Prolactin Promotes Fibrosis and Pancreatic Cancer Progression.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with significant fibrosis. Recent findings have highlighted the profibrotic activity of tissue-resident macrophages in the pancreatic cancer microenvironment. Here, we show that neoplastic pancreatic epithelium, as well as a subset of tissue-resident macrophages, expresses the prolactin-receptor (PRLR). High mobility group box 1-induced prolactin expression in the pancreas maintained FAK1 and STAT3 phosphorylation within the epithelium and stroma. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments demonstrated the essential role of prolactin in promoting collagen deposition and fibrosis. Finally, the signaling cascade downstream of prolactin/PRLR activated STAT3 rather than STAT5 in PDAC. These findings suggest that targeting prolactin together with IL6, a known major activator of STAT3, could represent a novel therapeutic strategy for treating pancreatic cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: Prolactin is a key factor in the cross-talk between the stroma and neoplastic epithelium, functioning to promote fibrosis and PDAC progression.

Analysis of oncogenic activities of protein kinase D1 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth leading cause of cancer death in the US. The protein kinase D (PKD) family has emerged as a promising target for cancer therapy with PKD1 being most intensively studied; however, its role in HNSCC has not been investigated. METHODS: The expression of PKD was evaluated in human HNSCC by quantitative RT-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Cell proliferation, wound healing, and matrigel invasion assays were performed upon siRNA-mediated knockdown of PKD1 in HNSCC cells, and subcutaneous xenograft mouse model was established by implantation of the stable doxycycline (Dox)-inducible PKD1 expression cell lines for analysis of tumorigenic activity in vivo. RESULTS: PKD1 was frequently downregulated in HNSCC cell lines at both transcript and protein levels. In human HNSCC tissues, PKD1 was significantly down-regulated in localized tumors and metastases, and in patient-paired tumor tissues as compared to their normal counterparts, which was in part due to epigenetic modification of the PRKD1 gene. The function of PKD1 in HNSCC was analyzed using stable doxycycline-inducible cell lines that express native or constitutive-active PKD1. Upon induction, the rate of proliferation, survival, migration and invasion of HNSCC cells did not differ significantly between the control and PKD1 overexpressing cells in the basal state, and depletion of endogenous PKD1 did not impact the proliferation of HNSCC cells. However, the median growth rate of the subcutaneous HNSCC tumor xenografts over time was elevated with PKD1 induction, and the final tumor weight was significantly increased in Dox-induced vs. the non-induced tumors. Moreover, induced expression of PKD1 promoted bombesin-induced cell proliferation of HNSCC and resulted in sustained ERK1/2 activation in response to gastrin-releasing peptide or bombesin stimulation, suggesting that PKD1 potentiates GRP/bombesin-induced mitogenic response through the activation of ERK1/2 in HSNCC cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our study has identified PKD1 as a frequently downregulated gene in HNSCC, and functionally, under certain cellular context, may play a role in GRP/bombesin-induced oncogenesis in HNSCC.

Pancreatic HIF2α Stabilization Leads to Chronic Pancreatitis and Predisposes to Mucinous Cystic Neoplasm.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Tissue hypoxia controls cell differentiation in the embryonic pancreas, and promotes tumor growth in pancreatic cancer. The cellular response to hypoxia is controlled by the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) proteins, including HIF2α. Previous studies of HIF action in the pancreas have relied on loss-of-function mouse models, and the effects of HIF2α expression in the pancreas have remained undefined. METHODS: We developed several transgenic mouse models based on the expression of an oxygen-stable form of HIF2α, or indirect stabilization of HIF proteins though deletion of von Hippel-Lindau, thus preventing HIF degradation. Furthermore, we crossed both sets of animals into mice expressing oncogenic KrasG12D in the pancreas. RESULTS: We show that HIF2α is not expressed in the normal human pancreas, however, it is up-regulated in human chronic pancreatitis. Deletion of von Hippel-Lindau or stabilization of HIF2α in mouse pancreata led to the development of chronic pancreatitis. Importantly, pancreatic HIF1α stabilization did not disrupt the pancreatic parenchyma, indicating that the chronic pancreatitis phenotype is specific to HIF2α. In the presence of oncogenic Kras, HIF2α stabilization drove the formation of cysts resembling mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN) in humans. Mechanistically, we show that the pancreatitis phenotype is linked to expression of multiple inflammatory cytokines and activation of the unfolded protein response. Conversely, MCN formation is linked to activation of Wnt signaling, a feature of human MCN. CONCLUSIONS: We show that pancreatic HIF2α stabilization disrupts pancreatic homeostasis, leading to chronic pancreatitis, and, in the context of oncogenic Kras, MCN formation. These findings provide new mouse models of both chronic pancreatitis and MCN, as well as illustrate the importance of hypoxia signaling in the pancreas.

Identification of Newly Committed Pancreatic Cells in the Adult Mouse Pancreas.

Multipotent epithelial cells with high Aldehyde dehydrogenase activity have been previously reported to exist in the adult pancreas. However, whether they represent true progenitor cells remains controversial. In this study, we isolated and characterized cells with ALDH activity in the adult mouse or human pancreas during physiological conditions or injury. We found that cells with ALDH activity are abundant in the mouse pancreas during early postnatal growth, pregnancy, and in mouse models of pancreatitis and type 1 diabetes (T1D). Importantly, a similar population of cells is found abundantly in healthy children, or in patients with pancreatitis or T1D. We further demonstrate that cells with ALDH activity can commit to either endocrine or acinar lineages, and can be divided into four sub-populations based on CD90 and Ecadherin expression. Finally, our in vitro and in vivo studies show that the progeny of ALDH1+/CD90-/Ecad- cells residing in the adult mouse pancreas have the ability to initiate Pancreatic and duodenal homeobox (Pdx1) expression for the first time. In summary, we provide evidence for the existence of a sortable population of multipotent non-epithelial cells in the adult pancreas that can commit to the pancreatic lineage following proliferation and mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET).

Androgen suppresses protein kinase D1 expression through fibroblast growth factor receptor substrate 2 in prostate cancer cells.

In prostate cancer, androgen/androgen receptor (AR) and their downstream targets play key roles in all stages of disease progression. The protein kinase D (PKD) family, particularly PKD1, has been implicated in prostate cancer biology. Here, we examined the cross-regulation of PKD1 by androgen signaling in prostate cancer cells. Our data showed that the transcription of PKD1 was repressed by androgen in androgen-sensitive prostate cancer cells. Steroid depletion caused up regulation of PKD1 transcript and protein, an effect that was reversed by the AR agonist R1881 in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, thus identifying PKD1 as a novel androgen-repressed gene. Kinetic analysis indicated that the repression of PKD1 by androgen required the induction of a repressor protein. Furthermore, inhibition or knockdown of AR reversed AR agonist-induced PKD1 repression, indicating that AR was required for the suppression of PKD1 expression by androgen. Downstream of AR, we identified fibroblast growth factor receptor substrate 2 (FRS2) and its downstream MEK/ERK pathway as mediators of androgen-induced PKD1 repression. In summary, PKD1 was identified as a novel androgen-suppressed gene and could be downregulated by androgen through a novel AR/FRS2/MEK/ERK pathway. The upregulation of prosurvival PKD1 by anti-androgens may contribute to therapeutic resistance in prostate cancer treatment.

MEF2C-MYOCD and Leiomodin1 Suppression by miRNA-214 Promotes Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype Switching in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Vascular hyperproliferative disorders are characterized by excessive smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation leading to vessel remodeling and occlusion. In pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), SMC phenotype switching from a terminally differentiated contractile to synthetic state is gaining traction as our understanding of the disease progression improves. While maintenance of SMC contractile phenotype is reportedly orchestrated by a MEF2C-myocardin (MYOCD) interplay, little is known regarding molecular control at this nexus. Moreover, the burgeoning interest in microRNAs (miRs) provides the basis for exploring their modulation of MEF2C-MYOCD signaling, and in turn, a pro-proliferative, synthetic SMC phenotype. We hypothesized that suppression of SMC contractile phenotype in pulmonary hypertension is mediated by miR-214 via repression of the MEF2C-MYOCD-leiomodin1 (LMOD1) signaling axis. METHODS AND RESULTS: In SMCs isolated from a PAH patient cohort and commercially obtained hPASMCs exposed to hypoxia, miR-214 expression was monitored by qRT-PCR. miR-214 was upregulated in PAH- vs. control subject hPASMCs as well as in commercially obtained hPASMCs exposed to hypoxia. These increases in miR-214 were paralleled by MEF2C, MYOCD and SMC contractile protein downregulation. Of these, LMOD1 and MEF2C were directly targeted by the miR. Mir-214 overexpression mimicked the PAH profile, downregulating MEF2C and LMOD1. AntagomiR-214 abrogated hypoxia-induced suppression of the contractile phenotype and its attendant proliferation. Anti-miR-214 also restored PAH-PASMCs to a contractile phenotype seen during vascular homeostasis. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings illustrate a key role for miR-214 in modulation of MEF2C-MYOCD-LMOD1 signaling and suggest that an antagonist of miR-214 could mitigate SMC phenotype changes and proliferation in vascular hyperproliferative disorders including PAH.

SD-208, a novel protein kinase D inhibitor, blocks prostate cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth in vivo by inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest.

Protein kinase D (PKD) has been implicated in many aspects of tumorigenesis and progression, and is an emerging molecular target for the development of anticancer therapy. Despite recent advancement in the development of potent and selective PKD small molecule inhibitors, the availability of in vivo active PKD inhibitors remains sparse. In this study, we describe the discovery of a novel PKD small molecule inhibitor, SD-208, from a targeted kinase inhibitor library screen, and the synthesis of a series of analogs to probe the structure-activity relationship (SAR) vs. PKD1. SD-208 displayed a narrow SAR profile, was an ATP-competitive pan-PKD inhibitor with low nanomolar potency and was cell active. Targeted inhibition of PKD by SD-208 resulted in potent inhibition of cell proliferation, an effect that could be reversed by overexpressed PKD1 or PKD3. SD-208 also blocked prostate cancer cell survival and invasion, and arrested cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. Mechanistically, SD-208-induced G2/M arrest was accompanied by an increase in levels of p21 in DU145 and PC3 cells as well as elevated phosphorylation of Cdc2 and Cdc25C in DU145 cells. Most importantly, SD-208 given orally for 24 days significantly abrogated the growth of PC3 subcutaneous tumor xenografts in nude mice, which was accompanied by reduced proliferation and increased apoptosis and decreased expression of PKD biomarkers including survivin and Bcl-xL. Our study has identified SD-208 as a novel efficacious PKD small molecule inhibitor, demonstrating the therapeutic potential of targeted inhibition of PKD for prostate cancer treatment.

New pyrazolopyrimidine inhibitors of protein kinase d as potent anticancer agents for prostate cancer cells.

The emergence of protein kinase D (PKD) as a potential therapeutic target for several diseases including cancer has triggered the search for potent, selective, and cell-permeable small molecule inhibitors. In this study, we describe the identification, in vitro characterization, structure-activity analysis, and biological evaluation of a novel PKD inhibitory scaffold exemplified by 1-naphthyl PP1 (1-NA-PP1). 1-NA-PP1 and IKK-16 were identified as pan-PKD inhibitors in a small-scale targeted kinase inhibitor library assay. Both screening hits inhibited PKD isoforms at about 100 nM and were ATP-competitive inhibitors. Analysis of several related kinases indicated that 1-NA-PP1 was highly selective for PKD as compared to IKK-16. SAR analysis showed that 1-NA-PP1 was considerably more potent and showed distinct substituent effects at the pyrazolopyrimidine core. 1-NA-PP1 was cell-active, and potently blocked prostate cancer cell proliferation by inducing G2/M arrest. It also potently blocked the migration and invasion of prostate cancer cells, demonstrating promising anticancer activities on multiple fronts. Overexpression of PKD1 or PKD3 almost completely reversed the growth arrest and the inhibition of tumor cell invasion caused by 1-NA-PP1, indicating that its anti-proliferative and anti-invasive activities were mediated through the inhibition of PKD. Interestingly, a 12-fold increase in sensitivity to 1-NA-PP1 could be achieved by engineering a gatekeeper mutation in the active site of PKD1, suggesting that 1-NA-PP1 could be paired with the analog-sensitive PKD1(M659G) for dissecting PKD-specific functions and signaling pathways in various biological systems.

A targeted library screen reveals a new inhibitor scaffold for protein kinase D.

Protein kinase D (PKD) has emerged as a potential therapeutic target in multiple pathological conditions, including cancer and heart diseases. Potent and selective small molecule inhibitors of PKD are valuable for dissecting PKD-mediated cellular signaling pathways and for therapeutic application. In this study, we evaluated a targeted library of 235 small organic kinase inhibitors for PKD1 inhibitory activity at a single concentration. Twenty-eight PKD inhibitory chemotypes were identified and six exhibited excellent PKD1 selectivity. Five of the six lead structures share a common scaffold, with compound 139 being the most potent and selective for PKD vs PKC and CAMK. Compound 139 was an ATP-competitive PKD1 inhibitor with a low double-digit nanomolar potency and was also cell-active. Kinase profiling analysis identified this class of small molecules as pan-PKD inhibitors, confirmed their selectivity again PKC and CAMK, and demonstrated an overall favorable selectivity profile that could be further enhanced through structural modification. Furthermore, using a PKD homology model based on similar protein kinase structures, docking modes for compound 139 were explored and compared to literature examples of PKD inhibition. Modeling of these compounds at the ATP-binding site of PKD was used to rationalize its high potency and provide the foundation for future further optimization. Accordingly, using biochemical screening of a small number of privileged scaffolds and computational modeling, we have identified a new core structure for highly potent PKD inhibition with promising selectivity against closely related kinases. These lead structures represent an excellent starting point for the further optimization and the design of selective and therapeutically effective small molecule inhibitors of PKD.

Discovery of diverse small molecule chemotypes with cell-based PKD1 inhibitory activity.

Protein kinase D (PKD) is a novel family of serine/threonine kinases regulated by diacylglycerol, which is involved in multiple cellular processes and various pathological conditions. The limited number of cell-active, selective inhibitors has historically restricted biochemical and pharmacological studies of PKD. We now markedly expand the PKD1 inhibitory chemotype inventory with eleven additional novel small molecule PKD1 inhibitors derived from our high throughput screening campaigns. The in vitro IC(50)s for these eleven compounds ranged in potency from 0.4 to 6.1 µM with all of the evaluated compounds being competitive with ATP. Three of the inhibitors (CID 1893668, (1Z)-1-(3-ethyl-5-methoxy-1,3-benzothiazol-2-ylidene)propan-2-one; CID 2011756, 5-(3-chlorophenyl)-N-[4-(morpholin-4-ylmethyl)phenyl]furan-2-carboxamide; CID 5389142, (6Z)-6-[4-(3-aminopropylamino)-6-methyl-1H-pyrimidin-2-ylidene]cyclohexa-2,4-dien-1-one) inhibited phorbol ester-induced endogenous PKD1 activation in LNCaP prostate cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The specificity of these compounds for PKD1 inhibitory activity was supported by kinase assay counter screens as well as by bioinformatics searches. Moreover, computational analyses of these novel cell-active PKD1 inhibitors indicated that they were structurally distinct from the previously described cell-active PKD1 inhibitors while computational docking of the new cell-active compounds in a highly conserved ATP-binding cleft suggests opportunities for structural modification. In summary, we have discovered novel PKD1 inhibitors with in vitro and cell-based inhibitory activity, thus successfully expanding the structural diversity of small molecule inhibitors available for this important pharmacological target.

Synthesis and Structure-Activity Relationships of Benzothienothiazepinone Inhibitors of Protein Kinase D.

Protein kinase D (PKD) is a member of a novel family of serine/threonine kinases that regulate fundamental cellular processes. PKD is implicated in the pathogenesis of several diseases, including cancer. Progress in understanding the biological functions and therapeutic potential of PKD has been hampered by the lack of specific inhibitors. The benzoxoloazepinolone CID755673 was recently identified as the first potent and selective PKD inhibitor. The study of structure-activity relationships (SAR) of this lead structure led to further improvements in PKD1 potency. We describe herein the synthesis and biological evaluation of novel benzothienothiazepinone analogs. We achieved a ten-fold increase in the in vitro PKD1 inhibitory potency for the second generation lead kb-NB142-70 and accomplished a transition to an almost equally potent novel pyrimidine scaffold, while maintaining excellent target selectivity. These promising results will guide the design of pharmacological tools to dissect PKD function and pave the way for the development of potential anti-cancer agents.

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of PKD Inhibitors.

Protein kinase D (PKD) belongs to a family of serine/threonine kinases that play an important role in basic cellular processes and are implicated in the pathogenesis of several diseases. Progress in our understanding of the biological functions of PKD has been limited due to the lack of a PKD-specific inhibitor. The benzoxoloazepinolone CID755673 was recently reported as the first potent and kinase-selective inhibitor for this enzyme. For structure-activity analysis purposes, a series of analogs was prepared and their in vitro inhibitory potency evaluated.

Genetic divergences and phylogenetic relationships among the Fejervarya limnocharis complex in Thailand and neighboring countries revealed by mitochondrial and nuclear genes.

To clarify the genetic divergence in the F. limnocharis complex from Thailand and neighboring countries and to elucidate the phylogenetic problems of this taxon, we analyzed partial sequences of the mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA genes and the nuclear CXCR4, NCX1, RAG-1, and tyrosinase genes. The F. limnocharis complex from Thailand had three distinct haplotypes for 12S and 16S rRNA genes. Nucleotide similarities and the phylogenetic relationships indicated that the haplotype 1 group corresponded to the real "F. limnocharis", the haplotype 2 group was F. orissaensis or closely related to it, and the haplotype 3 group was possibly an undescribed species. Mitochondrial gene data also showed two major clades of the genus Fejervarya, the Southeastern and South Asian groups. Although F. orissaensis is so far known only from Orissa in India, the haplotype 2 group was observed in Thailand. This distribution pattern and the phylogeny suggested that the origin of F. orissaensis and the haplotype 2 group might lie in Southeast Asia. There was also evidence suggesting that the haplotype 3 group originated in the South Asian area and has spread to northern Thailand. The nuclear gene data did not support the monophyly of the haplotypes recognized by mitochondrial genes. This incongruence between the mitochondrial and nuclear data seems to be caused by ancestral polymorphic sites contained in nuclear genes. Although neither the mitochondrial nor the nuclear data clarified intergeneric relationships, the nuclear data rejected the monophyly of the genus Fejervarya.