The minor phospholipid, phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI4P), is emerging as a key regulator of lipid transfer in ER-membrane contact sites. Four different phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase (PI4K) enzymes generate PI4P in different membrane compartments supporting distinct cellular processes, many of which are crucial for the maintenance of cellular integrity but also hijacked by intracellular pathogens. While type III PI4Ks have been targeted by small molecular inhibitors, thus helping decipher their importance in cellular physiology, no inhibitors are available for the type II PI4Ks, which hinders investigations into their cellular functions. Here, we describe the identification of small molecular inhibitors of PI4K type II alpha (PI4K2A) by implementing a large scale small molecule high-throughput screening. A novel assay was developed that allows testing of selected inhibitors against PI4K2A in intact cells using a bioluminescence resonance energy transfer approach adapted to plate readers. The compounds disclosed here will pave the way to the optimization of PI4K2A inhibitors that can be used in cellular and animal studies to better understand the role of this enzyme in both normal and pathological states.

• Klíčová slova
• endosome, phosphoinositide, vesicular traffic,
• MeSH
• 1-fosfatidylinositol-4-kinasa antagonisté a inhibitory   chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• biologický transport MeSH
• Cercopithecus aethiops MeSH
• COS buňky MeSH
• endozomy účinky léků   metabolismus   MeSH
• Golgiho aparát účinky léků   metabolismus   MeSH
• HEK293 buňky MeSH
• inhibitory enzymů metabolismus   farmakologie   MeSH
• konformace proteinů MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• preklinické hodnocení léčiv MeSH
• rychlé screeningové testy * MeSH
• simulace molekulového dockingu MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural MeSH
• Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. MeSH
• Názvy látek
• 1-fosfatidylinositol-4-kinasa MeSH
• inhibitory enzymů MeSH

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a tumor with a poor prognosis, and no targeted therapy is currently available. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic significance of the expression of V-Ki-ras2 Κirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS), downstream signaling pathway genes and the association with clinical characteristics in PDAC patients undergoing radical surgery. Tumors and adjacent non-neoplastic pancreatic tissues were examined in 45 patients with histologically verified PDAC. KRAS and B-Raf proto-oncogene, serine/threonine kinase (BRAF) gene mutation analysis was performed using the KRAS/BRAF/phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit α array. The transcript profile of 52 KRAS downstream signaling pathway genes was assessed using quantitative-polymerase chain reaction. KRAS mutation was detected in 80% of cases. The genes of four signaling pathways downstream of KRAS, including the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1/V-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1, RAL guanine nucleotide exchange factor, Ras and Rab interactor 1/ABL proto-oncogene-1, non-receptor tyrosine kinase, and RAF proto-oncogene serine/threonine-protein kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, exhibited differential expression in PDAC compared with that in the adjacent normal tissues. However, no significant differences in expression were evident between patients with KRAS-mutated and wild-type tumors. The expression of KRAS downstream signaling pathways genes did not correlate with angioinvasion, perineural invasion, grade or presence of lymph node metastasis. Additionally, the presence of KRAS mutations was not associated with overall survival. Among the KRAS downstream effective signaling pathways molecules investigated, only v-raf-1 murine leukemia viral oncogene homolog 1 expression was predictive of prognosis. Overall, KRAS mutation is present in the majority of cases of PDAC, but is not associated with changes in the expression of KRAS downstream signaling pathways and the clinical outcome. This may partly explain the failure of KRAS-targeted therapies in PDAC.

• Klíčová slova
• KRAS, gene expression, mutation, overall survival, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND: Activating KRAS mutations are reported in up to 90% of pancreatic cancers. Refametinib potently inhibits MEK1/2, part of the MAPK signaling pathway. This phase I/II study evaluated the safety and efficacy of refametinib plus gemcitabine in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. METHODS: Phase I comprised dose escalation, followed by phase II expansion. Refametinib and gemcitabine plasma levels were analyzed for pharmacokinetics. KRAS mutational status was determined from circulating tumor DNA. RESULTS: Ninety patients overall received treatment. The maximum tolerated dose was refametinib 50 mg twice daily plus standard gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2 weekly). The combination was well tolerated, with no pharmacokinetic interaction. Treatment-emergent toxicities included thrombocytopenia, fatigue, anemia, and edema. The objective response rate was 23% and the disease control rate was 73%. Overall response rate, disease control rate, progression-free survival, and overall survival were higher in patients without detectable KRAS mutations (48% vs. 28%, 81% vs. 69%, 8.8 vs. 5.3 months, and 18.2 vs. 6.6 months, respectively). CONCLUSION: Refametinib plus gemcitabine was well tolerated, with a promising objective response rate, and had an acceptable safety profile and no pharmacokinetic interaction. There was a trend towards improved outcomes in patients without detectable KRAS mutations that deserves future investigation.

• MeSH
• deoxycytidin analogy a deriváty   farmakokinetika   farmakologie   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• difenylamin analogy a deriváty   farmakokinetika   farmakologie   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• gemcitabin MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádory slinivky břišní farmakoterapie   MeSH
• přežití bez známek nemoci MeSH
• protinádorové antimetabolity farmakokinetika   farmakologie   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• sulfonamidy farmakokinetika   farmakologie   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• výsledek terapie MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• klinické zkoušky, fáze I MeSH
• klinické zkoušky, fáze II MeSH
• multicentrická studie MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• deoxycytidin MeSH
• difenylamin MeSH
• gemcitabin MeSH
• N-(3,4-difluoro-2-(2-fluoro-4-iodophenylamino)-6-methoxyphenyl)-1-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)cyclopropane-1-sulfonamide MeSH Prohlížeč
• protinádorové antimetabolity MeSH
• sulfonamidy MeSH

The utility of KRAS mutations in plasma circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) samples as non-invasive biomarkers for the detection of pancreatic cancer has never been evaluated in a large case-control series. We applied a KRAS amplicon-based deep sequencing strategy combined with analytical pipeline specifically designed for the detection of low-abundance mutations to screen plasma samples of 437 pancreatic cancer cases, 141 chronic pancreatitis subjects, and 394 healthy controls. We detected mutations in 21.1% (N=92) of cases, of whom 82 (89.1%) carried at least one mutation at hotspot codons 12, 13 or 61, with mutant allelic fractions from 0.08% to 79%. Advanced stages were associated with an increased proportion of detection, with KRAS cfDNA mutations detected in 10.3%, 17,5% and 33.3% of cases with local, regional and systemic stages, respectively. We also detected KRAS cfDNA mutations in 3.7% (N=14) of healthy controls and in 4.3% (N=6) of subjects with chronic pancreatitis, but at significantly lower allelic fractions than in cases. Combining cfDNA KRAS mutations and CA19-9 plasma levels on a limited set of case-control samples did not improve the overall performance of the biomarkers as compared to CA19-9 alone. Whether the limited sensitivity and specificity observed in our series of KRAS mutations in plasma cfDNA as biomarkers for pancreatic cancer detection are attributable to methodological limitations or to the biology of cfDNA should be further assessed in large case-control series.

• Klíčová slova
• KRAS mutations, cell-free DNA, pancreatic cancer detection, plasma,
• MeSH
• antigen CA-19-9 krev   MeSH
• cirkulující nádorová DNA krev   genetika   MeSH
• duktální karcinom slinivky břišní krev   genetika   patologie   MeSH
• fenotyp MeSH
• frekvence genu MeSH
• genetická predispozice k nemoci MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mutace * MeSH
• mutační analýza DNA MeSH
• nádorové biomarkery krev   genetika   MeSH
• nádory slinivky břišní krev   genetika   patologie   MeSH
• pilotní projekty MeSH
• prediktivní hodnota testů MeSH
• protoonkogenní proteiny p21(ras) krev   genetika   MeSH
• reprodukovatelnost výsledků MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• staging nádorů MeSH
• studie případů a kontrol MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• multicentrická studie MeSH
• validační studie MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH
• Slovenská republika MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antigen CA-19-9 MeSH
• cirkulující nádorová DNA MeSH
• KRAS protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• nádorové biomarkery MeSH
• protoonkogenní proteiny p21(ras) MeSH