2. Academic Validation
  3. CDK7 inhibition suppresses super-enhancer-linked oncogenic transcription in MYCN-driven cancer

CDK7 inhibition suppresses super-enhancer-linked oncogenic transcription in MYCN-driven cancer

  • Cell. 2014 Nov 20;159(5):1126-1139. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.10.024.
Edmond Chipumuro 1,  Eugenio Marco 2,  Camilla L Christensen 3,  Nicholas Kwiatkowski 4,  Tinghu Zhang 5,  Clark M Hatheway 6,  Brian J Abraham 4,  Bandana Sharma 6,  Caleb Yeung 1,  Abigail Altabef 3,  Antonio Perez-Atayde 7,  Kwok-Kin Wong 3,  Guo-Cheng Yuan 2,  Nathanael S Gray 5,  Richard A Young 4,  Rani E George 8
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
  • 2 Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
  • 3 Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
  • 4 Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
  • 5 Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
  • 6 Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
  • 7 Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, MA 02115, USA.
  • 8 Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 25416950 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.10.024
Abstract

The MYC oncoproteins are thought to stimulate tumor cell growth and proliferation through amplification of gene transcription, a mechanism that has thwarted most efforts to inhibit MYC function as potential Cancer therapy. Using a covalent inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) to disrupt the transcription of amplified MYCN in neuroblastoma cells, we demonstrate downregulation of the oncoprotein with consequent massive suppression of MYCN-driven global transcriptional amplification. This response translated to significant tumor regression in a mouse model of high-risk neuroblastoma, without the introduction of systemic toxicity. The striking treatment selectivity of MYCN-overexpressing cells correlated with preferential downregulation of super-enhancer-associated genes, including MYCN and other known oncogenic drivers in neuroblastoma. These results indicate that CDK7 inhibition, by selectively targeting the mechanisms that promote global transcriptional amplification in tumor cells, may be useful therapy for cancers that are driven by MYC family oncoproteins.

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