A small molecule modulates Jumonji histone demethylase activity and selectively inhibits cancer growth

The pharmacological inhibition of general transcriptional regulators has the potential to block growth through targeting multiple tumorigenic signaling pathways simultaneously. Here, using an innovative cell-based screen, we identify a structurally unique small molecule (named JIB-04) which specifically inhibits the activity of the Jumonji family of histone demethylases in vitro, in cancer cells, and in tumors in vivo. Unlike known inhibitors, JIB-04 is not a competitive inhibitor of α-ketoglutarate. In cancer but not in patient-matched normal cells, JIB-04 alters a subset of transcriptional pathways and blocks viability. In mice, JIB-04 reduces tumor burden and prolongs survival. Importantly, we find that patients with breast tumors that overexpress Jumonji demethylases have significantly lower survival. Thus JIB-04, a novel inhibitor of Jumonji demethylases in vitro and in vivo, constitutes a unique potential therapeutic and research tool against cancer, and validates the use of unbiased cellular screens to discover chemical modulators with disease relevance.