CCT007093

CCT007093 is a small-molecule chemical inhibitor of PPM1D with IC50 value of 8.4μM [1].

CCT007093 is a thienylidene cyclopentanone and shows a potent inhibition of PPM1D in the in vitro assay when using the recombinant phospho-P38 as a substrate. In cellular assay, CCT007093 shows specificity for MCF-7 cells over HeLa cells. It reduces 40% viability of the cells after 2 days. It is found that the cell death induced by CCT007093 is dependent on P38 kinase activity. CCT007093 mimics the effect of PPM1D RNAi in activating P38 kinase. It induces P38 phosphorylation at 4 h post-exposure in MCF-7 cells and the loss of viability can be rescued by SB203580, the specific P38 inhibitor [1].

References:
[1] Rayter S, Elliott R, Travers J, Rowlands MG, Richardson TB, Boxall K, Jones K, Linardopoulos S, Workman P, Aherne W, Lord CJ, Ashworth A. A chemical inhibitor of PPM1D that selectively kills cells overexpressing PPM1D. Oncogene. 2008 Feb 14;27(8):1036-44.

Inhibition of wild-type p53-induced phosphatase 1 promotes liver regeneration in mice by direct activation of mammalian target of rapamycin.[Pubmed:25704606]

Hepatology. 2015 Jun;61(6):2030-41.

UNLABELLED: The liver possesses extraordinary regenerative capacity in response to injury. However, liver regeneration (LR) is often impaired in disease conditions. Wild-type p53-induced phosphatase 1 (Wip1) is known as a tumor promoter and enhances cell proliferation, mainly by deactivating antioncogenes. However, in this work, we identified an unexpected role of Wip1 in LR. In contrast to its known role in promoting cell proliferation in extrahepatic tissue, we found that Wip1 suppressed hepatocyte proliferation after partial hepatectomy (PHx). Deletion of Wip1 increased the rate of LR after PHx. Enhanced LR in Wip1-deficient mice was a result of the activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway. Furthermore, we showed that Wip1 physically interacted with and dephosphorylated mTOR. Interestingly, inhibition of Wip1 also activated the p53 pathway during LR. Disruption of the p53 pathway further enhanced LR in Wip1-deficient mice. Therefore, inhibition of Wip1 has a dual role in LR, i.e., promoting hepatocyte proliferation through activation of the mTORC1 pathway, meanwhile suppressing LR through activation of the p53 pathway. However, the proregenerative role of mTORC1 overwhelms the antiproliferative role of p53. Furthermore, CCT007093, a Wip1 inhibitor, enhanced LR and increased the survival rate of mice after major hepatectomy. CONCLUSION: mTOR is a new direct target of Wip1. Wip1 inhibition can activate the mTORC1 pathway and enhance hepatocyte proliferation after hepatectomy. These findings have clinical applications in cases where LR is critical, including acute liver failure, cirrhosis, or small-for-size liver transplantations.

Off-target response of a Wip1 chemical inhibitor in skin keratinocytes.[Pubmed:24126074]

J Dermatol Sci. 2014 Feb;73(2):125-34.

BACKGROUND: The wild type p53 inducible phosphatase (Wip1) plays an important role in modulating not only stress responses by various environmental stresses, but when overexpressed it also impairs the intrinsic tumor surveillance networks that are frequently found in a number of cancers including skin cancers. As a result, using a pharmacological inhibitor of Wip1 has been suggested to be a novel chemotherapeutic approach to recover the innate tumor surveillance in a variety of cancers. OBJECTIVE: We studied the effect of a pharmacological inhibitor of Wip1 in skin keratinocytes, under a ultra-violet (UV) stress condition. METHODS: A human keratinocyte cell line or human epidermal keratinocytes were exposed to UV, with or without the sole commercially available chemical inhibitor of Wip1, CCT007093; subsequently, we determined the diverse stress responses, including apoptosis and the activation of stress signaling. RESULTS: We demonstrate that the Wip1 inhibitor unexpectedly attenuated the UV-mediated apoptotic response in skin keratinocytes, as a consequence of attenuated JNK activation and reduced H2AX phosphorylation in both, skin keratinocytes and a Wip1-null cell model. On the other hand, the loss of Wip1 expression, either by knockout or knockdown in mice or human keratinocytes respectively, promoted apoptosis and potentiated H2AX phosphorylation following UV treatment. Of note, CCT007093 treatment appeared to promote apoptosis in breast cancer cells and skin transformed keratinocytes that ectopically expressed Wip1, demonstrating that the effect of CCT007093 differs based on the level of Wip1 expression. CONCLUSION: Thus, our studies suggest that the development of a more potent and specific Wip1 inhibitor is necessary to achieve the desired chemotherapeutic potential and to avoid off-target effects.

[Role of serine/threonine and tyrosine protein phosphatases in command Helix lucorum neurons at the cellular correlate of habituation].[Pubmed:23866612]

Zh Vyssh Nerv Deiat Im I P Pavlova. 2013 Mar-Apr;63(2):256-68.

Effects of some inhibitors of serine/threonine and tyrosine protein phosphatases on the depression and spontaneous recovery of the acetylcholine-induced inward current (ACh-current) in command Helix neurons of defensive behavior at the cellular correlate of habituation were investigated. The following drugs were used: okadaic acid (reduces activity ofphosphatases PP1 and PP2A), endothall (PP2A), cyclosporine A and cypermethrin (PP2B), CCT007093 (PPM1D), dephostatin (blocks tyrosine phosphatases). All used inhibitors modify the depression flow, and endothall reduces spontaneous recovery of ACh-current also. Obtained results indicate that changes in cholinosensitivity of command neurons depend on activity of all investigated protein phosphatases. Mathematical model considers the possibility of different localizations of receptors in a neuron and regularity of transitions between them. This model makes it possible to conclude participation indicated phosphatases in mobility of membrane cholinoreceptors ensuring the ACh-current modification at the cellular correlate of habituations. Comparison of experimental and calculated curves of ACh-current change allows to conclude that the main target of protein phosphatases is the transport system of a neuron--cytoskeleton and motor proteins.

HDM2 promotes WIP1-mediated medulloblastoma growth.[Pubmed:22379189]

Neuro Oncol. 2012 Apr;14(4):440-58.

Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant childhood brain tumor. The protein phosphatase and oncogene WIP1 is over-expressed or amplified in a significant number of primary human medulloblastomas and cell lines. In the present study, we examine an important mechanism by which WIP1 promotes medulloblastoma growth using in vitro and in vivo models. Human cell lines and intracerebellar xenografted animal models were used to study the role of WIP1 and the major TP53 regulator, HDM2, in medulloblastoma growth. Stable expression of WIP1 enhances growth of TP53 wild-type medulloblastoma cells, compared with cells with stable expression of an empty-vector or mutant WIP1. In an animal model, WIP1 enhances proliferation and reduces the survival of immunodeficient mice bearing intracerebellar xenografted human medulloblastoma cells. Cells with increased WIP1 expression also exhibit increased expression of HDM2. HDM2 knockdown or treatment with the HDM2 inhibitor Nutlin-3a, the active enantomer of Nutlin-3, specifically inhibits the growth of medulloblastoma cells with increased WIP1 expression. Nutlin-3a does not affect growth of medulloblastoma cells with stable expression of an empty vector or of mutant WIP1. Knockdown of WIP1 or treatment with the WIP1 inhibitor CCT007093 results in increased phosphorylation of known WIP1 targets, reduced HDM2 expression, and reduced growth specifically in WIP1 wild-type and high-expressing medulloblastoma cells. Combined WIP1 and HDM2 inhibition is more effective than WIP1 inhibition alone in blocking growth of WIP1 high-expressing medulloblastoma cells. Our preclinical study supports a role for therapies that target WIP1 and HDM2 in the treatment of medulloblastoma.

RNA interference (RNAi) screening approach identifies agents that enhance paclitaxel activity in breast cancer cells.[Pubmed:20576088]

Breast Cancer Res. 2010;12(3):R41.

INTRODUCTION: Paclitaxel is a widely used drug in the treatment of patients with locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer. However, only a small portion of patients have a complete response to paclitaxel-based chemotherapy, and many patients are resistant. Strategies that increase sensitivity and limit resistance to paclitaxel would be of clinical use, especially for patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). METHODS: We generated a gene set from overlay of the druggable genome and a collection of genomically deregulated gene transcripts in breast cancer. We used loss-of-function RNA interference (RNAi) to identify gene products in this set that, when targeted, increase paclitaxel sensitivity. Pharmacological agents that targeted the top scoring hits/genes from our RNAi screens were used in combination with paclitaxel, and the effects on the growth of various breast cancer cell lines were determined. RESULTS: RNAi screens performed herein were validated by identification of genes in pathways that, when previously targeted, enhanced paclitaxel sensitivity in the pre-clinical and clinical settings. When chemical inhibitors, CCT007093 and mithramycin, against two top hits in our screen, PPMID and SP1, respectively, were used in combination with paclitaxel, we observed synergistic growth inhibition in both 2D and 3D breast cancer cell cultures. The transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) receptor inhibitor, LY2109761, that targets the signaling pathway of another top scoring hit, TGFbeta1, was synergistic with paclitaxel when used in combination on select breast cancer cell lines grown in 3D culture. We also determined the relative paclitaxel sensitivity of 22 TNBC cell lines and identified 18 drug-sensitive and four drug-resistant cell lines. Of significance, we found that both CCT007093 and mithramycin, when used in combination with paclitaxel, resulted in synergistic inhibition of the four paclitaxel-resistant TNBC cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: RNAi screening can identify druggable targets and novel drug combinations that can sensitize breast cancer cells to paclitaxel. This genomic-based approach can be applied to a multitude of tumor-derived cell lines and drug treatments to generate requisite pre-clinical data for new drug combination therapies to pursue in clinical investigations.

PPM1D is a potential therapeutic target in ovarian clear cell carcinomas.[Pubmed:19293255]

Clin Cancer Res. 2009 Apr 1;15(7):2269-80.

PURPOSE: To identify therapeutic targets in ovarian clear cell carcinomas, a chemoresistant and aggressive type of ovarian cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Twelve ovarian clear cell carcinoma cell lines were subjected to tiling path microarray comparative genomic hybridization and genome-wide expression profiling analysis. Regions of high-level amplification were defined and genes whose expression levels were determined by copy number and correlated with gene amplification were identified. The effects of inhibition of PPM1D were assessed using short hairpin RNA constructs and a small-molecule inhibitor (CCT007093). The prevalence of PPM1D amplification and mRNA expression was determined using chromogenic in situ hybridization and quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR in a cohort of pure ovarian clear cell carcinomas and on an independent series of unselected epithelial ovarian cancers. RESULTS: Array-based comparative genomic hybridization analysis revealed regions of high-level amplification on 1q32, 1q42, 2q11, 3q24-q26, 5p15, 7p21-p22, 11q13.2-q13.4, 11q22, 17q21-q22, 17q23.2, 19q12-q13, and 20q13.2. Thirty-four genes mapping to these regions displayed expression levels that correlated with copy number gains/amplification. PPM1D had significantly higher levels of mRNA expression in ovarian clear cell carcinoma cell lines harboring gains/amplifications of 17q23.2. PPM1D inhibition revealed that PPM1D expression and phosphatase activity are selectively required for the survival of ovarian clear cell carcinoma cell lines with 17q23.2 amplification. PPM1D amplification was significantly associated with ovarian clear cell carcinoma histology (P = 0.0003) and found in 10% of primary ovarian clear cell carcinomas. PPM1D expression levels were significantly correlated with PPM1D gene amplification in primary ovarian clear cell carcinomas. CONCLUSION: Our data provide strong circumstantial evidence that PPM1D is a potential therapeutic target for a subgroup of ovarian clear cell carcinomas.