In Vitro and In Vivo Approaches for Screening the Potential of Anticancer Agents: A Review

BACKGROUND

Anticancer drug development is a tedious process, requiring several in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies. In order to avoid chemical toxicity in animals during an experiment, it is necessary to envisage toxic doses of screened drugs in vivo at different concentrations. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have been reported to discover the management of cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study focused on bringing together a wide range of in vivo and in vitro assay methods developed to evaluate each hallmark feature of cancer.

RESULT

This review provides detailed information on target-based and cell-based screening of new anticancer drugs in the molecular targeting period. This would help in inciting an alteration from the preclinical screening of pragmatic compound-orientated to target-orientated drug selection.

CONCLUSION

Selection methodologies for finding anticancer activity have importance for tumor- specific agents. In this study, advanced rationalization of the cell-based assay is explored along with broad applications of the cell-based methodologies considering other opportunities.

Development of Reverse Phase Ultra-fast Liquid Chromatography Using Ion-pairing Reagent for Quantitative Assessment of Ceftriaxone in Rat Serum and Cerebrospinal Fluid

Background:

In case of meningitis, the meninges are inflamed and the blood brain barrier is distorted, therefore, there is no hindrance to drug penetration. The problem arises when the disease is at the verge of cure, the meninges become uninflamed and the permeability of the drug is reduced to such extend that it becomes nearly impossible to maintain the minimum inhibitory concentration of drug at the site of infection. This problem was overcome by formulating ceftriaxone loaded NLCs and administrating it through intraperitoneal route to Wistar Albino rat. For quantitative assessment of drugs in rat serum and cerebrospinal spinal fluid, a new RP-UFLC (reverse-phase ultra-fast liquid chromatography) method has been developed and validated.

Objective:

Development and validation of RP-UFLC (using ion-pairing reagent) method for accurate estimation of ceftriaxone in rat serum and CSF.

Methods:

Method validation is done according to the ICH Guidelines (Q2) for the estimation of ceftriaxone in rat serum and its CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) by the RP-UFLC method. The blood was collected from the rat tail vein and CSF was collected carefully from cisterna magna of the rats by a 23G syringe. The mobile phase was used in a ratio of 70:30%v/v of phosphate buffer with ion-pairing reagent and acetonitrile with a pH of 8.0

Results:

Limit of detection and limit of quantification of ceftriaxone in rat serum was 1.08 μg/ml and 3.84 μg/ml, respectively. Similarly, the limit of detection and limit of quantification of ceftriaxone in CSF of rats was 0.94 μg/ml and 2.84 μg/ml, respectively. In both cases, the R2value was more than 0.99 and showed 99% accuracy.

Conclusion:

The experimental result suggests that the new RP-UFLC method developed and validated can be effectively used to assess ceftriaxone in preclinical studies in rats.

Elucidation of S-Allylcysteine Role in Inducing Apoptosis by Inhibiting PD-L1 Expression in Human Lung Cancer Cells

AIM

The aim of this study is to explore the therapeutic potential of S-allylcysteine (SAC) organosulphur compound as a potent immune checkpoint inhibitor PD-L1.

BACKGROUND

Natural compounds have been showing tremendous anticancerous potential via suppressing the expression of genes involved in the development and progression of several carcinomas. This has further motivated us to explore the therapeutic potential of organosulphur compounds as potent immune checkpoint inhibitors.

OBJECTIVE

Our study was designed to elucidate the potential of S-allylcysteine (SAC) as significant PD-L1 (immune checkpoint) inhibitor in human lung cancer A549 cancer cell line by using both the in vitro and in silico approaches.

METHODS

Anticancerous effect of the SAC on lung cancer cells was determined by using the MTT cell viability. Apoptotic induction was confirmed by Hoechst staining, percent caspase-3 activity as well as gene expression analysis by real time PCR. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) was estimated by DCFDA method. Additionally, ligand-target protein interaction was analysed by molecular docking.

RESULT

Cell growth and proliferation was significantly reduced in SAC treated A549 cells in a concentration and time.dependent manner. The effect of SAC on apoptotic induction was analyzed by enhanced nuclear condensation, increased percent caspase-3 activity as well as modulation of apoptotic genes. Furthermore, SAC treatment also resulted in reduced expression of PD-L1 and HIF-1α. Additionally, in silico analysis also supported the in vitro findings by showing efficient docking with PD-L1 immune checkpoint target.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, our results clearly suggested that SAC could serve as a novel chemotherapeutic candidate for the treatment of lung cancer by inhibiting immune checkpoint target PD-L1 in human lung cancer cells. Additionally, our study also explained a novel molecular mechanism of its antitumor activity.

Scanning window analysis of non-coding regions within normal-tumor whole-genome sequence samples

Genomics has benefited from an explosion in affordable high-throughput technology for whole-genome sequencing. The regulatory and functional aspects in non-coding regions may be an important contributor to oncogenesis. Whole-genome tumor-normal paired alignments were used to examine the non-coding regions in five cancer types and two races. Both a sliding window and a binning strategy were introduced to uncover areas of higher than expected variation for additional study. We show that the majority of cancer associated mutations in 154 whole-genome sequences covering breast invasive carcinoma, colon adenocarcinoma, kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma and uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma cancers and two races are found outside of the coding region (4 432 885 in non-gene regions versus 1 412 731 in gene regions). A pan-cancer analysis found significantly mutated windows (292 to 3881 in count) demonstrating that there are significant numbers of large mutated regions in the non-coding genome. The 59 significantly mutated windows were found in all studied races and cancers. These offer 16 regions ripe for additional study within 12 different chromosomes-2, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 16, 18, 20, 21 and X. Many of these regions were found in centromeric locations. The X chromosome had the largest set of universal windows that cluster almost exclusively in Xq11.1-an area linked to chromosomal instability and oncogenesis. Large consecutive clusters (super windows) were found (19 to 114 in count) providing further evidence that large mutated regions in the genome are influencing cancer development. We show remarkable similarity in highly mutated non-coding regions across both cancer and race.

COVID-19 Biomarkers in research: Extension of the OncoMX cancer biomarker data model to capture biomarker data from other diseases

Scientists, medical researchers, and health care workers have mobilized worldwide in response to the outbreak of COVID-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; SCoV2). Preliminary data have captured a wide range of host responses, symptoms, and lingering problems post-recovery within the human population. These variable clinical manifestations suggest differences in influential factors, such as innate and adaptive host immunity, existing or underlying health conditions, co-morbidities, genetics, and other factors. As COVID-19-related data continue to accumulate from disparate groups, the heterogeneous nature of these datasets poses challenges for efficient extrapolation of meaningful observations, hindering translation of information into clinical applications. Attempts to utilize, analyze, or combine biomarker datasets from multiple sources have shown to be inefficient and complicated, without a unifying resource. As such, there is an urgent need within the research community for the rapid development of an integrated and harmonized COVID-19 Biomarker Knowledgebase. By leveraging data collection and integration methods, backed by a robust data model developed to capture cancer biomarker data we have rapidly crowdsourced the collection and harmonization of COVID-19 biomarkers. Our resource currently has 138 unique biomarkers. We found multiple instances of the same biomarker substance being suggested as multiple biomarker types during our extensive cross-validation and manual curation. As a result, our Knowledgebase currently has 265 biomarker type combinations. Every biomarker entry is made comprehensive by bringing in together ancillary data from multiple sources such as biomarker accessions (canonical UniProtKB accession, PubChem Compound ID, Cell Ontology ID, Protein Ontology ID, NCI Thesaurus Code, and Disease Ontology ID), BEST biomarker category, and specimen type (Uberon Anatomy Ontology) unified with ontology standards. Our preliminary observations show distinct trends in the collated biomarkers. Most biomarkers are related to the immune system (SAA,TNF-∝, and IP-10) or coagulopathies (D-dimer, antithrombin, and VWF) and a few have already been established as cancer biomarkers (ACE2, IL-6, IL-4 and IL-2). These trends align with proposed hypotheses of clinical manifestations compounding the complexity of COVID-19 pathobiology. We explore these trends as we put forth a COVID-19 biomarker resource that will help researchers and diagnosticians alike. All biomarker data are freely available from https://data.oncomx.org/covid19 .

AB1178 AN AUDIT OF ORIGINATOR ADALIMUMAB TO BIOSIMILAR SWITCH IN TWO HOSPITALS

Background:

Biological drugs have revolutionized the treatment of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). Current guidelines reserve these drugs for patients with severe refractory disease.

Biologic drugs are expensive, but as they reach patent expiry, the introduction of lower-cost biosimilars reduces their impact on health care budgets. It is estimated that NHS England could save £300 million by 2021 following the recent launch of adalimumab biosimilars [1]. As part of this process, there has been a mandatory switch of originator adalimumab to biosimilar adalimumab throughout the U.K.

Objectives:

To evaluate the impact of the switch to biosimilar adalimumab in individuals with inflammatory arthritis at two NHS trusts in the East of England and calculate the proportion and reasons for switch back to originator adalimumab or a second biosimilar at 12 weeks.

Methods:

Both hospitals ran dedicated ‘switch’ clinics. All patient records were reviewed retrospectively.

Results:

855 patients with different IMID switched from originator to biosimilar over 13 months. At 12 weeks, 730 patients (85%) maintained the switch, 71 patients (8.7%) switched back to the originator, and 54 patients (6.3%) switched to other biosimilars of the same drug.

Table 1.

Primary outcome analysis of switching from originator to adalimumab biosimilar

DiagnosisTotal patient switched from originatorAverage duration (year) of use of originator before bio switch (for patients continue using bio switch)Total patients continuing (At 12 weeks)Average duration (year) of use of originator before bio switch (for patients switched back to originator)Total patients switched back to originator or other biosimilarRheumatoid Arthritis3567.9314 (88%)4.942 (12%)Axial Spondyloarthritis2606.4213 (82%)4.547 (18%)Psoriatic Arthritis2185.9187 (86%)2.931 (14%)Juvenile Arthritis163.714 (88%)4.52 (12%)Others52.22 (40%)0.83 (60%)Total8557.0730 (85%)4.2125 (15%)Table 2.

Reasons for back to originator or another biosimilar

Reasons for back to originator or another biosimilarNumber back for IntoleranceNumber back for InefficacyPainful injection69BASDAI/Spinal Pain13Pain/Others19TJC, SJC, VAS4Rash/Allergic reaction5DAS3Headache5PsARC2Nausea4No Detail1Total102Total23%82%18%

Conclusion:

Switching to a biosimilar was successful in the vast majority of patients and is associated with significant saving. The list prices for originator Adalimumab is £9,155/person/year and £8,238/person/year for biosimilar Adalimumab respectively [2]. By switching we will save approximately £719,402 per annum (9.2% cost reduction).

References:

[1]NHS England. NHS set to save record £300 million on the NHS’s highest drug spend 2018 [cited 2018 November 30].https://www.england.nhs.uk/2018/11/nhs-set-to-save-record-300-million-on-the-nhss-highest-drug-spend/

[2]https://bnf.nice.org.uk/medicinal-forms/adalimumab.html

Disclosure of Interests:

Rifat Mazumder: None declared, Marianne Loke: None declared, Chetan Mukhtyar: None declared, Karl Gaffney Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Celgene, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB Pharma, Consultant of: AbbVie, Celgene, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB Pharma, Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Celgene, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB Pharma, Emese Balogh: None declared, Emerald Sekaran: None declared, Mushfika Sultana: None declared, Mabel Odonkor: None declared, Karen Miles: None declared

Nodding syndrome phenotypes

Nodding syndrome (NS) is a progressive encephalopathy of children and adolescents characterized by seizures, including periodic vertical head nodding. Epidemic NS, which has affected parts of East Africa, appears to have clinical overlap with sub-Saharan Nakalanga syndrome (NLS), a brain disorder associated with pituitary dwarfism that appears to have a patchy distribution across sub-Sahara. Clinical stages of NS include inattention and blank stares, vertical head nodding, convulsive seizures, multiple impairments, and severe cognitive and motorsystem disability, including features suggesting parkinsonism. Head nodding episodes occur in clusters with an electrographic correlate of diffuse high-amplitude slow waves followed by an electrodecremental pattern with superimposed diffuse fast activity. Brain imaging reveals differing degrees of cerebral cortical and cerebellar atrophy. Brains of NS-affected children with mild frontotemporal cortical atrophy display neurofibrillary pathology and dystrophic neurites immunopositive for tau, consistent with a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. The etiology of NS and NLS appears to be dominated by environmental factors, including malnutrition, displacement, and nematode infection, but the specific cause is unknown.

Energy dependence of the transverse momentum distributions of charged particles in pp collisions measured by ALICE

Differential cross sections of charged particles in inelastic pp collisions as a function of p_T have been measured at [Formula: see text] at the LHC. The p_T spectra are compared to NLO-pQCD calculations. Though the differential cross section for an individual [Formula: see text] cannot be described by NLO-pQCD, the relative increase of cross section with [Formula: see text] is in agreement with NLO-pQCD. Based on these measurements and observations, procedures are discussed to construct pp reference spectra at [Formula: see text] up to p_T=50 GeV/c as required for the calculation of the nuclear modification factor in nucleus-nucleus and proton-nucleus collisions.

Directed flow of charged particles at midrapidity relative to the spectator plane in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV

The directed flow of charged particles at midrapidity is measured in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV relative to the collision symmetry plane defined by the spectator nucleons. A negative slope of the rapidity-odd directed flow component with approximately 3 times smaller magnitude than found at the highest RHIC energy is observed. This suggests a smaller longitudinal tilt of the initial system and disfavors the strong fireball rotation predicted for the LHC energies. The rapidity-even directed flow component is measured for the first time with spectators and found to be independent of pseudorapidity with a sign change at transverse momenta p(T) between 1.2 and 1.7  GeV/c. Combined with the observation of a vanishing rapidity-even p(T) shift along the spectator deflection this is strong evidence for dipolelike initial density fluctuations in the overlap zone of the nuclei. Similar trends in the rapidity-even directed flow and the estimate from two-particle correlations at midrapidity, which is larger by about a factor of 40, indicate a weak correlation between fluctuating participant and spectator symmetry planes. These observations open new possibilities for investigation of the initial conditions in heavy-ion collisions with spectator nucleons.

K(S)0 and Λ production in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV

The ALICE measurement of K(S)(0) and Λ production at midrapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV is presented. The transverse momentum (p(T)) spectra are shown for several collision centrality intervals and in the p(T) range from 0.4 GeV/c (0.6 GeV/c for Λ) to 12 GeV/c. The p(T) dependence of the Λ/K(S)(0) ratios exhibits maxima in the vicinity of 3 GeV/c, and the positions of the maxima shift towards higher p(T) with increasing collision centrality. The magnitude of these maxima increases by almost a factor of three between most peripheral and most central Pb-Pb collisions. This baryon excess at intermediate p(T) is not observed in pp interactions at √s=0.9 TeV and at √s=7 TeV. Qualitatively, the baryon enhancement in heavy-ion collisions is expected from radial flow. However, the measured p(T) spectra above 2 GeV/c progressively decouple from hydrodynamical-model calculations. For higher values of p(T), models that incorporate the influence of the medium on the fragmentation and hadronization processes describe qualitatively the p(T) dependence of the Λ/K(S)(0) ratio.

Charmonium and e+e- pair photoproduction at mid-rapidity in ultra-peripheral Pb-Pb collisions at [Formula: see text]

The ALICE Collaboration at the LHC has measured the J/ψ and ψ' photoproduction at mid-rapidity in ultra-peripheral Pb-Pb collisions at [Formula: see text]. The charmonium is identified via its leptonic decay for events where the hadronic activity is required to be minimal. The analysis is based on an event sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 23 μb-1. The cross section for coherent and incoherent J/ψ production in the rapidity interval -0.9 Collapse

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D meson elliptic flow in noncentral Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[sNN]=2.76 Tev

Azimuthally anisotropic distributions of D0, D+, and D*+ mesons were studied in the central rapidity region (|y|<0.8) in Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy sqrt[sNN]=2.76  TeV per nucleon-nucleon collision, with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The second Fourier coefficient v2 (commonly denoted elliptic flow) was measured in the centrality class 30%-50% as a function of the D meson transverse momentum pT, in the range 2-16  GeV/c. The measured v2 of D mesons is comparable in magnitude to that of light-flavor hadrons. It is positive in the range 2<pT<6  GeV/c with 5.7σ significance, based on the combination of statistical and systematic uncertainties.