Low doses of niclosamide and quinacrine combination yields synergistic effect in melanoma via activating autophagy-mediated p53-dependent apoptosis

Integrated drug profiling and CRISPR screening identify BCR::ABL1-independent vulnerabilities in chronic myeloid leukemia

BCR::ABL1-independent pathways contribute to primary resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and play a role in leukemic stem cell persistence. Here, we perform ex vivo drug screening of CML CD34+ leukemic stem/progenitor cells using 100 single drugs and TKI-drug combinations and identify sensitivities to Wee1, MDM2, and BCL2 inhibitors. These agents effectively inhibit primitive CD34+CD38- CML cells and demonstrate potent synergies when combined with TKIs. Flow-cytometry-based drug screening identifies mepacrine to induce differentiation of CD34+CD38- cells. We employ genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screening for six drugs, and mediator complex, apoptosis, and erythroid-lineage-related genes are identified as key resistance hits for TKIs, whereas the Wee1 inhibitor AZD1775 and mepacrine exhibit distinct resistance profiles. KCTD5, a consistent TKI-resistance-conferring gene, is found to mediate TKI-induced BCR::ABL1 ubiquitination. In summary, we delineate potential mechanisms for primary TKI resistance and non-BCR::ABL1-targeting drugs, offering insights for optimizing CML treatment.

Quinacrine, a PLA2 inhibitor, alleviates LPS-induced acute kidney injury in rats: Involvement of TLR4/NF-κB/TNF α-mediated signaling

Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is a major factor in sepsis-related mortality and may occur due to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an endotoxin produced by gram-negative bacteria that triggers a systemic acute inflammatory response. Quinacrine's (QC) renoprotective properties in sepsis and the underlying mechanism, however, are still not fully understood. This study was done to investigate the anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and anti-apoptotic effects of QC, a phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitor, against LPS-induced AKI. Rats were randomly divided into five groups: control group, QC30 group, LPS group, LPS+QC 10 group, and LPS+QC 30 group. The rats were administered intraperitoneally QC (10 and 30 mg/kg) for 3 days (once a day) prior to injection of LPS (3 mg/kg). Six hours after the LPS injection, the histopathological changes, oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in the collected kidney tissues were detected by hematoxylin and eosin staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), real-time PCR (RT-PCR), and immunohistochemistry staining, respectively. QC pretreatment could successfully attenuate LPS-induced AKI, as evidenced by a decrease in tissue histopathological injury. Meanwhile, QC alleviated LPS-induced kidney oxidative stress; it reduced MDA levels and increased levels of SOD, CAT, GPX, and GSH. LPS-induced elevations in kidney TLR4, NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, PLA2, caspase 3, and Bax contents were significantly attenuated in QC-treated groups. Our findings revealed a significant effect of QC: protecting against LPS-induced AKI through inhibition of PLA2 and decreasing inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. To treat LPS-induced AKI, QC may be an effective substance with an excellent protection profile.

Combination of niclosamide and quinacrine inactivates Akt/HK2/Cyclin D1 axis mediated by glucose deprivation towards the inhibition of melanoma cell proliferation

Malignant melanoma is one of the most aggressive and lethal skin cancer. At present, the treatment methods for melanoma have shortcomings. Glucose is the primary energy source of cancer cells. However, it is unclear whether glucose deprivation can be used to treat melanoma. Herein, we first found glucose played an essential role in melanoma proliferation. We then further found a drug combination of niclosamide and quinacrine could inhibit melanoma proliferation and glucose intake. Thirdly, we revealed the mechanism of anti-melanoma effect of the drug combination, which suppressed the Akt pathway. In addition, the first-rate limiting enzyme HK2 of glucose metabolism was inhibited. This work also disclosed that the decrease of HK2 inhibited cyclin D1 by reducing the activity of transcription factor E2F3, which further suppressed the proliferation of melanoma cells. The drug combination treatment also resulted in significant tumor regression in the absence of obvious morphologic changes in primary organ in vivo. In summary, our study demonstrated that the drug combination treatment created glucose deprivation to inactive the Akt/HK2/cyclin D1 axis, thereby inhibited the proliferation of melanoma cells, providing a potential anti-melanoma strategy.

Therapeutic targeting of anoikis resistance in cutaneous melanoma metastasis

The acquisition of resistance to anoikis, the cell death induced by loss of adhesion to the extracellular matrix, is an absolute requirement for the survival of disseminating and circulating tumour cells (CTCs), and for the seeding of metastatic lesions. In melanoma, a range of intracellular signalling cascades have been identified as potential drivers of anoikis resistance, however a full understanding of the process is yet to be attained. Mechanisms of anoikis resistance pose an attractive target for the therapeutic treatment of disseminating and circulating melanoma cells. This review explores the range of small molecule, peptide and antibody inhibitors targeting molecules involved in anoikis resistance in melanoma, and may be repurposed to prevent metastatic melanoma prior to its initiation, potentially improving the prognosis for patients.

Opportunities and obstacles for the melanoma immunotherapy using T cell and chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) applications: a literature review

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy procedure includes taking personal T cells and processing or genetic engineering using specific antigens and in vitro expanding and eventually infusing into the patient's body to unleash immune responses. Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) includes lymphocytes taking, in vitro selection and expansion and processing for stimulation or activation and infusion into the patient's body. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), ACT and CAR-T cell therapies have demonstrated acceptable results. However, rare CAR-T cells tissue infiltration, off-target toxicity and resistance development include main disadvantages of CAR-T cell based therapy. Selection of suitable target antigens and novel engineered immune cells are warranted in future studies using "surfaceome" analysis. Employment of cytokines (IL-2, IL-7) for T cells activation has been also associated with specific anti-melanoma function which overcome telomeres shortening and further T cells differentiation. In resistant cases, rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma B-type and mitogen-activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase inhibitors have been mostly applied. The aim of this study was evaluation of CAR-T cell and adoptive cell therapies efficiency for the treatment of melanoma.