Targeting Transcriptional Addictions in Small Cell Lung Cancer with a Covalent CDK7 Inhibitor (Affymetrix)
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive disease with high mortality. The identification of effective pharmacological strategies to target SCLC biology represents an urgent need. Using a high-throughput cellular screen of a diverse chemical library we observe that SCLC is sensitive to transcription-targeting drugs, and in particular to THZ1, a newly identified covalent inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7). We find that expression of super-enhancer associated transcription factor genes including MYC family proto-oncogenes and neuroendocrine lineage-specific factors are highly vulnerability to THZ1 treatment. We propose that downregulation of these transcription factors contributes, in part, to SCLC sensitivity to transcriptional inhibitors and that THZ1 represents a novel treatment paradigm for targeted SCLC therapy. Microarray expression in small cell lung cancer lines treated with DMSO or THZ1
Project description:Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive disease with high mortality. The identification of effective pharmacological strategies to target SCLC biology represents an urgent need. Using a high-throughput cellular screen of a diverse chemical library we observe that SCLC is sensitive to transcription-targeting drugs, and in particular to THZ1, a newly identified covalent inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7). We find that expression of super-enhancer associated transcription factor genes including MYC family proto-oncogenes and neuroendocrine lineage-specific factors are highly vulnerability to THZ1 treatment. We propose that downregulation of these transcription factors contributes, in part, to SCLC sensitivity to transcriptional inhibitors and that THZ1 represents a novel treatment paradigm for targeted SCLC therapy. ChIP-Seq for H3K27ac in small cell lung cancer lines
Project description:Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive form of breast cancer that exhibits extremely high levels of genetic complexity and yet a relatively uniform transcriptional program. We postulate that TNBC might be highly dependent on uninterrupted transcription of a key set of genes within this gene expression program and might therefore be exceptionally sensitive to inhibitors of transcription. Utilizing a novel kinase inhibitor and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing, we show here that triple-negative but not ER/PR+ breast cancer cells are exceptionally dependent on CDK7, a transcriptional cyclin-dependent kinase. TNBC cells are unique in their dependence on this transcriptional CDK and suffer apoptotic cell death upon CDK7 inhibition. An “Achilles cluster” of TNBC-specific genes are extremely sensitive to CDK7 inhibition and frequently associated with super-enhancers. We conclude that CDK7 mediates transcriptional addiction to a vital cluster of genes in TNBC and CDK7 inhibition may be useful therapy for this challenging cancer. Expression microarrays in H3K27ac in triple-negative breast cancer +/- treatment with covalent CDK7 inhibitor THZ1 treatment
Project description:Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) plays a critical role in the general regulation of RNA polymerase II-mediated transcription. However, the absence of selective CDK7 inhibitors has hindered the ability to investigate the consequences of acute and prolonged inhibition of CDK7 under normal and pathological conditions. Here we present the discovery and characterization of the first covalent CDK7 inhibitor, CDK7-IN-1, that has the unprecedented ability to target a unique cysteine residue located outside of the canonical kinase domain, providing an unanticipated means of achieving selectivity for CDK7 amongst the 20 known CDKs. Cancer cell line profiling indicates that a subset of cancer cell lines, including T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), exhibit 100-fold greater sensitivity to CDK7-IN-1 over other tumor and normal cell lines. Genome-wide expression analysis in Jurkat T-ALL indicates that CDK7-IN-1 disproportionally affects RUNX1 as well as other components of the TAL1 transcriptional network and its targets, downregulating key regulators of transcription and apoptosis critical for the T-ALL state. These oncogenes are encoded by short-lived mRNA transcripts, are associated with super-enhancers, and exhibit a strong dependency on continuous transcription for sustained expression. Therefore, pharmacological modulation of CDK7 kinase activity may define a method for the identification and treatment of tumor types exhibiting extreme dependencies on transcription for maintenance of the oncogenic state. Jurkat, MM1S, Loucy, and HeLa (WT and Dox-inducible CDK7 mutant) cells were treated with various drugs including a covalent inhibitor of CDK7 (CDK7-IN-1), a reversible inhibitor of CDK7 (CDK7-IN-1), Flavopiridol, Actinomycin D, and DMSO controls. Replicates are annotated.
Project description:Purpose: The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway is fundamental for cell proliferation and survival and is frequently altered and activated in neoplasia, including carcinomas of the lung. In this study we investigated the potential of targeting the catalytic class IA PI3K isoforms in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), which is the most aggressive of all lung cancer types. Experimental Design: The expression of PI3K isoforms in patient specimens was analyzed. The effects on SCLC cell survival and downstream signaling were determined following PI3K isoform inhibition by selective inhibitors or down-regulation by small interfering RNA. Results: Over-expression of the PI3K isoforms p110 -alpha and p110-alpha was shown by immunohistochemistry in primary SCLC tissue samples. Targeting the PI3K p110 -alpha with RNA interference (RNAi) or selective pharmacological inhibitors resulted in strongly affected cell proliferation of SCLC cells in vitro and in vivo, while targeting p110-alph was less effective. Inhibition of p110 -alpha also resulted in increased apoptosis and autophagy, which was accompanied by decreased phosphorylation of Akt and components of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, such as the ribosomal S6 protein, and the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1). A DNA microarray analysis revealed that p110-alpha inhibition profoundly affected the balance of pro- and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins. Finally, p110 -alpha inhibition led to impaired SCLC tumor formation and vascularization in vivo. Conclusion: Together our data demonstrate the key involvement of the PI3K isoform p110 -alpha in multiple tumor-promoting processes in SCLC. 3 control samples, 3 samples for two treaments
Project description:Proinflammatory stimuli rapidly and globally remodel chromatin landscape, thereby enabling transcriptional responses. Yet, the mechanisms coupling chromatin regulators to the master regulatory inflammatory transcription factor NF-kB remain poorly understood. We report in human endothelial cells (ECs) that activated NF-kB binds to enhancers, provoking a rapid, global redistribution of BRD4 preferentially at super-enhancers, large enhancer domains highly bound by chromatin regulators. Newly established NF-kB super-enhancers drive nearby canonical inflammatory response genes. In both ECs and macrophages BET bromodomain inhibition prevents super-enhancer formation downstream of NF-kB activation, abrogating proinflammatory transcription. In TNFa-activated endothelium this culminates in functional suppression of leukocyte rolling, adhesion and transmigration. Sustained BET bromodomain inhibitor treatment of LDLr -/- animals suppresses atherogenesis, a disease process rooted in pathological vascular inflammation involving endothelium and macrophages. These data establish BET-bromodomains as key effectors of inflammatory response through their role in the dynamic, global reorganization of super-enhancers during NF-kB activation. Gene expression analysis of human endothelial cells in resting state, treatment with TNFalpha or TNFalpha with the BET bromodomain inhibitor JQ1
Project description:Gene expression analysis is a widely used and powerful method for investigating the transcriptional behavior of biological systems, for classifying cell states in disease and for many other purposes. Recent studies indicate that common assumptions currently embedded in experimental and analytical practices can lead to misinterpretation of global gene expression data. We discuss these assumptions and describe solutions that should minimize erroneous interpretation of gene expression data from multiple analysis platforms. RNA was extracted from cells expressing low or high levels of c-Myc. A panel of synthetic RNA's was added to these populations, based on cell number. Total RNA was then extracted and processed on Affymetrix microarrays in biological duplicate.
Project description:Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive disease with high mortality. The identification of effective pharmacological strategies to target SCLC biology represents an urgent need. Using a high-throughput cellular screen of a diverse chemical library we observe that SCLC is sensitive to transcription-targeting drugs, and in particular to THZ1, a newly identified covalent inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7). We find that expression of super-enhancer associated transcription factor genes including MYC family proto-oncogenes and neuroendocrine lineage-specific factors are highly vulnerability to THZ1 treatment. We propose that downregulation of these transcription factors contributes, in part, to SCLC sensitivity to transcriptional inhibitors and that THZ1 represents a novel treatment paradigm for targeted SCLC therapy.
Project description:Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive disease with high mortality. The identification of effective pharmacological strategies to target SCLC biology represents an urgent need. Using a high-throughput cellular screen of a diverse chemical library we observe that SCLC is sensitive to transcription-targeting drugs, and in particular to THZ1, a newly identified covalent inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7). We find that expression of super-enhancer associated transcription factor genes including MYC family proto-oncogenes and neuroendocrine lineage-specific factors are highly vulnerability to THZ1 treatment. We propose that downregulation of these transcription factors contributes, in part, to SCLC sensitivity to transcriptional inhibitors and that THZ1 represents a novel treatment paradigm for targeted SCLC therapy.