@article{KernAgarwalHuberetal.2014, author = {Kern, Selina and Agarwal, Shruti and Huber, Kilian and Gehring, Andre P. and Str{\"o}dke, Benjamin and Wirth, Christine C. and Br{\"u}gl, Thomas and Abodo, Liane Onambele and Dandekar, Thomas and Doerig, Christian and Fischer, Rainer and Tobin, Andrew B. and Alam, Mahmood M. and Bracher, Franz and Pradel, Gabriele}, title = {Inhibition of the SR Protein-Phosphorylating CLK Kinases of Plasmodium falciparum Impairs Blood Stage Replication and Malaria Transmission}, series = {PLOS ONE}, volume = {9}, journal = {PLOS ONE}, number = {9}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0105732}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-115405}, pages = {e105732}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Cyclin-dependent kinase-like kinases (CLKs) are dual specificity protein kinases that phosphorylate Serine/Arginine-rich (SR) proteins involved in pre-mRNA processing. Four CLKs, termed PfCLK-1-4, can be identified in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which show homology with the yeast SR protein kinase Sky1p. The four PfCLKs are present in the nucleus and cytoplasm of the asexual blood stages and of gametocytes, sexual precursor cells crucial for malaria parasite transmission from humans to mosquitoes. We identified three plasmodial SR proteins, PfSRSF12, PfSFRS4 and PfSF-1, which are predominantly present in the nucleus of blood stage trophozoites, PfSRSF12 and PfSF-1 are further detectable in the nucleus of gametocytes. We found that recombinantly expressed SR proteins comprising the Arginine/Serine (RS)-rich domains were phosphorylated by the four PfCLKs in in vitro kinase assays, while a recombinant PfSF-1 peptide lacking the RS-rich domain was not phosphorylated. Since it was hitherto not possible to knock-out the pfclk genes by conventional gene disruption, we aimed at chemical knock-outs for phenotype analysis. We identified five human CLK inhibitors, belonging to the oxo-beta-carbolines and aminopyrimidines, as well as the antiseptic chlorhexidine as PfCLK-targeting compounds. The six inhibitors block P. falciparum blood stage replication in the low micromolar to nanomolar range by preventing the trophozoite-to-schizont transformation. In addition, the inhibitors impair gametocyte maturation and gametogenesis in in vitro assays. The combined data show that the four PfCLKs are involved in phosphorylation of SR proteins with essential functions for the blood and sexual stages of the malaria parasite, thus pointing to the kinases as promising targets for antimalarial and transmission blocking drugs.}, language = {en} } @article{GlutschAmaralGarbeetal.2020, author = {Glutsch, Valerie and Amaral, Teresa and Garbe, Claus and Thoms, Kai-Martin and Mohr, Peter and Hauschild, Axel and Schilling, Bastian}, title = {Indirect Comparison of Combined BRAF and MEK Inhibition in Melanoma Patients with Elevated Baseline Lactate Dehydrogenase}, series = {Acta Dermato-Venereologica}, volume = {100}, journal = {Acta Dermato-Venereologica}, doi = {10.2340/00015555-3526}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-230190}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The approval of BRAF and MEK inhibitors has signifi-cantly improved treatment outcomes for patients with BRAF-mutated metastatic melanoma. The 3 first-line targeted therapy trials have provided similar results, and thus the identification of predictive biomarkers may generate a more precise basis for clinical deci-sion-making. Elevated baseline lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) has already been determined as a strong prog-nostic factor. Therefore, this indirect analysis compa-red subgroups with elevated baseline LDH across the pivotal targeted therapy trials co-BRIM, COMBI-v and COLUMBUS part 1. The Bucher method was used to compare progression-free survival, objective response rate and overall survival indirectly. The results show a non-significant risk reduction for progression in the subgroup with elevated baseline LDH receiving vemu-rafenib plus cobimetinib compared with dabrafenib plus trametinib and encorafenib plus binimetinib. Al-though an indirect comparison, these data might pro-vide some guidance for treatment recommendations in melanoma patients with elevated LDH.}, language = {en} }