The novel ATR inhibitor M1774 induces replication protein overexpression and broad synergy with DNA-targeted anticancer drugs

Abstract Ataxia Telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) checkpoint kinase inhibitors are in clinical trials. Here we explored the molecular pharmacology and therapeutic combination strategies of the oral ATR inhibitor M1774 (Tuvusertib) with DNA damaging agents (DDAs). As single agent, M1774 suppressed cancer cell viability at nanomolar concentrations, showing greater activity than ceralasertib and berzosertib, but less potency than gartisertib and elimusertib in the small-cell lung cancer H146, H82, and DMS114 cell lines. M1774 also efficiently blocked the activation of the ATR-CHK1 checkpoint pathway caused by replication stress induced by TOP1 inhibitors. Combination with non-toxic dose of M1774 enhanced TOP1 inhibitor-induced cancer cell death by enabling unscheduled replication upon replicative damage, thereby increasing genome instability. Tandem mass tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomics uncovered that M1774, in the presence of DDA, forces the expression of proteins activating replication (CDC45) and G2/M-progression (PLK1 and CCNB1). In particular, the fork protection complex proteins (TIMELESS and TIPIN) were enriched. Low dose of M1774 was found highly synergistic with a broad spectrum of clinical DDAs including TOP1 inhibitors (SN-38/irinotecan, topotecan, exatecan, and exatecan), the TOP2 inhibitor etoposide, cisplatin, the RNA polymerase II inhibitor lurbinectedin, and the PARP inhibitor talazoparib in various models including cancer cell lines, patient-derived organoids, and mouse xenograft models. Furthermore, we demonstrate that M1774 reverses chemoresistance to anticancer DDAs in cancer cells lacking SLFN11 expression, suggesting that SLFN11 can be utilized for patient selection in upcoming clinical trials.