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Fowler-Shorten DJ, Hellmich C, Markham M, Bowles KM, Rushworth SA. BCL-2 inhibition in haematological malignancies: Clinical application and complications. Blood Rev 2024; 65:101195. [PMID: 38523032 DOI: 10.1016/j.blre.2024.101195] [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: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) family proteins are fundamental regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway which modulate cellular fate. In many haematological malignancies, overexpression of anti-apoptotic factors (BCL-2, BCL-XL and MCL-1) circumvent apoptosis. To address this cancer hallmark, a concerted effort has been made to induce apoptosis by inhibiting BCL-2 family proteins. A series of highly selective BCL-2 homology 3 (BH3) domain mimetics are in clinical use and in ongoing clinical trials for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), and multiple myeloma (MM). These inhibitors serve as promising candidates, both as single agents or in combination therapy to improve patient outcomes. In other diseases such as follicular lymphoma, efficacy has been notably limited. There are also clinical problems with BCL-2 family inhibition, including drug resistance, disease relapse, tumour lysis syndrome, and clinically relevant cytopenias. Here, we provide a balanced view on both the clinical benefits of BCL-2 inhibition as well as the associated challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic J Fowler-Shorten
- Centre for Metabolic Health, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Charlotte Hellmich
- Centre for Metabolic Health, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK; Department of Haematology, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UY, UK
| | - Matthew Markham
- Centre for Metabolic Health, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Kristian M Bowles
- Centre for Metabolic Health, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK; Department of Haematology, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UY, UK
| | - Stuart A Rushworth
- Centre for Metabolic Health, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK.
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2
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Lin C, Zhang Y, Liao J, Cui S, Gao Z, Han W. Effect of photodynamic therapy mediated by hematoporphyrin derivatives on small cell lung cancer H446 cells and bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells. Lasers Med Sci 2024; 39:65. [PMID: 38368311 PMCID: PMC10874342 DOI: 10.1007/s10103-024-04013-2] [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: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
To investigate the effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) mediated by hematoporphyrin derivatives (HPD) on the proliferation of small cell lung cancer H446 cells and bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells. H446 cells and BEAS-2B cells were cultured in vitro with different concentrations of HPD(0, 5, 10, 12, 15, 20 μg/mL) for 4 h, and then irradiated with 630 nm laser with different energy densities (0, 25, 50, 75, 100 mW/cm2). Cell viability of H446 cells and BEAS-2B cells were detected by CCK8 assay. The cell apoptosis was observed with Annexin V-FTTC/PI double staining and Hoechst 33258. The RT-PCR examination was applied to detect the transcriptional changes of the mRNA of Bax、Bcl-2, and Caspase-9. The results of CCK8 showed that when the HPD was 15 μg/mL and the laser power density reached 50 mW/cm2, the cell viability was significantly decreased compared with the black control group. Hoechst 33258 staining showed that with the increase of HPD concentration, the cell density was reduced, and apoptotic cells increased. Flow cytometry assay revealed that the apoptotic rates of the HPD-PDT group of H446 cells and BEAS-2B cells were significantly different from those of the blank control group. The RT-PCR examination showed that the expression levels of Bax and Caspase-9 mRNA in the HPD-PDT group were up-regulated, while the expression levels of Bcl-2 mRNA were down-regulated significantly. HPD-PDT can inhibit H446 cells and BEAS-2B cells growth. The mechanism may be related to up-regulating the expression levels of Bax and Caspase-9 mRNA and down-regulating the expression levels of Bcl-2 mRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cunzhi Lin
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yan Tai, 264001, China
| | - Jiemei Liao
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Xiangtan Central Hospital, Xiangtan, 411199, China
| | - Shichao Cui
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Zhe Gao
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Weizhong Han
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266003, China.
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Maher S, Kalil H, Liu G, Sossey-Alaoui K, Bayachou M. Alginate-based hydrogel platform embedding silver nanoparticles and cisplatin: characterization of the synergistic effect on a breast cancer cell line. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1242838. [PMID: 37936720 PMCID: PMC10626534 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1242838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Breast cancer is a significant cause of mortality in women globally, and current treatment approaches face challenges due to side effects and drug resistance. Nanotechnology offers promising solutions by enabling targeted drug delivery and minimizing toxicity to normal tissues. Methods: In this study, we developed a composite platform called (Alg-AgNPs-CisPt), consisting of silver nanoparticles coated with an alginate hydrogel embedding cisplatin. We examined the effectiveness of this nanocomplex in induce synergistic cytotoxic effects on breast cancer cells. Results and Discussion: Characterization using various analytical techniques confirmed the composition of the nanocomplex and the distribution of its components. Cytotoxicity assays and apoptosis analysis demonstrated that the nanocomplex exhibited greater efficacy against breast cancer cells compared to AgNPs or cisplatin as standalone treatments. Moreover, the nanocomplex was found to enhance intracellular reactive oxygen species levels, further validating its efficacy. The synergistic action of the nanocomplex constituents offers potential advantages in reducing side effects associated with higher doses of cisplatin as a standalone treatment. Overall, this study highlights the potential of the (Alg-AgNPs-CisPt) nanocomplex as a promising platform embedding components with synergistic action against breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaimaa Maher
- Chemistry Department, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Haitham Kalil
- Chemistry Department, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Guiming Liu
- Department of Surgery, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Khalid Sossey-Alaoui
- Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Metro Health Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Mekki Bayachou
- Chemistry Department, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Cleveland Clinic, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, OH, United States
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Pan F, Li Y, Ding Y, Lv S, You R, Hadianamrei R, Tomeh MA, Zhao X. Anticancer effect of rationally designed α-helical amphiphilic peptides. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2022; 220:112841. [PMID: 36174494 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2022.112841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Anticancer peptides (ACPs) have attracted increasing attention in cancer therapy due to their unique mechanism of action on cancer cells. The main challenge is to establish the correlation between their physicochemical properties and their selectivity and anticancer effect, leading to a clear design strategy. In this study, a series of new α-helical short peptides (coded At1-At12) with different anticancer activities were systematically designed with different amphiphilicity based on a natural α-helical antimicrobial peptide (AMP) derived from ant. Three of the designed peptides, At7, At10 and At11, showed considerable anticancer activity with low toxicity to normal skin fibroblasts. The high selectivity of the peptides is attributed to their balanced amphiphilicity and cationic nature which favours binding to the outer membrane of negatively charged cancer cells over the neutral membrane of normal mammalian cells. In addition to rapid membrane penetration, the designed peptides also damaged the mitochondria and induced mitochondrial membrane depolarization. Moreover, these peptides were found to induce apoptosis in cancer cells by up-regulating the expression of apoptotic proteins Bax and Caspase-3, down-regulating the apoptotic protein Bcl-2, and activating the Caspase enzyme-linked reaction. The results of this study reveal the potential of these peptides for clinical applications, and provide a guidance for further development of highly selective anticancer medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Pan
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Yueping Li
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Yujie Ding
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Songwei Lv
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Rongrong You
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Roja Hadianamrei
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
| | - Mhd Anas Tomeh
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
| | - Xiubo Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK.
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Arakal NG, Sharma V, Kumar A, Kavya B, Devadath NG, Kumar SB, Murthy KT, Murahari M. Ligand-based design approach of potential Bcl-2 inhibitors for cancer chemotherapy. COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE 2021; 209:106347. [PMID: 34399152 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2021.106347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Overexpression of prosurvival Bcl-2 family members make tumor cells resistant to conventional cancer therapeutic agents. It is commonly observed feature in many different types of human tumors. Hence, small-molecules as Bcl-2 inhibitors may have a promising therapeutic potential for the treatment of human cancer. The given study focusses on development of novel and small Bcl-2 inhibitors using ligand-based drug design approach. METHODS Ligand based pharmacophore was generated using the PHASE tool of Schrödinger and screened ZINC database through ZINCPharmer webserver to identify compounds with similar features. Compounds having good fitness score were selected for molecular docking and binding interactions were compared with drugs in market as well as trials. QSAR model was generated using advanced AutoQSAR tool and validated for prediction of unknown compounds. QSAR prediction of in silico active identified three potential compounds and were subjected to investigate stability by molecular dynamics simulations and MM-PBSA binding energy calculations. RESULTS Study identified three in silico potential molecules with good stability and binding affinity. Further substructure search and pIC50 value prediction has identified six more molecules. Total nine molecules have demonstrated good drug likeness features. CONCLUSION Final oral rat LD50 calculation of nine molecules has identified three hit molecules i.e., ZINC76760927, ZINC76768675 and ZINC52767796 for further in vitro and in vivo testing as safe and potential Bcl-2 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilofer Gerald Arakal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Vaishali Sharma
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Avinash Kumar
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - B Kavya
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - N G Devadath
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - S Birendra Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore, India
| | - Krishna Tp Murthy
- Department of Biotechnology, M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore, India
| | - Manikanta Murahari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bangalore, India.
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Cell-Permeable Bak BH3 Peptide Induces Chemosensitization of Hematologic Malignant Cells. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2020; 2020:2679046. [PMID: 33312200 PMCID: PMC7721494 DOI: 10.1155/2020/2679046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Hematologic malignancies such as leukemias and lymphomas are among the leading causes of pediatric cancer death worldwide, and although survival rates have improved with conventional treatments, the development of drug-resistant cancer cells may lead to patient relapse and limited possibilities of a cure. Drug-resistant cancer cells in these hematologic neoplasms are induced by overexpression of the antiapoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) protein families, such as Bcl-XL, Bcl-2, and Mcl-1. We have previously shown that peptides from the BH3 domain of the proapoptotic Bax protein that also belongs to the Bcl-2 family may antagonize the antiapoptotic activity of the Bcl-2 family proteins, restore apoptosis, and induce chemosensitization of tumor cells. Furthermore, cell-permeable Bax BH3 peptides also elicit antitumor activity and extend survival in a murine xenograft model of human B non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. However, the activity of the BH3 peptides of the proapoptotic Bak protein of the Bcl-2 family against these hematologic malignant cells requires further characterization. In this study, we report the ability of the cell-permeable Bak BH3 peptide to restore apoptosis and induce chemosensitization of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cell lines, and this event is enhanced with the coadministration of cell-permeable Bax BH3 peptide and represents an attractive approach to improve the patient outcomes with relapsed or refractory hematological malignant cells.
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Single and dual target inhibitors based on Bcl-2: Promising anti-tumor agents for cancer therapy. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 201:112446. [PMID: 32563811 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) proteins family is an essential checkpoint in apoptosis. Extensive evidences suggested that overexpression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins can be observed in multiple cancer cell lines and primary tumor biopsy samples, which is an important reason for tumor cells to evade apoptosis and further acquire drug resistance for chemotherapy. Hence, down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins is effective for the treatment of cancers. In view that Bcl-2 inhibitors and some other anti-tumor agents, such as HDAC inhibitors and Mdm2 inhibitors, exert synergy effects in tumor cells, it is pointed out that dual-targeting therapies based on these targets are regarded as rational strategies to enhance the effectiveness of single target agents for cancer treatment. This review briefly introduces the apoptosis, the structure of Bcl-2 family proteins, and focuses on the current status and recent advances of Bcl-2 inhibitors and the corresponding SARs of them. Moreover, we discuss the synergisms between Bcl-2 and other anti-tumor targets, and summarize the current dual-target agents.
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Ramazani M, Jaktaji RP, Shirazi FH, Tavakoli-Ardakani M, Salimi A, Pourahmad J. Analysis of apoptosis related genes in nurses exposed to anti-neoplastic drugs. BMC Pharmacol Toxicol 2019; 20:74. [PMID: 31791417 PMCID: PMC6889625 DOI: 10.1186/s40360-019-0372-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anti-neoplastic agents are widely used in the treatment of cancer and some non-neoplastic diseases. These drugs have been proved to be carcinogens, teratogens, and mutagens. Concern exists regarding the possible dangers of the staff handling anti-cancer drugs. The long-term exposure of nurses to anti-neoplastic drugs is still a controversial issue. The purpose of this study was to monitor cellular toxicity parameters and gene expression in nurses who work in chemotherapy wards and compare them to nurses who work in other wards. METHODS To analyze the apoptosis-related genes overexpression and cytotoxicity effects, peripheral blood lymphocytes obtained from oncology nurses and the control group. THE RESULTS Significant alterations in four analyzed apoptosis-related genes were observed in oncology nurses. In most individual samples being excavated, Bcl-2 overexpression is superior to that of Bax. Prominent P53 and Hif-1α up-regulation were observed in oncology nurses. Moreover, all cytotoxicity parameters (cell viability, ROS formation, MMP collapse, Lysosomal membrane damage, Lipid peroxidation, Caspase 3 activity and Apoptosis phenotype) in exposed oncology nurses were significantly (p < 0.001) higher than those of unexposed control nurses. Up-regulation of three analyzed apoptosis-related genes were observed in nurses occupationally exposed to anti-cancer drugs. CONCLUSION Our data show that oxidative stress and mitochondrial toxicity induced by anti-neoplastic drugs lead to overexpression of apoptosis-related genes in oncology nurses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maral Ramazani
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Farshad H Shirazi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maria Tavakoli-Ardakani
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ahmad Salimi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Jalal Pourahmad
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Current overview on the clinical update of Bcl-2 anti-apoptotic inhibitors for cancer therapy. Eur J Pharmacol 2019; 862:172655. [PMID: 31494078 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2019.172655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2019] [Revised: 08/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Apoptosis is one of the major mechanisms exhibited in response to cell death and induction of apoptosis in tumour cells signifies a potential target for cancer therapy. Bcl-2 family proteins play a key role in regulation of the apoptotic pathway. Bcl-2 overexpression is commonly associated with various cancers including breast cancer, prostate cancer, B-cell lymphomas and colorectal adenocarcinomas etc. Thus, Bcl-2 is a novel anti-cancer target attracting medicinal chemists across the globe. Research investigations underlying Bcl-2 target have resulted in the generation of small molecule inhibitors, named as 'BH3-mimetics' (Bcl-2 homology 3 mimetics). These drugs display binding to pro-survival Bcl-2 proteins resulting in actuation of apoptosis of cancer cells. The first BH3 mimetics discovered as an outcome of structure-based drug design and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)-based screening was ABT-263, an N-acylsulfonamide analogue. Thrombocytopenia a major dose-limiting toxicity, associated with ABT-263 had provoked the invention of a highly selective Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax. Several Bcl-2 inhibitors as small molecules are under clinical development and the results indicated that these molecules alone or in combination could be of potential application in cancer therapy. This review summarizes an up to date knowledge of the available small molecule inhibitors, their discovery, synthesis, current clinical and pre-clinical status.
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Kong W, Zhou M, Li Q, Fan W, Lin H, Wang R. Experimental Characterization of the Binding Affinities between Proapoptotic BH3 Peptides and Antiapoptotic Bcl-2 Proteins. ChemMedChem 2018; 13:1763-1770. [DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201800321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2018] [Revised: 07/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wenna Kong
- Department of Chemistry; Shanghai University; 99 Shangda Road Shanghai 200444 P.R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis; Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry; Chinese Academy of Sciences; 345 Lingling Road Shanghai 200032 P.R. China
| | - Mi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis; Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry; Chinese Academy of Sciences; 345 Lingling Road Shanghai 200032 P.R. China
| | - Qing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis; Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry; Chinese Academy of Sciences; 345 Lingling Road Shanghai 200032 P.R. China
| | - Wenjie Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis; Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry; Chinese Academy of Sciences; 345 Lingling Road Shanghai 200032 P.R. China
| | - Haixia Lin
- Department of Chemistry; Shanghai University; 99 Shangda Road Shanghai 200444 P.R. China
| | - Renxiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis; Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry; Chinese Academy of Sciences; 345 Lingling Road Shanghai 200032 P.R. China
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12
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Letai
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
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13
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Hernández-Luna MA, Díaz de León-Ortega R, Hernández-Cueto DD, Gaxiola-Centeno R, Castro-Luna R, Martínez-Cristóbal L, Huerta-Yépez S, Luria-Pérez R. Bactofection of sequences encoding a Bax protein peptide chemosensitizes prostate cancer tumor cells. BOLETIN MEDICO DEL HOSPITAL INFANTIL DE MEXICO 2016; 73:388-396. [PMID: 29421283 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmhimx.2016.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tumor cell resistance to chemotherapy agents is one of the main problems in the eradication of different neoplasias. One of the mechanisms of this process is the overexpression of anti-apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL; blocking the activity of these proteins may contribute to the sensitization of tumor cells and allow the adequate effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. METHODS AND RESULTS This study adressed the transfection of prostate cancer cells (PC3) with a plasmid encoding a recombinant protein with an antagonist peptide from the BH3 region of the Bax protein fused to the GFP reporter protein (BaxGFP). This protein induced apoptosis of these tumor cells; further, selective transport of this plasmid to the tumor cell with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (strain SL3261), a live-attenuated bacterial vector, can induce sensitization of the tumor cell to the action of drugs such as cisplatin, through a process known as bactofection. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that Salmonella enterica can be used as a carrier vector of nucleotide sequences encoding heterologous molecules used in antitumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Antonio Hernández-Luna
- Departamento de Medicina y Nutrición, División Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guanajuato Campus Léon, León, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Ricardo Díaz de León-Ortega
- Unidad de Investigación en Enfermedades Oncológicas, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Ricardo Gaxiola-Centeno
- Unidad de Producción y Experimentación de Animales de Laboratorio, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Raúl Castro-Luna
- Bioterio, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Sara Huerta-Yépez
- Unidad de Investigación en Enfermedades Oncológicas, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rosendo Luria-Pérez
- Unidad de Investigación en Enfermedades Oncológicas, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Iyer D, Vartak SV, Mishra A, Goldsmith G, Kumar S, Srivastava M, Hegde M, Gopalakrishnan V, Glenn M, Velusamy M, Choudhary B, Kalakonda N, Karki SS, Surolia A, Raghavan SC. Identification of a novel BCL2-specific inhibitor that binds predominantly to the BH1 domain. FEBS J 2016; 283:3408-37. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.13815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Revised: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Divyaanka Iyer
- Department of Biochemistry; Indian Institute of Science; Bangalore India
| | - Supriya V. Vartak
- Department of Biochemistry; Indian Institute of Science; Bangalore India
| | - Archita Mishra
- Molecular Biophysics Unit; Indian Institute of Science; Bangalore India
| | - Gunaseelan Goldsmith
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Electronics City; Bangalore India
| | - Sujeet Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry; KLE University's College of Pharmacy; Bangalore India
| | - Mrinal Srivastava
- Department of Biochemistry; Indian Institute of Science; Bangalore India
| | - Mahesh Hegde
- Department of Biochemistry; Indian Institute of Science; Bangalore India
| | - Vidya Gopalakrishnan
- Department of Biochemistry; Indian Institute of Science; Bangalore India
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Electronics City; Bangalore India
| | - Mark Glenn
- Haematology; Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine University of Liverpool; UK
| | - Mahesh Velusamy
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Electronics City; Bangalore India
| | - Bibha Choudhary
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Electronics City; Bangalore India
| | - Nagesh Kalakonda
- Haematology; Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine University of Liverpool; UK
| | - Subhas S. Karki
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry; KLE University's College of Pharmacy; Bangalore India
| | - Avadhesha Surolia
- Molecular Biophysics Unit; Indian Institute of Science; Bangalore India
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Feng CP, Tang HM, Huang S, Hou SZ, Liang J, Huang W, Lai XP. Evaluation of the effects of the water-soluble total flavonoids from Isodon lophanthoides var.gerardianus (Benth.) H. Hara on apoptosis in HepG2 cell: Investigation of the most relevant mechanisms. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2016; 188:70-79. [PMID: 27132715 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.04.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2015] [Revised: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE The water-soluble total flavonoids (WSTF) were extracted from Isodon lophanthoides var. gerardianus (Benth.) H. Hara, a common folk herbal medicine in China, which has been recorded by the "Chinese Pharmacopoeia" in 2015 and used for prevention and clinical treatment of common diseases of liver and gall for many years. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of WSTF on apoptosis in HepG2 cell and investigate the relevant mechanisms underlying. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cytotoxicity was evaluated in HepG2 cells (human hepatoma cell lines) using MTT assay. The influence of the WSTF on the intracellular reactive oxygen species (iROS) and the mitochondrial membrane potential were also determinated. We used flow cytometry analysis to detect the effects of WSTF on apoptosis, cell cycle. Then we applied RT-PCR for genetic expression of main effectors and western blot analysis for activation of main effectors involved in the potential apoptosis signaling pathways. RESULTS WSTF inhibited cell growth in HepG2 cells. Moreover, WSTF stimulates to increase amount of iROS, mitochondrial membrane potential, and the apoptotic relevant factors (cytochrome c, caspase-3) in HepG2 cells. WSTF could significantly induce apoptosis through downregulating apoptosis-antagonizing protein (Bcl-2, Survivin, mcl-1) and upregulating apoptosis-promoting proteins (Bax) and cell cycle G0/G1 arrest in HepG2 cells. CONCLUSION The results indicate that WSTF induces cell apoptosis through mitochondrial pathway in the HepG2 cells. Therefore, these studies suggest that WSTF could be used as a chemotherapeutic agent to treat hepatoma.
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MESH Headings
- Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/isolation & purification
- Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/pharmacology
- Apoptosis/drug effects
- Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins/genetics
- Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/drug therapy
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology
- Cell Proliferation/drug effects
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Flavonoids/isolation & purification
- Flavonoids/pharmacology
- G1 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints/drug effects
- Hep G2 Cells
- Humans
- Isodon/chemistry
- Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Liver Neoplasms/genetics
- Liver Neoplasms/metabolism
- Liver Neoplasms/pathology
- Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial/drug effects
- Mitochondria, Liver/drug effects
- Mitochondria, Liver/metabolism
- Mitochondria, Liver/pathology
- Oxidative Stress/drug effects
- Plant Extracts/isolation & purification
- Plant Extracts/pharmacology
- Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
- Solubility
- Solvents/chemistry
- Water/chemistry
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan-Ping Feng
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Waihuandong Road No. 232, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou 510006, China; Department of Pharmacy, Hunan Traditional Chinese Medical College, lusong Road No. 136, Zhuzhou 412012, China.
| | - Hai-Ming Tang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Waihuandong Road No. 232, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Song Huang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Waihuandong Road No. 232, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Shao-Zhen Hou
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Waihuandong Road No. 232, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Jian Liang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Waihuandong Road No. 232, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Wei Huang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Waihuandong Road No. 232, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Xiao-Ping Lai
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Waihuandong Road No. 232, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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Chura-Chambi RM, Arcuri HA, Lino F, Versati N, Palma MS, Favaro DC, Morganti L. Structural studies of the protein endostatin in fusion with BAX BH3 death domain, a hybrid that presents enhanced antitumoral activity. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2016; 64:356-363. [PMID: 27144384 DOI: 10.1002/bab.1503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Endostatin (ES) is an antiangiogenic protein that exhibits antitumor activity in animal models. However, the activity observed in animals was not observed in human clinical trials. ES-BAX is a fusion protein composed of two functional domains: ES, which presents specificity and is internalized by activated endothelial cells and the proapoptotic BH3 domain of the protein BAX, a peptide inductor of cellular death when internalized. We have previously shown (Chura-Chambi et al., Cell Death Dis, 5, e1371, 2014) that ES-BAX presents improved antitumor activity in relation to wild-type ES. Secondary and tertiary structures of ES-BAX are similar to ES, as indicated by homology-modeling studies and molecular dynamics simulations. Tryptophan intrinsic fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy corroborate these data. 15 N HSQC NMR indicates that ES-BAX is structured, but some ES residues have suffered chemical shift perturbations, suggesting that the BH3 peptide interacts with some parts of the ES protein. ES and ES-BAX present similar stability to thermal denaturation. The production of stable hybrid proteins can be a new approach to the development of therapeutic agents presenting specificity for tumoral endothelium and improved antitumor effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Maria Chura-Chambi
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, IPEN-CNEN/SP, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Helen Andrade Arcuri
- Departamento de Imunologia Clínica e Alergia da Faculdade de Medicina da USP, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Felipe Lino
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, IPEN-CNEN/SP, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Natan Versati
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, IPEN-CNEN/SP, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mario Sergio Palma
- Centro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais, Instituto de Biociências de Rio Claro, UNESP, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Denize C Favaro
- Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Ligia Morganti
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, IPEN-CNEN/SP, São Paulo, Brazil
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17
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Zheng N, Gao Y, Ji H, Wu L, Qi X, Liu X, Tang J. Vitamin E derivative-based multifunctional nanoemulsions for overcoming multidrug resistance in cancer. J Drug Target 2016; 24:663-9. [PMID: 26710274 DOI: 10.3109/1061186x.2015.1135335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The multidrug resistance (MDR), including intrinsic and acquired multidrug resistance, is a major problem in tumor chemotherapy. Here, we proposed a strategy for modulating intrinsic and/or acquired multidrug resistance by altering the levels of Bax and Bcl-2 expression and inhibiting the transport function of P-gp, increasing the intracellular concentration of its substrate anticancer drugs. Vitamin E derivative-based nanoemulsions containing paclitaxel (MNEs-PTX) were fabricated in this study, and in vitro anticancer efficacy of the nanoemulsion system was evaluated in the paclitaxel-resistant human ovarian carcinoma cell line A2780/Taxol. The MNEs-PTX exhibited a remarkably enhanced antiproliferation effect on A2780/Taxol cells than free paclitaxel (PTX) (p < 0.01). Compared with that in the Taxol group, MNEs-PTX further decreased mitochondrial potential. Vitamin E derivative-based multifunctional nanoemulsion (MNEs) obviously increased intracellular accumulation of rhodamine 123 (P-gp substrate). Overexpression of Bcl-2 is generally associated with tumor drug resistance, we found that MNEs could reduce Bcl-2 protein level and increase Bax protein level. Taken together, our findings suggest that anticancer drugs associated with MNEs could play a role in the development of MDR in cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nannan Zheng
- a Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University , Harbin, PR China
| | - Yanan Gao
- a Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University , Harbin, PR China
| | - Hongyu Ji
- b Department of Pharmacy, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University , Harbin, PR China
| | - Linhua Wu
- a Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University , Harbin, PR China ;,b Department of Pharmacy, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University , Harbin, PR China
| | - Xuejing Qi
- a Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University , Harbin, PR China
| | - Xiaona Liu
- a Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University , Harbin, PR China
| | - Jingling Tang
- a Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University , Harbin, PR China
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18
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Liu Z, Ding Y, Ye N, Wild C, Chen H, Zhou J. Direct Activation of Bax Protein for Cancer Therapy. Med Res Rev 2015; 36:313-41. [PMID: 26395559 DOI: 10.1002/med.21379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Revised: 08/18/2015] [Accepted: 08/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Bax, a central cell death regulator, is an indispensable gateway to mitochondrial dysfunction and a major proapoptotic member of the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family proteins that control apoptosis in normal and cancer cells. Dysfunction of apoptosis renders the cancer cell resistant to treatment as well as promotes tumorigenesis. Bax activation induces mitochondrial membrane permeabilization, thereby leading to the release of apoptotic factor cytochrome c and consequently cancer cell death. A number of drugs in clinical use are known to indirectly activate Bax. Intriguingly, recent efforts demonstrate that Bax can serve as a promising direct target for small-molecule drug discovery. Several direct Bax activators have been identified to hold promise for cancer therapy with the advantages of specificity and the potential of overcoming chemo- and radioresistance. Further investigation of this new class of drug candidates will be needed to advance them into the clinic as a novel means to treat cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqing Liu
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555
| | - Ye Ding
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555
| | - Na Ye
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555
| | - Christopher Wild
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555
| | - Haiying Chen
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555
| | - Jia Zhou
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555
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19
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Levoin N, Vo DD, Gautier F, Barillé-Nion S, Juin P, Tasseau O, Grée R. A combination of in silico and SAR studies to identify binding hot spots of Bcl-xL inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem 2015; 23:1747-57. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2015.02.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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20
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Chen L, Luo Y, Liu T, Yuan Y, Gu H, Yang Y, Li L, Tan L. Label-free electrochemical immunoassay of Bcl-2 protein expression on tumor cells. Talanta 2015; 132:479-85. [DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2014.09.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Revised: 09/14/2014] [Accepted: 09/18/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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21
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Piao MJ, Kim KC, Zheng J, Yao CW, Cha JW, Boo SJ, Yoon WJ, Kang HK, Yoo ES, Koh YS, Ko MH, Lee NH, Hyun JW. The ethyl acetate fraction of Sargassum muticum attenuates ultraviolet B radiation-induced apoptotic cell death via regulation of MAPK- and caspase-dependent signaling pathways in human HaCaT keratinocytes. PHARMACEUTICAL BIOLOGY 2014; 52:1110-8. [PMID: 24617288 DOI: 10.3109/13880209.2013.879186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Our previous work demonstrated that an ethyl acetate extract derived from Sargassum muticum (Yendo) Fenshol (SME) protected human HaCaT keratinocytes against ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced oxidative stress by increasing antioxidant activity in the cells, thereby inhibiting apoptosis. OBJECTIVE The aim of the current study was to further elucidate the anti-apoptotic mechanism of SME against UVB-induced cell damage. MATERIALS AND METHODS The expression levels of several apoptotic-associated and mitogen-activated kinase (MAPK) signaling proteins were determined by western blot analysis of UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells with or without prior SME treatment. In addition, the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) was detected using flow cytometry or confocal microscopy and the mitochondria membrane-permeate dye, JC-1. Apoptosis was assessed by quantifying DNA fragmentation and apoptotic body formation. Furthermore, cell viability was evaluated using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. RESULTS SME absorbed electromagnetic radiation in the UVB range (280-320 nm) of the UV/visible light spectrum. SME also increased Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 expression in UVB-irradiated cells and decreased the Bax expression. Moreover, SME inhibited the UVB-induced disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential and prevented UVB-mediated increases in activated caspase-9 and caspase-3 (an apoptotic initiator and executor, respectively) levels. Notably, treatment with a pan-caspase inhibitor enhanced the anti-apoptotic effects of SME in UVB-irradiated cells. Finally, SME reduced the UVB-mediated phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and JNK, and prevented the UVB-mediated dephosphorylation of Erk1/2 and Akt. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION The present results indicate that SME safeguards HaCaT keratinocytes from UVB-mediated apoptosis by inhibiting a caspase-dependent signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Jing Piao
- School of Medicine, Jeju National University , Jeju , Republic of Korea
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22
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Improving the therapeutic potential of endostatin by fusing it with the BAX BH3 death domain. Cell Death Dis 2014; 5:e1371. [PMID: 25118931 PMCID: PMC4454297 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2014.309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2013] [Revised: 05/22/2014] [Accepted: 06/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Endostatin (ES) inhibits angiogenesis, reducing tumor growth in animal models. However, it has low therapeutic effect in human clinical trials. BAX is a member of the BCL-2 family of proteins; its proapoptotic (BH3) domain interacts with other members of the family in the cytoplasm, to induce apoptosis. Here, we fused the BAX BH3 domain with murine ES, to enhance ES potency. Endothelial cells specifically internalize the fusion protein ES-BAX. The presence of the BAX domain enhances endothelial cell death by apoptosis by 1.8-fold and diminishes microvessel outgrowth in the rat aortic ring assay by 6.5-fold. Daily injections of 15 μg of ES-BAX/g in tumor-bearing mice reduce tumor weight by 86.9% as compared with ES-treated animals. Co-immunoprecipitation assays confirmed that ES-BAX interacts with members of the BCL-2 family. Also, ES interacts with BCL-2, BCL-XL, and BAK in endothelial cell lysates, suggesting a potential new mechanism for the apoptosis induction by ES. The superiority of the ES-BAX antiangiogenic effect indicates that this fusion protein could be a promising therapeutic alternative to treat cancer.
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23
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By inhibiting Src, verapamil and dasatinib overcome multidrug resistance via increased expression of Bim and decreased expressions of MDR1 and survivin in human multidrug-resistant myeloma cells. Leuk Res 2014; 38:121-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.leukres.2013.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2013] [Revised: 10/17/2013] [Accepted: 10/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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24
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Smith SJ, Du K, Radford RJ, Tezcan FA. Functional, metal-based crosslinkers for α-helix induction in short peptides. Chem Sci 2013; 4:3740-3747. [PMID: 24156013 PMCID: PMC3800689 DOI: 10.1039/c3sc50858g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Many protein-protein interactions that play a central role in cellular processes involve α-helical domains. Consequently, there has been great interest in developing strategies for stabilizing short peptides in α-helical conformations toward the inhibition and interrogation of protein-protein interactions. Here, we show that tridentate Hybrid Coordination Motifs (HCMs), which consist of a natural (histidine, His) and an unnatural (8-hydroxyquinoline, Quin) metal binding functionality, can bind divalent metal ions with high affinity and thereby induce/stabilize an α-helical configuration in short peptide sequences. The Quin functionality is readily introduced onto peptide platforms both during or after solid-state peptide synthesis, demonstrating the preparative versatility of HCMs. A systematic study involving a series of HCM-bearing peptides has revealed the critical importance of the length of the linkage between the Quin moiety and the peptide backbone as well as the metal coordination geometry in determining the extent of α-helix induction. Through ZnII coordination or modification with ReI(Quin)(CO)3, the HCM-bearing peptides can be rendered luminescent in the visible region, thus showing that HCMs can be exploited to simultaneously introduce structure and functionality into short peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Smith
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, California 92093-0356
| | - Kang Du
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, California 92093-0356
| | - Robert J Radford
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, California 92093-0356
| | - F Akif Tezcan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, California 92093-0356
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25
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Maxwell SA, Mousavi-Fard S. Non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma: advances in molecular strategies targeting drug resistance. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2013; 238:971-90. [PMID: 23986223 DOI: 10.1177/1535370213498985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a heterogeneous class of cancers displaying a diverse range of biological phenotypes, clinical behaviours and prognoses. Standard treatments for B-cell NHL are anthracycline-based combinatorial chemotherapy regimens composed of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone. Even though complete response rates of 40-50% with chemotherapy can be attained, a substantial proportion of patients relapse, resulting in 3-year overall survival rates of about 30%. Relapsed lymphomas are refractory to subsequent treatments with the initial chemotherapy regimen and can exhibit cross-resistance to a wide variety of anticancer drugs. The emergence of acquired chemoresistance thus poses a challenge in the clinic preventing the successful treatment and cure of disseminated B-cell lymphomas. Gene-expression analyses have increased our understanding of the molecular basis of chemotherapy resistance and identified rational targets for drug interventions to prevent and treat relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Acquisition of drug resistance in lymphoma is in part driven by the inherent genetic heterogeneity and instability of the tumour cells. Due to the genetic heterogeneity of B-cell NHL, many different pathways leading to drug resistance have been identified. Successful treatment of chemoresistant NHL will thus require the rational design of combinatorial drugs targeting multiple pathways specific to different subtypes of B-cell NHL as well as the development of personalized approaches to address patient-to-patient genetic heterogeneity. This review highlights the new insights into the molecular basis of chemorefractory B-cell NHL that are facilitating the rational design of novel strategies to overcome drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve A Maxwell
- Texas A&M Health Science Center, College Station, TX 77843-1114, USA
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26
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Lama D, Modi V, Sankararamakrishnan R. Behavior of solvent-exposed hydrophobic groove in the anti-apoptotic Bcl-XL protein: clues for its ability to bind diverse BH3 ligands from MD simulations. PLoS One 2013; 8:e54397. [PMID: 23468841 PMCID: PMC3585337 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2012] [Accepted: 12/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Bcl-XL is a member of Bcl-2 family of proteins involved in the regulation of intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Its overexpression in many human cancers makes it an important target for anti-cancer drugs. Bcl-XL interacts with the BH3 domain of several pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 partners. This helical bundle protein has a pronounced hydrophobic groove which acts as a binding region for the BH3 domains. Eight independent molecular dynamics simulations of the apo/holo forms of Bcl-XL were carried out to investigate the behavior of solvent-exposed hydrophobic groove. The simulations used either a twin-range cut-off or particle mesh Ewald (PME) scheme to treat long-range interactions. Destabilization of the BH3 domain-containing helix H2 was observed in all four twin-range cut-off simulations. Most of the other major helices remained stable. The unwinding of H2 can be related to the ability of Bcl-XL to bind diverse BH3 ligands. The loss of helical character can also be linked to the formation of homo- or hetero-dimers in Bcl-2 proteins. Several experimental studies have suggested that exposure of BH3 domain is a crucial event before they form dimers. Thus unwinding of H2 seems to be functionally very important. The four PME simulations, however, revealed a stable helix H2. It is possible that the H2 unfolding might occur in PME simulations at longer time scales. Hydrophobic residues in the hydrophobic groove are involved in stable interactions among themselves. The solvent accessible surface areas of bulky hydrophobic residues in the groove are significantly buried by the loop LB connecting the helix H2 and subsequent helix. These observations help to understand how the hydrophobic patch in Bcl-XL remains stable in the solvent-exposed state. We suggest that both the destabilization of helix H2 and the conformational heterogeneity of loop LB are important factors for binding of diverse ligands in the hydrophobic groove of Bcl-XL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilraj Lama
- Department of Biological Sciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, India
| | - Vivek Modi
- Department of Biological Sciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, India
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27
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Dong GH, Wang J, Zhang YH, Liu MM, Wang D, Zheng L, Jin YH. Induction of p53-mediated apoptosis in splenocytes and thymocytes of C57BL/6 mice exposed to perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2012; 264:292-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2012.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2012] [Revised: 07/25/2012] [Accepted: 08/08/2012] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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28
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von Roretz C, Lian XJ, Macri AM, Punjani N, Clair E, Drouin O, Dormoy-Raclet V, Ma JF, Gallouzi IE. Apoptotic-induced cleavage shifts HuR from being a promoter of survival to an activator of caspase-mediated apoptosis. Cell Death Differ 2012; 20:154-68. [PMID: 22955946 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2012.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Little is known about the cellular mechanisms modulating the shift in balance from a state of survival to cell death by caspase-mediated apoptosis in response to a lethal stress. Here we show that the RNA-binding protein HuR has an important function in mediating this switch. During caspase-mediated apoptosis, HuR is cleaved to generate two cleavage products (CPs). Our data demonstrate that the cleavage of HuR switches its function from being a prosurvival factor under normal conditions to becoming a promoter of apoptosis in response to a lethal stress. In the absence of an apoptotic stimuli, HuR associates with and promotes the expression of caspase-9 and prothymosin α (ProT) mRNAs, and pro- and antiapoptotic factors, respectively, both of which have been characterized as important players in determining cell fate. During the early steps of caspase-mediated apoptosis, however, the level of caspase-9 protein increases, while ProT remains unchanged. Under these conditions, the two HuR-CPs selectively bind to and stabilize caspase-9 mRNA, but do not bind to ProT. Hence, taken together, our data show that by maintaining a threshold of expression of proapoptotic factors such as caspase-9 in response to a lethal stress, the HuR-CPs help a cell to switch from resisting death to undergoing apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- C von Roretz
- Department of Biochemistry, Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Center, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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29
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Delgado-Soler L, Pinto M, Tanaka-Gil K, Rubio-Martinez J. Molecular determinants of Bim(BH3) peptide binding to pro-survival proteins. J Chem Inf Model 2012; 52:2107-18. [PMID: 22794663 DOI: 10.1021/ci3001666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Proteins of the Bcl-2 family regulate apoptosis through the formation of heterodimers between antiapoptotic or pro-survival proteins and proapoptotic or pro-death proteins. Overexpression of antiapoptotic proteins not only contributes to the progression of many cancers, but also confers resistance to the chemo- and radiotherapeutic treatments. It has been demonstrated that peptides containing the BH3 domain of proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members are able to bind and inhibit antiapoptotic proteins. For this reason, the design of small molecules mimicking the BH3 domain of proapoptotic proteins has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment during the last years. However, BH3 domains exhibit different affinities for binding to antiapoptotic proteins; whereas Bim(BH3) and Puma(BH3) are able to bind all antiapoptotic proteins, others like Bad(BH3) and Bmf(BH3) show preference for some proteins over others. Consequently, the ability of a BH3-mimetic to kill tumor cells will depend on the BH3 peptide used as template and thus will have a selective or pan-inhibition effect. Recently, it has been suggested that this last approach could be interesting. Therefore, the present work is aimed to elucidate how the nonselective peptide Bim(BH3) is able to bind to all of the Bcl-2 family antiapoptotic proteins. To unravel the molecular determinants of this pan-inhibition, we used the MM-PB/GBSA approaches to calculate the binding free energy of the different complexes studied and to determine which residues of the peptide have the largest contribution to complex formation. Results obtained in the present work show that the binding of Bim(BH3) to pro-survival proteins is mainly hydrophobic and that specific interactions are fully distributed along the peptide sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Delgado-Soler
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Barcelona and the Institut de Recerca en Quimica Teorica i Computacional, Barcelona, Spain
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Tsubaki M, Satou T, Itoh T, Imano M, Komai M, Nishinobo M, Yamashita M, Yanae M, Yamazoe Y, Nishida S. Overexpression of MDR1 and survivin, and decreased Bim expression mediate multidrug-resistance in multiple myeloma cells. Leuk Res 2012; 36:1315-22. [PMID: 22819074 DOI: 10.1016/j.leukres.2012.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2012] [Revised: 06/07/2012] [Accepted: 07/02/2012] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Multidrug resistance represents a major obstacle for the chemotherapy of a wide variety of human tumors. To investigate the underlying mechanisms associated with resistance to anti-cancer drugs, we established anti-cancer drug-resistant multiple myeloma (MM) cell lines RPMI8226/ADM, RPMI8226/VCR, RPMI8226/DEX, and RPMI8226/L-PAM, the 50% inhibitory concentration values of which were 77-, 58-, 79-, and 30-fold higher than their parental cell lines, respectively. The resistant cell lines overexpressed MDR1 and survivin, or showed decreased Bim expression. These results indicated that regulating these factors with inhibitors might be a viable approach to increasing the susceptibility of quiescent MM cells to chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanobu Tsubaki
- Division of Pharmacotherapy, Kinki University School of Pharmacy, Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka 577-8502, Japan
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Johnson DE. Targeting proliferation and survival pathways in head and neck cancer for therapeutic benefit. CHINESE JOURNAL OF CANCER 2012; 31:319-26. [PMID: 22257382 PMCID: PMC3607312 DOI: 10.5732/cjc.011.10404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2011] [Revised: 12/09/2011] [Accepted: 12/13/2011] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are common human malignancies with poor clinical outcomes. The 5-year survival rates for patients with advanced stage HNSCC have not changed appreciably in the past few decades, underscoring a dire need for improved therapeutic options. Recent studies have elucidated a key signaling axis, the EGFR-STAT3-Bcl-XL signaling axis, that is aberrantly activated in a majority of HNSCC and contributes to the proliferation and survival of malignant cells. Considerable effort is being placed on developing highly specific inhibitors of different components of this pathway. This review highlights the progress that is being made towards achieving potent inhibition of the EGFR-STAT3-Bcl-XL signaling axis in HNSCC and the promising therapeutic strategies that are currently under development for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Johnson
- Department of Medicine and Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
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Li H, Nelson CE, Evans BC, Duvall CL. Delivery of intracellular-acting biologics in pro-apoptotic therapies. Curr Pharm Des 2011; 17:293-319. [PMID: 21348831 DOI: 10.2174/138161211795049642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2011] [Accepted: 02/18/2011] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The recent elucidation of molecular regulators of apoptosis and their roles in cellular oncogenesis has motivated the development of biomacromolecular anticancer therapeutics that can activate intracellular apoptotic signaling pathways. Pharmaceutical scientists have employed a variety of classes of biologics toward this goal, including antisense oligodeoxynucleotides, small interfering RNA, proteins, antibodies, and peptides. However, stability in the in vivo environment, tumor-specific biodistribution, cell internalization, and localization to the intracellular microenvironment where the targeted molecule is localized pose significant challenges that limit the ability to directly apply intracellular-acting, pro-apoptotic biologics for therapeutic use. Thus, approaches to improve the pharmaceutical properties of therapeutic biomacromolecules are of great significance and have included chemically modifying the bioactive molecule itself or formulation with auxiliary compounds. Recently, promising advances in delivery of pro-apoptotic biomacromolecular agents have been made using tools such as peptide "stapling", cell penetrating peptides, fusogenic peptides, liposomes, nanoparticles, smart polymers, and synergistic combinations of these components. This review will discuss the molecular mediators of cellular apoptosis, the respective mechanisms by which these mediators are dysregulated in cellular oncogenesis, the history and development of both nucleic-acid and amino-acid based drugs, and techniques to achieve intracellular delivery of these biologics. Finally, recent applications where pro-apoptotic functionality has been achieved through delivery of intracellular-acting biomacromolecular drugs will be highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmei Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
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The small GTPase Rac1 is a novel binding partner of Bcl-2 and stabilizes its antiapoptotic activity. Blood 2011; 117:6214-26. [DOI: 10.1182/blood-2010-08-301283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The small GTPase Rac1 is involved in the activation of the reduced NAD phosphate oxidase complex resulting in superoxide production. We recently showed that Bcl-2 overexpression inhibited apoptosis in leukemia cells by creating a pro-oxidant intracellular milieu, and that inhibiting intracellular superoxide production sensitized Bcl-2–overexpressing cells to apoptotic stimuli. We report here that silencing and functional inhibition of Rac1 block Bcl-2–mediated increase in intracellular superoxide levels in tumor cells. Using confocal, electron microscopy and coimmunoprecipitation, as well as glutathione S-transferase–fusion proteins, we provide evidence for a colocalization and physical interaction between the 2 proteins. This interaction is blocked in vitro and in vivo by the BH3 mimetics as well as by synthetic Bcl-2 BH3 domain peptides. That this interaction is functionally relevant is supported by the ability of the Bcl-2 BH3 peptide as well as the silencing and functional inhibition of Rac1 to inhibit intracellular superoxide production as well as overcome Bcl-2–mediated drug resistance in human leukemia cells and cervical cancer cells. Notably, the interaction was observed in primary cells derived from patients with B-cell lymphoma overexpressing Bcl-2 but not in noncancerous tissue. These data provide a novel facet in the biology of Bcl-2 with potential implications for targeted anticancer drug design.
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Recent advances in apoptosis, mitochondria and drug resistance in cancer cells. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2011; 1807:735-45. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2011.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 397] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2010] [Revised: 03/22/2011] [Accepted: 03/22/2011] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Duvall CL, Convertine AJ, Benoit DSW, Hoffman AS, Stayton PS. Intracellular delivery of a proapoptotic peptide via conjugation to a RAFT synthesized endosomolytic polymer. Mol Pharm 2010; 7:468-76. [PMID: 19968323 DOI: 10.1021/mp9002267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Peptides derived from the third B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) homology domain (BH3) can heterodimerize with antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members to block their activity and trigger apoptosis. Use of these peptides presents a viable anticancer approach, but delivery barriers limit the broad application of intracellular-acting peptides as clinical therapeutics. Here, a novel diblock copolymer carrier is described that confers desirable pharmaceutical properties to intracellular-acting therapeutic peptides through site-specific molecular conjugation. This polymer was prepared using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) to form a pyridyl disulfide end-functionalized, modular diblock copolymer with precisely controlled molecular weight (M(n)) and low polydispersity (PDI). The diblock polymer (M(n) 19,000 g/mol, PDI 1.27) was composed of an N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide (HPMA) first block (M(n) 13,800 g/mol, PDI 1.13) intended to enhance water solubility and circulation time. The second polymer block was a pH-responsive composition designed to enhance endosomal escape and consisted of equimolar quantities of dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA), propylacrylic acid (PAA), and butyl methacrylate (BMA). A hemolysis assay indicated that the diblock polymer undergoes a physiologically relevant pH-dependent switch from a membrane inert (1% hemolysis, pH 7.4) to a membrane disruptive (61% hemolysis, pH 5.8) conformation. Thiol-disulfide exchange reactions were found to efficiently produce reversible polymer conjugates (75 mol % peptide reactivity with polymer) with a cell-internalized proapoptotic peptide. Microscopy studies showed that peptide delivered via polymer conjugates effectively escaped endosomes and achieved diffusion into the cytosol. Peptide-polymer conjugates also produced significantly increased apoptotic activity over peptide alone in HeLa cervical carcinoma cells as found using flow cytometric measurements of mitochondrial membrane depolarization (2.5-fold increase) and cell viability tests that showed 50% cytotoxicity after 6 h of treatment with 10 muM peptide conjugate. These results indicate that this multifunctional carrier shows significant promise for proapoptotic peptide cancer therapeutics and also as a general platform for delivery of peptide drugs with intracellular targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig L Duvall
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle Washington 98195, USA
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Matsumura N, Tsuji T, Sumida T, Kokubo M, Onimaru M, Doi N, Takashima H, Miyamoto-Sato E, Yanagawa H. mRNA display selection of a high-affinity, Bcl-X(L)-specific binding peptide. FASEB J 2010; 24:2201-10. [PMID: 20181936 DOI: 10.1096/fj.09-143008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Bcl-X(L), an antiapoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, is a mitochondrial protein that inhibits activation of Bax and Bak, which commit the cell to apoptosis, and it therefore represents a potential target for drug discovery. Peptides have potential as therapeutic molecules because they can be designed to engage a larger portion of the target protein with higher specificity. In the present study, we selected 16-mer peptides that interact with Bcl-X(L) from random and degenerate peptide libraries using mRNA display. The selected peptides have sequence similarity with the Bcl-2 family BH3 domains, and one of them has higher affinity (IC(50)=0.9 microM) than Bak BH3 (IC(50)=11.8 microM) for Bcl-X(L) in vitro. We also found that GFP fusions of the selected peptides specifically interact with Bcl-X(L), localize in mitochondria, and induce cell death. Further, a chimeric molecule, in which the BH3 domain of Bak protein was replaced with a selected peptide, retained the ability to bind specifically to Bcl-X(L). These results demonstrate that this selected peptide specifically antagonizes the function of Bcl-X(L) and overcomes the effects of Bcl-X(L) in intact cells. We suggest that mRNA display is a powerful technique to identify peptide inhibitors with high affinity and specificity for disease-related proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobutaka Matsumura
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
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Chatterjee S, Kundu S, Sengupta S, Bhattacharyya A. Divergence to apoptosis from ROS induced cell cycle arrest: effect of cadmium. Mutat Res 2009; 663:22-31. [PMID: 19475715 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2008.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Recently, the role of cadmium (Cd) in immunosupression has gained importance. Nevertheless, the signaling pathways underlying cadmium-induced immune cell death remains largely unclear. In accordance to our previous in vivo report, and to evaluate the further details of the mechanism, we have investigated the effects of cadmium (CdCl(2), H(2)O) on cell cycle regulation and apoptosis in splenocytes in vitro. Our results have revealed that reactive oxygen species (ROS) and p21 are involved in cell cycle arrest in a p53 independent manner but late hour apoptotic response was accompanied by the p53 up-regulation, loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (MTP), down-regulation of Bcl-xl, activation of caspase-3 and release of cytochrome c (Cyt c). However, pifithrin alfa (PFT-alpha), an inhibitor of p53, fails to rescue the cells from the cadmium-induced cell cycle arrest but prevents Bcl-xl down-regulation and loss of Deltapsi(m), which indicates that there is an involvement of p53 in apoptosis. In contrast, treatment with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) can prevent cell cycle arrest and p21 up-regulation at early hours. Although it is clear that, NAC has no effect on apoptosis, p53 expression and MPT changes at late stage events. Taken together, we have demonstrated that cadmium promotes ROS generation, which potently initiates the cell cycle arrest at early hours and finally induces p53-dependent apoptosis at later part of the event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumya Chatterjee
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Kalyani, West Bengal, India
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38
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Jonas EA. Molecular participants in mitochondrial cell death channel formation during neuronal ischemia. Exp Neurol 2009; 218:203-12. [PMID: 19341732 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2009.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2009] [Revised: 03/11/2009] [Accepted: 03/14/2009] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondrial ion channels are involved in numerous cellular processes. Membrane pores and transporters regulate the influx and efflux of calcium, sodium, potassium, zinc and determine the membrane compartmentalization of numerous cytosolic metabolites. The permeability of the inner membrane to ions and solutes helps determine the membrane potential of the inner membrane, but the permeability of the outer membrane, controlled in part by VDAC and the BCL-2 family proteins, regulates the release of important signaling molecules that determine the onset of programmed cell death. BCL-2 family proteins have properties of ion channels and perform specialized physiological functions, for example, regulating the strength and pattern of synaptic transmission, in addition to their well known role in cell death. The ion channels of the inner and outer membranes may come together in a complex of proteins during programmed cell death, particularly during neuronal ischemia, where elevated levels of the divalents calcium and zinc activate inner membrane ion channel conductances. The variety of possible molecular participants within the ion channel complex may be matched only by the variety of different types of programmed cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Ann Jonas
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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Roy SS, Madesh M, Davies E, Antonsson B, Danial N, Hajnóczky G. Bad targets the permeability transition pore independent of Bax or Bak to switch between Ca2+-dependent cell survival and death. Mol Cell 2009; 33:377-88. [PMID: 19217411 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2009.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2008] [Revised: 11/03/2008] [Accepted: 01/27/2009] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Calcium oscillations exert physiological control on mitochondrial energy metabolism and can also lead to mitochondrial membrane permeabilization and cell death. The outcome of the mitochondrial calcium signaling is altered by stress factors such as ceramide or staurosporine. However, the mechanism of this proapoptotic switch remains unclear. Using genetic, biochemical, pharmacological, and functional approaches, we here show that ceramide and staurosporine target PP2A and protein kinases A and C, respectively, in a mitochondria-associated signaling complex to induce dephosphorylation of the BH3-only protein Bad. Dephosphorylated Bad sensitizes the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP) to Ca2+ through a Bcl-xL-sensitive and VDAC-mediated process. Furthermore, the Bad-induced sensitization of the PTP to Ca2+ does not require Bax or Bak. Thus, phospho-regulatory mechanisms converge on Bad to switch between the survival and apoptotic functions of mitochondrial calcium signaling by activating a mechanism whereby a BH3-only protein bypasses Bax/Bak and engages the PTP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumya Sinha Roy
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
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40
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Al-Katib AM, Sun Y, Goustin AS, Azmi AS, Chen B, Aboukameel A, Mohammad RM. SMI of Bcl-2 TW-37 is active across a spectrum of B-cell tumors irrespective of their proliferative and differentiation status. J Hematol Oncol 2009; 2:8. [PMID: 19220884 PMCID: PMC2651908 DOI: 10.1186/1756-8722-2-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2008] [Accepted: 02/16/2009] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The Bcl-2 family of proteins is critical to the life and death of malignant B-lymphocytes. Interfering with their activity using small-molecule inhibitors (SMI) is being explored as a new therapeutic strategy for treating B-cell tumors. We evaluated the efficacy of TW-37, a non-peptidic SMI of Bcl-2 against a range spectrum of human B-cell lines, fresh patient samples and animal xenograft models. Multiple cytochemical and molecular approaches such as acridine orange/ethidium bromide assay for apoptosis, co-immunoprecipitation of complexes and western blot analysis, caspase luminescent activity assay and apoptotic DNA fragmentation assay were used to demonstrate the effect of TW-37 on different B-cell lines, patient derived samples, as well as in animal xenograft models. Nanomolar concentrations of TW-37 were able to induce apoptosis in both fresh samples and established cell lines with IC50 in most cases of 165–320 nM. Apoptosis was independent of proliferative status or pathological classification of B-cell tumor. TW-37 was able to block Bim-Bcl-XL and Bim-Mcl-1 heterodimerization and induced apoptosis via activation of caspases -9, -3, PARP and DNA fragmentation. TW-37 administered to tumor-bearing SCID mice led to significant tumor growth inhibition (T/C), tumor growth delay (T-C) and Log10kill, when used at its maximum tolerated dose (40 mg/kg × 3 days) via tail vein. TW-37 failed to induce changes in the Bcl-2 proteins levels suggesting that assessment of baseline Bcl-2 family proteins can be used to predict response to the drug. These findings indicate activity of TW-37 across the spectrum of human B-cell tumors and support the concept of targeting the Bcl-2 system as a therapeutic strategy regardless of the stage of B-cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayad M Al-Katib
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
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Abstract
The mitochondrial pathway to apoptosis is a major pathway of physiological cell death in vertebrates. The mitochondrial cell death pathway commences when apoptogenic molecules present between the outer and inner mitochondrial membranes are released into the cytosol by mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP). BCL-2 family members are the sentinels of MOMP in the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway; the pro-apoptotic B cell lymphoma (BCL)-2 proteins, BCL-2 associated x protein and BCL-2 antagonist killer 1 induce MOMP whereas the anti-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins, BCL-2, BCL-xl and myeloid cell leukaemia 1 prevent MOMP from occurring. The release of pro-apoptotic factors such as cytochrome c from mitochondria leads to formation of a multimeric complex known as the apoptosome and initiates caspase activation cascades. These pathways are important for normal cellular homeostasis and play key roles in the pathogenesis of many diseases. In this review, we will provide a brief overview of the mitochondrial death pathway and focus on a selection of diseases whose pathogenesis involves the mitochondrial death pathway and we will examine the various pharmacological approaches that target this pathway.
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Häbig K, Walter M, Stappert H, Riess O, Bonin M. Microarray expression analysis of human dopaminergic neuroblastoma cells after RNA interference of SNCA--a key player in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. Brain Res 2008; 1256:19-33. [PMID: 19135032 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2008] [Revised: 10/01/2008] [Accepted: 12/03/2008] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The pre-synaptic protein alpha-synuclein is a key player in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Misfolded alpha-synuclein protofibrils accumulate and serve as seed structures that cause numerous proteins in the cytoplasm of neuronal cells to aggregate into so-called Lewy bodies. Furthermore, both missense mutations and multiplications of the SNCA gene lead to autosomal dominant forms of familial PD. However, the exact biological role of alpha-synuclein in normal brains remains elusive. To gain more insight into the normal function of this protein, we evaluated changes in whole genome expression in dopaminergic neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) caused by reductions of 90% in alpha-synuclein RNA levels and of 59% in alpha-synuclein protein levels as a result of RNA interference. The expression of 361 genes was altered at least+/-1.5-fold by the RNA interference, with 82 up-regulated and 279 down-regulated. The differentially expressed gene products are involved in the regulation of transcription, cell cycle, protein degradation, apoptosis, neurogenesis, and lipid metabolism. To examine the influence of SNCA down-regulation by RNAi on apoptosis, we performed cell death assays using different stress triggers. The changes observed in the expression profile of dopaminergic neuronal cells following reduction of SNCA expression warrant studies to investigate the role of signaling cascades in familial and idiopathic PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Häbig
- Department of Medical Genetics, Institute of Human Genetics, University of Tübingen, Germany
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43
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Zhang YJ, Dai Q, Wu SM, Zhu HY, Shen GF, Li EL, Xiao SD. Susceptibility for NSAIDs-induced apoptosis correlates to p53 gene status in gastric cancer cells. Cancer Invest 2008; 26:868-77. [PMID: 18798056 DOI: 10.1080/07357900801944872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The anti-tumor effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) remains unclear. Here, we found that the susceptibility for NSAIDs-induced apoptosis might correlate with the status of the p53 gene in gastric cancer cells. Apoptosis in gastric cancer cells expressing wild-type p53 is induced through up-regulation of bax and down-regulation of bcl-2 and that regulation of the bax-bcl-2 heterodimer may be a major target of NSAIDs. As to gastric cancer cells expressing mutant-type p53, other key factors may exist in the NSAIDs' growth inhibition action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Jie Zhang
- Digestive Department of the No. 3 People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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The BH3-only mimetic ABT-737 synergizes the antineoplastic activity of proteasome inhibitors in lymphoid malignancies. Blood 2008; 112:2906-16. [PMID: 18591385 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2007-12-130781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Overexpression of antiapoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family is observed in approximately 80% of B-cell lymphomas, contributing to intrinsic and acquired drug resistance. Nullifying the antiapoptotic influence of these proteins can potentially overcome this resistance, and may complement conventional chemotherapy. ABT-737 is a BH3-only mimetic and potent inhibitor of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members Bcl-2, Bcl-X(L), and Bcl-w. In vitro, ABT-737 exhibited concentration-dependent cytotoxicity against a broad panel of lymphoma cell lines including mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). ABT-737 showed synergism when combined with the proteasome inhibitors bortezomib or carfilzomib in select lymphoma cell lines and induced potent mitochondrial membrane depolarization and apoptosis when combined with either. ABT-737 plus bortezomib also induced significant apoptosis in primary samples of MCL, DLBCL, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) but no significant cytotoxic effect was observed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors. In severe combined immunodeficient beige mouse models of MCL, the addition of ABT-737 to bortezomib enhanced efficacy compared with either drug alone and with the control. Collectively, these data suggest that ABT-737 alone or in combination with a proteasome inhibitor represents a novel and potentially important platform for the treatment of B-cell malignancies.
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45
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Chatterjee S, Kundu S, Bhattacharyya A. Mechanism of cadmium induced apoptosis in the immunocyte. Toxicol Lett 2008; 177:83-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2007.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2007] [Revised: 12/01/2007] [Accepted: 12/04/2007] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Targeting Bcl-2 family members with the BH3 mimetic AT-101 markedly enhances the therapeutic effects of chemotherapeutic agents in in vitro and in vivo models of B-cell lymphoma. Blood 2008; 111:5350-8. [PMID: 18292288 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2007-12-129833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Overexpression of antiapoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family are observed in approximately 80% of B-cell lymphomas, contributing to intrinsic and acquired drug resistance. Nullifying antiapoptotic function can potentially overcome this in-trinsic and acquired drug resistance. AT-101 is a BH3 mimetic known to be a potent inhibitor of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members including Bcl-2, Bcl-X(L), and Mcl-1. In vitro, AT-101 exhibits concentration- and time-dependent cytotoxicity against lymphoma and multiple myeloma cell lines, enhancing the activity of cytotoxic agents. The IC(50) for AT-101 is between 1 and 10 microM for a diverse panel of B-cell lymphomas. AT-101 was synergistic with carfilzomib (C), etoposide (E), doxorubicin (D), and 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide (4-HC) in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) lines. In a transformed large B-cell lymphoma line (RL), AT-101 was synergistic when sequentially combined with 4-HC, but not when both drugs were added simultaneously. AT-101 also induced potent mitochondrial membrane depolarization (Delta Psi m) and apoptosis when combined with carfilzomib, but not with bortezomib in MCL. In severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) beige mouse models of drug-resistant B-cell lymphoma, 35 mg/kg per day of AT-101 was safe and efficacious. The addition of AT-101 to cyclophosphamide (Cy) and rituximab (R) in a schedule-dependent manner enhanced the efficacy of the conventional therapy.
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Tan TT, White E. Therapeutic Targeting of Death Pathways in Cancer: Mechanisms for Activating Cell Death in Cancer Cells. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2008; 615:81-104. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4020-6554-5_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Targeting antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members with cell-permeable BH3 peptides induces apoptosis signaling and death in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells. Neoplasia 2007; 9:801-11. [PMID: 17971900 DOI: 10.1593/neo.07394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2007] [Revised: 08/17/2007] [Accepted: 08/20/2007] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are frequently characterized by chemotherapy and radiation resistance, and by overexpression of Bcl-XL, an antiapoptotic member of the Bcl-2 protein family. In this report we examined whether cell-permeable peptides derived from the BH3 domains of proapoptotic Bax, Bad, or Bak could be used to target Bcl-XL and/or Bcl-2 in HNSCC cells, and induce apoptotic death in these cells. To render the peptides cell permeable, Antennapedia (Ant) or polyarginine (R8) peptide transduction domains were fused to the amino termini. Fluorescence microscopy of peptide-treated HNSCC cells revealed that the BH3 peptides colocalized with mitochondria, the site of Bcl-XL and Bcl-2 expression. By contrast, a mutant peptide (BaxE BH3) which cannot bind Bcl-XL or Bcl-2 was diffusely localized throughout the cytoplasm. Treatment of three HNSCC cell lines (1483, UM-22A, UM-22B) with the wild-type BH3 peptides resulted in loss of viability and induction of apoptosis, as assessed by MTS assays and annexin V staining. In general, Ant-conjugated peptides were more potent than R8-conjugated peptides, and Bad BH3 peptide was typically more potent than Bax BH3 or Bak BH3. Treatment of purified HNSCC mitochondria with BH3 peptides resulted in robust release of cytochrome c. Thus, the relative apoptosis resistance of HNSCC cells is not due to a deficit in this step of the intrinsic, mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis pathway. We conclude that cell-permeable BH3 peptides can be used to target Bcl-XL and/or Bcl-2 in HNSCC, and targeting of these proteins may have therapeutic value in the treatment of this disease.
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Mitsiades CS, Hayden P, Kotoula V, McMillin DW, McMullan C, Negri J, Delmore JE, Poulaki V, Mitsiades N. Bcl-2 overexpression in thyroid carcinoma cells increases sensitivity to Bcl-2 homology 3 domain inhibition. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2007; 92:4845-52. [PMID: 17848408 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2007-0942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT The Bcl-2 family of proteins regulates apoptosis in various models and may represent a promising therapeutic target in human malignancies. OBJECTIVE/METHODS We evaluated the sensitivity of thyroid carcinoma cell lines (two papillary, one follicular, two anaplastic, three medullary) in vitro to BH3I-1 and BH3I-2', two cell-permeable inhibitors of the Bcl-2 homology (BH)-3 domain-mediated interaction between proapoptotic and antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members. The thyroid carcinoma cell line FRO was stably transfected with cDNA for Bcl-2 or constitutively active Akt and evaluated for sensitivity to BH3-domain inhibition. RESULTS BH3-domain inhibition disrupted the mitochondrial membrane potential in thyroid carcinoma cells, induced caspase-dependent apoptosis, and potently sensitized them to sublethal concentrations of doxorubicin and the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (Velcade). Overexpression of constitutively active Akt suppressed BH3I-1-induced cell death. Bcl-2-overexpressing FRO cells were more resistant to conventional chemotherapeutic agents (such as doxorubicin) but significantly more sensitive to BH3I-1 than control cells and were found to overexpress caspase-9, caspase-8, Bmf, Bok, and Bik transcripts and express less A1, BRaf, and FLIP transcripts. CONCLUSIONS Bcl-2 expression protects thyroid carcinomas against chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. Nevertheless, overexpression of Bcl-2 may result in "oncogene addiction" of the cancer cell, which can be exploited by using BH3-domain inhibitors alone or in combination with other agents, including conventional chemotherapeutics (such as doxorubicin) or novel targeted therapies (such as the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib), for the treatment of aggressive thyroid cancer, including the medullary and anaplastic types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantine S Mitsiades
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Mayer Building, Room M555, 44 Binney Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
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BH3 mimetics to improve cancer therapy; mechanisms and examples. Drug Resist Updat 2007; 10:207-17. [PMID: 17921043 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2007.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2007] [Revised: 08/27/2007] [Accepted: 08/29/2007] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Tumor cell survival is highly dependent on the expression of certain pro-survival Bcl-2 family proteins. An attractive therapeutic approach is to inhibit these proteins using agents that mimic the Bcl-2 homology 3 (BH3) domains of the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members, which neutralize these proteins by binding to their surface hydrophobic grooves. A number of BH3 mimetic peptides and small molecules have been described, a few of which have advanced into clinical trials. Recent studies have highlighted ABT-737, a bona fide BH3 mimetic and potent inhibitor of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members, as a promising anticancer agent. This review summarizes recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of action of BH3 domains and several classes of BH3 mimetics, as well as the prospects of using these agents to improve cancer therapy.
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