Cordycepin inhibits pancreatic cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo via targeting FGFR2 and blocking ERK signaling

Fungi-Derived Bioactive Compounds as Potential Therapeutic Agents for Pancreatic Cancer: A Systematic Review

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the tumors with the lowest 5-year survival rate worldwide due to late diagnosis and lack of effective therapy. Because of this, it is necessary to discover new ways of treatment to increase the quality of life of patients. In this context, the secondary metabolites of several fungi have been shown as a possible therapeutic strategy in several types of cancer, such as colorectal cancer, being able to trigger their action through the induction of apoptosis. The objective was to perform a systematic review process to analyze the studies carried out during the last ten years using secondary metabolites derived from fungi as antitumor treatment against PC. After the search process in three databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science) a total of 199 articles were found, with 27 articles finally being included after screening. The results extracted from this systematic review process made it possible to determine the existence of bioactive compounds extracted from fungi that have been effective in in vitro and in vivo conditions and that may be applicable as a possible therapy to avoid drug resistance in PC, one of the major problems of this disease.

Structural and pharmacological insights into cordycepin for neoplasms and metabolic disorders

Cytotoxic adenosine analogues were among the earliest chemotherapeutic agents utilised in cancer treatment. Cordycepin, a natural derivative of adenosine discovered in the fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis, directly inhibits tumours not only by impeding biosynthesis, inducing apoptosis or autophagy, regulating the cell cycle, and curtailing tumour invasion and metastasis but also modulates the immune response within the tumour microenvironment. Furthermore, extensive research highlights cordycepin's significant therapeutic potential in alleviating hyperlipidaemia and regulating glucose metabolism. This review comprehensively analyses the structure-activity relationship of cordycepin and its analogues, outlines its pharmacokinetic properties, and strategies to enhance its bioavailability. Delving into the molecular biology, it explores the pharmacological mechanisms of cordycepin in tumour suppression and metabolic disorder treatment, thereby underscoring its immense potential in drug development within these domains and laying the groundwork for innovative treatment strategies.

Cordycepin remodels the tumor microenvironment of colorectal cancer by down-regulating the expression of PD-L1

PURPOSE

Colorectal cancer, as a common malignant tumor, poses a serious threat to human life. Cordycepin, derived from Cordyceps militaris extract, which was established as a capable inhibitor of tumor growth. Nevertheless, the precise antitumor mechanism of cordycepin in colorectal cancer cells remains elusive.

METHODS

Herein, our initial focus was to explore the tumor-suppressive impact of cordycepin through its influence on various biological functions in murine colorectal cancer cells, conducted by an in vitro setting. First, we investigated the tumor-suppressive effect of cordycepin on the regulation of biological functions in murine colorectal cancer cells in vitro. Furthermore, we evaluated the in vivo antitumor potential of cordycepin using a mouse preclinical tumor model, and further explored the antitumor mechanism.

RESULTS

Our findings revealed that cordycepin effectively inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and migration of murine colon cancer cells. Moreover, there is a substantial reduction in the expression of PD-L1 observed in tumor cells, in response to cordycepin treatment. Collectively, these results demonstrate the significant tumor-suppressive attributes of cordycepin against colorectal cancer. Consequently, our study lays a solid foundation for the potential clinical utilization of cordycepin in cancer therapy.

CONCLUSION

Cordycepin inhibits the biological functions of colorectal cancer cells and suppresses tumor growth by reducing the expression of PD-L1.

Cordycepin and kinase inhibition in cancer

Cordycepin, a nucleoside from Cordyceps mushrooms, has many beneficial properties for health, including anticancer activities. In cancer cells, cordycepin targets various signaling molecules. Here, we review the possible anticancer mechanisms of cordycepin involving the targeting of kinases. Abnormal kinase expression is involved in cancer development and progression through different molecular mechanisms, including phosphorylation, amplification, genetic mutations, and epigenetic regulation. Research suggests that kinases, such as the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), AMP kinase (AMPK), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β, and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) pathways, can be targeted by cordycepin and disrupting their activity. Given that kinase inhibitors can have crucial roles in cancer treatment, targeting kinases might be one of the molecular mechanisms involved in the anticancer potential of cordycepin.

The therapeutic potential of natural products for treating pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most malignant tumors of the digestive tract, with the poor prognosis and low 5-year survival rate less than 10%. Although surgical resection and chemotherapy as gemcitabine (first-line treatment) has been applied to the pancreatic cancer patients, the overall survival rates of pancreatic cancer are quite low due to drug resistance. Therefore, it is of urgent need to develop alternative strategies for its treatment. In this review, we summarized the major herbal drugs and metabolites, including curcumin, triptolide, Panax Notoginseng Saponins and their metabolites etc. These compounds with antioxidant, anti-angiogenic and anti-metastatic activities can inhibit the progression and metastasis of pancreatic cancer. Expecting to provide comprehensive information of potential natural products, our review provides valuable information and strategies for pancreatic cancer treatment.

MicroRNA ‐338‐3p as a therapeutic target in cardiac fibrosis through FGFR2 suppression

Background

The development of cardiac fibrosis involves the activation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) and their differentiation into myofibroblasts, which leads to the disruption of the extracellular matrix network. In the past few years, microRNAs (miRNA) have been described as potential targets for treating cardiac diseases. Although miR‐338‐3p has been shown to participate in the development of carcinoma, whether it affects cardiac fibrosis is unclear.

Methods

We examined the expression profiles of microRNAs in left ventricular samples of heart failure mice established by thoracic aortic constriction (TAC). Real‐time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) was used to detect the expression of miR‐338‐3p. CCK‐8 assay/Transwell migration assay was used to measure the proliferation rate/migration of CFs. Luciferase reporter gene assay was used to test the binding between miR‐338‐3p and FGFR2.

Results

This study demonstrated that miR‐338‐3p was significantly decreased in thoracic aortic constriction mice. Cardiac miR‐338‐3p amounts were also reduced in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Interestingly, miR‐338‐3p overexpression inhibited α‐SMA, COL1A1, and COL3A1 expression, as well as cell proliferation and migration in CFs. Bioinformatics analysis and dual‐luciferase reporter assays revealed FGFR2 was targeted by miR‐338‐3p, whose antifibrotic effect could be alleviated by overexpression of FGFR2. Moreover, in DCM cases, serum miR‐338‐3p levels were markedly elevated in individuals with worse outcomes.

Conclusions

The present study provides evidence that miR‐338‐3p suppresses cardiac fibroblast activation, proliferation, and migration by directly targeting FGFR2 in mice. Besides, serum miR‐338‐3p might constitute a potential prognostic biomarker of dilated cardiomyopathy.

Rare Carbon-Bridged Citrinin Dimers from the Starfish-Derived Symbiotic Fungus Penicillium sp. GGF16-1-2

Four novel, rare carbon-bridged citrinin dimers, namely dicitrinones G–J (1–4), and five known analogs (5–9) were isolated from the starfish-derived fungus Penicillium sp. GGF 16-1-2. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and quantum chemical calculations. Compounds 1–9 exhibited strong antifungal activities against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides with LD₅₀ values from 0.61 μg/mL to 16.14 μg/mL. Meanwhile, all compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against human pancreatic cancer BXPC-3 and PANC-1 cell lines; as a result, compound 1 showed more significant cytotoxicities than the positive control against both cell lines. In addition, based on the analyses of the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and Western blot, 1 could induce apoptosis by activating caspase 3 proteins (CASP3).

Exploration of the System-Level Mechanisms of the Herbal Drug FDY003 for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment: A Network Pharmacological Investigation

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the most lethal cancer with the lowest survival rate globally. Although the prescription of herbal drugs against PC is gaining increasing attention, their polypharmacological therapeutic mechanisms are yet to be fully understood. Based on network pharmacology, we explored the anti-PC properties and system-level mechanisms of the herbal drug FDY003. FDY003 decreased the viability of human PC cells and strengthened their chemosensitivity. Network pharmacological analysis of FDY003 indicated the presence of 16 active phytochemical components and 123 PC-related pharmacological targets. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the PC-related targets of FDY003 participate in the regulation of cell growth and proliferation, cell cycle process, cell survival, and cell death. In addition, FDY003 was shown to target diverse key pathways associated with PC pathophysiology, namely, the PIK3-Akt, MAPK, FoxO, focal adhesion, TNF, p53, HIF-1, and Ras pathways. Our network pharmacological findings advance the mechanistic understanding of the anti-PC properties of FDY003 from a system perspective.

Herbals and Plants in the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer: A Systematic Review of Experimental and Clinical Studies

Background: Pancreatic cancer represents the most lethal malignancy among all digestive cancers. Despite the therapeutic advances achieved during recent years, the prognosis of this neoplasm remains disappointing. An enormous amount of experimental (mainly) and clinical research has recently emerged referring to the effectiveness of various plants administered either alone or in combination with chemotherapeutic agents. Apart from Asian countries, the use of these plants and herbals in the treatment of digestive cancer is also increasing in a number of Western countries as well. The aim of this study is to review the available literature regarding the efficacy of plants and herbals in pancreatic cancer. Methods: The authors have reviewed all the experimental and clinical studies published in Medline and Embase, up to June 2021. Results: More than 100 plants and herbals were thoroughly investigated. Favorable effects concerning the inhibition of cancer cell lines in the experimental studies and a favorable clinical outcome after combining various plants with established chemotherapeutic agents were observed. These herbals and plants exerted their activity against pancreatic cancer via a number of mechanisms. The number and severity of side-effects are generally of a mild degree. Conclusion: A quite high number of clinical and experimental studies confirmed the beneficial effect of many plants and herbals in pancreatic cancer. More large, double-blind clinical studies assessing these natural products, either alone or in combination with chemotherapeutic agents should be conducted.

Cordyceps militaris extract induces apoptosis and pyroptosis via caspase-3/PARP/GSDME pathways in A549 cell line

Cordyceps militaris (CM) is traditionally used as dietary therapy for lung cancer patients in China. CM extract (CME) is hydrosoluble fraction of CM and extensively investigated. Caspase-3-involved cell death is considered as its major anticancer mechanism but inconclusive. Therefore, we explore its caspase-3-dependent programmed cell death nature (apoptosis and pyroptosis) and validate its caspase-3-dependent property in loss-of-function experiment. Component profile of CME is detected by High Performance Liquid Chromatography- quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-qTOF). Results show that CME causes pyroptosis-featured cell bubbling and cell lysis and inhibits cell proliferation in A549 cell. CME induces chromatin condensing and makes PI+/annexin V+ staining in bubbling cells, indicating genotoxicity, apoptosis, and pyroptosis cell death are caused by CME. High concentration of CME (200 μg/ml) exerts G2/M and G0 cell cycles arresting and suppresses P53-downstream proliferative proteins, including P53, P21, CDC25B, CyclinB1, Bcl-2, and BCL2 associated agonist of cell death (BAD), but 1-100 μg/ml of CME show less effect on proteins above. Correspondingly, caspase-3 activity and caspase-3 downstream proteins including pyroptotic effector gasdermin-E (GSDME) and apoptotic marker cleaved-poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) are significantly promoted by CME. Moreover, regarding membrane pore formation in pyroptotic cell, expression of membrane GSDME (GSDME antibody conjugated with PE-Cy7 for detection in flow cytometry) is remarkably increased by CME treatment. By contrast, other pyroptosis-related proteins such as P2X7, NLRP3, GSDMD, and Caspase-1 are not affected after CME treatment. Additionally, TET2 is unexpectedly raised by CME. In present of caspase-3 inhibitor Ac-DEVD-CHO (Ac-DC), CME-induced cytotoxicity, cell bubbling, and genotoxicity are reduced, and CME-induced upregulation of apoptosis (cleaved-PARP-1) and pyroptosis (GSDME-NT) proteins are reversed. Lastly, 22 components are identified in HPLC-qTOF experiment, and they are classified into trophism, neoadjuvant component, cytotoxic component, and cancer deterioration promoter according to previous references. Conclusively, CME causes caspase-3-dependent apoptosis and pyroptosis in A549 through caspase-3/PARP and caspase-3/GSDME pathways, and it provides basic insight into clinic application of CME for cancer patients.

Cordycepin inhibits the proliferation and progression of NPC by targeting the MAPK/ERK and β-catenin pathways

Cordycepin is an extract from the Cordyceps genus of ascomycete fungi. In the present study, the anticancer potential of cordycepin against nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and the potential underlying mechanisms, were investigated. Using Cell Counting Kit 8, wound-healing and Transwell assays, cordycepin was found to reduce the viability and inhibit the migration of C666-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, in colony formation assays, co-treatment with cordycepin and cisplatin inhibited the proliferation of C666-1 cells. Furthermore, RNA sequencing analysis identified 72 significantly differentially expressed genes and different signaling pathways that may be regulated by cordycepin. After treatment with cordycepin, the expression levels of ERK1/2, phosphorylated ERK1/2 and β-catenin were significantly downregulated. Therefore, cordycepin may be a novel candidate for NPC treatment or a co-treatment candidate with cisplatin in chemotherapy.

A Systematic Review of the Biological Effects of Cordycepin

We conducted a systematic review of the literature on the effects of cordycepin on cell survival and proliferation, inflammation, signal transduction and animal models. A total of 1204 publications on cordycepin were found by the cut-off date of 1 February 2021. After application of the exclusion criteria, 791 papers remained. These were read and data on the chosen subjects were extracted. We found 192 papers on the effects of cordycepin on cell survival and proliferation and calculated a median inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 135 µM. Cordycepin consistently repressed cell migration (26 papers) and cellular inflammation (53 papers). Evaluation of 76 papers on signal transduction indicated consistently reduced PI3K/mTOR/AKT and ERK signalling and activation of AMPK. In contrast, the effects of cordycepin on the p38 and Jun kinases were variable, as were the effects on cell cycle arrest (53 papers), suggesting these are cell-specific responses. The examination of 150 animal studies indicated that purified cordycepin has many potential therapeutic effects, including the reduction of tumour growth (37 papers), repression of pain and inflammation (9 papers), protecting brain function (11 papers), improvement of respiratory and cardiac conditions (8 and 19 papers) and amelioration of metabolic disorders (8 papers). Nearly all these data are consistent with cordycepin mediating its therapeutic effects through activating AMPK, inhibiting PI3K/mTOR/AKT and repressing the inflammatory response. We conclude that cordycepin has excellent potential as a lead for drug development, especially for age-related diseases. In addition, we discuss the remaining issues around the mechanism of action, toxicity and biodistribution of cordycepin.