Platinum complexes inhibit HER-2 enriched and triple-negative breast cancer cells metabolism to suppress growth, stemness and migration by targeting PKM/LDHA and CCND1/BCL2/ATG3 signaling pathways

Co-targeting CDK 4/6 and C-MYC/STAT3/CCND1 axis and inhibition of tumorigenesis and epithelial-mesenchymal-transition in triple negative breast cancer by Pt(II) complexes bearing NH3 as trans-co-ligand

In search of potential anticancer agents, we synthesized SNO-donor salicylaldimine main ligand-based Pt(II) complexes bearing NH3 as co-ligand at trans-position (C1-C6). These complexes showed similarity in structure with transplatin as the two N donor atoms of the main ligand and NH3 co-ligand were coordinated to Pt in trans position to each other. Each complex with different substituents on the main ligand was characterized thoroughly by detailed spectroscopic and spectrophotometric methods. Four of these complexes were studied in solid state by single crystal X-ray analysis. The stability of reference complex C1 was measured in solution state in DMSO‑d6 or its mixture with D2O using 1H NMR methods. These complexes were further investigated for their anticancer activity in triple-negative-breast (TNBC) cells including MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-436 cells. All these complexes showed satisfactory cytotoxic effect as revealed by the MTT results. Importantly, the highly active complex C4 anticancer effect was compared to the standard chemotherapeutic agents including cisplatin, oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Functionally, C4 suppressed invasion, spheroids formation ability and clonogenic potential of cancer cells. C4 showed synergistic anticancer effect when used in combination with palbociclib, JQ1 and paclitaxel in TNBC cells. Mechanistically, C4 inhibited cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)4/6 pathway and targeted the expressions of MYC/STAT3/CCND1/CNNE1 axis. Furthermore, C4 suppressed the EMT signaling pathway that suggested a role of C4 in the inhibition of TNBC metastasis. Our findings may pave further in detailed mechanistic study on these complexes as potential chemotherapeutic agents in different types of human cancers.

Biological Evaluation of Dinuclear Platinum(II) Complexes with Aromatic N-Heterocycles as Bridging Ligands

The history of effective anti-cancer medications begins with the discovery of cisplatin's anti-cancer properties. Second-generation analogue, carboplatin, with a similar range of effectiveness, made progress in improving these drugs with fewer side effects and better solubility. Renewed interest in platinum-based drugs has been increasing in the past several years. These developments highlight a revitalized enthusiasm and ongoing exploration in platinum chemotherapy based on the series of dinuclear platinum(II) complexes, [{Pt(L)Cl}2(μ-bridging ligand)]2+, which have been synthesized and evaluated for their biological activities. These complexes are designed to target various cancerous conditions, exhibiting promising antitumor, antiproliferative, and apoptosis-inducing activities. The current work aims to shed light on the potential of these complexes as next-generation platinum-based therapies, highlighting their enhanced efficacy and reduced side effects, which could revolutionize the approach to chemotherapy.

Salicylaldehyde-derived piperazine-functionalized hydrazone ligand-based Pt(II) complexes: inhibition of EZH2-dependent tumorigenesis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, synergism with PARP inhibitors and enhanced apoptosis

Piperazine is an important functional unit of many clinically approved drugs, including chemotherapeutic agents. In the current study, methyl piperazine was incorporated and eight salicylaldehyde-derived piperazine-functionalized hydrazone ONN-donor ligands (L) and their Pt(II) complexes (L-PtCl) were prepared. The structures of all these ligands (L1-L8) and Pt(II) complexes (C1-C8) were determined using 1H and 13C NMR, UV-vis, FT-IR and HR-ESI MS analyses, whereas the structures of C1, C5, C6, C7 and C8 were determined in the solid state using single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Solution state stabilities of C3, C4, C5 and C6 were determined via time-dependent UV-vis spectroscopy. All these complexes (C1-C8) were studied for their anticancer effect in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells, including BxPC3, MIAPaCa-2 and PANC1 cells. C1-C8 displayed a potential cytotoxic effect in all these cancer cells, among which C5, C6 and C8 showed the strongest inhibitory effect in comparison with standard chemotherapeutic agents, including 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), cisplatin (CP), oxaliplatin and doxorubicin (DOX). C5, C6 and C8 suppressed the growth of pancreatic cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, C5, C6 and C8 inhibited clonogenic potential and invasion ability and induced apoptosis in PANC1 cells. Importantly, C5, C6 and C8 synergized the anticancer effect with PARP inhibitors, including olaparib, veliparib and niraparib, in pancreatic cancer cells, thus suggesting an important role of C5, C6 and C8 in induction of apoptosis in combination with PARP inhibitors. C5 combined with PARP inhibitors induced caspase3/7 activity and suppressed ATP production. Mechanistically, C5, C6 and C8 inhibited EZH2 protein expression to suppress EZH2-dependent tumorigenesis. Overall, these results highlighted the importance of these piperazine-functionalized Pt(II) complexes as potential anticancer agents to suppress pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumorigenesis by targeting the EZH2-dependent pathway.

Menthol induces extracellular vesicle regulation of apoptosis via ATG3 and caspase-3 in acute leukemic cells

Leukemia is one of the most deadly cancers in Thailand. Natural compounds have been developed for cancer treatment. Menthol, a peppermint compound, has shown pharmacological properties such as anti-cancer activity. However, the mechanism of menthol inducing extracellular vesicles in leukemic cells is not yet understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of menthol on leukemic extracellular vesicles and their role in apoptosis. NB4 and Molt-4 leukemic cells were cultured with menthol in various concentrations and times. Bioinformatic analysis was used to investigate target proteins of extracellular vesicle and apoptosis, followed by mRNA and protein expression by RT‒PCR and western blotting, respectively. Our findings indicate that menthol inhibits leukemic cell proliferation and increases extracellular vesicles. Furthermore, menthol treated leukemic extracellular vesicles induce apoptosis and upregulate the expression of ATG3 and caspase-3 in both mRNA and protein levels. These results suggest that menthol has an antileukemic effect through ATG3 and caspase-3 in apoptosis of leukemic extracellular vesicles.

D, Chakravarty M, Jamma T, Yogeeswari P. Targeting hexokinase 2 for oral cancer therapy: structure-based design and validation of lead compounds

The pursuit of small molecule inhibitors targeting hexokinase 2 (HK2) has significantly captivated the field of cancer drug discovery. Nevertheless, the creation of selective inhibitors aimed at specific isoforms of hexokinase (HK) remains a formidable challenge. Here, we present a multiple-pharmacophore modeling approach for designing ligands against HK2 with a marked anti-proliferative effect on FaDu and Cal27 oral cancer cell lines. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations showed that the prototype ligand exhibited a higher affinity towards HK2. Complementing this, we put forth a sustainable synthetic pathway: an environmentally conscious, single-step process facilitated through a direct amidation of the ester with an amine under transition-metal-free conditions with an excellent yield in ambient temperature, followed by a column chromatography avoided separation technique of the identified lead bioactive compound (H2) that exhibited cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. We observed that the inhibition of HK2 led to the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and increased mitophagy as a potential mechanism of anticancer action. The lead H2 also reduced the growth of spheroids. Collectively, these results indicated the proof-of-concept for the prototypical lead towards HK2 inhibition with anti-cancer potential.

Mechanism of Erianin anti-triple negative breast cancer based on transcriptomics methods and network pharmacology

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive illness that lacks effective targeted treatments. Although Erianin has shown potential antitumor properties, its precise mechanism of action and target in TNBC remain unclear, hampering the development of drugs. The present study investigated the underlying mechanism of action of Erianin in treating TNBC by using transcriptomics and network pharmacology approaches. We evaluated Erianin's bioactivity in TNBC cell lines and xenograft tumor models. The results showed that Erianin significantly inhibited TNBC cell proliferation and impeded tumor growth. A subsequent analysis of transcriptomic and network pharmacological data identified 51 mutual targets. Analysis of protein-protein interactions identified eight hub targets. Furthermore, molecular docking indicated that the PPARA binding energy was the lowest for Erianin among the hub targets, followed by ROCK2, PDGFRB, CCND1, MUC1, and CDK1. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes functional enrichment analysis showed that the common targets were associated with multiple cancer-related signaling pathways, including focal adhesion, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, Rap1 signaling pathway, microRNAs in cancer, and human papillomavirus infection. The results of the Western blot and immunohistochemistry experiment further showed that Erianin could suppress PI3K/Akt signaling pathway activation. After co-incubation with SC79, the cell inhibition rate of Erianin was decreased, which further confirmed that Erianin inhibits TNBC progression via the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. In conclusion, our results indicated that Erianin has the potential to inhibit the proliferation of TNBC by downregulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway by transcriptomics and network pharmacology. Therefore, Erianin appears to be a promising compound for the effective treatment of TNBC.

Synthesis and anticancer mechanisms of four novel platinum(II) 4'-substituted-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine complexes

Mitophagy, a selective autophagic process, has emerged as a pathway involved in degrading dysfunctional mitochondria. Herein, new platinum(II)-based chemotherapeutics with mitophagy-targeting properties are proposed. Four novel binuclear anticancer Pt(II) complexes with 4'-substituted-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine derivatives (tpy1-tpy4), i.e., [Pt2(tpy1)(DMSO)2Cl4]·CH3OH (tpy1Pt), [Pt(tpy2)Cl][Pt(DMSO)Cl3]·CH3COCH3 (tpy2Pt), [Pt(tpy3)Cl][Pt(DMSO)Cl3] (tpy3Pt), and [Pt(tpy4)Cl]Cl·CH3OH (tpy4Pt), were designed and prepared. Moreover, their potential antitumor mechanism was studied. Tpy1Pt-tpy4Pt exhibited more selective cytotoxicity against cisplatin-resistant SK-OV-3/DDP (SKO3cisR) cancer cells compared with those against ovarian SK-OV-3 (SKO3) cancer cells and normal HL-7702 liver (H702) cells. This selective cytotoxicity of Tpy1Pt-tpy4Pt was better than that of its ligands (i.e., tpy1-tpy4), the clinical drug cisplatin, and cis-Pt(DMSO)2Cl2. The results of various experiments indicated that tpy1Pt and tpy2Pt kill SKO3cisR cancer cells via a mitophagy pathway, which involves the disruption of the mitophagy-related protein expression, dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential, elevation of the [Ca2+] and reactive oxygen species levels, promotion of mitochondrial DNA damage, and reduction in the adenosine triphosphate and mitochondrial respiratory chain levels. Furthermore, in vivo experiments indicated that the dinuclear anticancer Pt(II) coordination compound (tpy1Pt) has remarkable therapeutic efficiency (ca. 52.4%) and almost no toxicity. Therefore, the new 4'-substituted-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine Pt(II) coordination compound (tpy1Pt) is a potential candidate for next-generation mitophagy-targeting dinuclear Pt(II)-based anticancer drugs.

Design, Synthesis, and Anti-Breast Cancer Potential of Imidazole-Pyridine Hybrid Molecules In Vitro and Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma Growth Inhibitory Activity Assessment In Vivo

Breast cancer remains a challenging medical issue and is a high priority for biomedical research despite significant advancements in cancer research and therapy. The current study aims to determine the anticancer activity of a group of imidazole-pyridine-based scaffolds against a variety of breast cancer cell lines differing in their receptor expression (estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER-2). A series of 10 molecules (coded 5a-5j) were synthesized through multicomponent and alkylation reactions. FTIR, MS, 1H, and 13C NMR spectral analyses confirmed the structures and purity of the synthesized molecules. Subsequently, these molecules were tested for their ability to inhibit the viability of cell lines representing carcinoma of the breast, viz., MDA-MB-468 (ER-, PR-, and HER-), BT-474 (ER+, PR+, and HER+), T-47D (ER+, PR+, and HER-), and MCF-7 (ER+, PR+, and HER-) in vitro. Among these 10 molecules, 5a, 5c, 5d, and 5e exhibited better potency, as evidenced by IC50 < 50 μM at 24 h of treatment against BT-474 and MDA-MB-468 cell lines. However, except for 5d, the IC50 value is much higher than 50 μM when tested against T47D and MCF-7 cell lines at 24h. Extended treatment for 48 h reduced the effect of these molecules, as an increase in IC50 was observed. In mice, intraperitoneal administration of 5e retarded the Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) growth without causing any organ toxicity at the doses tested. In summary, we report the synthesis scheme and key structural requirements for a new series of imidazole-pyridine molecules for in vitro inhibition of the feasibility of breast cancer cells and in vivo inhibition of EAC tumors.

Telomere-related prognostic biomarkers for survival assessments in pancreatic cancer

Human telomeres are linked to genetic instability and a higher risk of developing cancer. Therefore, to improve the dismal prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients, a thorough investigation of the association between telomere-related genes and pancreatic cancer is required. Combat from the R package "SVA" was performed to correct the batch effects between the TCGA-PAAD and GTEx datasets. After differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were assessed, we constructed a prognostic risk model through univariate Cox regression, LASSO-Cox regression, and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Data from the ICGC, GSE62452, GSE71729, and GSE78229 cohorts were used as test cohorts for validating the prognostic signature. The major impact of the signature on the tumor microenvironment and its response to immune checkpoint drugs was also evaluated. Finally, PAAD tissue microarrays were fabricated and immunohistochemistry was performed to explore the expression of this signature in clinical samples. After calculating 502 telomere-associated DEGs, we constructed a three-gene prognostic signature (DSG2, LDHA, and RACGAP1) that can be effectively applied to the prognostic classification of pancreatic cancer patients in multiple datasets, including TCGA, ICGC, GSE62452, GSE71729, and GSE78229 cohorts. In addition, we have screened a variety of tumor-sensitive drugs targeting this signature. Finally, we also found that protein levels of DSG2, LDHA, and RACGAP1 were upregulated in pancreatic cancer tissues compared to normal tissues by immunohistochemistry analysis. We established and validated a telomere gene-related prognostic signature for pancreatic cancer and confirmed the upregulation of DSG2, LDHA, and RACGAP1 expression in clinical samples, which may provide new ideas for individualized immunotherapy.

Monofunctional dimetallic Ru(η6-arene) complexes inhibit NOTCH1 signaling pathway and synergistically enhance anticancer effect in combination with cisplatin or vitamin C

ONS donor ligands L1-L4 were utilized in the preparation of monofunctional dimetallic Ru(η6-arene) complexes (C1-C4). These ONS donor ligand based novel tricoordinated Ru(II) complexes bearing η6-arene co-ligand were prepared for the first time. The current methodology resulted in excellent isolated yields and these complexes were characterized in detail by different spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques. The structures of C1-C2 and C4 were characterized in solid state by single crystal X-ray analysis. The in vitro anticancer analyses showed these novel complexes suppressed the growth of breast (MCF-7), liver (HepG2) and lung (A549) cancer cells. C2 suppressed the growth of these cells in dose-dependent manner revealed form the MTT and crystal violet cell viability assays. Moreover, C2 was observed the most potent complex that was used further in detailed mechanistic analyses in cancer cells. C2 showed good cytotoxic activity at 10 μM dose level as compared to cisplatin or oxaliplatin in these cancer cells. We observed morphological changes in cancer cells upon treatment with C2. Moreover, C2 suppressed the invasion and migration ability of cancer cells. C2 induced cellular senescence to retard cell growth and suppressed the formation of cancer stem cells. Importantly, C2 showed synergistic anticancer effect in combination with cisplatin and Vitamin C to further inhibit cell growth which suggested the potential role of C2 in cancer therapy. Mechanistically, C2 inhibited NOTCH1 dependent signaling pathway to suppress cancer cell invasion, migration and cancer stem cells formation. Thus, these data suggested potential role of C2 in cancer therapy by targeting NOTCH1-dependent signaling to suppress tumorigenesis. The results obtained in this study for these novel monofunctional dimetallic Ru(η6-arene) complexes showed their high anticancer potency and this study will pave to further cytotoxicity exploration on this class of complexes.

Platinum(II) 5-substituted-8-hydroxyquinoline coordination compounds induces mitophagy-mediated apoptosis in A549/DDP cancer cells

For the first time, two new mononuclear platinum(II) coordination compounds, [Pt(L1)(DMSO)Cl] (PtL1) and [Pt(L2)(DMSO)Cl] (PtL2) with the 5-(ethoxymethyl)-8-hydroxyquinoline hydrochloride (H-L1) and 5-bromo-8-hydroxyquinoline (H-L2) have been synthesized and characterized. The cytotoxic activity of PtL1 and PtL2 were screened in both healthy HL-7702 cell line and cancer cell lines, human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cancer cells and cisplatin-resistant lung adenocarcinoma A549/DDP cancer cells (A549R), and were compared to that of the H-L1, H-L2, H-L3 ligands and 8-hydroxyquinoline (H-L3) platinum(II) complex [Pt(L3)(DMSO)Cl] (PtL3). MTT results showed that PtL1 bearing one deprotonated L1 ligand against A549R was more potent by 8.8-48.6 fold than that of PtL2 and PtL3 complexes but was more selective toward healthy HL-7702 cells. In addition, PtL1 and PtL3 overcomes tumour drug resistance by significantly inducing mitophagy and causing the change of the related proteins expression, which leads to cell apoptosis. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of PtL1 on A549 xenograft tumour was 68.2%, which was much higher than that of cisplatin (cisPt, ca. 50.0%), without significantly changing nude mice weight in comparison with the untreated group. This study helps to explore the potential of the platinum(II) 5-substituted-8-hydroxyquinoline coordination compounds for the new Pt-resistant cancer therapy.

Synthesis and anticancer mechanisms of zinc(II)-8-hydroxyquinoline complexes with 1,10-phenanthroline ancillary ligands

Twenty new zinc(II) complexes with 8-hydroxyquinoline (H-Q1-H-Q6) in the presence of 1,10-phenanthroline derivatives (D1-D10) were synthesized and formulated as [Zn(Q1)₂(D1)] (DQ1), [Zn(Q2)₂(D2)]·CH₃OH (DQ2), [Zn(Q1)₂(D3)] (DQ3), [Zn(Q1)₂(D4)] (DQ4), [Zn(Q3)₂(D5)] (DQ5), [Zn(Q3)₂(D4)] (DQ6), [Zn(Q4)₂(D5)]·CH₃OH (DQ7), [Zn(Q4)₂(D6)] (DQ8), [Zn(Q4)₂(D3)]·CH₃OH (DQ9), [Zn(Q4)₂(D1)]·H₂O (DQ10), [Zn(Q5)₂(D4)] (DQ11), [Zn(Q6)₂(D6)]·CH₃OH (DQ12), [Zn(Q5)₂(D2)]·5CH₃OH·H₂O (DQ13), [Zn(Q5)₂(D7)]·CH₃OH (DQ14), [Zn(Q5)₂(D8)]·CH₂Cl₂ (DQ15), [Zn(Q5)₂(D9)] (DQ16), [Zn(Q5)₂(D1)] (DQ17), [Zn(Q5)₂(D5)] (DQ18), [Zn(Q5)₂(D10)]·CH₂Cl₂ (DQ19) and [Zn(Q5)₂(D3)] (DQ20). They were characterized using multiple techniques. The cytotoxicity of DQ1-DQ20 was screened using human cisplatin-resistant SK-OV-3/DDP ovarian cancer (SK-OV-3CR) cells and normal hepatocyte (HL-7702) cells. Complex DQ6 showed low IC₅₀ values (2.25 ± 0.13 μM) on SK-OV-3CR cells, more than 3.0-8.0 times more cytotoxic than DQ1-DQ5 and DQ7-DQ20 (≥6.78 μM), and even 22.2 times more cytotoxic than the standard cisplatin, the corresponding free H-Q1-H-Q6 and D1-D10 alone (>50 μM). As a comparison, DQ1-DQ20 displayed nontoxic rates against healthy HL-7702 cells. Furthermore, DQ6 and DQ11 induced significant apoptosis via mitophagy pathways. DQ6 also significantly inhibited tumor growth in an in vivo SK-OV-3-xenograft model (ca. 49.7%). Thus, DQ6 may serve as a lead complex for the discovery of new antitumor agents.

Pro-Apoptotic and Anti-Migration Properties of a Thiazoline-Containing Platinum(II) Complex in MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells: The Role of Melatonin as a Synergistic Agent

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive cancer insensitive to hormonal and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted therapies and has a poor prognosis. Therefore, there is a need for the development of convenient anticancer strategies for the management of TNBC. In this paper, we evaluate the antitumoral potential of a platinum(II) complex coordinated with the ligand 2-(3,5-diphenylpyrazol-1-yl)-2-thiazoline (DPhPzTn), hereafter PtDPhPzTn, against the TNBC cell line MDA-MB-231, and compared its effect with both cisplatin and its less lipophilic counterpart PtPzTn, the latter containing the ligand 2-(pyrazol-1-yl)-2-thiazoline (PzTn). Then, the putative potentiating actions of melatonin, a naturally occurring antioxidant with renowned antitumor properties, on the tumor-killing ability of PtDPhPzTn were also checked in TNBC cells. Our results show that PtDPhPzTn presented enhanced cytotoxicity compared to both the classical drug cisplatin and PtPzTn. In addition, PtDPhPzTn was able to induce apoptosis, being more selective for MDA-MB-231 cells when compared to non-tumor breast epithelial MCF10A cells. Likewise, PtDPhPzTn produced moderate S phase arrest and greatly impaired the migration ability of MDA-MB-231 cells. Most importantly, the co-stimulation of TNBC cells with PtDPhPzTn and melatonin substantially enhanced apoptosis and markedly improved the anti-migratory action compared to PtDPhPzTn alone. Altogether, our findings provide evidence that PtDPhPzTn and melatonin could be potentially applied to breast cancer treatment as powerful synergistic agents.

Design, Synthesis, and Antitumor Evaluation of Novel Mono-Carbonyl Curcumin Analogs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell

Curcumin is a polyphenolic natural product that has promising anticancer properties. However, its clinical utility is limited by its chemical instability and poor metabolic properties. In this paper, a series of new curcumin analogs were synthesized and found to be potent antiproliferative agents against the HepG2 cell line by MTT assay. In general, Group B with single ketone and group C with chalcone were markedly more cytotoxic than group A with diketone. Compound B5 was found as the most potent analog (IC₅₀ = 11.33 μM) compared to curcumin (IC₅₀ = 32.83 μM) and the mechanism of its cytotoxicity was investigated. The result of the wound healing assay indicated B5 strong potential to suppress HepG2 cell migration in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Subsequent assays (including JC-1 staining, Bcl-2, and caspase 3 protein levels by Western blotting) confirmed that B5 exposure induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells. Curcumin-induced comprehensive transcriptomes profile, Western blotting, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics analysis showed that the mechanism may relate to the regulation of cellular metabolic process and the expression of AKT protein. Taken together, we could conclude that curcumin and its analogs induced HepG2 cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis via AKT signaling pathway and the mitochondrial death pathway. This study could lay the foundation for optimizing curcumin and provide valuable information for finding novel anti-HCC drugs.

Vitamin B6 based Pt(II) complexes: Biomolecule derived potential cytotoxic agents for thyroid cancer

Vitamin B6 is an essential vitamin that serves as a co-enzyme in a number of enzymatic reactions in metabolism of lipids, amino acids and glucose. In the current study, we synthesized vitamin B6 derived ligand (L) and its complex Pt(L)Cl (C1). The ancillary chloride ligand of C1 was exchanged with pyridine co-ligand and another complex Pt(L)(py).BF4 (C2) was obtained. Both these complexes were obtained in excellent isolated yields and characterized thoroughly by different analytical methods. Thyroid cancer is one of the most common malignancies of the endocrine system, we studied the in vitro anticancer activity and mechanism of these vitamin B6 derived L and Pt(II) complexes in thyroid cancer cell line (FTC). Based on MTT assay, cell proliferation rate was reduced in a dose-dependent manner. According to apoptosis analysis, vitamin B6 based Pt(II) complexes treated cells depicted necrotic effect and TUNEL based apoptosis was observed in cancer cells. Furthermore, qRT-PCR analyses of cancer cells treated with C1 and/or C2 showed regulated expression of anti-apoptotic, pro-apoptosis and autophagy related genes. Western blot results demonstrated that C1 and C2 induced the activation of p53 and the cleavage of Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). These results suggest that these complexes inhibit the growth of FTC cells and induce apoptosis through p53 signaling. Thus, vitamin B6 derived Pt(II) complexes C1 and C2 may be potential cytotoxic agents for the treatment of thyroid cancer.

Stachydrine hydrochloride inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma progression via LIF/AMPK axis

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not only one of the four highest malignancies, but also the principal reason of cancer-related death worldwide, yet no effective medication for anti-HCC is available. Stachydrine hydrochloride (SH), an alkaloid component in Panzeria alaschanica Kupr, exhibits potent antitumor activity in breast cancer. However, the anti-HCC effects of SH remain unknown.

PURPOSE

Our study assessed the therapeutic effect of SH on HCC and tried to clarify the mechanisms by which it ameliorates HCC. No studies involving using SH for anti-HCC activity and molecular mechanism have been reported yet.

STUDY DESIGN/METHODS

We examined the cell viability of SH on HCC cells by MTT assay. The effect of SH on cell autophagy in HCC cells was verified by Western blot and Immunofluorescence test. Flow cytometry was performed to assess cell-cycle arrest effects. Cell senescence was detected using β-Gal staining and Western blot, respectively. An inhibitor or siRNA of autophagy, i.e., CQ and si LC-3B, were applied to confirm the role of autophagy acted in the anti-cancer function of SH. Protein expression in signaling pathways was detected by Western blot. Besides, molecular docking combined with cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) was used for analysis. Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model were built to explore the inhibitory effect of SH in HCC in vivo.

RESULTS

In vitro studies showed that SH possessed an anti-HCC effect by inducing autophagy, cell-cycle arrest and promoting cell senescence. Specifically, SH induced autophagy with p62 and LC-3B expression. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that SH caused an obvious cell-cycle arrest, accompanied by the decrease and increase in Cyclin D1 and p27 levels, respectively. Additionally, SH induced cell senescence with the induction of p21 in HCC cell lines. Mechanistically, SH treatment down-regulated the LIF and up-regulated p-AMPK. Moreover, PDX model in NSG mice was conducted to support the results in vitro.

CONCLUSION

This study is the first to report the inhibitory function of SH in HCC, which may be due to the induction of autophagy and senescence. This study provides novel insights into the anti-HCC efficacy of SH and it might be a potential lead compound for further development of drug candidates for HCC.

Inhibition of SREBP-mediated lipid biosynthesis and activation of multiple anticancer mechanisms by platinum complexes: Ascribe possibilities of new antitumor strategies

Cancer is one of the most aggressive diseases with poor prognosis and survival rates. Lipids biogenesis play key role in cancer progression, metastasis and tumor development. Suppression of SREBP-mediated lipid biogenesis pathway has been linked with cancer inhibition. Platinum complexes bearing good anticancer effect and multiple genes activation properties are considered important and increase the chances for development of new platinum-based drugs. In this study, we synthesized pyridine co-ligand functionalized cationic complexes and characterized them using multiple spectroscopic and spectrophotometric methods. Two of these complexes were studied in solid state by single crystal X-ray analysis. The stability of these complexes were measured in solution state using ¹H NMR methods. These complexes were further investigated for their anticancer activity against human breast, lung and liver cancer cells. MTT assay showed potential cytotoxic activity in dose-dependent manner and decrease survival rates of cancer cells was observed upon treatment with these complexes. Biological assays results revealed higher cytotoxicity as compared to cisplatin and oxaliplatin. Further we studied C2, C6 and C8 in detailed mechanistic anticancer analyses. Clonogenic assay showed decrease survival of MCF-7, HepG2 and A549 cancer cells treated with C2, C6 and C8 as compared to control cells treated with DMSO. TUNEL assay showed more cell death, these complexes suppressed invasion and migration ability of cancer cells and decreased tumor spheroids formation, thus suggesting a potential role in inhibition of cancer metastasis and cancer stem cells formation. Mechanistically, these complexes inhibited sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP-1) expression in cancer cells in dose-dependent manner and thereby reduced lipid biogenesis to suppress cancer progression. Furthermore, expression level was decreased for the key genes LDLR, FASN and HMGCR, those required for sterol biosynthesis. Taken together, these complexes suppressed cancer cell growth, migration, invasion and spheroids formation by inhibiting SREBP-1 mediated lipid biogenesis pathway.

Crystal structure of chlorido-(4-methyl-2-((phenylimino)methyl)phenolato-κ2 N,O)-(pyridine-κ1 N)platinum(II), C19H17ClN2OPt

C10H8BrN3, orthorhombic, P 1 ‾ $P&#x203e;{1}$ (no. 2), a = 12.114(7) Å, b = 12.254(8) Å, c = 13.186(8) Å, α = 71.659(10)°, β = 84.744(10)°, γ = 89.725(10)°, V = 1850(2) Å3, Z = 4, R gt (F) = 0.0511, wR ref (F 2) = 0.1644, T = 293 K.