Anticancer activity of a novel small molecule tubulin inhibitor STK899704

PLoS One. 2017 Mar 15;12(3):e0173311. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173311. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

We have identified the small molecule STK899704 as a structurally novel tubulin inhibitor. STK899704 suppressed the proliferation of cancer cell lines from various origins with IC50 values ranging from 0.2 to 1.0 μM. STK899704 prevented the polymerization of purified tubulin in vitro and also depolymerized microtubule in cultured cells leading to mitotic arrest, associated with increased Cdc25C phosphorylation and the accumulation of both cyclin B1 and polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1), and apoptosis. Unlike many anticancer drugs such as Taxol and doxorubicin, STK899704 effectively displayed antiproliferative activity against multidrug-resistant cancer cell lines. The proposed binding mode of STK899704 is at the interface between αβ-tubulin heterodimer overlapping with the colchicine-binding site. Our in vivo carcinogenesis model further showed that STK 899704 is potent in both the prevention and regression of tumors, remarkably reducing the number and volume of skin tumor by STK899704 treatment. Moreover, it was significant to note that the efficacy of STK899704 was surprisingly comparable to 5-fluorouracil, a widely used anticancer therapeutic. Thus, our results demonstrate the potential of STK899704 to be developed as an anticancer chemotherapeutic and an alternative candidate for existing therapies.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Benzofurans / chemistry
  • Benzofurans / pharmacology*
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cyclin B1 / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Phosphorylation
  • Polo-Like Kinase 1
  • Polymerization / drug effects
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism
  • Spindle Apparatus / drug effects
  • Tubulin / metabolism
  • Tubulin Modulators / chemistry
  • Tubulin Modulators / pharmacology*
  • cdc25 Phosphatases / metabolism

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Benzofurans
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Cyclin B1
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • STK899704
  • Tubulin
  • Tubulin Modulators
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • CDC25C protein, human
  • cdc25 Phosphatases

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Bio and Medical Technology Development Program (NRF-2014M3A9B5073938), the National Research Council of Science & Technology grant (CAP-16-03-KRIBB), Global R&D Center (NRF-2010-00719) program and the World Class Institute Program (WCI2009-002) of the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning of Korea and KRIBB Research Initiative Program (KGS531162). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.