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. 2009 Nov;8(11):2992-3000.
doi: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-09-0463. Epub 2009 Nov 3.

Small-molecule inhibition of Wee1 kinase by MK-1775 selectively sensitizes p53-deficient tumor cells to DNA-damaging agents

Hiroshi Hirai  1 , Yoshikazu Iwasawa, Megumu Okada, Tsuyoshi Arai, Toshihide Nishibata, Makiko Kobayashi, Toshifumi Kimura, Naoki Kaneko, Junko Ohtani, Kazunori Yamanaka, Hiraku Itadani, Ikuko Takahashi-Suzuki, Kazuhiro Fukasawa, Hiroko Oki, Tadahiro Nambu, Jian Jiang, Takumi Sakai, Hiroharu Arakawa, Toshihiro Sakamoto, Takeshi Sagara, Takashi Yoshizumi, Shinji Mizuarai, Hidehito Kotani
Affiliations

Small-molecule inhibition of Wee1 kinase by MK-1775 selectively sensitizes p53-deficient tumor cells to DNA-damaging agents

Hiroshi Hirai et al. Mol Cancer Ther. 2009 Nov.

Abstract

Wee1 is a tyrosine kinase that phosphorylates and inactivates CDC2 and is involved in G(2) checkpoint signaling. Because p53 is a key regulator in the G(1) checkpoint, p53-deficient tumors rely only on the G(2) checkpoint after DNA damage. Hence, such tumors are selectively sensitized to DNA-damaging agents by Wee1 inhibition. Here, we report the discovery of a potent and selective small-molecule inhibitor of Wee1 kinase, MK-1775. This compound inhibits phosphorylation of CDC2 at Tyr15 (CDC2Y15), a direct substrate of Wee1 kinase in cells. MK-1775 abrogates G(2) DNA damage checkpoint, leading to apoptosis in combination with DNA-damaging chemotherapeutic agents such as gemcitabine, carboplatin, and cisplatin selectively in p53-deficient cells. In vivo, MK-1775 potentiates tumor growth inhibition by these agents, and cotreatment does not significantly increase toxicity. The enhancement of antitumor effect by MK-1775 was well correlated with inhibition of CDC2Y15 phosphorylation in tumor tissue and skin hair follicles. Our data indicate that Wee1 inhibition provides a new approach for treatment of multiple human malignancies.

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