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Herbert A. The Intransitive Logic of Directed Cycles and Flipons Enhances the Evolution of Molecular Computers by Augmenting the Kolmogorov Complexity of Genomes. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16482. [PMID: 38003672 PMCID: PMC10671625 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216482] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell responses are usually viewed as transitive events with fixed inputs and outputs that are regulated by feedback loops. In contrast, directed cycles (DCs) have all nodes connected, and the flow is in a single direction. Consequently, DCs can regenerate themselves and implement intransitive logic. DCs are able to couple unrelated chemical reactions to each edge. The output depends upon which node is used as input. DCs can also undergo selection to minimize the loss of thermodynamic entropy while maximizing the gain of information entropy. The intransitive logic underlying DCs enhances their programmability and impacts their evolution. The natural selection of DCs favors the persistence, adaptability, and self-awareness of living organisms and does not depend solely on changes to coding sequences. Rather, the process can be RNA-directed. I use flipons, nucleic acid sequences that change conformation under physiological conditions, as a simple example and then describe more complex DCs. Flipons are often encoded by repeats and greatly increase the Kolmogorov complexity of genomes by adopting alternative structures. Other DCs allow cells to regenerate, recalibrate, reset, repair, and rewrite themselves, going far beyond the capabilities of current computational devices. Unlike Turing machines, cells are not designed to halt but rather to regenerate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Herbert
- InsideOutBio, 42 8th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
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2
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Etchenique R, Filevich O. Shine, Shine, Ruthenium Caged Drug. Photochem Photobiol 2022; 99:860-862. [PMID: 36562218 DOI: 10.1111/php.13772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
This is a highlight on the paper by Bonnet et al.: A Lock-and-Kill Anticancer Photoactivated Chemotherapy Agent. which constitutes an important step toward establishing photoactivated chemotherapy (PACT) as a widespread tool to treat different health issues, specially tumors. PACT can be a useful technique to deliver already tested drugs, where the effect of the desired molecule is directed only to its target after light irradiation, even in the cases in which it is difficult to achieve a precise delivery in the desired organ or tissue. Ruthenium-polipyridyl caged-compounds are near ideal devices to deliver a drug in that precise fashion, albeit they usually fail in revealing their actual location due to their weak light emission properties. The mentioned work introduces a simple and clever idea: the use of a covalently linked fluorophore to map the caged-compounds in-vivo distribution prior to the eventual irradiation to activate the chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Etchenique
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física, INQUIMAE, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Oscar Filevich
- Laboratorio de Neuroingeniería, Instituto de Tecnologías Emergentes y Ciencias Aplicadas (ITECA), UNSAM-CONICET, Escuela de Ciencia y Tecnología (ECyT), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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3
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Roman M, Hwang E, Sweet-Cordero EA. Synthetic Vulnerabilities in the KRAS Pathway. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14122837. [PMID: 35740503 PMCID: PMC9221492 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14122837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in Kristen Rat Sarcoma viral oncogene (KRAS) are among the most frequent gain-of-function genetic alterations in human cancer. Most KRAS-driven cancers depend on its sustained expression and signaling. Despite spectacular recent success in the development of inhibitors targeting specific KRAS alleles, the discovery and utilization of effective directed therapies for KRAS-mutant cancers remains a major unmet need. One potential approach is the identification of KRAS-specific synthetic lethal vulnerabilities. For example, while KRAS-driven oncogenesis requires the activation of a number of signaling pathways, it also triggers stress response pathways in cancer cells that could potentially be targeted for therapeutic benefit. This review will discuss how the latest advances in functional genomics and the development of more refined models have demonstrated the existence of molecular pathways that can be exploited to uncover synthetic lethal interactions with a promising future as potential clinical treatments in KRAS-mutant cancers.
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4
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Creeden JF, Nanavaty NS, Einloth KR, Gillman CE, Stanbery L, Hamouda DM, Dworkin L, Nemunaitis J. Homologous recombination proficiency in ovarian and breast cancer patients. BMC Cancer 2021; 21:1154. [PMID: 34711195 PMCID: PMC8555001 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-08863-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Homologous recombination and DNA repair are important for genome maintenance. Genetic variations in essential homologous recombination genes, including BRCA1 and BRCA2 results in homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) and can be a target for therapeutic strategies including poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi). However, response is limited in patients who are not HRD, highlighting the need for reliable and robust HRD testing. This manuscript will review BRCA1/2 function and homologous recombination proficiency in respect to breast and ovarian cancer. The current standard testing methods for HRD will be discussed as well as trials leading to approval of PARPi's. Finally, standard of care treatment and synthetic lethality will be reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Fortune Creeden
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA.,Department of Cancer Biology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA.,Department of Surgery, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Nisha S Nanavaty
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Katelyn R Einloth
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Cassidy E Gillman
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
| | | | - Danae M Hamouda
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Lance Dworkin
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
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Shreyash N, Sonker M, Bajpai S, Tiwary SK. Review of the Mechanism of Nanocarriers and Technological Developments in the Field of Nanoparticles for Applications in Cancer Theragnostics. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2021; 4:2307-2334. [PMID: 35014353 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.1c00020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cancer cannot be controlled by the usage of drugs alone, and thus, nanotechnology is an important technique that can provide the drug with an impetus to act more effectively. There is adequate availability of anticancer drugs that are classified as alkylating agents, hormones, or antimetabolites. Nanoparticle (NP) carriers increase the residence time of the drug, thereby enhancing the survival rate of the drug, which otherwise gets washed off owing to the small size of the drug particles by the excretory system. For example, for enhancing the circulation, a coating of nonfouling polymers like PEG and dextran is done. Famous drugs such as doxorubicin (DOX) are commonly encapsulated inside the nanocomposite. The various classes of nanoparticles are used to enhance drug delivery by aiding it to fight against the tumor. Targeted therapy aims to attack the cells with features common to the cancer cells while minimizing damage to the normal cell, and these therapies work in one in four ways. Some block the cancer cells from reproducing newer cells, others release toxic substances to kill the cancer cells, some stimulate the immune system to destroy the cancer cells, and some block the growth of more blood vessels around cancer cells, which starve the cells of the nutrients, which is needed for their growth. This review aims to testify the advancements nanotechnology has brought in cancer therapy, and its statements are supported with recent research findings and clinical trial results.
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Wang R, Han Y, Zhao Z, Yang F, Chen T, Zhou W, Wang X, Qi L, Zhao W, Guo Z, Gu Y. Link synthetic lethality to drug sensitivity of cancer cells. Brief Bioinform 2020; 20:1295-1307. [PMID: 29300844 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbx172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic lethal (SL) interactions occur when alterations in two genes lead to cell death but alteration in only one of them is not lethal. SL interactions provide a new strategy for molecular-targeted cancer therapy. Currently, there are few drugs targeting SL interactions that entered into clinical trials. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the link between SL interactions and drug sensitivity of cancer cells systematically for drug development purpose. We identified SL interactions by integrating the high-throughput data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, small hairpin RNA data and genetic interactions of yeast. By integrating SL interactions from other studies, we tested whether the SL pairs that consist of drug target genes and the genes with genomic alterations are related with drug sensitivity of cancer cells. We found that only 6.26%∼34.61% of SL interactions showed the expected significant drug sensitivity using the pooled cancer cell line data from different tissues, but the proportion increased significantly to approximately 90% using the cancer cell line data for each specific tissue. From an independent pharmacogenomics data of 41 breast cancer cell lines, we found three SL interactions (ABL1-IFI16, ABL1-SLC50A1 and ABL1-SYT11) showed significantly better prognosis for the patients with both genes being altered than the patients with only one gene being altered, which partially supports the SL effect between the gene pairs. Our study not only provides a new way for unraveling the complex mechanisms of drug sensitivity but also suggests numerous potentially important drug targets for cancer therapy.
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Chen F, Alphonse MP, Liu Y, Liu Q. Targeting Mutant KRAS for Anticancer Therapy. Curr Top Med Chem 2019; 19:2098-2113. [DOI: 10.2174/1568026619666190902151307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
:Over the past decades, designing therapeutic strategies to target KRAS-mutant cancers, which is one of the most frequent mutant oncogenes among all cancer types, have proven unsuccessful regardless of many concerted attempts. There are key challenges for KRAS-mutant anticancer therapy, as the complex cellular processes involved in KRAS signaling has present. Herein, we highlight the emerging therapeutic approaches for inhibiting KRAS signaling and blocking KRAS functions, in hope to serve as a more effective guideline for future development of therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengqian Chen
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, The Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH), Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79416, United States
| | - Martin P. Alphonse
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Cancer Research Building II, Suite 216, 1550 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD 21231, United States
| | - Yan Liu
- Western University of Health Sciences, 309 E. Second Street, Pomona, CA 91766, United States
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Cancer Research Building II, Suite 216, 1550 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD 21231, United States
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8
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Choonoo G, Blucher AS, Higgins S, Boardman M, Jeng S, Zheng C, Jacobs J, Anderson A, Chamberlin S, Evans N, Vigoda M, Cordier B, Tyner JW, Kulesz-Martin M, McWeeney SK, Laderas T. Illuminating biological pathways for drug targeting in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223639. [PMID: 31596908 PMCID: PMC6785123 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains a morbid disease with poor prognosis and treatment that typically leaves patients with permanent damage to critical functions such as eating and talking. Currently only three targeted therapies are FDA approved for use in HNSCC, two of which are recently approved immunotherapies. In this work, we identify biological pathways involved with this disease that could potentially be targeted by current FDA approved cancer drugs and thereby expand the pool of potential therapies for use in HNSCC treatment. We analyzed 508 HNSCC patients with sequencing information from the Genomic Data Commons (GDC) database and assessed which biological pathways were significantly enriched for somatic mutations or copy number alterations. We then further classified pathways as either “light” or “dark” to the current reach of FDA-approved cancer drugs using the Cancer Targetome, a compendium of drug-target information. Light pathways are statistically enriched with somatic mutations (or copy number alterations) and contain one or more targets of current FDA-approved cancer drugs, while dark pathways are enriched with somatic mutations (or copy number alterations) but not currently targeted by FDA-approved cancer drugs. Our analyses indicated that approximately 35–38% of disease-specific pathways are in scope for repurposing of current cancer drugs. We further assess light and dark pathways for subgroups of patient tumor samples according to HPV status. The framework of light and dark pathways for HNSCC-enriched biological pathways allows us to better prioritize targeted therapies for further research in HNSCC based on the HNSCC genetic landscape and FDA-approved cancer drug information. We also highlight the importance in the identification of sub-pathways where targeting and cross targeting of other pathways may be most beneficial to predict positive or negative synergy with potential clinical significance. This framework is ideal for precision drug panel development, as well as identification of highly aberrant, untargeted candidates for future drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle Choonoo
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Aurora S. Blucher
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Department of Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Samuel Higgins
- Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Mitzi Boardman
- Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Sophia Jeng
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Christina Zheng
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - James Jacobs
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Ashley Anderson
- Department of Dermatology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Steven Chamberlin
- Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Nathaniel Evans
- Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Myles Vigoda
- Department of Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Department of Dermatology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Benjamin Cordier
- Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey W. Tyner
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Department of Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Molly Kulesz-Martin
- Department of Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Department of Dermatology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Shannon K. McWeeney
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Ted Laderas
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
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9
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Ren Y, Ay A, Gerke TA, Kahveci T. Identification of jointly correlated gene sets. J Bioinform Comput Biol 2019; 16:1840019. [PMID: 30419787 DOI: 10.1142/s021972001840019x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Associations between expressions of genes play a key role in deciphering their functions. Correlation score between pairs of genes is often utilized to associate two genes. However, the relationship between genes is often more complex; multiple genes might collaborate to control the transcription of a gene. In this paper, we introduce the problem of searching pairs of genes, which collectively correlate with another gene. This problem is computationally much harder than the classical problem of identifying pairwise gene associations. Exhaustive search is infeasible for transcriptomic datasets also; since for [Formula: see text] genes, there are [Formula: see text] possible gene combinations. Our method builds three filters to avoid computing the association for a large fraction of the gene combinations, which do not produce high correlation. Our experiments on a synthetic dataset and a prostate cancer dataset demonstrate that our method produces accurate results at the transcriptome level in practical time. Moreover, our method identifies biologically novel results which classical pairwise gene association studies are unlikely to discover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanfang Ren
- * Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Ahmet Ay
- † Departments of Biology and Mathematics, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY 13346, USA
| | | | - Tamer Kahveci
- * Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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Aung HM, Huangteerakul C, Panvongsa W, Jensen AN, Chairoungdua A, Sukrong S, Jensen LT. Interrogation of ethnomedicinal plants for synthetic lethality effects in combination with deficiency in the DNA repair endonuclease RAD1 using a yeast cell-based assay. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2018; 223:10-21. [PMID: 29777901 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2018.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Plant materials used in this study were selected based on the ethnobotanical literature. Plants have either been utilized by Thai practitioners as alternative treatments for cancer or identified to exhibit anti-cancer properties. AIM OF THE STUDY To screen ethnomedicinal plants using a yeast cell-based assay for synthetic lethal interactions with cells deleted for RAD1, the yeast homologue of human ERCC4 (XPF) MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ethanolic extracts from thirty-two species of medicinal plants utilized in Thai traditional medicine were screened for synthetic lethal/sick interactions using a yeast cell-based assay. Cell growth was compared between the parental strain and rad1∆ yeast following exposure to select for specific toxicity of plant extracts. Candidate extracts were further examined for the mode of action using genetic and biochemical approaches. RESULTS Screening a library of ethanolic extracts from medicinal plants identified Bacopa monnieri and Colubrina asiatica as having synthetic lethal effects in the rad1∆ cells but not the parental strain. Synthetic lethal effects for B. monneiri extracts were more apparent and this plant was examined further. Genetic analysis indicates that pro-oxidant activities and defective excision repair pathways do not significantly contribute to enhanced sensitivity to B. monneiri extracts. Exposure to B. monneiri extracts resulted in nuclear fragmentation and elevated levels of ethidium bromide staining in rad1∆ yeast suggesting promotion of an apoptosis-like event. Growth inhibition also observed in the human Caco-2 cell line suggesting the effects of B. monnieri extracts on both yeast and human cells may be similar. CONCLUSIONS B. monneiri extracts may have utility in treatment of colorectal cancers that exhibit deficiency in ERCC4 (XPF).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsu Mon Aung
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok Thailand
| | | | - Wittaya Panvongsa
- Toxicology Graduate Program, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Excellent Center for Drug Discovery (ECDD), Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Amornrat N Jensen
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Arthit Chairoungdua
- Toxicology Graduate Program, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Excellent Center for Drug Discovery (ECDD), Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
| | - Suchada Sukrong
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Laran T Jensen
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok Thailand.
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Synthetic Lethality-based Identification of Targets for Anticancer Drugs in the Human Signaling Network. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8440. [PMID: 29855504 PMCID: PMC5981615 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26783-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy agents can cause serious adverse effects by attacking both cancer tissues and normal tissues. Therefore, we proposed a synthetic lethality (SL) concept-based computational method to identify specific anticancer drug targets. First, a 3-step screening strategy (network-based, frequency-based and function-based screening) was proposed to identify the SL gene pairs by mining 697 cancer genes and the human signaling network, which had 6306 proteins and 62937 protein-protein interactions. The network-based screening was composed of a stability score constructed using a network information centrality measure (the average shortest path length) and the distance-based screening between the cancer gene and the non-cancer gene. Then, the non-cancer genes were extracted and annotated using drug-target interaction and drug description information to obtain potential anticancer drug targets. Finally, the human SL data in SynLethDB, the existing drug sensitivity data and text-mining were utilized for target validation. We successfully identified 2555 SL gene pairs and 57 potential anticancer drug targets. Among them, CDK1, CDK2, PLK1 and WEE1 were verified by all three aspects and could be preferentially used in specific targeted therapy in the future.
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12
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Augmented reality for personalized nanomedicines. Biotechnol Adv 2017; 36:335-343. [PMID: 29248686 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2017.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
As our understanding of onset and progress of diseases at the genetic and molecular level rapidly progresses, the potential of advanced technologies, such as 3D-printing, Socially-Assistive Robots (SARs) or augmented reality (AR), that are applied to personalized nanomedicines (PNMs) to alleviate pathological conditions, has become more prominent. Among advanced technologies, AR in particular has the greatest potential to address those challenges and facilitate the translation of PNMs into formidable clinical application of personalized therapy. As AR is about to adapt additional new methods, such as speech, voice recognition, eye tracing and motion tracking, to enable interaction with host response or biological systems in 3-D space, a combination of multiple approaches to accommodate varying environmental conditions, such as public noise and atmosphere brightness, will be explored to improve its therapeutic outcomes in clinical applications. For instance, AR glasses still being developed by Facebook or Microsoft will serve as new platform that can provide people with the health information they are interested in or various measures through which they can interact with medical services. This review has addressed the current progress and impact of AR on PNMs and its application to the biomedical field. Special emphasis is placed on the application of AR based PNMs to the treatment strategies against senior care, drug addiction and medication adherence.
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13
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Nagel R, Semenova EA, Berns A. Drugging the addict: non-oncogene addiction as a target for cancer therapy. EMBO Rep 2016; 17:1516-1531. [PMID: 27702988 PMCID: PMC5090709 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201643030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Historically, cancers have been treated with chemotherapeutics aimed to have profound effects on tumor cells with only limited effects on normal tissue. This approach was followed by the development of small‐molecule inhibitors that can target oncogenic pathways critical for the survival of tumor cells. The clinical targeting of these so‐called oncogene addictions, however, is in many instances hampered by the outgrowth of resistant clones. More recently, the proper functioning of non‐mutated genes has been shown to enhance the survival of many cancers, a phenomenon called non‐oncogene addiction. In the current review, we will focus on the distinct non‐oncogenic addictions found in cancer cells, including synthetic lethal interactions, the underlying stress phenotypes, and arising therapeutic opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remco Nagel
- Division of Molecular Genetics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ekaterina A Semenova
- Division of Molecular Genetics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anton Berns
- Division of Molecular Genetics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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14
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Nazarbahjat N, Ariffin A, Abdullah Z, Abdulla MA, Shia JKS, Leong KH. Synthesis, characterization, drug-likeness properties and determination of the in vitro antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of new 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives. Med Chem Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00044-016-1660-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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15
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Guha R, Mathews Griner LA, Keller JM, Zhang X, Fitzgerald D, Antignani A, Pastan I, Thomas CJ, Ferrer M. Ranking Differential Drug Activities from Dose-Response Synthetic Lethality Screens. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 21:942-55. [PMID: 27112173 DOI: 10.1177/1087057116644890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic lethal screens are used to discover new combination treatments for cancer. In traditional high-throughput synthetic lethal screens, compounds are tested at a single dose, and hit selection is based on threshold activity values from the variance of the efficacy of the compounds tested. The limitation of the single-dose screening for synthetic lethal screens is that it does not allow for the robust detection of differential activities from compound collections with a broad range of potencies and efficacies. There is therefore a need to develop screening approaches that enable the identification of compounds with synthetic lethal effects based on changes in both potency and efficacy. Here we describe the implementation of a dose response-based synthetic lethal screen to find drugs that enhance or mitigate the cytotoxic effect of an immunotoxin protein (HA22). We developed a data analysis framework for the selection of compounds with enhancing or mitigating cytotoxic activities based on the use of dose-response parameters. The data analysis framework includes an ensemble ranking approach that allows the use of multiple dose-response parameters in a nonparametric fashion. Quantitative high-throughput screening (HTS) enables the identification of compounds with synthetic lethal activity not identified by single-dose HTS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajarshi Guha
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Lesley A Mathews Griner
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Jonathan M Keller
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Xiaohu Zhang
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - David Fitzgerald
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Antonella Antignani
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ira Pastan
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Craig J Thomas
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Marc Ferrer
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
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Gharibi A, Adamian Y, Kelber JA. Cellular and molecular aspects of pancreatic cancer. Acta Histochem 2016; 118:305-16. [PMID: 26868366 PMCID: PMC5654315 DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2016.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Revised: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a deadly malignancy that affects nearly 50,000 patients each year. The overall 5-year survival rate for this malignancy remains the lowest of any cancer at around 7% due to limited diagnostic methods, disease aggressiveness and a lack of targeted therapeutic interventions. This review highlights the successes achieved over the past several decades as well as the significant cellular and molecular hurdles that remain in combatting this deadly disease at a translational level.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Gharibi
- Developmental Oncogene Laboratory, Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA 91330, USA
| | - Y Adamian
- Developmental Oncogene Laboratory, Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA 91330, USA
| | - J A Kelber
- Developmental Oncogene Laboratory, Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA 91330, USA.
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17
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Modelling of compound combination effects and applications to efficacy and toxicity: state-of-the-art, challenges and perspectives. Drug Discov Today 2015; 21:225-38. [PMID: 26360051 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2015.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2015] [Revised: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The development of treatments involving combinations of drugs is a promising approach towards combating complex or multifactorial disorders. However, the large number of compound combinations that can be generated, even from small compound collections, means that exhaustive experimental testing is infeasible. The ability to predict the behaviour of compound combinations in biological systems, whittling down the number of combinations to be tested, is therefore crucial. Here, we review the current state-of-the-art in the field of compound combination modelling, with the aim to support the development of approaches that, as we hope, will finally lead to an integration of chemical with systems-level biological information for predicting the effect of chemical mixtures.
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Abstract
Mutations in the KRAS oncogene represent one of the most prevalent genetic alterations in colorectal cancer (CRC), the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the US. In addition to their well-characterized function in driving tumor progression, KRAS mutations have been recognized as a critical determinant of the therapeutic response of CRC. Recent studies demonstrate that KRAS-mutant tumors are intrinsically insensitive to clinically-used epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) targeting antibodies, including cetuximab and panitumumab. Acquired resistance to the anti-EGFR therapy was found to be associated with enrichment of KRAS-mutant tumor cells. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of mutant-KRAS-mediated therapeutic resistance has remained unclear. Despite intensive efforts, directly targeting mutant KRAS has been largely unsuccessful. This review summarizes the recent advances in understanding the biological function of KRAS mutations in determining the therapeutic response of CRC, highlighting several recently developed agents and strategies for targeting mutant KRAS, such as synthetic lethal interactions.
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Abbotts R, Jewell R, Nsengimana J, Maloney DJ, Simeonov A, Seedhouse C, Elliott F, Laye J, Walker C, Jadhav A, Grabowska A, Ball G, Patel PM, Newton-Bishop J, Wilson DM, Madhusudan S. Targeting human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) in phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) deficient melanoma cells for personalized therapy. Oncotarget 2014; 5:3273-86. [PMID: 24830350 PMCID: PMC4102809 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.1926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/25/2014] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) loss is associated with genomic instability. APE1 is a key player in DNA base excision repair (BER) and an emerging drug target in cancer. We have developed small molecule inhibitors against APE1 repair nuclease activity. In the current study we explored a synthetic lethal relationship between PTEN and APE1 in melanoma. Clinicopathological significance of PTEN mRNA and APE1 mRNA expression was investigated in 191 human melanomas. Preclinically, PTEN-deficient BRAF-mutated (UACC62, HT144, and SKMel28), PTEN-proficient BRAF-wildtype (MeWo), and doxycycline-inducible PTEN-knockout BRAF-wildtype MeWo melanoma cells were DNA repair expression profiled and investigated for synthetic lethality using a panel of four prototypical APE1 inhibitors. In human tumours, low PTEN mRNA and high APE1 mRNA was significantly associated with reduced relapse free and overall survival. Pre-clinically, compared to PTEN-proficient cells, PTEN-deficient cells displayed impaired expression of genes involved in DNA double strand break (DSB) repair. Synthetic lethality in PTEN-deficient cells was evidenced by increased sensitivity, accumulation of DSBs and induction of apoptosis following treatment with APE1 inhibitors. We conclude that PTEN deficiency is not only a promising biomarker in melanoma, but can also be targeted by a synthetic lethality strategy using inhibitors of BER, such as those targeting APE1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Abbotts
- Academic Unit of Oncology, Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals, Nottingham, UK
| | - Rosalyn Jewell
- Section of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology, University of Leeds; Leeds, UK
| | - Jérémie Nsengimana
- Section of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology, University of Leeds; Leeds, UK
| | - David J Maloney
- NIH Chemical Genomics Center, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA
| | - Anton Simeonov
- NIH Chemical Genomics Center, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA
| | - Claire Seedhouse
- Academic Haematology, Division of Oncology, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals, Nottingham, UK
| | - Faye Elliott
- Section of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology, University of Leeds; Leeds, UK
| | - Jon Laye
- Section of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology, University of Leeds; Leeds, UK
| | - Christy Walker
- Section of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology, University of Leeds; Leeds, UK
| | - Ajit Jadhav
- NIH Chemical Genomics Center, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA
| | - Anna Grabowska
- Cancer Biology Unit, Division of Oncology, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals, Nottingham, UK
| | - Graham Ball
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton campus Nottingham, UK
| | - Poulam M Patel
- Academic Unit of Oncology, Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals, Nottingham, UK
| | - Julia Newton-Bishop
- Section of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology, University of Leeds; Leeds, UK
| | - David M Wilson
- Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, Biomedical Research Center, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224-6825, USA
| | - Srinivasan Madhusudan
- Academic Unit of Oncology, Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals, Nottingham, UK
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Imielinski M, Hammerman PS, Thomas R, Meyerson M. Somatic Genome Alterations in Human Lung Cancers. Lung Cancer 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/9781118468791.ch4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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21
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Isolation and characterization of the anticancer gene organic cation transporter like-3 (ORCTL3). ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2014; 818:213-27. [PMID: 25001539 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4471-6458-6_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
ORCTL3, an organic cation/anion transporter expressed in various tissue types, was isolated in a genome-wide cDNA screen as a gene with a tumor-specific apoptosis activity. When overexpressed it elicits an apoptosis response in many transformed cells, while normal cells remain unaffected. It can be activated for apoptosis induction by individual tumorigenic mutations in renal cells. This effect is independent of the tumor cells' proliferation status and mediated by an incomplete ER stress response, characterized by the accumulation of the endoplasmic reticulum-stress marker ATF4, but not BiP. Recent studies show that for its apoptosis induction activity ORCTL3 targets the enzyme stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD-1) that is involved in the fatty acid metabolism. This is evidenced by the inhibition of apoptosis induced through ORCTL3 when the SCD-1 product oleic acid is exogenously supplemented or when SCD-1 is co-transfected in the transformed cells. ORCTL3's activity to specifically target tumor cells is caused by the transmembrane domains 3 and 4 of the mouse, but not the human, gene. In an in vivo model ORCTL3 shows a significant shrinkage in the size of xenograft tumors when injected with an adenoviral carrier carrying the mouse ORCTL3 gene. An ex vivo study using human renal cancer cells confirmed the promising tumor-specific apoptosis effect of ORCTL3. Since ORCTL3 targets fatty acid metabolism in transformed cells and induces an ER stress specifically in these cells, it reveals a novel therapeutic interference option for tumor cells.
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Wierstra I. FOXM1 (Forkhead box M1) in tumorigenesis: overexpression in human cancer, implication in tumorigenesis, oncogenic functions, tumor-suppressive properties, and target of anticancer therapy. Adv Cancer Res 2013; 119:191-419. [PMID: 23870513 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-407190-2.00016-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
FOXM1 (Forkhead box M1) is a typical proliferation-associated transcription factor and is also intimately involved in tumorigenesis. FOXM1 stimulates cell proliferation and cell cycle progression by promoting the entry into S-phase and M-phase. Additionally, FOXM1 is required for proper execution of mitosis. In accordance with its role in stimulation of cell proliferation, FOXM1 exhibits a proliferation-specific expression pattern and its expression is regulated by proliferation and anti-proliferation signals as well as by proto-oncoproteins and tumor suppressors. Since these factors are often mutated, overexpressed, or lost in human cancer, the normal control of the foxm1 expression by them provides the basis for deregulated FOXM1 expression in tumors. Accordingly, FOXM1 is overexpressed in many types of human cancer. FOXM1 is intimately involved in tumorigenesis, because it contributes to oncogenic transformation and participates in tumor initiation, growth, and progression, including positive effects on angiogenesis, migration, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, metastasis, recruitment of tumor-associated macrophages, tumor-associated lung inflammation, self-renewal capacity of cancer cells, prevention of premature cellular senescence, and chemotherapeutic drug resistance. However, in the context of urethane-induced lung tumorigenesis, FOXM1 has an unexpected tumor suppressor role in endothelial cells because it limits pulmonary inflammation and canonical Wnt signaling in epithelial lung cells, thereby restricting carcinogenesis. Accordingly, FOXM1 plays a role in homologous recombination repair of DNA double-strand breaks and maintenance of genomic stability, that is, prevention of polyploidy and aneuploidy. The implication of FOXM1 in tumorigenesis makes it an attractive target for anticancer therapy, and several antitumor drugs have been reported to decrease FOXM1 expression.
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Sacco E, Spinelli M, Vanoni M. Approaches to Ras signaling modulation and treatment of Ras-dependent disorders: a patent review (2007--present). Expert Opin Ther Pat 2012; 22:1263-87. [PMID: 23009088 DOI: 10.1517/13543776.2012.728586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Ras proteins are small GTPases molecular switches that cycle through two alternative conformational states, a GDP-bound inactive state and a GTP-bound active state. In the active state, Ras proteins interact with and modulate the activity of several downstream effectors regulating key cellular processes including proliferation, differentiation, survival, senescence, migration and metabolism. Activating mutations of RAS genes and of genes encoding Ras signaling members have a great incidence in proliferative disorders, such as cancer, immune and inflammatory diseases and developmental syndromes. Therefore, Ras and Ras signaling represent important clinical targets for the design and development of pharmaceutically active agents, including anticancer agents. AREAS COVERED The authors summarize methods available to down-regulate the Ras pathway and review recent patents covering Ras signaling modulators, as well as methods designed to kill specifically cancer cells bearing activated RAS oncogene. EXPERT OPINION Targeted therapy approach based on direct targeting of molecules specifically altered in Ras-dependent diseases is pursued with molecules that down-regulate expression or inhibit the biological function of mutant Ras or Ras signaling members. The low success rate in a clinical setting of molecules targeting activated members of the Ras pathway may require development of novel approaches, including combined and synthetic lethal therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Sacco
- University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, Milano, Italy
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Synthetic lethal interactions for the development of cancer therapeutics: biological and methodological advancements. Hum Genet 2010; 128:567-75. [DOI: 10.1007/s00439-010-0900-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2010] [Accepted: 10/12/2010] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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