Inhibition of the spindle assembly checkpoint kinase Mps-1 as a novel therapeutic strategy in malignant mesothelioma

Oncogene. 2017 Nov 16;36(46):6501-6507. doi: 10.1038/onc.2017.266. Epub 2017 Jul 31.

Abstract

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is an aggressive malignancy, highly resistant to current medical and surgical therapies, whose tumor cells characteristically show a high level of aneuploidy and genomic instability. We tested our hypothesis that targeting chromosomal instability in MM would improve response to therapy. Thr/Tyr kinase (TTK)/monopolar spindle 1 kinase (Mps-1) is a kinase of the spindle assembly checkpoint that controls cell division and cell fate. CFI-402257 is a novel, selective inhibitor of Mps-1 with antineoplastic activity. We found that CFI-402257 suppresses MM growth. We found that Mps-1 is overexpressed in MM and that its expression correlates with poor patients' outcome. In vitro, CFI-402257-mediated inhibition of Mps-1 resulted in abrogation of the mitotic checkpoint, premature progression through mitosis, marked aneuploidy and mitotic catastrophe. In vivo, CFI-402257 reduced MM growth in an orthotopic, syngeneic model, when used as a single agent, and more so when used in combination with cisplatin+pemetrexed, the current standard of care. Our preclinical findings indicate that CFI-402257 is a promising novel therapeutic agent to improve the efficacy of the current chemotherapeutic regimens for MM patients.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / genetics
  • Cisplatin / administration & dosage
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism
  • M Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints / drug effects
  • M Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints / genetics
  • Mesothelioma / drug therapy*
  • Mesothelioma / genetics
  • Mesothelioma / metabolism
  • Mesothelioma, Malignant
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / genetics
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / metabolism
  • Pemetrexed / administration & dosage
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / administration & dosage
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • Pyrazoles / pharmacology*
  • Pyrimidines / pharmacology*
  • Survival Analysis

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • CFI-402257
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Pyrazoles
  • Pyrimidines
  • Pemetrexed
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • TTK protein, human
  • Cisplatin