Latest Publications

@article{boudny_novel_2019,

title = {Novel CHK1 inhibitor MU380 exhibits significant single-agent activity in TP53-mutated chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells.},

author = {Miroslav Boudny and Jana Zemanova and Prashant Khirsariya and Marek Borsky and Jan Verner and Jana Cerna and Alexandra Oltova and Vaclav Seda and Marek Mraz and Josef Jaros and Zuzana Jaskova and Michaela Spunarova and Yvona Brychtova and Karel Soucek and Stanislav Drapela and Marie Kasparkova and Jiri Mayer and Kamil Paruch and Martin Trbusek},

doi = {10.3324/haematol.2018.203430},

issn = {1592-8721 0390-6078},

year  = {2019},

date = {2019-12-01},

journal = {Haematologica},

volume = {104},

number = {12},

pages = {2443–2455},

abstract = {Introduction of small-molecule inhibitors of B-cell receptor signaling and BCL2 protein significantly improves therapeutic options in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. However, some patients suffer from adverse effects mandating treatment discontinuation, and cases with TP53 defects more frequently experience early progression of the disease. Development of alternative therapeutic approaches is, therefore, of critical importance. Here we report details of the anti-chronic lymphocytic leukemia single-agent activity of MU380, our recently identified potent, selective, and metabolically robust inhibitor of checkpoint kinase 1. We also describe a newly developed enantioselective synthesis of MU380, which allows preparation of gram quantities of the substance. Checkpoint kinase 1 is a master regulator of replication operating primarily in intra-S and G(2)/M cell cycle checkpoints. Initially tested in leukemia and lymphoma cell lines, MU380 significantly potentiated efficacy of gemcitabine, a clinically used inducer of replication stress. Moreover, MU380 manifested substantial single-agent activity in both TP53-wild type and TP53-mutated leukemia and lymphoma cell lines. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia-derived cell lines MEC-1, MEC-2 (both TP53-mut), and OSU-CLL (TP53-wt) the inhibitor impaired cell cycle progression and induced apoptosis. In primary clinical samples, MU380 used as a single-agent noticeably reduced the viability of unstimulated chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells as well as those induced to proliferate by anti-CD40/IL-4 stimuli. In both cases, effects were comparable in samples harboring p53 pathway dysfunction (TP53 mutations or ATM mutations) and TP53-wt/ATM-wt cells. Lastly, MU380 also exhibited significant in vivo activity in a xenotransplant mouse model (immunodeficient strain NOD-scid IL2Rγ(null) ) where it efficiently suppressed growth of subcutaneous tumors generated from MEC-1 cells.},

note = {Place: Italy},

keywords = {*Drug Synergism, *Mutation, Animals, Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic/pharmacology, Apoptosis, B-Cell/*drug therapy/genetics/pathology, Biomarkers, Cell Cycle, Cell Proliferation, Checkpoint Kinase 1/*antagonists & inhibitors, Chronic, Cultured, Deoxycytidine/analogs & derivatives/pharmacology, Drug resistance, Female, gemcitabine, Gene Expression Regulation, Humans, Inbred NOD, Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Mice, Neoplasm/drug effects, Neoplastic/*drug effects, Piperidines/*pharmacology, Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology, Pyrazoles/*pharmacology, Pyrimidines/*pharmacology, SCID, Tumor Cells, Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/*genetics, Tumor/genetics, Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{prochazkova_monocytic_2009,

title = {Monocytic differentiation of leukemic HL-60 cells induced by co-treatment with TNF-alpha and MK886 requires activation of pro-apoptotic machinery.},

author = {Jirina Procházková and Lenka Stixová and Karel Soucek and Jirina Hofmanová and Alois Kozubík},

doi = {10.1111/j.1600-0609.2009.01240.x},

issn = {1600-0609 0902-4441},

year  = {2009},

date = {2009-07-01},

journal = {European journal of haematology},

volume = {83},

number = {1},

pages = {35–47},

abstract = {The block of hematopoietic differentiation program in acute myeloid leukemia cells can be overcome by differentiating agent like retinoic acid, but it has several side effects. A study of other differentiation signaling pathways is therefore useful to predict potential targets of anti-leukemic therapy. We demonstrated previously that the co-treatment of HL-60 cells with Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) (1 ng/mL) and inhibitor of 5-lipoxygenase MK886 (5 microm) potentiated both monocytic differentiation and apoptosis. In this study, we detected enhanced activation of three main types of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) (p38, c-Jun amino-terminal kinase [JNK], extracellular signal-regulated kinase [ERK]), so we assessed their role in differentiation using appropriate pharmacologic inhibitors. The inhibition of pro-apoptotic MAPKs (p38 and JNK) suppressed the effect of MK886 + TNF-alpha co-treatment. On the other hand, down-regulation of pro-survival ERK pathway led to increased differentiation. Those effects were accompanied by increased activation of caspases in cells treated by MK886 + TNF-alpha. Pan-caspase inhibitor ZVAD-fmk significantly decreased both number of apoptotic and differentiated cells. The same effect was observed after inhibition of caspase 9, but not caspase 3 and 8. To conclude, we evidenced that the activation of apoptotic processes and pathways supporting apoptosis (p38 and JNK MAPKs) is required for the monocytic differentiation of HL-60 cells.},

note = {Place: England},

keywords = {Acute/*drug therapy/metabolism/*pathology, Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones/pharmacology, Apoptosis/*drug effects/physiology, Caspase Inhibitors, Caspases/metabolism, Cell Differentiation/drug effects, Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors/pharmacology, Enzyme Activation/drug effects, HL-60 Cells, Humans, Indoles/*pharmacology, Leukemia, Lipoxygenase Inhibitors/pharmacology, MAP Kinase Signaling System/drug effects, Monocytes/*drug effects/pathology, NF-kappa B/antagonists & inhibitors, Promyelocytic, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/*pharmacology},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{vondracek_dimethyl_2006,

title = {Dimethyl sulfoxide potentiates death receptor-mediated apoptosis in the human myeloid leukemia U937 cell line through enhancement of mitochondrial membrane depolarization.},

author = {Jan Vondrácek and Karel Soucek and Michael A. Sheard and Katerina Chramostová and Zdenek Andrysík and Jirina Hofmanová and Alois Kozubík},

doi = {10.1016/j.leukres.2005.05.016},

issn = {0145-2126},

year  = {2006},

date = {2006-01-01},

journal = {Leukemia research},

volume = {30},

number = {1},

pages = {81–89},

abstract = {Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a widely used prototypical chemical inducer of cell differentiation. In the present study, the effects of DMSO on susceptibility of human myeloid leukemia U937 cells towards ligation of distinct death receptors (DRs) were investigated. DMSO sensitized cells towards induction of apoptosis by anti-Fas antibody, tumour necrosis factor-alpha or Apo2 ligand/TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). Apart from increasing Fas levels, DMSO did not affect expression of proteins in death signal transduction, such as Bcl-2 family proteins, FADD, caspase-3 and -8, the inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) or cFLIP(L). However, DMSO significantly potentiated mitochondrial membrane depolarization, suggesting that this mechanism might be involved in sensitisation of myeloid cells to DR-mediated apoptosis.},

note = {Place: England},

keywords = {Adaptor Proteins, Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins/*metabolism, Apoptosis/*drug effects, CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein, Caspase 3, Caspase 8, Caspases/metabolism, Cryoprotective Agents/*pharmacology, Dimethyl Sulfoxide/*pharmacology, fas Receptor/*metabolism, Fas-Associated Death Domain Protein, Humans, Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins, Leukemia, Membrane Glycoproteins/*metabolism, Mitochondria/metabolism/pathology, Mitochondrial Membranes/*metabolism/pathology, Myeloid/*metabolism/pathology, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism, Signal Transducing/metabolism, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/*metabolism, U937 Cells},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}