Publications by authors named "Donald W Kufe"

The MUC1 gene evolved in mammals for adaptation of barrier tissues in response to infections and damage. Paraspeckles are nuclear bodies formed on the NEAT1 lncRNA in response to loss of homeostasis. There is no known intersection of MUC1 with NEAT1 or paraspeckles.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The oncogenic MUC1-C transmembrane protein is a critical effector of the cancer stem cell (CSC) state. Addiction to MUC1-C for self-renewal in the progression of human cancers has emphasized the need for development of anti-MUC1-C agents. However, there are presently no approved small molecules for targeting MUC1-C-dependent CSCs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Colorectal cancers (CRCs) with the BRAF(V600E) mutation show aggressive behavior and are resistant to BRAF inhibitors due to a feedback loop involving the RTK→RAS→MAPK pathway.
  • MUC1-C protein, which is significantly upregulated in BRAF(V600E) CRCs, plays a crucial role in cellular proliferation and resistance to BRAF inhibitors by enhancing MYC and RAS→ERK signaling.
  • Targeting MUC1-C can inhibit tumor growth, disrupt the activation of growth pathways, and improve the effectiveness of BRAF inhibitors in resistant BRAF(V600E) CRC tumors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The () gene was discovered based on its overexpression in human breast cancers. Subsequent work demonstrated that MUC1 is aberrantly expressed in cancers originating from other diverse organs, including skin and immune cells. These findings supported a role for MUC1 in the adaptation of barrier tissues to infection and environmental stress.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The gene emerged in mammals to afford protection of barrier epithelial tissues from the external environment. encodes a transmembrane C-terminal (MUC1-C) subunit that is activated by loss of homeostasis and induces inflammatory, proliferative, and remodeling pathways associated with wound repair. As a consequence, chronic activation of MUC1-C promotes lineage plasticity, epigenetic reprogramming, and carcinogenesis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Chronic inflammation is a highly prevalent consequence of changes in environmental and lifestyle factors that contribute to the development of cancer. The basis for this critical association has largely remained unclear. The MUC1 gene evolved in mammals to protect epithelia from the external environment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

CBP501, a calmodulin-binding peptide, is an anti-cancer drug candidate and functions as an enhancer of platinum uptake into cancer cells. Here we show that CBP501 promotes immunogenic cell death (ICD) in combination with platinum agents. CBP501 enhanced a clinically relevant low dose of cisplatin (CDDP) as evidenced by upregulation of ICD markers, including cell surface calreticulin exposure and release of high-mobility group protein box-1.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The anti-cancer agent CBP501 binds to calmodulin (CaM). Recent studies showed that migration and metastasis are inhibited by several CaM antagonists. However, there is no available evidence that CBP501 has similar effects.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

CBP501 is an anti-cancer drug candidate which has been shown to increase cis-diamminedichloro-platinum (II) (CDDP) uptake into cancer cell through calmodulin (CaM) inhibition. However, the effects of CBP501 on the cells in the tumor microenvironment have not been addressed. Here, we investigated new aspects of the potential anti-tumor mechanism of action of CBP501 by examining its effects on the macrophages.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Immune checkpoint blockade improves survival in a subset of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but robust biomarkers that predict response to PD-1 pathway inhibitors are lacking. Furthermore, our understanding of the diversity of the NSCLC tumor immune microenvironment remains limited. We performed comprehensive flow cytometric immunoprofiling on both tumor and immune cells from 51 NSCLCs and integrated this analysis with clinical and histopathologic characteristics, next-generation sequencing, mRNA expression, and PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Chromosome region maintenance 1 (CRM1) mediates the nuclear export of proteins and mRNAs, and is overexpressed in various cancers. Recent studies have also reported that CRM1 protein expression is a negative prognostic factor in patients with cancer. Therefore, CRM1 is considered a potential target for anticancer therapy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

CBP501 is an anticancer drug candidate that was investigated in two randomized phase II clinical trials for patients with nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). CBP501 has been shown to have two mechanisms of action, namely calmodulin modulation and G2 checkpoint abrogation. Here, we searched for a biomarker to predict sensitivity to CBP501.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

CRM1 plays an important role in the nuclear export of cargo proteins bearing nuclear exporting signal sequences. Leptomycin B (LMB), a well-known CRM1 inhibitor, possesses strong antitumor properties. However, its toxicity prevents it from being clinically useful.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

CBP501 is an anticancer drug currently in randomized phase II clinical trials for patients with non-small cell lung cancer and malignant pleural mesothelioma. CBP501 was originally described as a unique G(2) checkpoint-directed agent that binds to 14-3-3, inhibiting the actions of Chk1, Chk2, mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 2, and C-Tak1. However, unlike a G(2) checkpoint inhibitor, CBP501 clearly enhances the accumulation of tumor cells at G(2)-M phase that is induced by cisplatin or bleomycin at low doses and short exposure.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Two phase I dose-escalation studies were conducted to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and safety profile of the G(2) checkpoint abrogator CBP501, as a single agent and in combination with cisplatin.

Experimental Design: Patients with advanced solid tumors were treated with CBP501 alone (D1/D8/D15, q4w, from 0.9 mg/m(2)), or with cisplatin (both on D1, q3w, from 3.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: MUC1 protein is highly expressed in lung cancer. The cytoplasmic domain of MUC1 (MUC1-CD) induces tumorigenesis and resistance to DNA-damaging agents. We characterized MUC1-CD-induced transcriptional changes and examined their significance in lung cancer patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Epithelia are protected from adverse conditions by a mucous barrier. The secreted and transmembrane mucins that constitute the mucous barrier are largely unrecognized as effectors of carcinogenesis. However, both types of mucins are intimately involved in inflammation and cancer.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The Mucin 1 (MUC1) oncoprotein is aberrantly overexpressed in diverse human malignancies including breast and lung cancer. Although MUC1 modulates the activity of several transcription factors, there is no information regarding the effects of MUC1 on global gene expression patterns and the potential role of MUC1-induced genes in predicting outcome for cancer patients. We have developed an experimental model of MUC1-induced transformation that has identified the activation of gene families involved in oncogenesis, angiogenesis, and extracellular matrix remodeling.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The mucin 1 (MUC1) oncoprotein is aberrantly overexpressed in human breast cancers. Although MUC1 modulates the activity of estrogen receptor alpha (ER), there is no information regarding the effects of MUC1 on global gene expression patterns and the potential role of MUC1-induced genes in predicting outcome for breast cancer patients. We have developed an experimental model of MUC1-induced transformation that has identified the activation of genes involved in cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

TNFalpha was initially described as inducing necrotic death in tumors in vivo, and more recently as a cytokine that mediates cytoprotection and inflammation. The anti-tumor effects of TNFalpha are poorly characterized because TNFalpha-induced death of human tumor cells has largely been studied in the presence of agents that block transcription or protein synthesis. Also, most reports in model cell systems describe apoptosis within relatively early time points as the principal mode of cell death induced by TNFalpha.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The alkylating agent temozolomide, commonly used in the treatment of malignant glioma, causes cellular cytotoxicity by forming O(6)-methylguanine adducts. In this report, we investigated whether temozolomide alters the activity of the transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB). Temozolomide inhibits basal and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha)-induced NF-kappaB transcriptional activity without altering phosphorylation or degradation of inhibitor of kappaB-alpha.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cell cycle G(2) checkpoint abrogation is an attractive strategy for sensitizing cancer cells to DNA-damaging anticancer agent without increasing adverse effects on normal cells. However, there is no single proven molecular target for this therapeutic approach. High-throughput screening for molecules inhibiting CHK1, a kinase that is essential for the G(2) checkpoint, has not yet yielded therapeutic G(2) checkpoint inhibitors, and the tumor suppressor phenotypes of ATM and CHK2 suggest they may not be ideal targets.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF