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Design and Characterization of a Novel eEF2K Degrader with Potent Therapeutic Efficacy Against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

ABSTRACT: Dysregulated eEF2K expression is implicated in the pathogenesis of many human cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), making it a plausible therapeutic target. However, specific eEF2K inhibitors with potent anti-cancer activity have not been available so far. Targeted protein degradation has emerged as a new strategy for drug discovery. In this study, a novel small molecule chemical is designed and synthesized, named as compound C1, which shows potent activity in degrading eEF2K. C1 selectively binds to F8, L10, R144, C146, E229, and Y236 of the eEF2K protein and promotes its proteasomal degradation by increasing the interaction between eEF2K and the ubiquitin E3 ligase βTRCP in the form of molecular glue. C1 significantly inhibits the proliferation and metastasis of TNBC cells both in vitro and in vivo and in TNBC patient-derived organoids, and these antitumor effects are attributed to the degradation of eEF2K by C1. Additionally, combination treatment of C1 with paclitaxel, a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug, exhibits synergistic anti-tumor effects against TNBC. This study not only generates a powerful research tool to investigate the therapeutic potential of targeting eEF2K, but also provides a promising lead compound for developing novel drugs for the treatment of TNBC and other cancers.

SUBMITTER: Zhong C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10837347 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Design and Characterization of a Novel eEF2K Degrader with Potent Therapeutic Efficacy Against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Zhong Changxin C Zhu Rongfeng R Jiang Ting T Tian Sheng S Zhao Xiaobao X Wan Xiaoya X Jiang Shilong S Chen Zonglin Z Gong Rong R He Linhao L Yang Jin-Ming JM Ye Na N Cheng Yan Y

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) 20231212 5

Dysregulated eEF2K expression is implicated in the pathogenesis of many human cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), making it a plausible therapeutic target. However, specific eEF2K inhibitors with potent anti-cancer activity have not been available so far. Targeted protein degradation has emerged as a new strategy for drug discovery. In this study, a novel small molecule chemical is designed and synthesized, named as compound C1, which shows potent activity in degrading eEF2K ...[more]

PMID: 38084501

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Project description:BackgroundRanpirnase (Rap) is an amphibian ribonuclease with reported antitumor activity, minimal toxicity, and negligible immunogenicity in clinical studies, but the unfavorable pharmacokinetics and suboptimal efficacy hampered its further clinical development. To improve the potential of Rap-based therapeutics, we have used the DOCK-AND-LOCK™ (DNL™) method to construct a class of novel IgG-Rap immunoRNases. In the present study, a pair of these constructs, (Rap)2-E1-(Rap)2 and (Rap)2-E1*-(Rap)2, comprising four copies of Rap linked to the CH3 and CK termini of hRS7 (humanized anti-Trop-2), respectively, were evaluated as potential therapeutics for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).MethodsThe DNL-based immunoRNases, (Rap)2-E1-(Rap)2 and (Rap)2-E1*-(Rap)2, were characterized and tested for biological activities in vitro on a panel of breast cancer cell lines and in vivo in a MDA-MB-468 xenograft model.Results(Rap)2-E1-(Rap)2 was highly purified (>95%), exhibited specific cell binding and rapid internalization in MDA-MB-468, a Trop-2-expressing TNBC line, and displayed potent in vitro cytotoxicity (EC50???1 nM) against diverse breast cancer cell lines with moderate to high expression of Trop-2, including MDA-MB-468, BT-20, HCC1806, SKBR-3, and MCF-7. In comparison, structural counterparts of (Rap)2-E1-(Rap)2, generated by substituting hRS7 with selective non-Trop-2-binding antibodies, such as epratuzumab (anti-CD22), were at least 50-fold less potent than (Rap)2-E1-(Rap)2 in MDA-MB-468 and BT-20 cells, both lacking the expression of the cognate antigen. Moreover, (Rap)2-E1-(Rap)2 was less effective (EC50 > 50 nM) in MDA-MB-231 (low Trop-2) or HCC1395 (no Trop-2), and did not show any toxicity to human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. In a mouse TNBC model, a significant survival benefit was achieved with (Rap)2-E1*-(Rap)2 when given the maximal tolerated dose.ConclusionsA new class of immunoRNases was generated with enhanced potency for targeted therapy of cancer. The promising results from (Rap)2-E1-(Rap)2 and (Rap)2-E1*-(Rap)2 support their further investigation as a potential treatment option for TNBC and other Trop-2-expressing cancers.

Project description:IntroductionTriple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive and hard-to-treat subtype of breast cancer, affecting 10-20% of all women diagnosed with breast cancer. Surgery, chemotherapy and hormone/Her2 targeted therapies are the cornerstones of treatment for breast cancer, but women with TNBC do not benefit from these treatments. Although the prognosis is dismal, immunotherapies hold significant promise in TNBC, even in wide spread disease because TNBC is infiltrated with more immune cells. This preclinical study is proposing to optimize an oncolytic virus-infected cell vaccine (ICV) based on a prime-boost vaccination strategy to address this unmet clinical need.MethodsWe used various classes of immunomodulators to improve the immunogenicity of whole tumor cells in the prime vaccine, followed by their infection with oncolytic Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSVd51) to deliver the boost vaccine. For in vivo studies, we compared the efficacy of a homologous prime-boost vaccination regimen to a heterologous strategy by treating 4T1 tumor bearing BALB/c mice and further by conducting re-challenge studies to evaluate immune memory responses in surviving mice. Due to the aggressive nature of 4T1 tumor spread (akin to stage IV TNBC in human patients), we also compared early surgical resection of primary tumors versus later surgical resection combined with vaccination.ResultsIn vitro results demonstrated that immunogenic cell death (ICD) markers and pro-inflammatory cytokines were released at the highest levels following treatment of mouse 4T1 TNBC cells with oxaliplatin chemotherapy and influenza vaccine. These ICD inducers also contributed towards higher dendritic cell recruitment and activation. With the top ICD inducers at hand, we observed that treatment of TNBC-bearing mice with the influenza virus-modified prime vaccine followed by VSVd51 infected boost vaccine resulted in the best survival. Furthermore, higher frequencies of both effector and central memory T cells along with a complete absence of recurrent tumors were observed in re-challenged mice. Importantly, early surgical resection combined with prime-boost vaccination led to improved overall survival in mice.ConclusionTaken together, this novel cancer vaccination strategy following early surgical resection could be a promising therapeutic avenue for TNBC patients.

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Design and Characterization of a Novel eEF2K Degrader with Potent Therapeutic Efficacy Against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Publications

Design and Characterization of a Novel eEF2K Degrader with Potent Therapeutic Efficacy Against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

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