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Guglielmi P, Pulitelli G, Arrighi F, Secci D, Pierini M, Cirilli R. Chiral Hydroxy Metabolite of Mebendazole: Analytical and Semi-Preparative High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Resolution and Chiroptical Properties. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:696. [PMID: 38931363 PMCID: PMC11206943 DOI: 10.3390/ph17060696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Mebendazole (MBZ) is a benzimidazole carbamate anthelmintic used worldwide for the treatment and prevention of parasitic disorders in animals and humans. A large number of in vivo and in vitro studies have demonstrated that MBZ also has anticancer activity in multiple types of cancers. After oral administration, the phenylketone moiety of MBZ is rapidly reduced to the hydroxyl group to form the chiral hydroxy metabolite (MBZ-OH). To the best of our knowledge, there is no information in the literature on the stereochemical course of transformation and the anthelmintic and antitumor activity of individual enantiomers of MBZ-OH. In the present study, we describe in detail the direct HPLC resolution of MBZ-OH on a 100 mm × 4.6 mm Chirapak IG-3 column packed with 3 μm silica particles containing amylose (3-chloro-5-methylphenylcarbamate) as a selector. At 25 °C and using pure methanol as the mobile phase, the enantioseparation and resolution factors were 2.38 and 6.13, respectively. These conditions were scaled up at a semi-preparative scale using a 250 mm × 10 mm Chiralpak IG column to isolate multi-milligram amounts of both enantiomeric forms of the chiral metabolite. The chiroptical properties of the collected enantiomers were determined and, through a theoretical study, were related to the more stable conformations of MBZ-OH. The first and second eluted enantiomers were dextrorotatory and levorotatory, respectively, in dimethylformamide solution. Finally, by recording the retention factors of the enantiomers as the water content in the water-acetonitrile mobile phases was progressively varied, U-shaped retention maps were generated, indicating a dual and competitive hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography and reversed-phase liquid chromatography retention mechanism on the Chirapak IG-3 chiral stationary phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Guglielmi
- Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (P.G.); (F.A.); (D.S.) (M.P.)
| | - Gaia Pulitelli
- Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (P.G.); (F.A.); (D.S.) (M.P.)
- National Centre for the Control and Evaluation of Medicines, Chemical Medicines Unit, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Arrighi
- Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (P.G.); (F.A.); (D.S.) (M.P.)
| | - Daniela Secci
- Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (P.G.); (F.A.); (D.S.) (M.P.)
| | - Marco Pierini
- Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (P.G.); (F.A.); (D.S.) (M.P.)
| | - Roberto Cirilli
- National Centre for the Control and Evaluation of Medicines, Chemical Medicines Unit, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
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Brownjohn PW, Zoufir A, O’Donovan DJ, Sudhahar S, Syme A, Huckvale R, Porter JR, Bange H, Brennan J, Thompson NT. Computational drug discovery approaches identify mebendazole as a candidate treatment for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1397864. [PMID: 38846086 PMCID: PMC11154008 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1397864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a rare genetic disorder characterised by numerous renal cysts, the progressive expansion of which can impact kidney function and lead eventually to renal failure. Tolvaptan is the only disease-modifying drug approved for the treatment of ADPKD, however its poor side effect and safety profile necessitates the need for the development of new therapeutics in this area. Using a combination of transcriptomic and machine learning computational drug discovery tools, we predicted that a number of existing drugs could have utility in the treatment of ADPKD, and subsequently validated several of these drug predictions in established models of disease. We determined that the anthelmintic mebendazole was a potent anti-cystic agent in human cellular and in vivo models of ADPKD, and is likely acting through the inhibition of microtubule polymerisation and protein kinase activity. These findings demonstrate the utility of combining computational approaches to identify and understand potential new treatments for traditionally underserved rare diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hester Bange
- Crown Bioscience Netherlands B.V., Biopartner Center Leiden JH, Leiden, Netherlands
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Fatemi N, Karimpour M, Bahrami H, Zali MR, Chaleshi V, Riccio A, Nazemalhosseini-Mojarad E, Totonchi M. Current trends and future prospects of drug repositioning in gastrointestinal oncology. Front Pharmacol 2024; 14:1329244. [PMID: 38239190 PMCID: PMC10794567 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1329244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers comprise a significant number of cancer cases worldwide and contribute to a high percentage of cancer-related deaths. To improve survival rates of GI cancer patients, it is important to find and implement more effective therapeutic strategies with better prognoses and fewer side effects. The development of new drugs can be a lengthy and expensive process, often involving clinical trials that may fail in the early stages. One strategy to address these challenges is drug repurposing (DR). Drug repurposing is a developmental strategy that involves using existing drugs approved for other diseases and leveraging their safety and pharmacological data to explore their potential use in treating different diseases. In this paper, we outline the existing therapeutic strategies and challenges associated with GI cancers and explore DR as a promising alternative approach. We have presented an extensive review of different DR methodologies, research efforts and examples of repurposed drugs within various GI cancer types, such as colorectal, pancreatic and liver cancers. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of employing the DR approach in GI cancers to inform future research endeavors and clinical trials in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nayeralsadat Fatemi
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mina Karimpour
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hoda Bahrami
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Zali
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Chaleshi
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Andrea Riccio
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (DiSTABiF), Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics (IGB) “Adriano Buzzati-Traverso”, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Naples, Italy
| | - Ehsan Nazemalhosseini-Mojarad
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Totonchi
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (DiSTABiF), Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
- Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
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4
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Gutiérrez EL, Godoy AA, Brusau EV, Vega D, Narda GE, Suárez S, Di Salvo F. Mebendazolium mesylate anhydride salt: rational design based on supramolecular assembly, synthesis, and solid-state characterization. RSC Adv 2024; 14:181-192. [PMID: 38173618 PMCID: PMC10759312 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra07422f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The design mebendazole (MBZ) multicomponent systems is important to obtain new materials that incorporate the API (active pharmaceutical ingredient) with better thermal stability, avoiding the interconversion of desmotropes. Interestingly, the presence of water molecules in the mebendazolium mesylate monohydrate prevents the formation of the R22(8) supramolecular synthon, found in all mebendazolium salts with polyatomic counterions. Here, we designed a new mebendazolium mesylate anhydrous salt based on statistical scrutiny of all mebendazole crystal structures identified in the literature and an exhaustive analysis of the conformational and geometrical requirements for the supramolecular assembly. The synthesis of this new salt and its solid-state characterization through single-crystal X-ray diffraction and complementary techniques are presented. As expected, mebendazole recrystallization in methanol with methanesulfonic acid - a Food and Drug Administration accepted coformer - in the absence of water yields a mesylate anhydrous salt with 1 : 1 stoichiometry. This new salt crystallizes in the P212121 (19) space group. The main intermolecular interactions found in the crystal structure are the hydrogen bonds that form a R22(8) supramolecular motif that assembles the ionic pairs. Additional non-classical H-bond, as well as π⋯π and carbonyl⋯cation interactions, contribute to the final stabilization of the crystal packing. This new salt is stable up to 205 °C when it undergoes the endothermic loss of the ester moiety to yield 2-amino-5-benzoylbenzimidazole. Moreover, preliminary dissolution experiments in aqueous 0.1 mol L-1 HCl suggest an apparent solubility of mebendazolium mesylate anhydride 2.67 times higher than that of the preferred for pharmaceutical formulations MBZ form C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo L Gutiérrez
- INQUISAL-CONICET, Área de Química Física, Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Chacabuco y Pedernera CP 5700 San Luis Argentina
| | - Agustín A Godoy
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química (INTEQUI), Área de Química General e Inorgánica "Dr G. F. Puelles", Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis Almte. Brown 1500-1402, D5700APA, Chacabuco y Pedernera CP 5700 San Luis Argentina
| | - Elena V Brusau
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química (INTEQUI), Área de Química General e Inorgánica "Dr G. F. Puelles", Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis Almte. Brown 1500-1402, D5700APA, Chacabuco y Pedernera CP 5700 San Luis Argentina
| | - Daniel Vega
- Gerencia de Investigación y Aplicaciones, Centro Atómico Constituyentes, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica Av. Gral. Paz 1499, 1650 San Martín Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Griselda E Narda
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química (INTEQUI), Área de Química General e Inorgánica "Dr G. F. Puelles", Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis Almte. Brown 1500-1402, D5700APA, Chacabuco y Pedernera CP 5700 San Luis Argentina
| | - Sebastián Suárez
- INQUIMAE-CONICET y Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CABA Argentina
| | - Florencia Di Salvo
- INQUIMAE-CONICET y Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CABA Argentina
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5
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Yang Y, Liu P, Zhou M, Yin L, Wang M, Liu T, Jiang X, Gao H. Small-molecule drugs of colorectal cancer: Current status and future directions. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:166880. [PMID: 37696461 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2023.166880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the world's fourth most deadly cancer. CRC, as a genetic susceptible disease, faces significant challenges in optimizing prognosis through optimal drug treatment modalities. In recent decades, the development of innovative small-molecule drugs is expected to provide targeted interventions that accurately address the different molecular characteristics of CRC. Although the clinical application of single-target drugs is limited by the heterogeneity and high metastasis of CRC, novel small-molecule drug treatment strategies such as dual/multiple-target drugs, drug repurposing, and combination therapies can help overcome these challenges and provide new insights for improving CRC treatment. In this review, we focus on the current status of a range of small molecule drugs that are being considered for CRC therapy, including single-target drugs, dual/multiple-target drugs, drug repurposing and combination strategies, which will pave the way for targeting CRC vulnerabilities with small-molecule drugs in future personalized treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiren Yang
- School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Pengyu Liu
- School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingyang Zhou
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6323, United States
| | - Linzhou Yin
- School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Miao Wang
- School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting Liu
- School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaowen Jiang
- School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China.
| | - Huiyuan Gao
- School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, People's Republic of China.
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da Silva EL, Mesquita FP, Aragão DR, de Sousa Portilho AJ, Marinho AD, de Oliveira LLB, Lima LB, de Moraes MEA, Souza PFN, Montenegro RC. Mebendazole targets essential proteins in glucose metabolism leading gastric cancer cells to death. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2023; 475:116630. [PMID: 37473966 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2023.116630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) is among the most-diagnosed and deadly malignancies worldwide. Deregulation in cellular bioenergetics is a hallmark of cancer. Based on the importance of metabolic reprogramming for the development and cancer progression, inhibitors of cell metabolism have been studied as potential candidates for chemotherapy in oncology. Mebendazole (MBZ), an antihelminthic approved by FDA, has shown antitumoral activity against cancer cell lines. However, its potential in the modulation of tumoral metabolism remains unclear. Results evidenced that the antitumoral and cytotoxic mechanism of MBZ in GC cells is related to the modulation of the mRNA expression of glycolic targets SLC2A1, HK1, GAPDH, and LDHA. Moreover, in silico analysis has shown that these genes are overexpressed in GC samples, and this increase in expression is related to decreased overall survival rates. Molecular docking revealed that MBZ modifies the protein structure of these targets, which may lead to changes in their protein function. In vitro studies also showed that MBZ induces alterations in glucose uptake, LDH's enzymatic activity, and ATP production. Furthermore, MBZ induced morphologic and intracellular alterations typical of the apoptotic cell death pathway. Thus, this data indicated that the cytotoxic mechanism of MBZ is related to an initial modulation of the tumoral metabolism in the GC cell line. Altogether, our results provide more evidence about the antitumoral mechanism of action of MBZ towards GC cells and reveal metabolic reprogramming as a potential area in the discovery of new pharmacological targets for GC chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emerson Lucena da Silva
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Cel. Nunes de Melo, 1000 - Rodolfo Teófilo, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Felipe Pantoja Mesquita
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Cel. Nunes de Melo, 1000 - Rodolfo Teófilo, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Dyane Rocha Aragão
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Cel. Nunes de Melo, 1000 - Rodolfo Teófilo, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Adrhyann Jullyanne de Sousa Portilho
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Cel. Nunes de Melo, 1000 - Rodolfo Teófilo, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Aline Diogo Marinho
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Cel. Nunes de Melo, 1000 - Rodolfo Teófilo, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Lais Lacerda Brasil de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Cel. Nunes de Melo, 1000 - Rodolfo Teófilo, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Luina Benevides Lima
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Cel. Nunes de Melo, 1000 - Rodolfo Teófilo, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Maria Elisabete Amaral de Moraes
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Cel. Nunes de Melo, 1000 - Rodolfo Teófilo, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Pedro Filho Noronha Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Cel. Nunes de Melo, 1000 - Rodolfo Teófilo, Fortaleza, Brazil; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceará, Mister Hull Avenue- Pici, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Raquel Carvalho Montenegro
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Cel. Nunes de Melo, 1000 - Rodolfo Teófilo, Fortaleza, Brazil.
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Mohi-Ud-Din R, Chawla A, Sharma P, Mir PA, Potoo FH, Reiner Ž, Reiner I, Ateşşahin DA, Sharifi-Rad J, Mir RH, Calina D. Repurposing approved non-oncology drugs for cancer therapy: a comprehensive review of mechanisms, efficacy, and clinical prospects. Eur J Med Res 2023; 28:345. [PMID: 37710280 PMCID: PMC10500791 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-023-01275-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer poses a significant global health challenge, with predictions of increasing prevalence in the coming years due to limited prevention, late diagnosis, and inadequate success with current therapies. In addition, the high cost of new anti-cancer drugs creates barriers in meeting the medical needs of cancer patients, especially in developing countries. The lengthy and costly process of developing novel drugs further hinders drug discovery and clinical implementation. Therefore, there has been a growing interest in repurposing approved drugs for other diseases to address the urgent need for effective cancer treatments. The aim of this comprehensive review is to provide an overview of the potential of approved non-oncology drugs as therapeutic options for cancer treatment. These drugs come from various chemotherapeutic classes, including antimalarials, antibiotics, antivirals, anti-inflammatory drugs, and antifungals, and have demonstrated significant antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, immunomodulatory, and antimetastatic properties. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify relevant studies on the repurposing of approved non-oncology drugs for cancer therapy. Various electronic databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, were searched using appropriate keywords. Studies focusing on the therapeutic potential, mechanisms of action, efficacy, and clinical prospects of repurposed drugs in cancer treatment were included in the analysis. The review highlights the promising outcomes of repurposing approved non-oncology drugs for cancer therapy. Drugs belonging to different therapeutic classes have demonstrated notable antitumor effects, including inhibiting cell proliferation, promoting apoptosis, modulating the immune response, and suppressing metastasis. These findings suggest the potential of these repurposed drugs as effective therapeutic approaches in cancer treatment. Repurposing approved non-oncology drugs provides a promising strategy for addressing the urgent need for effective and accessible cancer treatments. The diverse classes of repurposed drugs, with their demonstrated antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, immunomodulatory, and antimetastatic properties, offer new avenues for cancer therapy. Further research and clinical trials are warranted to explore the full potential of these repurposed drugs and optimize their use in treating various cancer types. Repurposing approved drugs can significantly expedite the process of identifying effective treatments and improve patient outcomes in a cost-effective manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roohi Mohi-Ud-Din
- Department of General Medicine, Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190001, India
| | - Apporva Chawla
- Khalsa College of Pharmacy, G.T. Road, Amritsar, Punjab, 143001, India
| | - Pooja Sharma
- Khalsa College of Pharmacy, G.T. Road, Amritsar, Punjab, 143001, India
| | - Prince Ahad Mir
- Khalsa College of Pharmacy, G.T. Road, Amritsar, Punjab, 143001, India
| | - Faheem Hyder Potoo
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Clinical Pharmacy, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, 1982, 31441, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Željko Reiner
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivan Reiner
- Department of Nursing Sciences, Catholic University of Croatia, Ilica 242, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dilek Arslan Ateşşahin
- Baskil Vocational School, Department of Plant and Animal Production, Fırat University, 23100, Elazıg, Turkey
| | | | - Reyaz Hassan Mir
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Division, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar, Kashmir, 190006, India.
| | - Daniela Calina
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349, Craiova, Romania.
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Yanke AB, Day KE, Taylor AR, Cruz-Espindola C, Boothe DM. Pharmacokinetics of mebendazole in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid following a single oral dose in healthy dogs. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1231769. [PMID: 37701529 PMCID: PMC10493385 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1231769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Novel therapies are needed for treatment of gliomas. Mebendazole previously demonstrated anti-neoplastic effects on canine glioma cell lines at in vitro mean inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of 10 ng/mL. Our study aimed to titrate the oral dose of mebendazole necessary to achieve concentrations ≥10 ng/mL in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of healthy dogs. We hypothesized that an oral dose up to 200 mg/kg would be necessary. Phase one was a dose titration study using a total of 6 mixed breed dogs that described dose vs. plasma concentrations for 72 h after single oral dosing of either 50 mg/kg (n = 2), 100 mg/kg (n = 2), or 200 mg/kg (n = 2). Based on phase one, phase two dogs (total of 9) received 100 mg/kg (n = 4) or 200 mg/kg (n = 5) orally and blood samples were collected intermittently for 60 h with CSF samples collected intermittently for 24 h. Mebendazole was quantitated in plasma and CSF using high performance liquid chromatography. Median peak plasma concentrations (Cmax) were reached at 7 ± 2 h (100 mg/kg) of 220 ng/mL (81, 283) and at 15 ± 4 h (200 mg/kg) of 147 ng/ml (112, 298). The respective area under the curve (AUC: ng/ml/h) reported as a median was 2,119 (1,876, 3,288) vs. 3,115 (1,559, 4,972). Median plasma concentrations (ng/ml) for 100 vs. 200 mg/kg were 47 (32, 52) vs. 65 (35, 104), respectively. For CSF, the median value for Cmax (at 100 mg/kg vs. 200 mg/kg) was 8 (2, 28) vs. 21 (12, 27) and AUC was 87 (22, 157) vs. 345 (92, 372), respectively. Relative bioavailability in CSF vs. plasma was 4 to 10%. Although several animals demonstrated clinical signs indicative of gastrointestinal upset [i.e., vomiting (n = 2), diarrhea (n = 2), or both (n = 1)], these events were not considered serious. The in vitro IC50 for gliomas can be reached in CSF at 100 mg/kg (n = 1), however a 200 mg/kg dose yielded more consistent concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy B. Yanke
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Kendall E. Day
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
- BluePearl Pet Hospital North Dallas, Lewisville, TX, United States
| | - Amanda R. Taylor
- Southeast Veterinary Neurology, Boynton Beach, FL, United States
| | - Crisanta Cruz-Espindola
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Dawn M. Boothe
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
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9
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Mangione W, Falls Z, Samudrala R. Effective holistic characterization of small molecule effects using heterogeneous biological networks. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1113007. [PMID: 37180722 PMCID: PMC10169664 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1113007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The two most common reasons for attrition in therapeutic clinical trials are efficacy and safety. We integrated heterogeneous data to create a human interactome network to comprehensively describe drug behavior in biological systems, with the goal of accurate therapeutic candidate generation. The Computational Analysis of Novel Drug Opportunities (CANDO) platform for shotgun multiscale therapeutic discovery, repurposing, and design was enhanced by integrating drug side effects, protein pathways, protein-protein interactions, protein-disease associations, and the Gene Ontology, and complemented with its existing drug/compound, protein, and indication libraries. These integrated networks were reduced to a "multiscale interactomic signature" for each compound that describe its functional behavior as vectors of real values. These signatures are then used for relating compounds to each other with the hypothesis that similar signatures yield similar behavior. Our results indicated that there is significant biological information captured within our networks (particularly via side effects) which enhance the performance of our platform, as evaluated by performing all-against-all leave-one-out drug-indication association benchmarking as well as generating novel drug candidates for colon cancer and migraine disorders corroborated via literature search. Further, drug impacts on pathways derived from computed compound-protein interaction scores served as the features for a random forest machine learning model trained to predict drug-indication associations, with applications to mental disorders and cancer metastasis highlighted. This interactomic pipeline highlights the ability of Computational Analysis of Novel Drug Opportunities to accurately relate drugs in a multitarget and multiscale context, particularly for generating putative drug candidates using the information gleaned from indirect data such as side effect profiles and protein pathway information.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ram Samudrala
- Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biomedical Informatics, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
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Stolfi C, Pacifico T, Luiz-Ferreira A, Monteleone G, Laudisi F. Anthelmintic Drugs as Emerging Immune Modulators in Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076446. [PMID: 37047419 PMCID: PMC10094506 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite recent advances in treatment approaches, cancer is still one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Restoration of tumor immune surveillance represents a valid strategy to overcome the acquired resistance and cytotoxicity of conventional therapies in oncology and immunotherapeutic drugs, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors and immunogenic cell death inducers, and has substantially progressed the treatment of several malignancies and improved the clinical management of advanced disease. Unfortunately, because of tumor-intrinsic and/or -extrinsic mechanisms for escaping immune surveillance, only a fraction of patients clinically respond to and benefit from cancer immunotherapy. Accumulating evidence derived from studies of drug repositioning, that is, the strategy to identify new uses for approved or investigational drugs that are outside the scope of the original medical indication, has suggested that some anthelmintic drugs, in addition to their antineoplastic effects, exert important immunomodulatory actions on specific subsets of immune cell and related pathways. In this review, we report and discuss current knowledge on the impact of anthelmintic drugs on host immunity and their potential implication in cancer immunotherapy.
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Issa NT, Byers SW, Dakshanamurthy S. ES-Screen: A Novel Electrostatics-Driven Method for Drug Discovery Virtual Screening. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314830. [PMID: 36499162 PMCID: PMC9736079 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Electrostatic interactions drive biomolecular interactions and associations. Computational modeling of electrostatics in biomolecular systems, such as protein-ligand, protein-protein, and protein-DNA, has provided atomistic insights into the binding process. In drug discovery, finding biologically plausible ligand-protein target interactions is challenging as current virtual screening and adjuvant techniques such as docking methods do not provide optimal treatment of electrostatic interactions. This study describes a novel electrostatics-driven virtual screening method called 'ES-Screen' that performs well across diverse protein target systems. ES-Screen provides a unique treatment of electrostatic interaction energies independent of total electrostatic free energy, typically employed by current software. Importantly, ES-Screen uses initial ligand pose input obtained from a receptor-based pharmacophore, thus independent of molecular docking. ES-Screen integrates individual polar and nonpolar replacement energies, which are the energy costs of replacing the cognate ligand for a target with a query ligand from the screening. This uniquely optimizes thermodynamic stability in electrostatic and nonpolar interactions relative to an experimentally determined stable binding state. ES-Screen also integrates chemometrics through shape and other physicochemical properties to prioritize query ligands with the greatest physicochemical similarities to the cognate ligand. The applicability of ES-Screen is demonstrated with in vitro experiments by identifying novel targets for many drugs. The present version includes a combination of many other descriptor components that, in a future version, will be purely based on electrostatics. Therefore, ES-Screen is a first-in-class unique electrostatics-driven virtual screening method with a unique implementation of replacement electrostatic interaction energies with broad applicability in drug discovery.
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Song B, Park EY, Kim KJ, Ki SH. Repurposing of Benzimidazole Anthelmintic Drugs as Cancer Therapeutics. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14194601. [PMID: 36230527 PMCID: PMC9559625 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14194601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Although non-prescription anthelmintics are often used for cancer treatment, there is a lack of information regarding their anti-cancer effects in clinical settings. The aims of our review are to describe the possibilities and limitations of the anti-cancer effects of benzimidazole anthelmintics and to suggest ways to overcome these limitations. The results of the current review illustrate the potential development of anthelmintics as a useful strategy for cancer treatment based on much preclinical evidence. Furthermore, they suggest that more rigorous studies on whole anti-cancer pathways and development strategies, including formulations, could result in significantly enhanced anti-cancer effects of benzimidazoles as a repurposed cancer therapy in clinical settings. Abstract Benzimidazoles have shown significant promise for repurposing as a cancer therapy. The aims of this review are to investigate the possibilities and limitations of the anti-cancer effects of benzimidazole anthelmintics and to suggest ways to overcome these limitations. This review included studies on the anti-cancer effects of 11 benzimidazoles. Largely divided into three parts, i.e., preclinical anti-cancer effects, clinical anti-cancer effects, and pharmacokinetic properties, we examine the characteristics of each benzimidazole and attempt to elucidate its key properties. Although many studies have demonstrated the anti-cancer effects of benzimidazoles, there is limited evidence regarding their effects in clinical settings. This might be because the clinical trials conducted using benzimidazoles failed to restrict their participants with specific criteria including cancer entities, cancer stages, and genetic characteristics of the participants. In addition, these drugs have limitations including low bioavailability, which results in insufficient plasma concentration levels. Additional studies on whole anti-cancer pathways and development strategies, including formulations, could result significant enhancements of the anti-cancer effects of benzimidazoles in clinical situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bomi Song
- Graduate School of Clinical Pharmacy, Chosun University, Gwangju 61452, Korea
| | - Eun Young Park
- College of Pharmacy, Mokpo National University, Mokpo 58554, Korea
| | - Kwang Joon Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Mokpo National University, Mokpo 58554, Korea
- Correspondence: (K.J.K.); (S.H.K.); Tel.: +82-61-450-2334 (K.J.K.); +82-62-230-6639 (S.H.K.)
| | - Sung Hwan Ki
- Graduate School of Clinical Pharmacy, Chosun University, Gwangju 61452, Korea
- Correspondence: (K.J.K.); (S.H.K.); Tel.: +82-61-450-2334 (K.J.K.); +82-62-230-6639 (S.H.K.)
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Kline C, Jain P, Kilburn L, Bonner ER, Gupta N, Crawford JR, Banerjee A, Packer RJ, Villanueva-Meyer J, Luks T, Zhang Y, Kambhampati M, Zhang J, Yadavilli S, Zhang B, Gaonkar KS, Rokita JL, Kraya A, Kuhn J, Liang W, Byron S, Berens M, Molinaro A, Prados M, Resnick A, Waszak SM, Nazarian J, Mueller S. Upfront Biology-Guided Therapy in Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma: Therapeutic, Molecular, and Biomarker Outcomes from PNOC003. Clin Cancer Res 2022; 28:3965-3978. [PMID: 35852795 PMCID: PMC9475246 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-0803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE PNOC003 is a multicenter precision medicine trial for children and young adults with newly diagnosed diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients (3-25 years) were enrolled on the basis of imaging consistent with DIPG. Biopsy tissue was collected for whole-exome and mRNA sequencing. After radiotherapy (RT), patients were assigned up to four FDA-approved drugs based on molecular tumor board recommendations. H3K27M-mutant circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) was longitudinally measured. Tumor tissue and matched primary cell lines were characterized using whole-genome sequencing and DNA methylation profiling. When applicable, results were verified in an independent cohort from the Children's Brain Tumor Network (CBTN). RESULTS Of 38 patients enrolled, 28 patients (median 6 years, 10 females) were reviewed by the molecular tumor board. Of those, 19 followed treatment recommendations. Median overall survival (OS) was 13.1 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 11.2-18.4] with no difference between patients who followed recommendations and those who did not. H3K27M-mutant ctDNA was detected at baseline in 60% of cases tested and associated with response to RT and survival. Eleven cell lines were established, showing 100% fidelity of key somatic driver gene alterations in the primary tumor. In H3K27-altered DIPGs, TP53 mutations were associated with worse OS (TP53mut 11.1 mo; 95% CI, 8.7-14; TP53wt 13.3 mo; 95% CI, 11.8-NA; P = 3.4e-2), genome instability (P = 3.1e-3), and RT resistance (P = 6.4e-4). The CBTN cohort confirmed an association between TP53 mutation status, genome instability, and clinical outcome. CONCLUSIONS Upfront treatment-naïve biopsy provides insight into clinically relevant molecular alterations and prognostic biomarkers for H3K27-altered DIPGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassie Kline
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Payal Jain
- Division of Neurosurgery, Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Lindsay Kilburn
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC
| | - Erin R. Bonner
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC
| | - Nalin Gupta
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - John R. Crawford
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, California
- Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Anu Banerjee
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Roger J. Packer
- Center for Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC
| | - Javier Villanueva-Meyer
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Tracy Luks
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Yalan Zhang
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Madhuri Kambhampati
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Sridevi Yadavilli
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC
| | - Bo Zhang
- Division of Neurosurgery, Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Krutika S. Gaonkar
- Division of Neurosurgery, Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Department of Bioinformatics and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jo Lynne Rokita
- Division of Neurosurgery, Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Department of Bioinformatics and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Adam Kraya
- Division of Neurosurgery, Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - John Kuhn
- College of Pharmacy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Winnie Liang
- Translational Genomic Research Institute (TGEN), Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Sara Byron
- Translational Genomic Research Institute (TGEN), Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Michael Berens
- Translational Genomic Research Institute (TGEN), Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Annette Molinaro
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Michael Prados
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Adam Resnick
- Division of Neurosurgery, Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Sebastian M. Waszak
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, California
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway (NCMM), Nordic EMBL Partnership, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Division of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatric Research, Rikshospitalet, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Javad Nazarian
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC
- Department of Oncology, University Children's Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Mueller
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, California
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, California
- Department of Oncology, University Children's Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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Gales L, Forsea L, Mitrea D, Stefanica I, Stanculescu I, Mitrica R, Georgescu M, Trifanescu O, Anghel R, Serbanescu L. Antidiabetics, Anthelmintics, Statins, and Beta-Blockers as Co-Adjuvant Drugs in Cancer Therapy. Medicina (B Aires) 2022; 58:medicina58091239. [PMID: 36143915 PMCID: PMC9503803 DOI: 10.3390/medicina58091239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last years, repurposed agents have provided growing evidence of fast implementation in oncology treatment such as certain antimalarial, anthelmintic, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, antihyperlipidemic, antidiabetic agents. In this study, the four agents of choice were present in our patients’ daily treatment for nonmalignant-associated pathology and have known, light toxicity profiles. It is quite common for a given patient’s daily administration schedule to include two or three of these drugs for the duration of their treatment. We chose to review the latest literature concerning metformin, employed as a first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes; mebendazole, as an anthelmintic; atorvastatin, as a cholesterol-lowering drug; propranolol, used in cardiovascular diseases as a nonspecific inhibitor of beta-1 and beta-2 adrenergic receptors. At the same time, certain key action mechanisms make them feasible antitumor agents such as for mitochondrial ETC inhibition, activation of the enzyme adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, amelioration of endogenous hyperinsulinemia, inhibition of selective tyrosine kinases (i.e., VEGFR2, TNIK, and BRAF), and mevalonate pathway inhibition. Despite the abundance of results from in vitro and in vivo studies, the only solid data from randomized clinical trials confirm metformin-related oncological benefits for only a small subset of nondiabetic patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and early-stage colorectal cancer. At the same time, clinical studies confirm metformin-related detrimental/lack of an effect for lung, breast, prostate cancer, and glioblastoma. For atorvastatin we see a clinical oncological benefit in patients and head and neck cancer, with a trend towards radioprotection of critical structures, thus supporting the role of atorvastatin as a promising agent for concomitant association with radiotherapy. Propranolol-related increased outcomes were seen in clinical studies in patients with melanoma, breast cancer, and sarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurentia Gales
- Department of Oncology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine & Pharmacy, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
- Department of Oncology, “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu” Institute of Oncology, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Leyla Forsea
- Department of Radiotherapy, “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu” Institute of Oncology, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Diana Mitrea
- Department of Radiotherapy, “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu” Institute of Oncology, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Irina Stefanica
- Department of Radiotherapy, “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu” Institute of Oncology, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Irina Stanculescu
- Department of Radiotherapy, “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu” Institute of Oncology, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Radu Mitrica
- Department of Oncology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine & Pharmacy, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
- Department of Radiotherapy, “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu” Institute of Oncology, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +40-741-964-311
| | - Mihai Georgescu
- Department of Oncology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine & Pharmacy, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
- Department of Radiotherapy, “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu” Institute of Oncology, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Oana Trifanescu
- Department of Oncology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine & Pharmacy, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
- Department of Radiotherapy, “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu” Institute of Oncology, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Rodica Anghel
- Department of Oncology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine & Pharmacy, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
- Department of Radiotherapy, “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu” Institute of Oncology, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Luiza Serbanescu
- Department of Oncology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine & Pharmacy, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
- Department of Radiotherapy, “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu” Institute of Oncology, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
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15
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Park D, Lee JH, Yoon SP. Anti-cancer effects of fenbendazole on 5-fluorouracil-resistant colorectal cancer cells. THE KOREAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY 2022; 26:377-387. [PMID: 36039738 PMCID: PMC9437363 DOI: 10.4196/kjpp.2022.26.5.377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Benzimidazole anthelmintic agents have been recently repurposed to overcome cancers resistant to conventional therapies. To evaluate the anti-cancer effects of benzimidazole on resistant cells, various cell death pathways were investigated in 5-fluorouracil-resistant colorectal cancer cells. The viability of wild-type and 5-fluorouracil-resistant SNU-C5 colorectal cancer cells was assayed, followed by Western blotting. Flow cytometry assays for cell death and cell cycle was also performed to analyze the anti-cancer effects of benzimidazole. When compared with albendazole, fenbendazole showed higher susceptibility to 5-fluorouracil-resistant SNU-C5 cells and was used in subsequent experiments. Flow cytometry revealed that fenbendazole significantly induces apoptosis as well as cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase on both cells. When compared with wild-type SNU-C5 cells, 5-fluorouracil-resistant SNU-C5 cells showed reduced autophagy, increased ferroptosis and ferroptosis-augmented apoptosis, and less activation of caspase-8 and p53. These results suggest that fenbendazole may be a potential alternative treatment in 5-fluorouracil-resistant cancer cells, and the anticancer activity of fenbendazole does not require p53 in 5-fluorouracil-resistant SNU-C5 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deokbae Park
- Department of Histology, College of Medicine, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, Korea
| | - Jung-Hee Lee
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Chosun University School of Medicine, Gwangju 61452, Korea
| | - Sang-Pil Yoon
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, Korea
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Daniel JP, Mesquita FP, Da Silva EL, de Souza PFN, Lima LB, de Oliveira LLB, de Moraes MEA, Moreira-Nunes CDFA, Burbano RMR, Zanatta G, Montenegro RC. Anticancer potential of mebendazole against chronic myeloid leukemia: in silico and in vitro studies revealed new insights about the mechanism of action. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:952250. [PMID: 36091760 PMCID: PMC9452629 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.952250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is caused by constitutively active fusion protein BCR-ABL1, and targeting ABL1 is a promising therapy option. Imatinib, dasatinib, and nilotinib have all been shown to work effectively in clinical trials. ABL1 mutations, particularly the T315I gate-keeper mutation, cause resistance in patients. As a result, broad-spectrum ABL1 medicines are desperately needed. In order to screen potential drugs targeting CML, mebendazole (MBZ) was subjected to the in vitro test against CML cell lines (K562 and FEPS) and computational assays. The antiproliferative effect of MBZ and the combination with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) was tested using end-point viability assays, cell cycle distribution analysis, cell membrane, and mitochondrial dyes. By interrupting the cell cycle and causing cell death, MBZ and its combination with imatinib and dasatinib have a significant antiproliferative effect. We identified MBZ as a promising “new use” drug targeting wild-type and mutant ABL1 using molecular docking. Meanwhile, we determined which residues in the allosteric site are important in ABL1 drug development. These findings may not only serve as a model for repositioning current authorized medications but may also provide ABL1-targeted anti-CML treatments a fresh lease of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio Paulino Daniel
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Felipe Pantoja Mesquita
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Emerson Lucena Da Silva
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Pedro Filho Noronha de Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Luina Benevides Lima
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | | | | | - Caroline de Fátima Aquino Moreira-Nunes
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
- Department of Biological Sciences, Oncology Research Center, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Rommel Mario Rodríguez Burbano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Oncology Research Center, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Ophir Loyola Hospital, Belém, Brazil
| | - Geancarlo Zanatta
- Department of Physics, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Raquel Carvalho Montenegro
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Raquel Carvalho Montenegro,
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Kumbhar P, Kole K, Yadav T, Bhavar A, Waghmare P, Bhokare R, Manjappa A, Jha NK, Chellappan DK, Shinde S, Singh SK, Dua K, Salawi A, Disouza J, Patravale V. Drug repurposing: An emerging strategy in alleviating skin cancer. Eur J Pharmacol 2022; 926:175031. [PMID: 35580707 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2022.175031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer. Several million people are estimated to have affected with this condition worldwide. Skin cancer generally includes melanoma and non-melanoma with the former being the most dangerous. Chemotherapy has been one of the key therapeutic strategies employed in the treatment of skin cancer, especially in advanced stages of the disease. It could be also used as an adjuvant with other treatment modalities depending on the type of skin cancer. However, there are several shortfalls associated with the use of chemotherapy such as non-selectivity, tumour resistance, life-threatening toxicities, and the exorbitant cost of medicines. Furthermore, new drug discovery is a lengthy and costly process with minimal likelihood of success. Thus, drug repurposing (DR) has emerged as a new avenue where the drug approved formerly for the treatment of one disease can be used for the treatment of another disease like cancer. This approach is greatly beneficial over the de novo approach in terms of time and cost. Moreover, there is minimal risk of failure of repurposed therapeutics in clinical trials. There are a considerable number of studies that have reported on drugs repurposed for the treatment of skin cancer. Thus, the present manuscript offers a comprehensive overview of drugs that have been investigated as repurposing candidates for the efficient treatment of skin cancers mainly melanoma and its oncogenic subtypes, and non-melanoma. The prospects of repurposing phytochemicals against skin cancer are also discussed. Furthermore, repurposed drug delivery via topical route and repurposed drugs in clinical trials are briefed. Based on the findings from the reported studies discussed in this manuscript, drug repurposing emerges to be a promising approach and thus is expected to offer efficient treatment at a reasonable cost in devitalizing skin cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Popat Kumbhar
- Tatyasaheb Kore College of Pharmacy, Warananagar, Tal: Panhala, Dist: Kolhapur Maharashtra, 416113, India
| | - Kapil Kole
- Tatyasaheb Kore College of Pharmacy, Warananagar, Tal: Panhala, Dist: Kolhapur Maharashtra, 416113, India
| | - Tejashree Yadav
- Tatyasaheb Kore College of Pharmacy, Warananagar, Tal: Panhala, Dist: Kolhapur Maharashtra, 416113, India
| | - Ashwini Bhavar
- Tatyasaheb Kore College of Pharmacy, Warananagar, Tal: Panhala, Dist: Kolhapur Maharashtra, 416113, India
| | - Pramod Waghmare
- Tatyasaheb Kore College of Pharmacy, Warananagar, Tal: Panhala, Dist: Kolhapur Maharashtra, 416113, India
| | - Rajdeep Bhokare
- Tatyasaheb Kore College of Pharmacy, Warananagar, Tal: Panhala, Dist: Kolhapur Maharashtra, 416113, India
| | - Arehalli Manjappa
- Tatyasaheb Kore College of Pharmacy, Warananagar, Tal: Panhala, Dist: Kolhapur Maharashtra, 416113, India
| | - Niraj Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering & Technology (SET), Sharda University, Greater Noida, 201310, Uttar Pradesh, India; Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied and Life Sciences (SALS), Uttaranchal University, Dehradun 248007, India
| | - Dinesh Kumar Chellappan
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Sunita Shinde
- Tatyasaheb Kore College of Pharmacy, Warananagar, Tal: Panhala, Dist: Kolhapur Maharashtra, 416113, India
| | - Sachin Kumar Singh
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, 144411, India; Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Kamal Dua
- Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia; Discipline of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia; Uttaranchal Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, 248007, India
| | - Ahmad Salawi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan, 45142, Saudi Arabia
| | - John Disouza
- Tatyasaheb Kore College of Pharmacy, Warananagar, Tal: Panhala, Dist: Kolhapur Maharashtra, 416113, India.
| | - Vandana Patravale
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Matunga, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400019, India.
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Surov AO, Volkova TV. Solubility/distribution thermodynamics and permeability of two anthelmintics in biologically relevant solvents. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.118835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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El Zarif T, Yibirin M, De Oliveira-Gomes D, Machaalani M, Nawfal R, Bittar G, Bahmad HF, Bitar N. Overcoming Therapy Resistance in Colon Cancer by Drug Repurposing. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14092105. [PMID: 35565237 PMCID: PMC9099737 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Despite improvements in standardized screening methods and the development of promising therapies for colorectal cancer (CRC), survival rates are still low. Drug repurposing offers an affordable solution to achieve new indications for previously approved drugs that could play a protagonist or adjuvant role in the treatment of CRC. In this review, we summarize the current data supporting drug repurposing as a feasible option for patients with CRC. Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in the world. Despite improvement in standardized screening methods and the development of promising therapies, the 5-year survival rates are as low as 10% in the metastatic setting. The increasing life expectancy of the general population, higher rates of obesity, poor diet, and comorbidities contribute to the increasing trends in incidence. Drug repurposing offers an affordable solution to achieve new indications for previously approved drugs that could play a protagonist or adjuvant role in the treatment of CRC with the advantage of treating underlying comorbidities and decreasing chemotherapy toxicity. This review elaborates on the current data that supports drug repurposing as a feasible option for patients with CRC with a focus on the evidence and mechanism of action promising repurposed candidates that are widely used, including but not limited to anti-malarial, anti-helminthic, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, anti-hyperlipidemic, and anti-diabetic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talal El Zarif
- Faculty of Medicine, Lebanese University, Beirut 1003, Lebanon; (T.E.Z.); (M.M.); (R.N.)
| | - Marcel Yibirin
- Internal Medicine Residency Program, Department of Medicine, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA 02218, USA;
| | - Diana De Oliveira-Gomes
- Department of Research, Foundation for Clinic, Public Health, and Epidemiological Research of Venezuela (FISPEVEN), Caracas 1050, Venezuela;
| | - Marc Machaalani
- Faculty of Medicine, Lebanese University, Beirut 1003, Lebanon; (T.E.Z.); (M.M.); (R.N.)
| | - Rashad Nawfal
- Faculty of Medicine, Lebanese University, Beirut 1003, Lebanon; (T.E.Z.); (M.M.); (R.N.)
| | | | - Hisham F. Bahmad
- The Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL 33140, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-786-961-0216
| | - Nizar Bitar
- Head of Hematology-Oncology Division, Sahel General Hospital, Beirut 1002, Lebanon;
- President of the Lebanese Society of Medical Oncology (LSMO), Beirut 1003, Lebanon
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20
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Sultana T, Jan U, Lee JI. Double Repositioning: Veterinary Antiparasitic to Human Anticancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23084315. [PMID: 35457127 PMCID: PMC9029030 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23084315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug repositioning, the approach of discovering different uses for existing drugs, has gained enormous popularity in recent years in the anticancer drug discovery field due to the increasing demand for anticancer drugs. Additionally, the repurposing of veterinary antiparasitic drugs for the treatment of cancer is gaining traction, as supported by existing literature. A prominent example is the proposal to implement the use of veterinary antiparasitics such as benzimidazole carbamates and halogenated salicylanilides as novel anticancer drugs. These agents have revealed pronounced anti-tumor activities and gained special attention for “double repositioning”, as they are repurposed for different species and diseases simultaneously, acting via different mechanisms depending on their target. As anticancer agents, these compounds employ several mechanisms, including the inhibition of oncogenic signal transduction pathways of mitochondrial respiration and the inhibition of cellular stress responses. In this review, we summarize and provide valuable information about the experimental, preclinical, and clinical trials of veterinary antiparasitic drugs available for the treatment of various cancers in humans. This review suggests the possibility of new treatment options that could improve the quality of life and outcomes for cancer patients in comparison to the currently used treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Sultana
- Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Center for Stem Cell Research, Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea; (T.S.); (U.J.)
| | - Umair Jan
- Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Center for Stem Cell Research, Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea; (T.S.); (U.J.)
| | - Jeong Ik Lee
- Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Center for Stem Cell Research, Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea; (T.S.); (U.J.)
- Department of Veterinary Obstetrics and Theriogenology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-2-2049-6234
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21
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Hegazy SK, El-Azab GA, Zakaria F, Mostafa MF, El-Ghoneimy RA. Mebendazole; from an anti-parasitic drug to a promising candidate for drug repurposing in colorectal cancer. Life Sci 2022; 299:120536. [PMID: 35385794 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.120536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) predominantly contributes to cancer-related mortalities secondary to distant metastasis. This study aimed at investigating anti-tumor activity and safety of mebendazole in patients with mCRC. MATERIALS AND METHODS This prospective, randomized double blind placebo-controlled study enrolled 40 mCRC patients who were randomized into two groups; the control group (n = 20) which received 6 cycles of bevacizumab with FOLFOX4 plus placebo tablets BID and mebendazole group (n = 20) which received 6 cycles of bevacizumab with FOLFOX4 plus mebendazole 500 mg orally BID for 12 weeks. Computed tomography scanning and serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), liver and renal parameters were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks. One-year overall survival and progression free survival (PFS) were also determined. Data were analyzed using paired, independent sample-t-tests, Mann-Whitney U, Chi-Square and Kaplan-Meier tests and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. KEY FINDINGS Mebendazole was well tolerated and its addition to bevacizumab and FOLFOX4 enhanced tumor response to treatment which was translated by significant improvement of overall response rate 12 weeks after intervention [10 % (2) versus 65% (13) for control and mebendazole groups, respectively; p = 0.000] and significant elevation of PFS (median: 3 and 9.25 months for control and mebendazole groups, respectively; p = 0.000). Furthermore, mebendazole produced significant decline in VEGF level (p = 0.006) with non-significant variation in CEA level (p = 0.063). SIGNIFICANCE Mebendazole may represent an attractive candidate for drug repositioning against mCRC secondary to its safety and efficacy in enhancing tumor response to chemotherapy. CLINICALTRIALS GOV ID NCT03925662, retrospectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar K Hegazy
- Clinical Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tanta University, El-Gharbia Government, El-Guiesh Street, Tanta 31527, Egypt.
| | - Gamal A El-Azab
- Clinical Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tanta University, El-Gharbia Government, El-Guiesh Street, Tanta 31527, Egypt.
| | - Fatma Zakaria
- Clinical Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, El-Gharbia Government, El-Guiesh Street, Tanta 31527, Egypt.
| | - Mohamed F Mostafa
- Clinical Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria Government, Egypt.
| | - Reham A El-Ghoneimy
- Clinical Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tanta University, El-Gharbia Government, El-Guiesh Street, Tanta 31527, Egypt.
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22
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Wu K, Peng X, Chen M, Li Y, Tang G, Peng J, Peng Y, Cao X. Recent progress of research on anti‐tumor agents using benzimidazole as the structure unit. Chem Biol Drug Des 2022; 99:736-757. [DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.14022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyue Wu
- Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study College of Pharmacy Hengyang Medical School University of South China Hengyang China
| | - Xiaoyu Peng
- Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study College of Pharmacy Hengyang Medical School University of South China Hengyang China
| | - Miaojia Chen
- Department of Pharmacy the first People's Hospital Pingjiang Yueyang Hunan China
| | - Yang Li
- Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study College of Pharmacy Hengyang Medical School University of South China Hengyang China
| | - Guotao Tang
- Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study College of Pharmacy Hengyang Medical School University of South China Hengyang China
| | - Junmei Peng
- Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study College of Pharmacy Hengyang Medical School University of South China Hengyang China
| | - Yuanyuan Peng
- School of Electrical and Automation Engineering East China Jiaotong University Nanchang 330000 China
| | - Xuan Cao
- Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study College of Pharmacy Hengyang Medical School University of South China Hengyang China
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23
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Esfahani MKM, Alavi SE, Cabot PJ, Islam N, Izake EL. PEGylated Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles (MCM-41): A Promising Carrier for the Targeted Delivery of Fenbendazole into Prostrate Cancer Cells. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:1605. [PMID: 34683898 PMCID: PMC8540390 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13101605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Low water solubility and thus low bioavailability limit the clinical application of fenbendazole (FBZ) as a potential anticancer drug. Solubilizing agents, such as Mobil Composition of Matter Number 41 (MCM) as a drug carrier, can improve the water solubility of drugs. In this study, PEGylated MCM (PEG-MCM) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and loaded with FBZ (PEG-MCM-FBZ) to improve its solubility and, as a result, its cytotoxicity effect against human prostate cancer PC-3 cells. The loading efficiency of FBZ onto PEG-MCM NPs was 17.2%. The size and zeta potential of PEG-MCM-FBZ NPs were 366.3 ± 6.9 nm and 24.7 ± 0.4 mV, respectively. They had a spherical shape and released the drug in a controlled manner at pH 1.2 and pH 6.2. PEG-MCM-FBZ were found to inhibit the migration of PC-3 cells, increase the cytotoxicity effects of FBZ against PC-3 cells by 3.8-fold, and were more potent by 1.4-fold, when compared to the non-PEGylated NPs. In addition, PEG-MCM-FBZ promoted the production of reactive oxygen species by 1.3- and 1.2-fold, respectively, when compared to FBZ and MCM-FBZ. Overall, the results demonstrate that PEG-MCM-FBZ NPs enhanced FBZ delivery to PC-3 cells; therefore, they have the potential to treat prostate cancer after a comprehensive in vivo study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maedeh Koohi Moftakhari Esfahani
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia;
- Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - Seyed Ebrahim Alavi
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW 2751, Australia;
| | - Peter J. Cabot
- School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia;
| | - Nazrul Islam
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia;
| | - Emad L. Izake
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia;
- Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
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24
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Freisleben F, Modemann F, Muschhammer J, Stamm H, Brauneck F, Krispien A, Bokemeyer C, Kirschner KN, Wellbrock J, Fiedler W. Mebendazole Mediates Proteasomal Degradation of GLI Transcription Factors in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:10670. [PMID: 34639011 PMCID: PMC8508953 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The prognosis of elderly AML patients is still poor due to chemotherapy resistance. The Hedgehog (HH) pathway is important for leukemic transformation because of aberrant activation of GLI transcription factors. MBZ is a well-tolerated anthelmintic that exhibits strong antitumor effects. Herein, we show that MBZ induced strong, dose-dependent anti-leukemic effects on AML cells, including the sensitization of AML cells to chemotherapy with cytarabine. MBZ strongly reduced intracellular protein levels of GLI1/GLI2 transcription factors. Consequently, MBZ reduced the GLI promoter activity as observed in luciferase-based reporter assays in AML cell lines. Further analysis revealed that MBZ mediates its anti-leukemic effects by promoting the proteasomal degradation of GLI transcription factors via inhibition of HSP70/90 chaperone activity. Extensive molecular dynamics simulations were performed on the MBZ-HSP90 complex, showing a stable binding interaction at the ATP binding site. Importantly, two patients with refractory AML were treated with MBZ in an off-label setting and MBZ effectively reduced the GLI signaling activity in a modified plasma inhibitory assay, resulting in a decrease in peripheral blood blast counts in one patient. Our data prove that MBZ is an effective GLI inhibitor that should be evaluated in combination to conventional chemotherapy in the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Freisleben
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald University Cancer Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (F.F.); (F.M.); (J.M.); (H.S.); (F.B.); (A.K.); (C.B.); (J.W.)
| | - Franziska Modemann
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald University Cancer Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (F.F.); (F.M.); (J.M.); (H.S.); (F.B.); (A.K.); (C.B.); (J.W.)
- Mildred Scheel Cancer Career Center, University Cancer Center Hamburg, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jana Muschhammer
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald University Cancer Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (F.F.); (F.M.); (J.M.); (H.S.); (F.B.); (A.K.); (C.B.); (J.W.)
| | - Hauke Stamm
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald University Cancer Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (F.F.); (F.M.); (J.M.); (H.S.); (F.B.); (A.K.); (C.B.); (J.W.)
| | - Franziska Brauneck
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald University Cancer Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (F.F.); (F.M.); (J.M.); (H.S.); (F.B.); (A.K.); (C.B.); (J.W.)
| | - Alexander Krispien
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald University Cancer Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (F.F.); (F.M.); (J.M.); (H.S.); (F.B.); (A.K.); (C.B.); (J.W.)
| | - Carsten Bokemeyer
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald University Cancer Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (F.F.); (F.M.); (J.M.); (H.S.); (F.B.); (A.K.); (C.B.); (J.W.)
| | - Karl N. Kirschner
- Department of Computer Science, University of Applied Sciences Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany;
| | - Jasmin Wellbrock
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald University Cancer Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (F.F.); (F.M.); (J.M.); (H.S.); (F.B.); (A.K.); (C.B.); (J.W.)
| | - Walter Fiedler
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald University Cancer Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (F.F.); (F.M.); (J.M.); (H.S.); (F.B.); (A.K.); (C.B.); (J.W.)
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25
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Huang L, Zhao L, Zhang J, He F, Wang H, Liu Q, Shi D, Ni N, Wagstaff W, Chen C, Reid RR, Haydon RC, Luu HH, Shen L, He TC, Tang L. Antiparasitic mebendazole (MBZ) effectively overcomes cisplatin resistance in human ovarian cancer cells by inhibiting multiple cancer-associated signaling pathways. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:17407-17427. [PMID: 34232919 PMCID: PMC8312413 DOI: 10.18632/aging.203232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the third most common cancer and the second most common cause of gynecologic cancer death in women. Its routine clinical management includes surgical resection and systemic therapy with chemotherapeutics. While the first-line systemic therapy requires the combined use of platinum-based agents and paclitaxel, many ovarian cancer patients have recurrence and eventually succumb to chemoresistance. Thus, it is imperative to develop new strategies to overcome recurrence and chemoresistance of ovarian cancer. Repurposing previously-approved drugs is a cost-effective strategy for cancer drug discovery. The antiparasitic drug mebendazole (MBZ) is one of the most promising drugs with repurposing potential. Here, we investigate whether MBZ can overcome cisplatin resistance and sensitize chemoresistant ovarian cancer cells to cisplatin. We first established and characterized two stable and robust cisplatin-resistant (CR) human ovarian cancer lines and demonstrated that MBZ markedly inhibited cell proliferation, suppressed cell wounding healing/migration, and induced apoptosis in both parental and CR cells at low micromole range. Mechanistically, MBZ was revealed to inhibit multiple cancer-related signal pathways including ELK/SRF, NFKB, MYC/MAX, and E2F/DP1 in cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cells. We further showed that MBZ synergized with cisplatin to suppress cell proliferation, induce cell apoptosis, and blunt tumor growth in xenograft tumor model of human cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cells. Collectively, our findings suggest that MBZ may be repurposed as a synergistic sensitizer of cisplatin in treating chemoresistant human ovarian cancer, which warrants further clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linjuan Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Ling Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Fang He
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Medicine/Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine, and the School of Laboratory Diagnostic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qing Liu
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Spine Surgery, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Deyao Shi
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Na Ni
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine, and the School of Laboratory Diagnostic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - William Wagstaff
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Connie Chen
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Russell R. Reid
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Surgery Section of Plastic Surgery, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Rex C. Haydon
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Hue H. Luu
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Le Shen
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Surgery, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Tong-Chuan He
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Surgery, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Liangdan Tang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Mebendazole disrupts stromal desmoplasia and tumorigenesis in two models of pancreatic cancer. Oncotarget 2021; 12:1326-1338. [PMID: 34262644 PMCID: PMC8274724 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The five-year survival rate for metastatic pancreatic cancer is currently only 3%, which increases to 13% with local invasion only and to 39% with localized disease at diagnosis. Here we evaluated repurposed mebendazole, an approved anthelminthic drug, to determine how mebendazole might work at the different stages of pancreatic cancer formation and progression. We asked if mebendazole could prevent initiation of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia precursor lesions, interfere with stromal desmoplasia, or suppress tumor growth and liver metastasis. In both the Kras LSL.G12D/+; Pdx1-Cre (KC) mouse model of caerulein-induced inflammatory pancreatitis and the Kras LSL.G12D/+; Tp53 R172H/+; Pdx1-Cre (KPC) mouse model of advanced pancreatic cancer, mebendazole significantly reduced pancreas weight, dysplasia and intraepithelial neoplasia formation, compared to controls. Mebendazole significantly reduced trichrome-positive fibrotic connective tissue and α-SMA-positive activated pancreatic stellate cells that heralds fibrogenesis. In the aggressive KPC model, mebendazole significantly suppressed pancreatic tumor growth, both as an early and late intervention. Mebendazole reduced the overall incidence of pancreatic cancer and severity of liver metastasis in KPC mice. Using early models of pancreatic cancer, treatment with mebendazole resulted in less inflammation, decreased dysplasia, with the later stage model additionally showing a decreased tumor burden, less advanced tumors, and a reduction of metastasis. We conclude that mebendazole should be investigated further as a component of adjuvant therapy to slow progression and prevent metastasis, and well as for primary prevention in the highest risk patients.
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27
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Chai JY, Jung BK, Hong SJ. Albendazole and Mebendazole as Anti-Parasitic and Anti-Cancer Agents: an Update. THE KOREAN JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 2021; 59:189-225. [PMID: 34218593 PMCID: PMC8255490 DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2021.59.3.189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The use of albendazole and mebendazole, i.e., benzimidazole broad-spectrum anthelmintics, in treatment of parasitic infections, as well as cancers, is briefly reviewed. These drugs are known to block the microtubule systems of parasites and mammalian cells leading to inhibition of glucose uptake and transport and finally cell death. Eventually they exhibit ovicidal, larvicidal, and vermicidal effects on parasites, and tumoricidal effects on hosts. Albendazole and mebendazole are most frequently prescribed for treatment of intestinal nematode infections (ascariasis, hookworm infections, trichuriasis, strongyloidiasis, and enterobiasis) and can also be used for intestinal tapeworm infections (taeniases and hymenolepiasis). However, these drugs also exhibit considerable therapeutic effects against tissue nematode/cestode infections (visceral, ocular, neural, and cutaneous larva migrans, anisakiasis, trichinosis, hepatic and intestinal capillariasis, angiostrongyliasis, gnathostomiasis, gongylonemiasis, thelaziasis, dracunculiasis, cerebral and subcutaneous cysticercosis, and echinococcosis). Albendazole is also used for treatment of filarial infections (lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, loiasis, mansonellosis, and dirofilariasis) alone or in combination with other drugs, such as ivermectin or diethylcarbamazine. Albendazole was tried even for treatment of trematode (fascioliasis, clonorchiasis, opisthorchiasis, and intestinal fluke infections) and protozoan infections (giardiasis, vaginal trichomoniasis, cryptosporidiosis, and microsporidiosis). These drugs are generally safe with few side effects; however, when they are used for prolonged time (>14-28 days) or even only 1 time, liver toxicity and other side reactions may occur. In hookworms, Trichuris trichiura, possibly Ascaris lumbricoides, Wuchereria bancrofti, and Giardia sp., there are emerging issues of drug resistance. It is of particular note that albendazole and mebendazole have been repositioned as promising anti-cancer drugs. These drugs have been shown to be active in vitro and in vivo (animals) against liver, lung, ovary, prostate, colorectal, breast, head and neck cancers, and melanoma. Two clinical reports for albendazole and 2 case reports for mebendazole have revealed promising effects of these drugs in human patients having variable types of cancers. However, because of the toxicity of albendazole, for example, neutropenia due to myelosuppression, if high doses are used for a prolonged time, mebendazole is currently more popularly used than albendazole in anti-cancer clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong-Yil Chai
- Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Korea Association of Health Promotion, Seoul 07649,
Korea
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080,
Korea
| | - Bong-Kwang Jung
- Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Korea Association of Health Promotion, Seoul 07649,
Korea
| | - Sung-Jong Hong
- Department of Environmental Medical Biology, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul 06974,
Korea
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Esfahani MKM, Islam N, Cabot PJ, Izake EL. Development of Thiabendazole-Loaded Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Cancer Therapy. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021; 8:4153-4162. [PMID: 34056895 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Thiabendazole (TBZ) is an anthelmintic drug currently studied for anticancer purposes. However, due to its low solubility, its biomedical application has been limited. Using mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs), such as Mobil Composition of Matter Number 41 (MCM-41), as a drug carrier, is a promising approach to improve the solubility of low water-soluble drugs. In the present work, we aim to develop TBZ-loaded MCM-41 (TBZ MCM-41) nanoparticles to improve the solubility and the therapeutic efficacy of TBZ against prostate cancer PC-3 cells. TBZ MCM-41 nanoparticles were synthesized with a size of 215.9 ± 0.07 nm, a spherical shape, a hexagonal array of channels, and a drug loading capacity of 19.1%. The biological effects of the nanoformulation on PC-3 cells were then evaluated using a 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT), IncuCyte live-cell imaging system, cell migration, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) assays. The results demonstrated that TBZ was released from MCM-41 nanoparticles in a controlled manner at pH values of 1.2 and 6.8. The cell viability measurements revealed that the TBZ MCM-41 nanoparticles caused a considerable 2.8-fold increase in the cytotoxicity of TBZ (IC50 127.3 and 46 μM for TBZ and TBZ MCM-41 nanoparticles, respectively). The results of the proliferation assay were in agreement with those of the cell viability measurements, where the MCM-41 increased the cytotoxicity of TBZ in a concentration-dependent manner. Also, the TBZ MCM-41 nanoparticles were found to enhance the potency of the drug and inhibit PC-3 cell migration. In addition, the ROS assay confirmed that TBZ MCM-41 nanoparticles were approximately 15% more potent than TBZ to produce ROS. Overall, the results demonstrated that MCM-41 nanoparticles are a promising carrier to improve the therapeutic efficacy of TBZ against PC-3 cells and suggest evaluating the efficacy of the formulation in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maedeh Koohi Moftakhari Esfahani
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia.,Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia
| | - Nazrul Islam
- School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, 4000, Australia
| | - Peter J Cabot
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba 4102, Australia
| | - Emad L Izake
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia.,Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia
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Allegra A, Imbesi C, Bitto A, Ettari R. Drug Repositioning for the Treatment of Hematologic Disease: Limits, Challenges and Future Perspectives. Curr Med Chem 2021; 28:2195-2217. [PMID: 33138750 DOI: 10.2174/0929867327999200817102154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Drug repositioning is a strategy to identify new uses for approved or investigational drugs that are used off-label outside the scope of the original medical indication. In this review, we report the most relevant studies about drug repositioning in hematology, reporting the signalling pathways and molecular targets of these drugs, and describing the biological mechanisms which are responsible for their anticancer effects. Although the majority of studies on drug repositioning in hematology concern acute myeloid leukemia and multiple myeloma, numerous studies are present in the literature on the possibility of using these drugs also in other hematological diseases, such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, and lymphomas. Numerous anti-infectious drugs and chemical entities used for the therapy of neurological or endocrine diseases, oral antidiabetics, statins and medications used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure, bisphosphonate and natural substance such as artemisin and curcumin, have found a place in the treatment of hematological diseases. Moreover, several molecules drastically reversed the resistance of the tumor cells to the chemotherapeutic drugs both in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Allegra
- Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Chiara Imbesi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bitto
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Roberta Ettari
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Chemistry, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
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Cerrito MG, Grassilli E. Identifying Novel Actionable Targets in Colon Cancer. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9050579. [PMID: 34065438 PMCID: PMC8160963 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9050579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer is the fourth cause of death from cancer worldwide, mainly due to the high incidence of drug-resistance toward classic chemotherapeutic and newly targeted drugs. In the last decade or so, the development of novel high-throughput approaches, both genome-wide and chemical, allowed the identification of novel actionable targets and the development of the relative specific inhibitors to be used either to re-sensitize drug-resistant tumors (in combination with chemotherapy) or to be synthetic lethal for tumors with specific oncogenic mutations. Finally, high-throughput screening using FDA-approved libraries of “known” drugs uncovered new therapeutic applications of drugs (used alone or in combination) that have been in the clinic for decades for treating non-cancerous diseases (re-positioning or re-purposing approach). Thus, several novel actionable targets have been identified and some of them are already being tested in clinical trials, indicating that high-throughput approaches, especially those involving drug re-positioning, may lead in a near future to significant improvement of the therapy for colon cancer patients, especially in the context of a personalized approach, i.e., in defined subgroups of patients whose tumors carry certain mutations.
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A phase 2a clinical study on the safety and efficacy of individualized dosed mebendazole in patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8981. [PMID: 33903692 PMCID: PMC8076239 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88433-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mebendazole is used extensively for treatment of local gut helminthic and invasive echinococcus infections. Anticancer effects of mebendazole have been shown in experimental cancer models and in case studies in patients with advanced cancer. Given these observations, the aims of this study were to investigate safety and efficacy of individualized dosed mebendazole in the cancer indication. Patients with treatment refractory gastrointestinal cancer were treated with individualized dose adjusted mebendazole up to 4 g/day to target a serum concentration of 300 ng/ml. Efficacy and safety were assessed by CT-scans, clinical surveillance and blood sampling. Eleven patients were included in the study and 10 started the treatment phase. Two patients stopped treatment prior to and the remaining eight after tumour evaluation by CT-scan at 8 weeks, all due to progressive disease. Four patients also fulfilled criteria suggested for hyperprogression. Only five patients reached the target serum-mebendazole concentration. No severe adverse effects were observed. Individualized dose adjusted mebendazole is safe and well tolerated in patients with advanced cancer but all patients experienced rapid progressive disease. New approaches such as prodrug development and combination with other anticancer drugs seem needed for further exploration of mebendazole as an anticancer drug.
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Drug Repurposing to Treat Glucocorticoid Resistance in Asthma. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11030175. [PMID: 33802355 PMCID: PMC7999884 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11030175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Corticosteroid resistance causes significant morbidity in asthma, and drug repurposing may identify timely and cost-effective adjunctive treatments for corticosteroid resistance. In 95 subjects from the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP) and 19 subjects from the Severe Asthma Research Program (SARP), corticosteroid response was measured by the change in percent predicted forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). In each cohort, differential gene expression analysis was performed comparing poor (resistant) responders, defined as those with zero to negative change in FEV1, to good responders, followed by Connectivity Map (CMap) analysis to identify inversely associated (i.e., negatively connected) drugs that reversed the gene expression profile of poor responders to resemble that of good responders. Mean connectivity scores weighted by sample size were calculated. The top five drug compound candidates underwent in vitro validation in NF-κB-based luciferase reporter A549 cells stimulated by IL-1β ± dexamethasone. In CAMP and SARP, 134 and 178 respective genes were differentially expressed in poor responders. CMap analysis identified 46 compounds in common across both cohorts with connectivity scores < −50. γ-linolenic acid, ampicillin, exemestane, brinzolamide, and INCA-6 were selected for functional validation. γ-linolenic acid, brinzolamide, and INCA-6 significantly reduced IL-1β induced luciferase activity and potentiated the anti-inflammatory effect of dexamethasone in A549/NF-κB-luc reporter cells. These results demonstrate how existing drugs, including γ-linolenic acid, brinzolamide, and INCA-6, may be repurposed to improve corticosteroid response in asthmatics.
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Investigation of spectroscopic properties and molecular dynamics simulations of the interaction of mebendazole with β-cyclodextrin. JOURNAL OF THE IRANIAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s13738-020-02006-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Gallia GL, Holdhoff M, Brem H, Joshi AD, Hann CL, Bai RY, Staedtke V, Blakeley JO, Sengupta S, Jarrell TC, Wollett J, Szajna K, Helie N, Mattox AK, Ye X, Rudek MA, Riggins GJ. Mebendazole and temozolomide in patients with newly diagnosed high-grade gliomas: results of a phase 1 clinical trial. Neurooncol Adv 2020; 3:vdaa154. [PMID: 33506200 PMCID: PMC7817892 DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdaa154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mebendazole is an anthelmintic drug introduced for human use in 1971 that extends survival in preclinical models of glioblastoma and other brain cancers. Methods A single-center dose-escalation and safety study of mebendazole in 24 patients with newly diagnosed high-grade gliomas in combination with temozolomide was conducted. Patients received mebendazole in combination with adjuvant temozolomide after completing concurrent radiation plus temozolomide. Dose-escalation levels were 25, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg/day of oral mebendazole. A total of 15 patients were enrolled at the highest dose studied of 200 mg/kg/day. Trough plasma levels of mebendazole were measured at 4, 8, and 16 weeks. Results Twenty-four patients (18 glioblastoma and 6 anaplastic glioma) were enrolled with a median age of 49.8 years. Four patients (at 200 mg/kg) developed elevated grade 3 alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and/or aspartate transaminase (AST) after 1 month, which reversed with lower dosing or discontinuation. Plasma levels of mebendazole were variable but generally increased with dose. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed a 21-month median overall survival with 41.7% of patients alive at 2 years and 25% at 3 and 4 years. Median progression-free survival (PFS) from the date of diagnosis for 17 patients taking more than 1 month of mebendazole was 13.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.8–14.6 months) but for 7 patients who received less than 1 month of mebendazole PFS was 9.2 months (95% CI: 5.8–13.0 months). Conclusion Mebendazole at doses up to 200 mg/kg demonstrated long-term safety and acceptable toxicity. Further studies are needed to determine mebendazole’s efficacy in patients with malignant glioma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary L Gallia
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Matthias Holdhoff
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Henry Brem
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Avadhut D Joshi
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Christine L Hann
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ren-Yuan Bai
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Verena Staedtke
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jaishri O Blakeley
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Soma Sengupta
- Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - T Che Jarrell
- Milestone Regulatory Experts, Gulfport, Florida, USA
| | - Jessica Wollett
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kelly Szajna
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Nicole Helie
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Austin K Mattox
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Xiaobu Ye
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Michelle A Rudek
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Gregory J Riggins
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Racoviceanu R, Trandafirescu C, Voicu M, Ghiulai R, Borcan F, Dehelean C, Watz C, Aigner Z, Ambrus R, Coricovac DE, Cîrcioban D, Mioc A, Szuhanek CA, Şoica C. Solid Polymeric Nanoparticles of Albendazole: Synthesis, Physico-Chemical Characterization and Biological Activity. Molecules 2020; 25:E5130. [PMID: 33158183 PMCID: PMC7663605 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25215130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Albendazole is a benzimidazole derivative with documented antitumor activity and low toxicity to healthy cells. The major disadvantage in terms of clinical use is its low aqueous solubility which limits its bioavailability. Albendazole was incorporated into stable and homogeneous polyurethane structures with the aim of obtaining an improved drug delivery system model. Spectral and thermal analysis was used to investigate the encapsulation process and confirmed the presence of albendazole inside the nanoparticles. The in vitro anticancer properties of albendazole encapsulated in polyurethane structures versus the un-encapsulated compound were tested on two breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, in terms of cellular viability and apoptosis induction. The study showed that the encapsulation process enhanced the antitumor activity of albendazole on the MCF-7 and MDA-MB-23 breast cancer lines. The cytotoxic activity manifested in a concentration-dependent manner and was accompanied by changes in cell morphology and nuclear fragmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxana Racoviceanu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (R.R.); (C.T.); (C.Ş.)
| | - Cristina Trandafirescu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (R.R.); (C.T.); (C.Ş.)
| | - Mirela Voicu
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Roxana Ghiulai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (R.R.); (C.T.); (C.Ş.)
| | - Florin Borcan
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (F.B.); (D.C.)
| | - Cristina Dehelean
- Department of Toxicology, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (C.D.); (D.E.C.)
| | - Claudia Watz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Physics, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania;
| | - Zoltán Aigner
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology and Regulatory Affairs, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged, 6th Eotvos Str., 6720 Szeged, Hungary; (Z.A.); (R.A.)
| | - Rita Ambrus
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology and Regulatory Affairs, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged, 6th Eotvos Str., 6720 Szeged, Hungary; (Z.A.); (R.A.)
| | - Dorina Elena Coricovac
- Department of Toxicology, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (C.D.); (D.E.C.)
| | - Denisa Cîrcioban
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (F.B.); (D.C.)
| | - Alexandra Mioc
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Physiopathology, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania;
| | - Camelia Alexandrina Szuhanek
- Department of Orthodontics, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 9th Revolutiei din 1989 Bvd, 300041 Timisoara, Romania;
| | - Codruţa Şoica
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (R.R.); (C.T.); (C.Ş.)
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Maali A, Ferdosi-Shahandashti E, Sadeghi F, Aali E. The Antihelminthic Drug, Mebendazole, Induces Apoptosis in Adult T-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma Cancer Cells: In-Vitro Trial. Int J Hematol Oncol Stem Cell Res 2020; 14:257-264. [PMID: 33603987 PMCID: PMC7876428 DOI: 10.18502/ijhoscr.v14i4.4482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is a poor prognostic Hematopoietic malignancy with various therapeutic challenges, which had been classified as non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The Drug switching, as a novel, innovative and promising approach, is an opportunity to overcoming on therapeutic challenges of hard-treating disease, e.g. ATLL. Our aim is evaluating the antiproliferative and apoptotic effect of Mebendazole (MBZ) on ATLL cancer cells in in-vitro conditions. Materials and Methods: We used Jurkat cell-line as ATLL cancer cells. After treatment of MBZ in different concentrations on jurkat cells, the cell viabilities were determined by MTT assay. After IC50 value determination, the 24-, 48- and 72-h treatments had been performed in IC50 concentration and control to evaluating the quantitative apoptosis rate by Annexin/PI Flowcytometry and qualitative apoptosis by DAPI Nuclear staining. Also, Glucose spectrophotometry were performed to evaluate the reduced amount of glucose uptake through MBZ treatment. Results: MBZ inhibits proliferation of jurkat cells and IC50 value had been estimated 10 μM (P< 0.01). According to the flowcytometric results, increasing in drug concentration is associated with decrease cell viability and the percentage of full-apoptosis. However, it inversely correlates with percentage of early-apoptosis rate. Also, the microscopic captures of DAPI Nuclear staining confirms the flowcytometry results in qualitative manner. In addition, it was found that inhibition of glucose uptake was inversely correlated with increased MBZ concentration (P< 0.05). Conclusion: MBZ potentially inhibits the proliferation of ATLL cancer cells in in-vitro condition. MBZ inhibits the growth of Jurkat cells by inducing apoptosis. Also, we suggest that indirectly inhibition of Glucose transporting occurs by MBZ, which could induce apoptosis in cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirhosein Maali
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.,Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.,Student Research Committee, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Elaheh Ferdosi-Shahandashti
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.,Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.,Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Farzin Sadeghi
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Ehsan Aali
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
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Nath J, Paul R, Ghosh SK, Paul J, Singha B, Debnath N. Drug repurposing and relabeling for cancer therapy: Emerging benzimidazole antihelminthics with potent anticancer effects. Life Sci 2020; 258:118189. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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38
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Dinić J, Efferth T, García-Sosa AT, Grahovac J, Padrón JM, Pajeva I, Rizzolio F, Saponara S, Spengler G, Tsakovska I. Repurposing old drugs to fight multidrug resistant cancers. Drug Resist Updat 2020; 52:100713. [PMID: 32615525 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2020.100713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Overcoming multidrug resistance represents a major challenge for cancer treatment. In the search for new chemotherapeutics to treat malignant diseases, drug repurposing gained a tremendous interest during the past years. Repositioning candidates have often emerged through several stages of clinical drug development, and may even be marketed, thus attracting the attention and interest of pharmaceutical companies as well as regulatory agencies. Typically, drug repositioning has been serendipitous, using undesired side effects of small molecule drugs to exploit new disease indications. As bioinformatics gain increasing popularity as an integral component of drug discovery, more rational approaches are needed. Herein, we show some practical examples of in silico approaches such as pharmacophore modelling, as well as pharmacophore- and docking-based virtual screening for a fast and cost-effective repurposing of small molecule drugs against multidrug resistant cancers. We provide a timely and comprehensive overview of compounds with considerable potential to be repositioned for cancer therapeutics. These drugs are from diverse chemotherapeutic classes. We emphasize the scope and limitations of anthelmintics, antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimalarials, antihypertensives, psychopharmaceuticals and antidiabetics that have shown extensive immunomodulatory, antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, and antimetastatic potential. These drugs, either used alone or in combination with existing anticancer chemotherapeutics, represent strong candidates to prevent or overcome drug resistance. We particularly focus on outcomes and future perspectives of drug repositioning for the treatment of multidrug resistant tumors and discuss current possibilities and limitations of preclinical and clinical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Dinić
- Department of Neurobiology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković" - National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Thomas Efferth
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Staudinger Weg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Jelena Grahovac
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Pasterova 14, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - José M Padrón
- BioLab, Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González (IUBO AG), Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 2, E-38071 La Laguna, Spain.
| | - Ilza Pajeva
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 105, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Flavio Rizzolio
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, 301724 Venezia-Mestre, Italy; Pathology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Simona Saponara
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Gabriella Spengler
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Dóm tér 10, Hungary
| | - Ivanka Tsakovska
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 105, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
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Andersson CR, Selvin T, Blom K, Rubin J, Berglund M, Jarvius M, Lenhammar L, Parrow V, Loskog A, Fryknäs M, Nygren P, Larsson R. Mebendazole is unique among tubulin-active drugs in activating the MEK-ERK pathway. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13124. [PMID: 32753665 PMCID: PMC7403428 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68986-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We recently showed that the anti-helminthic compound mebendazole (MBZ) has immunomodulating activity in monocyte/macrophage models and induces ERK signalling. In the present study we investigated whether MBZ induced ERK activation is shared by other tubulin binding agents (TBAs) and if it is observable also in other human cell types. Curated gene signatures for a panel of TBAs in the LINCS Connectivity Map (CMap) database showed a unique strong negative correlation of MBZ with MEK/ERK inhibitors indicating ERK activation also in non-haematological cell lines. L1000 gene expression signatures for MBZ treated THP-1 monocytes also connected negatively to MEK inhibitors. MEK/ERK phosphoprotein activity testing of a number of TBAs showed that only MBZ increased the activity in both THP-1 monocytes and PMA differentiated macrophages. Distal effects on ERK phosphorylation of the substrate P90RSK and release of IL1B followed the same pattern. The effect of MBZ on MEK/ERK phosphorylation was inhibited by RAF/MEK/ERK inhibitors in THP-1 models, CD3/IL2 stimulated PBMCs and a MAPK reporter HEK-293 cell line. MBZ was also shown to increase ERK activity in CD4+ T-cells from lupus patients with known defective ERK signalling. Given these mechanistic features MBZ is suggested suitable for treatment of diseases characterized by defective ERK signalling, notably difficult to treat autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claes R Andersson
- Division of Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Tove Selvin
- Division of Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kristin Blom
- Division of Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jenny Rubin
- Division of Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Malin Berglund
- Division of Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Malin Jarvius
- Division of Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lena Lenhammar
- Division of Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Vendela Parrow
- Division of Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Angelica Loskog
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Section of Oncology, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mårten Fryknäs
- Division of Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Peter Nygren
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Section of Oncology, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rolf Larsson
- Division of Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Vitovcova B, Skarkova V, Rudolf K, Rudolf E. Biology of Glioblastoma Multiforme-Exploration of Mitotic Catastrophe as a Potential Treatment Modality. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21155324. [PMID: 32727112 PMCID: PMC7432846 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) represents approximately 60% of all brain tumors in adults. This malignancy shows a high biological and genetic heterogeneity associated with exceptional aggressiveness, leading to a poor survival of patients. This review provides a summary of the basic biology of GBM cells with emphasis on cell cycle and cytoskeletal apparatus of these cells, in particular microtubules. Their involvement in the important oncosuppressive process called mitotic catastrophe will next be discussed along with select examples of microtubule-targeting agents, which are currently explored in this respect such as benzimidazole carbamate compounds. Select microtubule-targeting agents, in particular benzimidazole carbamates, induce G2/M cell cycle arrest and mitotic catastrophe in tumor cells including GBM, resulting in phenotypically variable cell fates such as mitotic death or mitotic slippage with subsequent cell demise or permanent arrest leading to senescence. Their effect is coupled with low toxicity in normal cells and not developed chemoresistance. Given the lack of efficient cytostatics or modern molecular target-specific compounds in the treatment of GBM, drugs inducing mitotic catastrophe might offer a new, efficient alternative to the existing clinical management of this at present incurable malignancy.
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Laudisi F, Marônek M, Di Grazia A, Monteleone G, Stolfi C. Repositioning of Anthelmintic Drugs for the Treatment of Cancers of the Digestive System. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21144957. [PMID: 32668817 PMCID: PMC7404055 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21144957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumors of the digestive system, when combined together, account for more new cases and deaths per year than tumors arising in any other system of the body and their incidence continues to increase. Despite major efforts aimed at discovering and validating novel and effective drugs against these malignancies, the process of developing such drugs remains lengthy and costly, with high attrition rates. Drug repositioning (also known as drug repurposing), that is, the process of finding new uses for approved drugs, has been gaining popularity in oncological drug development as it provides the opportunity to expedite promising anti-cancer agents into clinical trials. Among the drugs considered for repurposing in oncology, compounds belonging to some classes of anthelmintics—a group of agents acting against infections caused by parasitic worms (helminths) that colonize the mammalian intestine—have shown pronounced anti-tumor activities and attracted particular attention due to their ability to target key oncogenic signal transduction pathways. In this review, we summarize and discuss the available experimental and clinical evidence about the use of anthelmintic drugs for the treatment of cancers of the digestive system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Laudisi
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (F.L.); (A.D.G.); (G.M.)
| | - Martin Marônek
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, 811 08 Bratislava, Slovakia;
| | - Antonio Di Grazia
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (F.L.); (A.D.G.); (G.M.)
| | - Giovanni Monteleone
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (F.L.); (A.D.G.); (G.M.)
| | - Carmine Stolfi
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (F.L.); (A.D.G.); (G.M.)
- Division of Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-06-72596163
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Maqbool F, Falconer JR, Moyle PM. Supercritical fluid assembly of albendazole liposomes targeting gastrin-releasing peptide receptor overexpressing tumors. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2020; 15:1315-1330. [PMID: 32484025 DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2020-0048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: To develop albendazole (ABZ)-loaded bombesin(6-14) (BBN(6-14)) functionalized liposomes for targeting GRPR to enhance delivery to cancer cells. Materials & methods: ABZ-loaded liposomes were formulated using supercritical CO2 technology; functionalized with a GRPR-targeted lipid-anchored BBN(6-14) peptide; and evaluated for effects on cell viability, particle size and targeted cell uptake. Results: BBN(6-14)-coated ABZ liposomes decreased cell viability compared with nonfunctionalized ABZ liposomes. The level of GRPR expression positively correlated with intracellular uptake and decreased cell viability. The reduced cell viability, higher cell uptake and GRPR expression were observed in the order PC-3 > Caco-2 > HepG2 cells. Conclusion: BBN(6-14)-functionalized ABZ liposomes showed enhanced reduction in cell viability compared with nonfunctionalized ABZ liposomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faheem Maqbool
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - James R Falconer
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Peter M Moyle
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
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Kirtonia A, Gala K, Fernandes SG, Pandya G, Pandey AK, Sethi G, Khattar E, Garg M. Repurposing of drugs: An attractive pharmacological strategy for cancer therapeutics. Semin Cancer Biol 2020; 68:258-278. [PMID: 32380233 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2020.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Human malignancies are one of the major health-related issues though out the world and anticipated to rise in the future. The development of novel drugs/agents requires a huge amount of cost and time that represents a major challenge for drug discovery. In the last three decades, the number of FDA approved drugs has dropped down and this led to increasing interest in drug reposition or repurposing. The present review focuses on recent concepts and therapeutic opportunities for the utilization of antidiabetics, antibiotics, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antipsychotic, PDE inhibitors and estrogen receptor antagonist, Antabuse, antiparasitic and cardiovascular agents/drugs as an alternative approach against human malignancies. The repurposing of approved non-cancerous drugs is an effective strategy to develop new therapeutic options for the treatment of cancer patients at an affordable cost in clinics. In the current scenario, most of the countries throughout the globe are unable to meet the medical needs of cancer patients because of the high cost of the available cancerous drugs. Some of these drugs displayed potential anti-cancer activity in preclinic and clinical studies by regulating several key molecular mechanisms and oncogenic pathways in human malignancies. The emerging pieces of evidence indicate that repurposing of drugs is crucial to the faster and cheaper discovery of anti-cancerous drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuradha Kirtonia
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem cell Research (AIMMSCR), Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, 201313, India; Equal contribution
| | - Kavita Gala
- Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM's NMIMS (Deemed to be University), Vile Parle West, Mumbai, 400056, India; Equal contribution
| | - Stina George Fernandes
- Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM's NMIMS (Deemed to be University), Vile Parle West, Mumbai, 400056, India; Equal contribution
| | - Gouri Pandya
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem cell Research (AIMMSCR), Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, 201313, India; Equal contribution
| | - Amit Kumar Pandey
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana, Manesar, Haryana, 122413, India
| | - Gautam Sethi
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117600, Singapore
| | - Ekta Khattar
- Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM's NMIMS (Deemed to be University), Vile Parle West, Mumbai, 400056, India.
| | - Manoj Garg
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem cell Research (AIMMSCR), Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, 201313, India.
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44
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Armando RG, Gómez DLM, Gomez DE. New drugs are not enough‑drug repositioning in oncology: An update. Int J Oncol 2020; 56:651-684. [PMID: 32124955 PMCID: PMC7010222 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2020.4966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug repositioning refers to the concept of discovering novel clinical benefits of drugs that are already known for use treating other diseases. The advantages of this are that several important drug characteristics are already established (including efficacy, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and toxicity), making the process of research for a putative drug quicker and less costly. Drug repositioning in oncology has received extensive focus. The present review summarizes the most prominent examples of drug repositioning for the treatment of cancer, taking into consideration their primary use, proposed anticancer mechanisms and current development status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romina Gabriela Armando
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Science and Technology Department, National University of Quilmes, Bernal B1876, Argentina
| | - Diego Luis Mengual Gómez
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Science and Technology Department, National University of Quilmes, Bernal B1876, Argentina
| | - Daniel Eduardo Gomez
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Science and Technology Department, National University of Quilmes, Bernal B1876, Argentina
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45
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Gutiérrez EL, Godoy AA, Narda GE, Ellena J. Rational design, supramolecular synthesis and solid state characterization of two bicomponent solid forms of mebendazole. CrystEngComm 2020. [DOI: 10.1039/d0ce00924e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
MBZ methyl sulfate and perchlorate were designed based on the statistical probability of the formation of an R22(8) supramolecular heterosynthon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo L. Gutiérrez
- INQUISAL–CONICET
- Área de Química Física
- Facultad de Química
- Bioquímica y Farmacia
- Universidad Nacional de San Luis
| | - Agustín A. Godoy
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química (INTEQUI)
- Área de Química General e Inorgánica “Dr. G. F. Puelles”
- Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia
- Universidad Nacional de San Luis
- San Luis
| | - Griselda E. Narda
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química (INTEQUI)
- Área de Química General e Inorgánica “Dr. G. F. Puelles”
- Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia
- Universidad Nacional de San Luis
- San Luis
| | - Javier Ellena
- Instituto de Física de São Carlos
- Universidade de São Paulo
- São Carlos
- Brazil
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Mebendazole elicits potent antimyeloma activity by inhibiting the USP5/c-Maf axis. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2019; 40:1568-1577. [PMID: 31197245 PMCID: PMC7468578 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-019-0249-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
c-Maf is a critical oncogenic transcription factor that contributes to myelomagenesis. Our previous studies demonstrated that the deubiquitinase USP5 stabilizes c-Maf and promotes myeloma cell proliferation and survival; therefore, the USP5/c-Maf axis could be a potential target for myeloma therapy. As a concept of principle, the present study established a USP5/c-Maf-based luciferase system that was used to screen an FDA-approved drug library. It was found that mebendazole, a typical anthelmintic drug, preferentially induced apoptosis in c-Maf-expressing myeloma cells. Moreover, oral administration of mebendazole delayed the growth of human myeloma xenografts in nude mice but did not show overt toxicity. Further studies showed that the selective antimyeloma activity of mebendazole was associated with the inhibition of the USP5/c-Maf axis. Mebendazole downregulated USP5 expression and disrupted the interaction between USP5 and c-Maf, thus leading to increased levels of c-Maf ubiquitination and subsequent c-Maf degradation. Mebendazole inhibited c-Maf transcriptional activity, as confirmed by both luciferase assays and expression measurements of c-Maf downstream genes. In summary, this study identified mebendazole as a USP5/c-Maf inhibitor that could be developed as a novel antimyeloma agent.
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Mebendazole for Differentiation Therapy of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Identified by a Lineage Maturation Index. Sci Rep 2019; 9:16775. [PMID: 31727951 PMCID: PMC6856101 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53290-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurate assessment of changes in cellular differentiation status in response to drug treatments or genetic perturbations is crucial for understanding tumorigenesis and developing novel therapeutics for human cancer. We have developed a novel computational approach, the Lineage Maturation Index (LMI), to define the changes in differentiation state of hematopoietic malignancies based on their gene expression profiles. We have confirmed that the LMI approach can detect known changes of differentiation state in both normal and malignant hematopoietic cells. To discover novel differentiation therapies, we applied this approach to analyze the gene expression profiles of HL-60 leukemia cells treated with a small molecule drug library. Among multiple drugs that significantly increased the LMIs, we identified mebendazole, an anti-helminthic clinically used for decades with no known significant toxicity. We tested the differentiation activity of mebendazole using primary leukemia blast cells isolated from human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. We determined that treatment with mebendazole induces dramatic differentiation of leukemia blast cells as shown by cellular morphology and cell surface markers. Furthermore, mebendazole treatment significantly extended the survival of leukemia-bearing mice in a xenograft model. These findings suggest that mebendazole may be utilized as a low toxicity therapeutic for human acute myeloid leukemia and confirm the LMI approach as a robust tool for the discovery of novel differentiation therapies for cancer.
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Chahal KK, Li J, Kufareva I, Parle M, Durden DL, Wechsler-Reya RJ, Chen CC, Abagyan R. Nilotinib, an approved leukemia drug, inhibits smoothened signaling in Hedgehog-dependent medulloblastoma. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214901. [PMID: 31539380 PMCID: PMC6754133 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of the seven-transmembrane (7TM) receptor Smoothened (SMO) and other components of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway contributes to the development of cancers including basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and medulloblastoma (MB). However, SMO-specific antagonists produced mixed results in clinical trials, marked by limited efficacy and high rate of acquired resistance in tumors. Here we discovered that Nilotinib, an approved inhibitor of several kinases, possesses an anti-Hh activity, at clinically achievable concentrations, due to direct binding to SMO and inhibition of SMO signaling. Nilotinib was more efficacious than the SMO-specific antagonist Vismodegib in inhibiting growth of two Hh-dependent MB cell lines. It also reduced tumor growth in subcutaneous MB mouse xenograft model. These results indicate that in addition to its known activity against several tyrosine-kinase-mediated proliferative pathways, Nilotinib is a direct inhibitor of the Hh pathway. The newly discovered extension of Nilotinib's target profile holds promise for the treatment of Hh-dependent cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirti Kandhwal Chahal
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, G.J. University of Science and Technology, Hisar, India
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Irina Kufareva
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Milind Parle
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, G.J. University of Science and Technology, Hisar, India
| | - Donald L. Durden
- Department of Pediatrics, Moores Cancer Center, School of Medicine, UCSD and Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Robert J. Wechsler-Reya
- Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Clark C. Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Ruben Abagyan
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California, United States of America
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Guerini AE, Triggiani L, Maddalo M, Bonù ML, Frassine F, Baiguini A, Alghisi A, Tomasini D, Borghetti P, Pasinetti N, Bresciani R, Magrini SM, Buglione M. Mebendazole as a Candidate for Drug Repurposing in Oncology: An Extensive Review of Current Literature. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11091284. [PMID: 31480477 PMCID: PMC6769799 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11091284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Anticancer treatment efficacy is limited by the development of refractory tumor cells characterized by increased expression and activity of mechanisms promoting survival, proliferation, and metastatic spread. The present review summarizes the current literature regarding the use of the anthelmintic mebendazole (MBZ) as a repurposed drug in oncology with a focus on cells resistant to approved therapies, including so called “cancer stem cells”. Mebendazole meets many of the characteristics desirable for a repurposed drug: good and proven toxicity profile, pharmacokinetics allowing to reach therapeutic concentrations at disease site, ease of administration and low price. Several in vitro studies suggest that MBZ inhibits a wide range of factors involved in tumor progression such as tubulin polymerization, angiogenesis, pro-survival pathways, matrix metalloproteinases, and multi-drug resistance protein transporters. Mebendazole not only exhibits direct cytotoxic activity, but also synergizes with ionizing radiations and different chemotherapeutic agents and stimulates antitumoral immune response. In vivo, MBZ treatment as a single agent or in combination with chemotherapy led to the reduction or complete arrest of tumor growth, marked decrease of metastatic spread, and improvement of survival. Further investigations are warranted to confirm the clinical anti-neoplastic activity of MBZ and its safety in combination with other drugs in a clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luca Triggiani
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brescia University, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Marta Maddalo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, P.le Spedali Civili 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Marco Lorenzo Bonù
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brescia University, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Francesco Frassine
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brescia University, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Anna Baiguini
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brescia University, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessandro Alghisi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brescia University, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Davide Tomasini
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brescia University, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Paolo Borghetti
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Spedali Civili of Brescia, P.le Spedali Civili 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Nadia Pasinetti
- Radiation Oncology Service, ASST Valcamonica, 25040 Esine, Italy
| | - Roberto Bresciani
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Unit of Biotechnology, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Michela Buglione
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brescia University, 25123 Brescia, Italy
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50
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Blom K, Rubin J, Berglund M, Jarvius M, Lenhammar L, Parrow V, Andersson C, Loskog A, Fryknäs M, Nygren P, Larsson R. Mebendazole-induced M1 polarisation of THP-1 macrophages may involve DYRK1B inhibition. BMC Res Notes 2019; 12:234. [PMID: 31010428 PMCID: PMC6477744 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-019-4273-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We recently showed that the anti-helminthic compound mebendazole (MBZ) has immunomodulating activity by inducing a M2 to M1 phenotype switch in monocyte/macrophage models. In the present study we investigated the potential role of protein kinases in mediating this effect. RESULTS MBZ potently binds and inhibits Dual specificity tyrosine-phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1B (DYRK1B) with a Kd and an IC50 of 7 and 360 nM, respectively. The specific DYRK1B inhibitor AZ191 did not mimic the cytokine release profile of MBZ in untreated THP-1 monocytes. However, in THP-1 cells differentiated into macrophages, AZ191 strongly induced a pro-inflammatory cytokine release pattern similar to MBZ and LPS/IFNγ. Furthermore, like MBZ, AZ191 increased the expression of the M1 marker CD80 and decreased the M2 marker CD163 in THP-1 macrophages. In this model, AZ191 also increased phospho-ERK activity although to a lesser extent compared to MBZ. Taken together, the results demonstrate that DYRK1B inhibition could, at least partly, recapitulate immune responses induced by MBZ. Hence, DYRK1B inhibition induced by MBZ may be part of the mechanism of action to switch M2 to M1 macrophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Blom
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jenny Rubin
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Malin Berglund
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Malin Jarvius
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lena Lenhammar
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Vendela Parrow
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Claes Andersson
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Angelica Loskog
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mårten Fryknäs
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Peter Nygren
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rolf Larsson
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Cancer Pharmacology and Computational Medicine, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
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