SMARCA4 deficient tumours are vulnerable to KDM6A/UTX and KDM6B/JMJD3 blockade.

Despite the genetic inactivation of SMARCA4, a core component of the SWI/SNF-complex commonly found in cancer, there are no therapies that effectively target SMARCA4-deficient tumours. Here, we show that, unlike the cells with activated MYC oncogene, cells with SMARCA4 inactivation are refractory to the histone deacetylase inhibitor, SAHA, leading to the aberrant accumulation of H3K27me3. SMARCA4-mutant cells also show an impaired transactivation and significantly reduced levels of the histone demethylases KDM6A/UTX and KDM6B/JMJD3, and a strong dependency on these histone demethylases, so that its inhibition compromises cell viability. Administering the KDM6 inhibitor GSK-J4 to mice orthotopically implanted with SMARCA4-mutant lung cancer cells or primary small cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcaemic type (SCCOHT), had strong anti-tumour effects. In this work we highlight the vulnerability of KDM6 inhibitors as a characteristic that could be exploited for treating SMARCA4-mutant cancer patients.

Romero OA ，Vilarrubi A ，Alburquerque-Bejar JJ ，Gomez A ，Andrades A ，Trastulli D ，Pros E ，Setien F ，Verdura S ，Farré L ，Martín-Tejera JF ，Llabata P ，Oaknin A ，Saigi M ，Piulats JM ，Matias-Guiu X ，Medina PP ，Vidal A ，Villanueva A ，Sanchez-Cespedes M ... -  《Nature Communications》

Histone H3K27me3 demethylases regulate human Th17 cell development and effector functions by impacting on metabolism.

T helper (Th) cells are CD4+ effector T cells that play a critical role in immunity by shaping the inflammatory cytokine environment in a variety of physiological and pathological situations. Using a combined chemico-genetic approach, we identify histone H3K27 demethylases KDM6A and KDM6B as central regulators of human Th subsets. The prototypic KDM6 inhibitor GSK-J4 increases genome-wide levels of the repressive H3K27me3 chromatin mark and leads to suppression of the key transcription factor RORγt during Th17 differentiation. In mature Th17 cells, GSK-J4 induces an altered transcriptional program with a profound metabolic reprogramming and concomitant suppression of IL-17 cytokine levels and reduced proliferation. Single-cell analysis reveals a specific shift from highly inflammatory cell subsets toward a resting state upon demethylase inhibition. The root cause of the observed antiinflammatory phenotype in stimulated Th17 cells is reduced expression of key metabolic transcription factors, such as PPRC1. Overall, this leads to reduced mitochondrial biogenesis, resulting in a metabolic switch with concomitant antiinflammatory effects. These data are consistent with an effect of GSK-J4 on Th17 T cell differentiation pathways directly related to proliferation and include regulation of effector cytokine profiles. This suggests that inhibiting KDM6 demethylases may be an effective, even in the short term, therapeutic target for autoimmune diseases, including ankylosing spondylitis.

Cribbs AP ，Terlecki-Zaniewicz S ，Philpott M ，Baardman J ，Ahern D ，Lindow M ，Obad S ，Oerum H ，Sampey B ，Mander PK ，Penn H ，Wordsworth P ，Bowness P ，de Winther M ，Prinjha RK ，Feldmann M ，Oppermann U ... -  《-》

Dual loss of the SWI/SNF complex ATPases SMARCA4/BRG1 and SMARCA2/BRM is highly sensitive and specific for small cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcaemic type.

Small cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcaemic type (SCCOHT) is a lethal and sometimes familial ovarian tumour of young women and children. We and others recently discovered that over 90% of SCCOHTs harbour inactivating mutations in the chromatin remodelling gene SMARCA4 with concomitant loss of its encoded protein SMARCA4 (BRG1), one of two mutually exclusive ATPases of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodelling complex. To determine the specificity of SMARCA4 loss for SCCOHT, we examined the expression of SMARCA4 by immunohistochemistry in more than 3000 primary gynaecological tumours. Among ovarian tumours, it was only absent in clear cell carcinoma (15 of 360, 4%). In the uterus, it was absent in endometrial stromal sarcomas (4 of 52, 8%) and high-grade endometrioid carcinomas (2 of 338, 1%). Recent studies have shown that SMARCA2 (BRM), the other mutually exclusive ATPase of the SWI/SNF complex, is necessary for survival of tumour cells lacking SMARCA4. Therefore, we examined SMARCA2 expression and discovered that all SMARCA4-negative SCCOHTs also lacked SMARCA2 protein by IHC, including the SCCOHT cell lines BIN67 and SCCOHT1. Among ovarian tumours, the SMARCA4/SMARCA2 dual loss phenotype appears completely specific for SCCOHT. SMARCA2 loss was not due to mutation but rather from an absence of mRNA expression, which was restored by treatment with the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A. Re-expression of SMARCA4 or SMARCA2 inhibited the growth of BIN67 and SCCOHT1 cell lines. Our results indicate that SMARCA4 loss, either alone or with SMARCA2, is highly sensitive and specific for SCCOHT and that restoration of either SWI/SNF ATPase can inhibit the growth of SCCOHT cell lines.

Karnezis AN ，Wang Y ，Ramos P ，Hendricks WP ，Oliva E ，D'Angelo E ，Prat J ，Nucci MR ，Nielsen TO ，Chow C ，Leung S ，Kommoss F ，Kommoss S ，Silva A ，Ronnett BM ，Rabban JT ，Bowtell DD ，Weissman BE ，Trent JM ，Gilks CB ，Huntsman DG ... -  《-》

Therapeutic potential of GSK-J4, a histone demethylase KDM6B/JMJD3 inhibitor, for acute myeloid leukemia.

Li Y ，Zhang M ，Sheng M ，Zhang P ，Chen Z ，Xing W ，Bai J ，Cheng T ，Yang FC ，Zhou Y ... -  《-》

GSKJ4, an H3K27me3 demethylase inhibitor, effectively suppresses the breast cancer stem cells.

Recently, studies have been suggested that H3K27me3 is implicated with maintenance of cancer stem cells (CSCs), however, the roles of H3K27me3 in Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) remain poorly investigated. Here we explore the functionallities of H3K27me3 on BCSCs, we identify H3K27me3 as a negative modulator of BCSCs and suggest GSKJ4 is a promising drug targeting BCSCs. We show that the H3K27me3 level is decreased in mammosphere-derived BCSCs. In breast cancer cells, we demonstrate that GSKJ4 could markedly inhibit the proliferation. Strikingly, we show that GSKJ4 could effectively suppress BCSCs including expansion, self-renewal capacity, and the expression of stemness-related markers. Additionally, our xenograft model confirms that GSKJ4 is able to effectively inhibit the tumorigenicity of MDA-MB-231. Mechanistically, the inhibition effects of GSKJ4 on BCSCs are via inhibiting demethylases JMJD3 and UTX with methyltransferase EZH2 unchanged, which enhances H3K27me3 level. H3K27me3 activating leads to reduction of BCSCs expansion, self-renewal and global level of stemness factors. Collectively, our results provide strong supports that H3K27me3 exerts a suppressive influence on BCSCs and reveal that GSKJ4 is capable to be a prospective agent targeting BCSCs.

Yan N ，Xu L ，Wu X ，Zhang L ，Fei X ，Cao Y ，Zhang F ... -  《-》