Targeting the spliceosome through RBM39 degradation results in exceptional responses in high-risk neuroblastoma models

S Singh, W Quarni, M Goralski, S Wan, H Jin… - Science …, 2021 - science.org
S Singh, W Quarni, M Goralski, S Wan, H Jin, LA Van de Velde, J Fang, Q Wu, A Abu-Zaid
Science advances, 2021science.org
Aberrant alternative pre-mRNA splicing plays a critical role in MYC-driven cancers and
therefore may represent a therapeutic vulnerability. Here, we show that neuroblastoma, a
MYC-driven cancer characterized by splicing dysregulation and spliceosomal dependency,
requires the splicing factor RBM39 for survival. Indisulam, a “molecular glue” that selectively
recruits RBM39 to the CRL4-DCAF15 E3 ubiquitin ligase for proteasomal degradation, is
highly efficacious against neuroblastoma, leading to significant responses in multiple high …
Aberrant alternative pre-mRNA splicing plays a critical role in MYC-driven cancers and therefore may represent a therapeutic vulnerability. Here, we show that neuroblastoma, a MYC-driven cancer characterized by splicing dysregulation and spliceosomal dependency, requires the splicing factor RBM39 for survival. Indisulam, a “molecular glue” that selectively recruits RBM39 to the CRL4-DCAF15 E3 ubiquitin ligase for proteasomal degradation, is highly efficacious against neuroblastoma, leading to significant responses in multiple high-risk disease models, without overt toxicity. Genetic depletion or indisulam-mediated degradation of RBM39 induces significant genome-wide splicing anomalies and cell death. Mechanistically, the dependency on RBM39 and high-level expression of DCAF15 determine the exquisite sensitivity of neuroblastoma to indisulam. Our data indicate that targeting the dysregulated spliceosome by precisely inhibiting RBM39, a vulnerability in neuroblastoma, is a valid therapeutic strategy.
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