A bivalent molecular glue linking lysine acetyltransferases to oncogene-induced cell death

Developing cancer therapies that induce specific death of malignant cells is critical for preventing relapse. Highly effective strategies, such as immunotherapy, exemplify this principle. Here, we provide the mechanistic basis for a small-molecule approach that leverages chemically induced proximity (CIP) to kill diffuse large B cell lymphoma, the most common non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

We developed lysine acetyltransferase (KAT)-based TCIPs (transcriptional/epigenetic chemical inducers of proximity), or KAT-TCIPs, which redirect p300/CREB-binding protein (CBP) to activate cell-death networks repressed by the oncogenic driver BCL6. Our lead KAT-TCIP reprograms the epigenome to initiate apoptosis. The crystal structure of the chemically induced p300-BCL6 complex reveals how chance protein-protein interactions may be exploited to confer the potency and selectivity of KAT-TCIPs.

Thus, oncogenic drivers can be co-opted to activate robust cell death. Consistent with their gain-of-function mechanism, TCIPs recruiting different transcriptional activators—p300, BRD4, or CDK9—produce distinct genomic responses, suggesting specialized therapeutic uses.