C12, a combretastatin-A4 analog, exerts anticancer activity by targeting microtubules

Orai1 and Orai3 act through distinct signalling axes to promote stemness and tumorigenicity of breast cancer stem cells

BACKGROUND

One of major challenges in breast tumor therapy is the existence of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs). BCSCs are a small subpopulation of tumor cells that exhibit characteristics of stem cells. BCSCs are responsible for progression, recurrence, chemoresistance and metastasis of breast cancer. Ca2+ signalling plays an important role in diverse processes in cancer development. However, the role of Ca2+ signalling in BCSCs is still poorly understood.

METHODS

A highly effective 3D soft fibrin gel system was used to enrich BCSC-like cells from ER+ breast cancer lines MCF7 and MDA-MB-415. We then investigated the role of two Ca2+-permeable ion channels Orai1 and Orai3 in the growth and stemness of BCSC-like cells in vitro, and tumorigenicity in female NOD/SCID mice in vivo.

RESULTS

Orai1 RNA silencing and pharmacological inhibition reduced the growth of BCSC-like cells in tumor spheroids, decreased the expression levels of BCSC markers, and reduced the growth of tumor xenografts in NOD/SCID mice. Orai3 RNA silencing also had similar inhibitory effect on the growth and stemness of BCSC-like cells in vitro, and tumor xenograft growth in vivo. Mechanistically, Orai1 and SPCA2 mediate store-operated Ca2+ entry. Knockdown of Orai1 or SPCA2 inhibited glycolysis pathway, whereas knockdown of Orai3 or STIM1 had no effect on glycolysis.

CONCLUSION

We found that Orai1 interacts with SPCA2 to mediate store-independent Ca2+ entry, subsequently promoting the growth and tumorigenicity of BCSC-like cells via glycolysis pathway. In contrast, Orai3 and STIM1 mediate store-operated Ca2+ entry, promoting the growth and tumorigenicity of BCSC-like cells via a glycolysis-independent pathway. Together, our study uncovered a well-orchestrated mechanism through which two Ca2+ entry pathways act through distinct signalling axes to finely control the growth and tumorigenicity of BCSCs.

Microtubule depolymerization induces ferroptosis in neuroblastoma cells

Estramustine (EM), a clinically successful hormone-refractory anti-prostate cancer drug, exhibited potent anti-proliferative activity, depolymerized microtubules, blocked cells at mitosis, and induced cell death in different cancer cells. Altered iron metabolism is a feature of cancer cells. Using EM, we examined the plausible relationship between microtubule depolymerization and induction of ferroptosis in human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y and IMR-32) cells. EM reduced glutathione (GSH) levels and induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. The pre-treatment of neuroblastoma cells with ROS scavengers (N-acetyl cysteine and dithiothreitol) reduced the anti-proliferative effects of EM. EM treatment increased labile iron pool (LIP), depleted glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) levels, and lipid peroxidation, hallmark features of ferroptosis, highlighting ferroptosis induction. Ferroptosis inhibitors (deferoxamine mesylate and liproxstatin-1) abrogated the cytotoxic effects of EM, further confirming ferroptosis induction. Vinblastine and nocodazole also increased LIP and induced lipid peroxidation in neuroblastoma cells. This study provides evidence for the coupling of microtubule integrity to ferroptosis. The results also suggest that microtubule-depolymerizing agents may be considered for developing pro-ferroptosis chemotherapeutics.

Development of QTMP: A promising anticancer agent through NP-Privileged Motif-Driven structural modulation

In this study of creating new molecules from clinical trial agents, an approach of Combretastatin structural modulation with the installation of NP-privileged motifs was considered, and a series of trimethoxyphenyl-2-aminoimidazole with functionalized quinolines and isoquinolines was investigated. An exciting method of quinoline C3-H iodination coupled with imidazopyridine-C3-H arylation and hydrazine-mediated fused-ring cleavage enabled synthesizing a class of compounds with two specific unsymmetric aryl substitutions. Interestingly, three compounds (6, 11, and 13) strongly inhibited HeLa cell proliferation with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (10-46 nM). Among the compounds, compound 6 (QTMP) showed stronger antiproliferative ability than CA-4 (a clinical trial agent) in various cancer cell lines, including cervical, lung, breast, highly metastatic breast, and melanoma cells. QTMP inhibited the assembly of purified tubulin, depolymerized microtubules of A549 lung carcinoma cells, produced defective spindles, and arrested the cells in the G2/M phase. Further, QTMP binds to the colchicine site in tubulin with a dissociation constant of 5.0 ± 0.6 µM. QTMP displayed higher aqueous stability than CA-4 at 37 °C. Further, in silico analysis of QTMP indicated excellent drug-like properties, including good aqueous solubility, balanced hydrophilicity-lipophilicity, and high GI-absorption ability. The results together suggest that QTMP has anticancer potential.

Silicon switch: Carbon-silicon Bioisosteric replacement as a strategy to modulate the selectivity, physicochemical, and drug-like properties in anticancer pharmacophores

Bioisosterism is one of the leading strategies in medicinal chemistry for the design and modification of drugs, consisting in replacing an atom or a substituent with a different atom or a group with similar chemical properties and an inherent biocompatibility. The objective of such an exercise is to produce a diversity of molecules with similar behavior while enhancing the desire biological and pharmacological properties, without inducing significant changes to the chemical framework. In drug discovery and development, the optimization of the absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, and toxicity (ADMETox) profile is of paramount importance. Silicon appears to be the right choice as a carbon isostere because they possess very similar intrinsic properties. However, the replacement of a carbon by a silicon atom in pharmaceuticals has proven to result in improved efficacy and selectivity, while enhancing physicochemical properties and bioavailability. The current review discusses how silicon has been strategically introduced to modulate drug-like properties of anticancer agents, from a molecular design strategy, biological activity, computational modeling, and structure-activity relationships perspectives.

Copper-Plumbagin Complex Produces Potent Anticancer Effects by Depolymerizing Microtubules and Inducing Reactive Oxygen Species and DNA Damage

Here, we have synthesized a copper complex of plumbagin (Cu-PLN) and investigated its antiproliferative activities in different cancer cells. The crystal structure of Cu-PLN showed that the complex was square planar with a binding stoichiometry of 1:2 (Cu/Plumbagin). Cu-PLN inhibited the proliferation of human cervical carcinoma (HeLa), human breast cancer (MCF-7), and murine melanoma (B16F10) cells with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of 0.85 ± 0.05, 2.3 ± 0.1, and 1.1 ± 0.1 μM, respectively. Plumbagin inhibited the proliferation of HeLa, MCF-7, and B16F10 cells with IC50 of 7 ± 0.1, 8.2 ± 0.2, and 6.2 ± 0.4 μM, respectively, showing that Cu-PLN is a stronger antiproliferative agent than plumbagin. Interestingly, Cu-PLN showed much stronger toxicity against breast carcinoma and skin melanoma cells than noncancerous breast epithelial and skin fibroblast cells, indicating its specific cytotoxicity toward cancer cells. A short exposure of Cu-PLN triggered microtubule disassembly in cultured cancer cells, and the complex also inhibited the polymerization of purified tubulin much more strongly than plumbagin. Furthermore, Cu-PLN inhibited the binding of colchicine to tubulin. In addition to microtubule depolymerization, the antiproliferative mechanism of Cu-PLN involved induction of reactive oxygen species, reduction of the mitochondrial membrane potential, and DNA damage. Moreover, the cytotoxic effects of Cu-PLN reduced significantly in cells pre-treated with N-acetyl cysteine, suggesting that reactive oxygen species generation is crucial in Cu-PLN's mode of action. Thus, the complexation of plumbagin with copper yields a promising antitumor agent having a stronger antiproliferative activity than cisplatin, a widely used anticancer drug.

Advances in antitumor research of CA-4 analogs carrying quinoline scaffold

Combretastatin A-4 (CA-4) is a potent inhibitor of tubulin polymerization and a colchicine binding site inhibitor (CBSI). The structure-activity relationship study of CA-4 showed that the cis double bond configuration and the 3,4,5-trimethoxy group on the A ring were important factors to maintain the activity of CA-4. Therefore, starting from this condition, chemists modified the double bond and also substituted 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl with various heterocycles, resulting in a new generation of CA-4 analogs such as chalcone, Flavonoid derivatives, indole, imidazole, etc. Quinoline derivatives have strong biological activity and have been sought after by major researchers for their antitumor activity in recent years. This article reviews the research progress of novel CA-4 containing quinoline analogs in anti-tumor from 1992 to 2022 and expounds on the pharmacological mechanisms of these effective compounds, including but not limited to apoptosis, cell cycle, tubulin polymerization inhibition, immune Fluorescence experiments, etc., which lay the foundation for the subsequent development of CA-4 containing quinoline analogs for clinical use.

Investigating Tubulin-Drug Interaction Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Fluorescence spectroscopy is routinely used for the determination of the interaction of a ligand with a protein. The quick detection of the interaction between the ligand and the protein is one of the most significant advantages of fluorescence spectroscopic methods. In this chapter, we have described assays to monitor drug -tubulin interactions using several fluorescence spectroscopic techniques. We have provided detailed protocols for different assays for investigating tubulin-drug interactions with key practical considerations for performing the experiments. We have also discussed how to deduce the binding parameters by fitting the fluorescence change data in different binding isotherms. Further, we have described detailed protocols to monitor the binding site of a ligand on tubulin by competitive inhibition. Though the methods are described for tubulin, these methods can also be used to monitor any drug -protein interactions.

Monitoring the Disruptive Effects of Tubulin-Binding Agents on Cellular Microtubules

Tubulin-binding agents are an important class of chemotherapeutic agents. This chapter describes detailed protocols to examine the effects of tubulin-binding agents on cellular microtubules. The methods can be utilized for the screening of novel chemotherapeutic agents targeting microtubules. These assays can also be extended to study the effects of various proteins on the stability of microtubules. We have described five assays, which together provides qualitative and quantitative information about the effects of tubulin-binding agents on microtubule stability and dynamics. The key steps and crucial information regarding different steps have been included along with the theory of each of the assays.

Design, Synthesis, and Antipoliferative Activities of Novel Substituted Imidazole-Thione Linked Benzotriazole Derivatives

A new series of benzotriazole moiety bearing substituted imidazol-2-thiones at N1 has been designed, synthesized and evaluated for in vitro anticancer activity against the different cancer cell lines MCF-7(breast cancer), HL-60 (Human promyelocytic leukemia), and HCT-116 (colon cancer). Most of the benzotriazole analogues exhibited promising antiproliferative activity against tested cancer cell lines. Among all the synthesized compounds, BI9 showed potent activity against the cancer cell lines such as MCF-7, HL-60 and HCT-116 with IC50 3.57, 0.40 and 2.63 µM, respectively. Compound BI9 was taken up for elaborate biological studies and the HL-60 cells in the cell cycle were arrested in G2/M phase. Compound BI9 showed remarkable inhibition of tubulin polymerization with the colchicine binding site of tubulin. In addition, compound BI9 promoted apoptosis by regulating the expression of pro-apoptotic protein BAX and anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2. These results provide guidance for further rational development of potent tubulin polymerization inhibitors for the treatment of cancer.

Hyperthermia induced disruption of mechanical balance leads to G1 arrest and senescence in cells

Human body temperature limits below 40°C during heat stroke or fever. The implications of prolonged exposure to the physiologically relevant temperature (40°C) on cellular mechanobiology is poorly understood. Here, we have examined the effects of heat stress (40°C for 72 h incubation) in human lung adenocarcinoma (A549), mouse melanoma (B16F10), and non-cancerous mouse origin adipose tissue cells (L929). Hyperthermia increased the level of ROS, γ-H2AX and HSP70 and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in the cells. Heat stress impaired cell division, caused G1 arrest, induced cellular senescence, and apoptosis in all the tested cell lines. The cells incubated at 40°C for 72 h displayed a significant decrease in the f-actin level and cellular traction as compared with cells incubated at 37°C. Also, the cells showed a larger focal adhesion area and stronger adhesion at 40°C than at 37°C. The mitotic cells at 40°C were unable to round up properly and displayed retracting actin stress fibers. Hyperthermia down-regulated HDAC6, increased the acetylation level of microtubules, and perturbed the chromosome alignment in the mitotic cells at 40°C. Overexpression of HDAC6 rescued the cells from the G1 arrest and reduced the delay in cell rounding at 40°C suggesting a crucial role of HDAC6 in hyperthermia mediated responses. This study elucidates the significant role of cellular traction, focal adhesions, and cytoskeletal networks in mitotic cell rounding and chromosomal misalignment. It also highlights the significance of HDAC6 in heat-evoked senile cellular responses.

Microtubule-targeting agents impair kinesin-2-dependent nuclear transport of β-catenin: Evidence of inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling as an important antitumor mechanism of microtubule-targeting agents

An aberrant accumulation of nuclear β-catenin is closely associated with the augmentation of cancer malignancy. In this work, we report that several microtubule-targeting agents (MTAs) such as vinblastine, taxol, and C12 (combretastatin-2-aminoimidazole analog) inhibit Wnt/β-catenin signaling in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). We showed that the inhibition of microtubule dynamics by MTAs decreased the level of β-catenin by increasing Axin and adenomatous polyposis coli levels and reducing the level of dishevelled. Furthermore, MTAs strongly reduced the localization of β-catenin in the nucleus. The reduction in the level of nuclear β-catenin was neither due to the degradation of β-catenin in the nucleus nor due to an increase in the export of nuclear β-catenin from the nucleus. A motor protein kinesin-2 was found to assist the nuclear transportation of β-catenin. Interestingly, Wnt/β-catenin signaling antagonist treatment synergized with MTAs and the activators of Wnt/β-catenin signaling antagonized with the MTAs. C12 potently suppressed the growth of 4-Nitroquinoline 1-oxide-induced OSCC in the tongue of C57 black 6 mice and also abrogated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in the tumor. Our results provide evidence that the decrease in Wnt/β-catenin signaling is an important antitumor effect of MTAs and the combined use of MTAs with Wnt/β-catenin signaling antagonists could be a promising strategy for cancer chemotherapy.

More Than Resveratrol: New Insights into Stilbene-Based Compounds

The concept of a scaffold concerns many aspects at different steps on the drug development path. In medicinal chemistry, the choice of relevant "drug-likeness" scaffold is a starting point for the design of the structure dedicated to specific molecular targets. For many years, the chemical uniqueness of the stilbene structure has inspired scientists from different fields such as chemistry, biology, pharmacy, and medicine. In this review, we present the outstanding potential of the stilbene-based derivatives. Naturally occurring stilbenes, together with powerful synthetic chemistry possibilities, may offer an excellent approach for discovering new structures and identifying their therapeutic targets. With the development of scientific tools, sophisticated equipment, and a better understanding of the disease pathogenesis at the molecular level, the stilbene scaffold has moved innovation in science. This paper mainly focuses on the stilbene-based compounds beyond resveratrol, which are particularly attractive due to their biological activity. Given the "fresh outlook" about different stilbene-based compounds starting from stilbenoids with particular regard to isorhapontigenin and methoxy- and hydroxyl- analogues, the update about the combretastatins, and the very often overlooked and underestimated benzanilide analogues, we present a new story about this remarkable structure.

More Than Resveratrol: New Insights into Stilbene-Based Compounds

The concept of a scaffold concerns many aspects at different steps on the drug development path. In medicinal chemistry, the choice of relevant "drug-likeness" scaffold is a starting point for the design of the structure dedicated to specific molecular targets. For many years, the chemical uniqueness of the stilbene structure has inspired scientists from different fields such as chemistry, biology, pharmacy, and medicine. In this review, we present the outstanding potential of the stilbene-based derivatives. Naturally occurring stilbenes, together with powerful synthetic chemistry possibilities, may offer an excellent approach for discovering new structures and identifying their therapeutic targets. With the development of scientific tools, sophisticated equipment, and a better understanding of the disease pathogenesis at the molecular level, the stilbene scaffold has moved innovation in science. This paper mainly focuses on the stilbene-based compounds beyond resveratrol, which are particularly attractive due to their biological activity. Given the "fresh outlook" about different stilbene-based compounds starting from stilbenoids with particular regard to isorhapontigenin and methoxy- and hydroxyl- analogues, the update about the combretastatins, and the very often overlooked and underestimated benzanilide analogues, we present a new story about this remarkable structure.