The Kirsten rat sarcoma virus—son of sevenless 1(KRAS-SOS1)axis drives tumor growth preferentially in pancreatic,colon,and lung cancer.Now,KRAS G12C mutated tumors can be successfully treated with inhibitors that cov...The Kirsten rat sarcoma virus—son of sevenless 1(KRAS-SOS1)axis drives tumor growth preferentially in pancreatic,colon,and lung cancer.Now,KRAS G12C mutated tumors can be successfully treated with inhibitors that covalently block the cysteine of the switch II binding pocket of KRAS.However,the range of other KRAS mutations is not amenable to treatment and the G12C-directed agents Sotorasib and Adragrasib show a response rate of only approximately 40%,lasting for a mean period of 8 months.One approach to increase the efficacy of inhibitors is their inclusion into proteolysis-targeting chimeras(PROTACs),which degrade the proteins of interest and exhibit much higher antitumor activity through multiple cycles of activity.Accordingly,PROTACs have been developed based on KRAS-or SOS1-directed inhibitors coupled to either von Hippel-Lindau(VHL)or Cereblon(CRBN)ligands that invoke the proteasomal degradation.Several of these PROTACs show increased activity in vitro and in vivo compared to their cognate inhibitors but their toxicity in normal tissues is not clear.The CRBN PROTACs containing thalidomide derivatives cannot be tested in experimental animals.Resistance to such PROTACS arises through downregulation or inactivation of CRBN or factors of the functional VHL E3 ubiquitin ligase.Although highly active KRAS and SOS1 PROTACs have been formulated their clinical application remains difficult.展开更多
Liver cancer is a prevalent malignant cancer,ranking third in terms of mortality rate.Metastasis and recurrence primarily contribute to the high mortality rate of liver cancer.Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)has low expr...Liver cancer is a prevalent malignant cancer,ranking third in terms of mortality rate.Metastasis and recurrence primarily contribute to the high mortality rate of liver cancer.Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)has low expression of focal adhesion kinase(FAK),which increases the risk of metastasis and recurrence.Nevertheless,the efficacy of FAK phosphorylation inhibitors is currently limited.Thus,investigating the mechanisms by which FAK affects HCC metastasis to develop targeted therapies for FAK may present a novel strategy to inhibit HCC metastasis.This study examined the correlation between FAK expression and the prognosis of HCC.Additionally,we explored the impact of FAK degradation on HCC metastasis through wound healing experiments,transwell invasion experiments,and a xenograft tumor model.The expression of proteins related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)was measured to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.The results showed that FAK PROTAC can degrade FAK,inhibit the migration and invasion of HCC cells in vitro,and notably decrease the lung metastasis of HCC in vivo.Increased expression of E-cadherin and decreased expression of vimentin indicated that EMT was inhibited.Consequently,degradation of FAK through FAK PROTAC effectively suppressed liver cancer metastasis,holding significant clinical implications for treating liver cancer and developing innovative anti-neoplastic drugs.展开更多
β-Amyloid(Aβ)is a specific pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease(AD).Because of its neurotoxicity,AD patients exhibit multiple brain dysfunctions.Disease-modifying therapy(DMT)is the central concept in th...β-Amyloid(Aβ)is a specific pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease(AD).Because of its neurotoxicity,AD patients exhibit multiple brain dysfunctions.Disease-modifying therapy(DMT)is the central concept in the development of AD thera-peutics today,and most DMT drugs that are currently in clinical trials are anti-Aβdrugs,such as aducanumab and lecanemab.Therefore,understanding Aβ's neurotoxic mechanism is crucial for Aβ-targeted drug development.Despite its total length of only a few dozen amino acids,Aβis incredibly diverse.In addition to the well-known Aβ_(1-42),N-terminally truncated,glutaminyl cyclase(QC)catalyzed,and pyroglutamate-modified Aβ(pEAβ)is also highly amyloidogenic and far more cytotoxic.The extracel-lular monomeric Aβ_(x-42)(x=1-11)initiates the aggregation to form fibrils and plaques and causes many abnormal cellular responses through cell membrane receptors and receptor-coupled signal pathways.These signal cascades further influence many cel-lular metabolism-related processes,such as gene expression,cell cycle,and cell fate,and ultimately cause severe neural cell damage.However,endogenous cellular anti-Aβdefense processes always accompany the Aβ-induced microenvironment alterations.Aβ-cleaving endopeptidases,Aβ-degrading ubiquitin-proteasome system(UPS),and Aβ-engulfing glial cell immune responses are all essential self-defense mechanisms that we can leverage to develop new drugs.This review discusses some of the most recent advances in understanding Aβ-centric AD mechanisms and suggests prospects for promising anti-Aβstrategies.展开更多
In this paper, we synthesized a series of proteolysis targeting chimeras（PROTACs） using VHL E3 ligase ligands for BRD4 protein degradation. One of the most promising compound 19g exhibited robust potency of BRD4 inh...In this paper, we synthesized a series of proteolysis targeting chimeras（PROTACs） using VHL E3 ligase ligands for BRD4 protein degradation. One of the most promising compound 19g exhibited robust potency of BRD4 inhibition with IC50 value of （18.6±1.3） nmol/L, respectively. Furthermore, compound 19g potently inhibited cell proliferation in BRIM-sensitive cell lines RS4;11 with IC50 value of （34.2±4.3） nmol/L and capable of inducing de- gradation of BRD4 protein at 0.4-0.6 μmol/L in the RS4;11 leukemia cells. These data show that compound 19g is a highly potent and efficacious BRIM degrader.展开更多
Various c-mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition(c-MET) inhibitors are effective in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer;however, the inevitable drug resistance remains a challenge, limiting their clinical effica...Various c-mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition(c-MET) inhibitors are effective in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer;however, the inevitable drug resistance remains a challenge, limiting their clinical efficacy. Therefore, novel strategies targeting c-MET are urgently required. Herein, through rational structure optimization, we obtained novel exceptionally potent and orally active c-MET proteolysis targeting chimeras(PROTACs) namely D10 and D15 based on thalidomide and tepotinib. D10 and D15 inhibited cell growth with low nanomolar IC_(50) values and achieved picomolar DC_(50) values and>99% of maximum degradation(D_(max)) in EBC-1 and Hs746T cells. Mechanistically, D10 and D15dramatically induced cell apoptosis, G1 cell cycle arrest and inhibited cell migration and invasion.Notably, intraperitoneal administration of D10 and D15 significantly inhibited tumor growth in the EBC-1 xenograft model and oral administration of D15 induced approximately complete tumor suppression in the Hs746T xenograft model with well-tolerated dose-schedules. Furthermore, D10 and D15 exerted significant anti-tumor effect in cells with c-MET^(Y1230H) and c-MET^(D1228N) mutations, which are resistant to tepotinib in clinic. These findings demonstrated that D10 and D15 could serve as candidates for the treatment of tumors with MET alterations.展开更多
靶向蛋白降解(Targeted protein degradation,TPD)技术利用细胞内天然存在的两大蛋白降解系统:泛素化-蛋白酶体系统与溶酶体降解途径实现对疾病相关蛋白的特异、高效降解,从而达到疾病治疗的效果。相较于传统的小分子抑制剂,基于TPD技...靶向蛋白降解(Targeted protein degradation,TPD)技术利用细胞内天然存在的两大蛋白降解系统:泛素化-蛋白酶体系统与溶酶体降解途径实现对疾病相关蛋白的特异、高效降解,从而达到疾病治疗的效果。相较于传统的小分子抑制剂,基于TPD技术的药物在靶点蛋白的选择上限制性更小,能够作用于"无成药性"的蛋白,从而拥有更为丰富的靶点库。与在基因、m RNA层面干扰蛋白表达的技术相比,TPD药物具有特异、快速以及不受蛋白翻译后修饰约束等特点。在过去的20年里,基于TPD技术的各类降解系统层出不穷,相关研究成果在近些年呈爆发式增长,更令人兴奋的是,2019年两种基于TPD技术的治疗性药物进入临床阶段并初步显示出良好的治疗效果。虽然TPD技术的发展处于起步阶段,目前仍存在诸多缺陷,但凭借其独有的优势,在不久的将来,该技术必将成为药物研发的主要手段之一,同时,也将给学术界和产业界带来前所未有的机遇。本综述详细介绍了基于TPD技术的不同降解系统的研究现状,阐述了各系统在疾病治疗中的应用,系统地总结了各自的优势和不足,以期为TPD技术在科学研究和药物研发中的进一步应用提供理论指导。展开更多
Proteolysis targeting chimeras（PROTACs） are bispecific molecules containing a target protein binder and a ubiquitin ligase binder connected by a linker. Recently, some heterobifunctional small molecule bromodomain-c...Proteolysis targeting chimeras（PROTACs） are bispecific molecules containing a target protein binder and a ubiquitin ligase binder connected by a linker. Recently, some heterobifunctional small molecule bromodomain-containing protein 4（BRD4） degraders based on the concept of PROTACs were designed to induce the degradation of BRD4 protein. Herein, we synthesized a new class of PROTAC BRD4 degraders. One of the most promising compound 22f exhibited robust potency of BRD4 inhibition with IC50 value of （9.4±0.6） nmol/L. Furthermore, com- pound 22f potently inhibited cell proliferation in BRD4-sensitive cell lines RS4;11 with IC50 value of （27.6±1.6） nmol/L and capable of inducing degradation of BRD4 protein at 0.5-1.0 μmol/L in the RS4;11 cells. These data establish that compound 22f is a potent and efficacious BRD4 degrader.展开更多
文摘The Kirsten rat sarcoma virus—son of sevenless 1(KRAS-SOS1)axis drives tumor growth preferentially in pancreatic,colon,and lung cancer.Now,KRAS G12C mutated tumors can be successfully treated with inhibitors that covalently block the cysteine of the switch II binding pocket of KRAS.However,the range of other KRAS mutations is not amenable to treatment and the G12C-directed agents Sotorasib and Adragrasib show a response rate of only approximately 40%,lasting for a mean period of 8 months.One approach to increase the efficacy of inhibitors is their inclusion into proteolysis-targeting chimeras(PROTACs),which degrade the proteins of interest and exhibit much higher antitumor activity through multiple cycles of activity.Accordingly,PROTACs have been developed based on KRAS-or SOS1-directed inhibitors coupled to either von Hippel-Lindau(VHL)or Cereblon(CRBN)ligands that invoke the proteasomal degradation.Several of these PROTACs show increased activity in vitro and in vivo compared to their cognate inhibitors but their toxicity in normal tissues is not clear.The CRBN PROTACs containing thalidomide derivatives cannot be tested in experimental animals.Resistance to such PROTACS arises through downregulation or inactivation of CRBN or factors of the functional VHL E3 ubiquitin ligase.Although highly active KRAS and SOS1 PROTACs have been formulated their clinical application remains difficult.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China Fund Project(82272956).
文摘Liver cancer is a prevalent malignant cancer,ranking third in terms of mortality rate.Metastasis and recurrence primarily contribute to the high mortality rate of liver cancer.Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)has low expression of focal adhesion kinase(FAK),which increases the risk of metastasis and recurrence.Nevertheless,the efficacy of FAK phosphorylation inhibitors is currently limited.Thus,investigating the mechanisms by which FAK affects HCC metastasis to develop targeted therapies for FAK may present a novel strategy to inhibit HCC metastasis.This study examined the correlation between FAK expression and the prognosis of HCC.Additionally,we explored the impact of FAK degradation on HCC metastasis through wound healing experiments,transwell invasion experiments,and a xenograft tumor model.The expression of proteins related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)was measured to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.The results showed that FAK PROTAC can degrade FAK,inhibit the migration and invasion of HCC cells in vitro,and notably decrease the lung metastasis of HCC in vivo.Increased expression of E-cadherin and decreased expression of vimentin indicated that EMT was inhibited.Consequently,degradation of FAK through FAK PROTAC effectively suppressed liver cancer metastasis,holding significant clinical implications for treating liver cancer and developing innovative anti-neoplastic drugs.
基金National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke,Grant/Award Number:2RF1NS095799National Natural Science Foundation of China,Grant/Award Number:31970044 and 91854115Beijing University of Technology Faculty of Environment and Life Seed Funding,Grant/Award Number:049000513202。
文摘β-Amyloid(Aβ)is a specific pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease(AD).Because of its neurotoxicity,AD patients exhibit multiple brain dysfunctions.Disease-modifying therapy(DMT)is the central concept in the development of AD thera-peutics today,and most DMT drugs that are currently in clinical trials are anti-Aβdrugs,such as aducanumab and lecanemab.Therefore,understanding Aβ's neurotoxic mechanism is crucial for Aβ-targeted drug development.Despite its total length of only a few dozen amino acids,Aβis incredibly diverse.In addition to the well-known Aβ_(1-42),N-terminally truncated,glutaminyl cyclase(QC)catalyzed,and pyroglutamate-modified Aβ(pEAβ)is also highly amyloidogenic and far more cytotoxic.The extracel-lular monomeric Aβ_(x-42)(x=1-11)initiates the aggregation to form fibrils and plaques and causes many abnormal cellular responses through cell membrane receptors and receptor-coupled signal pathways.These signal cascades further influence many cel-lular metabolism-related processes,such as gene expression,cell cycle,and cell fate,and ultimately cause severe neural cell damage.However,endogenous cellular anti-Aβdefense processes always accompany the Aβ-induced microenvironment alterations.Aβ-cleaving endopeptidases,Aβ-degrading ubiquitin-proteasome system(UPS),and Aβ-engulfing glial cell immune responses are all essential self-defense mechanisms that we can leverage to develop new drugs.This review discusses some of the most recent advances in understanding Aβ-centric AD mechanisms and suggests prospects for promising anti-Aβstrategies.
文摘In this paper, we synthesized a series of proteolysis targeting chimeras（PROTACs） using VHL E3 ligase ligands for BRD4 protein degradation. One of the most promising compound 19g exhibited robust potency of BRD4 inhibition with IC50 value of （18.6±1.3） nmol/L, respectively. Furthermore, compound 19g potently inhibited cell proliferation in BRIM-sensitive cell lines RS4;11 with IC50 value of （34.2±4.3） nmol/L and capable of inducing de- gradation of BRD4 protein at 0.4-0.6 μmol/L in the RS4;11 leukemia cells. These data show that compound 19g is a highly potent and efficacious BRIM degrader.
基金supported by Major New Drugs Innovation and Development (2018ZX09J18102-002, China)。
文摘Various c-mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition(c-MET) inhibitors are effective in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer;however, the inevitable drug resistance remains a challenge, limiting their clinical efficacy. Therefore, novel strategies targeting c-MET are urgently required. Herein, through rational structure optimization, we obtained novel exceptionally potent and orally active c-MET proteolysis targeting chimeras(PROTACs) namely D10 and D15 based on thalidomide and tepotinib. D10 and D15 inhibited cell growth with low nanomolar IC_(50) values and achieved picomolar DC_(50) values and>99% of maximum degradation(D_(max)) in EBC-1 and Hs746T cells. Mechanistically, D10 and D15dramatically induced cell apoptosis, G1 cell cycle arrest and inhibited cell migration and invasion.Notably, intraperitoneal administration of D10 and D15 significantly inhibited tumor growth in the EBC-1 xenograft model and oral administration of D15 induced approximately complete tumor suppression in the Hs746T xenograft model with well-tolerated dose-schedules. Furthermore, D10 and D15 exerted significant anti-tumor effect in cells with c-MET^(Y1230H) and c-MET^(D1228N) mutations, which are resistant to tepotinib in clinic. These findings demonstrated that D10 and D15 could serve as candidates for the treatment of tumors with MET alterations.
文摘靶向蛋白降解(Targeted protein degradation,TPD)技术利用细胞内天然存在的两大蛋白降解系统:泛素化-蛋白酶体系统与溶酶体降解途径实现对疾病相关蛋白的特异、高效降解,从而达到疾病治疗的效果。相较于传统的小分子抑制剂,基于TPD技术的药物在靶点蛋白的选择上限制性更小,能够作用于"无成药性"的蛋白,从而拥有更为丰富的靶点库。与在基因、m RNA层面干扰蛋白表达的技术相比,TPD药物具有特异、快速以及不受蛋白翻译后修饰约束等特点。在过去的20年里,基于TPD技术的各类降解系统层出不穷,相关研究成果在近些年呈爆发式增长,更令人兴奋的是,2019年两种基于TPD技术的治疗性药物进入临床阶段并初步显示出良好的治疗效果。虽然TPD技术的发展处于起步阶段,目前仍存在诸多缺陷,但凭借其独有的优势,在不久的将来,该技术必将成为药物研发的主要手段之一,同时,也将给学术界和产业界带来前所未有的机遇。本综述详细介绍了基于TPD技术的不同降解系统的研究现状,阐述了各系统在疾病治疗中的应用,系统地总结了各自的优势和不足,以期为TPD技术在科学研究和药物研发中的进一步应用提供理论指导。
文摘Proteolysis targeting chimeras（PROTACs） are bispecific molecules containing a target protein binder and a ubiquitin ligase binder connected by a linker. Recently, some heterobifunctional small molecule bromodomain-containing protein 4（BRD4） degraders based on the concept of PROTACs were designed to induce the degradation of BRD4 protein. Herein, we synthesized a new class of PROTAC BRD4 degraders. One of the most promising compound 22f exhibited robust potency of BRD4 inhibition with IC50 value of （9.4±0.6） nmol/L. Furthermore, com- pound 22f potently inhibited cell proliferation in BRD4-sensitive cell lines RS4;11 with IC50 value of （27.6±1.6） nmol/L and capable of inducing degradation of BRD4 protein at 0.5-1.0 μmol/L in the RS4;11 cells. These data establish that compound 22f is a potent and efficacious BRD4 degrader.
