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Zhao J, Liu X, Jin X, Dong T, Gao X, Wang J, Li Y, Ma E. Riboflavin protects against pancreatic cancer metastasis by targeting TGF-β receptor 1. Bioorg Chem 2024; 146:107274. [PMID: 38503026 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107274] [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: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
The inhibition of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) signaling by targeting TGF-β receptor 1 (TβR1) has been considered as an ideal approach for the prevention of pancreatic cancer metastasis. Utilizing a pharmacophore model for TβR1 inhibitors, candidate compounds with the potential TβR1 binding ability were screened from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) database, and riboflavin (RF) with a highest fit value was chosen to investigate its binding ability to TβR1 and effect on TGF-β1 signaling in pancreatic cancer cells. Molecular docking and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) proved that RF at pharmacological concentrations could directly bind to TβR1. Further studies showed that pharmacological concentrations of RF in vitro could block TGF-β1 signaling, suppress the migration and invasion, and prevent epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process of pancreatic cancer cells in the absence or presence of TGF-β1 stimulation, indicating that RF presented anti-metastatic effect in pancreatic cancer cells. Knockdown of TβR1 could significantly attenuate the effects of RF on the migration and EMT process in pancreatic cancer cells, further confirming that the anti-metastatic effect of RF was achieved by blocking TGF-β1 signaling after binding to TβR1. Moreover, in a mouse model of pancreatic cancer metastasis, it was certified that RF administration could block lung and liver metastases, TGF-β1 signaling and EMT process of pancreatic cancer in vivo. In summary, our findings showed that RF could block TGF-β1 signaling by directly binding to TβR1, thereby suppressing the metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells by inhibiting EMT process both in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juanping Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutical Science, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Xiaofeng Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutical Science, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Xinxin Jin
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutical Science, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Tianyi Dong
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutical Science, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Xiong Gao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutical Science, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Jian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Yanchun Li
- GLP Center, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutical Science, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
| | - Enlong Ma
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutical Science, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
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Morais MÍ, Braga AV, Silva RRL, Barbosa BCM, Costa SOAM, Rodrigues FF, Melo ISF, Matos RC, Carobin NV, Sabino AP, Coelho MM, Machado RR. Metformin inhibits paclitaxel-induced mechanical allodynia by activating opioidergic pathways and reducing cytokines production in the dorsal root ganglia and thalamus. Cytokine 2024; 174:156468. [PMID: 38101167 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2023.156468] [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: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
It has been shown that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is involved in the nociceptive processing. This observation has prompted us to investigate the effects of the AMPK activator metformin on the paclitaxel-induced mechanical allodynia, a well-established model of neuropathic pain. Mechanical allodynia was induced by four intraperitoneal (i.p) injections of paclitaxel (2 mg/kg.day) in mice. Metformin was administered per os (p.o.). Naltrexoneandglibenclamide were used to investigate mechanisms mediating metformin activity. Concentrations of cytokines in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and thalamus were determined. After a single p.o. administration, the two highest doses of metformin (500 and 1000 mg/kg) attenuated the mechanical allodynia. This response was attenuated by all doses of metformin (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg) when two administrations, 2 h apart, were carried out. Naltrexone (5 and 10 mg/kg, i.p.), but not glibenclamide (20 and 40 mg/kg, p.o.), attenuated metformin activity. Concentrations of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and CXCL-1 in the DRG were increased after administration of paclitaxel. Metformin (1000 mg/kg) reduced concentrations of TNF-α, IL-1β and CXCL-1 in the DRG. Concentration of IL-6, but not TNF-α, in the thalamus was increased after administration of paclitaxel. Metformin (1000 mg/kg) reduced concentration of IL-6 in the thalamus. In summary, metformin exhibits activity in the model of neuropathic pain induced by paclitaxel. This activity may be mediated by activation of opioidergic pathways and reduced production of TNF-α, IL-1β and CXCL-1 in the DRG and IL-6 in the thalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Í Morais
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Alysson V Braga
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Roger R L Silva
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Bárbara C M Barbosa
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Sarah O A M Costa
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Felipe F Rodrigues
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Ivo S F Melo
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Rafael C Matos
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Natália V Carobin
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Adriano P Sabino
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Márcio M Coelho
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Renes R Machado
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
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Kassab AE, Gedawy EM. Recent Advancements in Refashioning of NSAIDs and their Derivatives as Anticancer Candidates. Curr Pharm Des 2024; 30:1217-1239. [PMID: 38584541 DOI: 10.2174/0113816128304230240327044201] [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: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Inflammation is critical to the formation and development of tumors and is closely associated with cancer. Therefore, addressing inflammation and the mediators that contribute to the inflammatory process may be a useful strategy for both cancer prevention and treatment. Tumor predisposition can be attributed to inflammation. It has been demonstrated that NSAIDs can modify the tumor microenvironment by enhancing apoptosis and chemosensitivity and reducing cell migration. There has been a recent rise in interest in drug repositioning or repurposing because the development of innovative medications is expensive, timeconsuming, and presents a considerable obstacle to drug discovery. Repurposing drugs is crucial for the quicker and less expensive development of anticancer medicines, according to an increasing amount of research. This review summarizes the antiproliferative activity of derivatives of NSAIDs such as Diclofenac, Etodolac, Celecoxib, Ibuprofen, Tolmetin, and Sulindac, published between 2017 and 2023. Their mechanism of action and structural activity relationships (SARs) were also discussed to set the path for potential future repositioning of NSAIDs for clinical deployment in the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmaa E Kassab
- Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr El-Aini Street, Cairo, P.O. Box 11562, Egypt
| | - Ehab M Gedawy
- Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr El-Aini Street, Cairo, P.O. Box 11562, Egypt
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Industries, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo, P.O. Box 11829, Egypt
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4
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Hernández-Cerón M, Chavarria V, Ríos C, Pineda B, Palomares-Alonso F, Rojas-Tomé IS, Jung-Cook H. Melatonin in Combination with Albendazole or Albendazole Sulfoxide Produces a Synergistic Cytotoxicity against Malignant Glioma Cells through Autophagy and Apoptosis. Brain Sci 2023; 13:869. [PMID: 37371349 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13060869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma is the most aggressive and lethal brain tumor in adults, presenting diffuse brain infiltration, necrosis, and drug resistance. Although new drugs have been approved for recurrent patients, the median survival rate is two years; therefore, new alternatives to treat these patients are required. Previous studies have reported the anticancer activity of albendazole, its active metabolite albendazole sulfoxide, and melatonin; therefore, the present study was performed to evaluate if the combination of melatonin with albendazole or with albendazole sulfoxide induces an additive or synergistic cytotoxic effect on C6 and RG2 rat glioma cells, as well as on U87 human glioblastoma cells. Drug interaction was determined by the Chou-Talalay method. We evaluated the mechanism of cell death by flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, and crystal violet staining. The cytotoxicity of the combinations was mainly synergistic. The combined treatments induced significantly more apoptotic and autophagic cell death on the glioma cell lines. Additionally, albendazole and albendazole sulfoxide inhibited proliferation independently of melatonin. Our data justify continuing with the evaluation of this proposal since the combinations could be a potential strategy to aid in the treatment of glioblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Hernández-Cerón
- Doctorate in Biological and Health Sciences, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Víctor Chavarria
- Neuroimmunology and Neuro-Oncology Unit, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía (INNN), Mexico City 14269, Mexico
| | - Camilo Ríos
- Doctorate in Biological and Health Sciences, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City 04960, Mexico
- Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Molecular, Departamento de Sistemas Biológicos, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Benjamin Pineda
- Neuroimmunology and Neuro-Oncology Unit, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía (INNN), Mexico City 14269, Mexico
| | | | - Irma Susana Rojas-Tomé
- Neuropsycopharmacology Lab, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Mexico City 14269, Mexico
| | - Helgi Jung-Cook
- Pharmacy Department, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
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Shahab M, Danial M, Khan T, Liang C, Duan X, Wang D, Gao H, Zheng G. In Silico Identification of Lead Compounds for Pseudomonas Aeruginosa PqsA Enzyme: Computational Study to Block Biofilm Formation. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11030961. [PMID: 36979940 PMCID: PMC10046026 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11030961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic Gram-negative bacterium implicated in acute and chronic nosocomial infections and a leading cause of patient mortality. Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections are frequently associated with the development of biofilms, which give the bacteria additional drug resistance and increase their virulence. The goal of this study was to find strong compounds that block the Anthranilate-CoA ligase enzyme made by the pqsA gene. This would stop the P. aeruginosa quorum signaling system. This enzyme plays a crucial role in the pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa by producing autoinducers for cell-to-cell communication that lead to the production of biofilms. Pharmacophore-based virtual screening was carried out utilizing a library of commercially accessible enzyme inhibitors. The most promising hits obtained during virtual screening were put through molecular docking with the help of MOE. The virtual screening yielded 7/160 and 10/249 hits (ZINC and Chembridge). Finally, 2/7 ZINC hits and 2/10 ChemBridge hits were selected as potent lead compounds employing diverse scaffolds due to their high pqsA enzyme binding affinity. The results of the pharmacophore-based virtual screening were subsequently verified using a molecular dynamic simulation-based study (MDS). Using MDS and post-MDS, the stability of the complexes was evaluated. The most promising lead compounds exhibited a high binding affinity towards protein-binding pocket and interacted with the catalytic dyad. At least one of the scaffolds selected will possibly prove useful for future research. However, further scientific confirmation in the form of preclinical and clinical research is required before implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Shahab
- State Key Laboratories of Chemical Resources Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Muhammad Danial
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Taimur Khan
- State Key Laboratories of Chemical Resources Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Chaoqun Liang
- State Key Laboratories of Chemical Resources Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Xiuyuan Duan
- State Key Laboratories of Chemical Resources Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Daixi Wang
- State Key Laboratories of Chemical Resources Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Hanzi Gao
- State Key Laboratories of Chemical Resources Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Guojun Zheng
- State Key Laboratories of Chemical Resources Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
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Passirani C, Vessières A, La Regina G, Link W, Silvestri R. Modulating undruggable targets to overcome cancer therapy resistance. Drug Resist Updat 2021; 60:100788. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2021.100788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Yalcin-Ozkat G. Molecular Modeling Strategies of Cancer Multidrug Resistance. Drug Resist Updat 2021; 59:100789. [PMID: 34973929 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2021.100789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Hence, the increase in cancer cases observed in the elderly population, as well as in children and adolescents, makes human malignancies a prime target for anticancer drug development. Although highly effective chemotherapeutic agents are continuously developed and approved for clinical treatment, the major impediment towards curative cancer therapy remains multidrug resistance (MDR). In recent years, intensive studies have been carried out on the identification of new therapeutic molecules to reverse MDR efflux transporters of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily. Although a great deal of progress has been made in the development of specific inhibitors for certain MDR efflux pumps in experimental studies, advanced computational studies can accelerate this drug development process. In the literature, there are many experimental studies on the impact of natural products and synthetic small molecules on the reversal of cancer MDR. Molecular modeling methods provide an opportunity to explain the activity of these molecules on the ABC-transporter family with non-covalent interactions as well as it is possible to carry out studies for the discovery of new anticancer drugs specific to MDR with these methods. The coordinate file of the 3-dimensional (3D) structure of the target protein is indispensable for molecular modeling studies. In some cases where a 3D structure cannot be obtained by experimental methods, the homology modeling method can be applied to obtain the file containing the target protein's information including atomic coordinates, secondary structure assignments, and atomic connectivity. Homology modeling studies are of great importance for efflux transporter proteins that still lack 3D structures due to crystallization problems with multiple hydrophobic transmembrane domains. Quantum mechanics, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation applications are the most frequently used molecular modeling methods in the literature to investigate non-covalent interactions between the drug-ABC transporter superfamily. The quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model provides a relationship between the chemical properties of a compound and its biological activity. Determining the pharmacophore region for a new drug molecule by superpositioning a series of molecules according to their physicochemical properties using QSAR models is another method in which molecular modeling is used in computational drug development studies with ABC transporter proteins. There are also in silico absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADME/Tox) studies conducted to make a prediction about the pharmacokinetic properties, and drug-likeness of new molecules. Drug repurposing studies, which have become a trending topic in recent years, involve identifying possible new targets for an already approved drug molecule. There are few studies in the literature in which drug repurposing performed by molecular modelling methods has been applied on ABC transporter proteins. The aim of the current paper is to create a complete review of drug development studies including aforementioned molecular modeling methods carried out between the years 2019-2021. Furthermore, an intensive investigation is also conducted on licensed applications and free web servers used in in silico studies. The current review is an up-to-date guide for researchers who plan to conduct computational studies with MDR transporter proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gozde Yalcin-Ozkat
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Bioengineering Department, 53100, Rize, Turkey; Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Molecular Simulations and Design Group, Sandtorstrasse 1, 39106, Magdeburg, Germany.
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Zhang J, Chen X, Chen H, Li R, Xu P, Lv C, Liu B, Song X. Engeletin ameliorates pulmonary fibrosis through endoplasmic reticulum stress depending on lnc949-mediated TGF-β1-Smad2/3 and JNK signalling pathways. PHARMACEUTICAL BIOLOGY 2020; 58:1105-1114. [PMID: 33181025 PMCID: PMC7671710 DOI: 10.1080/13880209.2020.1834590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a highly heterogeneous and lethal pathological process having no effective drug. Engeletin exerts multiple biological activities including anti-inflammatory and lung repair. Whether engeletin has therapeutic effects on PF remains unclear. OBJECTIVE Examining effect and mechanism of engeletin on PF in vivo and in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS L929 cells (1 × 106/well) were treated with TGF-β1 (5 ng/mL). Sixty male C57BL/6 mice were divided into three groups and given saline or single intratracheal instillation bleomycin (5 mg/kg) or both bleomycin and intraperitoneally injected engeletin (25 mg/kg). RESULTS Histological staining showed engeletin inhibited myofibrobasts activation and improved alveolar structure. Engeletin elevated forced vital capacity from 12 induced by bleomycin to 17. CCK-8 assay reported IC50 value of engeletin was 270 μg/mL. Real-time cellular analysis showed engeletin reduced proliferation and migration of myofibroblasts by 2.5- and 2-fold. Engeletin blocked α-SMA, vimentin, and collagen expression. RNA sequencing revealed PERK-ATF4 signalling pathway relating to ER stress involved in anti-fibrotic function of engeletin. Engeletin reduced ATF4, CHOP and BIP expression. Chemical inhibitors of smad2/3- (SB431542) and JNK- (SP600125) signalling pathways blocked expression of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) - lnc949. Engeletin inhibited phosphorylation of smad2/3 and JNK leading to lower level of lnc949. Knockdown lnc949 inhibited ATF4, CHOP and BIP expression. CONCLUSIONS We reported gene expression profiling of engeletin through RNA-seq; and identified lnc949-mediated TGF-β1-Smad2/3 and JNK were upstream signalling pathways of ER stress induced by engeletin. Our results showed engeletin remedies pulmonary fibrogenesis and may be a new drug candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinjin Zhang
- Department of Cellular and Genetic Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
| | - Xiaoqing Chen
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, China
| | - Hongbin Chen
- Department of Cellular and Genetic Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
| | - Rongrong Li
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, China
| | - Pan Xu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, China
| | - Changjun Lv
- Department of Cellular and Genetic Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, China
| | - Xiaodong Song
- Department of Cellular and Genetic Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, China
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Surmounting cancer drug resistance: New insights from the perspective of N6-methyladenosine RNA modification. Drug Resist Updat 2020; 53:100720. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2020.100720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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10
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Amani N, Shokrzadeh M, Shaki F. Clarithromycin effectively enhances doxorubicin-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in MCF7 cells through dysregulation of autophagy. Adv Med Sci 2020; 65:235-243. [PMID: 32252007 DOI: 10.1016/j.advms.2020.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Use of autophagy inhibitors in combination with chemotherapy has become a novel chemotherapeutic strategy. In this study, we aimed to determine whether the effectiveness of doxorubicin (DOX) is augmented by clarithromycin (CAM) in MCF7 cells and the molecular mechanisms involved. MATERIALS AND METHODS Combined cytotoxicity of CAM and DOX was assessed by MTT assay and was analyzed using the Chou-Talalay's method. To clarify the underlying mechanisms, several factors, including apoptosis (Annexin V/propidium iodide staining), intracellular level of DOX (spectrofluorimetry) and P-glycoprotein activity (Rhodamin 123 efflux assay) were measured. In addition, autophagy was evaluated by intracellular labeling with anti-LC3II and LysoTrackerGreen (LTG) staining and analyzed by flowcytometry. RESULTS The anti-proliferation effect of DOX was synergistically enhanced by CAM in MCF7 cells and was associated with an increase in the apoptotic cell death. However, the intracellular level of DOX remained unchanged in the presence of CAM. Based on the findings, 100 μM of CAM did not exhibit any inhibitory effects on P-glycoprotein activity. Flow cytometric analysis indicated that DOX at IC20 concentration induced the autophagy flux, as confirmed by the increased level of LC3II and LTG signals. Moreover, combined treatment with DOX and CAM resulted in more pronounced LTG signals, but no change in LC3II. These results indicate that CAM blocks the autophagy flux induced by DOX. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that suppression of autophagy by CAM may promote chemotherapeutic outcome in breast cancer. However, further investigations are needed to evaluate the application of CAM in adjuvant breast cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nahid Amani
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Mohammad Shokrzadeh
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Shaki
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
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Dinić J, Efferth T, García-Sosa AT, Grahovac J, Padrón JM, Pajeva I, Rizzolio F, Saponara S, Spengler G, Tsakovska I. Repurposing old drugs to fight multidrug resistant cancers. Drug Resist Updat 2020; 52:100713. [PMID: 32615525 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2020.100713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Overcoming multidrug resistance represents a major challenge for cancer treatment. In the search for new chemotherapeutics to treat malignant diseases, drug repurposing gained a tremendous interest during the past years. Repositioning candidates have often emerged through several stages of clinical drug development, and may even be marketed, thus attracting the attention and interest of pharmaceutical companies as well as regulatory agencies. Typically, drug repositioning has been serendipitous, using undesired side effects of small molecule drugs to exploit new disease indications. As bioinformatics gain increasing popularity as an integral component of drug discovery, more rational approaches are needed. Herein, we show some practical examples of in silico approaches such as pharmacophore modelling, as well as pharmacophore- and docking-based virtual screening for a fast and cost-effective repurposing of small molecule drugs against multidrug resistant cancers. We provide a timely and comprehensive overview of compounds with considerable potential to be repositioned for cancer therapeutics. These drugs are from diverse chemotherapeutic classes. We emphasize the scope and limitations of anthelmintics, antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimalarials, antihypertensives, psychopharmaceuticals and antidiabetics that have shown extensive immunomodulatory, antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, and antimetastatic potential. These drugs, either used alone or in combination with existing anticancer chemotherapeutics, represent strong candidates to prevent or overcome drug resistance. We particularly focus on outcomes and future perspectives of drug repositioning for the treatment of multidrug resistant tumors and discuss current possibilities and limitations of preclinical and clinical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Dinić
- Department of Neurobiology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković" - National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Thomas Efferth
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Staudinger Weg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Jelena Grahovac
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Pasterova 14, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - José M Padrón
- BioLab, Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González (IUBO AG), Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 2, E-38071 La Laguna, Spain.
| | - Ilza Pajeva
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 105, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Flavio Rizzolio
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, 301724 Venezia-Mestre, Italy; Pathology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Simona Saponara
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Gabriella Spengler
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Dóm tér 10, Hungary
| | - Ivanka Tsakovska
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 105, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
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12
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Ring-Substituted 1-Hydroxynaphthalene-2-Carboxanilides Inhibit Proliferation and Trigger Mitochondria-Mediated Apoptosis. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21103416. [PMID: 32408543 PMCID: PMC7279329 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ring-substituted 1-hydroxynaphthalene-2-carboxanilides were previously investigated for their antimycobacterial properties. In our study, we have shown their antiproliferative and cell death-inducing effects in cancer cell lines. Cell proliferation and viability were assessed by WST-1 assay and a dye exclusion test, respectively. Cell cycle distribution, phosphatidylserine externalization, levels of reactive oxygen or nitrogen species (RONS), mitochondrial membrane depolarization, and release of cytochrome c were estimated by flow cytometry. Levels of regulatory proteins were determined by Western blotting. Our data suggest that the ability to inhibit the proliferation of THP-1 or MCF-7 cells might be referred to meta- or para-substituted derivatives with electron-withdrawing groups -F, -Br, or -CF3 at anilide moiety. This effect was accompanied by accumulation of cells in G1 phase. Compound 10 also induced apoptosis in THP-1 cells in association with a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and production of mitochondrial superoxide. Our study provides a new insight into the action of salicylanilide derivatives, hydroxynaphthalene carboxamides, in cancer cells. Thus, their structure merits further investigation as a model moiety of new small-molecule compounds with potential anticancer properties.
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13
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Tolios A, De Las Rivas J, Hovig E, Trouillas P, Scorilas A, Mohr T. Computational approaches in cancer multidrug resistance research: Identification of potential biomarkers, drug targets and drug-target interactions. Drug Resist Updat 2019; 48:100662. [PMID: 31927437 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2019.100662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Like physics in the 19th century, biology and molecular biology in particular, has been fertilized and enhanced like few other scientific fields, by the incorporation of mathematical methods. In the last decades, a whole new scientific field, bioinformatics, has developed with an output of over 30,000 papers a year (Pubmed search using the keyword "bioinformatics"). Huge databases of mass throughput data have been established, with ArrayExpress alone containing more than 2.7 million assays (October 2019). Computational methods have become indispensable tools in molecular biology, particularly in one of the most challenging areas of cancer research, multidrug resistance (MDR). However, confronted with a plethora of different algorithms, approaches, and methods, the average researcher faces key questions: Which methods do exist? Which methods can be used to tackle the aims of a given study? Or, more generally, how do I use computational biology/bioinformatics to bolster my research? The current review is aimed at providing guidance to existing methods with relevance to MDR research. In particular, we provide an overview on: a) the identification of potential biomarkers using expression data; b) the prediction of treatment response by machine learning methods; c) the employment of network approaches to identify gene/protein regulatory networks and potential key players; d) the identification of drug-target interactions; e) the use of bipartite networks to identify multidrug targets; f) the identification of cellular subpopulations with the MDR phenotype; and, finally, g) the use of molecular modeling methods to guide and enhance drug discovery. This review shall serve as a guide through some of the basic concepts useful in MDR research. It shall give the reader some ideas about the possibilities in MDR research by using computational tools, and, finally, it shall provide a short overview of relevant literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Tolios
- Department of Blood Group Serology and Transfusion Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf, Germany.
| | - J De Las Rivas
- Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics Group, Cancer Research Center (CiC-IMBCC, CSIC/USAL/IBSAL), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and University of Salamanca (USAL), Campus Miguel de Unamuno s/n, Salamanca, Spain.
| | - E Hovig
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital and Center for Bioinformatics, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - P Trouillas
- UMR 1248 INSERM, Univ. Limoges, 2 rue du Dr Marland, 87052, Limoges, France; RCPTM, University Palacký of Olomouc, tr. 17. listopadu 12, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
| | - A Scorilas
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
| | - T Mohr
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; ScienceConsult - DI Thomas Mohr KG, Guntramsdorf, Austria.
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14
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Molecular basis and rationale for combining immune checkpoint inhibitors with chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer. Drug Resist Updat 2019; 46:100644. [PMID: 31585395 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2019.100644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Revised: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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15
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Meel MH, Kaspers GJL, Hulleman E. Preclinical therapeutic targets in diffuse midline glioma. Drug Resist Updat 2019; 44:15-25. [PMID: 31202081 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2019.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Diffuse midline gliomas (DMG) are rapidly fatal tumors of the midbrain in children, characterized by a diffuse growing pattern and high levels of intrinsic resistance to therapy. The location of these tumors, residing behind the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and the limited knowledge about the biology of these tumors, has hindered the development of effective treatment strategies. However, the introduction of diagnostic biopsies and the implementation of autopsy protocols in several large centers world-wide has allowed for a detailed characterization of these rare tumors. This has resulted in the identification of novel therapeutic targets, as well as major advances in understanding the biology of DMG in relation to therapy resistance. We here provide an overview of the cellular pathways and tumor-specific aberrations that have been targeted in preclinical DMG research, and discuss the advantages and limitations of these therapeutic strategies in relation to therapy resistance and BBB-penetration. Therewith, we aim to provide researchers with a framework for successful preclinical therapy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaël Hananja Meel
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pediatric Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Gertjan J L Kaspers
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pediatric Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Esther Hulleman
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pediatric Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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16
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Hays E, Bonavida B. YY1 regulates cancer cell immune resistance by modulating PD-L1 expression. Drug Resist Updat 2019; 43:10-28. [PMID: 31005030 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2019.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in the treatment of various cancers have resulted in the adaptation of several novel immunotherapeutic strategies. Notably, the recent intervention through immune checkpoint inhibitors has resulted in significant clinical responses and prolongation of survival in patients with several therapy-resistant cancers (melanoma, lung, bladder, etc.). This intervention was mediated by various antibodies directed against inhibitory receptors expressed on cytotoxic T-cells or against corresponding ligands expressed on tumor cells and other cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the clinical responses were only observed in a subset of the treated patients; it was not clear why the remaining patients did not respond to checkpoint inhibitor therapies. One hypothesis stated that the levels of PD-L1 expression correlated with poor clinical responses to cell-mediated anti-tumor immunotherapy. Hence, exploring the underlying mechanisms that regulate PD-L1 expression on tumor cells is one approach to target such mechanisms to reduce PD-L1 expression and, therefore, sensitize the resistant tumor cells to respond to PD-1/PD-L1 antibody treatments. Various investigations revealed that the overexpression of the transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) in most cancers is involved in the regulation of tumor cells' resistance to cell-mediated immunotherapies. We, therefore, hypothesized that the role of YY1 in cancer immune resistance may be correlated with PD-L1 overexpression on cancer cells. This hypothesis was investigated and analysis of the reported literature revealed that several signaling crosstalk pathways exist between the regulations of both YY1 and PD-L1 expressions. Such pathways include p53, miR34a, STAT3, NF-kB, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, c-Myc, and COX-2. Noteworthy, many clinical and pre-clinical drugs have been utilized to target these above pathways in various cancers independent of their roles in the regulation of PD-L1 expression. Therefore, the direct inhibition of YY1 and/or the use of the above targeted drugs in combination with checkpoint inhibitors should result in enhancing the cell-mediated anti-tumor cell response and also reverse the resistance observed with the use of checkpoint inhibitors alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Hays
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
| | - Benjamin Bonavida
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States.
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17
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Anderson RL, Balasas T, Callaghan J, Coombes RC, Evans J, Hall JA, Kinrade S, Jones D, Jones PS, Jones R, Marshall JF, Panico MB, Shaw JA, Steeg PS, Sullivan M, Tong W, Westwell AD, Ritchie JWA. A framework for the development of effective anti-metastatic agents. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2019; 16:185-204. [PMID: 30514977 PMCID: PMC7136167 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-018-0134-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Most cancer-related deaths are a result of metastasis, and thus the importance of this process as a target of therapy cannot be understated. By asking 'how can we effectively treat cancer?', we do not capture the complexity of a disease encompassing >200 different cancer types - many consisting of multiple subtypes - with considerable intratumoural heterogeneity, which can result in variable responses to a specific therapy. Moreover, we have much less information on the pathophysiological characteristics of metastases than is available for the primary tumour. Most disseminated tumour cells that arrive in distant tissues, surrounded by unfamiliar cells and a foreign microenvironment, are likely to die; however, those that survive can generate metastatic tumours with a markedly different biology from that of the primary tumour. To treat metastasis effectively, we must inhibit fundamental metastatic processes and develop specific preclinical and clinical strategies that do not rely on primary tumour responses. To address this crucial issue, Cancer Research UK and Cancer Therapeutics CRC Australia formed a Metastasis Working Group with representatives from not-for-profit, academic, government, industry and regulatory bodies in order to develop recommendations on how to tackle the challenges associated with treating (micro)metastatic disease. Herein, we describe the challenges identified as well as the proposed approaches for discovering and developing anticancer agents designed specifically to prevent or delay the metastatic outgrowth of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin L Anderson
- Translational Breast Cancer Program, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
- Cancer Therapeutics Cooperative Research Centre (CTx), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Theo Balasas
- Commercial Partnerships, Cancer Research UK (CRUK), London, UK
| | - Juliana Callaghan
- Research and Innovation Services, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK
| | - R Charles Coombes
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
| | - Jeff Evans
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - Jacqueline A Hall
- Research and Development, Vivacitv Ltd, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, UK
| | - Sally Kinrade
- Cancer Therapeutics Cooperative Research Centre (CTx), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Medicines Development for Global Health, Southbank, Victoria, Australia
| | - David Jones
- Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, London, UK
| | | | - Rob Jones
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - John F Marshall
- Queen Mary University of London, Barts Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | | | - Jacqui A Shaw
- Leicester Cancer Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, Leicestershire, UK
| | - Patricia S Steeg
- Women's Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mark Sullivan
- Cancer Therapeutics Cooperative Research Centre (CTx), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Medicines Development for Global Health, Southbank, Victoria, Australia
| | - Warwick Tong
- Cancer Therapeutics Cooperative Research Centre (CTx), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew D Westwell
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - James W A Ritchie
- Commercial Partnerships, Cancer Research UK (CRUK), London, UK.
- Centre for Drug Development, CRUK, London, UK.
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18
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Molecular docking of anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac with metabolic targets: Potential applications in cancer therapeutics. J Theor Biol 2019; 465:117-125. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2019.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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19
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Mervai Z, Reszegi A, Miklya I, Knoll J, Schaff Z, Kovalszky I, Baghy K. Inhibitory Effect of (2R)-1-(1-Benzofuran-2-yl)-N-propylpentan-2-amine on Lung Adenocarcinoma. Pathol Oncol Res 2019; 26:727-734. [PMID: 30734151 PMCID: PMC7242259 DOI: 10.1007/s12253-019-00603-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BPAP is a potent enhancer substance with catecholaminergic and serotoninergic activity in the brain. It was discovered that it is also effective against certain types of experimental cancers, showing the most promising results in case of lung cancer. That is why we tested its efficacy in two different doses in a newly developed EGFR wild type mouse lung adenocarcinoma xenograft model. Experiments were conducted on FVB/N and SCID mouse strains treated with low and high dose of BPAP. Body weight, survival, and tumor volumes were recorded. Furthermore, the activity of major signaling pathways of NSCLC such as MAPK and Akt/mTOR as well as cell cycle regulation were determined. Significant inhibition of tumor growth was exerted by both doses, but the mechanism of action was different. High dose directly inhibited, whereas low dose activated the main signaling pathways. Exposure to low dose BPAP resulted in elevated activity of the mTOR pathway together with p16INK-induced cell cycle arrest, a typical feature of geroconversion, a senescent state characterized by loss of cell proliferation. Finally the events culminated in cell cycle inhibition point in case of both doses mirrored by the decrease of cyclin D1, CDK4 and PCNA. In addition, BPAP treatment had a beneficial effect on bodyweight suggesting that the compound at least in part is able to compensate the cancer-related wasting. In view of the low toxicity and confirmed antitumor effect of BPAP against experimental lung adenocarcinoma, this novel compound deserves further attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsolt Mervai
- 1st Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Üllői út 26., Budapest, H-1085, Hungary
| | - Andrea Reszegi
- 1st Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Üllői út 26., Budapest, H-1085, Hungary
| | - Ildikó Miklya
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - József Knoll
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsa Schaff
- 2nd Department of Pathology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ilona Kovalszky
- 1st Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Üllői út 26., Budapest, H-1085, Hungary
| | - Kornélia Baghy
- 1st Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Üllői út 26., Budapest, H-1085, Hungary.
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20
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Yoon YJ, Han YM, Choi J, Lee YJ, Yun J, Lee SK, Lee CW, Kang JS, Chi SW, Moon JH, Lee S, Han DC, Kwon BM. Benproperine, an ARPC2 inhibitor, suppresses cancer cell migration and tumor metastasis. Biochem Pharmacol 2019; 163:46-59. [PMID: 30710516 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2019.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer mortality and cancer cell migration is an essential stage of metastasis. We identified benproperine (Benp, a clinically used antitussive drug) as an inhibitor of cancer cell migration and an anti-metastatic agent. Benp selectively inhibited cancer cell migration and invasion, which also suppressed metastasis of cancer cells in animal models. Actin-related protein 2/3 complex subunit 2 (ARPC2) was identified as a molecular target of Benp by affinity column chromatography with Benp-tagged Sepharose beads. Benp bound directly to ARPC2 in cells, which was validated by pull-down assay using Benp-biotin and label-free biochemical methods such as the drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA). Benp inhibited Arp2/3 function, showing disruption of lamellipodial structure and inhibition of actin polymerization. Unlike Arp2/3 inhibitors, Benp selectively inhibited the migration of cancer cells but not normal cells. ARPC2-knockdown cancer cells showed defective cell migration and suppressed metastasis in an animal model. Therefore, ARPC2 is a potential target for anti-metastatic therapy, and Benp has the clinical potential to block metastasis. Furthermore, Benp is a useful agent for studying the functions of the Arp2/3 complex in cancer cell migration and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yae Jin Yoon
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Genomics, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 125 Gwahakro, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Min Han
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Genomics, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 125 Gwahakro, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiyeon Choi
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Genomics, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 125 Gwahakro, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu-Jin Lee
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Genomics, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 125 Gwahakro, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jieun Yun
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Genomics, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 125 Gwahakro, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Su-Kyung Lee
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Genomics, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 125 Gwahakro, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Woo Lee
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Genomics, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 125 Gwahakro, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Soon Kang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Genomics, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 125 Gwahakro, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Wook Chi
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Genomics, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 125 Gwahakro, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; Korea University of Science and Technology in Korea, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Hee Moon
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Genomics, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 125 Gwahakro, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangku Lee
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Genomics, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 125 Gwahakro, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Cho Han
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Genomics, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 125 Gwahakro, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; Korea University of Science and Technology in Korea, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
| | - Byoung-Mog Kwon
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Genomics, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 125 Gwahakro, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; Korea University of Science and Technology in Korea, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
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21
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Jia B, Xue Y, Yan X, Li J, Wu Y, Guo R, Zhang J, Zhang L, Li Y, Liu Y, Sun L. Autophagy inhibitor chloroquine induces apoptosis of cholangiocarcinoma cells via endoplasmic reticulum stress. Oncol Lett 2018; 16:3509-3516. [PMID: 30127955 PMCID: PMC6096195 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.9131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Poor prognosis and chemotherapy tolerance are the main obstacles encountered in the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma. Chloroquine (CQ), an antimalarial agent, is able to induce sustained endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress by functioning as an autophagy inhibitor. The present study indicated that CQ had the ability to induce apoptosis in QBC939 cholangiocarcinoma cells. Furthermore, using western blotting, Hoechst staining and flow cytometry, it was demonstrated that CQ induced the apoptosis of QBC939 cholangiocarcinoma cells. Analysis by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array and confirmation via quantitative PCR technology indicated that the expression levels of growth arrest and DNA damage 153 [C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP)], a key molecule involved in ER stress-induced apoptosis, and its downstream death receptors were increased following CQ stimulation. It was considered that the upregulation of CHOP may mediate CQ-induced extrinsic pathways and autophagy-dependent apoptosis; therefore, the role of autophagy in cholangiocarcinoma treatment was elucidated based on the data demonstrating that CQ regulates the ER-autophagy network in tumor cells. Furthermore, it was considered that CQ may become a novel and effective strategy for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoxing Jia
- Department of Pathophysiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Yanan Xue
- Department of Pathophysiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoyu Yan
- Department of Pathophysiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Jiuling Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Yao Wu
- Department of Pathophysiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Rui Guo
- Department of Pathophysiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Juanjuan Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Lichao Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Yaping Li
- Department of Dermatology, Jilin Province People's Hospital, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Yahui Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Liankun Sun
- Department of Pathophysiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
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22
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Meirson T, Gil-Henn H. Targeting invadopodia for blocking breast cancer metastasis. Drug Resist Updat 2018; 39:1-17. [PMID: 30075834 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2018.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Revised: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Dissemination of cancer cells from the primary tumor and their spread to distant sites of the body is the leading cause of mortality in metastatic cancer patients. Metastatic cancer cells invade surrounding tissues and blood vessels by forming F-actin-rich protrusions known as invadopodia, which degrade the extracellular matrix and enable invasion of tumor cells through it. Invadopodia have now been observed in vivo, and recent evidence demonstrates direct molecular links between assembly of invadopodia and cancer metastasis in both mouse models and in human patients. While significant progress has been achieved in the last decade in understanding the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways regulating invadopodia formation and function, the application of this knowledge to development of prognostic and therapeutic approaches for cancer metastasis has not been discussed before. Here, we provide a detailed overview of current prognostic markers and tests for cancer metastasis and discuss their advantages, disadvantages, and their predicted efficiency. Using bioinformatic patient database analysis, we demonstrate, for the first time, a significant correlation between invadopodia-associated genes to breast cancer metastasis, suggesting that invadopodia could be used as both a prognostic marker and as a therapeutic target for blocking cancer metastasis. We include here a novel network interaction map of invadopodia-associated proteins with currently available inhibitors, demonstrating a central role for the recently identified EGFR-Pyk2-Src-Arg-cortactin invadopodial pathway, to which re-purposing of existent inhibitors could be used to block breast cancer metastasis. We then present an updated overview of current cancer-related clinical trials, demonstrating the negligible number of trials focusing on cancer metastasis. We also discuss the difficulties and complexity of performing cancer metastasis clinical trials, and the possible development of anti-metastasis drug resistance when using a prolonged preventive treatment with invadopodia inhibitors. This review presents a new perspective on invadopodia-mediated tumor invasiveness and may lead to the development of novel prognostic and therapeutic approaches for cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomer Meirson
- Laboratory of Cell Migration and Invasion, The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed 1311502, Israel; Drug Discovery Laboratory, The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed 1311502, Israel
| | - Hava Gil-Henn
- Laboratory of Cell Migration and Invasion, The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed 1311502, Israel.
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23
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Wang YJ, Lin JF, Cheng LH, Chang WT, Kao YH, Chang MM, Wang BJ, Cheng HC. Pterostilbene prevents AKT-ERK axis-mediated polymerization of surface fibronectin on suspended lung cancer cells independently of apoptosis and suppresses metastasis. J Hematol Oncol 2017; 10:72. [PMID: 28327179 PMCID: PMC5361845 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-017-0441-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Polymeric fibronectin (polyFN) assembled on suspended breast cancer cells is required for metastasis. Conceivably, drugs that target such polyFN may fight against cancer metastasis. While stilbene analogs trigger pro-apoptotic effect on attached cancer cells, whether they prevent polyFN assembly and metastasis of suspended cancer cells via an apoptosis-independent manner remains unexplored. Methods We depleted suspended Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells of polyFN by silencing the endogenous FN expression or pterostilbene (PS) to examine whether metastasis of lung cancer cells could thus be suppressed. We investigated whether PS regulates AKT-ERK signaling axis to suppress polyFN assembly in suspended LLC cells independently of apoptosis. We tested the therapeutic effects of orally administered PS against cancer metastasis. Results Both FN-silencing and PS among the three stilbenoids indeed significantly reduced polyFN assembly and lung metastasis of suspended LLC cells in an apoptosis-independent manner. Mechanistically, PS-induced AKT phosphorylation (pAKT) and suppressed ERK phosphorylation (pERK) in suspended LLC cells, whereas pretreatment with a PI3K inhibitor, LY294002, effectively reduced pAKT, rescued pERK, and consequently reversed the PS-suppressed polyFN assembly on LLC cells; these pretreatment effects were then overturned by the ERK inhibitor U0126. Indeed, PS-suppressed lung metastasis was counteracted by LY294002, which was further overruled with U0126. Finally, we found that PS, when orally administered in experimental metastasis assays, both significantly prevented lung colonization and metastasis of LLC cells and reduced the already established tumor growth in the mouse lungs. Conclusions PS suppressed AKT/ERK-regulated polyFN assembly on suspended LLC cells and pulmonary metastasis. PS possesses potency in both preventing and treating lung metastasis of lung cancer cells in apoptosis-independent and apoptosis-dependent manners, respectively. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13045-017-0441-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Jan Wang
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, 70101, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Biomedical Informatics, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jing-Fang Lin
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, 70101, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Li-Hsin Cheng
- The Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, 70101, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Tsan Chang
- The Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, 70101, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, 70101, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Hsien Kao
- Department of Medical Research, E-Da Hospital, 82445, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Min Chang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, 70101, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Bour-Jr Wang
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, 70101, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Cosmetic Science and Institute of Cosmetic Science, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Chi Cheng
- The Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, 70101, Tainan, Taiwan. .,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, 70101, Tainan, Taiwan.
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24
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Luo LX, Fan XX, Li Y, Peng X, Ji YC, Hsiao WWL, Liu L, Leung ELH, Yao XJ. Identification of mitoxantrone as a new inhibitor of ROS1 fusion protein in non-small cell lung cancer cells. MEDCHEMCOMM 2017; 8:621-624. [PMID: 30108778 DOI: 10.1039/c6md00643d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Mitoxantrone, an FDA-approved drug for multiple sclerosis and hormone refractory prostate cancer, is identified as a potent inhibitor of ROS1 fusion protein by in silico screening in non-small cell lung cancer cells. Mitoxantrone can suppress the phosphorylation of ROS1 and subsequently inhibit its downstream signaling pathway and thus induce cell apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian-Xiang Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute For Applied Research in Medicine and Health , Macau University of Science and Technology , Macau SAR , China . ; ; ; ; Tel: +853 8897 2438
| | - Xing-Xing Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute For Applied Research in Medicine and Health , Macau University of Science and Technology , Macau SAR , China . ; ; ; ; Tel: +853 8897 2438
| | - Ying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute For Applied Research in Medicine and Health , Macau University of Science and Technology , Macau SAR , China . ; ; ; ; Tel: +853 8897 2438
| | - Xia Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research , Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica , Chinese Academic of Sciences , Shanghai , China
| | - Yin-Chun Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research , Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica , Chinese Academic of Sciences , Shanghai , China
| | - Wendy Wen-Luan Hsiao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute For Applied Research in Medicine and Health , Macau University of Science and Technology , Macau SAR , China . ; ; ; ; Tel: +853 8897 2438
| | - Liang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute For Applied Research in Medicine and Health , Macau University of Science and Technology , Macau SAR , China . ; ; ; ; Tel: +853 8897 2438
| | - Elaine Lai-Han Leung
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute For Applied Research in Medicine and Health , Macau University of Science and Technology , Macau SAR , China . ; ; ; ; Tel: +853 8897 2438
| | - Xiao-Jun Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute For Applied Research in Medicine and Health , Macau University of Science and Technology , Macau SAR , China . ; ; ; ; Tel: +853 8897 2438
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25
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Antiproliferative and Pro-Apoptotic Effect of Novel Nitro-Substituted Hydroxynaphthanilides on Human Cancer Cell Lines. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:ijms17081219. [PMID: 27483236 PMCID: PMC5000617 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17081219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Revised: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Ring-substituted hydroxynaphthanilides are considered as cyclic analogues of salicylanilides, compounds possessing a wide range of pharmacological activities, including promising anticancer properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential anticancer effect of novel nitro-substituted hydroxynaphthanilides with a special focus on structure-activity relationships. The antiproliferative effect was assessed by Water Soluble Tetrazolium Salts-1 (WST-1) assay, and cytotoxicity was evaluated via dye exclusion test. Flow cytometry was used for cell cycle analysis and detection of apoptosis using Annexin V-FITC/PI assay. Protein expression was estimated by Western blotting. Our data indicate that the potential to cause the antiproliferative effect increases with the shift of the nitro substituent from the ortho- to the para-position. The most potent compounds, 3-hydroxy-N-(3-nitrophenyl)naphthalene-2-carboxamide (2), and 2-hydroxy-N-(4-nitrophenyl)-naphthalene-1-carboxamide (6) showed antiproliferative activity against THP-1 and MCF-7 cancer cells without affecting the proliferation of 3T3-L1 non-tumour cells. Compounds 2 and 6 induced the accumulation of THP-1 and MCF-7 cells in G1 phase associated with the downregulation of cyclin E1 protein levels, while the levels of cyclin B1 were not affected. Moreover, compound 2 was found to exert the pro-apoptotic effect on the THP-1 cells. These results suggest that hydroxynaphthanilides might represent a potential model structure for the development of novel anticancer agents.
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S100A4 in Cancer Metastasis: Wnt Signaling-Driven Interventions for Metastasis Restriction. Cancers (Basel) 2016; 8:cancers8060059. [PMID: 27331819 PMCID: PMC4931624 DOI: 10.3390/cancers8060059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Revised: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The aberrant activity of Wnt signaling is an early step in the transformation of normal intestinal cells to malignant tissue, leading to more aggressive tumors, and eventually metastases. In colorectal cancer (CRC), metastasis accounts for about 90% of patient deaths, representing the most lethal event during the course of the disease and is directly linked to patient survival, critically limiting successful therapy. This review focuses on our studies of the metastasis-inducing gene S100A4, which we identified as transcriptional target of β-catenin. S100A4 increased migration and invasion in vitro and metastasis in mice. In patient CRC samples, high S100A4 levels predict metastasis and reduced patient survival. Our results link pathways important for tumor progression and metastasis: the Wnt signaling pathway and S100A4, which regulates motility and invasiveness. S100A4 suppression by interdicting Wnt signaling has potential for therapeutic intervention. As proof of principle, we applied S100A4 shRNA systemically and prevented metastasis in mice. Furthermore, we identified small molecule inhibitors from high-throughput screens of pharmacologically active compounds employing an S100A4 promoter-driven reporter. Best hits act, as least in part, via intervening in the Wnt pathway and restricted metastasis in mouse models. We currently translate our findings on restricting S100A4-driven metastasis into clinical practice. The repositioned FDA-approved drug niclosamide, targeting Wnt signaling, is being tested in a prospective phase II clinical trial for treatment of CRC patients. Our assay for circulating S100A4 transcripts in patient blood is used to monitor treatment success.
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