Efficacy of combination treatment using YHO-1701, an orally active STAT3 inhibitor, with molecular-targeted agents on cancer cell lines

Sci Rep. 2021 Mar 23;11(1):6685. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-86021-8.

Abstract

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) plays a critical role in regulating cell growth, survival, and metastasis. STAT3 signaling is constitutively activated in various types of hematologic or solid malignancies. YHO-1701 has been developed as an orally available STAT3 inhibitor. Herein, YHO-1701 in combination with molecular-targeted agents was evaluated. Additive or synergistic effects were observed in a broad spectrum of "combination treatment + cell line" pairs. Of particular interest was the synergistic effect observed when YHO-1701 was combined with imatinib or dasatinib [breakpoint cluster region-abelson (BCR-ABL) inhibitors], osimertinib [epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor], crizotinib, alectinib, or ceritinib [anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitors]. The results further showed a close relationship between these synergistic effects and the cellular levels of the key molecules involved in the target pathways for YHO-1701 and each combination drug. The combination of YHO-1701 with alectinib resulted in significantly greater antitumor activity without exhibiting body weight loss in an NCI-H2228 [echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4)-ALK fusion] xenograft mouse model. Our results strongly suggest that the logical strategy in combination with the novel STAT3 inhibitor YHO-1701 and other mechanistically different targeted agents, could be a promising approach in future clinical settings.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Synergism
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / administration & dosage
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Quinolines / administration & dosage
  • Quinolines / pharmacology*
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor / antagonists & inhibitors*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Quinolines
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor
  • STAT3 protein, human
  • YHO-1701