TR-107, a novel mitochondrial ClpP agonist, induces robust antitumor activity against preclinical models of adrenocortical carcinoma

Abstract

AbstractAdrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare and highly aggressive endocrine malignancy originating from the adrenal cortex with limited effective treatment options. The underlying pathophysiology of ACC is uniquely characterized by abnormal steroid production and increased metabolic activity, highlighting the critical role of mitochondria in adrenal steroid hormone biosynthesis and tumor metabolism. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of TR-107, a novel and highly selective small-molecule agonist targeting the mitochondrial protease ClpP. Pharmacologic hyperactivation of ClpP disrupts mitochondrial proteostasis and bioenergetics and has shown promising antitumor activity in various preclinical models. Our results demonstrated that TR-107 induces potent dose-dependent cytotoxic effects at nanomolar concentrations in ACC cell lines NCI-H295R and mACC3 as well as short-term ACC patient-derived organoid (PDO) models, markedly reducing cell viability and confluency in vitro. Metabolic analyses revealed that TR-107 significantly impaired oxygen consumption, indicating a disruption of oxidative phosphorylation and substantial attenuation of basal cellular respiration. Mechanistic studies showed dose-dependent increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and upregulation of proteins involved in mediating the ferroptotic rheostat. Pharmacokinetic assessment uncovered that TR-107 was not a substrate of the ABCB1 (MDR1/P-glycoprotein) efflux transporter, suggesting potential to overcome common multidrug resistance mechanisms. Given the importance of IGF-2 signaling in ACC, we further explored the combinatorial effects of TR-107 with IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) inhibitors and discovered that co-treatment produced synergistic reductions in cell viability across NCI-H295R, mACC3, and ACC PDOs. Collectively, these findings support the potential of mitochondrial ClpP hyperactivation as a promising therapeutic strategy for ACC and demonstrate that TR-107 exhibits significant antitumor activity as a monotherapy or in combination with IGF-1R inhibitors. These findings provide a strong rationale for advancing ClpP agonists into clinical development for the management of ACC.