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Dos Santos DZ, Elbaz M, Branchard E, Schormann W, Brown CE, Meek AR, Njar VCO, Hamilton RJ, Reed MA, Andrews DW, Penn LZ. Sterol-like drugs potentiate statin-triggered prostate cancer cell death by inhibiting SREBP2 nuclear translocation. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 177:116934. [PMID: 38889639 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116934] [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: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
There is an urgent need to provide immediate and effective options for the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) to prevent progression to lethal castration-resistant PCa (CRPC). The mevalonate (MVA) pathway is dysregulated in PCa, and statin drugs commonly prescribed for hypercholesterolemia, effectively target this pathway. Statins exhibit anti-PCa activity, however the resulting intracellular depletion of cholesterol triggers a feedback loop that restores MVA pathway activity, thus diminishing statin efficacy and contributing to resistance. To identify drugs that block this feedback response and enhance the pro-apoptotic activity of statins, we performed a high-content image-based screen of a 1508 drug library, enriched for FDA-approved compounds. Two of the validated hits, Galeterone (GAL) and Quinestrol, share the cholesterol-related tetracyclic structure, which is also evident in the FDA-approved CRPC drug Abiraterone (ABI). Molecular modeling revealed that GAL, Quinestrol and ABI not only share structural similarity with 25-hydroxy-cholesterol (25HC) but were also predicted to bind similarly to a known protein-binding site of 25HC. This suggested GAL, Quinestrol and ABI are sterol-mimetics and thereby inhibit the statin-induced feedback response. Cell-based assays demonstrated that these agents inhibit nuclear translocation of sterol-regulatory element binding protein 2 (SREBP2) and the transcription of MVA genes. Sensitivity was independent of androgen status and the Fluva-GAL combination significantly impeded CRPC tumor xenograft growth. By identifying cholesterol-mimetic drugs that inhibit SREBP2 activation upon statin treatment, we provide a potent "one-two punch" against CRPC progression and pave the way for innovative therapeutic strategies to combat additional diseases whose etiology is associated with SREBP2 dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mohamad Elbaz
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, 101 College Street, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University, Ain Helwan, Helwan, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Emily Branchard
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, 101 College Street, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Wiebke Schormann
- Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Carla E Brown
- Krembil Research Institute, 60 Leonard Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Autumn R Meek
- Krembil Research Institute, 60 Leonard Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Vincent C O Njar
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; The Center for Biomolecular Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Robert J Hamilton
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark A Reed
- Krembil Research Institute, 60 Leonard Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical Sciences Building,1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto, M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Chemistry, Lash Miller Building, 80 St. George Street, University of Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - David W Andrews
- Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, 27 King's College Cir, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, 101 College Street, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Linda Z Penn
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, 101 College Street, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, 101 College Street, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada.
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Coradini D. Impact of De Novo Cholesterol Biosynthesis on the Initiation and Progression of Breast Cancer. Biomolecules 2024; 14:64. [PMID: 38254664 PMCID: PMC10813427 DOI: 10.3390/biom14010064] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Cholesterol (CHOL) is a multifaceted lipid molecule. It is an essential structural component of cell membranes, where it cooperates in regulating the intracellular trafficking and signaling pathways. Additionally, it serves as a precursor for vital biomolecules, including steroid hormones, isoprenoids, vitamin D, and bile acids. Although CHOL is normally uptaken from the bloodstream, cells can synthesize it de novo in response to an increased requirement due to physiological tissue remodeling or abnormal proliferation, such as in cancer. Cumulating evidence indicated that increased CHOL biosynthesis is a common feature of breast cancer and is associated with the neoplastic transformation of normal mammary epithelial cells. After an overview of the multiple biological activities of CHOL and its derivatives, this review will address the impact of de novo CHOL production on the promotion of breast cancer with a focus on mammary stem cells. The review will also discuss the effect of de novo CHOL production on in situ and invasive carcinoma and its impact on the response to adjuvant treatment. Finally, the review will discuss the present and future therapeutic strategies to normalize CHOL biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danila Coradini
- Laboratory of Medical Statistics and Biometry, "Giulio A. Maccacaro", Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Campus Cascina Rosa, 20133 Milan, Italy
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Cappello A, Tosetti G, Smirnov A, Ganini C, Yang X, Shi Y, Wang Y, Melino G, Bernassola F, Candi E. p63 orchestrates serine and one carbon metabolism enzymes expression in head and neck cancer. Biol Direct 2023; 18:73. [PMID: 37946250 PMCID: PMC10636826 DOI: 10.1186/s13062-023-00426-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is characterized by high proliferation and limited differentiation. The altered expression of the p53 family members, and specifically of p63, represents a pivotal event in the pathogenesis of HNSCC. Physiologically, p63 affects metabolism through the direct transactivation of the enzyme hexokinase 2, and subsequently controls the proliferation of epithelial cells; nonetheless, its role in cancer metabolism is still largely unclear. The high energetic demand of cancer and the consequent needs of a metabolic reshape, also involve the serine and glycine catabolic and anabolic pathways, including the one carbon metabolism (OCM), to produce energetic compounds (purines) and to maintain cellular homeostasis (glutathione and S-adenosylmethionine). RESULTS The involvement in serine/glycine starvation by other p53 family members has been reported, including HNSCC. Here, we show that in HNSCC p63 controls the expression of the enzymes regulating the serine biosynthesis and one carbon metabolism. p63 binds the promoter region of genes involved in the serine biosynthesis as well as in the one carbon metabolism. p63 silencing in a HNSCC cell line affects the mRNA and protein levels of these selected enzymes. Moreover, the higher expression of TP63 and its target enzymes, negatively impacts on the overall survival of HNSCC patients. CONCLUSION These data indicate a direct role of p63 in the metabolic regulation of HNSCC with significant clinical effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Cappello
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133, Rome, Italy
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", 70121, Bari, Italy
| | - Giulia Tosetti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Artem Smirnov
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133, Rome, Italy
- Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata, IDI-IRCCS, 00167, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Ganini
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", 70121, Bari, Italy
- Division of Medical Oncology, A.O.U. Policlinico di Bari, 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Xue Yang
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133, Rome, Italy
- Department of Tumor Immunology and Gene Therapy Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, China
- National Center for Liver Cancer, Shanghai, 201805, China
| | - Yufang Shi
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University and State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Institute for Translational Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Ying Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Gerry Melino
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Bernassola
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Eleonora Candi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133, Rome, Italy.
- Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata, IDI-IRCCS, 00167, Rome, Italy.
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Correia AS, Marques L, Vale N. The Involvement of Hypoxia in the Response of Neuroblastoma Cells to the Exposure of Atorvastatin. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:3333-3346. [PMID: 37185742 PMCID: PMC10137104 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45040218] [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: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a set of complex diseases, being one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Despite a lot of research on the molecular pathways and effective treatments, there are still huge gaps. Indeed, the development of new anti-cancer drugs is a complex process. To face this problem, drug repurposing is being increasingly applied. This approach aims to identify new indications for already approved drugs. In this regard, statins (clinically used for reducing cholesterol levels) are reported to induce anti-cancer effects, particularly by inducing apoptosis and altering the tumor microenvironment. Atorvastatin is a type of statin with several potentialities as an anti-cancer agent, supported by several studies. Our study aimed to explore the effect of this drug in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. Additionally, we also aimed to understand how this drug acts under hypoxia and the inhibition of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1). For that purpose, we assessed cellular viability/morphology after exposure to different concentrations of atorvastatin, with or without chemically induced hypoxia with chloride cobalt (CoCl2) and with or without echinomycin (HIF-1α inhibitor). Our results supported the cytotoxic effects of atorvastatin. Additionally, we also revealed that besides these effects, under hypoxia, this drug induced proliferation of the neuroblastoma cells, supporting the importance of different stimuli and environment on the effect of drugs on cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Salomé Correia
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- CINTESIS@RISE, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Lara Marques
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
- CINTESIS@RISE, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Vale
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
- CINTESIS@RISE, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
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