Polo-like Kinase 1 Inhibition Research Articles

Abstract 1561: Preclinical examination of PLK1 inhibitors for the treatment of diffuse midline gliomas

Abstract Diffuse Midline Gliomas (DMGs) are devastating and incurable pediatric brain tumours. DMGs are characterised by epigenetic aberrations in the form of histone modifications, coupled with mitotic abnormalities, which together drive a stem-like transcriptional cell state that is critically dependent on the cell cycle. Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is a pivotal regulator of mitosis and cell cycle progression. To determine an effective therapeutic strategy against DMG, we characterised the anti-tumour potential of PLK1 inhibition, either alone or in combination with radiotherapy. We show that targeting PLK1 with small molecule inhibitors BI2536 and BI6727 (volasertib) reduced DMG colony formation and cell proliferation, and induced G2/M checkpoint arrest and apoptosis in vitro at physiologically achievable, clinically relevant concentrations. When combined with radiotherapy, PLK1 inhibitors acted as potent radiosensitisers with synergistic suppression of DMG survival. We further show that PLK1 inhibitors exert potent anti-tumour effects in highly aggressive orthotopic DMG models, effectively extending the median survival of tumour harbouring mice both as a single agent and enhanced in combination with radiotherapy. We further demonstrate a potential novel role for PLK1 in defining an oncogenic transcriptional state in DMG by acting as a conduit between cell cycle progression and the DMG epigenome through modulation of polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) activity and its resultant histone methyltransferase function. Together, these data indicate that targeting PLK1 is a highly promising therapeutic strategy to arrest DMG tumorgenicity. This data has formed the basis for a planned international Phase 1/2 trial of the PLK1 inhibitor volasertib in combination with radiotherapy in paediatric patients with DMG. Citation Format: Elisha Hayden, Laura Franshaw, Dannielle Upton, Jie Liu, Hieu Nguyen, Swapna Joshi, Maria Tsoli, Emmy Dolman, Benjamin Rayner, David Ziegler. Preclinical examination of PLK1 inhibitors for the treatment of diffuse midline gliomas [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 1561.

Abstract 4840: Dysregulation of mitochondrial function by PLK1-mediated PDHA1 phosphorylation promotes Cr(VI)-associated lung cancer progression

Abstract Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)), an class I environmental carcinogen, not only induces lung epithelial cell transformation but also promotes lung cancer progression by alterations of the cell cycle and cellular energy metabolism. Using Cr(VI)-transformed (CrT) bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) and parental BEAS-2B cells, we demonstrate that the level of polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is highly upregulated in CrT cells, which blocks mitochondrial function, and further promotes cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. Cells expressing a high level of PLK1 exhibited repressed mitochondrial activity due to defective modulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 subunit alpha 1 (PDHA1), which facilitates the carbon influx to TCA cycle via catalyzing pyruvate/Acetyl-CoA conversion. Mechanistically, we show that PDHA1 can be directly phosphorylated by PLK1 at T57, which triggers collapse of E1 and PDHA1 degradation via activation of mitophagy. These defects resulted in the inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation and reduction of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, eventually inhibiting mitochondrial-mediated apoptotic response. Defining the role of PLK1 in metabolic reprogramming in Cr(VI)-associated cancer progression may give us a new perspective and a target to inhibit Cr(VI)-induced cancer development. In addition, PLK1 inhibitors may be used to increase the chemo-sensitivity of cancer cells by restoring the normal function of mitochondria, thus alleviating the drug resistance caused by dysfunction and hyperpolarization of mitochondria. Citation Format: Qiongsi Zhang, Zhiguo Li, Xiongjian Rao, Derek B. Allison, Qi Qiao, Zhuangzhuang Zhang, Yifan Kong, Ruixin Wang, Teresa W. Fan, Richard M. Higashi, Andrew N. Lane, Xiaoqi Liu. Dysregulation of mitochondrial function by PLK1-mediated PDHA1 phosphorylation promotes Cr(VI)-associated lung cancer progression. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4840.

Abstract 4998: Selective PLK4 inhibition demonstrates synthetic lethality in TRIM37 amplified neuroblastoma and breast cancer models while less selective inhibitors do not

Abstract Amplification and copy number gains of the 17q23 amplicon are common in breast cancer and neuroblastoma and have been associated with early relapse and poor prognosis (Ganesan et al 2012; Takita et al. 2017). A synthetic lethal interaction of PLK4 with 17q23 amplicon-driven overexpression of TRIM37 was discovered in these tumor types (Meitinger et al. 2020; Yeow et al. 2020). High levels of TRIM37 prevented acentrosomal spindle assembly and rendered cells mitotically vulnerable to inhibition of polo-like kinase 4 (PLK4), a serine/threonine protein kinase that controls centriole duplication. We have discovered that exquisitely selective small molecule inhibitors of PLK4, which are highly selective against the kinome including against the closely related aurora kinases and PLK1-3, display this synthetic lethal interaction with TRIM37, while less selective inhibitors do not. PLK4 protein levels are regulated through proteasomal degradation induced by PLK4 trans-autophosphorylation of the phosphodegron. PLK4 inhibition results in blocked trans-autophosphorylation leading to stabilization of PLK4, thus directly demonstrating target engagement in cells. Importantly, PLK4 protein stabilization correlated with cell viability for selective PLK4 inhibitors but not for less selective compounds, providing a quantifiable pharmacodynamic (PD) association with antitumor activity. Cell viability assessment in cancer cell lines revealed that highly selective PLK4 inhibitors showed greater potency in TRIM37 high cancer cell lines as compared to TRIM37 low cell lines. In contrast, less selective compounds, including from the clinical literature, did not display differential potency in TRIM37 high versus low cancer cell lines. Additionally, selective PLK4 inhibition induced significantly greater apoptosis in TRIM37 high versus low cancer cell lines as measured with a caspase 3/7 assay. We confirmed that only selective PLK4 inhibitors are synthetic lethal with TRIM37 amplification using an engineered cell line system of PLK4 G95L, in which the Leucine mutation blocks compound binding but allows the PLK4 enzyme to function. In cell viability assays, selective PLK4 inhibitors were potent in the parental G95 cells and lost activity in L95 cells, unlike less selective inhibitors whose potency did not depend on PLK4. Oral dosing of a selective PLK4 inhibitor resulted in tumor growth inhibition in TRIM37 high xenograft tumors with no body weight loss. In summary, we have discovered that highly selective small molecule inhibitors of PLK4 confirm the potential of the synthetic lethal impact in treating tumors with high levels of TRIM37. Citation Format: Siobhan K. McRee, Chelsea Chen, Christophe Colas, Wie Fang, Wayne Kong, Fang Liu, Jason Long, Jared Moore, Alex Pankov, Dan Shore, Joanne Tan, Robert Warne, Rakesh Vekariya, Amy Young, Anneleen Daemen, Anthony Romero, Melissa R. Junttila, Lori S. Friedman, Kyle A. Edgar. Selective PLK4 inhibition demonstrates synthetic lethality in TRIM37 amplified neuroblastoma and breast cancer models while less selective inhibitors do not. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4998.

Abstract 4997: PLK1 promotes the metastasis and drug resistance in melanoma

Abstract Melanoma is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in the caucasian population of both genders. The survival rate of advanced melanoma patients will be exceedingly poor, as low as 27.3%. BRAF-V600E is the most common mutation found clinically, resulting in the constitutive activation of the MAPK signaling pathway. Vemurafenib, a specific inhibitor of mutant BRAF, has shown an impressive response in phase 3 clinical trials and was approved by FDA in 2011. However, due to the rapid development of resistance, the duration of response under a single treatment is frequently short, highlighting the urgent requirement for novel therapy in melanoma treatment. Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), a crucial cell cycle regulator, participates in multiple mitotic processes, including centrosome maturation, mitotic entry, spindle assembly, sister chromatid segregation, mitotic exit, and cytokinesis. Compared to normal tissues, the expression level of PLK1 significantly upregulates in multiple cancers. More importantly, the expression level of PLK1 negatively correlates with the melanoma patients’ survival rate based on the TCGA database. Besides, PLK1 is identified as an oncogene to promote proliferation, motility, and resistance to various drugs. In the present study, we found that overexpression of PLK1 promotes tumor growth, metastasis, metabolic reprogramming, and vemurafenib resistance in the BrafCA/Ptenloxp mouse melanoma model. Through phosphorylation, overexpressed PLK1 stabilizes BACH1, a critical transcriptional factor of multiple metastatic and metabolic genes, and protects it from degradation. Subsequently, a higher level of BACH1 leads to increasing metastasis, upregulation of glycolysis, and suppression of OXPHOs. Besides, we have validated the strong synergy between PLK1 inhibitor volasertib and vemurafenib in treating melanoma carrying BRAF-V600E. Our in vitro and in vivo experiments have shown an improved efficacy of this combined therapy on inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of cell death, and suppression of cell metastasis compared to mono-treatment. In short, our data has indicated PLK1 as a potent and promising target in cancer treatment. Citation Format: Fengyi Mao, Yifan Kong, Chaohao Li, Yanquan Zhang, Xiongjian Rao, Qiongsi Zhang, Xinyi Wang, Zhiguo Li, Xiaoqi Liu. PLK1 promotes the metastasis and drug resistance in melanoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4997.

DHMMF, a natural flavonoid from Resina Draconis, inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma progression via inducing apoptosis and G2/M phase arrest mediated by DNA damage-driven upregulation of p21

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide and is extremely malignant in nature. It is an important way to discover anti-cancer drugs from natural products at present. (R)-7,3′-dihydroxy-4′-methoxy-8-methylflavane (DHMMF), a natural flavonoid, was isolated from Resina Draconis which is the red resin from Dracaena cochinchinensis (Lour.) S. C. Chen. However, the anti-hepatoma effect and underlying mechanisms of DHMMF remain unclear. Herein, we demonstrated that DHMMF treatment significantly inhibited the proliferation of human hepatoma HepG2 and SK-HEP-1 cells. The IC50 value of DHMMF for HepG2 and SK-HEP-1 cells were 0.67 μM and 0.66 μM, respectively, while the IC50 value of DHMMF for human normal liver LO2 cells was 120.60 μM. DHMMF induced DNA damage, apoptosis, and G2/M phase arrest in HepG2 and SK-HEP-1 cells. Furthermore, the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of DHMMF in human hepatoma cells were mediated by the upregulation of p21. Importantly, DHMMF exhibited potent anti-HCC efficacy in a xenograft mice model and an orthotopic mice model of liver cancer. Additionally, the combined administration of DHMMF and polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) inhibitor BI 6727 showed a synergistic anti-HCC efficacy. Collectively, we demonstrated that DHMMF treatment induced apoptosis and G2/M phase arrest via DNA damage-driven upregulation of p21 expression in human hepatoma cells. DHMMF may serve as a promising drug candidate for HCC treatment, especially for patients of HCC with low p21 expression. Our results also suggested that DHMMF treatment in combination with PLK1 inhibitor may serve as a potential treatment strategy for patients with HCC.

Synthetic lethality of drug-induced polyploidy and BCL-2 inhibition in lymphoma

Spontaneous whole genome duplication and the adaptive mutations that disrupt genome integrity checkpoints are infrequent events in B cell lymphomas. This suggests that lymphomas might be vulnerable to therapeutics that acutely trigger genomic instability and polyploidy. Here, we report a therapeutic combination of inhibitors of the Polo-like kinase 4 and BCL-2 that trigger genomic instability and cell death in aggressive lymphomas. The synthetic lethality is selective for tumor cells and spares vital organs. Mechanistically, inhibitors of Polo-like kinase 4 impair centrosome duplication and cause genomic instability. The elimination of polyploid cells largely depends on the pro-apoptotic BAX protein. Consequently, the combination of drugs that induce polyploidy with the BCL-2 inhibitor Venetoclax is highly synergistic and safe against xenograft and PDX models. We show that B cell lymphomas are ill-equipped for acute, therapy-induced polyploidy and that BCL-2 inhibition further enhances the removal of polyploid lymphoma cells.

Human Polo-like Kinase Inhibitors as Antiplasmodials.

Protein kinases have proven to be a very productive class of therapeutic targets, and over 90 inhibitors are currently in clinical use primarily for the treatment of cancer. Repurposing these inhibitors as antimalarials could provide an accelerated path to drug development. In this study, we identified BI-2536, a known potent human polo-like kinase 1 inhibitor, with low nanomolar antiplasmodial activity. Screening of additional PLK1 inhibitors revealed further antiplasmodial candidates despite the lack of an obvious orthologue of PLKs in Plasmodium. A subset of these inhibitors was profiled for their in vitro killing profile, and commonalities between the killing rate and inhibition of nuclear replication were noted. A kinase panel screen identified PfNEK3 as a shared target of these PLK1 inhibitors; however, phosphoproteome analysis confirmed distinct signaling pathways were disrupted by two structurally distinct inhibitors, suggesting PfNEK3 may not be the sole target. Genomic analysis of BI-2536-resistant parasites revealed mutations in genes associated with the starvation-induced stress response, suggesting BI-2536 may also inhibit an aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase.

Designing Effective Multi-Target Drugs and Identifying Biomarkers in Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL) Using In Vivo, In Vitro, and In Silico Approaches

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) occurs in approximately 5% of women. Despite an abundance of evidence, the molecular mechanism of RPL's pathology remains unclear. Here, we report the protective role of polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) during RPL. We aimed to construct an RPL network utilizing GEO datasets and identified hub high-traffic genes. We also investigated whether the expressions of PLK1 were altered in the chorionic villi collected from women with RPL compared to those from healthy early pregnant women. Gene expression differences were evaluated using both pathway and gene ontology (GO) analyses. The identified genes were validated using in vivo and in vitro models. Mice with PLK1-overexpression and PLK1-knockdown in vitro models were produced by transfecting certain plasmids and si-RNA, respectively. The apoptosis in the chorionic villi, mitochondrial function, and NF-κB signaling activity was evaluated. To suppress the activation of PLK1, the PLK1 inhibitor BI2536 was administered. The HTR-8/SVneo and JEG-3 cell lines were chosen to establish an RPL model in vitro. The NF-κB signaling, Foxo signaling, PI3K/AKT, and endometrial cancer signaling pathways were identified via the RPL regulatory network. The following genes were identified: PLK1 as hub high-traffic gene and MMP2, MMP9, BAX, MFN1, MFN2, FOXO1, OPA1, COX15, BCL2, DRP1, FIS1, TRAF2, and TOP2A. Clinical samples were examined, and the results demonstrated that RPL patients had tissues with decreased PLK1 expression in comparison to women with normal pregnancies (p < 0.01). In vitro, PLK1 knockdown induced the NF-κB signaling pathway and apoptosis activation while decreasing cell invasion, migration, and proliferation (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the in vivo model proved that cell mitochondrial function and chorionic villi development are both hampered by PLK1 suppression. Our findings revealed that the PLK1/TRAF2/NF-κB axis plays a crucial role in RPL-induced chorionic villi dysfunction by regulating mitochondrial dynamics and apoptosis and might be a potential therapeutic target in the clinic.

Study on Pharmacokinetics and Metabolic Profiles of Novel Potential PLK-1 Inhibitors by UHPLC-MS/MS Combined with UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap/HRMS

PLK-1 (Polo-like kinase-1) plays an essential role in cytokinesis, and its aberrant expression is considered to be keenly associated with a wide range of cancers. It has been selected as an appealing target and small-molecule inhibitors have been developed and studied in clinical trials. Unfortunately, most have been declared as failures due to the poor therapeutic response and off-target toxicity. In the present study, a novel potent PLK-1 inhibitor, compound 7a, was designed and synthetized. 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 19F NMR and mass spectrum were comprehensively used for the compound characterization. The compound exhibited higher potency against PLK-1 kinase, HCT-116 and NCI-H2030 cell lines than the positive control. Molecular docking indicated that the binding mode that the ATP binding site of PLK-1 was occupied by the compound. Then, a UHPLC-MS/MS method was established and validated to explore the pharmacokinetic behavior of the drug candidate. The method had good selectivity, high sensitivity and wide linearity. The exposure increased linearly with the dose, but the oral bioavailability was not satisfactory enough. Then, the metabolism was studied using liver microsomes by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap/HRMS. Our research first studied the pharmacokinetic metabolic characteristics of 7a and may serve as a novel lead compound for the development of PLK-1 inhibitors.

Abstract P3-07-14: A phase II study of CFI-400945 in patients with advanced/metastatic cancer: Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG) IND.237

Abstract Background: CFI-400945 is a selective oral inhibitor of Polo-like Kinase 4 (PLK4), a controller of centriole duplication and mitotic progression identified by functional screening of genomically unstable breast cancer (BC). IND.237 (NCT01954316) is an open label, multicentre, phase 2 study in HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC) with 3 cohorts, 1 enriched for PTEN loss of function. Enrollment started in 2018 at 64mg based on a previously established recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). The initial patients had higher than expected grade 3/4 neutropenia which led to a voluntary hold and dose de-escalation; the new RP2D was declared at 32mg as previously reported Here we report the results of the phase 2 study of CFI-400945 in advanced BC patients. Materials and Methods: 49 patients were enrolled across 3 cohorts: 1: triple negative; 2: ER+/HER2- PTEN low (by IHC); 3: ER+/HER2-, PTEN intact. The primary outcome is objective response rate (ORR); secondary outcomes included disease control rate (DCR) &amp;gt;16w, and safety. A Simon 2-stage design was used (9 – 25 pts planned for each cohort). CFI-400945 would be considered active if ≥3 responses were observed in any given cohort. Eligibility included ECOG 0-1, adequate organ function and receipt of at ≥1 prior line of cytotoxic chemotherapy in any setting including anthracycline taxane (unless contraindicated). Treatment was 32mg 7d on 7d off in cycle 1 (cycle length=28d), then continuously starting cycle 2. Safety assessments were performed each cycle and response (RECIST 1.1) every 2 cycles. Results: 60 patients have been screened, 49 enrolled: 10 were in initial dose ranging and were excluded from phase 2 response assessment. 10 patients were enrolled in cohort 1, 4 in cohort 2, and 25 in cohort 3. Table 1 presents patient characteristics and response results. 1 patient in cohort 3 has not had disease re-assessed at time of abstract submission. The most common adverse events have been cytopenias, nausea, fatigue, headache, constipation and vomiting. Less than 5% of patients experienced a non-hematologic AE &amp;gt; grade 3; 33% experienced ≥ grade 3 neutropenia. Conclusions: CFI-400945 32mg is well tolerated in this MBC population with moderate incidence of uncomplicated neutropenia. The TNBC cohort so this arm has been closed to further accrual for lack of responses. The PTEN loss group has been slow to accrue and remains open. Responses in the ER+/HER2- arm are encouraging – results from patients remaining on study are awaited and correlative studies to identify features associated with responses are underway. Acknowledgements: Sponsored by the Canadian Cancer Trials Group. Supported by Stand Up To Cancer Canada (scientific partner AACR) Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) Breast Cancer Dream Team Research Funding, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (funding provided by the Government of Ontario) and grants from CCS to CCTG. Table 1. Table 1. Patient characteristics and response rates in each cohort treated with CFI-400945. Citation Format: David W. Cescon, John Hilton, Philippe Bedard, Phillip Blanchette, Rossanna C. Pezo, Ayesha Bashir, Vikaash Kumar, Terry L. Ng, Arif Awan, Anthony Lott, Jacques Antoun Raphael, Linda Hagerman, Mark Bray, Lindsay Muyot, Jesus Fuentes Antras, Lesley Seymour, Dongsheng Tu, Pierre-Olivier Gaudreau, Moira Rushton. A phase II study of CFI-400945 in patients with advanced/metastatic cancer: Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG) IND.237 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-07-14.

Abstract P3-07-18: CCTG IND.239: A phase 2 study of combined CFI-400945 and durvalumab in patients with advanced triple negative breast cancer (aTNBC)

Abstract CCTG IND.239: A phase 2 study of combined CFI-400945 and durvalumab in patients with advanced triple negative breast cancer (aTNBC) John Hilton, David W. Cescon, Andrew Robinson, Sukhbinder Dhesy-Thind, Sara Kristina Taylor, Arif Awan, Terry Ng, Moira Rushton, Marie-France Savard, Lindsay Muyot, Marie Claude Reeves, Linda Hagerman, Hongbo Lui, Mark Bray, Dongsheng Tu, Lesley Seymour, Pierre-Olivier Gaudreau Background: CFI-400945 is a selective oral inhibitor of Polo-like Kinase 4 (PLK4), which controls centriole duplication and mitotic progression, and was identified as a drug target based on functional screening of genomically unstable breast cancers. CFI-400945 monotherapy has anti-proliferative activity and enhances antitumor activity when combined with anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade in transplantable murine cancer models. Material and methods: In this multi-centre phase II trial of CFI-400945 and durvalumab combination therapy, the primary objective was overall response rate (ORR) per RECIST 1.1. Patients with aTNBC with adequate organ function, PS 0-1, previously treated with &amp;gt;1 line of chemotherapy including anthracycline and/or taxane, were eligible. CFI-400945 32mg monotherapy was administered on a 7-day on, 7-day off schedule for cycle 1 (which reduced the likelihood of significant hematologic toxicity). From cycle 2 onwards, CFI-400945 32mg daily was administered in combination with durvalumab 1500mg IV every 28 days; responses were assessed every 8 weeks. Following trial activation, 3 patients received a CFI-400945 dose of 40mg (same schedule) for a total of 9 cycles before 32mg was declared as the new recommended phase 2 dose (based on other ongoing trials using CFI-400945). A Simon 2-stage design was used; ≥3/15 responses in stage 1 were required to expand to stage 2. Exploratory PD-L1 expression was measured on immune and tumor cells using the SP263 assay. Results: 15 patients received a total of 45 cycles (1-12 cycles per patient). Median age was 56 (31-76); 53% PS1; 20% 3 prior chemotherapy lines and; 27% 4 sites of metastatic disease. Immune vs tumor cell PD-L1 expression was 1% in 50% and 23% of patients, respectively (immune and tumor cell expression was mutually exclusive). Immune vs tumor cell PD-L1 expression was 10% in 17% and 15% of patients, respectively. Grade 3 hematological adverse events (AEs) were lymphopenia (40%), neutropenia (20%), anemia and thrombocytopenia (7% for both). One serious AE at least possibly related to treatment was seen: grade 3 febrile neutropenia. Frequent AEs (˃5%) considered at least possibly related to CFI-400945 were: nausea and anorexia (both 20%), fatigue and dysgeusia (both 13%), headache, dizziness, maculo-papular rash, back pain and gastroesophageal reflux disease (all 7%), Frequent AEs (˃5%) considered at least possibly related to durvalumab were: anorexia (13%), arthritis, fatigue, back pain, pain in extremity and hot flashes (all 7%). No responses were observed in 14 evaluable patients during stage 1, therefore the pre-specified threshold for anti-tumor activity to proceed to stage 2 was not met. Disease control rate (complete response, partial response or stable disease ˃16 weeks in duration) was 7% (1/14). Conclusions: CFI-400945 and durvalumab was well tolerated, with no unexpected toxicities of the combination. However, in this heavily pretreated and PD-L1 unselected TNBC population, no responses were observed and the pre-specified threshold for anti-tumor activity for stage 2 was not met. The trial was closed to accrual on April 26, 2022. Final analysis and correlative analyses are ongoing. Acknowledgements: Coordinated by the CCTG. Funding supported by Astra Zeneca. CFI-400945 provided by Treadwell Therapeutics and durvalumab provided by Astra Zeneca. Citation Format: John Hilton, David W. Cescon, Andrew Robinson, Sukhbinder Dhesy-Thind, Sara Taylor, Arif Awan, Terry L. Ng, Moira Rushton, Marie-France Savard, Lindsay Muyot, Marie Claude Reeves, Linda Hagerman, Hongbo Lui, Mark Bray, Dongsheng Tu, Lesley Seymour, Pierre-Olivier Gaudreau. CCTG IND.239: A phase 2 study of combined CFI-400945 and durvalumab in patients with advanced triple negative breast cancer (aTNBC) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-07-18.

Downregulation of Polo-like kinase 4 induces cell apoptosis and G2/M arrest in acute myeloid leukemia.

Polo-like kinase 4 (PLK4) is a crucial regulator for centriole replication and is reported to be aberrantly expressed in various cancers, where it participates to tumorigenesis. However, PLK4 effect in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), is still uncertain. This study investigates the function of PLK4 in AML. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the level of PLK4. Centrinone, a selective PLK4 small molecule inhibitor, was used for PLK4 inhibition and explore its effect in AML cells. The cell growth was detected by the CCK8, while the cell cycle and apoptosis were assessed by flow cytometry. The level of proteins associated with apoptosis, cell cycle and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress were analyzed by western blotting. PLK4 was overexpressed in AML cells. PLK4 knockdown or its specific inhibition by centrinone induced G2/M phase arrest via suppressing the expression of cyclin B1 and Cdc2 and promoting the level of proapoptotic proteins. Moreover, PLK4 targeting enhanced the level of proteins related to ER stress, such as GRP78, ATF4, ATF6, and CHOP. These findings demonstrated that targeting PLK4 can induce apoptosis, G2/M and ER stress in AML cells.

Inhibition of Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) triggers cell apoptosis via ROS-caused mitochondrial dysfunction in colorectal carcinoma.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers. Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), a member of the serine/threonine kinase PLK family, is the most investigated and essential in the regulation of cell cycle progression, including chromosome segregation, centrosome maturation and cytokinesis. However, the nonmitotic role of PLK1 in CRC is poorly understood. In this study, we explored the tumorigenic effects of PLK1 and its potential as a therapeutic target in CRC. GEPIA database and immunohistochemistry analysis were performed to evaluate the abnormal expression of PLK1 in CRC patients. MTT assay, colony formation and transwell assay were performed to assess cell viability, colony formation ability and migration ability after inhibiting PLK1 by RNAi or the small molecule inhibitor BI6727. Cell apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and ROS levels were evaluated by flow cytometry. Bioluminescence imaging was performed to evaluate the impact of PLK1 on CRC cell survival in a preclinical model. Finally, xenograft tumor model was established to study the effect of PLK1 inhibition on tumor growth. First, immunohistochemistry analysis revealed the significant accumulation of PLK1 in patient-derived CRC tissues compared with adjacent healthy tissues. Furthermore, PLK1 inhibition genetically or pharmacologically significantly reduced cell viability, migration and colony formation, and triggered apoptosis of CRC cells. Additionally, we found that PLK1 inhibition elevated cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and decreased the Bcl2/Bax ratio, which led to mitochondrial dysfunction and the release of Cytochrome c, a key process in initiating cell apoptosis. These data provide new insights into the pathogenesis of CRC and support the potential value of PLK1 as an appealing target for CRC treatment. Overall, the underlying mechanism of inhibiting PLK1-induced apoptosis indicates that the PLK1 inhibitor BI6727 may be a novel potential therapeutic strategy in the treatment of CRC.

Unusually High Affinity of the PLK Inhibitors RO3280 and GSK461364 to HSA and Its Possible Pharmacokinetic Implications.

The binding processes of two Polo-like kinase inhibitors, RO3280 and GSK461364, to the human serum albumin (HSA) protein as well as the protonation equilibria of both compounds have been studied combining absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy experiments together with density functional theory calculations. We found that the charge states of RO3280 and GSK461364 are +2 and +1, respectively, at the physiological pH. Nevertheless, RO3280 binds to HSA in the charge state +1 prior to a deprotonation pre-equilibrium. Binding constants to site I of HSA of 2.23 × 106 and 8.80 × 104 M-1 were determined for RO3280 and GSK461364, respectively, at 310 K. The binding processes of RO3280 and GSK461364 to HSA are entropy- and enthalpy-driven, respectively. The positive enthalpy found for the RO3280-HSA complex formation could be related to a proton pre-equilibrium of RO3280.

PLK1 inhibition promotes apoptosis and DNA damage in glioma stem cells by regulating the nuclear translocation of YBX1

Glioma stem cells (GSCs) are the important cause of tumorigenesis, recurrence, and chemo(radio)resistance in glioma. Targeting GSCs helps improve the outcomes of glioma treatment. Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is a member of the serine/threonine protein kinase family, which is highly conserved. In recent years, it has been suggested that increased levels of PLK1 and its activity are associated with tumor progression and poor prognosis. We aimed to identify whether PLK1 plays a critical role in stemness maintenance and apoptosis regulation in GSCs. Here we identify that PLK1 inhibition can induce apoptosis and DNA damage of GSCs, we have also delineat the possible underlying molecular mechanisms: PLK1 interacts with YBX1 and directly phosphorylates serine 174 and serine 176 of YBX1. Inhibition of PLK1 reduces the phosphorylation level of YBX1, and decreased phosphorylation of YBX1 prevents its nuclear translocation, thereby inducing apoptosis and DNA damage of GSCs. We confirmed that YBX1 knockdown resulted in the apoptosis and DNA damage of GSCs. These findings uncover that PLK1 inhibition induces cell apoptosis and DNA damage in GSCs through YBX1 phosphorylation, providing new insights into the mechanism by which PLK1 inhibition contributes to the apoptosis of and DNA damage in gliomas.

PLK1 protects intestinal barrier function in sepsis: A translational research.

Sepsis and its related complications are very challenging in the intensive care unit, among which intestinal barrier injury is a general manifestation. Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is widely studied in cancer, while its role in sepsis is poorly understood. In this study, the efficiency of PLK1 as a marker of intestinal barrier function as well as a predictor of mortality in sepsis was evaluated. The level of serum PLK1 was measured in septic patients (n=51) and controls (n=20); subsequently, its correlation with serum diamine oxidase (DAO), d-lactate, and endotoxin levels and its ability topredict mortality were analysed. The survival rate and barrier injury degree were also assessed in septic mice. Serum PLK1 levels were elevated in septic patients, were negatively correlated with serum DAO, d-lactate, and endotoxin levels, and had a high predictive value for 28-day mortality in patients. The serum PLK1 level in non-survivors was lower. The expression of PLK1 in the intestine was decreased in septic mice, and overexpression or inhibition of PLK1 alleviated or aggravated intestinal barrier injury, respectively, as evaluated by Chiu's score, serum levels of DAO and d-lactate, and expression of tight junction proteins. Overexpressing PLK1 also decreased the 72-hour death rate of septic mice. Further study also revealed the negative correlation of PLK1 and IL-6 in patients, and increasing or interfering with PLK1 expression reduced or increased the serum IL-6 level in mice. PLK1 plays a critical role in intestinal barrier function during sepsis, providing a novel perspective for sepsis therapy in the clinic.

DNA damage triggers squamous metaplasia in human lung and mammary cells via mitotic checkpoints

Epithelial transdifferentiation is frequent in tissue hyperplasia and contributes to disease in various degrees. Squamous metaplasia (SQM) precedes epidermoid lung cancer, an aggressive and frequent malignancy, but it is rare in the epithelium of the mammary gland. The mechanisms leading to SQM in the lung have been very poorly investigated. We have studied this issue on human freshly isolated cells and organoids. Here we show that human lung or mammary cells strikingly undergo SQM with polyploidisation when they are exposed to genotoxic or mitotic drugs, such as Doxorubicin or the cigarette carcinogen DMBA, Nocodazole, Taxol or inhibitors of Aurora-B kinase or Polo-like kinase. To note, the epidermoid response was attenuated when DNA repair was enhanced by Enoxacin or when mitotic checkpoints where abrogated by inhibition of Chk1 and Chk2. The results show that DNA damage has the potential to drive SQM via mitotic checkpoints, thus providing novel molecular candidate targets to tackle lung SCC. Our findings might also explain why SCC is frequent in the lung, but not in the mammary gland and why chemotherapy often causes complicating skin toxicity.

Design of novel anti-cancer drugs targeting TRKs inhibitors based 3D QSAR, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation

Tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) enzymes are responsible for different types of tumors caused by neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase gene fusion and have been identified as an effective target for anticancer therapy. The study of the mechanism between polo-like kinase (PLKs) and pyrazol inhibitors was performed using 3D-QSAR modeling, molecular docking, and MD simulations in order to design high-activity inhibitors. The HQSAR (Q 2 = 0.793, R 2 = 0.917, R 2 ext = 0.961), CoMFA (Q 2 = 0.582, R 2 = 0.722, R 2 ext = 0.951), CoMSIA/SE (Q 2 = 0.603, R 2 = 0.801, R 2 ext = 0.849), and Topomer CoMFA (Q 2 = 0.726, R 2 = 0.992, R 2 ext = 0.717) showed good reliability and predictability. All models have been successfully tested by external validation, so all five established models are reliable. The analysis of the different contour maps of different models gives structural information to improve the inhibitory function. Molecular docking results show that the amino acids Met 592, GLU 590, LEU 657, VAL 524, and PHE 589 are the active sites of the tropomyosin receptor TRKs. The results obtained by MD showed that compound 19i could form a more stable complex protein (PDB id: 5KVT). Based on these results, we developed new compounds and their expected inhibitory activities. The results of physicochemical and ADME-Tox properties showed that the four proposed molecules are orally bioavailable, and they are not toxic in the Ames test. Thus, these results would provide modeling information that could help experimental researchers find TRK type I inhibitors more efficiently. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

PLK1 and AURKB phosphorylate survivin differentially to affect proliferation in racially distinct triple-negative breast cancer

Protein diversity due to alternative mRNA splicing or post-translational modifications (PTMs) plays a vital role in various cellular functions. The mitotic kinases polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) and Aurora B (AURKB) phosphorylate survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family member, thereby regulating cell proliferation. PLK1, AURKB, and survivin are overexpressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive breast cancer subtype. TNBC is associated with high proliferative capacity, high rates of distant metastasis, and treatment resistance. The proliferation-promoting protein survivin and its activating kinases, PLK1 and AURKB, are overexpressed in TNBC. In this study, we investigated the role of survivin phosphorylation in racial disparities in TNBC cell proliferation. Analysis of TCGA TNBC data revealed higher expression levels of PLK1 (P = 0.026) and AURKB (P = 0.045) in African Americans (AAs; n = 41) than in European Americans (EAs; n = 86). In contrast, no significant racial differences in survivin mRNA or protein levels were observed. AA TNBC cells exhibited higher p-survivin levels than EA TNBC cells. Survivin silencing using small interfering RNAs significantly attenuated cell proliferation and cell cycle progression in AA TNBC cells, but not in EA TNBC cells. In addition, PLK1 and AURKB inhibition with volasertib and barasertib significantly inhibited the growth of AA TNBC xenografts, but not of EA TNBC tumors. These data suggest that inhibition of PLK1 and AURKB suppresses cell proliferation and tumor growth, specifically in AA TNBC. These findings suggest that targeting survivin phosphorylation may be a viable therapeutic option for AA patients with TNBC.

3D-QSAR Studies, Molecular Docking, Molecular Dynamic Simulation, and ADMET Proprieties of Novel Pteridinone Derivatives as PLK1 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer.

Overexpression of polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) has been found in many different types of cancers. With its essential role in cell proliferation, PLK1 has been determined to be a broad-spectrum anti-cancer target. In this study, 3D-QSAR, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were applied on a series of novel pteridinone derivatives as PLK1 inhibitors to discover anti-cancer drug candidates. In this work, three models-CoMFA (Q² = 0.67, R² = 0.992), CoMSIA/SHE (Q² = 0.69, R² = 0.974), and CoMSIA/SEAH (Q² = 0.66, R² = 0.975)-of pteridinone derivatives were established. The three models that were established gave Rpred2 = 0.683, Rpred&amp;nbsp;2= 0.758, and Rpred&amp;nbsp;2= 0.767, respectively. Thus, the predictive abilities of the three proposed models were successfully evaluated. The relations between the different champs and activities were well-demonstrated by the contour chart of the CoMFA and CoMSIA/SEAH models. The results of molecular docking indicated that residues R136, R57, Y133, L69, L82, and Y139 were the active sites of the PLK1 protein (PDB code: 2RKU), in which the more active ligands can inhibit the enzyme of PLK1. The results of the molecular dynamic MD simulation diagram were obtained to reinforce the previous molecular docking results, which showed that both inhibitors remained stable in the active sites of the PLK1 protein (PDB code: 2RKU) for 50 ns. Finally, a check of the ADME-Tox properties of the two most active molecules showed that molecular N° 28 could represent a good drug candidate for the therapy of prostate cancer diseases.