structural changes caused by mutations and could assist in the drug development process.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul Majeed
- Integrative Omics and Molecular Modeling Laboratory, Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Tahir Ul Qamar
- Integrative Omics and Molecular Modeling Laboratory, Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Arooma Maryam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Muhammad Usman Mirza
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Laila Alhussain
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Seham Obaid Al Otaibi
- Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmad Almatroudi
- Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khaled S Allemailem
- Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Faris Alrumaihi
- Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulaziz A Aloliqi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Faez Falah Alshehri
- Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Shaqra University, Aldawadmi, Saudi Arabia
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4
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Rej RK, Roy J, Allu SR. Therapies for the Treatment of Advanced/Metastatic Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer: Current Situation and Future Directions. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:552. [PMID: 38339303 PMCID: PMC10854569 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16030552] [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: 01/01/2024] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The hormone receptor-positive (HR+) type is the most frequently identified subtype of breast cancer. HR+ breast cancer has a more positive prognosis when compared to other subtypes, such as human epidermal growth factor protein 2-positive disorder and triple-negative disease. The advancement in treatment outcomes for advanced HR+ breast cancer has been considerably elevated due to the discovery of cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors and their combination effects with endocrine therapy. However, despite the considerable effectiveness of tamoxifen, a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERMs), and aromatase inhibitors (AI), the issue of treatment resistance still presents a significant challenge for HR+ breast cancer. As a result, there is a focus on exploring new therapeutic strategies such as targeted protein degradation and covalent inhibition for targeting ERα. This article discusses the latest progress in treatments like oral selective ER degraders (SERDs), complete estrogen receptor antagonists (CERANs), selective estrogen receptor covalent antagonists (SERCAs), proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) degraders, and combinations of CDK4/6 inhibitors with endocrine therapy. The focus is specifically on those compounds that have transitioned into phases of clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan Kalyan Rej
- Rogel Cancer Center, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - Joyeeta Roy
- Departments of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - Srinivasa Rao Allu
- Rogel Cancer Center, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
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5
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Wang S, Ballard TE, Christopher LJ, Foti RS, Gu C, Khojasteh SC, Liu J, Ma S, Ma B, Obach RS, Schadt S, Zhang Z, Zhang D. The Importance of Tracking "Missing" Metabolites: How and Why? J Med Chem 2023; 66:15586-15612. [PMID: 37769129 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Technologies currently employed to find and identify drug metabolites in complex biological matrices generally yield results that offer a comprehensive picture of the drug metabolite profile. However, drug metabolites can be missed or are captured only late in the drug development process. This could be due to a variety of factors, such as metabolism that results in partial loss of the molecule, covalent bonding to macromolecules, the drug being metabolized in specific human tissues, or poor ionization in a mass spectrometer. These scenarios often draw a great deal of attention from chemistry, safety assessment, and pharmacology. This review will summarize scenarios of missing metabolites, why they are missing, and associated uncovering strategies from deeper investigations. Uncovering previously missed metabolites can have ramifications in drug development with toxicological and pharmacological consequences, and knowledge of these can help in the design of new drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Wang
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - T Eric Ballard
- Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 35 Landsdowne St, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Lisa J Christopher
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacometrics, Disposition & Bioanalysis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Route 206 & Province Line Road, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, United States
| | - Robert S Foti
- Preclinical Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 33 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Chungang Gu
- Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Biogen Inc., 225 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - S Cyrus Khojasteh
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Joyce Liu
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Shuguang Ma
- Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Pliant Therapeutics, 260 Littlefield Avenue, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Bin Ma
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - R Scott Obach
- Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics, and Metabolism, Pfizer, Inc., Eastern Point Road, Groton, Connecticut 06340, United States
| | - Simone Schadt
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Grenzacher Strasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Zhoupeng Zhang
- DMPK Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, 35 Gatehouse Drive, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Donglu Zhang
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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6
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Dai R, Bao X, Zhang Y, Huang Y, Zhu H, Yang K, Wang B, Wen H, Li W, Liu J. Hot-Spot Residue-Based Virtual Screening of Novel Selective Estrogen-Receptor Degraders for Breast Cancer Treatment. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:7588-7602. [PMID: 37994801 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
The estrogen-receptor alfa (ERα) is considered pivotal for breast cancer treatment. Although selective estrogen-receptor degraders (SERDs) have been developed to induce ERα degradation and antagonism, their agonistic effect on the uterine tissue and poor pharmacokinetic properties limit further application of ERα; thus, discovering novel SERDs is necessary. The ligand preferentially interacts with several key residues of the protein (defined as hot-spot residues). Improving the interaction with hot-spot residues of ERα offers a promising avenue for obtaining novel SERDs. In this study, pharmacophore modeling, molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface area (MM/GBSA), and amino-acid mutation were combined to determine several hot-spot residues. Focusing on the interaction with these hot-spot residues, hit fragments A1-A3 and A9 were virtually screened from two fragment libraries. Finally, these hit fragments were linked to generate compounds B1-B3, and their biological activities were evaluated. Remarkably, compound B1 exhibited potent antitumor activity against MCF-7 cells (IC50 = 4.21 nM), favorable ERα binding affinity (Ki = 14.6 nM), and excellent ERα degradative ability (DC50 = 9.7 nM), which indicated its potential to evolve as a promising SERD for breast cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupeng Dai
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xueting Bao
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yan Huang
- School of Artificial Intelligence and Information Technology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Haohao Zhu
- The Affiliated Mental Health Center of Jiangnan University, Wuxi Central Rehabilitation Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214151, China
| | - Kundi Yang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056, United States
| | - Bo Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Hongmei Wen
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Wei Li
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jian Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
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7
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Lawson M, Cureton N, Ros S, Cheraghchi-Bashi A, Urosevic J, D'Arcy S, Delpuech O, DuPont M, Fisher DI, Gangl ET, Lewis H, Trueman D, Wali N, Williamson SC, Moss J, Montaudon E, Derrien H, Marangoni E, Miragaia RJ, Gagrica S, Morentin-Gutierrez P, Moss TA, Maglennon G, Sutton D, Polanski R, Rosen A, Cairns J, Zhang P, Sánchez-Guixé M, Serra V, Critchlow SE, Scott JS, Lindemann JP, Barry ST, Klinowska T, Morrow CJ, S Carnevalli L. The Next-Generation Oral Selective Estrogen Receptor Degrader Camizestrant (AZD9833) Suppresses ER+ Breast Cancer Growth and Overcomes Endocrine and CDK4/6 Inhibitor Resistance. Cancer Res 2023; 83:3989-4004. [PMID: 37725704 PMCID: PMC10690091 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-0694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Oral selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERD) could become the backbone of endocrine therapy (ET) for estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer, as they achieve greater inhibition of ER-driven cancers than current ETs and overcome key resistance mechanisms. In this study, we evaluated the preclinical pharmacology and efficacy of the next-generation oral SERD camizestrant (AZD9833) and assessed ER-co-targeting strategies by combining camizestrant with CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) and PI3K/AKT/mTOR-targeted therapy in models of progression on CDK4/6i and/or ET. Camizestrant demonstrated robust and selective ER degradation, modulated ER-regulated gene expression, and induced complete ER antagonism and significant antiproliferation activity in ESR1 wild-type (ESR1wt) and mutant (ESR1m) breast cancer cell lines and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. Camizestrant also delivered strong antitumor activity in fulvestrant-resistant ESR1wt and ESR1m PDX models. Evaluation of camizestrant in combination with CDK4/6i (palbociclib or abemaciclib) in CDK4/6-naive and -resistant models, as well as in combination with PI3Kαi (alpelisib), mTORi (everolimus), or AKTi (capivasertib), indicated that camizestrant was active with CDK4/6i or PI3K/AKT/mTORi and that antitumor activity was further increased by the triple combination. The response was observed independently of PI3K pathway mutation status. Overall, camizestrant shows strong and broad antitumor activity in ER+ breast cancer as a monotherapy and when combined with CDK4/6i and PI3K/AKT/mTORi. SIGNIFICANCE Camizestrant, a next-generation oral SERD, shows promise in preclinical models of ER+ breast cancer alone and in combination with CDK4/6 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors to address endocrine resistance, a current barrier to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Lawson
- The Discovery Centre, Biomedical Campus, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Natalie Cureton
- The Discovery Centre, Biomedical Campus, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Susana Ros
- The Discovery Centre, Biomedical Campus, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jelena Urosevic
- The Discovery Centre, Biomedical Campus, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie D'Arcy
- The Discovery Centre, Biomedical Campus, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Oona Delpuech
- The Discovery Centre, Biomedical Campus, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Michelle DuPont
- Research and Early Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Waltham, Massachusetts
| | - David I. Fisher
- Discovery Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Eric T. Gangl
- Research and Early Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Waltham, Massachusetts
| | - Hilary Lewis
- The Discovery Centre, Biomedical Campus, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Dawn Trueman
- The Discovery Centre, Biomedical Campus, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Neha Wali
- The Discovery Centre, Biomedical Campus, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jennifer Moss
- The Discovery Centre, Biomedical Campus, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | - Sladjana Gagrica
- The Discovery Centre, Biomedical Campus, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Thomas A. Moss
- The Discovery Centre, Biomedical Campus, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Gareth Maglennon
- Clinical Pharmacology and Safety Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Sutton
- The Discovery Centre, Biomedical Campus, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Radoslaw Polanski
- Discovery Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Alan Rosen
- Research and Early Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Waltham, Massachusetts
| | - Jonathan Cairns
- Discovery Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Pei Zhang
- The Discovery Centre, Biomedical Campus, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Mònica Sánchez-Guixé
- Experimental Therapeutics Group, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Violeta Serra
- Experimental Therapeutics Group, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susan E. Critchlow
- The Discovery Centre, Biomedical Campus, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - James S. Scott
- The Discovery Centre, Biomedical Campus, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Simon T. Barry
- The Discovery Centre, Biomedical Campus, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Teresa Klinowska
- Late Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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8
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Zhang C, Su D, Choo EF, Liu L, Bobba S, Jorski JD, Ho Q, Wang J, Kenny JR, Khojasteh SC, Zhang D. Identification of a Discrete Diglucuronide of GDC-0810 in Human Plasma after Oral Administration. Drug Metab Dispos 2023; 51:1284-1294. [PMID: 37349116 DOI: 10.1124/dmd.122.001071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
GDC-0810 is a small molecule therapeutic agent having potential to treat breast cancer. In plasma of the first-in-human study, metabolite M2, accounting for 20.7% of total drug-related materials, was identified as a discrete diglucuronide that was absent in rats. Acyl glucuronide M6 and N-glucuronide M4 were also identified as prominent metabolites in human plasma. Several in vitro studies were conducted in incubations of [14C]GDC-0810, synthetic M6 and M4 with liver microsomes, intestinal microsomes, and hepatocytes of different species as well as recombinant UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes to further understand the formation of M2. The results suggested that 1) M2 was more efficiently formed from M6 than from M4, and 2) acyl glucuronidation was mainly catalyzed by UGT1A8/7/1 that is highly expressed in the intestines whereas N-glucuronidation was mainly catalyzed by UGT1A4 that is expressed in the human liver. This complicated mechanism presented challenges in predicting M2 formation using human in vitro systems. The absence of M2 and M4 in rats can be explained by low to no expression of UGT1A4 in rodents. M2 could be the first discrete diglucuronide that was formed from both acyl- and N-glucuronidation on a molecule identified in human plasma. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: A discrete diglucuronidation metabolite of GDC-0810, a breast cancer drug candidate, was characterized as a unique circulating metabolite in humans that was not observed in rats or little formed in human in vitro system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenghong Zhang
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California (E.F.C., S.B., J.D.J., J.W., J.R.K., S.C.K., D.Z.); Pfizer, South San Francisco, California (C.Z.); Bicycle Therapeutics, Cambridge, Massachusetts (D.S.); Innovative Research BU, Yifan Pharmaceutical, Hangzhou, China (L.L.); and Abbvie Biotherapeutics Inc., South San Francisco, California (Q.H.)
| | - Dian Su
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California (E.F.C., S.B., J.D.J., J.W., J.R.K., S.C.K., D.Z.); Pfizer, South San Francisco, California (C.Z.); Bicycle Therapeutics, Cambridge, Massachusetts (D.S.); Innovative Research BU, Yifan Pharmaceutical, Hangzhou, China (L.L.); and Abbvie Biotherapeutics Inc., South San Francisco, California (Q.H.)
| | - Edna F Choo
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California (E.F.C., S.B., J.D.J., J.W., J.R.K., S.C.K., D.Z.); Pfizer, South San Francisco, California (C.Z.); Bicycle Therapeutics, Cambridge, Massachusetts (D.S.); Innovative Research BU, Yifan Pharmaceutical, Hangzhou, China (L.L.); and Abbvie Biotherapeutics Inc., South San Francisco, California (Q.H.)
| | - Lichuan Liu
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California (E.F.C., S.B., J.D.J., J.W., J.R.K., S.C.K., D.Z.); Pfizer, South San Francisco, California (C.Z.); Bicycle Therapeutics, Cambridge, Massachusetts (D.S.); Innovative Research BU, Yifan Pharmaceutical, Hangzhou, China (L.L.); and Abbvie Biotherapeutics Inc., South San Francisco, California (Q.H.)
| | - Sudheer Bobba
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California (E.F.C., S.B., J.D.J., J.W., J.R.K., S.C.K., D.Z.); Pfizer, South San Francisco, California (C.Z.); Bicycle Therapeutics, Cambridge, Massachusetts (D.S.); Innovative Research BU, Yifan Pharmaceutical, Hangzhou, China (L.L.); and Abbvie Biotherapeutics Inc., South San Francisco, California (Q.H.)
| | - Jamie D Jorski
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California (E.F.C., S.B., J.D.J., J.W., J.R.K., S.C.K., D.Z.); Pfizer, South San Francisco, California (C.Z.); Bicycle Therapeutics, Cambridge, Massachusetts (D.S.); Innovative Research BU, Yifan Pharmaceutical, Hangzhou, China (L.L.); and Abbvie Biotherapeutics Inc., South San Francisco, California (Q.H.)
| | - Quynh Ho
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California (E.F.C., S.B., J.D.J., J.W., J.R.K., S.C.K., D.Z.); Pfizer, South San Francisco, California (C.Z.); Bicycle Therapeutics, Cambridge, Massachusetts (D.S.); Innovative Research BU, Yifan Pharmaceutical, Hangzhou, China (L.L.); and Abbvie Biotherapeutics Inc., South San Francisco, California (Q.H.)
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California (E.F.C., S.B., J.D.J., J.W., J.R.K., S.C.K., D.Z.); Pfizer, South San Francisco, California (C.Z.); Bicycle Therapeutics, Cambridge, Massachusetts (D.S.); Innovative Research BU, Yifan Pharmaceutical, Hangzhou, China (L.L.); and Abbvie Biotherapeutics Inc., South San Francisco, California (Q.H.)
| | - Jane R Kenny
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California (E.F.C., S.B., J.D.J., J.W., J.R.K., S.C.K., D.Z.); Pfizer, South San Francisco, California (C.Z.); Bicycle Therapeutics, Cambridge, Massachusetts (D.S.); Innovative Research BU, Yifan Pharmaceutical, Hangzhou, China (L.L.); and Abbvie Biotherapeutics Inc., South San Francisco, California (Q.H.)
| | - S Cyrus Khojasteh
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California (E.F.C., S.B., J.D.J., J.W., J.R.K., S.C.K., D.Z.); Pfizer, South San Francisco, California (C.Z.); Bicycle Therapeutics, Cambridge, Massachusetts (D.S.); Innovative Research BU, Yifan Pharmaceutical, Hangzhou, China (L.L.); and Abbvie Biotherapeutics Inc., South San Francisco, California (Q.H.)
| | - Donglu Zhang
- Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California (E.F.C., S.B., J.D.J., J.W., J.R.K., S.C.K., D.Z.); Pfizer, South San Francisco, California (C.Z.); Bicycle Therapeutics, Cambridge, Massachusetts (D.S.); Innovative Research BU, Yifan Pharmaceutical, Hangzhou, China (L.L.); and Abbvie Biotherapeutics Inc., South San Francisco, California (Q.H.)
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9
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Guzzetti S, Morentin Gutierrez P. An integrated modelling approach for targeted degradation: insights on optimization, data requirements and PKPD predictions from semi- or fully-mechanistic models and exact steady state solutions. J Pharmacokinet Pharmacodyn 2023; 50:327-349. [PMID: 37120680 PMCID: PMC10460745 DOI: 10.1007/s10928-023-09857-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
The value of an integrated mathematical modelling approach for protein degraders which combines the benefits of traditional turnover models and fully mechanistic models is presented. Firstly, we show how exact solutions of the mechanistic models of monovalent and bivalent degraders can provide insight on the role of each system parameter in driving the pharmacological response. We show how on/off binding rates and degradation rates are related to potency and maximal effect of monovalent degraders, and how such relationship can be used to suggest a compound optimization strategy. Even convoluted exact steady state solutions for bivalent degraders provide insight on the type of observations required to ensure the predictive capacity of a mechanistic approach. Specifically for PROTACs, the structure of the exact steady state solution suggests that the total remaining target at steady state, which is easily accessible experimentally, is insufficient to reconstruct the state of the whole system at equilibrium and observations on different species (such as binary/ternary complexes) are necessary. Secondly, global sensitivity analysis of fully mechanistic models for PROTACs suggests that both target and ligase baselines (actually, their ratio) are the major sources of variability in the response of non-cooperative systems, which speaks to the importance of characterizing their distribution in the target patient population. Finally, we propose a pragmatic modelling approach which incorporates the insights generated with fully mechanistic models into simpler turnover models to improve their predictive ability, hence enabling acceleration of drug discovery programs and increased probability of success in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Guzzetti
- DMPK, Research and Early Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
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10
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Li X, Gao Z, Chen J, Feng S, Luo X, Shi Y, Tang Z, Liu W, Zhang X, Huang A, Gao Q, Ke A, Zhou J, Fan J, Fu X, Ding Z. Integrated single cell and bulk sequencing analysis identifies tumor reactive CXCR6 + CD8 T cells as a predictor of immune infiltration and immunotherapy outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1099385. [PMID: 37593098 PMCID: PMC10430781 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1099385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Various immune cell types in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been identified as important parameters associated with prognosis and responsiveness to immunotherapy. However, how various factors influence immune cell infiltration remains incompletely understood. Hence, we investigated the single cell multi-omics landscape of immune infiltration in HCC, particularly key gene and cell subsets that influence immune infiltration, thus potentially linking the immunotherapy response and immune cell infiltration. Methods We grouped patients with HCC according to immune cell infiltration scores calculated by single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). Differential expression analysis, functional enrichment, clinical trait association, gene mutation analysis, tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) and prognostic model construction were used to investigate the immune infiltration landscape through multi-omics. Stepwise regression was further used to identify key genes regulating immune infiltration. Single cell analysis was performed to explore expression patterns of candidate genes and investigate associated cellular populations. Correlation analysis, ROC analysis, Immunotherapy cohorts were used to explore and confirm the role of key gene and cellular population in predicting immune infiltration state and immunotherapy response. Immunohistochemistry and multiplexed fluorescence staining were used to further validated our results. Results Patients with HCC were clustered into high and low immune infiltration groups. Mutations of CTNNB1 and TTN were significantly associated with immune infiltration and altered enrichment of cell populations in the TME. TIDE analysis demonstrated that T cell dysfunction and the T cell exclusion score were elevated in the high and low infiltration groups, respectively. Six risk genes and five risk immune cell types were identified and used to construct risk scores and a nomogram model. CXCR6 and LTA, identified by stepwise regression, were highly associated with immune infiltration. Single cell analysis revealed that LTA was expressed primarily in tumor infiltrating T lymphocytes and partial B lymphocytes, whereas CXCR6 was enriched predominantly in T and NK cells. Notably, CXCR6+ CD8 T cells were characterized as tumor enriched cells that may be potential predictors of high immune infiltration and the immune-checkpoint blockade response, and may serve as therapeutic targets. Conclusion We constructed a comprehensive single cell and multi-omics landscape of immune infiltration in HCC, and delineated key genes and cellular populations regulating immune infiltration and immunotherapy response, thus providing insights into the mechanisms of immune infiltration and future therapeutic control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaogang Li
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Zheng Gao
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiafeng Chen
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Shanru Feng
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuanming Luo
- Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yinghong Shi
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Zheng Tang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Weiren Liu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Ao Huang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Gao
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Aiwu Ke
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Zhou
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jia Fan
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiutao Fu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenbin Ding
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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11
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Dong N, Du Y, Zheng Y, Zhang H, Lv H, Yan Z. Research progress on tamoxifen and its analogs associated with nuclear receptors. Future Med Chem 2023; 15:1427-1442. [PMID: 37706220 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2023-0092] [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] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Tamoxifen, a triphenylethylene-based selective estrogen-receptor modulator, is a landmark drug for the treatment of breast cancer and is also used for treating liver cancer and osteoporosis. Structural studies of tamoxifen have led to the synthesis of more than 20 novel tamoxifen analogs as receptor modulators, including 16 ERα modulators 2-17, an ERRβ inverse agonist 19 and six ERRγ inverse agonists 20-25. This paper summarizes the research progress and structure-activity relationships of tamoxifen analogs modulating these three nuclear receptors reported in the literature, and introduces the relationship between these three nuclear receptor-mediated diseases and tamoxifen analogs to guide the research of novel tamoxifen analogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Dong
- School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250353, China
| | - Yongli Du
- School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250353, China
| | - Yong Zheng
- School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250353, China
| | - Haibin Zhang
- School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250353, China
| | - Huiting Lv
- School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250353, China
| | - Zhijia Yan
- School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250353, China
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12
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Rej RK, Thomas JE, Acharyya RK, Rae JM, Wang S. Targeting the Estrogen Receptor for the Treatment of Breast Cancer: Recent Advances and Challenges. J Med Chem 2023. [PMID: 37377342 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) is a well-established therapeutic target for the treatment of ER-positive (ER+) breast cancers. Despite the tremendous successes achieved with tamoxifen, a selective ER modulator, and aromatase inhibitors (AIs), resistance to these therapies is a major clinical problem. Therefore, induced protein degradation and covalent inhibition have been pursued as new therapeutic approaches to target ERα. This Perspective summarizes recent progress in the discovery and development of oral selective ER degraders (SERDs), complete estrogen receptor antagonists (CERANs), selective estrogen receptor covalent antagonists (SERCAs), and proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) ER degraders. We focus on those compounds which have been advanced into clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan Kalyan Rej
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Junius Eugene Thomas
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Ranjan Kumar Acharyya
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - James Michael Rae
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Shaomeng Wang
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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13
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Ferro A, Generali D, Caffo O, Caldara A, De Lisi D, Dipasquale M, Lorenzi M, Monteverdi S, Fedele P, Ciribilli Y. Oral selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs): The new emperors in breast cancer clinical practice? Semin Oncol 2023; 50:90-101. [PMID: 37673696 DOI: 10.1053/j.seminoncol.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine therapy (ET) targeting estrogen receptor (ER) signaling is still the mainstay treatment option for early or advanced ER-positive breast cancer (BC) and may involve suppressing estrogen production by means of aromatase inhibitors or directly blocking the ER pathway through selective estrogen receptor modulators such as tamoxifen or selective estrogen receptor degraders such as fulvestrant. However, despite the availability of this armamentarium in clinical practice, de novo or acquired resistance to ET is the main cause of endocrine-based treatment failure leading to the progression of the BC. Recent advances in targeting, modulating, and degrading ERs have led to the development of new drugs capable of overcoming intrinsic or acquired ET resistance related to alterations in the ESR1 gene. The new oral selective estrogen receptor degraders, which are capable of reducing ER protein expression and blocking estrogen-dependent and -independent ER signaling, have a broader spectrum of activity against ESR1 mutations and seem to be a promising means of overcoming the failure of standard ET. The aim of this review is to summarize the development of oral selective estrogen receptor degraders, their current status, and their future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Ferro
- Medical Oncology, Breast Unit Santa Chiara Hospital, APSS Trento, Largo Medaglie D'Oro, Trento, Italy.
| | - Daniele Generali
- UO Patologia Mammaria, Cremona Hospital, ASST Cremona, Italy; Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Italy
| | - Orazio Caffo
- Medical Oncology Unit, Santa Chiara Hospital, APSS Trento, Italy
| | - Alessia Caldara
- Medical Oncology, Breast Unit Santa Chiara Hospital, APSS Trento, Largo Medaglie D'Oro, Trento, Italy
| | - Delia De Lisi
- Medical Oncology, Breast Unit Santa Chiara Hospital, APSS Trento, Largo Medaglie D'Oro, Trento, Italy
| | - Mariachiara Dipasquale
- Medical Oncology, Breast Unit Santa Chiara Hospital, APSS Trento, Largo Medaglie D'Oro, Trento, Italy
| | - Martina Lorenzi
- Medical Oncology, Breast Unit Santa Chiara Hospital, APSS Trento, Largo Medaglie D'Oro, Trento, Italy
| | - Sara Monteverdi
- Medical Oncology, Breast Unit Santa Chiara Hospital, APSS Trento, Largo Medaglie D'Oro, Trento, Italy
| | - Palma Fedele
- Oncology Unit, Dario Camberlingo Hospital, ASL Brindisi, Francavilla Fontana, Italy
| | - Yari Ciribilli
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Povo, Italy.
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14
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Bhatia N, Hazra S, Thareja S. Selective Estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs) for the treatment of breast cancer: An overview. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 256:115422. [PMID: 37163948 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115422] [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: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Discovery of SERDs has changed the direction of anticancer research, as more than 70% of breast cancer cases are estrogen receptor positive (ER+). Therapies such as selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERM) and aromatase inhibitors (AI's) have been effective, but due to endocrine resistance, SERDs are now considered essential therapeutics for the treatment of ER+ breast cancer. The present review deliberates the pathophysiology of SERDs from the literature covering various molecules in clinical trials. Estrogen receptors active sites distinguishing characteristics and interactions with currently available FDA-approved drugs have also been discussed. Designing strategy of previously reported SERDs, their SAR analysis, in silico, and the biological efficacy have also been summarized along with appropriate examples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Bhatia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, 151401, India
| | - Shreejita Hazra
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, 151401, India
| | - Suresh Thareja
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, 151401, India.
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15
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Corti C, De Angelis C, Bianchini G, Malorni L, Giuliano M, Hamilton E, Jeselsohn R, Jhaveri K, Curigliano G, Criscitiello C. Novel endocrine therapies: What is next in estrogen receptor positive, HER2 negative breast cancer? Cancer Treat Rev 2023; 117:102569. [PMID: 37146385 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2023.102569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine therapy (ET) is the cornerstone of management in hormone receptor (HR)+ breast cancer (BC). Indeed, targeting the estrogen receptor (ER) signaling at different levels is a successful strategy, since BC largely relies on the ER signaling as a driver of tumorigenesis and progression. In metastatic BC, progression of disease typically occurs due to either ligand-independent ER signaling, which favors tumor proliferation and survival in the absence of hormonal stimuli, or an ER-independent signaling, which exploits alternative transcription pathways. For instance, estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) mutations induce constitutive ER activity, in turn upregulating ER-dependent gene transcription and causing resistance to estrogen depleting therapies. The largest unmet need lies after progression on ET + cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors, where fulvestrant alone provides an average 2-3-month PFS. In this context, novel oral selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs) and other next-generation ETs are being investigated, both as single agents and in combination with targeted therapies. Elacestrant, the next generation ET in most advanced clinical development and the first to be FDA approved, demonstrated improved outcomes compared to standard ETs in ET pre-treated HR+/HER2- metastatic BC in the phase 3 EMERALD clinical trial. Additionally, other agents are showing promising results in both preclinical and early phase clinical settings. In this review, emerging data related to oral SERDs and other novel ETs in managing HR+/HER2- BC are presented. Major challenges and future perspectives related to the optimal sequence of therapeutic options and the molecular landscape of endocrine resistance are also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Corti
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Hemato - Oncology (DIPO), University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Carmine De Angelis
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University Federico II, Naples, Italy; Laster and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Giampaolo Bianchini
- Department of Medical Oncology, Ospedale San Raffaele, IRCCS, Milan, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Malorni
- "Sandro Pitigliani" Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital of Prato, Azienda USL Toscana Centro, Prato, Italy; "Sandro Pitigliani" Translational Research Unit, Hospital of Prato, Azienda USL Toscana Centro, Prato, Italy
| | - Mario Giuliano
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University Federico II, Naples, Italy; Laster and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Erika Hamilton
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Oncology, PLLC, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Rinath Jeselsohn
- Breast Oncology Center, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Division of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Komal Jhaveri
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Giuseppe Curigliano
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Hemato - Oncology (DIPO), University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Carmen Criscitiello
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Hemato - Oncology (DIPO), University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
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16
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Olayoku FR, Verhoog NJD, Louw A. Cyclopia extracts act as selective estrogen receptor subtype downregulators in estrogen receptor positive breast cancer cell lines: Comparison to standard of care breast cancer endocrine therapies and a selective estrogen receptor agonist and antagonist. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1122031. [PMID: 36992834 PMCID: PMC10040842 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1122031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most diagnosed type of cancer amongst women in economically developing countries and globally. Most breast cancers express estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and are categorized as positive (ER+) breast cancer. Endocrine therapies such as, selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), aromatase inhibitors (AIs), and selective estrogen receptor downregulators (SERDs) are used to treat ER+ breast cancer. However, despite their effectiveness, severe side-effects and resistance are associated with these endocrine therapies. Thus, it would be highly beneficial to develop breast cancer drugs that are as effective as current therapies, but less toxic with fewer side effects, and less likely to induce resistance. Extracts of Cyclopia species, an indigenous South African fynbos plant, have been shown to possess phenolic compounds that exhibit phytoestrogenic and chemopreventive activities against breast cancer development and progression. In the current study, three well characterized Cyclopia extracts, SM6Met, cup of tea (CoT) and P104, were examined for their abilities to modulate the levels of the estrogen receptor subtypes, estrogen receptor alpha and estrogen receptor beta (ERβ), which have been recognized as crucial to breast cancer prognosis and treatment. We showed that the Cyclopia subternata Vogel (C. subternata Vogel) extracts, SM6Met and cup of tea, but not the C. genistoides extract, P104, reduced estrogen receptor alpha protein levels while elevating estrogen receptor beta protein levels, thereby reducing the ERα:ERβ ratio in a similar manner as standard of care breast cancer endocrine therapies such as fulvestrant (selective estrogen receptor downregulator) and 4-hydroxytamoxifen (elective estrogen receptor modulator). Estrogen receptor alpha expression enhances the proliferation of breast cancer cells while estrogen receptor beta inhibits the proliferative activities of estrogen receptor alpha. We also showed that in terms of the molecular mechanisms involved all the Cyclopia extracts regulated estrogen receptor alpha and estrogen receptor beta protein levels through both transcriptional and translational, and proteasomal degradation mechanisms. Therefore, from our findings, we proffer that the C. subternata Vogel extracts, SM6Met and cup of tea, but not the C. genistoides extract, P104, selectively modulate estrogen receptor subtypes levels in a manner that generally supports inhibition of breast cancer proliferation, thereby demonstrating attributes that could be explored as potential therapeutic agents for breast cancer.
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Unconventional isoquinoline-based SERMs elicit fulvestrant-like transcriptional programs in ER+ breast cancer cells. NPJ Breast Cancer 2022; 8:130. [PMCID: PMC9748900 DOI: 10.1038/s41523-022-00497-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractEstrogen receptor alpha (ERα) is a ligand-dependent master transcriptional regulator and key driver of breast cancer pathology. Small molecule hormones and competitive antagonists favor unique ERα conformational ensembles that elicit ligand-specific transcriptional programs in breast cancer and other hormone-responsive tissues. By affecting disparate ligand binding domain structural features, unconventional ligand scaffolds can redirect ERα genomic binding patterns to engage novel therapeutic transcriptional programs. To improve our understanding of these ERα structure-transcriptional relationships, we develop a series of chemically unconventional antagonists based on the antiestrogens elacestrant and lasofoxifene. High-resolution x-ray co-crystal structures show that these molecules affect both classical and unique structural motifs within the ERα ligand binding pocket. They show moderately reduced antagonistic potencies on ERα genomic activities but are effective anti-proliferative agents in luminal breast cancer cells. Interestingly, they favor a 4-hydroxytamoxifen-like accumulation of ERα in breast cancer cells but lack uterotrophic activities in an endometrial cell line. Importantly, RNA sequencing shows that the lead molecules engage transcriptional pathways similar to the selective estrogen receptor degrader fulvestrant. This advance shows that fulvestrant-like genomic activities can be achieved without affecting ERα accumulation in breast cancer cells.
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Elacestrant demonstrates strong anti-estrogenic activity in PDX models of estrogen-receptor positive endocrine-resistant and fulvestrant-resistant breast cancer. NPJ Breast Cancer 2022; 8:125. [PMID: 36446866 PMCID: PMC9709100 DOI: 10.1038/s41523-022-00483-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The selective oestrogen receptor (ER) degrader (SERD), fulvestrant, is limited in its use for the treatment of breast cancer (BC) by its poor oral bioavailability. Comparison of the orally bioavailable investigational SERD elacestrant, versus fulvestrant, demonstrates both drugs impact tumour growth of ER+ patient-derived xenograft models harbouring several ESR1 mutations but that elacestrant is active after acquired resistance to fulvestrant. In cell line models of endocrine sensitive and resistant breast cancer both drugs impact the ER-cistrome, ER-interactome and transcription of oestrogen-regulated genes similarly, confirming the anti-oestrogenic activity of elacestrant. The addition of elacestrant to CDK4/6 inhibitors enhances the antiproliferative effect compared to monotherapy. Furthermore, elacestrant inhibits the growth of palbociclib-resistant cells. Lastly, resistance to elacestrant involves Type-I and Type-II receptor tyrosine kinases which are amenable to therapeutic targeting. Our data support the wider clinical testing of elacestrant.
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19
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Negi A, Kesari KK, Voisin-Chiret AS. Estrogen Receptor-α Targeting: PROTACs, SNIPERs, Peptide-PROTACs, Antibody Conjugated PROTACs and SNIPERs. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14112523. [PMID: 36432713 PMCID: PMC9699327 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14112523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeting selective estrogen subtype receptors through typical medicinal chemistry approaches is based on occupancy-driven pharmacology. In occupancy-driven pharmacology, molecules are developed in order to inhibit the protein of interest (POI), and their popularity is based on their virtue of faster kinetics. However, such approaches have intrinsic flaws, such as pico-to-nanomolar range binding affinity and continuous dosage after a time interval for sustained inhibition of POI. These shortcomings were addressed by event-driven pharmacology-based approaches, which degrade the POI rather than inhibit it. One such example is PROTACs (Proteolysis targeting chimeras), which has become one of the highly successful strategies of event-driven pharmacology (pharmacology that does the degradation of POI and diminishes its functions). The selective targeting of estrogen receptor subtypes is always challenging for chemical biologists and medicinal chemists. Specifically, estrogen receptor α (ER-α) is expressed in nearly 70% of breast cancer and commonly overexpressed in ovarian, prostate, colon, and endometrial cancer. Therefore, conventional hormonal therapies are most prescribed to patients with ER + cancers. However, on prolonged use, resistance commonly developed against these therapies, which led to selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) becoming the first-line drug for metastatic ER + breast cancer. The SERD success shows that removing cellular ER-α is a promising approach to overcoming endocrine resistance. Depending on the mechanism of degradation of ER-α, various types of strategies of developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arvind Negi
- Department of Bioproduct and Biosystems, Aalto University, 00076 Espoo, Finland
- Correspondence: or (A.N.); or (K.K.K.); (A.S.V.-C.)
| | - Kavindra Kumar Kesari
- Department of Bioproduct and Biosystems, Aalto University, 00076 Espoo, Finland
- Department of Applied Physics, School of Science, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland
- Correspondence: or (A.N.); or (K.K.K.); (A.S.V.-C.)
| | - Anne Sophie Voisin-Chiret
- CERMN (Centre d’Etudes et de Recherche sur le Médicament de Normandie), Normandie University UNICAEN, 14000 Caen, France
- Correspondence: or (A.N.); or (K.K.K.); (A.S.V.-C.)
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20
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Liang J, Ingalla ER, Yao X, Wang BE, Tai L, Giltnane J, Liang Y, Daemen A, Moore HM, Aimi J, Chang CW, Gates MR, Eng-Wong J, Tam L, Bacarro N, Roose-Girma M, Bellet M, Hafner M, Metcalfe C. Giredestrant reverses progesterone hypersensitivity driven by estrogen receptor mutations in breast cancer. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabo5959. [PMID: 36130016 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abo5959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
ESR1 (estrogen receptor 1) hotspot mutations are major contributors to therapeutic resistance in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer. Such mutations confer estrogen independence to ERα, providing a selective advantage in the presence of estrogen-depleting aromatase inhibitors. In addition, ESR1 mutations reduce the potency of tamoxifen and fulvestrant, therapies that bind ERα directly. These limitations, together with additional liabilities, inspired the development of the next generation of ERα-targeted therapeutics, of which giredestrant is a high-potential candidate. Here, we generated Esr1 mutant-expressing mammary gland models and leveraged patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) to investigate the biological properties of the ESR1 mutations and their sensitivity to giredestrant in vivo. In the mouse mammary gland, Esr1 mutations promote hypersensitivity to progesterone, triggering pregnancy-like tissue remodeling and profoundly elevated proliferation. These effects were driven by an altered progesterone transcriptional response and underpinned by gained sites of ERα-PR (progesterone receptor) cobinding at the promoter regions of pro-proliferation genes. PDX experiments showed that the mutant ERα-PR proliferative program is also relevant in human cancer cells. Giredestrant suppressed the mutant ERα-PR proliferation in the mammary gland more so than the standard-of-care agents, tamoxifen and fulvestrant. Giredestrant was also efficacious against the progesterone-stimulated growth of ESR1 mutant PDX models. In addition, giredestrant demonstrated activity against a molecularly characterized ESR1 mutant tumor from a patient enrolled in a phase 1 clinical trial. Together, these data suggest that mutant ERα can collaborate with PR to drive protumorigenic proliferation but remain sensitive to inhibition by giredestrant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson Liang
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Ellen Rei Ingalla
- Translational Oncology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Xiaosai Yao
- Oncology Bioinformatics, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Bu-Er Wang
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Lisa Tai
- Research Pathology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | | | - Yuxin Liang
- Microchemistry, Proteomics, Lipidomics and Next Generation Sequencing, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Anneleen Daemen
- Oncology Bioinformatics, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Heather M Moore
- Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Junko Aimi
- Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Ching-Wei Chang
- Biostatistics, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Mary R Gates
- Early Clinical Development, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Jennifer Eng-Wong
- Early Clinical Development, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Lucinda Tam
- Molecular Biology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Natasha Bacarro
- Molecular Biology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | | | - Meritxell Bellet
- Department of Medical Oncology, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital and Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona 08035, Spain
| | - Marc Hafner
- Oncology Bioinformatics, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Ciara Metcalfe
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
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21
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Raha FK, Hasan J, Ali A, Fakayode SO, Halim MA. Exploring the molecular level interaction of Xenoestrogen phthalate plasticisers with oestrogen receptor alpha (ERα) Y537S mutant. MOLECULAR SIMULATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/08927022.2022.2101675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fahmida Khanam Raha
- Division of Molecular Cancer, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Jahid Hasan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Ackas Ali
- Division of Molecular Cancer, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sayo O. Fakayode
- Department of Chemistry, Physics & Astronomy, Georgia College & State University, Milledgeville, GA, USA
| | - Mohammad A. Halim
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA
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22
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Ferraro E, Walsh EM, Tao JJ, Chandarlapaty S, Jhaveri K. Accelerating drug development in breast cancer: New frontiers for ER inhibition. Cancer Treat Rev 2022; 109:102432. [PMID: 35839531 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2022.102432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The estrogen receptor (ER) is an important driver in the proliferation, tumorigenesis, and progression of breast cancers, and targeting ER signaling at different levels is a successful strategy in the control of hormone receptor positive (HR+) breast cancer. Endocrine therapy has been the treatment of choice for HR+ breast cancer in the early and advanced stages with multiple agents, including selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMS), selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs), and aromatase inhibitors (AIs), which vary in their mechanisms of action and pharmacokinetics. Combination strategies also employ cyclin dependent kinase 4 and 6 and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase to maximize the benefits of endocrine therapy. This paper reviews the clinical development of SERDs and other novel ER inhibitors, as well as combination strategies to overcome mechanisms of ER pathway escape. It also assesses the advantages of newer oral ER inhibitors with increased bioavailability, improved therapeutic index, better administration, and increased efficacy, as well as discussing future directions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela Ferraro
- Breast Medicine Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elaine M Walsh
- Breast Medicine Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jacqueline J Tao
- Graduate Medical Education, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sarat Chandarlapaty
- Breast Medicine Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Komal Jhaveri
- Breast Medicine Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA; Early Drug Development Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
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23
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Furman C, Puyang X, Zhang Z, Wu ZJ, Banka D, Aithal KB, Albacker LA, Hao MH, Irwin S, Kim A, Montesion M, Moriarty AD, Murugesan K, Nguyen TV, Rimkunas V, Sahmoud T, Wick MJ, Yao S, Zhang X, Zeng H, Vaillancourt FH, Bolduc DM, Larsen N, Zheng GZ, Prajapati S, Zhu P, Korpal M. Covalent ERα Antagonist H3B-6545 Demonstrates Encouraging Preclinical Activity in Therapy-Resistant Breast Cancer. Mol Cancer Ther 2022; 21:890-902. [PMID: 35642432 PMCID: PMC9381127 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-21-0378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Nearly 30% of patients with relapsed breast cancer present activating mutations in estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) that confer partial resistance to existing endocrine-based therapies. We previously reported the development of H3B-5942, a covalent ERα antagonist that engages cysteine-530 (C530) to achieve potency against both wild-type (ERαWT) and mutant ERα (ERαMUT). Anticipating that the emergence of C530 mutations could promote resistance to H3B-5942, we applied structure-based drug design to improve the potency of the core scaffold to further enhance the antagonistic activity in addition to covalent engagement. This effort led to the development of the clinical candidate H3B-6545, a covalent antagonist that is potent against both ERαWT/MUT, and maintains potency even in the context of ERα C530 mutations. H3B-6545 demonstrates significant activity and superiority over standard-of-care fulvestrant across a panel of ERαWT and ERαMUT palbociclib sensitive and resistant models. In summary, the compelling preclinical activity of H3B-6545 supports its further development for the potential treatment of endocrine therapy-resistant ERα+ breast cancer harboring wild-type or mutant ESR1, as demonstrated by the ongoing clinical trials (NCT03250676, NCT04568902, NCT04288089). SUMMARY H3B-6545 is an ERα covalent antagonist that exhibits encouraging preclinical activity against CDK4/6i naïve and resistant ERαWT and ERαMUT tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig Furman
- H3 Biomedicine Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Corresponding Authors: Craig Furman, H3 Biomedicine, 300 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139. E-mail: ; Manav Korpal, ; and Ping Zhu,
| | | | | | | | | | - Kiran B. Aithal
- Aurigene Discovery Technologies Ltd, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | | | | | - Sean Irwin
- H3 Biomedicine Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Amy Kim
- H3 Biomedicine Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Shihua Yao
- H3 Biomedicine Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Xun Zhang
- H3 Biomedicine Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Hao Zeng
- H3 Biomedicine Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ping Zhu
- H3 Biomedicine Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Corresponding Authors: Craig Furman, H3 Biomedicine, 300 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139. E-mail: ; Manav Korpal, ; and Ping Zhu,
| | - Manav Korpal
- H3 Biomedicine Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Corresponding Authors: Craig Furman, H3 Biomedicine, 300 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139. E-mail: ; Manav Korpal, ; and Ping Zhu,
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24
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Zhang J, Zhang H, Ding X, Hu J, Li Y, Zhang J, Wang H, Qi S, Xie A, Shi J, Xiang M, Bin Y, Wang G, Wang L, Wang Z. Crosstalk between macrophage-derived PGE 2 and tumor UHRF1 drives hepatocellular carcinoma progression. Theranostics 2022; 12:3776-3793. [PMID: 35664070 PMCID: PMC9131282 DOI: 10.7150/thno.69494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and dysregulated tumor epigenetics contribute to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. However, the mechanistic interactions between TAMs and tumor epigenetics remain poorly understood. Methods: Immunohistochemistry and multiplexed fluorescence staining were performed to evaluate the correlation between TAMs numbers and UHRF1 expression in human HCC tissues. PGE2 neutralizing antibody and COX-2 inhibitor were used to analyze the regulation of TAMs isolated from HCC tissues on UHRF1 expression. Multiple microRNA prediction programs were employed to identify microRNAs that target UHRF1 3'UTR. Luciferase reporter assay was applied to evaluate the regulation of miR-520d on UHRF1 expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays were performed to assess the abundance of H3K9me2 in the KLF6 promoter and DNMT1 in the CSF1 promoter regulated by UHRF1. The functional roles of TAM-mediated oncogenic network in HCC progression were verified by in vitro colony formation assays, in vivo xenograft experiments and analysis of clinical samples. Results: Here, we find that TAMs induce and maintain high levels of HCC UHRF1, an oncogenic epigenetic regulator. Mechanistically, TAM-derived PGE2 stimulates UHRF1 expression by repressing miR-520d that targets the 3'-UTR of UHRF1 mRNA. In consequence, upregulated UHRF1 methylates H3K9 to diminish tumor KLF6 expression, a tumor inhibitory transcriptional factor that directly transcribes miR-520d. PGE2 reduces KLF6 occupancy in the promoter of miR-520d, dampens miR-520d expression, and sustains robust UHRF1 expression. Moreover, UHRF1 promotes CSF1 expression by inducing DNA hypomethylation of the CSF1 promoter and supports TAM accumulation. Conclusions: Capitalizing on studies on HCC cells and tissues, animal models, and clinical information, we reveal a previously unappreciated TAM-mediated oncogenic network via multiple reciprocal enforcing molecular nodes. Targeting this network may be an approach to treat HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
- Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
| | - Hongyan Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
- Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
| | - Xiuli Ding
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
- Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
| | - Jia Hu
- Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
| | - Yongkui Li
- Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
| | - Jinxiang Zhang
- Department of Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Human Genetics, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430030
| | - Shanshan Qi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
- Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
| | - Aqing Xie
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
- Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
| | - Jie Shi
- Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
| | - Mengxi Xiang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
- Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
| | - Yawen Bin
- Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
| | - Guobin Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
| | - Lin Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
- Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
| | - Zheng Wang
- Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China 430022
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25
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Kumar M, Salem K, Jeffery JJ, Fowler AM. PET Imaging of Estrogen Receptors Using 18F-Based Radioligands. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2022; 2418:129-151. [PMID: 35119664 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1920-9_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In vivo molecular imaging of estrogen receptor alpha (ER) can be performed via positron emission tomography (PET) using ER-specific radioligands, such as 16α-[18F]fluoro-17β-estradiol (18F-FES). 18F-FES is a radiopharmaceutical recently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for use with PET imaging to detect ER+ lesions in patients with recurrent or metastatic breast cancer as an adjunct to biopsy. 18F-FES PET imaging has been used in clinical studies and preclinical research to assess whole-body ER protein expression and ligand binding function across multiple metastatic sites, to demonstrate inter-tumoral and temporal heterogeneity of ER expression, to quantify the pharmacodynamic effects of ER antagonist treatment, and to predict endocrine therapy response. 18F-FES PET has also been studied for imaging ER in endometrial and ovarian cancer. This chapter details the experimental protocol for 18F-FES PET imaging of ER in preclinical tumor xenograft models. Consistent adherence to key methodologic details will facilitate obtaining meaningful and reproducible 18F-FES PET preclinical imaging results, which could yield additional insight for clinical trials regarding imaging biomarkers and oncologic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoj Kumar
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Radiology, Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Stanford School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Kelley Salem
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Amy M Fowler
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.
- University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI, USA.
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.
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26
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Lu Z, Cao Y, Zhang D, Meng X, Guo B, Kong D, Yang Y. Discovery of Thieno[2,3- e]indazole Derivatives as Novel Oral Selective Estrogen Receptor Degraders with Highly Improved Antitumor Effect and Favorable Druggability. J Med Chem 2022; 65:5724-5750. [PMID: 35357160 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Endocrine therapies in the treatment of early and metastatic estrogen receptor α positive (ERα+) breast cancer (BC) are greatly limited by de novo and acquired resistance. Selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs) like fulvestrant provide new strategies for endocrine therapy combinations due to unique mechanisms. Herein, we disclose our structure-based optimization of LSZ102 by replacing 6-hydroxybenzothiophene with 6H-thieno[2,3-e]indazole. Subsequent acrylic acid degron modifications led us to identify compound 40 as the preferred candidate. In general, compound 40 showed much better pharmacological profiles than the lead LSZ102, exhibiting growth inhibition of wild-type or tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7 cells, potent ERα degradation, together with superior pharmacokinetic properties, directional target tissue distribution including the brain, and robust antitumor efficacy in the mice breast cancer xenograft model. Currently, 40 is being evaluated in preclinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyu Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,School of Pharmacy, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yangzhi Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,School of Pharmacy, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Dan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xin Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Bin Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,School of Pharmacy, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Deyu Kong
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Yushe Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,School of Pharmacy, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
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27
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Wang Y, Tang SC. The race to develop oral SERDs and other novel estrogen receptor inhibitors: recent clinical trial results and impact on treatment options. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2022; 41:975-990. [PMID: 36229710 PMCID: PMC9560885 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-022-10066-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Hormonal therapy plays a vital part in the treatment of estrogen receptor-positive (ER +) breast cancer. ER can be activated in a ligand-dependent and independent manner. Currently available ER-targeting agents include selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs), and aromatase inhibitors (AIs). Estrogen receptor mutation (ESR1 mutation) is one of the common mechanisms by which breast cancer becomes resistant to additional therapies from SERMs or AIs. These tumors remain sensitive to SERDs such as fulvestrant. Fulvestrant is limited in clinical utilization by its intramuscular formulation and once-monthly injection in large volumes. Oral SERDs are being rapidly developed to replace fulvestrant with the potential of higher efficacy and lower toxicities. Elacestrant is the first oral SERD that went through a randomized phase III trial showing increased efficacy, especially in tumors bearing ESR1 mutation, and good tolerability. Two other oral SERDs recently failed to achieve the primary endpoints of longer progression-free survival (PFS). They targeted tumors previously treated with several lines of prior therapies untested for ESR1 mutation. Initial clinical trial data demonstrated that tumors without the ESR1 mutation are less likely to benefit from the SERDs and may still respond to SERMs or AIs, including tumors previously exposed to hormonal therapy. Testing for ESR1 mutation in ongoing clinical trials and in hormonal therapy for breast cancer is highly recommended. Novel protein degradation technologies such as proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTACS), molecular glue degrader (MGD), and lysosome-targeting chimeras (LYTACS) may result in more efficient ER degradation, while ribonuclease-targeting chimeras (RIBOTAC) and small interfering RNA (siRNA) may inhibit the production of ER protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yating Wang
- Ascension Providence Hospital, Southfield, MI USA
| | - Shou-Ching Tang
- Cancer Center and Research Institute, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Guyton Research Building, G-651-07, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216 USA
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28
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Chen YC, Yu J, Metcalfe C, De Bruyn T, Gelzleichter T, Malhi V, Perez-Moreno PD, Wang X. Latest generation estrogen receptor degraders for the treatment of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2021; 31:515-529. [PMID: 34694932 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2021.1983542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) and full receptor antagonist provides an important therapeutic option for hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer. Endocrine therapies include tamoxifen, a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), that exhibits receptor agonist and antagonist activity, and aromatase inhibitors that block estrogen biosynthesis but which demonstrate acquired resistance. Fulvestrant, the only currently approved SERD, is limited by poor drug-like properties. A key focus for improving disease management has been development of oral SERDs with optimized target occupancy and potency and superior clinical efficacy. AREAS COVERED Using PubMed, clinicaltrials.gov, and congress websites, this review explored the preclinical development and clinical pharmacokinetics from early phase clinical studies (2015 or later) of novel oral SERDs, including giredestrant, amcenestrant, camizestrant, elacestrant, and rintodestrant. EXPERT OPINION Numerous oral SERDs are in clinical development, aiming to form the core endocrine therapy for HR-positive breast cancer. Through property- and structure-based drug design of estrogen receptor-binding, antagonism, degradation, anti-proliferation, and pharmacokinetic properties, these SERDs have distinct profiles which impact clinical dosing, efficacy, and safety. Assuming preliminary safety and activity data are confirmed in phase 3 trials, these promising agents could further improve the management, outcomes, and quality of life in HR-positive breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Chi Chen
- Clinical Pharmacology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jiajie Yu
- Clinical Pharmacology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ciara Metcalfe
- Discovery Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tom De Bruyn
- Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Thomas Gelzleichter
- Genentech Research and Early Development, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Vikram Malhi
- Clinical Pharmacology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Xiaojing Wang
- Discovery Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
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29
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Larson HG, Zakharov AV, Sarkar S, Yang SM, Rai G, Larner JM, Simeonov A, Martinez NJ. A Genome-Edited ERα-HiBiT Fusion Reporter Cell Line for the Identification of ERα Modulators Via High-Throughput Screening and CETSA. Assay Drug Dev Technol 2021; 19:539-549. [PMID: 34662221 DOI: 10.1089/adt.2021.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The estrogen receptor α (ERα) is a target of intense pharmacological intervention and toxicological biomonitoring. Current methods to directly quantify cellular levels of ERα involve antibody-based assays, which are labor-intensive and of limited throughput. In this study, we generated a post-translational reporter cell line, referred to as MCF7-ERα-HiBiT, by fusing a small pro-luminescent nanoluciferase (NLuc) tag (HiBiT) to the C-terminus of endogenous ERα in MCF7 cells. The tag allows the luminescent detection and quantification of endogenous ERα protein by addition of the complementary NLuc enzyme fragment. This MCF7-ERα-HiBiT cell line was optimized for quantitative high-throughput screening (qHTS) to identify compounds that reduce ERα levels. In addition, the same cell line was optimized for a qHTS cellular thermal shift assay to identify compounds that bind and thermally stabilize ERα. Here, we interrogated the MCF7-ERα-HiBiT assay against the NCATS Pharmacological Collection (NPC) of 2,678 approved drugs and identified compounds that potently reduce and thermally stabilize ERα. Our novel post-translational reporter cell line provides a unique opportunity for profiling large pharmacological and toxicological compound libraries for their effect on ERα levels as well as for assessing direct compound binding to the receptor, thus facilitating mechanistic studies by which compounds exert their biological effects on ERα.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hunter G Larson
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Alexey V Zakharov
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Sukumar Sarkar
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Shyh-Ming Yang
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Ganesha Rai
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - James M Larner
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Anton Simeonov
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Natalia J Martinez
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
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30
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Abstract
Efforts to improve estrogen receptor-α (ER)-targeted therapies in breast cancer have relied upon a single mechanism, with ligands having a single side chain on the ligand core that extends outward to determine antagonism of breast cancer growth. Here, we describe inhibitors with two ER-targeting moieties, one of which uses an alternate structural mechanism to generate full antagonism, freeing the side chain to independently determine other critical properties of the ligands. By combining two molecular targeting approaches into a single ER ligand, we have generated antiestrogens that function through new mechanisms and structural paradigms to achieve antagonism. These dual-mechanism ER inhibitors (DMERIs) cause alternate, noncanonical structural perturbations of the receptor ligand-binding domain (LBD) to antagonize proliferation in ER-positive breast cancer cells and in allele-specific resistance models. Our structural analyses with DMERIs highlight marked differences from current standard-of-care, single-mechanism antiestrogens. These findings uncover an enhanced flexibility of the ER LBD through which it can access nonconsensus conformational modes in response to DMERI binding, broadly and effectively suppressing ER activity.
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31
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Liang J, Zbieg JR, Blake RA, Chang JH, Daly S, DiPasquale AG, Friedman LS, Gelzleichter T, Gill M, Giltnane JM, Goodacre S, Guan J, Hartman SJ, Ingalla ER, Kategaya L, Kiefer JR, Kleinheinz T, Labadie SS, Lai T, Li J, Liao J, Liu Z, Mody V, McLean N, Metcalfe C, Nannini MA, Oeh J, O'Rourke MG, Ortwine DF, Ran Y, Ray NC, Roussel F, Sambrone A, Sampath D, Schutt LK, Vinogradova M, Wai J, Wang T, Wertz IE, White JR, Yeap SK, Young A, Zhang B, Zheng X, Zhou W, Zhong Y, Wang X. GDC-9545 (Giredestrant): A Potent and Orally Bioavailable Selective Estrogen Receptor Antagonist and Degrader with an Exceptional Preclinical Profile for ER+ Breast Cancer. J Med Chem 2021; 64:11841-11856. [PMID: 34251202 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer death in women, representing a significant unmet medical need. Here, we disclose our discovery efforts culminating in a clinical candidate, 35 (GDC-9545 or giredestrant). 35 is an efficient and potent selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) and a full antagonist, which translates into better antiproliferation activity than known SERDs (1, 6, 7, and 9) across multiple cell lines. Fine-tuning the physiochemical properties enabled once daily oral dosing of 35 in preclinical species and humans. 35 exhibits low drug-drug interaction liability and demonstrates excellent in vitro and in vivo safety profiles. At low doses, 35 induces tumor regressions either as a single agent or in combination with a CDK4/6 inhibitor in an ESR1Y537S mutant PDX or a wild-type ERα tumor model. Currently, 35 is being evaluated in Phase III clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Liang
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jason R Zbieg
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Robert A Blake
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jae H Chang
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Stephen Daly
- Charles River Discovery Research Services UK Limited, 7-9 Spire Green Center, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Antonio G DiPasquale
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Lori S Friedman
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Thomas Gelzleichter
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Matthew Gill
- Charles River Discovery Research Services UK Limited, 7-9 Spire Green Center, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer M Giltnane
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Simon Goodacre
- Charles River Discovery Research Services UK Limited, 7-9 Spire Green Center, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Jane Guan
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Steven J Hartman
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Ellen Rei Ingalla
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Lorn Kategaya
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - James R Kiefer
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Tracy Kleinheinz
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Sharada S Labadie
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Tommy Lai
- WuXi AppTec Co., Ltd., 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, P. R. China
| | - Jun Li
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jiangpeng Liao
- WuXi AppTec Co., Ltd., 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, P. R. China
| | - Zhiguo Liu
- WuXi AppTec Co., Ltd., 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, P. R. China
| | - Vidhi Mody
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Neville McLean
- Charles River Discovery Research Services UK Limited, 7-9 Spire Green Center, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Ciara Metcalfe
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Michelle A Nannini
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jason Oeh
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Martin G O'Rourke
- Charles River Discovery Research Services UK Limited, 7-9 Spire Green Center, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel F Ortwine
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Yingqing Ran
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Nicholas C Ray
- Charles River Discovery Research Services UK Limited, 7-9 Spire Green Center, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Fabien Roussel
- Charles River Discovery Research Services UK Limited, 7-9 Spire Green Center, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Sambrone
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Deepak Sampath
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Leah K Schutt
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Maia Vinogradova
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - John Wai
- WuXi AppTec Co., Ltd., 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, P. R. China
| | - Tao Wang
- WuXi AppTec Co., Ltd., 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, P. R. China
| | - Ingrid E Wertz
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jonathan R White
- Charles River Discovery Research Services UK Limited, 7-9 Spire Green Center, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Siew Kuen Yeap
- Charles River Discovery Research Services UK Limited, 7-9 Spire Green Center, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Young
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Birong Zhang
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Xiaoping Zheng
- WuXi AppTec Co., Ltd., 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, P. R. China
| | - Wei Zhou
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Yu Zhong
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Xiaojing Wang
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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32
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Barghout SH. Targeted Protein Degradation: An Emerging Therapeutic Strategy in Cancer. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2021; 21:214-230. [PMID: 32275492 DOI: 10.2174/1871520620666200410082652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Drug discovery in the scope of cancer therapy has been focused on conventional agents that nonselectively induce DNA damage or selectively inhibit the activity of key oncogenic molecules without affecting their protein levels. An emerging therapeutic strategy that garnered attention in recent years is the induction of Targeted Protein Degradation (TPD) of cellular targets by hijacking the intracellular proteolysis machinery. This novel approach offers several advantages over conventional inhibitors and introduces a paradigm shift in several pharmacological aspects of drug therapy. While TPD has been found to be the major mode of action of clinically approved anticancer agents such as fulvestrant and thalidomide, recent years have witnessed systematic endeavors to expand the repertoire of proteins amenable to therapeutic ablation by TPD. Such endeavors have led to three major classes of agents that induce protein degradation, including molecular glues, Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) and Hydrophobic Tag (HyT)-based degraders. Here, we briefly highlight agents in these classes and key advances made in the field with a focus on clinical translation in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samir H Barghout
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
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33
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Yang Z, Gimple RC, Zhou N, Zhao L, Gustafsson JÅ, Zhou S. Targeting Nuclear Receptors for Cancer Therapy: Premises, Promises, and Challenges. Trends Cancer 2021; 7:541-556. [PMID: 33341430 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2020.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Nuclear receptors are a family of transcription factors localized in cell nuclei, sensing specific ligands and fine-tuning a variety of cell physiological events. They have been intensively investigated in cancer biology. With their excellent properties of druggability and actionability, nuclear receptors have demonstrated much promise as novel therapeutic targets for different cancer types. Accumulating evidence has highlighted the essential roles of certain nuclear receptors in tumor immunology, suggesting the possibility for them to serve as cancer immunotherapeutic targets. Here, we summarize the roles of nuclear receptors in cancer biology and tumor immunology, and underscore the current advances of clinical trials for nuclear receptor-based cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengnan Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Ryan C Gimple
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Nianxin Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Linjie Zhao
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
| | - Jan-Åke Gustafsson
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Medical Innovation, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition at Novum, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Shengtao Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, China.
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34
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Kim H, Park SH, Lee J, Sung GJ, Song JH, Kwak S, Jeong JH, Kong MJ, Hwang JT, Choi HK, Choi KC. TNFα Enhances Tamoxifen Sensitivity through Dissociation of ERα-p53-NCOR1 Complexes in ERα-Positive Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13112601. [PMID: 34073371 PMCID: PMC8199199 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13112601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Tamoxifen has been clinically applied as a central chemotherapeutic agent for treatment of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. However, many ER-positive breast cancer patients with the high ER level demonstrate intrinsic resistance against the tamoxifen therapy. The aim of our study was to find an effective approach to enhance tamoxifen sensitivity. We found that tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) has a potential to overcome tamoxifen resistance through disruption of nuclear receptor corepressor 1 (NCOR1)-p53-ERα complexes in ER-positive MCF7 xenograft mice. NCOR1 knock-down with TNFα treatment induced ERα destabilization and increased the occupancy of p53 at the p21 promoter. Finally, we confirmed the combinational application with tamoxifen, TNFα and short-hairpin NCOR1 showed the enhanced suppressive effect of tumor growth in MCF xenograft mice compared to single tamoxifen treatment. These results provide a possibility for application of NCOR1 as a putative therapeutic target to overcome tamoxifen resistance in ERα-positive breast cancer. Abstract Tamoxifen is widely used as a medication for estrogen receptor α (ERα)-positive breast cancer, despite the ~50% incidence of tamoxifen resistance. To overcome such resistance, combining tamoxifen with other agents is considered an effective approach. Here, through in vitro studies with ER-positive MCF7 cells and ER-negative MDA-MB-231 cells, validated by the use of xenograft mice, we investigated the potential of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) to enhance tamoxifen sensitivity and identified NCOR1 as a key downstream regulator. TNFα specifically degraded nuclear receptor corepressor 1 (NCOR1) in MCF7 cells. Moreover, knockdown of NCOR1, similar to TNFα treatment, suppressed cancer cell growth and promoted apoptosis only in MCF7 cells and MCF7 xenograft mice through the stabilization of p53, a tumor suppressor protein. Interestingly, NCOR1 knockdown with TNFα treatment increased the occupancy of p53 at the p21 promoter, while decreasing that of ERα. Notably, NCOR1 formed a complex with p53 and ERα, which was disrupted by TNFα. Finally, combinatorial treatment with tamoxifen, TNFα and short–hairpin (sh)-NCOR1 resulted in enhanced suppression of tumor growth in MCF7 xenograft mice compared to single tamoxifen treatment. In conclusion, TNFα promoted tamoxifen sensitivity through the dissociation of the ERα-p53-NCOR1 complex, pointing at NCOR1 as a putative therapeutic target for overcoming tamoxifen resistance in ERα-positive breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunhee Kim
- Asan Medical Center, Department of Biomedical Sciences, AMIST, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea; (H.K.); (S.-H.P.); (J.-H.S.); (S.K.); (J.-H.J.); (M.-J.K.)
| | - Seung-Ho Park
- Asan Medical Center, Department of Biomedical Sciences, AMIST, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea; (H.K.); (S.-H.P.); (J.-H.S.); (S.K.); (J.-H.J.); (M.-J.K.)
| | - Jangho Lee
- Korea Food Research Institute, Wanju-gun 55365, Korea; (J.L.); (J.-T.H.)
| | - Gi-Jun Sung
- Department of Obstetriccs, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 49534, USA;
| | - Ji-Hye Song
- Asan Medical Center, Department of Biomedical Sciences, AMIST, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea; (H.K.); (S.-H.P.); (J.-H.S.); (S.K.); (J.-H.J.); (M.-J.K.)
| | - Sungmin Kwak
- Asan Medical Center, Department of Biomedical Sciences, AMIST, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea; (H.K.); (S.-H.P.); (J.-H.S.); (S.K.); (J.-H.J.); (M.-J.K.)
| | - Ji-Hoon Jeong
- Asan Medical Center, Department of Biomedical Sciences, AMIST, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea; (H.K.); (S.-H.P.); (J.-H.S.); (S.K.); (J.-H.J.); (M.-J.K.)
| | - Min-Jeong Kong
- Asan Medical Center, Department of Biomedical Sciences, AMIST, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea; (H.K.); (S.-H.P.); (J.-H.S.); (S.K.); (J.-H.J.); (M.-J.K.)
| | - Jin-Taek Hwang
- Korea Food Research Institute, Wanju-gun 55365, Korea; (J.L.); (J.-T.H.)
- Department of Food Biotechnology, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Korea
| | - Hyo-Kyoung Choi
- Korea Food Research Institute, Wanju-gun 55365, Korea; (J.L.); (J.-T.H.)
- Correspondence: (H.-K.C.); (K.-C.C.); Tel.: +82-63-219-9421 (H.-K.C.); +82-2-3010-2087 (K.-C.C.)
| | - Kyung-Chul Choi
- Asan Medical Center, Department of Biomedical Sciences, AMIST, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea; (H.K.); (S.-H.P.); (J.-H.S.); (S.K.); (J.-H.J.); (M.-J.K.)
- Correspondence: (H.-K.C.); (K.-C.C.); Tel.: +82-63-219-9421 (H.-K.C.); +82-2-3010-2087 (K.-C.C.)
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35
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A New Anti-Estrogen Discovery Platform Identifies FDA-Approved Imidazole Anti-Fungal Drugs as Bioactive Compounds against ERα Expressing Breast Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22062915. [PMID: 33805656 PMCID: PMC8000495 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22062915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
17β-estradiol (E2) exerts its physiological effects through the estrogen receptor α (i.e., ERα). The E2:ERα signaling allows the regulation of cell proliferation. Indeed, E2 sustains the progression of ERα positive (ERα+) breast cancers (BCs). The presence of ERα at the BC diagnosis drives their therapeutic treatment with the endocrine therapy (ET), which restrains BC progression. Nonetheless, many patients develop metastatic BCs (MBC) for which a treatment is not available. Consequently, the actual challenge is to complement the drugs available to fight ERα+ primary and MBC. Here we exploited a novel anti-estrogen discovery platform to identify new Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs inhibiting E2:ERα signaling to cell proliferation in cellular models of primary and MBC cells. We report that the anti-fungal drugs clotrimazole (Clo) and fenticonazole (Fenti) induce ERα degradation and prevent ERα transcriptional signaling and proliferation in cells modeling primary and metastatic BC. The anti-proliferative effects of Clo and Fenti occur also in 3D cancer models (i.e., tumor spheroids) and in a synergic manner with the CDK4/CDK6 inhibitors palbociclib and abemaciclib. Therefore, Clo and Fenti behave as “anti-estrogens”-like drugs. Remarkably, the present “anti-estrogen” discovery platform represents a valuable method to rapidly identify bioactive compounds with anti-estrogenic activity.
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36
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Abstract
Metastatic estrogen receptor α (ERα)-expressing breast cancer (BC) occurs after prolonged patient treatment with endocrine therapy (ET) (e.g., aromatase inhibitors—AI; 4OH-tamoxifen—4OH-Tam). Often these metastatic BCs express a mutated ERα variant (e.g., Y537S), which is transcriptionally hyperactive, sustains uncontrolled proliferation, and renders tumor cells insensitive to ET drugs. Therefore, new molecules blocking hyperactive Y537S ERα mutation transcriptional activity are requested. Here we generated an MCF-7 cell line expressing the Y537S ERα mutation stably expressing an estrogen-responsive element (ERE) promoter, which activity can be monitored in living cells. Characterization of this cell line shows both hyperactive basal transcriptional activity with respect to normal MCF-7 cells, which stably express the same ERE-based promoter and a decreased effect of selective ER downregulators (SERDs) in reducing Y537S ERα mutant transcriptional activity with respect to wild type ERα transcriptional activity. Kinetic profiles of Y537S ERα mutant-based transcription produced by both drugs inducing receptor degradation and siRNA-mediated depletion of specific proteins (e.g., FOXA1 and caveolin1) reveals biphasic dynamics of the inhibition of the receptor-regulated transcriptional effects. Overall, we report a new model where to study the behavior of the Y537S ERα mutant that can be used for the identification of new targets and pathways regulating the Y537S ERα transcriptional activity.
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37
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Farcas AM, Nagarajan S, Cosulich S, Carroll JS. Genome-Wide Estrogen Receptor Activity in Breast Cancer. Endocrinology 2021; 162:bqaa224. [PMID: 33284960 PMCID: PMC7787425 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The largest subtype of breast cancer is characterized by the expression and activity of the estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha/ER). Although several effective therapies have significantly improved survival, the adaptability of cancer cells means that patients frequently stop responding or develop resistance to endocrine treatment. ER does not function in isolation and multiple associating factors have been reported to play a role in regulating the estrogen-driven transcriptional program. This review focuses on the dynamic interplay between some of these factors which co-occupy ER-bound regulatory elements, their contribution to estrogen signaling, and their possible therapeutic applications. Furthermore, the review illustrates how some ER association partners can influence and reprogram the genomic distribution of the estrogen receptor. As this dynamic ER activity enables cancer cell adaptability and impacts the clinical outcome, defining how this plasticity is determined is fundamental to our understanding of the mechanisms of disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anca M Farcas
- Bioscience, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
- CRUK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sankari Nagarajan
- CRUK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Function, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Jason S Carroll
- CRUK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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38
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Busonero C, Leone S, Bianchi F, Maspero E, Fiocchetti M, Palumbo O, Cipolletti M, Bartoloni S, Acconcia F. Ouabain and Digoxin Activate the Proteasome and the Degradation of the ERα in Cells Modeling Primary and Metastatic Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12123840. [PMID: 33352737 PMCID: PMC7766733 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Breast cancer (BC) treatment relies on the detection of the estrogen receptor α (ERα). ERα-expressing BC patients are treated with anti-estrogen drugs (i.e., tamoxifen and fulvestrant). Despite their proven efficacy, these drugs cause serious side effects in a significant fraction of the patients, including both tumor insurgence in secondary organs, and resistant phenotypes, which result in a relapsing disease with scarce treatment options. Thus, new drugs for treatment of primary and metastatic BC (MBC) are needed. Here, we report the characterization of two cardiac glycosides (CGs) (i.e., ouabain and digoxin), approved by the FDA for treatment of heart disease, as novel ‘anti-estrogen’-like drugs. We found that these drugs induce ERα degradation, and prevent the proliferation of cellular models of primary and metastatic BC cells. Remarkably, we discovered that these CGs are activators of the proteasome, and therefore may be repurposed for treatment not only of BC, but also for other proteasome-based diseases. Abstract Estrogen receptor α expressing breast cancers (BC) are classically treated with endocrine therapy. Prolonged endocrine therapy often results in a metastatic disease (MBC), for which a standardized effective therapy is still lacking. Thus, new drugs are required for primary and metastatic BC treatment. Here, we report that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs, ouabain and digoxin, induce ERα degradation and prevent proliferation in cells modeling primary and metastatic BC. Ouabain and digoxin activate the cellular proteasome, instigating ERα degradation, which causes the inhibition of 17β-estradiol signaling, induces the cell cycle blockade in the G2 phase, and triggers apoptosis. Remarkably, these effects are independent of the inhibition of the Na/K pump. The antiproliferative effects of ouabain and digoxin occur also in diverse cancer models (i.e., tumor spheroids and xenografts). Additionally, gene profiling analysis reveals that these drugs downregulate the expression of genes related to endocrine therapy resistance. Therefore, ouabain and digoxin behave as ‘anti-estrogen’-like drugs, and are appealing candidates for the treatment of primary and metastatic BCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Busonero
- Department of Sciences, Section Biomedical Sciences and Technology, University Roma Tre, Viale Guglielmo Marconi, 446, I-00146 Rome, Italy; (C.B.); (S.L.); (M.F.); (M.C.); (S.B.)
| | - Stefano Leone
- Department of Sciences, Section Biomedical Sciences and Technology, University Roma Tre, Viale Guglielmo Marconi, 446, I-00146 Rome, Italy; (C.B.); (S.L.); (M.F.); (M.C.); (S.B.)
| | - Fabrizio Bianchi
- Cancer Biomarkers Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo (FG), Italy;
| | - Elena Maspero
- Fondazione Istituto FIRC di Oncologia Molecolare (IFOM), 20139 Milan, Italy;
| | - Marco Fiocchetti
- Department of Sciences, Section Biomedical Sciences and Technology, University Roma Tre, Viale Guglielmo Marconi, 446, I-00146 Rome, Italy; (C.B.); (S.L.); (M.F.); (M.C.); (S.B.)
| | - Orazio Palumbo
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo (FG), Italy;
| | - Manuela Cipolletti
- Department of Sciences, Section Biomedical Sciences and Technology, University Roma Tre, Viale Guglielmo Marconi, 446, I-00146 Rome, Italy; (C.B.); (S.L.); (M.F.); (M.C.); (S.B.)
| | - Stefania Bartoloni
- Department of Sciences, Section Biomedical Sciences and Technology, University Roma Tre, Viale Guglielmo Marconi, 446, I-00146 Rome, Italy; (C.B.); (S.L.); (M.F.); (M.C.); (S.B.)
| | - Filippo Acconcia
- Department of Sciences, Section Biomedical Sciences and Technology, University Roma Tre, Viale Guglielmo Marconi, 446, I-00146 Rome, Italy; (C.B.); (S.L.); (M.F.); (M.C.); (S.B.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-065-733-6320; Fax: +39-065-733-6321
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Shomali M, Cheng J, Sun F, Koundinya M, Guo Z, Hebert AT, McManus J, Levit MN, Hoffmann D, Courjaud A, Arrebola R, Cao H, Pollard J, Lee JS, Besret L, Caron A, Bangari DS, Abecassis PY, Schio L, El-Ahmad Y, Halley F, Tabart M, Certal V, Thompson F, McCort G, Filoche-Rommé B, Cheng H, Garcia-Echeverria C, Debussche L, Bouaboula M. SAR439859, a Novel Selective Estrogen Receptor Degrader (SERD), Demonstrates Effective and Broad Antitumor Activity in Wild-Type and Mutant ER-Positive Breast Cancer Models. Mol Cancer Ther 2020; 20:250-262. [PMID: 33310762 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-20-0390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Primary treatment for estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer is endocrine therapy. However, substantial evidence indicates a continued role for ER signaling in tumor progression. Selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERD), such as fulvestrant, induce effective ER signaling inhibition, although clinical studies with fulvestrant report insufficient blockade of ER signaling, possibly due to suboptimal pharmaceutical properties. Furthermore, activating mutations in the ER have emerged as a resistance mechanism to current endocrine therapies. New oral SERDs with improved drug properties are under clinical investigation, but the biological profile that could translate to improved therapeutic benefit remains unclear. Here, we describe the discovery of SAR439859, a novel, orally bioavailable SERD with potent antagonist and degradation activities against both wild-type and mutant Y537S ER. Driven by its fluoropropyl pyrrolidinyl side chain, SAR439859 has demonstrated broader and superior ER antagonist and degrader activities across a large panel of ER+ cells, compared with other SERDs characterized by a cinnamic acid side chain, including improved inhibition of ER signaling and tumor cell growth. Similarly, in vivo treatment with SAR439859 demonstrated significant tumor regression in ER+ breast cancer models, including MCF7-ESR1 wild-type and mutant-Y537S mouse tumors, and HCI013, a patient-derived tamoxifen-resistant xenograft tumor. These findings indicate that SAR439859 may provide therapeutic benefit to patients with ER+ breast cancer, including those who have resistance to endocrine therapy with both wild-type and mutant ER.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jane Cheng
- Sanofi, Research and Development, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Fangxian Sun
- Sanofi, Research and Development, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Zhuyan Guo
- Sanofi, Research and Development, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hui Cao
- Sanofi, Research and Development, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Jack Pollard
- Sanofi, Research and Development, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Joon Sang Lee
- Sanofi, Research and Development, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Laurent Besret
- Sanofi, Research and Development, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Anne Caron
- Sanofi, Research and Development, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | | | | | - Laurent Schio
- Sanofi, Research and Development, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | | | - Frank Halley
- Sanofi, Research and Development, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Michel Tabart
- Sanofi, Research and Development, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Victor Certal
- Sanofi, Research and Development, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | | | - Gary McCort
- Sanofi, Research and Development, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | | | - Hong Cheng
- Sanofi, Research and Development, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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40
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RON signalling promotes therapeutic resistance in ESR1 mutant breast cancer. Br J Cancer 2020; 124:191-206. [PMID: 33257837 PMCID: PMC7782501 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-020-01174-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Oestrogen Receptor 1 (ESR1) mutations are frequently acquired in oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients who were treated with aromatase inhibitors (AI) in the metastatic setting. Acquired ESR1 mutations are associated with poor prognosis and there is a lack of effective therapies that selectively target these cancers. Methods We performed a proteomic kinome analysis in ESR1 Y537S mutant cells to identify hyperactivated kinases in ESR1 mutant cells. We validated Recepteur d’Origine Nantais (RON) and PI3K hyperactivity through phospho-immunoblot analysis, organoid growth assays, and in an in vivo patient-derived xenograft (PDX) metastatic model. Results We demonstrated that RON was hyperactivated in ESR1 mutant models, and in acquired palbociclib-resistant (PalbR) models. RON and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) interacted as shown through pharmacological and genetic inhibition and were regulated by the mutant ER as demonstrated by reduced phospho-protein expression with endocrine therapies (ET). We show that ET in combination with a RON inhibitor (RONi) decreased ex vivo organoid growth of ESR1 mutant models, and as a monotherapy in PalbR models, demonstrating its therapeutic efficacy. Significantly, ET in combination with the RONi reduced metastasis of an ESR1 Y537S mutant PDX model. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that RON/PI3K pathway inhibition may be an effective treatment strategy in ESR1 mutant and PalbR MBC patients. Clinically our data predict that ET resistance mechanisms can also contribute to CDK4/6 inhibitor resistance. ![]()
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41
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Lu Y, Liu W. Selective Estrogen Receptor Degraders (SERDs): A Promising Strategy for Estrogen Receptor Positive Endocrine-Resistant Breast Cancer. J Med Chem 2020; 63:15094-15114. [PMID: 33138369 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Estrogen receptor (ER) plays important roles in gene transcription and the proliferation of ER positive breast cancers. Selective modulation of ER has been a therapeutic target for this specific type of breast cancer for more than 30 years. Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) and aromatase inhibitors (AIs) have been demonstrated to be effective therapeutic approaches for ER positive breast cancers. Unfortunately, 30-50% of ER positive tumors become resistant to SERM/AI treatment after 3-5 years. Fulvestrant, the only approved selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD), is currently an important therapeutic approach for the treatment of endocrine-resistant breast cancers. The poor pharmacokinetic properties of fulvestrant have inspired the development of a new generation of oral SERDs to overcome drug resistance. In this review, we describe recent advances in ERα structure, functions, and mechanisms of endocrine resistance and summarize the development of oral SERDs in both academic and industrial areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlong Lu
- School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
| | - Wukun Liu
- School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.,State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, P. R. China.,State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
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42
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Wang L, Sharma A. The Quest for Orally Available Selective Estrogen Receptor Degraders (SERDs). ChemMedChem 2020; 15:2072-2097. [PMID: 32916035 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202000473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα) is the target of endocrine therapies for the treatment of more than 70 % of ERα-positive breast cancers. Selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs) antagonize estrogen binding and target the receptor for degradation, representing the last line of treatment for resistant metastatic breast cancer patients. However, the clinical efficacy of the lone clinically approved SERD (Fulvestrant) is limited by its poor oral bioavailability. Recently, several analogues of GW5638, an acrylic acid-based ERα ligand developed by Glaxo Research Institute in 1994, have been reported as promising orally bioavailable SERDs. Some of these compounds are currently in clinical trials, while various other structurally novel SERDs have also been reported by pharma as well as academic research groups. This review provides a critical analysis of the recent developments in orally available SERDs, with a focus on the structure-activity relationships, binding interactions and pharmacokinetic properties of these compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, 07030, USA
| | - Abhishek Sharma
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, 07030, USA
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43
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Wang G. Fulvestrant as a reference antiestrogen and estrogen receptor (ER) degrader in preclinical studies: treatment dosage, efficacy, and implications on development of new ER-targeting agents. Transl Cancer Res 2020; 9:4464-4468. [PMID: 32968620 PMCID: PMC7508469 DOI: 10.21037/tcr-20-2166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Guangdi Wang
- RCMI Cancer Research Center, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA, USA
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44
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Lin X, Xiang H, Luo G. Targeting estrogen receptor α for degradation with PROTACs: A promising approach to overcome endocrine resistance. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 206:112689. [PMID: 32829249 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Estrogen receptor alfa (ERα) is expressed in approximate 70% of breast cancer (BC) which is the most common malignancy in women worldwide. To date, the foremost intervention in the treatment of ER positive (ER+) BC is still the endocrine therapy. However, resistance to endocrine therapies remains a major hurdle in the long-term management of ER + BC. Although the mechanisms underlying endocrine resistance are complex, cumulative evidence revealed that ERα still plays a critical role in driving BC tumor cells to grow in resistance state. Fulvestrant, a selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD), has moved to first line therapy for metastatic ER + BC, suggesting that removing ERα would be a useful strategy to overcome endocrine resistance. Proteolysis-Targeting Chimera (PROTAC) technology, an emerging paradigm for protein degradation, has the potential to eliminate both wild type and mutant ERα in breast cancer cells. Excitingly, ARV-471, an ERα-targeted PROTAC developed by Arvinas, has been in phase 1 clinical trials. In this review, we will summarize recent progress of ER-targeting PROTACs from publications and patents along with their therapeutic opportunities for the treatment of endocrine-resistant BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Hua Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
| | - Guoshun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
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45
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Mao P, Cohen O, Kowalski KJ, Kusiel JG, Buendia-Buendia JE, Cuoco MS, Exman P, Wander SA, Waks AG, Nayar U, Chung J, Freeman S, Rozenblatt-Rosen O, Miller VA, Piccioni F, Root DE, Regev A, Winer EP, Lin NU, Wagle N. Acquired FGFR and FGF Alterations Confer Resistance to Estrogen Receptor (ER) Targeted Therapy in ER+ Metastatic Breast Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2020; 26:5974-5989. [DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-19-3958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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46
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Oceguera-Basurto P, Topete A, Oceguera-Villanueva A, Rivas-Carrillo J, Paz-Davalos M, Quintero-Ramos A, Del Toro-Arreola A, Daneri-Navarro A. Selective estrogen receptor modulators in the prevention of breast cancer in premenopausal women: a review. Transl Cancer Res 2020; 9:4444-4456. [PMID: 35117809 PMCID: PMC8797886 DOI: 10.21037/tcr-19-1956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The detection of premenopausal women at high risk of breast cancer is key to chemoprevention. Therapy with selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) induces a significant antiproliferative effect in estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer. This review was designed according the guidelines of the 2009 PRISMA statement. Searching different databases, including PubMed, MedlinePlus, PLoS One, Cochrane Breast Cancer Specialized Register, Clinical Trials.gov and American Society of Clinical Oncology. From 168 records screened, 15 full text articles were assessed for eligibility and only 7 studies met the inclusion criteria. Three of the studies included analyzed changes in Ki-67 expression, revealing weaker expression after treatment with acolbifene and raloxifene (P<0.001). Three studies also analyzed the breast volume by magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) and demonstrate a significant difference after 1 year with raloxifene treatment (P=0.0017). Moreover, a 20% reduction in breast density was observed after a 2-year treatment with tamoxifen in premenopausal women. SERMs reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. The studies reviewed here demonstrate the modulation of Ki-67 expression and changes in breast density, suggesting an important preventive role for this group of drugs in prevention for premenopausal women at high risk of developing breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Oceguera-Basurto
- Departamento de Fisiología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | - Antonio Topete
- Departamento de Fisiología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | | | - Jorge Rivas-Carrillo
- Departamento de Fisiología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | | | - Antonio Quintero-Ramos
- Departamento de Fisiología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | - Alicia Del Toro-Arreola
- Departamento de Fisiología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | - Adrián Daneri-Navarro
- Departamento de Fisiología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
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47
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Liang J, Blake R, Chang J, Friedman LS, Goodacre S, Hartman S, Ingalla ER, Kiefer JR, Kleinheinz T, Labadie S, Li J, Lai KW, Liao J, Mody V, McLean N, Metcalfe C, Nannini M, Otwine D, Ran Y, Ray N, Roussel F, Sambrone A, Sampath D, Vinogradova M, Wai J, Wang T, Yeap K, Young A, Zbieg J, Zhang B, Zheng X, Zhong Y, Wang X. Discovery of GNE-149 as a Full Antagonist and Efficient Degrader of Estrogen Receptor alpha for ER+ Breast Cancer. ACS Med Chem Lett 2020; 11:1342-1347. [PMID: 32551022 PMCID: PMC7294714 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.0c00224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) is a well-validated drug target for ER-positive (ER+) breast cancer. Fulvestrant is FDA-approved to treat ER+ breast cancer and works through two mechanisms-as a full antagonist and selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD)-but lacks oral bioavailability. Thus, we envisioned a "best-in-class" molecule with the same dual mechanisms as fulvestrant, but with significant oral exposure. Through lead optimization, we discovered a tool molecule 12 (GNE-149) with improved degradation and antiproliferative activity in both MCF7 and T47D cells. To illustrate the binding mode and key interactions of this scaffold with ERα, we obtained a cocrystal structure of 6 that showed ionic interaction of azetidine with Asp351 residue. Importantly, 12 showed favorable metabolic stability and good oral exposure. 12 exhibited antagonist effect in the uterus and demonstrated robust dose-dependent efficacy in xenograft models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Liang
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Robert Blake
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jae Chang
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Lori S. Friedman
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Simon Goodacre
- Charles
River Discovery Research Services UK Limited, 7-9 Spire Green Center, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Steven Hartman
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Ellen Rei Ingalla
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - James R. Kiefer
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Tracy Kleinheinz
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Sharada Labadie
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jun Li
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Kwong Wah Lai
- WuXi
AppTec Co., Ltd, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, P. R.
China
| | - Jiangpeng Liao
- WuXi
AppTec Co., Ltd, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, P. R.
China
| | - Vidhi Mody
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Neville McLean
- Charles
River Discovery Research Services UK Limited, 7-9 Spire Green Center, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Ciara Metcalfe
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Michelle Nannini
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Daniel Otwine
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Yingqing Ran
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Nick Ray
- Charles
River Discovery Research Services UK Limited, 7-9 Spire Green Center, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Fabien Roussel
- Charles
River Discovery Research Services UK Limited, 7-9 Spire Green Center, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Sambrone
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Deepak Sampath
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Maia Vinogradova
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - John Wai
- WuXi
AppTec Co., Ltd, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, P. R.
China
| | - Tao Wang
- WuXi
AppTec Co., Ltd, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, P. R.
China
| | - Kuen Yeap
- Charles
River Discovery Research Services UK Limited, 7-9 Spire Green Center, Flex Meadow, Harlow, Essex CM19 5TR, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Young
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jason Zbieg
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Birong Zhang
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Xiaoping Zheng
- WuXi
AppTec Co., Ltd, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, P. R.
China
| | - Yu Zhong
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Xiaojing Wang
- Genentech,
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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48
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Acconcia F. The Network of Angiotensin Receptors in Breast Cancer. Cells 2020; 9:cells9061336. [PMID: 32471115 PMCID: PMC7349848 DOI: 10.3390/cells9061336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is a network of proteins regulating many aspects of human physiology, including cardiovascular, pulmonary, and immune system physiology. The RAS is a complicated network of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) (i.e., AT1R, AT2R, MASR, and MRGD) orchestrating the effects of several hormones (i.e., angiotensin II, angiotensin (1-7), and alamandine) produced by protease-based transmembrane receptors (ACE1 and ACE2). Two signaling axes have been identified in the RAS endocrine system that mediate the proliferative actions of angiotensin II (i.e., the AT1R-based pathway) or the anti-proliferative effects of RAS hormones (i.e., the AT2R-, MAS-, and MRGD-based pathways). Disruption of the balance between these two axes can cause different diseases (e.g., cardiovascular pathologies and the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2- (SARS-CoV-2)-based COVID-19 disease). It is now accepted that all the components of the RAS endocrine system are expressed in cancer, including cancer of the breast. Breast cancer (BC) is a multifactorial pathology for which there is a continuous need to identify novel drugs. Here, I reviewed the possible roles of both axes of the RAS endocrine network as potential druggable pathways in BC. Remarkably, the analysis of the current knowledge of the different GPCRs of the RAS molecular system not only confirms that AT1R could be considered a drug target and that its inhibition by losartan and candesartan could be useful in the treatment of BC, but also identifies Mas-related GPCR member D (MRGD) as a druggable protein. Overall, the RAS of GPCRs offers multifaceted opportunities for the development of additional compounds for the treatment of BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Acconcia
- Department of Sciences, Biomedical Sciences and Technology Section, University Roma TRE, Viale Guglielmo Marconi 446, I-00146 Rome, Italy
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Bartoloni S, Leone S, Acconcia F. Unexpected Impact of a Hepatitis C Virus Inhibitor on 17β-Estradiol Signaling in Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21103418. [PMID: 32408555 PMCID: PMC7279444 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 05/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
17β-Estradiol (E2) controls diverse physiological processes, including cell proliferation, through its binding to estrogen receptor α (ERα). E2:ERα signaling depends on both the receptor subcellular localization (e.g., nucleus, plasma membrane) and intracellular ERα abundance. Indeed, the control of ERα levels is necessary for the effects of E2, and E2 itself induces ERα degradation and cell proliferation in parallel. Thus, the modulation of intracellular ERα levels is a critical parameter for E2-induced cell proliferation. Therefore, we used this parameter as a bait to identify compounds that influence ERα levels and E2-dependent proliferation in breast cancer (BC) cells from a library of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs. We found that telaprevir (Tel) reduces ERα levels and inhibits BC cell proliferation. Tel is an inhibitor of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3/4A serine protease, but its effect on E2:ERα signaling has not been investigated. Here, for the first time, we analyzed the effects of Tel on intracellular ERα levels and E2:ERα signaling to cell proliferation in different ERα-expressing BC cell lines. Overall, our findings demonstrate that Tel reduces intracellular ERα levels, deregulates E2:ERα signaling and inhibits E2-induced proliferation in BC cells and suggest the potential drug repurposing of Tel for the treatment of BC.
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50
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Andreano KJ, Baker JG, Park S, Safi R, Artham S, Oesterreich S, Jeselsohn R, Brown M, Sammons S, Wardell SE, Chang CY, Norris JD, McDonnell DP. The Dysregulated Pharmacology of Clinically Relevant ESR1 Mutants is Normalized by Ligand-activated WT Receptor. Mol Cancer Ther 2020; 19:1395-1405. [PMID: 32381587 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-19-1148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The estrogen receptor (ER/ESR1) is expressed in a majority of breast cancers and drugs that inhibit ER signaling are the cornerstone of breast cancer pharmacotherapy. Currently, aromatase inhibitors are the frontline endocrine interventions of choice although their durability in metastatic disease is limited by activating point mutations within the ligand-binding domain of ESR1 that permit ligand-independent activation of the receptor. It has been suggested that the most commonly occurring ESR1 mutations would likely compromise the clinical activity of selective estrogen receptor downregulators and selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) when used as second-line therapies. It was unclear, however, how these mutations, which are likely coexpressed in cells with ERWT, may impact response to ER ligands in a clinically meaningful manner. To address this issue, we dissected the molecular mechanism(s) underlying ESR1-mutant pharmacology in models relevant to metastatic disease. These studies revealed that the response of ESR1 mutations to ligands was dictated primarily by the relative coexpression of ERWT in cells. Specifically, dysregulated pharmacology was only evident in cells in which the mutants were overexpressed relative to ligand-activated ERWT; a finding that highlights the role of allelism in determining ER-mutant pharmacology. Importantly, we demonstrated that the antagonist activity of the SERM, lasofoxifene, was not impacted by mutant status; a finding that has led to its clinical evaluation as a treatment for patients with advanced ER-positive breast cancer whose tumors harbor ESR1 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn J Andreano
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Jennifer G Baker
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Sunghee Park
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Rachid Safi
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Sandeep Artham
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Steffi Oesterreich
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.,Womens Cancer Research Center, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and Magee-Women Research Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Rinath Jeselsohn
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Myles Brown
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sarah Sammons
- Department of Medical Oncology, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Suzanne E Wardell
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Ching-Yi Chang
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - John D Norris
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Donald P McDonnell
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina.
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