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- Title
An inhibitor of Bcl-2 family proteins induces regression of solid tumours.
- Authors
Oltersdorf, Tilman; Elmore, Steven W.; Shoemaker, Alexander R.; Armstrong, Robert C.; Augeri, David J.; Belli, Barbara A.; Bruncko, Milan; Deckwerth, Thomas L.; Dinges, Jurgen; Hajduk, Philip J.; Joseph, Mary K.; Kitada, Shinichi; Korsmeyer, Stanley J.; Kunzer, Aaron R.; Letai, Anthony; Li, Chi; Mitten, Michael J.; Nettesheim, David G.; Ng, ShiChung; Nimmer, Paul M.
- Abstract
Proteins in the Bcl-2 family are central regulators of programmed cell death, and members that inhibit apoptosis, such as Bcl-XL and Bcl-2, are overexpressed in many cancers and contribute to tumour initiation, progression and resistance to therapy. Bcl-XL expression correlates with chemo-resistance of tumour cell lines, and reductions in Bcl-2 increase sensitivity to anticancer drugs and enhance in vivo survival. The development of inhibitors of these proteins as potential anti-cancer therapeutics has been previously explored, but obtaining potent small-molecule inhibitors has proved difficult owing to the necessity of targeting a protein–protein interaction. Here, using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based screening, parallel synthesis and structure-based design, we have discovered ABT-737, a small-molecule inhibitor of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-XL and Bcl-w, with an affinity two to three orders of magnitude more potent than previously reported compounds. Mechanistic studies reveal that ABT-737 does not directly initiate the apoptotic process, but enhances the effects of death signals, displaying synergistic cytotoxicity with chemotherapeutics and radiation. ABT-737 exhibits single-agent-mechanism-based killing of cells from lymphoma and small-cell lung carcinoma lines, as well as primary patient-derived cells, and in animal models, ABT-737 improves survival, causes regression of established tumours, and produces cures in a high percentage of the mice.
- Subjects
TUMORS; NUCLEAR magnetic resonance; PROTEINS; APOPTOSIS; THERAPEUTICS; CELL culture
- Publication
Nature, 2005, Vol 435, Issue 7042, p677
- ISSN
0028-0836
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/nature03579