Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors as promising cancer therapeutics

The year of 2005 was a watershed in the history of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors due to the important findings of selective killing in BRCA-deficient cancers by PARP inhibition. The findings made PARP inhibition one of the most promising new therapeutic approaches to cancers, especially to those with specific defects. With AZD2281 and BSI-201 entering phase III clinical trials, the final application of PARP inhibitors in clinic would come true soon. This current paper will review the major advances in targeting PARP for cancer therapy and discuss the existing questions, the answers to which may influence the future of PARP inhibitors as cancer therapeutics.     

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors in the prevention of neuronal cell death

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase is a nucleic enzyme that promotes energy-dependent repair of DNA, thus helping to protect against DNA fragmentation. Overactivation of PARP, for example in the context of apoptosis, may contribute to neuronal cell death. This article briefly reviews claims for PARP inhibitors as agents for the prevention of neuronal cell death, registered in the period 1998 – December 2001. Biological data are sparse in these patents, few claims are backed by in vitro biochemical data and fewer still with in vivo animal model data. The latter have used animal models of ischaemia rather than of neurodegeneration. The place of PARP inhibitors as a clinical therapy to prevent neuronal cell death remains to be determined.     

Patent Evaluation: Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase inhibitors as potential antimicrobial agents

Summary

Novelty: Substituted benzoic acids, benzamides and esters are disclosed for use against HIV. They are said to exhibit nuclear ADP-ribosyl transferase activity and are related to known inhibitors. Potential use in trypanosomiasis and cancer is also claimed.

Biology: There are no detailed biological data to support the claims. Fifteen synthetic examples are included. A typical preferred compound is 4-methylureidobenzamide.

Structure:     

New inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), the most prominent member of the PARP family, is a DNA-binding protein that is activated by nicks in DNA occurring during inflammation, ischaemia, neurodegeneration or cancer therapy. Activated PARP-1 consumes NAD⁺ that is cleaved into nicotinamide and ADP-ribose and polymerises the latter onto nuclear acceptor proteins. This highly energy consuming process is pivotal for the maintenance of genomic stability although over-activation can culminate in cell dysfunction and necrosis. Therefore, PARP-1 is regarded as a promising target for the development of drugs useful in various forms of inflammation, ischaemia–reperfusion injury and as an adjunct in cancer therapy. This review summarises the structural classes of known PARP-1 inhibitors, with a focus on new inhibitors published for this target, between 2002 and July 2004. The chemistry and biological data disclosed in these patent applications are discussed in light of new structural knowledge of the catalytic domain of the PARP family and recent work with potent inhibitors demonstrating the effects of PARP inhibition in various animal disease models.     

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 modulates the lethality of CHK1 inhibitors in mammary tumors

The present studies sought to define whether checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) inhibitors and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) inhibitors interact in vitro and in vivo to kill breast cancer cells. PARP1 and CHK1 inhibitors interacted to kill estrogen receptor (ER)+, ER+ fulvestrant-resistant, HER2+, or triple-negative mammary carcinoma cells in a manner that was not apparently affected by phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 functional status. Expression of dominant-negative CHK1 enhanced and overexpression of wild-type CHK1 suppressed the toxicity of PARP1 inhibitors in a dose-dependent fashion. Knockdown of PARP1 enhanced the lethality of CHK1 inhibitors in a dose-dependent fashion. PARP1 and CHK1 inhibitors interacted in vivo both to suppress the growth of large established tumors and to suppress the growth of smaller developing tumors; the combination enhanced animal survival. PARP1 and CHK1 inhibitors profoundly radiosensitized cells in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that the combination of PARP1 and CHK1 inhibitors has antitumor activity in vivo against multiple mammary tumor types and that translation of this approach could prove to be a useful anticancer therapeutic approach.     

聚腺苷二磷酸核糖聚合酶抑制剂的临床研究进展

聚腺苷二磷酸核糖聚合酶(PARP)在癌症治疗中是一个非常重要的新靶点,通过碱基切除修复方式对单股DNA进行修复。近年来,新的协同放疗或化疗的PARP抑制剂已经进入了I、II或III期临床试验。众多的试验数据表明PARP抑制剂不仅可以作为化疗和放疗的增敏剂,而且在BRCA1和BRCA2基因突变的乳腺癌中可单独使用,选择性杀死DNA修复缺陷的癌细胞。本文综述了PARP抑制剂的作用机制和临床研究结果,评估了其不良反应和潜在药效,并提出了临床策略中可能存在的问题以及未来发展方向。     

聚腺苷二磷酸核糖聚合酶-1抑制剂高通量筛选模型

目的建立体外聚腺苷二磷酸核糖聚合酶-1[Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1,PARP-1]抑制剂的高通量筛选模型,筛选潜在的PARP-1抑制剂。方法将PARP-1、裸DNA与底物NAD+反应,再将剩余底物NAD+转化为荧光物质,通过测定其荧光强度来决定PARP-1的活性,并以此筛选PARP-1的抑制剂。建立384孔板的高通量筛选模型,对9280个化合物(包括合成化合物、天然产物、微生物发酵提取物)组成的随机库进行体外筛选。结果筛选出148个活性化合物对PARP-1的抑制作用大于70%,最终确定3个化合物具有较高的抑制活性。结论建立的PARP-1抑制剂高通量筛选模型具有灵敏度高、快速、微量、准确的特点。     

PARP抑制剂用于肿瘤治疗的研究进展

聚腺苷酸二磷酸核糖转移酶(poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase,PARP)是当今癌症治疗的一个新靶点,其能够催化ADP-核糖单元从烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸(nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide,NAD+)转移至各种受体蛋白。PARP参与DNA修复和转录调控,不但在调节细胞存活和死亡过程中具有关键作用,同时也是肿瘤发展和炎症发生过程中的主要转录因子。PARP在碱基切除修复的DNA单链缺口(SSBs)修复中具有关键作用,抑制其活性能够增强放疗和DNA损伤类化疗药物的效果。目前已有至少8个PARP抑制剂进入临床,最新的体内外实验表明PARP抑制剂不但能够作为放化疗增敏剂,单独使用也能选择性杀伤DNA修复缺陷的肿瘤细胞,如BRCA1和BRCA2缺陷的乳腺癌细胞。大量的临床试验证明:该类药物毒副作用小、效果明确且短期耐受性良好,对于癌症治疗前景广阔。本文主要对PARP抑制剂的原理及其研究进展进行综述。     

Triple-negative breast cancer and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors

Recent gene profiling studies have identified at least 5 major subtypes of breast cancer, including normal type, luminal A type, luminal B type, human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2 positive type, and basal-like type. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), showing no or low expressions of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR), and HER2, considered important clinical biomarkers, accounts for 10% to 20% of all breast cancers. Hormonal therapy and molecular targeted therapy are not indicated for the management of TNBC, resulting in poor outcomes. Because TNBC lacks clear-cut therapeutic targets, effective treatment strategies remain to be established. However, TNBC is known to share similar biologic characteristics with basal-like type breast cancer and is often accompanied by loss of functional BRCA, a gene-modifying enzyme. Breast cancer with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations is accompanied by activation of the enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). PARP, a DNA base-excision repair enzyme, is known to play a central role in gene repair, along with BRCA. Because some breast cancers with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations are TNBC, the suppression of PARP has attracted attention as a new treatment strategy for TNBC. In this article, we review the clinical characteristics of TNBC, discuss problems in treatment, and briefly summarize the international development status of PARP inhibitors.     

Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase 1 (PARP-1) and postischemic brain damage

Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerases (PARPs) are enzymes that are able to catalyze the transfer of ADP-ribose units from NAD to substrate proteins and are particularly abundant in cell nuclei where they play key roles in the maintenance of genomic integrity, control of cell cycle and gene expression. Brain ischemia overactivates PARPs and PARP-deficient mice or animal treated with PARP inhibitors have a drastically reduced brain damage in various stroke models. PARP 'overactivation' occurs not only in neurons but also in astrocytes, microglial cells, endothelia, and infiltrating leukocytes. The ensuing cell death occurs through various molecular mechanisms: a) excessive ATP use for NAD synthesis and inhibition of mitochondrial function with subsequent energy failure (particularly important in neurons); b) apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) translocation from the mitochondria to the nucleus (present in neurons, endothelial, and other cells); c) excessive expression of inflammatory mediators (well demonstrated in glial cells) or d) reduced expression of prosurvival factors. Thus PARPs seem to play key roles in postischemic brain damage and are now considered interesting targets for therapies aimed at reducing stroke pathology.     

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, nitric oxide and cell death.

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is a nuclear enzyme that is activated by DNA strand breaks to participate in DNA repair. Excessive activation of PARP, however, can deplete tissue stores of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), the PARP substrate which, with the resultant depletion of ATP, leads to cell death. In many cases of CNS damage, for example vascular stroke, nitric oxide release is a key stimulus to DNA damage and PARP activation. In conditions as diverse as focal cerebral ischaemia, myocardial infarction and toxin-induced diabetes, PARP inhibitors and PARP gene deletion afford dramatic protection from tissue damage. Accordingly, PARP inhibitors could provide novel therapeutic approaches in a wide range of clinical disorders.     

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) inhibitors in cancer chemotherapy

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) are defined as a family of cell signaling enzymes present in eukaryotes, which are involved in poly(ADP-ribosylation) of DNA-binding proteins. The best studied of these enzymes (PARP-1) is involved in the cellular response to DNA damage so that in the event of irreparable DNA damage overactivation of PARP-1 leads to necrotic cell death. Inhibitors of PARP-1 activity in combination with DNA-binding antitumor drugs may constitute a suitable strategy in cancer chemotherapy. When DNA is moderately damaged, PARP-1 participates in the DNA repair process and the cell survives. However, in the case of extensive DNA damage PARP-1 overactivation induces a decrease of NAD+ and ATP levels leading to cell dysfunction or even to necrotic cell death. So, due to PARP-1 involvement in cell death, pharmacological inhibition of PARP-1 activity by PARP-1 inhibitors may constitute a suitable target to enhance the activity of antitumor drugs through inhibition of necrosis and activation of apoptosis. PARP-1 inhibitors such as 3-aminobenzamide, 1,5-dihydroxyisoquinolinone and the recently patented tryciclic benzimidazoles have shown potent inhibitory effects of PARP-1 activity in tumor cells. The present review gives an update of the state-of-the-art of inhibition of PARP-1 activity as adjuvant therapy in cancer treatment.     

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase regulates myocardial calcium handling in doxorubicin-induced heart failure

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are overproduced in the cardiovascular system in response to the exposure to doxorubicin, a cardiotoxic anticancer compound. Oxidant-induced cell injury involves the activation of the nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and pharmacological inhibition of PARP has recently been shown to improve myocardial contractility in doxorubicin-induced heart failure models. The current investigation, by utilizing an isolated perfused heart system capable of beat-to-beat intracellular calcium recording, addressed the following questions: (1) is intracellular calcium handling altered in hearts of rats after 6-week doxorubicin treatment, under baseline conditions, and in response to oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide exposure in vitro; and (2) does pharmacological inhibition of PARP with the phenanthridinone-based PARP inhibitor PJ34 affect the changes in myocardial mechanical performance and calcium handling in doxorubicin-treated hearts under normal conditions and in response to oxidative stress. The results showed a marked elevation in intracellular calcium in the doxorubicin-treated hearts which was normalized by pharmacological inhibition of PARP. PARP inhibition also prevented the myocardial contractile disturbances and calcium overload that developed in response to hydrogen peroxide in the doxorubicin-treated hearts. We conclude that PARP activation contributes to the development of the disturbances in cellular calcium handling that develop in the myocardium in response to prolonged doxorubicin exposure.     

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 expression in fibroblasts of Down syndrome subjects

Down syndrome (DS) is the most common chromosomal disorder. It is featured by intellectual disability and is caused by trisomy 21. People with DS can develop some traits of Alzheimer disease at an earlier age than subjects without trisomy 21. Apoptosis is a programmed cell death process under both normal physiological and pathological conditions. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 is a mediator of programmed-necrotic cell death and appears to be also involved in the apoptosis. The aim of the present work was to detect the intracellular distribution of PARP-1 protein using immunofluorescence techniques and the expression of PARP-1 mRNA in culture of fibroblasts of DS subjects. The analysis of the intracellular distribution of PARP-1 show a signal at the nuclear level in about 75 % of the cells of DS subjects with a slight uniformly fluorescent cytoplasm. In contrast, in about 65% of the analyzed fibroblasts of the normal subjects only a slight fluorescent was found. These observations have been confirmed by PARP-1 gene mRNA expression evaluation. The data obtained from this study strengthen the hypothesis that the over-expression of PARP-1 gene could have a role in the activation of the apoptotic pathways acting in the neurodegenerative processes in DS.     

Potential clinical applications of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors.

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) are defined as cell signaling enzymes that catalyze the transfer of ADP-ribose units from NAD(+)to a number of acceptor proteins. PARP-1, the best characterized member of the PARP family, that presently includes six members, is an abundant nuclear enzyme implicated in cellular responses to DNA injury provoked by genotoxic stress (oxygen radicals, ionizing radiations and monofunctional alkylating agents). Due to its involvement either in DNA repair or in cell death, PARP-1 is regarded as a double-edged regulator of cellular functions. In fact, when the DNA damage is moderate, PARP-1 participates in the DNA repair process. Conversely, in the case of massive DNA injury, elevated PARP-1 activation leads to rapid NAD(+)/ATP consumption and cell death by necrosis. Excessive PARP-1 activity has been implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous clinical conditions such as stroke, myocardial infarction, shock, diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders. PARP-1 could therefore be considered as a potential target for the development of pharmacological strategies to enhance the antitumor efficacy of radio- and chemotherapy or to treat a number of clinical conditions characterized by oxidative or NO-induced stress and consequent PARP-1 activation. Moreover, the discovery of novel functions for the multiple members of the PARP family might lead in the future to additional clinical indications for PARP inhibitors.