Title Information
Title
Discovery and Characterization of AP Endonuclease 1 Small Molecule Inhibitors: Impact on DNA Repair and Cancer Cell Viability
Type of Resource (primo)
dissertations
Name: Personal
Name Part
Wu, Hongmei
Role
Role Term: Text
creator
Name: Personal
Name Part
Sobol, Robert
Role
Role Term: Text
Advisor
Name: Personal
Name Part
Roos, Wynand
Role
Role Term: Text
Reader
Name: Personal
Name Part
Horrigan, Diana
Role
Role Term: Text
Reader
Name: Corporate
Name Part
Brown University. Biology and Medicine: Biotechnology
Role
Role Term: Text
sponsor
Origin Information
Copyright Date
2026
Physical Description
Extent
ix, 54 p.
digitalOrigin
born digital
Note: thesis
Thesis (Sc. M.)--Brown University, 2026
Genre (aat)
theses
Abstract
Apurinic/Apyrimidinic Endonuclease 1 (APE1) is a multifunctional protein that plays critical roles in base excision repair (BER), redox regulation of transcription factors, and RNA processing. APE1 is frequently overexpressed in diverse cancer types, where it contributes to tumor progression, therapeutic resistance, and poor clinical outcomes by enhancing DNA repair capacity and activating oncogenic signaling pathways. Accordingly, small-molecule APE1 inhibitors have emerged as promising agents to re-sensitize cancer cells to DNA-damaging chemotherapies, including temozolomide (TMZ). Despite this potential, the mechanisms of action of many reported APE1 inhibitors and their direct effects on DNA repair remain incompletely understood. In this study, we systematically characterized five commercially available small-molecule APE1 inhibitors and performed compound screening to identify novel candidates using a newly developed DNA Repair Molecular Beacon (DRMB) assay. Using this approach, we demonstrate that E3330, previously characterized as a selective inhibitor of APE1 redox (Ref-1) activity, also potently inhibits APE1 AP endonuclease function. Furthermore, we show that E3330 disrupts BER by suppressing Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activation and enhances sensitivity to alkylating agents. Together, these findings reveal an unanticipated dual mechanism of E3330 and underscore the utility of the DRMB assay for identifying and mechanistically characterizing APE1 inhibitors with therapeutic potential.
Subject (fast) (authorityURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast", valueURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast/00886599")
Topic
DNA repair
Subject
Topic
Novel anti-cancer small molecules
Subject
Topic
APE1
Language
Language Term (ISO639-2B)
English
Record Information
Record Content Source (marcorg)
RPB
Record Creation Date (encoding="iso8601")
20260516