Comp34 displays potent preclinical antitumor efficacy in triple-negative breast cancer via inhibition of NUDT3-AS4, a novel oncogenic long noncoding RNA

Cell Death Dis. 2020 Dec 11;11(12):1052. doi: 10.1038/s41419-020-03235-w.

Abstract

The abnormal PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is one of the most common genomic abnormalities in breast cancers including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and pharmacologic inhibition of these aberrations has shown activity in TNBC patients. Here, we designed and identified a small-molecule Comp34 that suppresses both AKT and mTOR protein expression and exhibits robust cytotoxicity towards TNBC cells but not nontumorigenic normal breast epithelial cells. Mechanically, long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) AL354740.1-204 (also named as NUDT3-AS4) acts as a microRNA sponge to compete with AKT1/mTOR mRNAs for binding to miR-99s, leading to decrease in degradation of AKT1/mTOR mRNAs and subsequent increase in AKT1/mTOR protein expression. Inhibition of lncRNA-NUDT3-AS4 and suppression of the NUDT3-AS4/miR-99s association contribute to Comp34-affected biologic pathways. In addition, Comp34 alone is effective in cells with secondary resistance to rapamycin, the best-known inhibitor of mTOR, and displays a greater in vivo antitumor efficacy and lower toxicity than rapamycin in TNBC xenografted models. In conclusion, NUDT3-AS4 may play a proproliferative role in TNBC and be considered a relevant therapeutic target, and Comp34 presents promising activity as a single agent to inhibit TNBC through regulation of NUDT3-AS4 and miR-99s.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Curcumin / chemistry
  • Curcumin / pharmacology
  • Curcumin / therapeutic use*
  • Disease Progression
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects
  • Humans
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / drug effects
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / genetics
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Sirolimus / pharmacology
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
  • Transcription, Genetic / drug effects
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / genetics*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • MIRN99 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Curcumin
  • Sirolimus