Functional characterization of cooperating MGA mutations in RUNX1::RUNX1T1 acute myeloid leukemia.

MGA (Max-gene associated) is a dual-specificity transcription factor that negatively regulates MYC-target genes to inhibit proliferation and promote differentiation. Loss-of-function mutations in MGA have been commonly identified in several hematological neoplasms, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with RUNX1::RUNX1T1, however, very little is known about the impact of these MGA alterations on normal hematopoiesis or disease progression. We show that representative MGA mutations identified in patient samples abolish protein-protein interactions and transcriptional activity. Using a series of human and mouse model systems, including a newly developed conditional knock-out mouse strain, we demonstrate that loss of MGA results in upregulation of MYC and E2F targets, cell cycle genes, mTOR signaling, and oxidative phosphorylation in normal hematopoietic cells, leading to enhanced proliferation. The loss of MGA induces an open chromatin state at promoters of genes involved in cell cycle and proliferation. RUNX1::RUNX1T1 expression in Mga-deficient murine hematopoietic cells leads to a more aggressive AML with a significantly shortened latency. These data show that MGA regulates multiple pro-proliferative pathways in hematopoietic cells and cooperates with the RUNX1::RUNX1T1 fusion oncoprotein to enhance leukemogenesis.

Functional Characterization of Cooperating MGA Mutations in RUNX1::RUNX1T1 Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

MGA (Max-gene associated) is a dual-specificity transcription factor that negatively regulates MYC-target genes to inhibit proliferation and promote differentiation. Loss-of-function mutations in MGA have been commonly identified in several hematological neoplasms, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with RUNX1::RUNX1T1, however, very little is known about the impact of these MGA alterations on normal hematopoiesis or disease progression. We show that representative MGA mutations identified in patient samples abolish protein-protein interactions and transcriptional activity. Using a series of human and mouse model systems, including a newly developed conditional knock-out mouse strain, we demonstrate that loss of MGA results in upregulation of MYC and E2F targets, cell cycle genes, mTOR signaling, and oxidative phosphorylation in normal hematopoietic cells, leading to enhanced proliferation. The loss of MGA induces an open chromatin state at promotors of genes involved in cell cycle and proliferation. RUNX1::RUNX1T1 expression in Mga-deficient murine hematopoietic cells leads to a more aggressive AML with a significantly shortened latency. These data show that MGA regulates multiple pro-proliferative pathways in hematopoietic cells and cooperates with the RUNX1::RUNX1 T1 fusion oncoprotein to enhance leukemogenesis.

Genomic profiling identifies genes and pathways dysregulated by HEY1-NCOA2 fusion and shines a light on mesenchymal chondrosarcoma tumorigenesis.

Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is a rare, high-grade, primitive mesenchymal tumor. It accounts for around 2-10% of all chondrosarcomas and mainly affects adolescents and young adults. We previously described the HEY1-NCOA2 as a recurrent gene fusion in mesenchymal chondrosarcoma, an important breakthrough for characterizing this disease; however, little study had been done to characterize the fusion protein functionally, in large part due to a lack of suitable models for evaluating the impact of HEY1-NCOA2 expression in the appropriate cellular context. We used iPSC-derived mesenchymal stem cells (iPSC-MSCs), which can differentiate into chondrocytes, and generated stable transduced iPSC-MSCs with inducible expression of HEY1-NCOA2 fusion protein, wildtype HEY1 or wildtype NCOA2. We next comprehensively analyzed both the DNA binding properties and transcriptional impact of HEY1-NCOA2 expression by integrating genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) and expression profiling (RNA-seq). We demonstrated that HEY1-NCOA2 fusion protein preferentially binds to promoter regions of canonical HEY1 targets, resulting in transactivation of HEY1 targets, and significantly enhances cell proliferation. Intriguingly, we identified that both PDGFB and PDGFRA were directly targeted and upregulated by HEY1-NCOA2; and the fusion protein, but not wildtype HEY1 or NCOA2, dramatically increased the level of phospho-AKT (Ser473). Our findings provide a rationale for exploring PDGF/PI3K/AKT inhibition in treating mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. © 2022 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Recent Advances in c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase (JNK) Inhibitors.

c-Jun N-Terminal Kinases (JNKs), members of the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, play a key role in the pathogenesis of many diseases including cancer, inflammation, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. Therefore, JNKs represent new and excellent target by therapeutic agents. Many JNK inhibitors based on different molecular scaffolds have been discovered in the past decade. However, only a few of them have advanced to clinical trials. The major obstacle for the development of JNK inhibitors as therapeutic agents is the JNKisoform selectivity. In this review, we describe the recent development of JNK inhibitors, including ATP competitive and ATP non-competitive (allosteric) inhibitors, bidentatebinding inhibitors and dual inhibitors, the challenges, and the future direction of JNK inhibitors as potential therapeutic agents.

Disruption of Aneuploidy and Senescence Induced by Aurora Inhibition Promotes Intrinsic Apoptosis in Double Hit or Double Expressor Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphomas.

Double hit (DH) or double expressor (DE) diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) are aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) with translocations and/or overexpressions of MYC and BCL-2, which are difficult to treat. Aurora kinase (AK) inhibition with alisertib in DH/DE-DLBCL induces cell death in ∼30%, while ∼70% are aneuploid and senescent cells (AASC), a mitotic escape mechanism contributing to drug resistance. These AASCs elaborated a high metabolic rate by increased AKT/mTOR and ERK/MAPK activity via BTK signaling through the chronic active B-cell receptor (BCR) pathway. Combinations of alisertib + ibrutinib or alisertib + ibrutinib + rituximab significantly reduced AASCs with enhanced intrinsic cell death. Inhibition of AK + BTK reduced phosphorylation of AKT/mTOR and ERK-1/2, upregulated phospho-H2A-X and Chk-2 (DNA damage), reduced Bcl-6, and decreased Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL and induced apoptosis by PARP cleavage. In a DE-DLBCL SCID mouse xenograft model, ibrutinib alone was inactive, while alisertib + ibrutinib was additive with a tumor growth inhibition (TGI) rate of ∼25%. However, TGI for ibrutinib + rituximab was ∼50% to 60%. In contrast, triple therapy showed a TGI rate of >90%. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that 67% of mice were alive at day 89 with triple therapy versus 20% with ibrutinib + rituximab. All treatments were well tolerated with no changes in body weights. A novel triple therapy consisting of alisertib + ibrutinib + rituximab inhibits AASCs induced by AK inhibition in DH/DE-DLBCL leading to a significant antiproliferative signal, enhanced intrinsic apoptosis and may be of therapeutic potential in these lymphomas. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(10); 2083-93. ©2017 AACR.

PF-04691502, a dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor has potent pre-clinical activity by inducing apoptosis and G1 cell cycle arrest in aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

The PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway is activated in a variety of human tumors including B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). Targeting this pathway has been validated in solid and hematological tumors. In the present study, we demonstrated that PF-04691502, a novel PI3K/mTOR inhibitor has potent activity in a panel of aggressive B-NHL cell lines including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). MTS analysis showed that PF-04691502 effectively inhibited cell proliferation with IC50 values ranging from 0.12 to 0.55 µM. Cells treated with PF-04691502 exhibited decreased phosphorylation of Akt and S6 ribosomal protein confirming the mechanism of action of a PI3K/mTOR inhibitor. Also, treatment of B-NHL cell lines with PF-04691502 induced apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, PF-04691502 significantly induced G1 cell cycle arrest associated with a decrease in cyclin D1 which contributed to suppression of cell proliferation. Finally, rituximab enhanced apoptosis induced by PF-04691502. Taken together, our findings provide for the first time that PF-04691502 inhibits the constitutively activated PI3K/mTOR pathway in aggressive B-cell NHL cell lines associated with inhibition of cell cycle progression, cell proliferation and promotion of apoptosis. These findings suggest that PF-04691502 is a novel therapeutic strategy in aggressive B-cell NHL and warrants early phase clinical trial evaluation with and without rituximab.

Reciprocal feedback inhibition of the androgen receptor and PI3K as a novel therapy for castrate-sensitive and -resistant prostate cancer.

Gain-of-function of the androgen receptor (AR) and activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway have been demonstrated to correlate with progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). However, inhibition of AR or PI3K/mTOR alone results in a reciprocal feedback activation. Therefore, we hypothesized that dual inhibition of the AR and PI3K/mTOR pathway might lead to a synergistic inhibition of cell growth and overcome drug resistance in CRPC. Here, we reported that androgen-depletion increased AR protein level and Akt phosphorylation at Ser473 and Thr308 in LNCaP cells. Moreover, we developed resistance cell lines of LNCaP to Enzalutamide (or MDV3100), an AR inhibitor (named as LNCaP 'MDV-R') and PF-04691502, a PI3K/mTOR inhibitor (named as LNCaP 'PF-R'). MTS analysis showed that LNCaP 'PF-R' was strongly resistant to Enzalutamide treatment, and on the other hand, LNCaP 'MDV-R' was 6-fold resistant to PF-04691502 treatment. Mechanistically, LNCaP 'MDV-R' cells had significantly reduced AR, loss of PSA and increase Akt activity in contrast with LNCaP 'PF-R' cells. Combined inhibition of PI3K/mTOR and AR pathways with a variety of small molecular inhibitors led to a synergistic suppression of cell proliferation and a profound increase of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in both androgen-dependent LNCaP and independent CRPC 22Rv1 cell lines. In conclusion, this study provides preclinical proof-of-concept that the combination of a PI3K/mTOR inhibitor with an AR inhibitor results in a synergistic anti-tumor response in non-CRPC and CRPC models.

Fragment-Based Discovery of a Dual pan-RET/VEGFR2 Kinase Inhibitor Optimized for Single-Agent Polypharmacology.

Oncogenic conversion of the RET (rearranged during transfection) tyrosine kinase is associated with several cancers. A fragment-based chemical screen led to the identification of a novel RET inhibitor, Pz-1. Modeling and kinetic analysis identified Pz-1 as a type II tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is able to bind the "DFG-out" conformation of the kinase. Importantly, from a single-agent polypharmacology standpoint, Pz-1 was shown to be active on VEGFR2, which can block the blood supply required for RET-stimulated growth. In cell-based assays, 1.0 nM of Pz-1 strongly inhibited phosphorylation of all tested RET oncoproteins. At 1.0 mg kg(-1) day(-1) per os, Pz-1 abrogated the formation of tumors induced by RET-mutant fibroblasts and blocked the phosphorylation of both RET and VEGFR2 in tumor tissue. Pz-1 featured no detectable toxicity at concentrations of up to 100.0 mg kg(-1), which indicates a large therapeutic window. This study validates the effectiveness and usefulness of a medicinal chemistry/polypharmacology approach to obtain an inhibitor capable of targeting multiple oncogenic pathways.

Novel receptor tyrosine kinase targeted combination therapies for imatinib-resistant gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).

BACKGROUND: c-Kit/α-PDGFR targeted therapies are effective for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), but, >50% develop drug resistance. METHODS: RTK expression (c-Kit, c-Met, AXL, HER-1, HER-2, IGF-1R) in pre-/post-imatinib (IM) GIST patient samples (n=16) and 4 GIST cell lines were examined for RTK inhibitor activity. GIST-882 cells were cultured in IM every other day, cells collected (1 week to 6 months) and analyzed by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry pre-/post-IM demonstrated continued expression of c-Kit and HER1, while a subset expressed IGF-1R, c-Met and AXL. In GIST cells (GIST-882, GIST430/654, GIST48) c-Kit, HER1 and c-Met are co-expressed. Acute IM over-express c-Kit while chronic IM, lose c-Kit and HER-1 in GIST882 cells. GIST882 and GIST430/654 cells have an IC50 0.077 and 0.59 µM to IM respectively. GIST48 have an IC50 0.66 µM to IM, 0.91 µM to amuvatinib [AMU] and 0.67 µM to erlotinib (Erl). Synergistic combinations: GIST882, AMU + Erl (CI 0.20); IM + AMU (CI 0.50), GIST430/654, IM + afatinib (CI 0.39); IM + AMU (CI 0.42), GIST48, IM + afatinib (CI 0.03); IM + AMU (CI 0.04); AMU + afatinib (CI 0.36); IM + Erl (CI 0.63). CONCLUSION: Targeting c-Kit plus HER1 or AXL/c-Met abrogates IM resistance in GIST.

p53 suppresses 14-3-3γ by stimulating proteasome-mediated 14-3-3γ protein degradation.

14-3-3 proteins are a family of highly conserved polypeptides that interact with a large number of proteins and play a role in a wide variety of cellular processes. 14-3-3 proteins have been demonstrated overexpressed in several cancers and serving as potential oncogenes. In a previous study we showed one isoform of the 14-3-3 family, 14-3-3γ was negatively regulated by p53 through binding to its promoter and inhibiting its transcription. In the present study we investigated both p53 and 14-3-3γ protein levels in human lung cancerous tissues and normal lung tissues. We found 14-3-3γ expression correlated to p53 overexpression in lung cancer tissues. Ecotopic expression of wild-type p53, but not mutant p53 (R175H) suppressed both endogenous and exogenous 14-3-3γ in colon and lung cancer cell lines. Further examination demonstrated that p53 interacted with C-terminal domain of 14-3-3γ and induced 14-3-3γ ubiquitination. MG132, a specific inhibitor of the 26S proteasome, could block the effect of p53 on 14-3-3γ protein levels, suggesting that p53 suppressed 14-3-3γ by stimulating the process of proteasome-mediated degradation of 14-3-3γ. These results indicate that the inhibitory effect of p53 on 14-3-3γ is mediated also by a post-transcriptional mechanism. Loss of p53 function may result in upregulation of 14-3-3γ in lung cancers.

Genetic and cytokine changes associated with symptomatic stages of CLL.

The pathogenesis and drug resistance of symptomatic CLL patients involves genetic changes associated with the CLL clone as well as changes within the microenvironment. To further understand these processes, we compared early stage CLL to symptomatic late stage using gene expression and serum cytokine profiling to gain insight of the genetic and microenvironment changes associated with the most severe form of the disease. Patients were classified into low stage (Rai stage 0/I/II) and high stage (Rai stage III/IV). Gene expression profiles were obtained on pretreatment samples using the HG-U133A 2.0 Affymetrix platform. A comparison of low versus high stage CLL revealed a set of 21 genes differentially expressed genes. 15 genes were up regulated in the high stage compared to low stage while 6 genes were down regulated. Analysis of GO molecular function revealed 9 of 21 genes were involved in transcription factor activity. Serum cytokine profiles showed six cytokines to be significantly different in high stage patients. Two chemokines, SDF-1/CXCL12 and uPAR known to be involved in stem cell mobilization and homing were increased in serum of high stage patients. This study has identified therapeutic targets for symptomatic CLL patients.

Alisertib added to rituximab and vincristine is synthetic lethal and potentially curative in mice with aggressive DLBCL co-overexpressing MYC and BCL2.

Pearson correlation coefficient for expression analysis of the Lymphoma/Leukemia Molecular Profiling Project (LLMPP) demonstrated Aurora A and B are highly correlated with MYC in DLBCL and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), while both Auroras correlate with BCL2 only in DLBCL. Auroras are up-regulated by MYC dysregulation with associated aneuploidy and resistance to microtubule targeted agents such as vincristine. Myc and Bcl2 are differentially expressed in U-2932, TMD-8, OCI-Ly10 and Granta-519, but only U-2932 cells over-express mutated p53. Alisertib [MLN8237 or M], a highly selective small molecule inhibitor of Aurora A kinase, was synergistic with vincristine [VCR] and rituximab [R] for inhibition of cell proliferation, abrogation of cell cycle checkpoints and enhanced apoptosis versus single agent or doublet therapy. A DLBCL (U-2932) mouse model showed tumor growth inhibition (TGI) of ∼ 10-20% (p = 0.001) for M, VCR and M-VCR respectively, while R alone showed ∼ 50% TGI (p = 0.001). M-R and VCR-R led to tumor regression [TR], but relapsed 10 days after discontinuing therapy. In contrast, M-VCR-R demonstrated TR with no relapse >40 days after stopping therapy with a Kaplan-Meier survival of 100%. Genes that are modulated by M-VCR-R (CENP-C, Auroras) play a role in centromere-kinetochore function in an attempt to maintain mitosis in the presence of synthetic lethality. Together, our data suggest that the interaction between alisertib plus VCR plus rituximab is synergistic and synthetic lethal in Myc and Bcl-2 co-expressing DLBCL. Alisertib plus vincristine plus rituximab [M-VCR-R] may represent a new strategy for DLBCL therapy.

Alisertib (MLN8237) an investigational agent suppresses Aurora A and B activity, inhibits proliferation, promotes endo-reduplication and induces apoptosis in T-NHL cell lines supporting its importance in PTCL treatment.

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL) are a diverse group of rare non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) that carry a poor prognosis and are in need of effective therapies. Alisertib (MLN8237) an investigational agent that inhibits Aurora A Ser/Thr kinase has shown activity in PTCL patients. Here we demonstrate that aurora A and B are highly expressed in T-cell lymphoma cell lines. In PTCL patient samples aurora A was positive in 3 of 24 samples and co-expressed with aurora B. Aurora B was positive in tumor cells in 22 of 32 samples. Of the subtypes of PTCL, aurora B was over-expressed in PTCL (NOS) [73%], T-NHL [100%], ALCL (Alk-Neg) [100%] and AITL [100%]. Treatment with MLN8237 inhibited PTCL cell proliferation in CRL-2396 and TIB-48 cells with an IC50 of 80-100nM. MLN8237 induced endo-reduplication in a dose and time dependent manner in PTCL cell lines leading to apoptosis demonstrated by flow cytometry and PARP-cleavage at concentrations achieved in early phase clinical trials. Moreover, inhibition of HisH3 and aurora A phosphorylation was dose dependent and strongly correlated with endo-reduplication. The data provide a sound rationale for aurora inhibition in PTCL as a therapeutic modality and warrants clinical trial evaluation.

Aurora A inhibitor (MLN8237) plus vincristine plus rituximab is synthetic lethal and a potential curative therapy in aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

PURPOSE: Aurora A and B are oncogenic serine/threonine kinases that regulate mitosis. Overexpression of Auroras promotes resistance to microtubule-targeted agents. We investigated mechanistic synergy by inhibiting the mitotic spindle apparatus in the presence of MLN8237 [M], an Aurora A inhibitor with either vincristine [MV] or docetaxel [MD] in aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). The addition of rituximab [R] to MV or MD was evaluated for synthetic lethality. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Aggressive B-NHL cell subtypes were evaluated in vitro and in vivo for target modulation and anti-NHL activity with single agents, doublets, and triplets by analyzing cell proliferation, apoptosis, tumor growth, survival, and mechanisms of response/relapse by gene expression profiling with protein validation. RESULTS: MV is synergistic whereas MD is additive for cell proliferation inhibition in B-NHL cell culture models. Addition of rituximab to MV is superior to MD, but both significantly induce apoptosis compared with doublet therapy. Mouse xenograft models of mantle cell lymphoma showed modest single-agent activity for MLN8237, rituximab, docetaxel, and vincristine with tumor growth inhibition (TGI) of approximately 10% to 15%. Of the doublets, MV caused tumor regression, whereas TGI was observed with MD (approximately 55%-60%) and MR (approximately 25%-50%), respectively. Although MV caused tumor regression, mice relapsed 20 days after stopping therapy. In contrast, MVR was curative, whereas MDR led to TGI of approximately 85%. Proliferation cell nuclear antigen, Aurora B, cyclin B1, cyclin D1, and Bcl-2 proteins of harvested tumors confirmed response and resistance to therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Addition of rituximab to MV is a novel therapeutic strategy for aggressive B-NHL and warrants clinical trial evaluation.

AT9283, a novel aurora kinase inhibitor, suppresses tumor growth in aggressive B-cell lymphomas.

Aurora kinases are oncogenic serine/threonine kinases that play key roles in regulating the mitotic phase of the eukaryotic cell cycle. Auroras are overexpressed in numerous tumors including B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and are validated oncology targets. AT9283, a pan-aurora inhibitor inhibited growth and survival of multiple solid tumors in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we demonstrated that AT9283 had potent activity against Aurora B in a variety of aggressive B-(non-Hodgkin lymphoma) B-NHL cell lines. Cells treated with AT9283 exhibited endoreduplication confirming the mechanism of action of an Aurora B inhibitor. Also, treatment of B-NHL cell lines with AT9283 induced apoptosis in a dose and time dependent manner and inhibited cell proliferation with an IC(50) < 1 µM. It is well known that inhibition of auroras (A or B) synergistically enhances the effects of microtubule targeting agents such as taxanes and vinca alkaloids to induce antiproliferation and apoptosis. We evaluated whether AT9283 in combination with docetaxel is more efficient in inducing apoptosis than AT9283 or docetaxel alone. At very low doses (5 nM) apoptosis was doubled in the combination (23%) compared to AT9283 or docetaxel alone (10%). A mouse xenograft model of mantle cell lymphoma demonstrated that AT9283 at 15 mg/kg and docetaxel (10 mg/kg) alone had modest anti-tumor activity. However, AT9283 at 20 mg/kg and AT9283 (15 or 20 mg/kg) plus docetaxel (10 mg/kg) demonstrated a statistically significant tumor growth inhibition and enhanced survival. Together, our results suggest that AT9283 plus docetaxel may represent a novel therapeutic strategy in B-cell NHL and warrant early phase clinical trial evaluation.

An analog of withaferin A activates the MAPK and glutathione "stress" pathways and inhibits pancreatic cancer cell proliferation.

Withaferin A (WA) (1) and two analogs [4-epi-withaferin A (2) and 4,27-diacetyl-4-epi-withaferin A (3)] were evaluated for antitumor activity in pancreatic cancer cells. IC(50) for 1, 2, and 3 were 0.87, 0.45, and 0.29 ?M (BxPC-3); 1.28, 1.53, and 0.52 ?M (MIAPaCa-2); and 0.59, 2.25, and 0.56 ?M (PANC-1), respectively. We chose WA analog 3 for functional studies with confirmatory RT-PCR and Western blotting. ANOVA identified 33 (MIAPaCa-2), 54 (PANC-1), and 48 (BxPC-3) gene expression changes. Fisher exact test demonstrated MAPK and glutathione pathways to be overexpressed with WA analog 3. WA analog 3 elicits a dose- and time-dependent apoptosis, activates MAPK and glutathione ?stress? pathways, and inhibits proliferation.

P53 suppresses expression of the 14-3-3 gamma oncogene.

BACKGROUND: 14-3-3 proteins are a family of highly conserved proteins that are involved in a wide range of cellular processes. Recent evidence indicates that some of these proteins have oncogenic activity and that they may promote tumorigenesis. We previously showed that one of the 14-3-3 family members, 14-3-3 gamma, is over expressed in human lung cancers and that it can induce transformation of rodent cells in vitro. METHODS: qRTPCR and Western blot analysis were performed to examine 14-3-3 gamma expression in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). Gene copy number was analyzed by qPCR. P53 mutations were detected by direct sequencing and also by western blot. CHIP and yeast one hybrid assays were used to detect p53 binding to 14-3-3 gamma promoter. RESULTS: Quantitative rtPCR results showed that the expression level of 14-3-3 gamma was elevated in the majority of NSCLC that we examined which was also consistent with protein expression. Further analysis of the expression pattern of 14-3-3 gamma in lung tumors showed a correlation with p53 mutations suggesting that p53 might suppress 14-3-3 gamma expression. Analysis of the gamma promoter sequence revealed the presence of a p53 consensus binding motif and in vitro assays demonstrated that wild-type p53 bound to this motif when activated by ionizing radiation. Deletion of the p53 binding motif eliminated p53's ability to suppress 14-3-3 gamma expression. CONCLUSION: Increased expression of 14-3-3 gamma in lung cancer coincides with loss of functional p53. Hence, we propose that 14-3-3 gamma's oncogenic activities cooperate with loss of p53 to promote lung tumorigenesis.

Aurora inhibitor MLN8237 in combination with docetaxel enhances apoptosis and anti-tumor activity in mantle cell lymphoma.

Auroras (A and B) are oncogenic serine/threonine kinases that play key roles in the mitotic phase of the eukaryotic cell cycle. Analysis of the leukemia lymphoma molecular profiling project (LLMPP) database indicates Aurora over-expression correlates with poor prognosis. A tissue microarray (TMA) composed of 20 paired mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) patients demonstrated >75% of patients had high levels Aurora expression. Aurora A and B were also found elevated in 13 aggressive B-NHL cell lines. MLN8237, an Aurora inhibitor induced G2/M arrest with polyploidy and abrogated Aurora A and histone-H3 phosphorylation. MLN8237 inhibited aggressive B-NHL cell proliferation at an IC(50) of 10-50 nM and induced apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Low dose combinations of MLN8237+docetaxel enhanced apoptosis by ~3-4-fold in cell culture compared to single agents respectively. A mouse xenograft model of MCL demonstrated that MLN8237 (10 or 30 mg/kg) or docetaxel (10mg/kg) alone had modest anti-tumor activity. However, MLN8237 plus docetaxel demonstrated a statistically significant tumor growth inhibition and enhanced survival compared to single agent therapy. Together, our results suggest that MLN8237 plus docetaxel may represent a novel therapeutic strategy that could be evaluated in early phase trials in relapsed/refractory aggressive B-cell NHL.

FNC, a novel nucleoside analogue inhibits cell proliferation and tumor growth in a variety of human cancer cells.

Inhibition of cellular DNA synthesis is a strategy to block cancer cell division. Nucleoside analogues can incorporate into DNA and terminate DNA strand elongation. So far, several nucleoside analogues have been successfully used as anticancer drugs. FNC, 2'-deoxy-2'-ß-fluoro-4'-azidocytidine is a novel cytidine analogue which demonstrated potent activity against hepatitis C virus (HCV). To investigate the therapeutic potential of FNC in human cancers we studied its activity in a number of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. FNC potently inhibited cell proliferation with an IC(50) of 0.95-4.55µM in a variety of aggressive human cancer cell lines including B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, lung adenocarcinoma and acute myeloid leukemia. Cells treated with FNC exhibited G1 and S cell cycle arrest at high and low dose, respectively, which confirms the mechanism of action of nucleoside analogues. Treatment of B-NHL cell lines with FNC induced apoptosis in a dose and time dependent manner. Finally, mouse xenograft models of hepatocarcinoma (H22), sarcoma (S180) and gastric carcinoma (SGC7901) demonstrated that FNC had significant tumor growth inhibition activity in a dose-dependent manner with low toxicity. Together, our results suggest that FNC may be a valuable therapy in cancer patients and warrant early phase clinical trial evaluation.

AT7519, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, exerts its effects by transcriptional inhibition in leukemia cell lines and patient samples.

AT7519 is a potent inhibitor of several cyclin-dependent kinases and is currently in early phase clinical development. Recently, cyclin-dependent kinases 7, 8, and 9 have been shown to regulate transcription through phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II. B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia, rely on the expression of transcripts with a short half-life, such as Mcl-1, Bcl-2, and XIAP, for survival. Here, we describe the characterization of AT7519 in leukemia cell lines, and compare and contrast the response in cell lines derived from solid tumors. Finally, we use these mechanistic insights to show activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from 16 chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients. AT7519 induced apoptosis at concentrations of 100 to 700 nmol/L and was equally effective regardless of Rai stage or known prognostic markers. Short-term treatments (4-6 hours) resulted in inhibition of phosphorylation of the transcriptional marker RNA polymerase II and downregulation of the antiapoptotic protein Mcl-1, with no effect on either XIAP or Bcl-2 levels. The reduction in Mcl-1 protein level was associated with an increase in cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Together the data suggest AT7519 offers a promising treatment for patients with advanced B-cell leukemia. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(4); 920-8. (c)2010 AACR.