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Small-molecule inhibition of METTL3 as a strategy against myeloid leukaemia

Author

Listed:
  • Eliza Yankova

    (University of Cambridge
    Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
    Storm Therapeutics Ltd)

  • Wesley Blackaby

    (Storm Therapeutics Ltd)

  • Mark Albertella

    (Storm Therapeutics Ltd)

  • Justyna Rak

    (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
    University of Cambridge)

  • Etienne Braekeleer

    (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
    University of Cambridge)

  • Georgia Tsagkogeorga

    (University of Cambridge
    Storm Therapeutics Ltd)

  • Ewa S. Pilka

    (Evotec (UK) Ltd)

  • Demetrios Aspris

    (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
    The Center for the Study of Hematological Malignancies/Karaiskakio Foundation)

  • Dan Leggate

    (Storm Therapeutics Ltd)

  • Alan G. Hendrick

    (Storm Therapeutics Ltd)

  • Natalie A. Webster

    (Storm Therapeutics Ltd)

  • Byron Andrews

    (Storm Therapeutics Ltd)

  • Richard Fosbeary

    (Storm Therapeutics Ltd)

  • Patrick Guest

    (Storm Therapeutics Ltd)

  • Nerea Irigoyen

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Maria Eleftheriou

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Malgorzata Gozdecka

    (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute)

  • Joao M. L. Dias

    (Hutchison/MRC Research Centre)

  • Andrew J. Bannister

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Binje Vick

    (Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU)
    German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK))

  • Irmela Jeremias

    (Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU)
    German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK)
    Ludwig Maximilians University München)

  • George S. Vassiliou

    (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
    University of Cambridge
    The Center for the Study of Hematological Malignancies/Karaiskakio Foundation)

  • Oliver Rausch

    (Storm Therapeutics Ltd)

  • Konstantinos Tzelepis

    (University of Cambridge
    Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
    University of Cambridge
    University of Cambridge)

  • Tony Kouzarides

    (University of Cambridge
    University of Cambridge)

Abstract

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is an abundant internal RNA modification1,2 that is catalysed predominantly by the METTL3–METTL14 methyltransferase complex3,4. The m6A methyltransferase METTL3 has been linked to the initiation and maintenance of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), but the potential of therapeutic applications targeting this enzyme remains unknown5–7. Here we present the identification and characterization of STM2457, a highly potent and selective first-in-class catalytic inhibitor of METTL3, and a crystal structure of STM2457 in complex with METTL3–METTL14. Treatment of tumours with STM2457 leads to reduced AML growth and an increase in differentiation and apoptosis. These cellular effects are accompanied by selective reduction of m6A levels on known leukaemogenic mRNAs and a decrease in their expression consistent with a translational defect. We demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition of METTL3 in vivo leads to impaired engraftment and prolonged survival in various mouse models of AML, specifically targeting key stem cell subpopulations of AML. Collectively, these results reveal the inhibition of METTL3 as a potential therapeutic strategy against AML, and provide proof of concept that the targeting of RNA-modifying enzymes represents a promising avenue for anticancer therapy.

Suggested Citation

  • Eliza Yankova & Wesley Blackaby & Mark Albertella & Justyna Rak & Etienne Braekeleer & Georgia Tsagkogeorga & Ewa S. Pilka & Demetrios Aspris & Dan Leggate & Alan G. Hendrick & Natalie A. Webster & By, 2021. "Small-molecule inhibition of METTL3 as a strategy against myeloid leukaemia," Nature, Nature, vol. 593(7860), pages 597-601, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:593:y:2021:i:7860:d:10.1038_s41586-021-03536-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03536-w
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Yuanpei Li & Xiaoniu He & Xiao Lu & Zhicheng Gong & Qing Li & Lei Zhang & Ronghui Yang & Chengyi Wu & Jialiang Huang & Jiancheng Ding & Yaohui He & Wen Liu & Ceshi Chen & Bin Cao & Dawang Zhou & Yufen, 2022. "METTL3 acetylation impedes cancer metastasis via fine-tuning its nuclear and cytosolic functions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-23, December.
    2. Jianheng Liu & Tao Huang & Jing Yao & Tianxuan Zhao & Yusen Zhang & Rui Zhang, 2023. "Epitranscriptomic subtyping, visualization, and denoising by global motif visualization," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.
    3. Xiang Zhang & Huilong Yin & Xiaofang Zhang & Xunliang Jiang & Yongkang Liu & Haolin Zhang & Yingran Peng & Da Li & Yanping Yu & Jinbao Zhang & Shuli Cheng & Angang Yang & Rui Zhang, 2022. "N6-methyladenosine modification governs liver glycogenesis by stabilizing the glycogen synthase 2 mRNA," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Qiang Luo & Jiezhen Mo & Hao Chen & Zetao Hu & Baihui Wang & Jiabing Wu & Ziyu Liang & Wenhao Xie & Kangxi Du & Maolin Peng & Yingping Li & Tianyang Li & Yangyi Zhang & Xiaoyan Shi & Wen-Hui Shen & Ya, 2022. "Structural insights into molecular mechanism for N6-adenosine methylation by MT-A70 family methyltransferase METTL4," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    5. Gaia Timoteo & Andrea Giuliani & Adriano Setti & Martina C. Biagi & Michela Lisi & Tiziana Santini & Alessia Grandioso & Davide Mariani & Francesco Castagnetti & Eleonora Perego & Sabrina Zappone & Se, 2024. "M6A reduction relieves FUS-associated ALS granules," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    6. Cristina Leoni & Marian Bataclan & Taku Ito-Kureha & Vigo Heissmeyer & Silvia Monticelli, 2023. "The mRNA methyltransferase Mettl3 modulates cytokine mRNA stability and limits functional responses in mast cells," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-17, December.
    7. Chen Wang & Hideki Tanizawa & Connor Hill & Aaron Havas & Qiang Zhang & Liping Liao & Xue Hao & Xue Lei & Lu Wang & Hao Nie & Yuan Qi & Bin Tian & Alessandro Gardini & Andrew V. Kossenkov & Aaron Gold, 2024. "METTL3-mediated chromatin contacts promote stress granule phase separation through metabolic reprogramming during senescence," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.
    8. Adrien Leger & Paulo P. Amaral & Luca Pandolfini & Charlotte Capitanchik & Federica Capraro & Valentina Miano & Valentina Migliori & Patrick Toolan-Kerr & Theodora Sideri & Anton J. Enright & Konstant, 2021. "RNA modifications detection by comparative Nanopore direct RNA sequencing," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-17, December.

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