Proteasome Inhibitors against Cancer: Determining Biology and Finding Novel Compounds

Sammanfattning: Cancer continues to be a tremendous burden on society in terms of loss of quality of life and life-years. The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS), responsible for the bulk of protein turnover in the cell, is considered an attractive target in cancer therapy. The proteolytic subunit of the UPS, the 20S, is targeted by three clinically approved anti-cancer drugs: Bortezomib, Carfilzomib, and Ixazomib. Proteins destined for degradation by the UPS are tagged with small protein ubiquitin. The 19S regulatory cap is responsible for recognition and processing of these ubiquitinated substrates, followed by proteolysis by the 20S. Deubiquitination by proteolytic enzymes of the 19S is an essential step in the progression of substrates to progress into the 20S. Our strategy is to pharmacologically inhibit the deubiquitinating enzymes associated with the 19S with the goal of disrupting the degradation of substrates. In Paper I of this thesis, we explore the occurrence of resistance to the 19S deubiquitinating enzyme inhibitor b-AP15. We find that minimal resistance to this compound occurs, and the small observed induction of resistance is likely mediated by glutathione. We also find that cells that are slow- or non-cycling are particularly insensitive to the treatment. In Paper II we employ screening methods based on the chemical properties of b-AP15 and find that a small subset of the screened compounds are relatively selective UPS inhibitors. In Paper III we employ a different screening methods, based on the gene expression profiles associated with disruption of the UPS. This screen finds several compounds with previously described UPS inhibitory effects but also compounds with different proposed mechanisms of action. In both Paper II and Paper III we reflect on the chemical structure of the compounds and challenges that come with chemical groups that are potentially promiscuously reactive. In Paper IV we explore the validity of b-AP15 as a treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a form of cancer for which the efficacy of b-AP15 has not been fully elucidated. This thesis contributes to the body of work supporting 19S inhibition in general, and 19S inhibition with b-AP15 in particular, as a promising modality for the treatment of cancer.