» Articles » PMID: 24013427

Wee1 Kinase As a Target for Cancer Therapy

Overview
Journal Cell Cycle
Specialty Cell Biology
Date 2013 Sep 10
PMID 24013427
Citations 144
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Wee1, a protein kinase, regulates the G 2 checkpoint in response to DNA damage. Preclinical studies have elucidated the role of wee1 in DNA damage repair and the stabilization of replication forks, supporting the validity of wee1 inhibition as a viable therapeutic target in cancer. MK-1775, a selective and potent small-molecule inhibitor of wee1, is under clinical development as a potentiator of DNA damage caused by cytotoxic chemotherapies. We present a review of the role of wee1 in the cell cycle and DNA replication and summarize the clinical development to date of this novel class of anticancer agents.

Citing Articles

DGKα Enhances Tumorigenic Activity in Bladder Cancer Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease.

Takemoto K, Kobatake K, Hatayama T, Tasaka S, Okazaki M, Nakano Y Cancer Med. 2025; 14(5):e70710.

PMID: 40013327 PMC: 11865707. DOI: 10.1002/cam4.70710.


High WEE1 expression is independently linked to poor survival in multiple myeloma.

Simhal A, Firestone R, Oh J, Avutu V, Norton L, Hultcrantz M Blood Cancer J. 2025; 15(1):22.

PMID: 39979284 PMC: 11842801. DOI: 10.1038/s41408-025-01230-y.


Cyclin E1/CDK2 activation defines a key vulnerability to WEE1 kinase inhibition in gynecological cancers.

Kim D, Chung H, Liu W, Jeong K, Ozmen T, Ozmen F NPJ Precis Oncol. 2025; 9(1):3.

PMID: 39755818 PMC: 11700143. DOI: 10.1038/s41698-024-00787-4.


Adavosertib in Combination with Olaparib in Patients with Refractory Solid Tumors: An Open-Label, Dose-Finding, and Dose-Expansion Phase Ib Trial.

Hamilton E, Falchook G, Wang J, Fu S, Oza A, Imedio E Target Oncol. 2024; 19(6):879-892.

PMID: 39487373 PMC: 11557630. DOI: 10.1007/s11523-024-01102-8.


Pharmacoproteogenomic approach identifies on-target kinase inhibitors for cancer drug repositioning.

Noguchi R, Osaki J, Ono T, Adachi Y, Iwata S, Yoshimatsu Y In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim. 2024; 60(10):1200-1214.

PMID: 39422823 DOI: 10.1007/s11626-024-00983-3.


References
1.
Garimella S, Rocca A, Lipkowitz S . WEE1 inhibition sensitizes basal breast cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Mol Cancer Res. 2011; 10(1):75-85. PMC: 3262068. DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-11-0500. View

2.
Iwai A, Bourboulia D, Mollapour M, Jensen-Taubman S, Lee S, Donnelly A . Combined inhibition of Wee1 and Hsp90 activates intrinsic apoptosis in cancer cells. Cell Cycle. 2012; 11(19):3649-55. PMC: 3478315. DOI: 10.4161/cc.21926. View

3.
Hirai H, Iwasawa Y, Okada M, Arai T, Nishibata T, Kobayashi M . Small-molecule inhibition of Wee1 kinase by MK-1775 selectively sensitizes p53-deficient tumor cells to DNA-damaging agents. Mol Cancer Ther. 2009; 8(11):2992-3000. DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-09-0463. View

4.
Johnson N, Cai D, Kennedy R, Pathania S, Arora M, Li Y . Cdk1 participates in BRCA1-dependent S phase checkpoint control in response to DNA damage. Mol Cell. 2009; 35(3):327-39. PMC: 3024055. DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2009.06.036. View

5.
PosthumaDeBoer J, Wurdinger T, Graat H, van Beusechem V, Helder M, van Royen B . WEE1 inhibition sensitizes osteosarcoma to radiotherapy. BMC Cancer. 2011; 11:156. PMC: 3103478. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-11-156. View