Transcriptomics analysis identified ezrin as a potential druggable target in cervical and gastric cancer cells.

OBJECTIVE: Cancer genomics and transcriptomics studies have provided a large volume of data that enables to test of hypotheses based on real data from cancer patients. Ezrin (encoded by the EZR gene) is a highly expressed protein in cancer that contributes to linking the actin cytoskeleton to the cell membrane and signal transduction pathways involved in oncogenesis and disease progression. NSC305787 is a pharmacological ezrin inhibitor with potential antineoplastic effects. In the present study, the authors prospected EZR mRNA levels in a pan-cancer analysis and identified potential cancers that could benefit from anti-EZR therapies. METHODS: This study analyzed TCGA data for 32 cancer types, emphasizing cervical squamous cell carcinoma and stomach adenocarcinoma. It investigated the impact of EZR transcript levels on clinical outcomes and identified differentially expressed genes. Cell lines were treated with NSC305787, and its effects were assessed through various cellular and molecular assays. RESULTS: EZR mRNA levels are highly expressed, and their expression is associated with biologically relevant molecular processes in cervical squamous carcinoma and stomach adenocarcinoma. In cellular models of cervical and gastric cancer, NSC305787 reduces cell viability and clonal growth (p < 0.05). Molecular analyses indicate that the pharmacological inhibition of EZR induces molecular markers of cell death and DNA damage, in addition, to promoting the expression of genes associated with apoptosis and inhibiting the expression of genes related to survival and proliferation. CONCLUSION: The present findings provide promising evidence that ezrin may be a molecular target in the treatment of cervical and gastric carcinoma.

Potency and efficacy of pharmacological PIP4K2 inhibitors in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a complex malignancy, displays varying expression profiles of PIP4K2-related genes in adult patients. While PIP4K2A expression is elevated in ALL bone marrow cells compared to healthy bone marrow cells, PIP4K2B is downregulated, and PIP4K2C remains relatively unchanged. Despite the correlation between increased PIP4K2A expression and increased percentage of peripheral blood blasts, clinical outcomes do not strongly correlate with the expression of these genes. Here we investigated the therapeutic potential of three PIP4K2 inhibitors (THZ-P1-2, a131, and CC260) in ALL cell models. THZ-P1-2 emerges as the most effective inhibitor, inducing cell death and mitochondrial damage while reducing cell viability and metabolism significantly. Comparative analyses highlight the superior efficacy of THZ-P1-2 over a131 and CC260. Notably, THZ-P1-2 uniquely disrupts autophagic flux and inhibits the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, indicating a distinct molecular mechanism. In summary, our findings elucidate the differential expression of PIP4K2-related genes in ALL and underscore the potential role of PIP4K2A in disease pathogenesis. The therapeutic promise of THZ-P1-2 in ALL treatment, along with its distinct effects on cell death mechanisms and signaling pathways, enriches our understanding of PIP4K2's involvement in ALL development and offers targeted therapy prospects.

Comprehensive analysis of the HCK gene in myeloid neoplasms: Insights into biological functions, prognosis, and response to antineoplastic agents.

Myeloid neoplasms result from molecular alterations in hematopoietic stem cells, with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) being one of the most aggressive and with a poor prognosis. Hematopoietic cell kinase (HCK) is a proto-oncogene that encodes a protein-tyrosine kinase of the Scr family, and it is highly expressed in AML. The present study investigated HCK expression in normal hematopoietic cells across myeloid differentiation stages and myeloid neoplasm patients. Within the AML cohort, we explored the impact of HCK expression on clinical outcomes and its correlation with clinical, genetic, and laboratory characteristics. Furthermore, we evaluated the association between HCK expression and the response to antineoplastic agents using ex vivo assay data from AML patients. HCK expression is higher in differentiated subpopulations of myeloid cells. High HCK expression was observed in patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, and AML. In patients with AML, high levels of HCK negatively impacted overall and disease-free survival. High HCK expression was also associated with worse molecular risk groups and white blood cell count; however, it was not an independent prognostic factor. In functional genomic analyses, high HCK expression was associated with several biological and molecular processes relevant to leukemogenesis. HCK expression was also associated with sensitivity and resistance to several drugs currently used in the clinic. In conclusion, our analysis confirmed the differential expression of HCK in myeloid neoplasms and its potential association with unfavorable molecular risks in AML. We also provide new insights into HCK biological functions, prognosis, and response to antineoplastic agents.

Pharmacological Inhibition of PIP4K2 Potentiates Venetoclax-Induced Apoptosis in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Phosphatidylinositol-5-phosphate 4-kinase type 2 (PIP4K2) protein family members (PIP4K2A, PIP4K2B, and PIP4K2C) participate in the generation of PIP4,5P2, which acts as a secondary messenger in signal transduction, a substrate for metabolic processes, and has structural functions. In patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), high PIP4K2A and PIP4K2C levels are independent markers of a worse prognosis. Recently, our research group reported that THZ-P1-2 (PIP4K2 pan-inhibitor) exhibits anti-leukemic activity by disrupting mitochondrial homeostasis and autophagy in AML models. In the present study, we characterized the expression of PIP4K2 in the myeloid compartment of hematopoietic cells, as well as in AML cell lines and clinical samples with different genetic abnormalities. In ex vivo assays, PIP4K2 expression levels were related to sensitivity and resistance to several antileukemia drugs and highlighted the association between high PIP4K2A levels and resistance to venetoclax. The combination of THZ-P1-2 and venetoclax showed potentiating effects in reducing viability and inducing apoptosis in AML cells. A combined treatment differentially modulated multiple genes, including TAp73, BCL2, MCL1, and BCL2A1. In summary, our study identified the correlation between the expression of PIP4K2 and the response to antineoplastic agents in ex vivo assays in AML and exposed vulnerabilities that may be exploited in combined therapies, which could result in better therapeutic responses.

NSC305787, a pharmacological ezrin inhibitor, exhibits antineoplastic activity in pancreatic cancer cells.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal human neoplasms, and despite advances in the understanding of the molecular complexity involved in the development and progression of this disease, little of this new information has been translated into improvements in therapy and prognosis. Ezrin (EZR) is a protein that regulates multiple cellular functions, including cell proliferation, survival, morphogenesis, adhesion, and motility. In pancreatic cancer, EZR is highly expressed and reflects an unfavorable prognosis, whereas EZR silencing ameliorates the malignant phenotype of pancreatic cancer cells. NSC305787 was identified as a pharmacological EZR inhibitor with favorable pharmacokinetics and antineoplastic activity. Here, we endeavored to investigate the impact of EZR expression on survival outcomes and its associations with molecular and biological characteristics in The Cancer Genome Atlas pancreatic adenocarcinoma cohort. We also assessed the potential antineoplastic effects of NSC305787 in pancreatic cancer cell lines. High EZR expression was an independent predictor of worse survival outcomes. Functional genomics analysis indicated that EZR contributes to multiple cancer-related pathways, including PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling, NOTCH signaling, estrogen-mediated signaling, and apoptosis. In pancreatic cells, NSC305787 reduced cell viability, clonal growth, and migration. Our exploratory molecular studies identified that NSC305787 modulates the expression and activation of key regulators of the cell cycle, proliferation, DNA damage, and apoptosis, favoring a tumor-suppressive molecular network. In conclusion, EZR expression is an independent prognosis marker in pancreatic cancer. Our study identifies a novel molecular axis underlying the antineoplastic activity of NSC305787 and provides insights into the development of therapeutic strategies for pancreatic cancer.