Discovery of HC-7366: An Orally Bioavailable and Efficacious GCN2 Kinase Activator.

A series of activators of GCN2 (general control nonderepressible 2) kinase have been developed, leading to HC-7366, which has entered the clinic as an antitumor therapy. Optimization resulted in improved permeability compared to that of the original indazole hinge binding scaffold, while maintaining potency at GCN2 and selectivity over PERK (protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase). The improved ADME properties of this series led to robust in vivo compound exposure in both rats and mice, allowing HC-7366 to be dosed in xenograft models, demonstrating that activation of the GCN2 pathway by this compound leads to tumor growth inhibition.

Netrin-1 feedforward mechanism promotes pancreatic cancer liver metastasis via hepatic stellate cell activation, retinoid, and ELF3 signaling.

The biology of metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is distinct from that of the primary tumor due to changes in cell plasticity governed by a distinct transcriptome. Therapeutic strategies that target this distinct biology are needed. We detect an upregulation of the neuronal axon guidance molecule Netrin-1 in PDAC liver metastases that signals through its dependence receptor (DR), uncoordinated-5b (Unc5b), to facilitate metastasis in vitro and in vivo. The mechanism of Netrin-1 induction involves a feedforward loop whereby Netrin-1 on the surface of PDAC-secreted extracellular vesicles prepares the metastatic niche by inducing hepatic stellate cell activation and retinoic acid secretion that in turn upregulates Netrin-1 in disseminated tumor cells via RAR/RXR and Elf3 signaling. While this mechanism promotes PDAC liver metastasis, it also identifies a therapeutic vulnerability, as it can be targeted using anti-Netrin-1 therapy to inhibit metastasis using the Unc5b DR cell death mechanism.

PERK Inhibition by HC-5404 Sensitizes Renal Cell Carcinoma Tumor Models to Antiangiogenic Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors.

PURPOSE: Tumors activate protein kinase R (PKR)-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK, also called EIF2AK3) in response to hypoxia and nutrient deprivation as a stress-mitigation strategy. Here, we tested the hypothesis that inhibiting PERK with HC-5404 enhances the antitumor efficacy of standard-of-care VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (VEGFR-TKI). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: HC-5404 was characterized as a potent and selective PERK inhibitor, with favorable in vivo properties. Multiple renal cell carcinoma (RCC) tumor models were then cotreated with both HC-5404 and VEGFR-TKI in vivo, measuring tumor volume across time and evaluating tumor response by protein analysis and IHC. RESULTS: VEGFR-TKI including axitinib, cabozantinib, lenvatinib, and sunitinib induce PERK activation in 786-O RCC xenografts. Cotreatment with HC-5404 inhibited PERK in tumors and significantly increased antitumor effects of VEGFR-TKI across multiple RCC models, resulting in tumor stasis or regression. Analysis of tumor sections revealed that HC-5404 enhanced the antiangiogenic effects of axitinib and lenvatinib by inhibiting both new vasculature and mature tumor blood vessels. Xenografts that progress on axitinib monotherapy remain sensitive to the combination treatment, resulting in ∼20% tumor regression in the combination group. When tested across a panel of 18 RCC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, the combination induced greater antitumor effects relative to monotherapies. In this single animal study, nine out of 18 models responded with ≥50% tumor regression from baseline in the combination group. CONCLUSIONS: By disrupting an adaptive stress response evoked by VEGFR-TKI, HC-5404 presents a clinical opportunity to improve the antitumor effects of well-established standard-of-care therapies in RCC.

U1 Adaptors Suppress the KRAS-MYC Oncogenic Axis in Human Pancreatic Cancer Xenografts.

Targeting KRAS and MYC has been a tremendous challenge in cancer drug development. Genetic studies in mouse models have validated the efficacy of silencing expression of both KRAS and MYC in mutant KRAS-driven tumors. We investigated the therapeutic potential of a new oligonucleotide-mediated gene silencing technology (U1 Adaptor) targeting KRAS and MYC in pancreatic cancer. Nanoparticles in complex with anti-KRAS U1 Adaptors (U1-KRAS) showed remarkable inhibition of KRAS in different human pancreatic cancer cell lines in vitro and in vivo As a nanoparticle-free approach is far easier to develop into a drug, we refined the formulation of U1 Adaptors by conjugating them to tumor-targeting peptides (iRGD and cRGD). Peptides coupled to fluorescently tagged U1 Adaptors showed selective tumor localization in vivo Efficacy experiments in pancreatic cancer xenograft models showed highly potent (>90%) antitumor activity of both iRGD and (cRGD)2-KRAS Adaptors. U1 Adaptors targeting MYC inhibited pancreatic cancer cell proliferation caused by apoptosis in vitro (40%-70%) and tumor regressions in vivo Comparison of iRGD-conjugated U1 KRAS and U1 MYC Adaptors in vivo revealed a significantly greater degree of cleaved caspase-3 staining and decreased Ki67 staining as compared with controls. There was no significant difference in efficacy between the U1 KRAS and U1 MYC Adaptor groups. Our results validate the value in targeting both KRAS and MYC in pancreatic cancer therapeutics and provide evidence that the U1 Adaptor technology can be successfully translated using a nanoparticle-free delivery system to target two undruggable genes in cancer. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(8); 1445-55. ©2017 AACR.

Insights into immune system development and function from mouse T-cell repertoires.

The ability of the adaptive immune system to respond to arbitrary pathogens stems from the broad diversity of immune cell surface receptors. This diversity originates in a stochastic DNA editing process (VDJ recombination) that acts on the surface receptor gene each time a new immune cell is created from a stem cell. By analyzing T-cell receptor (TCR) sequence repertoires taken from the blood and thymus of mice of different ages, we quantify the changes in the VDJ recombination process that occur from embryo to young adult. We find a rapid increase with age in the number of random insertions and a dramatic increase in diversity. Because the blood accumulates thymic output over time, blood repertoires are mixtures of different statistical recombination processes, and we unravel the mixture statistics to obtain a picture of the time evolution of the early immune system. Sequence repertoire analysis also allows us to detect the statistical impact of selection on the output of the VDJ recombination process. The effects we find are nearly identical between thymus and blood, suggesting that our analysis mainly detects selection for proper folding of the TCR receptor protein. We further find that selection is weaker in laboratory mice than in humans and it does not affect the diversity of the repertoire.

The Evolution of Tumors in Mice and Humans with Germline p53 Mutations.

Mice with a homozygous p53 gene deletion develop thymic lymphomas by 9 wk of age. Using the sequence of the rearranged T-cell receptor gene from each clone of cells in the thymus, one can determine the number of independent transformation events. These tumors are oligoclonal, occurring at a frequency of 0.13-0.8 new cancer clones per day. By 20 wk only a few clones are detected, indicating competition among transformed cell clones. DNA sequencing of these tumors demonstrates a point mutation frequency of one per megabase and many genes that are consistently amplified or deleted in independent tumors. The tumors begin with an inherited p53 gene deletion. Next is a PTEN mutation in a stem cell or progenitor cell, before the rearrangement of the T-cell receptor. After that, the T-cell clone selects gene amplifications in cyclin D and cdk-6, and in Ikaros in the Notch pathway. Humans heterozygous for the p53 mutant gene in the germline (Li-Fraumeni syndrome) develop cancers at an early age. The penetrance of heterozygous p53 mutations is ∼93% of individuals developing tumors over their lives. At older ages the remaining 7% of this Li-Fraumeni population actually have a lower risk of developing tumors than the population at large with wild-type p53 genes.

Pancreatic cancer modeling using retrograde viral vector delivery and in vivo CRISPR/Cas9-mediated somatic genome editing.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a genomically diverse, prevalent, and almost invariably fatal malignancy. Although conventional genetically engineered mouse models of human PDAC have been instrumental in understanding pancreatic cancer development, these models are much too labor-intensive, expensive, and slow to perform the extensive molecular analyses needed to adequately understand this disease. Here we demonstrate that retrograde pancreatic ductal injection of either adenoviral-Cre or lentiviral-Cre vectors allows titratable initiation of pancreatic neoplasias that progress into invasive and metastatic PDAC. To enable in vivo CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene inactivation in the pancreas, we generated a Cre-regulated Cas9 allele and lentiviral vectors that express Cre and a single-guide RNA. CRISPR-mediated targeting of Lkb1 in combination with oncogenic Kras expression led to selection for inactivating genomic alterations, absence of Lkb1 protein, and rapid tumor growth that phenocopied Cre-mediated genetic deletion of Lkb1. This method will transform our ability to rapidly interrogate gene function during the development of this recalcitrant cancer.

The evolution of thymic lymphomas in p53 knockout mice.

Germline deletion of the p53 gene in mice gives rise to spontaneous thymic (T-cell) lymphomas. In this study, the p53 knockout mouse was employed as a model to study the mutational evolution of tumorigenesis. The clonality of the T-cell repertoire from p53 knockout and wild-type thymic cells was analyzed at various ages employing TCRß sequencing. These data demonstrate that p53 knockout thymic lymphomas arose in an oligoclonal fashion, with tumors evolving dominant clones over time. Exon sequencing of tumor DNA revealed that all of the independently derived oligoclonal mouse tumors had a deletion in the Pten gene prior to the formation of the TCRß rearrangement, produced early in development. This was followed in each independent clone of the thymic lymphoma by the amplification or overexpression of cyclin Ds and Cdk6. Alterations in the expression of Ikaros were common and blocked further development of CD-4/CD-8 T cells. While the frequency of point mutations in the genome of these lymphomas was one per megabase, there were a tremendous number of copy number variations producing the tumors' driver mutations. The initial inherited loss of p53 functions appeared to delineate an order of genetic alterations selected for during the evolution of these thymic lymphomas.

Aurora kinase inhibition induces PUMA via NF-κB to kill colon cancer cells.

Aurora kinases play a key role in mitosis and are frequently overexpressed in a variety of tumor cells. Inhibition of aurora kinases results in mitotic arrest and death of cancer cells, and has been explored as an anticancer strategy. However, how aurora inhibition kills cancer cells is poorly understood. In this study, we found that inhibition of aurora kinases by siRNA or small-molecule inhibitors led to induction of p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA), a BH3-only Bcl-2 family protein, in colorectal cancer cells irrespective of p53 status. Deficiency in PUMA increased polyploidy, improved cell survival, and abrogated mitochondria-mediated apoptosis induced by aurora kinase inhibitors. In response to aurora kinase inhibition, PUMA was directly activated by p65 through the canonical NF-κB pathway following AKT inhibition. Furthermore, PUMA was necessary for the chemosensitization and in vivo antitumor effects of aurora kinase inhibitors in colon cancer cells. These results suggest that PUMA induction mediates the apoptotic response to mitotic arrest imposed by aurora kinase inhibition, and may be a useful indicator for the anticancer activity of aurora kinase inhibitors.

Genetic variants and mutations of PPM1D control the response to DNA damage.

The Wip1 phosphatase is an oncogene that is overexpressed in a variety of primary human cancers. We were interested in identifying genetic variants that could change Wip1 activity. We identified 3 missense SNPs of the human Wip1 phosphatase, L120F, P322Q, and I496V confer a dominant-negative phenotype. On the other hand, in primary human cancers, PPM1D mutations commonly result in a gain-of-function phenotype, leading us to identify a hot-spot truncating mutation at position 525. Surprisingly, we also found a significant number of loss-of-function mutations of PPM1D in primary human cancers, both in the phosphatase domain and in the C terminus. Thus, PPM1D has evolved to generate genetic variants with lower activity, potentially providing a better fitness for the organism through suppression of multiple diseases. In cancer, however, the situation is more complex, and the presence of both activating and inhibiting mutations requires further investigation to understand their contribution to tumorigenesis.

The multi-targeted kinase inhibitor sunitinib induces apoptosis in colon cancer cells via PUMA.

Constitutive activation of pro-survival kinases has become a promising target of small molecules with an increasing interest in developing multi-targeted agents. The mechanisms underlying the responsiveness to most agents targeting cancer specific survival pathways are still poorly understood but critical for their clinical application. In this study, we found that sunitinib, a small molecule inhibitor of multiple tyrosine kinases including VEGFRs and PDGFRs induces apoptosis and inhibits cell growth in colon cancer cells in cell culture and xenograft models via the BH3-only protein PUMA. Sunitinib treatment induced PUMA transcription via the AKT/FoxO3a axis. PUMA, BH3 mimetics, or 5-Flurourical sensitized colon cancer cells to sunitinib-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, PUMA was induced by sunitinib treatment in xenograft tumors, and deficiency in PUMA significantly suppressed the anti-tumor effects of sunitinib. Our study suggests that PUMA-mediated apoptosis is important for the therapeutic responses to sunitinib, and activation of the mitochondrial pathway by BH3 mimetics or PUMA manipulation may be useful for improving the antitumor activity of sunitinib. Modulation of PUMA and selective Bcl-2 family members might be potential biomarkers for predicting sunitinib responses.

PUMA induction by FoxO3a mediates the anticancer activities of the broad-range kinase inhibitor UCN-01.

Most targeted anticancer drugs are inhibitors of kinases that are aberrantly activated in cancer cells. However, the mechanisms by which kinase inhibitors suppress tumor growth remain unclear. In this study, we found that UCN-01, a staurosporine analogue and broad-range kinase inhibitor used in clinical trials, inhibits colon cancer cell growth by inducing apoptosis via PUMA, a BH3-only Bcl-2 family member and a p53 target. PUMA expression was markedly elevated in a p53-independent fashion following UCN-01 treatment. The induction of PUMA by UCN-01 was mediated by direct binding of FoxO3a to the PUMA promoter following inhibition of AKT signaling. Deficiency in PUMA abrogated UCN-01-induced apoptosis, caspase activation, and mitochondrial dysfunction, and rendered UCN-01 resistance in a clonogenic assay, whereas elevated PUMA expression or a BH3 mimetic sensitized UCN-01 induced apoptosis. Chemosensitization by UCN-01 seemed to involve simultaneous PUMA induction through both p53-dependent and p53-independent mechanisms. Furthermore, deficiency in PUMA suppressed the antitumor effects of UCN-01 in a xenograft model, concurrent with reduced apoptosis and caspase activation in vivo. These results suggest that PUMA-mediated apoptosis is pivotal for the anticancer activities of UCN-01, and possibly other clinically used kinase inhibitor drugs, and that PUMA manipulation may be useful for improving their anticancer activities.

Molecular cloning of the HGD gene and association of SNPs with meat quality traits in Chinese red cattle.

Homogentisate 1, 2 dioxygenase (HGD) is one of six enzymes required for the catabolism of the aromatic amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine. Here we present the nucleotide sequence of transcripts of the bovine HGD gene. The full length cDNA of bovine HGD has been identified, encoding a deduced protein of 445 amino acids (Accession No. FJ515744). The bovine HGD gene comprises 14 exons and 13 introns. This is the first published cDNA bovine sequences that share high sequence similarity with other species. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that the bovine HGD transcript was mainly expressed in liver and kidney tissues. Nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified, five in the coding region and four intronic. Four of the SNPs change an amino acid in the HGD protein sequence. Genotype and allelic frequencies were determined in Chinese red cattle breeds. Ten haplotypes were determined based upon the genotype of 9 SNPs. Moreover, for the first time an association was reported between HGD gene polymorphism and meat quality traits in Chinese red cattle (n = 224). Marker-trait association analyses showed that the HGD/PvuII genotypes showed a significant effect on meat cooking rate, muscle fiber diameter, and shear force (P < 0.05). The HGD DraIII genotypes showed a significant effect on muscle fiber diameter, shear force, and drip loss (P < 0.05). The HGD/AluI genotypes showed a significant effect on meat cooking rate, shear force, and drip loss (P < 0.05). The HGD/DraI genotypes showed a significant effect on meat cooking rate and shear force (P < 0.05). The HGD/EcoRV genotypes showed a significant effect on meat cooking rate, muscle fiber diameter, and shear force (P < 0.05). In all loci, no statistically significant differences were observed for pHu (P > 0.05). This is the first incidence where polymorphisms of a bovine HGD gene have demonstrated a correlation with meat traits in Chinese red cattle.

Wip1 phosphatase modulates ATM-dependent signaling pathways.

Deletion of Ppm1d, the gene encoding the Wip1 phosphatase, renders cells resistant to transformation and mice resistant to tumor development. Here, we report that deficiency of Wip1 resulted in activation of the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase. In turn, overexpression of Wip1 was sufficient to reduce activation of the ATM-dependent signaling cascade after DNA damage. Wip1 dephosphorylated ATM Ser1981, a site critical for ATM monomerization and activation, and was critical for resetting ATM phosphorylation as cells repaired damaged DNA. We propose that the Wip1 phosphatase is an integral component of an ATM-dependent signaling pathway.

Tumor susceptibility and apoptosis defect in a mouse strain expressing a human p53 transgene.

Activation of apoptosis is believed to be critical for the role of p53 as a tumor suppressor. Here, we report a new mouse strain carrying a human p53 transgene in the mouse p53-null background. Expression of human p53 in these mice was comparable with wild-type murine p53; however, transactivation, induction of apoptosis, and G(1)-S checkpoint, but not transrepression or regulation of a centrosomal checkpoint, were deregulated. Although multiple functions of p53 were abrogated, mice carrying the human p53 transgene did not show early onset of tumors as typically seen for p53-null mice. In contrast, human p53 in the p53-null background did not prevent accelerated tumor development after genotoxic or oncogenic stress. Such behavior of human p53 expressed at physiologic levels in transgenic cells could be explained by unexpectedly high binding with Mdm2. By using Nutlin-3a, an inhibitor of the interaction between Mdm2 and p53, we were able to partially reconstitute p53 transactivation and apoptosis in transgenic cells. Our findings indicate that the interaction between p53 and Mdm2 controls p53 transcriptional activity in homeostatic tissues and regulates DNA damage- and oncogene-induced, but not spontaneous, tumorigenesis.