Objective: Oncogenic echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4)-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) (EML4-ALK) fusion proteins found in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) are constitutively phosphorylated and activated by dimerization via the coiled-coil domain (cc) within EML4. Here, we investigated whether disruption of ALK fusion protein oligomerization via competitive cc mimetic compounds could be a therapeutic strategy for EML4-ALK NSCLC.Methods: A Ba/F3 cell model was created that expressed an ALK intracellular domain in which the dimer/monomer state is ligand-regulated. This novel cell model was used to investigate the effect of disrupting ALK fusion protein oligomerization on tumor cell growth in vitro and in vivo using nude mice. Subsequently, the antiproliferative effects of endogenous cc domain co-expression and mimetic cc peptides were assayed in EML4-ALK cancer cell lines.Results: Cells induced to express monomeric ALK in vitro did not survive. When transplanted..... READ ARTICLE
Frontiers in Oncology DOI:10.3389/fonc.2020.00419
Authors: Hirai Noriko, Sasaki Takaaki, Okumura Shunsuke, Minami Yoshinori, Chiba Shinichi, Ohsaki Yoshinobu