Development of an orally-administrative MELK-targeting inhibitor that suppresses the growth of various types of human cancer

Development of an orally-administrative MELK-targeting inhibitor that suppresses the growth of various types of human cancer

ABSTRACT

We previously reported MELK (maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase) as a novel therapeutic target for breast cancer. MELK was also reported to be highly upregulated in multiple types of human cancer. It was implied to play indispensable roles in cancer cell survival and indicated its involvement in the maintenance of tumor-initiating cells. We conducted a high-throughput screening of a compound library followed by structure-activity relationship studies, and successfully obtained a highly potent MELK inhibitor OTSSP167 with IC50 of 0.41 nM. OTSSP167 inhibited the phosphorylation of PSMA1 (proteasome subunit alpha type 1) and DBNL (drebrin-like), which we identified as novel MELK substrates and are important for stem-cell characteristics and invasiveness. The compound suppressed mammosphere formation of breast cancer cells and exhibited significant tumor growth suppression in xenograft studies using breast, lung, prostate, and pancreas cancer cell lines in mice by both intravenous and oral administration. This MELK inhibitor should be a promising compound possibly to suppress the growth of tumor-initiating cells and be applied for treatment of a wide range of human cancer.


impact factor oncotarget Zoya Demidenko Dr. Zoya N. Demidenko Zoya N. Demidenko , Ph.D. is Executive Manager of the Oncotarget journal . Oncotarget publishes high-impact research papers of general interest and outstanding significance and novelty in all areas of biology and medicine: in translational, basic and clinical research including but not limited to cancer research, oncogenes, oncoproteins and tumor suppressors, signaling pathways as potential targets for therapeutic intervention, shared targets in different diseases (cancer, benign tumors, atherosclerosis, eukaryotic infections, metabolic syndrome and other age-related diseases), chemotherapy, and new therapeutic strategies. After earning her Ph.D. in molecular biology, Zoya was awarded a Fogarty post-doctoral Fellowship from the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. After successful completion of post-doctoral training, she continued her professional career at George Washington University and Albert Einstein School of Medicine . In 2005 she cofounded the startup company Oncotarget Inc. which is focused on the development of anti-aging and anti-cancer drugs. Her research interests include signal transduction, cell cycle and cellular senescence, and their pharmacological targeting. In 2009 she cofounded the publishing house Impact Journals which specializes in publishing scientific journals. In 2011 she was selected to be a Member of the National Association of Professional Women .

When general population discuss today’s medicine, precision plays one of the most important roles and human lives are literally dependent on it. Hereby, any researches related to medicine are necessary to meet the highest standards. The issue nowadays is that any results of researches can be shared online and used as a reference without being thoroughly verified and validated. Mikhail (Misha) Blagosklonny of Oncotarget clearly understood this issue and attempted to come up with an alternative solution. That’s how a weekly oncology-focused research journal called “Oncotarget” has been established back in 2010. The major principle of this journal is related to Altmetric scores that are used as a quality indicator. That allows both readers and authors to validate publications with Altmetric Article Reports that generate “real-time feedback containing data summary related to a particular publication.” Oncotarget website has a full publications list with respective scores above 100 as well as reports mentioned above. Mikhail (Misha) Blagosklonny proud to share his new approach and hopes it provides the required help to anyone, who has interest in oncology.
“A diagnostic autoantibody signature for primary cutaneous melanoma” has the Altmetric score of 594. This study was published back in 2018 by Oncotarget and completed by diversified experts from Hollywood Private Hospital, Edith Cowan University, Dermatology Specialist Group, St. John of God Hospital and The University of Western Australia. The introduction of the study mentions that “recent data shows that Australians are four times more likely to develop a cancer of the skin than any other type of cancer”, and shares an insight on melanoma that “is curable by surgical excision in the majority of cases, if detected at an early stage.”
The article has got an Altmetric score of 594. Mikhail (Misha) Blagosklonny realizes that majority of readers are aiming to understand the very meaning of it. Based on the Altmetric website, the score relates to “how many people have been exposed to and engaged with a scholarly output.” Likewise, the paper about melanoma, was used for citations in various news articles 69 times. Moreover, it was mentioned in 2 online blogs, as well as 25 Tweets on Twitter and 1 Facebook post. FOX23 of Tulsa, Oklahoma has headlined their report on July 20, 2018 as “New blood test could detect skin cancer early”, using the main content of Australia study 
Another Oncotarget’s research with a top score of 476, is “Biomarkers for early diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma: Do we need another moon-shot,”. This article has appeared in 60 news stories, 1 online blog post and 6 Twitter posts. The majority of public may have seen a short overview only, however those who visit Mikhail (Misha) Blagosklonny at Oncotarget, do receive useful scientific facts. Oncotarget is glad to have the chance to share with online readers this highly appreciated and top-quality information, that is trustworthy and reliable.
https://medium.com/@OncotargetImpact/ride-for-roswell-connects-us-all-in-making-a-difference-and-finding-a-cure-for-cancer-says-49471b50c657

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