Forced expression of Cyclin D1 and its effector kinase CDK4 restored cell cycle progression and mitotic gene expression in NRAS-mutant melanoma cells exposed to MEKi/ERK5i, implying Cyclin D/CDK4 activity as major target of combined MEKi/ERK5i. These findings suggest Cyclin D/CDK4 dependency as a major vulnerability of NRAS-mutant melanoma that could effectively be targeted by combined MAPKi/ERK5i.

P1/2, N=96, Recruiting, National Cancer Institute (NCI) | Trial completion date: Aug 2029 --> Aug 2032 | Trial primary completion date: Aug 2025 --> Aug 2028

We posit that the combination of mitochondrial dysfunction and an inability to adapt to oxidative stress resulted in significant cell death upon ZTR treatment, ultimately increasing the therapeutic vulnerability of IDH-mutant gliomas. These findings prompted a clinical trial evaluating ZTR in IDH-mutant gliomas (NCT05588141).

MEK5-ERK5 is an activator of GLI transcription factors, and combined targeting of these pathways warrants further preclinical investigation as a potential innovative therapeutic approach for melanoma.

Low numbers limit conclusive clinical outcome reporting. High PD-1 expression on post-treatment TILs encourages the addition of an immune checkpoint inhibitor to TG02 and potentially other studies of peptide vaccines in future studies.

Several potent small molecule inhibitors, exemplified by TG02 (4), have progressed to clinical trials...Our focus extends to various types of inhibitors, including pan-inhibitors, selective inhibitors, dual-target inhibitors, degraders, PPI inhibitors, and natural products. The discussion encompasses chemical structures, structure-activity relationships (SARs), biological activities, selectivity, and therapeutic potential, providing detailed insight into the diverse landscape of CDK9 inhibitors.

TG02 exhibits overlapping toxicity with alkylating agents and low single agent clinical activity in recurrent glioblastoma. The role of CDK-9 and its down-stream effectors as prognostic factors and therapeutic targets in glioblastoma warrants further study.

Groups A and B explored the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of TG02 in elderly patients with IDH1R132H-non-mutant newly diagnosed glioblastoma or anaplastic astrocytoma, in combination with hypofractionated radiotherapy alone (group A) or temozolomide alone (group B), based on O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase promoter methylation status determined centrally. Larger randomized trials are required to explore activity in combination with RT or TMZ. The role of CDK-9 and its down-stream effectors as prognostic factors and therapeutic targets in glioblastoma warrants further study.

Moreover, we observed significant cancer cell death, accompanied by a reduction in mRNA levels of the cell proliferation marker, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), following ERK5 inhibition due to MHJ-627 treatment. We expect this finding to serve as a lead compound for further identification of inhibitors for ERK5-directed novel approaches for oncotherapy with increased specificity.

Our results extended the knowledge of the mechanisms by which ERK5 regulates melanoma growth and invasiveness, improving the comprehension necessary to develop new treatments for melanoma.