Machine learning-aided discovery of T790M-mutant EGFR inhibitor CDDO-Me effectively suppresses non-small cell lung cancer growth.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) T790M mutation often occurs during long durational erlotinib treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, leading to drug resistance and disease progression. Identification of new selective EGFR-T790M inhibitors has proven challenging through traditional screening platforms. With great advances in computer algorithms, machine learning improved the screening rates of molecules at full chemical spaces, and these molecules will present higher biological activity and targeting efficiency. An integrated machine learning approach, integrated by Bayesian inference, was employed to screen a commercial dataset of 70,413 molecules, identifying candidates that selectively and efficiently bind with EGFR harboring T790M mutation. In vitro cellular assays and molecular dynamic simulations was used for validation. EGFR knockout cell line was generated for cross-validation. In vivo xenograft moues model was constructed to investigate the antitumor efficacy of CDDO-Me. Our virtual screening and subsequent in vitro testing successfully identified CDDO-Me, an oleanolic acid derivative with anti-inflammatory activity, as a potent inhibitor of NSCLC cancer cells harboring the EGFR-T790M mutation. Cellular thermal shift assay and molecular dynamic simulation validated the selective binding of CDDO-Me to T790M-mutant EGFR. Further experimental results revealed that CDDO-Me induced cellular apoptosis and caused cell cycle arrest through inhibiting the PI3K-Akt-mTOR axis by directly targeting EGFR protein, cross-validated by sgEGFR silencing in H1975 cells. Additionally, CDDO-Me could dose-depended suppress the tumor growth in a H1975 xenograft mouse model. CDDO-Me induced apoptosis and caused cell cycle arrest by inhibiting the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway, directly targeting the EGFR protein. In vivo studies in a H1975 xenograft mouse model demonstrated dose-dependent suppression of tumor growth. Our work highlights the application of machine learning-aided drug screening and provides a promising lead compound to conquer the drug resistance of NSCLC.

Zhou R ，Liu Z ，Wu T ，Pan X ，Li T ，Miao K ，Li Y ，Hu X ，Wu H ，Hemmings AM ，Jiang B ，Zhang Z ，Liu N ... -  《Cell Communication and Signaling》

Discovery of flavonoid-containing compound Lupalbigenin as anti-NSCLC cancer agents via suppression of EGFR and ERK1/2 pathway.

Cuan X ，Yang X ，Wang J ，Sheng J ，Wang X ，Huang Y ... -  《-》

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Novel Diaminopyrimidine Macrocycles as Fourth Generation Reversible EGFR Inhibitors That Overcome Clinical Resistance to Osimertinib Mediated by C797S Mutation.

Hu S ，Tong L ，Qin Q ，Wen J ，Li Y ，Feng F ，Wu K ，Zhou Y ，Shang J ，Wang J ，Liu J ，Xie H ，Lu X ... -  《-》

Enabling Systemic Identification and Functionality Profiling for Cdc42 Homeostatic Modulators.

Malasala S ，Azimian F ，Chen YH ，Twiss JL ，Boykin C ，Akhtar SN ，Lu Q ... -  《-》

NUAK1-Mediated Phosphorylation of NADK Mitigates ROS Accumulation to Promote Osimertinib Resistance in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma.

Osimertinib, a third generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is approved as a first-line therapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) with EGFR-activating mutations or the T790M resistance mutation. However, the efficacy of osimertinib is limited due to acquired resistance, highlighting the need to elucidate resistance mechanisms to facilitate the development of improved treatment strategies. Here, we screened for significantly upregulated genes encoding protein kinases in osimertinib-resistant NSCLC cells and identified NUAK1 as a pivotal regulator of osimertinib resistance. NUAK1 was highly expressed in osimertinib-resistant NSCLC and promoted the emergence of osimertinib resistance. Genetic or pharmacological blockade of NUAK1 restored the sensitivity of resistant NSCLC cells to osimertinib in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, NUAK1 directly interacted with and phosphorylated nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide kinase (NADK) at serine 64 (S64), which mitigated osimertinib-induced accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and contributed to the acquisition of osimertinib resistance in NSCLC. Furthermore, virtual drug screening identified T21195 as an inhibitor of NADK-S64 phosphorylation, and T21195 synergized with osimertinib to reverse acquired resistance by inducing ROS accumulation. Collectively, these findings highlight the role of the NUAK1-NADK axis in governing osimertinib resistance in NSCLC and indicate the potential of targeting this axis as a strategy for circumventing resistance. Significance: Phosphorylation of NADK by NUAK1 diminishes ROS accumulation and confers resistance to osimertinib, identifying NUAK1-NADK signaling as a potential therapeutic target for improving the response to EGFR inhibition in lung cancer.

Lin W ，Wang N ，Wu S ，Diao M ，Huang Q ，Li K ，Mei P ，Wang X ，Liao Y ，Meng Y ... -  《-》