Establishment of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and cluster of differentiation 147 dual target cell membrane chromatography based on SNAP-tag technology for screening anti severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 active components

Recent advances in the therapeutic potential of nobiletin against respiratory diseases

BACKGROUND

Nobiletin is a natural polymethoxylated flavonoid widely present in citrus fruit peels. It has been demonstrated to exert the effects of anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidative, anti-apoptotic and improve cardiovascular function. Increasing evidences suggest that nobiletin plays an important role in respiratory diseases (RDs) treatment.

OBJECTIVE

This review aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of nobiletin against RDs, such as lung cancer, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, pulmonary infection, acute lung injury, coronavirus disease 2019, and pulmonary arterial hypertension.

METHODS

We retrieved extensive literature of relevant literatures in English until June 26, 2023 from the database of PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. The keywords of "nobiletin and lung", "nobiletin and respiratory disease", "nobiletin and chronic respiratory diseases", "nobiletin and metabolites", "nobiletin and pharmacokinetics", "nobiletin and toxicity" were searched in pairs. A total of 298 literatures were retrieved from the above database. After excluding the duplicates and reviews, 53 were included in the current review.

RESULTS

We found that the therapeutic mechanisms are based on different signaling pathways. Firstly, nobiletin inhibited the proliferation and suppressed the invasion and migration of cancer cells by regulating the related pathway or key target, like Bcl-2, PD-L1, PARP, and Akt/GSK3β/β-catenin in lung cancer treatment. Secondly, nobiletin treats COPD and ALI by targeting classical signaling pathway mediating inflammation. Besides, the available findings show that nobiletin exerts the effect of PF treatment via regulating mTOR pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

With the wide range of pharmacological activities, high efficiency and low toxicity, nobiletin can be used as a potential agent for preventing and treating RDs. These findings will contribute to further research on the molecular mechanisms of nobiletin and facilitate in-depth studies on nobiletin at both preclinical and clinical levels for the treatment of RDs.

Establishment of cluster of differentiation 20 immobilized cell membrane chromatography for the screening of active antitumor components in traditional Chinese medicine

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a heterogeneous group of malignant tumors occurring in B or T lymphocytes, and no small molecule-positive drugs to treat NHL have been marketed. Cluster of differentiation 20 (CD20) is an important molecule regulating signaling for the life and differentiation of B lymphocytes and possesses the characteristics of a drug target for treating NHL. 2-Methoxyestradiol induces apoptosis in lymphoma Raji cells and CD20 protein is highly expressed by Raji lymphoma cells. Therefore, in this study, a CD20-SNAP-tag/CMC model was developed to validate the interaction of 2-methoxyestradiol with CD20. 2-Methoxyestradiol was used as a small molecule control compound, and the system was validated for good applicability. The cell membrane chromatography model was combined with high-performance liquid chromatography ion trap time-of-flight mass spectroscopy (HPLC-IT-TOF-MS) in a two-dimensional system to successfully identify, analyze, and characterize the potential active compounds of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. extract and Lysionotus pauciflorus Maxim. extract, including Schisandrin A, Schizandrol A, Schizandrol B, Schisantherin B, and Nevadensin, which can act on CD20 receptors. The five potential active compounds were analyzed by non-linear chromatography. The thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of their interaction with CD20 were also analyzed, and the mode of interaction was simulated by molecular docking. Their inhibitory effects on lymphoma cell growth were assessed using a Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). Nevadensin and Schizandrin A were able to induce apoptosis in Raji cells within a certain concentration range. In conclusion, the present experiments provide some bases for improving NHL treatment and developing small molecule lead compounds targeting CD20 with low toxicity and high specificity.

Development of target-based cell membrane affinity ultrafiltration technology for a simplified approach to discovering potential bioactive compounds in natural products

Target-based drug discovery technology based on cell membrane targets has gained significant traction and has been steadily advancing. However, current methods still face certain limitations that need to be addressed. One of the challenges is the laborious preparation process of screening materials, which can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Additionally, there is a potential issue of non-specific adsorption caused by carrier materials, which can result in false-positive results and compromise the accuracy of the screening process. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a target-based cell membrane affinity ultrafiltration technology for active ingredient discovery in natural products. In this technique, the cell membranes of human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cells (A549) with a high expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were incubated with candidate drugs and then transferred to an ultrafiltration tube. Through centrifugation, components that interacted with EGFR were retained in the ultrafiltration tube as "EGFR-ligand" complex, while the components that did not interact with EGFR were separated. After thorough washing and eluting, the components interacting with EGFR were dissociated and further identified using LC-MS, enabling the discovery of bioactive compounds. Moreover, the target-based cell membrane affinity ultrafiltration technology exhibited commendable binding capacity and selectivity. Ultimately, this technology successfully screened and identified two major components from the Curcumae Rhizoma-Sparganii Rhizoma (CS) herb pair extracts, which were further validated for their potential anti-tumor activity through pharmacological experiments. By eliminating the need for laborious preparation of screening materials and the potential non-specific adsorption caused by carriers, the development of target-based cell membrane affinity ultrafiltration technology provides a simplified approach and method for bioactive compounds discovery in natural sources.

Application of SNAP-tag-EGFR cell membrane chromatography model in screening antitumor active components of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn

The SNAP-tag-epidermal growth factor receptor (SNAP-tag-EGFR) cell membrane chromatography (CMC) model is a powerful tool for investigating ligand-receptor interactions and screening active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine. Most tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) target epidermal growth factor receptors. However, TKIs associated with significant side effects and drug resistance must be addressed immediately. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new TKIs with high efficiency and low toxicity. Because of its low toxicity and side effects, traditional Chinese medicine has been widely employed to treat various diseases, including cancer. Hence, this study aimed to use the SNAP-tag-EGFR/CMC-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) two-dimensional system model as the research tool to screen and identify potential EGFR antagonists from the Chinese medicine Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. The applicability of the system was verified using the positive control drug osimertinib. Four potential EGFR antagonists were screened from the Chinese medicine Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.. They were identified as silydianin, silychristin, silybin, and isosilybin. Additionally, their pharmacological activity was preliminarily verified using a CCK-8 assay. The kinetic parameters of the four active ingredients interacting with EGFR and their binding modes with EGFR were analyzed using nonlinear chromatography (NLC) and molecular docking. This study identified silydianin, silychristin, silybin, and isosilybin from Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. and verified their potential antitumor effects on EGFR.

Tangeretin attenuates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition via the PI3K/Akt pathway

Background: Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a terminal pathological change in a variety of lung diseases characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix, for which effective treatment is lacking. Tangeretin (Tan), a flavonoid derived from citrus, has been shown to have a wide range of pharmacological effects. This study aimed to investigate the role and potential mechanisms of Tan on pulmonary fibrosis. Methods: A model of pulmonary fibrosis was established by administering bleomycin through tracheal drip, followed by administering Tan or pirfenidone through gavage. HE and Masson staining were employed to assess the extent of pulmonary fibrosis. Subsequently, Western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), RNA sequencing, and immunohistochemistry techniques were employed to uncover the protective mechanism of Tan in PF mice. Furthermore, A549 cells were stimulated with TGF-β1 to induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and demonstrate the effectiveness of Tan in mitigating PF. Results: Tan significantly ameliorated bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, improved fibrotic pathological changes, and collagen deposition in the lungs, and reduced lung inflammation and oxidative stress. The KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed a higher number of enriched genes in the PI3K/Akt pathway. Additionally, Tan can inhibit the EMT process related to pulmonary fibrosis. Conclusion: Taken together, the above research results indicate that Tan suppresses inflammation, oxidative stress, and EMT in BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis via the PI3K/Akt pathway and is a potential agent for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.