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Biomedicines Jul 2023Multiple myeloma (MM) is a cancerous condition characterized by the proliferation of plasma cells within the hematopoietic marrow, resulting in multiple osteolytic... (Review)
Review
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a cancerous condition characterized by the proliferation of plasma cells within the hematopoietic marrow, resulting in multiple osteolytic lesions. MM patients typically experience bone pain, kidney damage, fatigue due to anemia, and infections. Historically, MM was an incurable disease with a life expectancy of around three years after diagnosis. However, over the past two decades, the development of novel therapeutics has significantly improved patient outcomes, including response to treatment, remission duration, quality of life, and overall survival. These advancements include thalidomide and its derivatives, lenalidomide and pomalidomide, which exhibit diverse mechanisms of action against the plasma cell clone. Additionally, proteasome inhibitors such as bortezomib, ixazomib, and carfilzomib disrupt protein degradation, proving specifically toxic to cancerous plasma cells. Recent advancements also involve monoclonal antibodies targeting surface antigens, such as elotuzumab (anti-CS1) and daratumumab (anti-CD38), bispecific t-cell engagers such as teclistamab (anti-BCMA/CD3) and Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T)-based strategies, with a growing focus on drugs that exhibit increasingly targeted action against neoplastic plasma cells and relevant effects on the tumor microenvironment.
PubMed: 37509726
DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11072087 -
Science (New York, N.Y.) Mar 2024Many clinically used drugs are derived from or inspired by bacterial natural products that often are produced through nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs),...
Many clinically used drugs are derived from or inspired by bacterial natural products that often are produced through nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs), megasynthetases that activate and join individual amino acids in an assembly line fashion. In this work, we describe a detailed phylogenetic analysis of several bacterial NRPSs that led to the identification of yet undescribed recombination sites within the thiolation (T) domain that can be used for NRPS engineering. We then developed an evolution-inspired "eXchange Unit between T domains" (XUT) approach, which allows the assembly of NRPS fragments over a broad range of GC contents, protein similarities, and extender unit specificities, as demonstrated for the specific production of a proteasome inhibitor designed and assembled from five different NRPS fragments.
Topics: Peptide Synthases; Phylogeny; Protein Engineering; Evolution, Molecular; Amino Acid Sequence; Bacterial Proteins; Sequence Analysis, Protein
PubMed: 38513038
DOI: 10.1126/science.adg4320 -
Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents Jul 2024
Topics: Humans; Antineoplastic Agents; Neoplasms; Patents as Topic; Drug Development; Animals
PubMed: 38721921
DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2024.2353625 -
International Journal of Radiation... Apr 2024Radiation therapy is a primary treatment for cancer, but radioresistance remains a significant challenge in improving efficacy and reducing toxicity. Accumulating... (Review)
Review
Radiation therapy is a primary treatment for cancer, but radioresistance remains a significant challenge in improving efficacy and reducing toxicity. Accumulating evidence suggests that deubiquitinases (DUBs) play a crucial role in regulating cell sensitivity to ionizing radiation. Traditional small-molecule DUB inhibitors have demonstrated radiosensitization effects, and novel deubiquitinase-targeting chimeras (DUBTACs) provide a promising strategy for radiosensitizer development by harnessing the ubiquitin-proteasome system. This review highlights the mechanisms by which DUBs regulate radiosensitivity, including DNA damage repair, the cell cycle, cell death, and hypoxia. Progress on DUB inhibitors and DUBTACs is summarized, and their potential radiosensitization effects are discussed. Developing drugs targeting DUBs appears to be a promising alternative approach to overcoming radioresistance, warranting further research into their mechanisms.
Topics: Humans; Antineoplastic Agents; Proteasome Inhibitors; Neoplasms; Deubiquitinating Enzymes; Radiation Tolerance
PubMed: 38092257
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.12.003 -
Scientific Reports Sep 2023Proteasomes are multi-subunit complexes that specialize in protein degradation. Cancer cells exhibit a heightened dependence on proteasome activity, presumably to...
Proteasomes are multi-subunit complexes that specialize in protein degradation. Cancer cells exhibit a heightened dependence on proteasome activity, presumably to support their enhanced proliferation and other cancer-related characteristics. Here, a systematic analysis of TCGA breast cancer datasets revealed that proteasome subunit transcript levels are elevated in all intrinsic subtypes (luminal, HER2-enriched, and basal-like/triple-negative) when compared to normal breast tissue. Although these observations suggest a pan-breast cancer utility for proteasome inhibitors, our further experiments with breast cancer cell lines and patient-derived xenografts (PDX) pointed to triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) as the most sensitive subtype to proteasome inhibition. Finally, using TNBC cells, we extended our studies to in vivo xenograft experiments. Our previous work has firmly established a cytoprotective role for the transcription factor NRF1 via its ability to upregulate proteasome genes in response to proteasome inhibition. In further support of this notion, we show here that NRF1 depletion significantly reduced tumor burden in an MDA-MB-231 TNBC xenograft mouse model treated with carfilzomib. Taken together, our results point to TNBC as a particularly vulnerable breast cancer subtype to proteasome inhibition and provide a proof-of-principle for targeting NRF1 as a viable means to increase the efficacy of proteasome inhibitors in TNBC tumors.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Mice; Cytoplasm; Disease Models, Animal; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; Proteasome Inhibitors; Proteolysis; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms; NF-E2-Related Factor 1
PubMed: 37739987
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43121-x -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Aug 2023Carfilzomib (CFZ) is a proteasome inhibitor approved for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM) but its clinical use is limited by cardiovascular toxicity. The...
Carfilzomib (CFZ) is a proteasome inhibitor approved for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM) but its clinical use is limited by cardiovascular toxicity. The mechanisms of CFZ-induced cardiovascular toxicity are not fully understood but endothelial dysfunction may be a common denominator. Here, we first characterized the direct toxic effects of CFZ on endothelial cells (HUVECs and EA.hy926 cells) and tested whether SGLT2 inhibitors, known to have cardioprotective effects, can protect against CFZ-induced toxicity. To determine the chemotherapeutic effect of CFZ in the presence of SGLT2 inhibitors, MM and lymphoma cells were treated with CFZ with or without canagliflozin. CFZ decreased cell viability and induced apoptotic cell death in endothelial cells in a concentration-dependent manner. CFZ also upregulated ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 and downregulated VEGFR-2. These effects were associated with the activation of Akt and MAPK pathways, inhibition of p70s6k, and downregulation of AMPK. Canagliflozin, but not empagliflozin or dapagliflozin, protected endothelial cells from CFZ-induced apoptosis. Mechanistically, canagliflozin abrogated CFZ-induced JNK activation and AMPK inhibition. AICAR (an AMPK activator) protected from CFZ-induced apoptosis, and compound C (an AMPK inhibitor) abrogated the protective effect of canagliflozin, strongly suggesting that AMPK mediates these effects. Canagliflozin did not interfere with the anticancer effect of CFZ in cancer cells. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate for the first time the direct toxic effects of CFZ in endothelial cells and the associated signaling changes. Canagliflozin abrogated the apoptotic effects of CFZ in endothelial cells in an AMPK-dependent mechanism, without interfering with its cytotoxicity in cancer cells.
Topics: Canagliflozin; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; Sodium-Glucose Transporter 2 Inhibitors; Endothelial Cells; Apoptosis
PubMed: 37247463
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114907 -
ACS Infectious Diseases Oct 2023The proteasome is a promising antimalarial drug target due to its essential role in all parasite lifecycle stages. Furthermore, proteasome inhibitors have synergistic...
The proteasome is a promising antimalarial drug target due to its essential role in all parasite lifecycle stages. Furthermore, proteasome inhibitors have synergistic effects when combined with current first-line artemisinin and related analogues. Linear peptides that covalently inhibit the proteasome are effective at killing parasites and have a low propensity for inducing resistance. However, these scaffolds generally suffer from poor pharmacokinetics and bioavailability. Here we describe the development of covalent, irreversible, macrocyclic inhibitors of the proteasome. We identified compounds with excellent potency and low cytotoxicity; however, the first generation suffered from poor microsomal stability. Further optimization of an existing macrocyclic scaffold resulted in an irreversible covalent inhibitor carrying a vinyl sulfone electrophile that retained high potency and low cytotoxicity and had acceptable metabolic stability. Importantly, unlike the parent reversible inhibitor that selected for multiple mutations in the proteasome, with one resulting in a 5,000-fold loss of potency, the irreversible analogue only showed a 5-fold loss in potency for any single point mutation. Furthermore, an epoxyketone analogue of the same scaffold retained potency against a panel of known proteasome mutants. These results confirm that macrocycles are optimal scaffolds to target the malarial proteasome and that the use of a covalent electrophile can greatly reduce the ability of the parasite to generate drug resistance mutations.
PubMed: 37712594
DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00310 -
Oncotarget Dec 2023
Topics: Humans; Cytostatic Agents; Signal Transduction; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; PTEN Phosphohydrolase; Cell Proliferation; Cell Line, Tumor; Neoplasms
PubMed: 38039406
DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28488 -
European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Dec 2023Multiple myeloma (MM) is a common hematological malignancy. Although recent clinical applications of immunomodulatory drugs, proteasome inhibitors and CD38-targeting... (Review)
Review
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a common hematological malignancy. Although recent clinical applications of immunomodulatory drugs, proteasome inhibitors and CD38-targeting antibodies have significantly improved the outcome of MM patient with increased survival, the incidence of drug resistance and severe treatment-related complications is gradually on the rise. This review article summarizes the characteristics and clinical investigations of several MM drugs in clinical trials, including their structures, mechanisms of action, structure-activity relationships, and clinical study progress. Furthermore, the application potentials of the drugs that have not yet entered clinical trials are also reviewed. The review also outlines the future directions of MM drug development.
Topics: Humans; Multiple Myeloma; Proteasome Inhibitors; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Hematologic Neoplasms; Immunomodulating Agents
PubMed: 37879169
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115875 -
Cancer Drug Resistance (Alhambra,... 2023Multiple myeloma (MM) is a type of hematological cancer that occurs when B cells become malignant. Various drugs such as proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulators, and... (Review)
Review
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a type of hematological cancer that occurs when B cells become malignant. Various drugs such as proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulators, and compounds that cause DNA damage can be used in the treatment of MM. Autophagy, a type 2 cell death mechanism, plays a crucial role in determining the fate of B cells, either promoting their survival or inducing cell death. Therefore, autophagy can either facilitate the progression or hinder the treatment of MM disease. In this review, autophagy mechanisms that may be effective in MM cells were covered and evaluated within the contexts of unfolded protein response (UPR), bone marrow microenvironment (BMME), drug resistance, hypoxia, DNA repair and transcriptional regulation, and apoptosis. The genes that are effective in each mechanism and research efforts on this subject were discussed in detail. Signaling pathways targeted by new drugs to benefit from autophagy in MM disease were covered. The efficacy of drugs that regulate autophagy in MM was examined, and clinical trials on this subject were included. Consequently, among the autophagy mechanisms that are effective in MM, the most suitable ones to be used in the treatment were expressed. The importance of 3D models and microfluidic systems for the discovery of new drugs for autophagy and personalized treatment was emphasized. Ultimately, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of MM disease, encompassing autophagy mechanisms, drugs, clinical studies, and further studies.
PubMed: 38239705
DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2023.108