A selective high affinity MYC-binding compound inhibits MYC:MAX interaction and MYC-dependent tumor cell proliferation

  • Sci Rep. 2018 Jul 3;8(1):10064. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-28107-4.
Alina Castell  1 ,  Qinzi Yan  1 ,  Karin Fawkner  1  2 ,  Per Hydbring  1  3 ,  Fan Zhang  1 ,  Vasiliki Verschut  1 ,  Marcela Franco  1 ,  Siti Mariam Zakaria  1 ,  Wesam Bazzar  1 ,  Jacob Goodwin  1 ,  Giovanna Zinzalla  1 ,  Lars-Gunnar Larsson  4
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65, Stockholm, Sweden.
  • 2. TLV, Box 225 20, 104 22, Stockholm, Sweden.
  • 3. Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-17176, Stockholm, Sweden.
  • 4. Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65, Stockholm, Sweden. [email protected].
PMID: 29968736 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28107-4
Abstract

MYC is a key player in tumor development, but unfortunately no specific MYC-targeting drugs are clinically available. MYC is strictly dependent on heterodimerization with MAX for transcription activation. Aiming at targeting this interaction, we identified MYCMI-6 in a cell-based protein interaction screen for small inhibitory molecules. MYCMI-6 exhibits strong selective inhibition of MYC:MAX interaction in cells and in vitro at single-digit micromolar concentrations, as validated by split Gaussia luciferase, in situ proximity ligation, microscale thermophoresis and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assays. Further, MYCMI-6 blocks MYC-driven transcription and binds selectively to the MYC bHLHZip domain with a KD of 1.6 ± 0.5 μM as demonstrated by SPR. MYCMI-6 inhibits tumor cell growth in a MYC-dependent manner with IC50 concentrations as low as 0.5 μM, while sparing normal cells. The response to MYCMI-6 correlates with MYC expression based on data from 60 human tumor cell lines and is abrogated by MYC depletion. Further, it inhibits MYC:MAX interaction, reduces proliferation and induces massive Apoptosis in tumor tissue from a MYC-driven xenograft tumor model without severe side effects. Since MYCMI-6 does not affect MYC expression, it is a unique molecular tool to specifically target MYC:MAX pharmacologically and it has good potential for drug development.

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