# Selective Dual Inhibition of TNKS1 and CDK8 by TCS9725 Attenuates STAT1/β-Catenin/TGFβ1 Signaling in Renal Cancer

## TL;DR

This study identifies TCS9725 as a dual inhibitor of TNKS1 and CDK8, which shows promise in reducing cancer signaling and growth in renal cancer cells.

## Contribution

The paper introduces TCS9725 as a novel dual inhibitor targeting TNKS1 and CDK8 in renal cancer.

## Key findings

- TCS9725 showed strong binding affinities and inhibited TNKS1 and CDK8 activities effectively.
- The compound selectively inhibited cancer cell growth with minimal impact on non-cancerous cells.
- TCS9725 reduced STAT1, β-catenin, and TGFβ signaling, inducing apoptosis in renal cancer cells.

## Abstract

Background: Tankyrase (TNKS1) regulates the WNT/β-catenin pathway, while CDK8 is a transcriptional regulator overexpressed in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This study aims to identify novel dual inhibitors of tankyrase and Cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8), utilizing bioinformatics and in vitro methods and to assess their efficiency in renal cancer cells. Methods: To identify leads, the ChemBridge library was screening using high-throughput virtual screening (HTVS), which was followed by protein–ligand interaction analysis, Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation, and Gibbs binding free energy estimation. A-498, Caki-1, and HK-2 cells were employed to validate in vitro efficacy. Results: TCS9725 was discovered by HTVS with binding affinities of −8.1 kcal/mol and −8.2 kcal/mol for TNKS1 and CDK8, respectively. TCS9725 had robust binding interactions with root mean square deviation values of 0.00 nm. The ΔG binding estimate was −27.45 for TNKS1 and −27.88 for CDK8, respectively. ADME predictions favored specific small-molecule inhibition profiles. TCS9725 reduced TNKS1 and CDK8 activities with IC50s of 243 nM and 403.6 nM, respectively. The compound efficiently inhibited the growth of A-498 and Caki-1 cells with GI50 values of 385.9 nM and 243.6 nM, respectively, with high selectivity compared to the non-cancerous kidney cells. TCS9725 decreased STAT1 and β-catenin positivity in A-498 and Caki-1 cells. The compound induced apoptosis and reduced TGFβ-stimulated trans-endothelial migration and p-smad2/3 signaling in both RCC cells. Conclusions: This work provides valuable insights into the therapeutic potential of TCS9725, a dual inhibitor of TNKS1 and CDK8. Further developments of this molecule could lead to new and effective treatments for this devastating disease.