1
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Rogawski DS, Deng J, Li H, Miao H, Borkin D, Purohit T, Song J, Chase J, Li S, Ndoj J, Klossowski S, Kim E, Mao F, Zhou B, Ropa J, Krotoska MZ, Jin Z, Ernst P, Feng X, Huang G, Nishioka K, Kelly S, He M, Wen B, Sun D, Muntean A, Dou Y, Maillard I, Cierpicki T, Grembecka J. Discovery of first-in-class inhibitors of ASH1L histone methyltransferase with anti-leukemic activity. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2792. [PMID: 33990599 PMCID: PMC8121805 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23152-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
ASH1L histone methyltransferase plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of different diseases, including acute leukemia. While ASH1L represents an attractive drug target, developing ASH1L inhibitors is challenging, as the catalytic SET domain adapts an inactive conformation with autoinhibitory loop blocking the access to the active site. Here, by applying fragment-based screening followed by medicinal chemistry and a structure-based design, we developed first-in-class small molecule inhibitors of the ASH1L SET domain. The crystal structures of ASH1L-inhibitor complexes reveal compound binding to the autoinhibitory loop region in the SET domain. When tested in MLL leukemia models, our lead compound, AS-99, blocks cell proliferation, induces apoptosis and differentiation, downregulates MLL fusion target genes, and reduces the leukemia burden in vivo. This work validates the ASH1L SET domain as a druggable target and provides a chemical probe to further study the biological functions of ASH1L as well as to develop therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Rogawski
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jing Deng
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Hao Li
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Hongzhi Miao
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Dmitry Borkin
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Trupta Purohit
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jiho Song
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jennifer Chase
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Shuangjiang Li
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Juliano Ndoj
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - EunGi Kim
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Fengbiao Mao
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Bo Zhou
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - James Ropa
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Marta Z Krotoska
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Zhuang Jin
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Patricia Ernst
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Xiaomin Feng
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Gang Huang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Kenichi Nishioka
- Department of Internal Medicine Musashimurayama Hospital, Enoki 1-1-5, Musashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Samantha Kelly
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Miao He
- College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Bo Wen
- College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Duxin Sun
- College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Andrew Muntean
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yali Dou
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ivan Maillard
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Tomasz Cierpicki
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Jolanta Grembecka
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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2
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Miao H, Kim E, Chen D, Purohit T, Kempinska K, Ropa J, Klossowski S, Trotman W, Danet-Desnoyers G, Cierpicki T, Grembecka J. Combinatorial treatment with menin and FLT3 inhibitors induces complete remission in AML models with activating FLT3 mutations. Blood 2020; 136:2958-2963. [PMID: 33331926 PMCID: PMC7751359 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2020006575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hongzhi Miao
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - EunGi Kim
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Dong Chen
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Trupta Purohit
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | | | - James Ropa
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN; and
| | | | - Winifred Trotman
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Gwenn Danet-Desnoyers
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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3
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Klossowski S, Miao H, Kempinska K, Wu T, Purohit T, Kim E, Linhares BM, Chen D, Jih G, Perkey E, Huang H, He M, Wen B, Wang Y, Yu K, Lee SCW, Danet-Desnoyers G, Trotman W, Kandarpa M, Cotton A, Abdel-Wahab O, Lei H, Dou Y, Guzman M, Peterson L, Gruber T, Choi S, Sun D, Ren P, Li LS, Liu Y, Burrows F, Maillard I, Cierpicki T, Grembecka J. Menin inhibitor MI-3454 induces remission in MLL1-rearranged and NPM1-mutated models of leukemia. J Clin Invest 2020; 130:981-997. [PMID: 31855575 DOI: 10.1172/jci129126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The protein-protein interaction between menin and mixed lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1) plays a critical role in acute leukemias with translocations of the MLL1 gene or with mutations in the nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1) gene. As a step toward clinical translation of menin-MLL1 inhibitors, we report development of MI-3454, a highly potent and orally bioavailable inhibitor of the menin-MLL1 interaction. MI-3454 profoundly inhibited proliferation and induced differentiation in acute leukemia cells and primary patient samples with MLL1 translocations or NPM1 mutations. When applied as a single agent, MI-3454 induced complete remission or regression of leukemia in mouse models of MLL1-rearranged or NPM1-mutated leukemia, including patient-derived xenograft models, through downregulation of key genes involved in leukemogenesis. We also identified MEIS1 as a potential pharmacodynamic biomarker of treatment response with MI-3454 in leukemia, and demonstrated that this compound is well tolerated and did not impair normal hematopoiesis in mice. Overall, this study demonstrates, for the first time to our knowledge, profound activity of the menin-MLL1 inhibitor as a single agent in clinically relevant PDX models of leukemia. These data provide a strong rationale for clinical translation of MI-3454 or its analogs for leukemia patients with MLL1 rearrangements or NPM1 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szymon Klossowski
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Hongzhi Miao
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Tao Wu
- Wellspring Biosciences, Inc., San Diego, California, USA
| | - Trupta Purohit
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - EunGi Kim
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Brian M Linhares
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Dong Chen
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | | | - Huang Huang
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Miao He
- College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Bo Wen
- College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Yi Wang
- Wellspring Biosciences, Inc., San Diego, California, USA
| | - Ke Yu
- Wellspring Biosciences, Inc., San Diego, California, USA
| | | | - Gwenn Danet-Desnoyers
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Winifred Trotman
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Malathi Kandarpa
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | | | - Hongwei Lei
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Yali Dou
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Luke Peterson
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Tanja Gruber
- Saint Jude Children's Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Sarah Choi
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Duxin Sun
- College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Pingda Ren
- Wellspring Biosciences, Inc., San Diego, California, USA.,Kura Oncology, Inc., San Diego, California, USA
| | - Lian-Sheng Li
- Wellspring Biosciences, Inc., San Diego, California, USA
| | - Yi Liu
- Wellspring Biosciences, Inc., San Diego, California, USA
| | | | - Ivan Maillard
- Life Sciences Institute and.,Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Tomasz Cierpicki
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jolanta Grembecka
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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4
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Borkin D, Klossowski S, Pollock J, Miao H, Linhares BM, Kempinska K, Jin Z, Purohit T, Wen B, He M, Sun D, Cierpicki T, Grembecka J. Complexity of Blocking Bivalent Protein-Protein Interactions: Development of a Highly Potent Inhibitor of the Menin-Mixed-Lineage Leukemia Interaction. J Med Chem 2018; 61:4832-4850. [PMID: 29738674 PMCID: PMC7029623 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The protein-protein interaction between menin and mixed-lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1) plays an important role in development of acute leukemia with translocations of the MLL1 gene and in solid tumors. Here, we report the development of a new generation of menin-MLL1 inhibitors identified by structure-based optimization of the thienopyrimidine class of compounds. This work resulted in compound 28 (MI-1481), which showed very potent inhibition of the menin-MLL1 interaction (IC50 = 3.6 nM), representing the most potent reversible menin-MLL1 inhibitor reported to date. The crystal structure of the menin-28 complex revealed a hydrogen bond with Glu366 and hydrophobic interactions, which contributed to strong inhibitory activity of 28. Compound 28 also demonstrates pronounced activity in MLL leukemia cells and in vivo in MLL leukemia models. Thus, 28 is a valuable menin-MLL1 inhibitor that can be used for potential therapeutic applications and in further studies regarding the role of menin in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry Borkin
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Szymon Klossowski
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jonathan Pollock
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Hongzhi Miao
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Brian M. Linhares
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | | | - Zhuang Jin
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Trupta Purohit
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Bo Wen
- College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Miao He
- College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Duxin Sun
- College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Tomasz Cierpicki
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jolanta Grembecka
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA,Corresponding author; Jolanta Grembecka, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, 1150 West Medical Center Dr, MSRB I, Room 4510D, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, , Tel. 734-615-9319
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5
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Svoboda LK, Teh SSK, Sud S, Kerk S, Zebolsky A, Treichel S, Thomas D, Halbrook CJ, Lee HJ, Kremer D, Zhang L, Klossowski S, Bankhead AR, Magnuson B, Ljungman M, Cierpicki T, Grembecka J, Lyssiotis CA, Lawlor ER. Menin regulates the serine biosynthetic pathway in Ewing sarcoma. J Pathol 2018; 245:324-336. [PMID: 29672864 DOI: 10.1002/path.5085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Developmental transcription programs are epigenetically regulated by multi-protein complexes, including the menin- and MLL-containing trithorax (TrxG) complexes, which promote gene transcription by depositing the H3K4me3 activating mark at target gene promoters. We recently reported that in Ewing sarcoma, MLL1 (lysine methyltransferase 2A, KMT2A) and menin are overexpressed and function as oncogenes. Small molecule inhibition of the menin-MLL interaction leads to loss of menin and MLL1 protein expression, and to inhibition of growth and tumorigenicity. Here, we have investigated the mechanistic basis of menin-MLL-mediated oncogenic activity in Ewing sarcoma. Bromouridine sequencing (Bru-seq) was performed to identify changes in nascent gene transcription in Ewing sarcoma cells, following exposure to the menin-MLL interaction inhibitor MI-503. Menin-MLL inhibition resulted in early and widespread reprogramming of metabolic processes. In particular, the serine biosynthetic pathway (SSP) was the pathway most significantly affected by MI-503 treatment. Baseline expression of SSP genes and proteins (PHGDH, PSAT1, and PSPH), and metabolic flux through the SSP were confirmed to be high in Ewing sarcoma. In addition, inhibition of PHGDH resulted in reduced cell proliferation, viability, and tumor growth in vivo, revealing a key dependency of Ewing sarcoma on the SSP. Loss of function studies validated a mechanistic link between menin and the SSP. Specifically, inhibition of menin resulted in diminished expression of SSP genes, reduced H3K4me3 enrichment at the PHGDH promoter, and complete abrogation of de novo serine and glycine biosynthesis, as demonstrated by metabolic tracing studies with 13 C-labeled glucose. These data demonstrate that the SSP is highly active in Ewing sarcoma and that its oncogenic activation is maintained, at least in part, by menin-dependent epigenetic mechanisms involving trithorax complexes. Copyright © 2018 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie K Svoboda
- Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Selina Shiqing K Teh
- Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Sudha Sud
- Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Samuel Kerk
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Aaron Zebolsky
- Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Sydney Treichel
- Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Dafydd Thomas
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Christopher J Halbrook
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Ho-Joon Lee
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Daniel Kremer
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Szymon Klossowski
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Armand R Bankhead
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Brian Magnuson
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Mats Ljungman
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Tomasz Cierpicki
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jolanta Grembecka
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Costas A Lyssiotis
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Elizabeth R Lawlor
- Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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6
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Kempinska K, Malik B, Borkin D, Klossowski S, Shukla S, Miao H, Wang J, Cierpicki T, Grembecka J. Pharmacologic Inhibition of the Menin-MLL Interaction Leads to Transcriptional Repression of PEG10 and Blocks Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Mol Cancer Ther 2017; 17:26-38. [PMID: 29142068 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-17-0580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Revised: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for approximately 85% of malignant liver tumors and results in 600,000 deaths each year, emphasizing the need for new therapies. Upregulation of menin was reported in HCC patients and high levels of menin correlate with poor patient prognosis. The protein-protein interaction between menin and histone methyltransferase mixed lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1) plays an important role in the development of HCC, implying that pharmacologic inhibition of this interaction could lead to new therapeutic strategy for the HCC patients. Here, we demonstrate that the menin-MLL inhibitor MI-503 shows antitumor activity in in vitro and in vivo models of HCC and reveals the potential mechanism of menin contribution to HCC. Treatment with MI-503 selectively kills various HCC cell lines and this effect is significantly enhanced by a combination of MI-503 with sorafenib, the standard-of-care therapy for HCC. Furthermore, MI-503 reduces sphere formation and cell migration in in vitro HCC models. When applied in vivo, MI-503 gives a strong antitumor effect both as a single agent and in combination with sorafenib in mice xenograft models of HCC. Mechanistically, treatment with MI-503 downregulates expression of several genes known to play a critical role in proliferation and migration of HCC cells, including PEG10, and displaces the menin-MLL1 complex from the PEG10 promoter, resulting in reduced H3K4 methylation and transcriptional repression. Overall, our studies reveal a mechanistic link between menin and genes involved in HCC and demonstrate that pharmacologic inhibition of the menin-MLL interaction might represent a promising therapeutic approach for HCC. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(1); 26-38. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bhavna Malik
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Dmitry Borkin
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Szymon Klossowski
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Shirish Shukla
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Hongzhi Miao
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jingya Wang
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Tomasz Cierpicki
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
| | - Jolanta Grembecka
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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7
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Trzeciecka A, Klossowski S, Bajor M, Zagozdzon R, Gaj P, Muchowicz A, Malinowska A, Czerwoniec A, Barankiewicz J, Domagala A, Chlebowska J, Prochorec-Sobieszek M, Winiarska M, Ostaszewski R, Gwizdalska I, Golab J, Nowis D, Firczuk M. Dimeric peroxiredoxins are druggable targets in human Burkitt lymphoma. Oncotarget 2016; 7:1717-31. [PMID: 26636537 PMCID: PMC4811492 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.6435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Burkitt lymphoma is a fast-growing tumor derived from germinal center B cells. It is mainly treated with aggressive chemotherapy, therefore novel therapeutic approaches are needed due to treatment toxicity and developing resistance. Disturbance of red-ox homeostasis has recently emerged as an efficient antitumor strategy. Peroxiredoxins (PRDXs) are thioredoxin-family antioxidant enzymes that scavenge cellular peroxides and contribute to red-ox homeostasis. PRDXs are robustly expressed in various malignancies and critically involved in cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. To elucidate potential role of PRDXs in lymphoma, we studied their expression level in B cell-derived primary lymphoma cells as well as in cell lines. We found that PRDX1 and PRDX2 are upregulated in tumor B cells as compared with normal counterparts. Concomitant knockdown of PRDX1 and PRDX2 significantly attenuated the growth rate of lymphoma cells. Furthermore, in human Burkitt lymphoma cell lines, we isolated dimeric 2-cysteine peroxiredoxins as targets for SK053, a novel thiol-specific small-molecule peptidomimetic with antitumor activity. We observed that treatment of lymphoma cells with SK053 triggers formation of covalent PRDX dimers, accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species, phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and AKT and leads to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Based on site-directed mutagenesis and modeling studies, we propose a mechanism of SK053-mediated PRDX crosslinking, involving double thioalkylation of active site cysteine residues. Altogether, our results suggest that peroxiredoxins are novel therapeutic targets in Burkitt lymphoma and provide the basis for new approaches to the treatment of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Trzeciecka
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Szymon Klossowski
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Bajor
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Radoslaw Zagozdzon
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,Department of Bioinformatics, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Pawel Gaj
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Agata Malinowska
- Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Czerwoniec
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Joanna Barankiewicz
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,Department of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Antoni Domagala
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Justyna Chlebowska
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, Center of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Monika Prochorec-Sobieszek
- Department of Diagnostic Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Warsaw, Poland.,Department of Pathology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | | | | | - Jakub Golab
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dominika Nowis
- Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, Center of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,Genomic Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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8
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Carpenter C, Sorenson RJ, Jin Y, Klossowski S, Cierpicki T, Gnegy M, Showalter HD. Design and synthesis of triarylacrylonitrile analogues of tamoxifen with improved binding selectivity to protein kinase C. Bioorg Med Chem 2016; 24:5495-5504. [PMID: 27647375 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2016.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The clinical selective estrogen receptor modulator tamoxifen is also a modest inhibitor of protein kinase C, a target implicated in several untreatable brain diseases such as amphetamine abuse. This inhibition and tamoxifen's ability to cross the blood brain barrier make it an attractive scaffold to conduct further SAR studies toward uncovering effective therapies for such diseases. Utilizing the known compound 6a as a starting template and guided by computational tools to derive physicochemical properties known to be important for CNS permeable drugs, the design and synthesis of a small series of novel triarylacrylonitrile analogues have been carried out providing compounds with enhanced potency and selectivity for PKC over the estrogen receptor relative to tamoxifen. Shortened synthetic routes compared to classical procedures have been developed for analogues incorporating a β-phenyl ring, which involve installing dialkylaminoalkoxy side chains first off the α and/or α' rings of a precursor benzophenone and then condensing the resultant ketones with phenylacetonitrile anion. A second novel, efficient and versatile route utilizing Suzuki chemistry has also been developed, which will allow for the introduction of a wide range of β-aryl or β-heteroaryl moieties and side-chain substituents onto the acrylonitrile core. For analogues possessing a single side chain off the α- or α'-ring, novel 2D NMR experiments have been carried out that allow for unambiguous assignment of E- and Z-stereochemistry. From the SAR analysis, one compound, 6c, shows markedly increased potency and selectivity for inhibiting PKC with an IC50 of 80nM for inhibition of PKC protein substrate and >10μM for binding to the estrogen receptor α (tamoxifen IC50=20μM and 222nM, respectively). The data on 6c provide support for further exploration of PKC as a druggable target for the treatment of amphetamine abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen Carpenter
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Roderick J Sorenson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Yafei Jin
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Szymon Klossowski
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Tomasz Cierpicki
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Margaret Gnegy
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Hollis D Showalter
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
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9
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Nowis D, Chlebowska J, Gaj P, Lazniewski M, Firczuk M, Furs K, Sadowski R, Leszczynski P, Stawinski P, Klossowski S, Ostaszewski R, Giannopoulos K, Ploski R, Plewczynski D, Golab J. Abstract 5347: SK053, a small molecule inhibitor of enzymes involved in allosteric disulfide bonds formation, shows potent anti-leukemic effects and induces differentiation of human AML cells. Cancer Res 2015. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2015-5347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Although differentiation-inducing agents have significantly improved the management of acute promyelocytic leukemia, no significant progress has been made in the treatment of other acute myeloid leukemias (AML). Numerous proteins involved in tumor development have so-called allosteric disulfide bonds amenable to modifications affecting protein structure and function. We have developed SK053, a small molecule and mechanism-selective inhibitor of enzymes involved in allosteric disulfide bonds formation such as thioredoxin, thioredoxin reductase and protein disulfide isomerase (PDI). The aim of our studies was to evaluate anti-leukemic activity of SK053 in human AML cells.
To validate if SK053 targets PDI, a binding assay and an insulin turbidimetric activity assay were used. Cytostatic/cytotoxic effects in HL60, NB4, KG-1 and MOLM14 cells as well as in primary AML cells were assessed with trypan blue exclusion. Differentiation of AML cells was studied with May-Grünwald-Giemsa staining, nitro blue tetrazolium reduction assay and flow cytometry analysis of CD11b, CD14 and CD15 levels and by RNA sequencing, qRT-PCR and western blotting (WB).
We observed covalent binding of SK053 to PDI and inhibition of its enzymatic activity with IC50 of 10 μM. Since PDI blocks translation of CCAAT enhancer binding protein alpha (CEBPA), a transcription factor crucial for neutrophils maturation, we evaluated the potential of SK053 to induce differentiation and cytostatic/cytotoxic effects in human AML cells. SK053 exerts significant cytostatic/cytotoxic activity in human AML cells (HL60, NB4, KG-1 and MOLM14), and induces differentiation of AML blasts into more mature myeloid cells. Incubation of AML cells with SK053 induced expression of CEBPA and hexokinase 3 mRNA in quantitative RT-PCR and increased amount of CEBPA protein in nuclear fraction measured in WB. Finally, SK053 induces differentiation of primary leukemic cells freshly isolated from AML patients. RNA-seq analysis revealed that incubation of HL60 cells with SK053 down-regulates mRNA for MYC and ID1 oncogenes as well as for histone proteins. Expression of other genes of mature myeloid lineage such as adhesion molecules (collagen type XV, fibronectin I, MAC-1), hydrolytic enzymes (carboxypeptidase, proteinase 3, CA12 anhydrase, ADAM19 metalloprotease), proteoglycan 2 (core of eosinophilic granules) and PGLYRP3 (peptidoglycan recognition protein 3) was significantly up-regulated. The GeneOntology analysis done with the RNAseq results revealed enrichment of gene transcripts regulating myeloid cells differentiation.
SK053 exerts potent anti-leukemic activity and induces differentiation of numerous types of human AML cells. Targeting allosteric disulfide bonds with small molecule inhibitors presents a promising therapeutic strategy in AML.
Citation Format: Dominika Nowis, Justyna Chlebowska, Pawel Gaj, Michal Lazniewski, Malgorzata Firczuk, Karolina Furs, Radoslaw Sadowski, Pawel Leszczynski, Piotr Stawinski, Szymon Klossowski, Ryszard Ostaszewski, Krzysztof Giannopoulos, Rafal Ploski, Dariusz Plewczynski, Jakub Golab. SK053, a small molecule inhibitor of enzymes involved in allosteric disulfide bonds formation, shows potent anti-leukemic effects and induces differentiation of human AML cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 5347. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-5347
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominika Nowis
- 1Medical University of Warsaw, Center for New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Pawel Gaj
- 2Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jakub Golab
- 2Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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10
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Szymanski W, Zwolinska M, Klossowski S, Młynarczuk-Biały I, Biały L, Issat T, Malejczyk J, Ostaszewski R. Synthesis of novel, peptidic kinase inhibitors with cytostatic/cytotoxic activity. Bioorg Med Chem 2014; 22:1773-81. [PMID: 24507826 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2014.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2013] [Revised: 12/20/2013] [Accepted: 01/03/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The utility of a novel, chemoenzymatic procedure for the stereocontrolled synthesis of small peptides is presented in the preparation and structure optimisation of dipeptides with cytostatic/cytotoxic activity. The method uses Passerini multicomponent reaction for the preparation of racemic scaffold which is then enantioselectively hydrolysed by hydrolytic enzymes. Products of these transformations are further functionalised towards title compounds. Both activity and selectivity towards tumor cells is optimised. Final compound is shown to be an inhibitor of the protein kinase signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiktor Szymanski
- Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, Noakowskiego 3, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Magdalena Zwolinska
- Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, Noakowskiego 3, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Szymon Klossowski
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Izabela Młynarczuk-Biały
- Department of Histology and Embryology, The Medical University of Warsaw, 5 Chalubinskiego Str., 02-004 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Lukasz Biały
- Department of Histology and Embryology, The Medical University of Warsaw, 5 Chalubinskiego Str., 02-004 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tadeusz Issat
- Department of Immunology, The Medical university of Warsaw, 5 Chalubinskiego Str., 02-004 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jacek Malejczyk
- Department of Histology and Embryology, The Medical University of Warsaw, 5 Chalubinskiego Str., 02-004 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ryszard Ostaszewski
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
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