KRAS is mutated in ∼80% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), ∼35% of colorectal cancer (CR... more KRAS is mutated in ∼80% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), ∼35% of colorectal cancer (CRC) and ∼20% of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). KRAS remains an intractable drug target and targeting the downstream pathway component is ineffective because feedback mechanisms or parallel pathways provide alternative routes to cell proliferation and/or survival. Here we show that a new panRAF/SRC inhibitor, CCT3833, is active in KRAS-mutant PDAC, CRC and NSCLC. We demonstrate that CCT3833 inhibits tumor growth in several KRAS-driven cancers via inhibition of RAF and SRC, eliciting therapeutic efficacy at well-tolerated doses in mouse models of human cancer. CCT3833 has already entered clinical trials (NCT02437227) for BRAF mutant and BRAF inhibitor-resistant melanomas and these new data show that it is also effective in KRAS mutant cancers, potentially providing a new therapeutic option for these patients. Citation Format: Grazia Saturno, Filipa Lopes, Maria Romina Girotti, Ion Niculescu-Duvaz, Dan Niculescu-Duvaz, Alfonso Zambon, Lawrence Davies, Louise Johnson, Natasha Preece, Amaya Viros, Malin Pedersen, Robert McLeary, Ruth Knight, Rebecca Lee, Denys Holovanchuk, Paul Lorigan, Nathalie Dhomen, Richard Marais, Caroline Springer. Therapeutic efficacy of the paradox-breaking panRAF and SRC drug CCT3833/BAL3833 in KRAS-driven cancer models. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-212.
TPS9597Background: Over 70,000 patients are diagnosed with malignant melanoma in the USA every ye... more TPS9597Background: Over 70,000 patients are diagnosed with malignant melanoma in the USA every year with a high proportion occurring in young people. Although treatments targeting the mitogen activ...
Background KRAS is mutated in ∼90% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, ∼35% of colorectal cance... more Background KRAS is mutated in ∼90% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, ∼35% of colorectal cancers and ∼20% of non-small-cell lung cancers. There has been recent progress in targeting G12CKRAS specifically, but therapeutic options for other mutant forms of KRAS are limited, largely because the complexity of downstream signaling and feedback mechanisms mean that targeting individual pathway components is ineffective. Design The protein kinases RAF and SRC are validated therapeutic targets in KRAS-mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, colorectal cancers and non-small-cell lung cancers and we show that both must be inhibited to block growth of these cancers. We describe CCT3833, a new drug that inhibits both RAF and SRC, which may be effective in KRAS-mutant cancers. Results We show that CCT3833 inhibits RAF and SRC in KRAS-mutant tumors in vitro and in vivo, and that it inhibits tumor growth at well-tolerated doses in mice. CCT3833 has been evaluated in a phase I clinical trial (NCT02437227) and we report here that it significantly prolongs progression-free survival of a patient with a G12VKRAS spindle cell sarcoma who did not respond to a multikinase inhibitor and therefore had limited treatment options. Conclusions New drug CCT3833 elicits significant preclinical therapeutic efficacy in KRAS-mutant colorectal, lung and pancreatic tumor xenografts, demonstrating a treatment option for several areas of unmet clinical need. Based on these preclinical data and the phase I clinical unconfirmed response in a patient with KRAS-mutant spindle cell sarcoma, CCT3833 requires further evaluation in patients with other KRAS-mutant cancers.
Lysyl oxidase (LOX) remodels the tumour microenvironment by cross-linking the extracellular matri... more Lysyl oxidase (LOX) remodels the tumour microenvironment by cross-linking the extracellular matrix. LOX overexpression is associated with poor cancer outcomes. Here, we find that LOX regulates the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) to drive tumour progression. We show that LOX regulates EGFR by suppressing TGFβ1 signalling through the secreted protease HTRA1. This increases the expression of Matrilin2 (MATN2), an EGF-like domain-containing protein that traps EGFR at the cell surface to facilitate its activation by EGF. We describe a pharmacological inhibitor of LOX, CCT365623, which disrupts EGFR cell surface retention and delays the growth of primary and metastatic tumour cells in vivo. Thus, we show that LOX regulates EGFR cell surface retention to drive tumour progression, and we validate the therapeutic potential of inhibiting this pathway with the small molecule inhibitor CCT365623.
The tankyrase proteins (TNKS, TNKS2) are attractive anti-cancer drug targets, particularly as inh... more The tankyrase proteins (TNKS, TNKS2) are attractive anti-cancer drug targets, particularly as inhibition of their catalytic activity has been shown to antagonise oncogenic WNT signalling.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal malignancies, with a 5-year sur... more Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal malignancies, with a 5-year survival rate of only 6%. Despite advances in conventional therapies and targeted therapies, survival has not improved in the past three decades. We found that high expression of LOX (Lysyl Oxidase) is a poor prognostic marker in PDAC, suggesting a role in this disease. LOX is an amine oxidase that catalyzes the cross-linking of collagens and elastin in the extracellular matrix (ECM) thus regulating extracellular stiffness and contributing to desmoplasia (abundant fibrotic stroma). LOX inhibition has been associated with decreased phosphorylation of SRC (Proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src) and FAK (Focal Adhesion Kinase) as a result of decreased interaction of integrins with the ECM. To further investigate the role of LOX in pancreatic cancer, we obtained PDAC cells derived from a transgenic mouse model that faithfully recapitulates the human disease. We found that LOX was upregulated in tumor cells from Pdx1-Cre KrasG12D/+ Trp53R172H/+ (KPC) mice compared to Pdx1-Cre KrasG12D/+ (KC) mice. Using a genetic approach we developed LOX-relevant models by silencing LOX in KPC cells via shRNA and overexpressing LOX in KC cells. We characterized these cells for their invasion ability and growth in a 3D environment. We then confirmed these in vitro results in allograft models in mice. Collectively, our results validate LOX as a therapeutic target in PDAC and suggest that its inhibition represents a new therapeutic strategy for PDAC patients. Citation Format: Grazia Saturno, Filipa Lopes, Amaya Viros, Jennifer Morton, Owen Sansom, Caroline Springer, Richard Marais. Lysyl Oxidase a therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2677. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2677
The protein kinase BRAF is mutated ∼40% of human melanomas. BRAF is a component of the RAS/RAF/ME... more The protein kinase BRAF is mutated ∼40% of human melanomas. BRAF is a component of the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway and BRAF or MEK inhibitors increase progression-free and overall survival in melanoma patients with BRAF mutations. However, most patients relapse with acquired resistance and ∼20% of patients present intrinsic resistance and do not respond to these drugs. We describe here two novel compounds that target mutant BRAF and wild-type CRAF. Our compounds inhibited the growth of melanoma cells that were resistant to BRAF-selective inhibitors. ERK pathway reactivation is responsible for resistance to BRAF targeted therapies in ∼60% of the patients and in ∼25% of patients resistance is driven by acquisition of mutations in NRAS. We show that our compounds inhibited the growth of melanoma cells that were resistant to BRAF-selective inhibitors due to pathway reactivation mediated by different mechanisms. We show that the drugs were active against patient derived xenografts (PDXs) from patients with acquired or intrinsic resistance to BRAF-selective inhibitors and in whose tumors resistance was associated with ERK pathway reactivation. Further, our compounds are active in a PDX from a patient whose tumor developed acquired resistance to a combination of a BRAF-selective plus a MEK inhibitor and associated with acquisition of an NRAS mutation. Thus, our panRAF inhibitors can inhibit melanomas with different mechanisms of acquired or intrinsic resistance to BRAF-selective and BRAF-selective/MEK inhibitor combinations, potentially providing first-line treatment for naive patients and second-line treatments for a range of relapsed patients. Citation Format: Maria R. Girotti, Filipa Lopes, Natasha Preece, Dan Niculescu-Duvaz, Alfonso Zambon, Lawrence Davies, Steven Whittaker, Grazia Saturno, Amaya Viros, Malin Pedersen, Bart MJM Suijkerbuijk, Delphine Menard, Robert Mcleary, Louise Johnson, Laura Fish, Sarah Ejiama, Berta Sanchez-Laorden, Neil Carragher, Kenneth Macleod, Garry Ashton, Anna Marusiak, Alberto Fusi, John Brognard, Margaret Frame, Paul Lorigan, Caroline J. Springer, Richard Marais. Novel panRAF inhibitors active in melanomas that are resistant to BRAF-selective, or BRAF-selective/MEK inhibitor combinations. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3704. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3704
We describe the design, synthesis, and optimization of a series of new inhibitors of V-RAF murine... more We describe the design, synthesis, and optimization of a series of new inhibitors of V-RAF murine sarcoma viral oncogene homologue B1 (BRAF), a kinase whose mutant form (V600E) is implicated in several types of cancer, with a particularly high frequency in melanoma. Our previously described inhibitors with a tripartite A-B-C system (where A is a hinge binding pyrido[4,5-b]imidazolone system, B is an aryl spacer group, and C is a heteroaromatic group) were potent against purified (V600E)BRAF in vitro but were less potent in accompanying cellular assays. Substitution of different aromatic heterocycles for the phenyl based C-ring is evaluated herein as a potential means of improving the cellular potencies of these inhibitors. Substituted pyrazoles, particularly 3-tert-butyl-1-aryl-1H-pyrazoles, increase the cellular potencies without detrimental effects on the potency on isolated (V600E)BRAF. Thus, compounds have been synthesized that inhibit, with low nanomolar concentrations, (V600E)BRAF, its downstream signaling in cells [as measured by the reduction of the phosphorylation of extracellular regulated kinase (ERK)], and the proliferation of mutant BRAF-dependent cells. Concomitant benefits are good oral bioavailability and high plasma concentrations in vivo.
Mutated BRAF serine/threonine kinase is implicated in several types of cancer, with particularly ... more Mutated BRAF serine/threonine kinase is implicated in several types of cancer, with particularly high frequency in melanoma and colorectal carcinoma. We recently reported on the development of BRAF inhibitors based on a tripartite A−B−C system featuring an imidazo[4,5]pyridin-2-...
KRAS is mutated in ∼80% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), ∼35% of colorectal cancer (CR... more KRAS is mutated in ∼80% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), ∼35% of colorectal cancer (CRC) and ∼20% of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). KRAS remains an intractable drug target and targeting the downstream pathway component is ineffective because feedback mechanisms or parallel pathways provide alternative routes to cell proliferation and/or survival. Here we show that a new panRAF/SRC inhibitor, CCT3833, is active in KRAS-mutant PDAC, CRC and NSCLC. We demonstrate that CCT3833 inhibits tumor growth in several KRAS-driven cancers via inhibition of RAF and SRC, eliciting therapeutic efficacy at well-tolerated doses in mouse models of human cancer. CCT3833 has already entered clinical trials (NCT02437227) for BRAF mutant and BRAF inhibitor-resistant melanomas and these new data show that it is also effective in KRAS mutant cancers, potentially providing a new therapeutic option for these patients. Citation Format: Grazia Saturno, Filipa Lopes, Maria Romina Girotti, Ion Niculescu-Duvaz, Dan Niculescu-Duvaz, Alfonso Zambon, Lawrence Davies, Louise Johnson, Natasha Preece, Amaya Viros, Malin Pedersen, Robert McLeary, Ruth Knight, Rebecca Lee, Denys Holovanchuk, Paul Lorigan, Nathalie Dhomen, Richard Marais, Caroline Springer. Therapeutic efficacy of the paradox-breaking panRAF and SRC drug CCT3833/BAL3833 in KRAS-driven cancer models. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-212.
TPS9597Background: Over 70,000 patients are diagnosed with malignant melanoma in the USA every ye... more TPS9597Background: Over 70,000 patients are diagnosed with malignant melanoma in the USA every year with a high proportion occurring in young people. Although treatments targeting the mitogen activ...
Background KRAS is mutated in ∼90% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, ∼35% of colorectal cance... more Background KRAS is mutated in ∼90% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, ∼35% of colorectal cancers and ∼20% of non-small-cell lung cancers. There has been recent progress in targeting G12CKRAS specifically, but therapeutic options for other mutant forms of KRAS are limited, largely because the complexity of downstream signaling and feedback mechanisms mean that targeting individual pathway components is ineffective. Design The protein kinases RAF and SRC are validated therapeutic targets in KRAS-mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, colorectal cancers and non-small-cell lung cancers and we show that both must be inhibited to block growth of these cancers. We describe CCT3833, a new drug that inhibits both RAF and SRC, which may be effective in KRAS-mutant cancers. Results We show that CCT3833 inhibits RAF and SRC in KRAS-mutant tumors in vitro and in vivo, and that it inhibits tumor growth at well-tolerated doses in mice. CCT3833 has been evaluated in a phase I clinical trial (NCT02437227) and we report here that it significantly prolongs progression-free survival of a patient with a G12VKRAS spindle cell sarcoma who did not respond to a multikinase inhibitor and therefore had limited treatment options. Conclusions New drug CCT3833 elicits significant preclinical therapeutic efficacy in KRAS-mutant colorectal, lung and pancreatic tumor xenografts, demonstrating a treatment option for several areas of unmet clinical need. Based on these preclinical data and the phase I clinical unconfirmed response in a patient with KRAS-mutant spindle cell sarcoma, CCT3833 requires further evaluation in patients with other KRAS-mutant cancers.
Lysyl oxidase (LOX) remodels the tumour microenvironment by cross-linking the extracellular matri... more Lysyl oxidase (LOX) remodels the tumour microenvironment by cross-linking the extracellular matrix. LOX overexpression is associated with poor cancer outcomes. Here, we find that LOX regulates the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) to drive tumour progression. We show that LOX regulates EGFR by suppressing TGFβ1 signalling through the secreted protease HTRA1. This increases the expression of Matrilin2 (MATN2), an EGF-like domain-containing protein that traps EGFR at the cell surface to facilitate its activation by EGF. We describe a pharmacological inhibitor of LOX, CCT365623, which disrupts EGFR cell surface retention and delays the growth of primary and metastatic tumour cells in vivo. Thus, we show that LOX regulates EGFR cell surface retention to drive tumour progression, and we validate the therapeutic potential of inhibiting this pathway with the small molecule inhibitor CCT365623.
The tankyrase proteins (TNKS, TNKS2) are attractive anti-cancer drug targets, particularly as inh... more The tankyrase proteins (TNKS, TNKS2) are attractive anti-cancer drug targets, particularly as inhibition of their catalytic activity has been shown to antagonise oncogenic WNT signalling.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal malignancies, with a 5-year sur... more Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal malignancies, with a 5-year survival rate of only 6%. Despite advances in conventional therapies and targeted therapies, survival has not improved in the past three decades. We found that high expression of LOX (Lysyl Oxidase) is a poor prognostic marker in PDAC, suggesting a role in this disease. LOX is an amine oxidase that catalyzes the cross-linking of collagens and elastin in the extracellular matrix (ECM) thus regulating extracellular stiffness and contributing to desmoplasia (abundant fibrotic stroma). LOX inhibition has been associated with decreased phosphorylation of SRC (Proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src) and FAK (Focal Adhesion Kinase) as a result of decreased interaction of integrins with the ECM. To further investigate the role of LOX in pancreatic cancer, we obtained PDAC cells derived from a transgenic mouse model that faithfully recapitulates the human disease. We found that LOX was upregulated in tumor cells from Pdx1-Cre KrasG12D/+ Trp53R172H/+ (KPC) mice compared to Pdx1-Cre KrasG12D/+ (KC) mice. Using a genetic approach we developed LOX-relevant models by silencing LOX in KPC cells via shRNA and overexpressing LOX in KC cells. We characterized these cells for their invasion ability and growth in a 3D environment. We then confirmed these in vitro results in allograft models in mice. Collectively, our results validate LOX as a therapeutic target in PDAC and suggest that its inhibition represents a new therapeutic strategy for PDAC patients. Citation Format: Grazia Saturno, Filipa Lopes, Amaya Viros, Jennifer Morton, Owen Sansom, Caroline Springer, Richard Marais. Lysyl Oxidase a therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2677. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2677
The protein kinase BRAF is mutated ∼40% of human melanomas. BRAF is a component of the RAS/RAF/ME... more The protein kinase BRAF is mutated ∼40% of human melanomas. BRAF is a component of the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway and BRAF or MEK inhibitors increase progression-free and overall survival in melanoma patients with BRAF mutations. However, most patients relapse with acquired resistance and ∼20% of patients present intrinsic resistance and do not respond to these drugs. We describe here two novel compounds that target mutant BRAF and wild-type CRAF. Our compounds inhibited the growth of melanoma cells that were resistant to BRAF-selective inhibitors. ERK pathway reactivation is responsible for resistance to BRAF targeted therapies in ∼60% of the patients and in ∼25% of patients resistance is driven by acquisition of mutations in NRAS. We show that our compounds inhibited the growth of melanoma cells that were resistant to BRAF-selective inhibitors due to pathway reactivation mediated by different mechanisms. We show that the drugs were active against patient derived xenografts (PDXs) from patients with acquired or intrinsic resistance to BRAF-selective inhibitors and in whose tumors resistance was associated with ERK pathway reactivation. Further, our compounds are active in a PDX from a patient whose tumor developed acquired resistance to a combination of a BRAF-selective plus a MEK inhibitor and associated with acquisition of an NRAS mutation. Thus, our panRAF inhibitors can inhibit melanomas with different mechanisms of acquired or intrinsic resistance to BRAF-selective and BRAF-selective/MEK inhibitor combinations, potentially providing first-line treatment for naive patients and second-line treatments for a range of relapsed patients. Citation Format: Maria R. Girotti, Filipa Lopes, Natasha Preece, Dan Niculescu-Duvaz, Alfonso Zambon, Lawrence Davies, Steven Whittaker, Grazia Saturno, Amaya Viros, Malin Pedersen, Bart MJM Suijkerbuijk, Delphine Menard, Robert Mcleary, Louise Johnson, Laura Fish, Sarah Ejiama, Berta Sanchez-Laorden, Neil Carragher, Kenneth Macleod, Garry Ashton, Anna Marusiak, Alberto Fusi, John Brognard, Margaret Frame, Paul Lorigan, Caroline J. Springer, Richard Marais. Novel panRAF inhibitors active in melanomas that are resistant to BRAF-selective, or BRAF-selective/MEK inhibitor combinations. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3704. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3704
We describe the design, synthesis, and optimization of a series of new inhibitors of V-RAF murine... more We describe the design, synthesis, and optimization of a series of new inhibitors of V-RAF murine sarcoma viral oncogene homologue B1 (BRAF), a kinase whose mutant form (V600E) is implicated in several types of cancer, with a particularly high frequency in melanoma. Our previously described inhibitors with a tripartite A-B-C system (where A is a hinge binding pyrido[4,5-b]imidazolone system, B is an aryl spacer group, and C is a heteroaromatic group) were potent against purified (V600E)BRAF in vitro but were less potent in accompanying cellular assays. Substitution of different aromatic heterocycles for the phenyl based C-ring is evaluated herein as a potential means of improving the cellular potencies of these inhibitors. Substituted pyrazoles, particularly 3-tert-butyl-1-aryl-1H-pyrazoles, increase the cellular potencies without detrimental effects on the potency on isolated (V600E)BRAF. Thus, compounds have been synthesized that inhibit, with low nanomolar concentrations, (V600E)BRAF, its downstream signaling in cells [as measured by the reduction of the phosphorylation of extracellular regulated kinase (ERK)], and the proliferation of mutant BRAF-dependent cells. Concomitant benefits are good oral bioavailability and high plasma concentrations in vivo.
Mutated BRAF serine/threonine kinase is implicated in several types of cancer, with particularly ... more Mutated BRAF serine/threonine kinase is implicated in several types of cancer, with particularly high frequency in melanoma and colorectal carcinoma. We recently reported on the development of BRAF inhibitors based on a tripartite A−B−C system featuring an imidazo[4,5]pyridin-2-...
Uploads
Papers by Filipa Lopes