Article
作者: Saeidi, Soma ; McLaughlin, Joseph ; Horning, Benjamin D. ; Tran, Eileen ; Sigler, John J. ; Major, Michael B. ; Negri, Kathleen ; Bernard, Steffen M. ; Hee, Kenneth ; Snead, Aaron N. ; Zolkind, Paul ; Abraham, Robert T. ; Pastuszka, Martha K. ; Rush, Zoe ; Simon, Gabriel M. ; Lo, U-Ging ; Ambrus-Aikelin, Géza ; Pollock, Jonathan ; Kinsella, Todd M. ; Eissler, Christie L. ; Kuenzi, Brent ; Lo, I-Chung ; Ibrahim, Noah ; Grabow, Stephanie ; Pariollaud, Marie ; Bok, Ilah ; Inloes, Jordon ; Wyseure, Tine ; Lu, Justine ; Bhatt, Dhaval P. ; Green, Jason C. ; Panda, Harit ; Jacinto, Sarah R. ; Weinstein, David S. ; Roy, Nilotpal ; Walton, Eric ; Le, Khoi ; Patricelli, Matthew P. ; Parker, Albert ; Wilkerson, Emily M. ; Williams, Heather N.
Abstract:The NRF2 transcription factor is constitutively active in cancer where it functions to maintain oxidative homeostasis and reprogram cellular metabolism. NRF2-active tumors exhibit NRF2-dependency and resistance to chemo/radiotherapy. Here we characterize VVD-065, a first-in-class NRF2 inhibitor that acts via an unprecedented allosteric molecular glue mechanism. In the absence of stress or mutation, NRF2 is rapidly degraded by the KEAP1-CUL3 ubiquitin-ligase complex. VVD-065 specifically and covalently engages Cys151 on KEAP1, which in turn promotes KEAP1-CUL3 complex formation, leading to enhancement of NRF2 degradation. Previously reported Cys151-directed compounds decrease KEAP1-CUL3 interactions and stabilize NRF2, thus establishing KEAP1_Cys151 as a tunable regulator of the KEAP1-CUL3 complex and NRF2 stability. VVD-065 inhibited NRF2-dependent tumor growth and sensitized cancers to chemo/radiotherapy, supporting an open Phase I clinical trial (NCT05954312).