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Sharma A, Virmani T, Kumar G, Sharma A, Virmani R, Gugulothu D, Singh K, Misra SK, Pathak K, Chitranshi N, Coutinho HDM, Jain D. Mitochondrial signaling pathways and their role in cancer drug resistance. Cell Signal 2024; 122:111329. [PMID: 39098704 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2024.111329] [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: 06/26/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Mitochondria, traditionally known as cellular powerhouses, now emerge as critical signaling centers influencing cancer progression and drug resistance. The review highlights the role that apoptotic signaling, DNA mutations, mitochondrial dynamics and metabolism play in the development of resistance mechanisms and the advancement of cancer. Targeted approaches are discussed, with an emphasis on managing mitophagy, fusion, and fission of the mitochondria to make resistant cancer cells more susceptible to traditional treatments. Additionally, metabolic reprogramming can be used to effectively target metabolic enzymes such GLUT1, HKII, PDK, and PKM2 in order to avoid resistance mechanisms. Although there are potential possibilities for therapy, the complex structure of mitochondria and their subtle role in tumor development hamper clinical translation. Novel targeted medicines are put forth, providing fresh insights on combating drug resistance in cancer. The study also emphasizes the significance of glutamine metabolism, mitochondrial respiratory complexes, and apoptotic pathways as potential targets to improve treatment effectiveness against drug-resistant cancers. Combining complementary and nanoparticle-based techniques to target mitochondria has demonstrated encouraging results in the treatment of cancer, opening doors to reduce resistance and enable individualized treatment plans catered to the unique characteristics of each patient. Suggesting innovative approaches such as drug repositioning and mitochondrial drug delivery to enhance the efficacy of mitochondria-targeting therapies, presenting a pathway for advancements in cancer treatment. This thorough investigation is a major step forward in the treatment of cancer and has the potential to influence clinical practice and enhance patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashwani Sharma
- Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research (DIPSAR), Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU), New Delhi 110017, India
| | - Tarun Virmani
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MVN University, Palwal, Haryana 121105, India.
| | - Girish Kumar
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MVN University, Palwal, Haryana 121105, India.
| | - Anjali Sharma
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MVN University, Palwal, Haryana 121105, India
| | - Reshu Virmani
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MVN University, Palwal, Haryana 121105, India.
| | - Dalapathi Gugulothu
- Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research (DIPSAR), Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU), New Delhi 110017, India
| | - Kuldeep Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, GLA University, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India.
| | - Shashi Kiran Misra
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CSJM University Kanpur, Kanpur 208024, India
| | - Kamla Pathak
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences, Saifai, Etawah 206130, India
| | - Nitin Chitranshi
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, New South Wales, Australia; School of Science and Technology, the University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.
| | | | - Divya Jain
- Department of Microbiology, School of Applied and Life Sciences, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India
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Szewczyk-Roszczenko O, Barlev NA. The Role of p53 in Nanoparticle-Based Therapy for Cancer. Cells 2023; 12:2803. [PMID: 38132123 PMCID: PMC10742014 DOI: 10.3390/cells12242803] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
p53 is arguably one of the most important tumor suppressor genes in humans. Due to the paramount importance of p53 in the onset of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, the p53 gene is found either silenced or mutated in the vast majority of cancers. Furthermore, activated wild-type p53 exhibits a strong bystander effect, thereby activating apoptosis in surrounding cells without being physically present there. For these reasons, p53-targeted therapy that is designed to restore the function of wild-type p53 in cancer cells seems to be a very appealing therapeutic approach. Systemic delivery of p53-coding DNA or RNA using nanoparticles proved to be feasible both in vitro and in vivo. In fact, one p53-based therapeutic (gendicine) is currently approved for commercial use in China. However, the broad use of p53-based therapy in p53-inactivated cancers is severely restricted by its inadequate efficacy. This review highlights the current state-of-the-art in this area of biomedical research and also discusses novel approaches that may help overcome the shortcomings of p53-targeting nanomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Szewczyk-Roszczenko
- Department of Synthesis and Technology of Drugs, Medical University of Bialystok, Kilinskiego 1, 15-089 Bialystok, Poland
| | - Nikolai A. Barlev
- Department of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University, Kerey and Zhanibek Khans St., Astana 020000, Kazakhstan
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, 10 Pogodinskaya St., Moscow 119121, Russia
- Institute of Cytology, 4 Tikhoretsky Ave., Saint-Petersburg 194064, Russia
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3
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Preston AJ, Rogers A, Sharp M, Mitchell G, Toruno C, Barney BB, Donovan LN, Bly J, Kennington R, Payne E, Iovino A, Furukawa G, Robinson R, Shamloo B, Buccilli M, Anders R, Eckstein S, Fedak EA, Wright T, Maley CC, Kiso WK, Schmitt D, Malkin D, Schiffman JD, Abegglen LM. Elephant TP53-RETROGENE 9 induces transcription-independent apoptosis at the mitochondria. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:66. [PMID: 36797268 PMCID: PMC9935553 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01348-7] [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: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Approximately 20 TP53 retrogenes exist in the African and Asian elephant genomes (Loxodonta Africana, Elephas Maximus) in addition to a conserved TP53 gene that encodes a full-length protein. Elephant TP53-RETROGENE 9 (TP53-R9) encodes a p53 protein (p53-R9) that is truncated in the middle of the canonical DNA binding domain. This C-terminally truncated p53 retrogene protein lacks the nuclear localization signals and oligomerization domain of its full-length counterpart. When expressed in human osteosarcoma cells (U2OS), p53-R9 binds to Tid1, the chaperone protein responsible for mitochondrial translocation of human p53 in response to cellular stress. Tid1 expression is required for p53-R9-induced apoptosis. At the mitochondria, p53-R9 binds to the pro-apoptotic BCL-2 family member Bax, which leads to caspase activation, cytochrome c release, and cell death. Our data show, for the first time, that expression of this truncated elephant p53 retrogene protein induces apoptosis in human cancer cells. Understanding the molecular mechanism by which the additional elephant TP53 retrogenes function may provide evolutionary insight that can be utilized for the development of therapeutics to treat human cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aidan J Preston
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Aaron Rogers
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Miranda Sharp
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Gareth Mitchell
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Cristhian Toruno
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Brayden B Barney
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - Journey Bly
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Ryan Kennington
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Emily Payne
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Anthony Iovino
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Gabriela Furukawa
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | | | - Matthew Buccilli
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Rachel Anders
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Sarah Eckstein
- Duke Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Fedak
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Mathematics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Tanner Wright
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Carlo C Maley
- Biodesign Institute, School of Life Sciences, and Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | - Dennis Schmitt
- Department of Animal Science, William H. Darr College of Agriculture, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, USA
| | - David Malkin
- Division of Haematology/Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children; Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joshua D Schiffman
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Peel Therapeutics, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Lisa M Abegglen
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
- Peel Therapeutics, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
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4
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Wallis B, Bowman KR, Lu P, Lim CS. The Challenges and Prospects of p53-Based Therapies in Ovarian Cancer. Biomolecules 2023; 13:159. [PMID: 36671544 PMCID: PMC9855757 DOI: 10.3390/biom13010159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been well established that mutations in the tumor suppressor gene, p53, occur readily in a vast majority of cancer tumors, including ovarian cancer. Typically diagnosed in stages three or four, ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of death in women, despite accounting for only 2.5% of all female malignancies. The overall 5-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is around 47%; however, this drops to an abysmal 29% for the most common type of ovarian cancer, high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC). HGSOC has upwards of 96% of cases expressing mutations in p53. Therefore, wild-type (WT) p53 and p53-based therapies have been explored as treatment options via a plethora of drug delivery vehicles including nanoparticles, viruses, polymers, and liposomes. However, previous p53 therapeutics have faced many challenges, which have resulted in their limited translational success to date. This review highlights a selection of these historical p53-targeted therapeutics for ovarian cancer, why they failed, and what the future could hold for a new generation of this class of therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Carol S. Lim
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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Bowman KER, Ahne L, O'Brien L, Vander Mause ER, Lu P, Wallis B, Evason KJ, Lim CS. p53-Bad* Fusion Gene Therapy Induces Apoptosis In Vitro and Reduces Zebrafish Tumor Burden in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:331-340. [PMID: 36490361 PMCID: PMC10760808 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
With few curative treatments and a global yearly death rate of over 800,000, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) desperately needs new therapies. Although wild-type p53 gene therapy has been shown to be safe in HCC patients, it has not shown enough efficacy to merit approval. This work aims to show how p53 can be re-engineered through fusion to the pro-apoptotic BH3 protein Bcl-2 antagonist of cell death (Bad) to improve anti-HCC activity and potentially lead to a novel HCC therapeutic, p53-Bad*. p53-Bad* is a fusion of p53 and Bad, with two mutations, S112A and S136A. We determined mitochondrial localization of p53-Bad* in liver cancer cell lines with varying p53 mutation statuses via fluorescence microscopy. We defined the apoptotic activity of p53-Bad* in four liver cancer cell lines using flow cytometry. To determine the effects of p53-Bad* in vivo, we generated and analyzed transgenic zebrafish expressing hepatocyte-specific p53-Bad*. p53-Bad* localized to the mitochondria regardless of the p53 mutation status and demonstrated superior apoptotic activity over WT p53 in early, middle, and late apoptosis assays. Tumor burden in zebrafish HCC was reduced by p53-Bad* as measured by the liver-to-body mass ratio and histopathology. p53-Bad* induced significant apoptosis in zebrafish HCC as measured by TUNEL staining but did not induce apoptosis in non-HCC fish. p53-Bad* can induce apoptosis in a panel of liver cancer cell lines with varying p53 mutation statuses and induce apoptosis/reduce HCC tumor burden in vivo in zebrafish. p53-Bad* warrants further investigation as a potential new HCC therapeutic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Redd Bowman
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Lisa Ahne
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
- Institute of Pharmacy, Experimental Pharmacology for Natural Sciences, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany
| | - Liam O'Brien
- Department of Pathology and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Erica R Vander Mause
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Phong Lu
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Bryce Wallis
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Kimberley J Evason
- Department of Pathology and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Carol S Lim
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
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7
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Jin P, Jiang J, Zhou L, Huang Z, Nice EC, Huang C, Fu L. Mitochondrial adaptation in cancer drug resistance: prevalence, mechanisms, and management. J Hematol Oncol 2022; 15:97. [PMID: 35851420 PMCID: PMC9290242 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-022-01313-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance represents a major obstacle in cancer management, and the mechanisms underlying stress adaptation of cancer cells in response to therapy-induced hostile environment are largely unknown. As the central organelle for cellular energy supply, mitochondria can rapidly undergo dynamic changes and integrate cellular signaling pathways to provide bioenergetic and biosynthetic flexibility for cancer cells, which contributes to multiple aspects of tumor characteristics, including drug resistance. Therefore, targeting mitochondria for cancer therapy and overcoming drug resistance has attracted increasing attention for various types of cancer. Multiple mitochondrial adaptation processes, including mitochondrial dynamics, mitochondrial metabolism, and mitochondrial apoptotic regulatory machinery, have been demonstrated to be potential targets. However, recent increasing insights into mitochondria have revealed the complexity of mitochondrial structure and functions, the elusive functions of mitochondria in tumor biology, and the targeting inaccessibility of mitochondria, which have posed challenges for the clinical application of mitochondrial-based cancer therapeutic strategies. Therefore, discovery of both novel mitochondria-targeting agents and innovative mitochondria-targeting approaches is urgently required. Here, we review the most recent literature to summarize the molecular mechanisms underlying mitochondrial stress adaptation and their intricate connection with cancer drug resistance. In addition, an overview of the emerging strategies to target mitochondria for effectively overcoming chemoresistance is highlighted, with an emphasis on drug repositioning and mitochondrial drug delivery approaches, which may accelerate the application of mitochondria-targeting compounds for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingwen Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Edouard C Nice
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Canhua Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China.
| | - Li Fu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Department of Pharmacology and International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, 518060, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
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8
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Cho H, Cho YY, Shim MS, Lee JY, Lee HS, Kang HC. Mitochondria-targeted drug delivery in cancers. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2020; 1866:165808. [PMID: 32333953 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2020.165808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondria are considered one of the most important subcellular organelles for targeting and delivering drugs because mitochondria are the main location for various cellular functions and energy (i.e., ATP) production, and mitochondrial dysfunctions and malfunctions cause diverse diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular disorders, metabolic disorders, and cancers. In particular, unique mitochondrial characteristics (e.g., negatively polarized membrane potential, alkaline pH, high reactive oxygen species level, high glutathione level, high temperature, and paradoxical mitochondrial dynamics) in pathological cancers have been used as targets, signals, triggers, or driving forces for specific sensing/diagnosing/imaging of characteristic changes in mitochondria, targeted drug delivery on mitochondria, targeted drug delivery/accumulation into mitochondria, or stimuli-triggered drug release in mitochondria. In this review, we describe the distinctive structures, functions, and physiological properties of cancer mitochondria and discuss recent technologies of mitochondria-specific "key characteristic" sensing systems, mitochondria-targeted "drug delivery" systems, and mitochondrial stimuli-specific "drug release" systems as well as their strengths and weaknesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana Cho
- Department of Pharmacy and BK21PLUS Team for Creative Leader Program for Pharmacomics-based Future Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Yeon Cho
- Department of Pharmacy and BK21PLUS Team for Creative Leader Program for Pharmacomics-based Future Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Suk Shim
- Division of Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea
| | - Joo Young Lee
- Department of Pharmacy and BK21PLUS Team for Creative Leader Program for Pharmacomics-based Future Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Suk Lee
- Department of Pharmacy and BK21PLUS Team for Creative Leader Program for Pharmacomics-based Future Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
| | - Han Chang Kang
- Department of Pharmacy and BK21PLUS Team for Creative Leader Program for Pharmacomics-based Future Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea.
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Lu P, Bowman KER, Brown SM, Joklik-Mcleod M, Mause ERV, Nguyen HTN, Lim CS. p53-Bad: A Novel Tumor Suppressor/Proapoptotic Factor Hybrid Directed to the Mitochondria for Ovarian Cancer Gene Therapy. Mol Pharm 2019; 16:3386-3398. [PMID: 31241338 PMCID: PMC10760809 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.9b00136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Clinical trials involving p53 gene therapy for ovarian cancer failed due to the dominant negative inhibition of wild-type p53 and multiple genetic aberrations in ovarian cancer. To overcome this problem, we have designed a more potent chimeric gene fusion, called p53-Bad, that combines p53 with the mitochondrial pro-apoptotic factor Bad. Unlike wild-type p53, which acts as a nuclear transcription factor, this novel p53-Bad construct has multiple unique mechanisms of action including a direct and rapid apoptotic effect at the mitochondria. The mitochondrial localization, transcription activity, and apoptotic activity of the constructs were tested. The results suggest that p53 can be effectively targeted to the mitochondria by controlling the phosphorylation of pro-apoptotic Bad, which can only localize to the mitochondria when Ser-112 and Ser-136 of Bad are unphosphorylated. By introducing S112A and S136A mutations, p53-Bad fusion cannot be phosphorylated at these two sites and always localizes to the mitochondria. p53-Bad constructs also have superior activity over p53 and Bad alone. The apoptotic activity is consistent in many ovarian cancer cell lines regardless of the endogenous p53 status. Both p53 and the BH3 domain of Bad contribute to the superior activity of p53-Bad. Our data suggests that p53-Bad fusions are capable of inducing apoptosis and should be further pursued for gene therapy for ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phong Lu
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Katherine E. Redd Bowman
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Sarah M. Brown
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Madeline Joklik-Mcleod
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Erica R. Vander Mause
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Han T. N. Nguyen
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Carol S. Lim
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
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Lu P, Vander Mause ER, Redd Bowman KE, Brown SM, Ahne L, Lim CS. Mitochondrially targeted p53 or DBD subdomain is superior to wild type p53 in ovarian cancer cells even with strong dominant negative mutant p53. J Ovarian Res 2019; 12:45. [PMID: 31092272 PMCID: PMC6521536 DOI: 10.1186/s13048-019-0516-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background While tumor suppressor p53 functions primarily as a transcription factor in the nucleus, cellular stress can cause p53 to translocate to the mitochondria and directly trigger a rapid apoptotic response. We have previously shown that fusing p53 (or its DNA binding domain, DBD, alone) to the mitochondrial targeting signal (MTS) from Bak or Bax can target p53 to the mitochondria and induce apoptosis in gynecological cancer cell lines including cervical cancer cells (HeLa; wt p53), ovarian cancer cells (SKOV-3; p53 267del non-expressing), and breast cancer cells (T47D; L194F p53 mutation). However, p53 with Bak or Bax MTSs have not been previously tested in cancers with strong dominant negative (DN) mutant p53 which are capable of inactivating wt p53 by homo-oligomerization. Since p53-Bak or Bax MTS constructs act as monomers, they are not subject to DN inhibition. For this study, the utility of p53-Bak or p53-Bax MTS constructs was tested for ovarian cancers which are known to have varying p53 statuses, including a strong DN contact mutant p53 (Ovcar-3 cells), a p53 DN structural mutant (Kuramochi cells), and a p53 wild type, low expressing cells (ID8). Results Our mitochondrial p53 constructs were tested for their ability to localize to the mitochondria in both mutant non-expressing p53 (Skov-3) and p53 structural mutant (Kuramochi) cell lines using fluorescence microscopy and a nuclear transcriptional activity assay. The apoptotic activity of these mitochondrial constructs was determined using a mitochondrial outer membrane depolarization assay (TMRE), caspase assay, and a late stage cell death assay (7-AAD). We also tested the possibility of using our constructs with paclitaxel, the current standard of care in ovarian cancer treatment. Our data indicates that our mitochondrial p53 constructs are able to effectively localize to the mitochondria in cancer cells with structural mutant p53 and induce apoptosis in many ovarian cancer cell lines with different p53 statuses. These constructs can also be used in combination with paclitaxel for an increased apoptotic effect. Conclusions The results suggest that targeting p53 to mitochondria can be a new strategy for ovarian cancer treatment. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13048-019-0516-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phong Lu
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah, 30 S 2000 E Rm 301, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Erica R Vander Mause
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah, 30 S 2000 E Rm 301, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Katherine E Redd Bowman
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah, 30 S 2000 E Rm 301, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Sarah M Brown
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah, 30 S 2000 E Rm 301, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Lisa Ahne
- Philipps-Universitat Marburg, Biegenstraße 10, Marburg, 35037, Germany
| | - Carol S Lim
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah, 30 S 2000 E Rm 301, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
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11
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Bowman KR, Kim JH, Lim CS. Narrowing the field: cancer-specific promoters for mitochondrially-targeted p53-BH3 fusion gene therapy in ovarian cancer. J Ovarian Res 2019; 12:38. [PMID: 31039796 PMCID: PMC6492428 DOI: 10.1186/s13048-019-0514-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite years of research, the treatment options and mortality rate for ovarian cancer remain relatively stagnant. Resistance to chemotherapy and high heterogeneity in mutations contribute to ovarian cancer's lethality, including many mutations in tumor suppressor p53. Though wild type p53 gene therapy clinical trials failed in ovarian cancer, mitochondrially-targeted p53 fusion constructs, including a fusion with pro-apoptotic protein Bad, have shown much higher apoptotic potential than wild type p53 in vitro. Due to the inherent toxicities of mitochondrial apoptosis, cancer-specificity for the p53 fusion constructs must be developed. Cancer-specific promoters such as hTERT, hTC, Brms1, and Ran have shown promise in ovarian cancer. RESULTS Of five different lengths of hTERT promoter, the - 279/+ 5 length relative to the transcription start site showed the highest activity across a panel of ovarian cancer cells. In addition to - 279/+ 5, promoters hTC (an hTERT/CMV promoter hybrid), Brms1, and Ran were tested as drivers of mitochondrially-targeted p53-Bad and p53-Bad* fusion gene therapy constructs. p53-Bad* displayed cancer-specific killing in all ovarian cancer cell lines when driven by hTC, - 279/+ 5, or Brms1. CONCLUSIONS Cancer-specific promoters hTC, - 279/+ 5, and Brms1 all display promise in driving p53-Bad* gene therapy for treatment of ovarian cancer and should be moved forward into in vivo studies. -279/+ 5 displays lower expression levels in fewer cells, but greater cancer specificity, rendering it most useful for gene therapeutics with high toxicity to normal cells. hTC and Brms1 show higher transfection and expression levels with some cancer specificity, making them ideal for lowering toxicity in order to increase dose without as much of a reduction in the number of cancer cells expressing the gene construct. Having a variety of promoters available means that patient genetic testing can aid in choosing a promoter, thereby increasing cancer-specificity and giving patients with ovarian cancer a greater chance at survival.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ji Hoon Kim
- New York University, 31 Washington Pl, New York, NY 10003 USA
| | - Carol S. Lim
- University of Utah, 30 S 2000 E Room #301, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
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12
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Ma J, Niu W, Wang X, Zhou Y, Wang H, Liu F, Liu Y, Guo J, Xiong W, Zeng Z, Fan S, Li X, Nie X, Li G, Gui R, Luo Y, Zhou M. Bromodomain‑containing protein 7 sensitizes breast cancer cells to paclitaxel by activating Bcl2‑antagonist/killer protein. Oncol Rep 2018; 41:1487-1496. [PMID: 30592293 PMCID: PMC6365691 DOI: 10.3892/or.2018.6951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Our previous study demonstrated that bromodomain‑containing protein 7 (BRD7) inhibits cell proliferation and tumor growth, restoring the expression of B‑cell lymphoma 2 antagonist/killer (Bak) sensitized breast cancer cells to paclitaxel. However, the association between BRD7 and paclitaxel sensitization, as well as BRD7 and Bak in breast cancer remains unknown. In the present study, immunochemical staining was performed to measure the expression of BRD7 and Bak in breast cancer tissues. Cell Counting Kit‑8 assay, flow cytometry and tumor xenograft procedures were performed to evaluate the biological role of BRD7 and Bak in breast cancer cells. Western blotting, reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction, chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays were also performed. BRD7 was positively correlated with Bak levels in breast cancer tissues, and the survival rate of patients with low Bak and BRD7 expression was significantly lower than that of patients with high Bak and BRD7 expression. In addition, BRD7 activated Bak promoter activity and induced Bak expression in an indirect manner. Furthermore, ectopic expression of BRD7 inhibited cell proliferation, tumor growth and sensitized cancer cells to paclitaxel, while knockdown of Bak abolished BRD7‑mediated inhibitory effects on cell proliferation and paclitaxel sensitization in breast cancer cells whether in vitro and in vivo. The results demonstrated that BRD7 inhibits cell proliferation and sensitizes breast cancer cells to paclitaxel by activating Bak; they also provide promising targets for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinqi Ma
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of The Chinese Ministry of Health and The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, P.R. China
| | - Weihong Niu
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, P.R. China
| | - Xinye Wang
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, P.R. China
| | - Yao Zhou
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, P.R. China
| | - Heran Wang
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, P.R. China
| | - Fengxia Liu
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The Third Xiang‑Ya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, P.R. China
| | - Yukun Liu
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, P.R. China
| | - Jie Guo
- National Institution of Drug Clinical Trial, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, P.R. China
| | - Wei Xiong
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, P.R. China
| | - Zhaoyang Zeng
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, P.R. China
| | - Songqing Fan
- Department of Pathology, The Second Xiang‑Ya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoling Li
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, P.R. China
| | - Xinmin Nie
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The Third Xiang‑Ya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, P.R. China
| | - Guiyuan Li
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, P.R. China
| | - Rong Gui
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The Third Xiang‑Ya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, P.R. China
| | - Yanwei Luo
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of The Chinese Ministry of Health and The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, P.R. China
| | - Ming Zhou
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of The Chinese Ministry of Health and The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, P.R. China
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13
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Li S, Yang L, Wang J, Liang F, Chang B, Gu H, Wang H, Yang G, Chen Y. Analysis of the chemotherapeutic effects of a propadiene compound on malignant ovarian cancer cells. Oncotarget 2018; 7:57145-57159. [PMID: 27494891 PMCID: PMC5302979 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer is most lethal in female reproductive carcinomas owing to the high chemoresistance and metastasis, so more efficient therapeutic agents are terribly needed. A propadiene compound: 1-phenylpropadienyl phosphine oxide (PHPO), was employed to test the chemotherapeutic efficacy against ovarian cancer cell lines. MTT assay showed that PHPO displayed a much lower IC50 than cisplatin and paclitaxel, while combination treatment of cells with PHPO + cisplatin induced more apoptosis than with PHPO + paclitaxel or with cisplatin + paclitaxel (p < 0.05). Animal assays demonstrated that subcutaneous tumor growth was highly inhibited by PHPO + cisplatin, compared with that inhibited by PHPO or by cisplatin treatment alone, indicating PHPO and cisplatin may have synergistic effects against ovarian cancer growth. We also found that PHPO induced few side effects on animals, compared with cisplatin. Mechanistic studies suggested that treatment of cells with PHPO or with PHPO + cisplatin differentially inhibited the PI3K/Akt, MAPK and ATM/Chk2 pathways, which consequently suppressed the anti-apoptotic factors Bcl-xL, Bcl-2 and XIAP, but activated the pro-apoptotic factors Bad, Bax, p53, caspase 9, caspase 8, caspase 7 and PARP. Taken together, PHPO may induce cell apoptosis through multiple signal pathways, especially when used along with cisplatin. Therefore, PHPO may be explored as a prospective agent to effectively treat ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuqing Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Lina Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jingshu Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Fan Liang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Bin Chang
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Huafen Gu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Honglin Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Gong Yang
- Cancer Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.,Central laboratory, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yaping Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai 200240, China
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14
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Yao X, Tang H, Ren Q, Zhao X, Zuo H, Li Z. Inhibited effects of CAPE- pNO 2 on cervical carcinoma in vivo and in vitro and its detected metabolites. Oncotarget 2017; 8:94197-94209. [PMID: 29212221 PMCID: PMC5706867 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.21617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of advanced cervical cancer therapies is a particularly urgent need due to the strong side effects and toxicities of current treatments. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) exhibits broad-spectrum antitumor activities and little toxicity or side effects. In our previous study, caffeic acid para-nitro phenethyl ester (CAPE-pNO2) significantly improved the effect of anti-platelet aggregation and attenuated myocardial ischemia. Based on this finding, we aimed to further explore the antitumor activity of CAPE-pNO2 in cervical cancer cells and tumor xenografts. In addition, we assessed the biotransformation of CAPE-pNO2 in cervical cancer cells. Our study demonstrated that both CAPE and CAPE-pNO2 can inhibit cell proliferation via the induction of G2/M cell cycle arrest. More importantly, CAPE-pNO2 dramatically induced cell apoptosis via significant down-regulation of pro-caspase-3, pro-caspase-9, Bcl-2, Cyclin B1 and Cdc2 and up-regulation of cleaved-caspase-3, Bax, CytoC and P21Cip1. Moreover, CAPE and CAPE-pNO2 significantly suppressed the growth and angiogenesis of nude mice xenografts. CAPE and CAPE-pNO2 were found to degrade into four and six metabolites, respectively. The metabolites of CAPE and CAPE-pNO2 were different, and the major metabolic pathway may be phase II reactions. These results suggest that CAPE-pNO2 induced cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest via a strong regulatory effect on relevant apoptotic proteins. Therefore, CAPE-pNO2 should be further studied as a potent anti-cancer agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofang Yao
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.,International Academy of Targeted Therapeutics and Innovation, Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences, Chongqing 402160, China
| | - Hao Tang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Qiao Ren
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhao
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Hua Zuo
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Zhubo Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
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15
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Lu P, Bruno BJ, Rabenau M, Lim CS. Delivery of drugs and macromolecules to the mitochondria for cancer therapy. J Control Release 2015; 240:38-51. [PMID: 26482081 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2015.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Revised: 10/05/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondria are organelles that have pivotal functions in producing the energy necessary for life and executing the cell death pathway. Targeting drugs and macromolecules to the mitochondria may provide an effective means of inducing cell death for cancer therapy, and has been actively pursued in the last decade. This review will provide a brief overview of mitochondrial structure and function, how it relates to cancer, and importantly, will discuss different strategies of mitochondrial delivery including delivery using small molecules, peptides, genes encoding proteins and MTSs, and targeting polymers/nanoparticles with payloads to the mitochondria. The advantages and disadvantages for each strategy will be discussed. Specific examples using the latest strategies for mitochondrial targeting will be evaluated, as well as potential opportunities for specific mitochondrial compartment localization, which may lead to improvements in mitochondrial therapeutics. Future perspectives in mitochondrial targeting of drugs and macromolecules will be discussed. Currently this is an under-explored area that is prime for new discoveries in cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phong Lu
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, 30 S. 2000 E., University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Benjamin J Bruno
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, 30 S. 2000 E., University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Malena Rabenau
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmacy, Phillips-Universität, 35037 Marburg, Germany
| | - Carol S Lim
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, 30 S. 2000 E., University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
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16
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Luo Y, Wang X, Wang H, Xu Y, Wen Q, Fan S, Zhao R, Jiang S, Yang J, Liu Y, Li X, Xiong W, Ma J, Peng S, Zeng Z, Li X, Phillips JB, Li G, Tan M, Zhou M. High Bak Expression Is Associated with a Favorable Prognosis in Breast Cancer and Sensitizes Breast Cancer Cells to Paclitaxel. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0138955. [PMID: 26406239 PMCID: PMC4583467 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2015] [Accepted: 09/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer has become the leading cause of cancer-related death among women. A large number of patients become resistant to drug chemotherapy. Paclitaxel (Taxol) is an effective chemotherapeutic agent used to treat cancer patients. Taxol has been widely used in human malignancies including breast cancer because it can stabilize microtubules resulting in cell death by causing an arrest during the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. Pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 antagonist killer 1 (Bak) plays an important role in Taxol-induced apoptosis in breast cancer. In our present study, we investigated the expression of the Bak protein and clinicopathological correlations in a large sample of breast cancer tissues by immunohistochemistry. We found that the percentage of high scores of Bak expression in breast cancer was significantly lower than that of the non-cancerous breast control tissue. In addition, lower Bak expression was positively associated with the clinical TNM stage of breast cancer with a significant decrease in overall survival compared with those with higher Bak expression especially in the Luminal and HER2 subtypes. Importantly, higher Bak expression predicted a favorable clinical outcome in the cases treated with Taxol indicated by a higher overall survival than that of patients with lower Bak expression especially in Luminal and HER2 subtypes. Furthermore, these results were confirmed in vitro since overexpression of Bak sensitized breast cancer cells to Taxol by inhibiting proliferation and promoting apoptosis; in contrast, downregulation of Bak through siRNA transfection inhibited Taxol induced-apoptosis. Therefore, our results demonstrate that Bak acts as a sensitive biomarker and favorable prognostic factor for Taxol treatment in breast cancer. The restoration of Bak expression would be therapeutically beneficial for Taxol resistant breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanwei Luo
- The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, P. R. China
| | - Xinye Wang
- The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, P. R. China
| | - Heran Wang
- The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, P. R. China
| | - Yang Xu
- The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, P. R. China
| | - Qiuyuan Wen
- The Second Xiang-Ya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, P. R. China
| | - Songqing Fan
- The Second Xiang-Ya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, P. R. China
| | - Ran Zhao
- The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, P. R. China
| | - Shihe Jiang
- The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, P. R. China
| | - Jing Yang
- The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, P. R. China
| | - Yukun Liu
- The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, P. R. China
| | - Xiayu Li
- The Third Xiang-Ya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, P. R. China
| | - Wei Xiong
- The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, P. R. China
| | - Jian Ma
- The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, P. R. China
| | - Shuping Peng
- The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, P. R. China
| | - Zhaoyang Zeng
- The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoling Li
- The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, P. R. China
| | - Joshua B. Phillips
- Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, 36604, United States of America
| | - Guiyuan Li
- The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, P. R. China
| | - Ming Tan
- Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, 36604, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MT); (MZ)
| | - Ming Zhou
- The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, P. R. China
- * E-mail: (MT); (MZ)
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