1. Academic Validation
  2. Small-Molecule Bcl2 BH4 Antagonist for Lung Cancer Therapy

Small-Molecule Bcl2 BH4 Antagonist for Lung Cancer Therapy

  • Cancer Cell. 2015 Jun 8;27(6):852-63. doi: 10.1016/j.ccell.2015.04.010.
Bingshe Han 1 Dongkyoo Park 1 Rui Li 1 Maohua Xie 1 Taofeek K Owonikoko 2 Guojing Zhang 2 Gabriel L Sica 3 Chunyong Ding 4 Jia Zhou 4 Andrew T Magis 5 Zhuo G Chen 2 Dong M Shin 2 Suresh S Ramalingam 2 Fadlo R Khuri 2 Walter J Curran 1 Xingming Deng 6
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
  • 2 Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
  • 3 Department of Pathology, Emory University School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
  • 4 Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
  • 5 Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
  • 6 Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. Electronic address: xdeng4@emory.edu.
Abstract

The BH4 domain of Bcl2 is required for its antiapoptotic function, thus constituting a promising Anticancer target. We identified a small-molecule Bcl2-BH4 domain antagonist, BDA-366, that binds BH4 with high affinity and selectivity. BDA-366-Bcl2 binding induces conformational change in Bcl2 that abrogates its antiapoptotic function, converting it from a survival molecule to a cell death inducer. BDA-366 suppresses growth of lung Cancer xenografts derived from cell lines and patient without significant normal tissue toxicity at effective doses. mTOR inhibition upregulates Bcl2 in lung Cancer cells and tumor tissues from clinical trial patients. Combined BDA-366 and RAD001 treatment exhibits strong synergy against lung Cancer in vivo. Development of this Bcl2-BH4 antagonist may provide a strategy to improve lung Cancer outcome.

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