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WD repeat domain 5 (WDR5) is a member of the WD40-repeat protein family that plays a critical role in multiple processes. It is also a prominent target for pharmacological inhibition in diseases such as cancer, aging, and neurodegenerative disorders. Interactions between WDR5 and various partners are essential for sustaining its function. Most drug discovery efforts center on the WIN (WDR5 interaction motif) site of WDR5 that is responsible for the recruitment of WDR5 to chromatin. Here, we describe the discovery of novel WDR5 inhibitors for the other WBM (WDR5 binding motif) pocket on this scaffold protein, to disrupt WDR5 interaction with its binding partner MYC by high-throughput biochemical screening, subsequent molecule optimization, and biological assessment. These new WDR5 inhibitors provide useful probes for future investigations of WDR5 and an avenue for targeting WDR5 as a therapeutic strategy.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) may engage host immunity as one basis for their antitumor effects. Herein, we demonstrate an application of this concept using the HDACi panobinostat to augment the antitumor efficacy of trastuzumab (anti-HER2) therapy, through both tumor cell autonomous and nonautonomous mechanisms. In HER2 + tumors that are inherently sensitive to the cytostatic effects of trastuzumab, cotreatment with panobinostat abrogated AKT signaling and triggered tumor regression in mice that lacked innate and/or adaptive immune effector cells. However, the cooperative ability of panobinostat and trastuzumab to harness host anticancer immune defenses was essential for their curative activity in trastuzumab-refractory HER2 + tumors. In trastuzumab-resistant HER2 + AU565 pv xenografts and BT474 tumors expressing constitutively active AKT, panobinostat enhanced the antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity function of trastuzumab. IFNγ-mediated, CXCR3-dependent increases in tumor-associated NK cells underpinned the combined curative activity of panobinostat and trastuzumab in these tumors. These data highlight the immune-enhancing effects of panobinostat and provide compelling evidence that this HDACi can license trastuzumab to evoke NK-cell-mediated responses capable of eradicating trastuzumab-refractory HER2 + tumors. Cancer Res; 77(10); 2594-606. ©2017 AACR ., (©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Disequilibrium in the human debilitated immune system favors proliferation of invasive Candida species, a major therapeutic challenge due to development of resistance to several conventional antifungal agents (CAA) worldwide. Multiple mutations observed at specific loci that are targets for CAA are recognized as sources of drug resistance. This has prompted a shift from CAA, to diverse combination therapies, photodynamic and short peptide therapies capable of triggering specific apoptotic reactions within candidal cells. In this review, new designs and combination of short peptide (SP) with CAA as well as current application of photodynamic inactivation (PDI) against Candida species geared at generating reactive species of oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen (RNS) are discussed. It is observed that oxidative and nitrosative stresses provides a superior broad candidacidal effects for eradication of drug-resistant Candida species. The mechanism and limitations in these strategic approaches over CAA is also discussed.

Herein we report the discovery of a family of novel yet simple, amino-acid derived class I HDAC inhibitors that demonstrate isoform selectivity via access to the internal acetate release channel. Isoform selectivity criteria is discussed on the basis of X-ray crystallography and molecular modeling of these novel inhibitors bound to HDAC8, potentially revealing insights into the mechanism of enzymatic function through novel structural features revealed at the atomic level., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Maintenance of normal cell growth and differentiation is highly dependent on coordinated and tight transcriptional regulation of genes. In cancer, genes encoding growth regulators are abnormally expressed. Particularly, silencing of tumor suppressor genes under the control of chromatin modifications is a major underlying cause of unregulated cellular proliferation and transformation. Thus mechanisms, which regulate chromatin structure and gene expression, have become attractive targets for anticancer therapy. Histone deacetylases are enzymes that modify chromatin structure and contribute to aberrant gene expression in cancer. Research over the past decade has led to the development of histone deacetylase inhibitors as anticancer agents. In addition to their effect on chromatin and epigenetic mechanisms, HDAC inhibitors also modify the acetylation state of a large number of cellular proteins involved in oncogenic processes, resulting in antitumor effects. The current monograph will review the role of histone deacetylases in protumorigenic mechanisms and the current developmental status and prospects for their inhibitors in cancer therapy.

Posttranslational modifications to histones affect chromatin structure and function resulting in altered gene expression and changes in cell behavior. Aberrant gene expression and altered epigenomic patterns are major features of cancer. Epigenetic changes including histone acetylation, histone methylation, and DNA methylation are now thought to play important roles in the onset and progression of cancer in numerous tumor types. Indeed dysregulated epigenetic modifications, especially in early neoplastic development, may be just as significant as genetic mutations in driving cancer development and growth. The reversal of aberrant epigenetic changes has therefore emerged as a potential strategy for the treatment of cancer. A number of compounds targeting enzymes that regulate histone acetylation, histone methylation, and DNA methylation have been developed as epigenetic therapies, with some demonstrating efficacy in hematological malignancies and solid tumors. This review highlights the roles of epigenetic modifications to histones and DNA in tumorigenesis and emerging epigenetic therapies being developed for the treatment of cancer.

Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) induce T cell activation as well as T cell tolerance. The molecular basis of the regulation of this critical 'decision' is not well understood. Here we show that HDAC11, a member of the HDAC histone deacetylase family with no prior defined physiological function, negatively regulated expression of the gene encoding interleukin 10 (IL-10) in APCs. Overexpression of HDAC11 inhibited IL-10 expression and induced inflammatory APCs that were able to prime naive T cells and restore the responsiveness of tolerant CD4+ T cells. Conversely, disruption of HDAC11 in APCs led to upregulation of expression of the gene encoding IL-10 and impairment of antigen-specific T cell responses. Thus, HDAC11 represents a molecular target that influences immune activation versus immune tolerance, a critical 'decision' with substantial implications in autoimmunity, transplantation and cancer immunotherapy.

Histone deacetylases (HDAC) have been identified as therapeutic targets due to their regulatory function in DNA structure and organization. LBH589 is a novel inhibitor of class I and II HDACs. We studied the effect of LBH589 and ionizing radiation (IR) on DNA repair in two human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines (H23 and H460). gamma-H2AX foci present at DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) were detected in the nuclei following 3 Gy irradiation for up to 6 hours. LBH589 administered before irradiation increased the duration of gamma-H2AX foci beyond 24 hours. Furthermore, radiation alone induced translocation of HDAC4 to the nucleus. In contrast, treatment with LBH589 followed by irradiation resulted in HDAC4 confinement to the cytoplasm, indicating that HDAC inhibition affects the nuclear localization of HDAC4. The findings that LBH589 confines HDAC4 to the cytoplasm and increases the duration of gamma-H2AX foci in irradiated cell lines suggest that HDAC4 participates in DNA damage signaling following IR. Annexin-propidium iodide flow cytometry assays, cell morphology studies, and cleaved caspase-3 Western blot analysis revealed a synergistic effect of LBH589 with IR in inducing apoptosis. Clonogenic survival showed a greater than additive effect when LBH589 was administered before irradiation compared with irradiation alone. In vivo tumor volume studies showed a growth delay of 20 days with combined treatment compared with 4 and 2 days for radiation or LBH589 alone. This study identifies HDAC4 as a biomarker of LBH589 activity and recognizes the ability of LBH589 to sensitize human NSCLC to radiation-induced DNA DSBs.

Human diploid fibroblasts (HDFs) undergo a limited number of population doublings in vitro and are widely used as a model of cellular aging. Despite growing evidence that cellular aging occurs as a result of altered gene expression, little is known about the activity of transcription factors that regulate gene expression in aging cells. Here we survey the relevant literature regarding altered gene expression and the role of transcription factors during cellular aging, focusing upon the serum response factor (SRF). SRF is hyperphosphorylated in senescent HDFs and fails to bind to the serum-response element in the c-fos promoter. Differential phosphorylation during replicative aging may contribute, at least in part, to the altered activity of SRF and possibly other transcription factors and to subsequent changes in the expression of serum-regulated genes in senescent HDFs.

The balance between the activities of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) is an important control point in tissue remodeling. Previous studies have demonstrated elevated expression of the MMPs collagenase and stromelysin-1 by aged human diploid fibroblasts compared to early-passage cultures. We show here that aging cells display an altered response to transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF beta 1) that selectively affects MMP mRNA expression. In both young and old cells, phorbol myristoyl-13 acetate (PMA) induced the expression of transcripts of collagenase, stromelysin-1, gelatinase-B, TIMP-1, and TIMP-3. In young cells, TGF beta 1 reciprocally modulated PMA-induced MMP and TIMP gene expression leading to reduced levels of transcripts for the MMPs and augmented accumulation of TIMP-1 and TIMP-3 mRNAs. However, repressing effects of TGF beta 1 on collagenase, stromelysin-1, and gelatinase-B RNA expression were not apparent in old cells, though induction of the TIMP genes was unimpaired. By electrophoretic mobility shift analysis the nuclear transcription factors AP1 and serum response factor (SRF) showed reduced levels of DNA binding activities in old fibroblasts compared to young cells. A probe for the TGF beta-inhibitory element (TIE) gave equivalent levels of complexes with nuclear extracts from both types of cells, though of different mobilities. We conclude that the effects of TGF beta 1 on MMP and TIMP gene expression involve different cellular intermediaries, and suggest that altered composition or modification of TIE binding factors in aging cells may underlie the failure of TGF beta 1-mediated transcription repression. This mechanism may contribute to elevated constitutive expression of MMPs in old cells and to the connective tissue deterioration that accompanies the aging process.

Human diploid fibroblasts undergo a limited number of population doublings in vitro and are used widely as a model of cellular aging. Despite growing evidence that cellular aging occurs as a consequence of altered gene expression, little is known about the activity of transcription factors in aging cells. Here, we report a dramatic reduction in the ability of proteins extracted from the nuclei of near-senescent fibroblasts to bind the serum response element which is necessary for serum-induced transcription of the c-fos gene. In contrast, the activities of proteins binding to the RNA polymerase core element, TATA, as well as to the cyclic AMP response element were maintained during cellular aging. While no major differences in the expression of the serum response factor (SRF) that binds the serum response element were seen between early-passage and late-passage cells, hyperphosphorylation of SRF was observed in near-senescent cells. Furthermore, removal of phosphatase inhibitors during the isolation of endogenous nuclear proteins restored the ability of SRF isolated from old cells to bind the SRE. These data, therefore, indicate that hyperphosphorylation of SRF plays a role in altering the ability of this protein to bind to DNA and regulate gene expression in senescent cells.