Abstract
Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is activated in breast cancer, particularly in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and is critical for cell invasion. It interacts with embryonic ectoderm development (EED) in maintaining cancer stem cells (CSC) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) properties, hence promoting CSC metastasis. Because the association of EZH2 with EED promotes the catalytic activity of EZH2, inhibiting the EED-EZH2 interaction is a potential therapeutic strategy for treating EZH2-dependent cancer. Although several EED-EZH2 protein-protein interaction (PPI) inhibitors have been developed, few target EED. Here, we identified that a cytisine derivative compound (1) potently binds EED, thus blocking the EED-EZH2 PPI. Compound 1 was found to inhibit cell proliferation and suppress the growth of 3D tumor spheres of TNBC cells. Moreover, by reversing EMT and decreasing the ratio of CSCs, the compound inhibited TNBC metastasis and invasion ability. Therefore, targeting EED to disrupt the EED-EZH2 PPI may provide a new approach for treating TNBC metastasis. To our knowledge, compound 1 is the first cytisine-based EED-EZH2 PPI inhibitor preventing metastasis in TNBC cells. This study may provide a new avenue for the development of more efficacious EED-EZH2 PPI inhibitors in TNBC treatment.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.