The PLK4 inhibitor RP-1664 demonstrates potent efficacy in neuroblastoma preclinical models through a dual mechanism of sensitivity

I Isabel Soria-Bretones M Matias Casás-Selves M Minu Samanta D David Groff J Jayne Murray (Children’s Cancer Institute) J Jamie I. Fletcher A Alvin Farrel S Steven Pastor K Khushbu Patel E Elliot Goodfellow L Li Li C Cathy Caron A Ariya Shiwram H Hyeyeon Kim D Danielle Henry N Nancy Laterreur J Julian Bowlan K Kateryna Krytska S Steven B. Neuhauser T Timothy M. Stearns J Jeffrey A. Schubert J Jinhua Wu L Lea F. Surrey D Daniel Martinez C Crystal Mak J Jennifer Brand C Caitlin Wesley K Klaartje Somers A Alejandro Álvarez-Quilón F Frédéric Vallée P Parham Nejad J Joseph D. Schonhoft J Joanna Li A Artur Veloso J Jordan T. F. Young M Marc L. Hyer S Stephen J. Morris Y Yael P. Mossé C C. Gary Marshall M Michelle Haber (Children’s Cancer Institute) M Michal Zimmermann J John M. Maris

Abstract

Abstract It was recently shown that inhibition of polo-like kinase 4 (PLK4) induces synthetic lethality in cancers with chromosome 17q-encoded TRIM37 copy number gain due to cooperative regulation of centriole duplication and mitotic spindle nucleation. We show here that chromosome 17q/TRIM37 gain is a defining feature of high-risk neuroblastoma and renders patient-derived cell lines hypersensitive to the novel PLK4 inhibitor RP-1664. We demonstrate that centriole amplification at low doses of RP-1664 contributes to this sensitivity in a TRIM37 -independent fashion. CRISPR screens and live cell imaging reveal that upon centriole amplification, neuroblastoma cells succumb to multipolar mitoses due to an inability to cluster or inactivate supernumerary centrosomes. RP-1664 monotherapy showed robust anti-tumor activity in 14/15 human neuroblastoma-derived xenograft models, and significantly extended survival in a transgenic MYCN -driven murine model of neuroblastoma. RP-1664 combined with GD2-directed chemoimmunotherapy resulted in maintained complete responses in 6/9 mice with established MYCN -driven murine neuroblastomas. These data support clinical development of PLK4 inhibitors for high-risk neuroblastoma and other cancers with somatically acquired TRIM37 overexpression.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 17, Issue 1
Published June 13, 2026
ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher Nature Portfolio

Journal Info

Nature Communications

Nature Portfolio

ISSN: 2041-1723 Open Access Life Sciences

Authors (42)

I

Isabel Soria-Bretones

M

Matias Casás-Selves

M

Minu Samanta

D

David Groff

J

Jayne Murray

Children’s Cancer Institute

J

Jamie I. Fletcher

A

Alvin Farrel

S

Steven Pastor

K

Khushbu Patel

E

Elliot Goodfellow

L

Li Li

C

Cathy Caron

A

Ariya Shiwram

H

Hyeyeon Kim

D

Danielle Henry

N

Nancy Laterreur

J

Julian Bowlan

K

Kateryna Krytska

S

Steven B. Neuhauser

T

Timothy M. Stearns

J

Jeffrey A. Schubert

J

Jinhua Wu

L

Lea F. Surrey

D

Daniel Martinez

C

Crystal Mak

J

Jennifer Brand

C

Caitlin Wesley

K

Klaartje Somers

A

Alejandro Álvarez-Quilón

F

Frédéric Vallée

P

Parham Nejad

J

Joseph D. Schonhoft

J

Joanna Li

A

Artur Veloso

J

Jordan T. F. Young

M

Marc L. Hyer

S

Stephen J. Morris

Y

Yael P. Mossé

C

C. Gary Marshall

M

Michelle Haber

Children’s Cancer Institute

M

Michal Zimmermann

J

John M. Maris