Synthesis and Activity of a Novel Autotaxin Inhibitor-Icodextrin Conjugate

Inhibition of branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase kinase augments the sensitivity of ovarian and breast cancer cells to paclitaxel

CONTEXT

Many cancer patients who initially respond to chemotherapy eventually develop chemoresistance, and to address this, we previously conducted a RNAi screen to identify genes contributing to resistance. One of the hits from the screen was branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK). BCKDK controls the metabolism of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) through phosphorylation and inactivation of the branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase complex (BCKDH), thereby inhibiting catabolism of BCAAs.

METHODS

We measured the impact on paclitaxel sensitivity of inhibiting BCKDK in ovarian and breast cancer cell lines.

RESULTS

Inhibition of BCKDK using siRNA or two chemical inhibitors (BCKDKi) was synergistic with paclitaxel in both breast and ovarian cancer cells. BCKDKi reduced levels of BCAA and the addition of exogenous BCAA suppressed this synergy. BCKDKi inactivated the mTORC1-Aurora pathway, allowing cells to overcame M-phase arrest induced by paclitaxel. In some cases, cells almost completed cytokinesis, then reverted to a single cell, resulting in multinucleate cells.

CONCLUSION

BCKDK is an attractive target to augment the sensitivity of cancer cells to paclitaxel.

Contribution of Knoevenagel Condensation Products towards Development of Anticancer Agents: An Updated Review

Knoevenagel condensation is an entrenched, prevailing, prominent arsenal following greener principles in the generation of α, β-unsaturated ketones/carboxylic acids by involving carbonyl functionalities and active methylenes. This reaction has proved to be a major driving force in many multicomponent reactions indicating the prolific utility towards the development of biologically fascinating molecules. This eminent reaction was acclimatised on different pharmacophoric aldehydes (benzimidazole, β-carboline, phenanthrene, indole, imidazothiadiazole, pyrazole etc.) and active methylenes (oxindole, barbituric acid, Meldrum's acid, thiazolidinedione etc.) to generate the library of chemical compounds. Their potential was also explicit to understand the significance of functionalities involved, which thereby evoke further developments in drug discovery. Furthermore, most of these reaction products exhibited remarkable anticancer activity in nanomolar to micromolar ranges by targeting different cancer targets like DNA, microtubules, Topo-I/II, and kinases (PIM, PARP, NMP, p300/CBP) etc. This review underscores the efficiency of the Knoevenagel condensation explored in the past six-year to generate molecules of pharmacological interest, predominantly towards cancer. The present review also provides the aspects of structure-activity relationships, mode of action and docking study with possible interaction with the target protein.

Mediation Analysis Reveals Potential Biological Mechanism of Ascites Influencing Recurrence in Patients with Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Objective

Ascites, an accumulation of peritoneal fluid, is associated with poor prognosis of certain cancers. The potential mechanism that ascites worsens prognosis has not been well understood. Lipids have been reported to correlate with the prognosis of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Therefore, we aimed here to investigate whether lipids mediate the effect of ascites on the recurrence of EOC.

Methods

We collected the demographic and pathological data of 437 previously untreated patients with EOC to investigate the influence of ascites on recurrence. To identify the mechanism that mediates the potential influence of ascites on recurrence, we used ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) to determine the plasma lipid profiles of 53 patients with EOC. We used mediation analysis to evaluate if lipids mediated the effects of ascites on the recurrence of EOC.

Results

Patients with ascites had a poorer prognosis, which was associated with higher levels of carbohydrate antigen-CA125 (CA125) and FIGO stage. We identified six different lipid metabolites that were associated with ascites and recurrence. Mediation analysis revealed that the lipids LysoPC(P-15:0), PC(P-34:4), and PC(38:6) may mediate the effects of ascites on recurrence.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that LysoPC(P-15:0), PC(P-34:4), and PC(38:6) mediate the effect of ascites on the prognosis of patients with EOC. We believe therefore that it is reasonable to consider metabolic interventions targeting the metabolism of LysoPC(P-15:0), PC(P-34:4), and PC(38:6) as a palliative treatment for patients with EOC with ascites. Further studies of more patients will be required to validate our findings.