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Su MC, Lee AM, Zhang W, Maeser D, Gruener RF, Deng Y, Huang RS. Computational Modeling to Identify Drugs Targeting Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Characterized by Heightened Glycolysis. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:569. [PMID: 38794139 PMCID: PMC11124089 DOI: 10.3390/ph17050569] [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: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) remains a deadly disease due to a lack of efficacious treatments. The reprogramming of cancer metabolism toward elevated glycolysis is a hallmark of mCRPC. Our goal is to identify therapeutics specifically associated with high glycolysis. Here, we established a computational framework to identify new pharmacological agents for mCRPC with heightened glycolysis activity under a tumor microenvironment, followed by in vitro validation. First, using our established computational tool, OncoPredict, we imputed the likelihood of drug responses to approximately 1900 agents in each mCRPC tumor from two large clinical patient cohorts. We selected drugs with predicted sensitivity highly correlated with glycolysis scores. In total, 77 drugs predicted to be more sensitive in high glycolysis mCRPC tumors were identified. These drugs represent diverse mechanisms of action. Three of the candidates, ivermectin, CNF2024, and P276-00, were selected for subsequent vitro validation based on the highest measured drug responses associated with glycolysis/OXPHOS in pan-cancer cell lines. By decreasing the input glucose level in culture media to mimic the mCRPC tumor microenvironments, we induced a high-glycolysis condition in PC3 cells and validated the projected higher sensitivity of all three drugs under this condition (p < 0.0001 for all drugs). For biomarker discovery, ivermectin and P276-00 were predicted to be more sensitive to mCRPC tumors with low androgen receptor activities and high glycolysis activities (AR(low)Gly(high)). In addition, we integrated a protein-protein interaction network and topological methods to identify biomarkers for these drug candidates. EEF1B2 and CCNA2 were identified as key biomarkers for ivermectin and CNF2024, respectively, through multiple independent biomarker nomination pipelines. In conclusion, this study offers new efficacious therapeutics beyond traditional androgen-deprivation therapies by precisely targeting mCRPC with high glycolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Chi Su
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; (M.-C.S.); (A.M.L.); (R.F.G.)
| | - Adam M. Lee
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; (M.-C.S.); (A.M.L.); (R.F.G.)
| | - Weijie Zhang
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; (W.Z.); (D.M.)
| | - Danielle Maeser
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; (W.Z.); (D.M.)
| | - Robert F. Gruener
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; (M.-C.S.); (A.M.L.); (R.F.G.)
| | - Yibin Deng
- Department of Urology, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA;
| | - R. Stephanie Huang
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; (M.-C.S.); (A.M.L.); (R.F.G.)
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; (W.Z.); (D.M.)
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Pinard M, Moursli A, Coulombe B. Drugs targeting the particle for arrangement of quaternary structure (PAQosome) and protein complex assembly. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2024; 19:57-71. [PMID: 37840283 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2267974] [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: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The PAQosome is a 12-subunit complex that acts as a co-factor of the molecular chaperones HSP90 and HSP70. This co-chaperone has been shown to participate in assembly and maturation of several protein complexes, including nuclear RNA polymerases, RNA processing factors, the ribosome, PIKKs, and others. Subunits of the PAQosome, adaptors, and clients have been reported to be involved in various diseases, making them interesting targets for drug discovery. AREA COVERED In this review, the authors cover the detailed mechanisms of PAQosome and chaperone function. Specifically, the authors summarize the status of the PAQosome and some related chaperones and co-chaperones as candidate targets for drug discovery. Indeed, a number of compounds are currently being tested for the development of treatments against diseases, such as cancers and neurodegenerative conditions. EXPERT OPINION Searching for new drugs targeting the PAQosome requires a better understanding of PAQosome subunit interactions and the discovery of new interaction partners. Thus, PAQosome subunit crystallization is an important experiment to initiate virtual screening against new target and the development of in silico tools such as AlphaFold-multimer could accelerate the search for new interaction partner and determine more rapidly the interaction pocket needed for virtual drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Pinard
- Translational Proteomics Laboratory, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Asmae Moursli
- Translational Proteomics Laboratory, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Benoit Coulombe
- Translational Proteomics Laboratory, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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Wang C, Cao F, Cao J, Jiao Z, You Y, Xiong Y, Zhao W, Wang X. CD58 acts as a tumor promotor in hepatocellular carcinoma via activating the AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway. J Transl Med 2023; 21:539. [PMID: 37573318 PMCID: PMC10422835 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04364-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide because of rapid progression and high incidence of metastasis or recurrence. Accumulating evidence shows that CD58-expressing tumor cell is implicated in development of various cancers. The present study aimed to reveal the functional significance of CD58 in HCC progression and the underlying mechanisms. METHODS Immunohistochemical staining (IHC), and western blotting were used to detect the expression of CD58 in HCC tissues and cells. The levels of sCD58 (a soluble form of CD58) in the cell supernatants and serum were assessed by ELISA. CCK-8, colony formation, and xenograft assays were used to detect the function of CD58 on proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Transwell assay and sphere formation assay were performed to evaluate the effect of CD58 and sCD58 on metastasis and self-renewal ability of HCC cells. Western blotting, immunofluorescence (IF), TOP/FOP Flash reporter assay, and subcellular fractionation assay were conducted to investigate the molecular regulation between CD58/sCD58 and AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin axis in HCC cells. RESULTS CD58 was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues. Elevation of CD58 expression correlated with more satellite foci and vascular invasion, and poorer tumor-free and overall survival in HCC patients. Higher sCD58 levels were in HCC patients' serum compared to healthy individuals. Functionally, CD58 promotes the proliferation of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Meanwhile, CD58 and sCD58 induce metastasis, self-renewal and pluripotency in HCC cells in vitro. Mechanistically, CD58 activates the AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway by increasing phosphorylation of AKT or GSK3β signaling, promoting expression of Wnt/β-catenin target proteins and TCF/LEF-mediated transcriptional activity. Furthermore, AKT activator SC-79 or inhibitor LY294002 abolished the inhibitory effect of CD58 silencing on the proliferation, metastasis, and stemness of HCC cells. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, CD58 promotes HCC progression and metastasis via activating the AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway, suggesting that CD58 is a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanzheng Wang
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Translational Medical of Digestive System Tumor, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine,, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004, People's Republic of China
| | - Fei Cao
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Translational Medical of Digestive System Tumor, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine,, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiahao Cao
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Translational Medical of Digestive System Tumor, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine,, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhen Jiao
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Translational Medical of Digestive System Tumor, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine,, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuting You
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Translational Medical of Digestive System Tumor, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine,, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Xiong
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Translational Medical of Digestive System Tumor, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine,, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenxiu Zhao
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Translational Medical of Digestive System Tumor, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine,, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xiaomin Wang
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Translational Medical of Digestive System Tumor, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine,, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004, People's Republic of China.
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Feng SW, Wu ZS, Chiu YL, Huang SM. Exploring the Functional Roles of Telomere Maintenance 2 in the Tumorigenesis of Glioblastoma Multiforme and Drug Responsiveness to Temozolomide. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119256. [PMID: 37298208 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a grade IV human glioma. It is the most malignant primary central nervous system tumor in adults, accounting for around 15% of intracranial neoplasms and 40-50% of all primary malignant brain tumors. However, the median survival time of GBM patients is still less than 15 months, even after treatment with surgical resection, concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and adjuvant chemotherapy with temozolomide (TMZ). Telomere maintenance 2 (TELO2) mRNA is highly expressed in high-grade glioma patients, and its expression correlates with shorter survival outcomes. Hence, it is urgent to address the functional role of TELO2 in the tumorigenesis and TMZ treatment of GBM. In this study, we knocked down TELO2 mRNA in GBM8401 cells, a grade IV GBM, compared with TELO2 mRNA overexpression in human embryonic glial SVG p12 cells and normal human astrocyte (NHA) cells. We first analyzed the effect of TELO2 on the Elsevier pathway and Hallmark gene sets in GBM8401, SVG p12, and NHA via an mRNA array analysis. Later, we further examined and analyzed the relationship between TELO2 and fibroblast growth factor receptor 3, cell cycle progression, epithelial-mesenchymal transient (EMT), reactive oxygen species (ROS), apoptosis, and telomerase activity. Our data showed that TELO2 is involved in several functions of GBM cells, including cell cycle progression, EMT, ROS, apoptosis, and telomerase activity. Finally, we examined the crosstalk between TELO2 and the responsiveness of TMZ or curcumin mediated through the TELO2-TTI1-TTI2 complex, the p53-dependent complex, the mitochondrial-related complex, and signaling pathways in GBM8401 cells. In summary, our work provides new insight that TELO2 might modulate target proteins mediated through the complex of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinases in its involvement in cell cycle progression, EMT, and drug response in GBM patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Wei Feng
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan
| | - Zih-Syuan Wu
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Lin Chiu
- Department of Biochemistry, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Ming Huang
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan
- Department of Biochemistry, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan
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Bhadra S, Xu YJ. TTT (Tel2-Tti1-Tti2) Complex, the Co-Chaperone of PIKKs and a Potential Target for Cancer Chemotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24098268. [PMID: 37175973 PMCID: PMC10178989 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The heterotrimeric Tel2-Tti1-Tti2 or TTT complex is essential for cell viability and highly observed in eukaryotes. As the co-chaperone of ATR, ATM, DNA-PKcs, mTOR, SMG1, and TRRAP, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinases (PIKKs) and a group of large proteins of 300-500 kDa, the TTT plays crucial roles in genome stability, cell proliferation, telomere maintenance, and aging. Most of the protein kinases in the kinome are targeted by co-chaperone Cdc37 for proper folding and stability. Like Cdc37, accumulating evidence has established the mechanism by which the TTT interacts with chaperone Hsp90 via R2TP (Rvb1-Rvb2-Tah1-Pih1) complex or other proteins for co-translational maturation of the PIKKs. Recent structural studies have revealed the α-solenoid structure of the TTT and its interactions with the R2TP complex, which shed new light on the co-chaperone mechanism and provide new research opportunities. A series of mutations of the TTT have been identified that cause disease syndrome with neurodevelopmental defects, and misregulation of the TTT has been shown to contribute to myeloma, colorectal, and non-small-cell lung cancers. Surprisingly, Tel2 in the TTT complex has recently been found to be a target of ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug that has been used by millions of patients. This discovery provides mechanistic insight into the anti-cancer effect of ivermectin and thus promotes the repurposing of this Nobel-prize-winning medicine for cancer chemotherapy. Here, we briefly review the discovery of the TTT complex, discuss the recent studies, and describe the perspectives for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sankhadip Bhadra
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, USA
| | - Yong-Jie Xu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, USA
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