Mechanism of Resistance to the WDR5 Inhibitor in MLL-Rearranged Leukemia

ACS Chem Biol. 2023 Apr 21;18(4):949-958. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00108. Epub 2023 Apr 7.

Abstract

Drug resistance is a major problem often limiting the long-term effectiveness of targeted cancer therapeutics. Resistance can be acquired through mutations or amplification of the primary drug targets or activation of bypass signaling pathways. Considering the multifaceted function of WDR5 in human malignancies, WDR5 has emerged as an attractive drug target for the discovery of small-molecule inhibitors. In this study, we investigated if cancer cells might develop resistance to a highly potent WDR5 inhibitor. We established a drug-adapted cancer cell line and discovered that WDR5P173L mutation occurs in the resistant cells, which confers resistance by preventing target engagement of the inhibitor. This work elucidated the WDR5 inhibitor's potential resistance mechanism in a preclinical study as a reference for future study in the clinical stage.

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm* / genetics
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins* / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins* / genetics
  • Leukemia* / drug therapy

Substances

  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • WDR5 protein, human