Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:1.5.1.3 (dihydrofolate reductase)
 5,819 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Recent evidence suggests that combination therapy of cancer with receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitors, which are usually cytostatic, with conventional chemotherapeutic agents, which are usually cytotoxic, provide an improved treatment option. We have designed, synthesized, and evaluated a series of novel 2,4-diamino-5-substituted furo[2,3-d]pyrimidines with RTK and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitory activity in single molecules, as potential cytostatic and cytotoxic agents with antitumor activity. These compounds were synthesized from 2,4-diamino-5-chloromethyl furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine and aryl methyl ketones using the Wittig reaction to afford the C-8-C-9 unsaturated analogs followed by catalytic reduction to the corresponding saturated compounds. The saturated and unsaturated C-8-C-9 bridged compounds were evaluated as inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR-2, Flk, KDR), epidermal growth factor receptor, and platelet-derived growth factor receptor-beta (PDGFR-beta). Selected analogs were also evaluated as antiangiogenic agents in the chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. The compounds were also evaluated as inhibitors of human (h) DHFR and Toxoplasma gondii (tg) DHFR. In each evaluation, a known standard compound was used as a comparison. Of the compounds evaluated, compound 32 was as potent as the standard compounds against VEGFR-2 and PDGFR-beta, showing dual inhibitory activity against RTK. This analog was also highly effective in the CAM assay. A second analog 18 also demonstrated dual VEGFR-2 and PDGFR-beta inhibitory activity as well as potent antiangiogenic activity in the CAM assay. Four additional analogs were also effective against PDGFR-beta and in the CAM assay. An unsaturated C-8-C-9 moiety was necessary for RTK inhibitory activity. Compound 32 also showed inhibitory activity against hDHFR and tgDHFR, illustrating the multitarget inhibitory potential of these analogs. The biological activity of these analogs also suggests the necessity of an unsaturated C-8-C-9 bridge for dual RTK and DHFR inhibitory activity. Compounds 18 and 32 were also evaluated in a B16 melanoma mouse model and were found to be more active as antitumor agents than methotrexate. In addition, both 18 and 32 were also active in decreasing lung metastases in a mouse model of B16 melanomas.
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PMID:Novel 5-substituted, 2,4-diaminofuro[2,3-d]pyrimidines as multireceptor tyrosine kinase and dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors with antiangiogenic and antitumor activity. 1603 63

Patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) generally have a high risk of relapsing locally after primary tumor resection. The search for new predictive markers of local recurrence thus represents an important goal for the management of this disease. We studied the copy number variations (CNVs) of 24 oncogenes (MDM4, MYCN, ALK, PDGFRA, KIT, KDR, DHFR, EGFR, MET, SMO, FGFR1, MYC, ABL1, RET, CCND1, CCND2, CDK4, MDM2, AURKB, ERBB2, TOP2A, AURKA, AR and BRAF) using multiplex ligation probe amplification technique to verify their role as predictive markers of recurrence. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 43 patients who underwent transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB) were used; 23 patients had relapsed and 20 were disease-free after 5 years. Amplification frequencies were analyzed for all genes and MDM4 was the only gene that showed significantly higher amplification in non recurrent patients than in recurrent ones (0.65 vs. 0.3; Fisher's test p=0.023). Recurrence-free survival analysis confirmed the predictive role of MDM4 (log-rank test p=0.041). Our preliminary results indicate a putative role for the MDM4 gene in predicting local recurrence of bladder cancer. Confirmation of this hypothesis is needed in a larger cohort of NMIBC patients.
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PMID:Copy number analysis of 24 oncogenes: MDM4 identified as a putative marker for low recurrence risk in non muscle invasive bladder cancer. 2502 75

Research on the amplification of oncogenes in thymic malignant tumor is limited. In this study, we aimed to determine the gene amplification status of receptor tyrosine kinases and other cell regulator genes in thymic malignant tumors, with a view toward the future introduction of molecular targeted therapy. In addition, we examined the usefulness of multiplex, ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) in the semi-comprehensive detection of these gene amplifications. The participants of this study were nine patients with thymic carcinoma and one patient with atypical carcinoid who underwent resection at our department from 1999 to 2016. Twenty-four oncogenes (MDM4, MYCN, ALK, PDGFRA, KIT, KDR, DHFR, EGFR, MET, SMO, BRAF, FGFR1, MYC, ABL1, RET, CCND1, CCND2, CDK4, MDM2, AURKB, ERBB2, TOP2A, AURKA, AR) were analyzed for amplification by MLPA. In cases where amplification by MLPA was suspected, confirmation was performed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Immunostaining for detected oncoproteins and p53 were performed in cases with confirmed oncogene amplification. MYC (2/10, 20%) and MDM2 (1/10, 10%) amplifications were detected using MLPA and FISH. Immunostaining in both cases was positive. The MDM2-amplified tumor relapsed and spread rapidly after operation despite the use of post-operative chemo-radiotherapy. MYC amplification may be involved in the carcinogenesis of thymic malignant tumors. In addition, MDM2 amplification may be a concern in the increased malignancy.
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PMID:Semi-comprehensive analysis of gene amplification in thymic malignant tumors using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and fluorescence in situ hybridization. 3250 76

Purpose: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive cancer. Data are not available in prospective trials on correlations between genetic alterations and outcomes of therapies. In this study, we assessed the genetic profile of MPM patients (pts) in tissue samples. Patients and Methods: From December 2016 to July 2018 (end of enrolment), 164 pts were enrolled. We evaluated by targeted sequencing the mutational profile of a panel of 34 genes: ACTB, ACTG1, ACTG2, ACTR1A, BAP1, CDH8, CDK4, CDKN2A, CDKN2B, COL3A1, COL5A2, CUL1, DHFR, GOT1, KDR, KIT, MXRA5, NF2, NFRKB, NKX6-2, NOD2, PCBD2, PDZK1IP1, PIK3CA, PIK3CB, PSMD13, RAPGEF6, RDX, SETDB1, TAOK1, TP53, TXNRD1, UQCRC1, XRCC6. Genetic profiling was correlated with clinical and pathological variables. Results: Overall, 110 pts (67%) from both treatment arms had samples available for molecular analysis. Median age was 63 years (45-81), 25.5% (n = 28) were females, and 74.5% (n = 82) were males. Tumor histotype was 81.8% (n = 90) epithelioid and 18.2% (n = 20) non-epithelioid; 28.5% of the tumors (n = 42) were stage IV, 71.5% (n = 68) were stage III. Targeted sequencing of tissue specimens identified 275 functional somatic mutations in the 34 genes analyzed. The number of mutated genes was positively associated with higher stage and metastatic disease (p = 0.025). RDX (42%), MXRA5 (23%), BAP1 (14%), and NF2 (11%) were the most frequently mutated genes. Mutations in RAPGEF6 (p = 0.03) and ACTG1 (p = 0.02) were associated with the non-epithelioid subtype, and mutations in BAP1 (p = 0.04) were related to progression-free survival (PFS) > 6 months. Conclusions: In the Ramucirumab Mesothelioma clinical trial (RAMES), mutation of the gene BAP1 is related to a prolonged PFS for patients treated with platinum/pemetrexed regimens (p = 0.04).
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PMID:Mutational Profile of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) in the Phase II RAMES Study. 3306 98