1
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Aseeri M, Abad JL, Delgado A, Fabriàs G, Triola G, Casas J. High-throughput discovery of novel small-molecule inhibitors of acid Ceramidase. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2023; 38:343-348. [PMID: 36519337 PMCID: PMC9762759 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2022.2150183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ceramide has a key role in the regulation of cellular senescence and apoptosis. As Ceramide levels are lowered by the action of acid ceramidase (AC), abnormally expressed in various cancers, the identification of AC inhibitors has attracted increasing interest. However, this finding has been mainly hampered by the lack of formats suitable for the screening of large libraries. We have overcome this drawback by adapting a fluorogenic assay to a 384-well plate format. The performance of this optimised platform has been proven by the screening a library of 4100 compounds. Our results show that the miniaturised platform is well suited for screening purposes and it led to the identification of several hits, that belong to different chemical classes and display potency ranges of 2-25 µM. The inhibitors also show selectivity over neutral ceramidase and retain activity in cells and can therefore serve as a basis for further chemical optimisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mazen Aseeri
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Luis Abad
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Delgado
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain,Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Medicinal Chemistry, Unit of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (Associated Unit to CSIC), Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gemma Fabriàs
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain,Liver and Digestive Diseases Networking Biomedical Research Centre (CIBEREHD), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gemma Triola
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain,CONTACT Gemma Triola
| | - Josefina Casas
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain,Liver and Digestive Diseases Networking Biomedical Research Centre (CIBEREHD), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain,Josefina Casas Department of Biological Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18, Barcelona, 08034, Spain
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2
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Afrin F, Mateen S, Oman J, Lai JCK, Barrott JJ, Pashikanti S. Natural Products and Small Molecules Targeting Cellular Ceramide Metabolism to Enhance Apoptosis in Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4645. [PMID: 37760612 PMCID: PMC10527029 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15184645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular targeting strategies have been used for years in order to control cancer progression and are often based on targeting various enzymes involved in metabolic pathways. Keeping this in mind, it is essential to determine the role of each enzyme in a particular metabolic pathway. In this review, we provide in-depth information on various enzymes such as ceramidase, sphingosine kinase, sphingomyelin synthase, dihydroceramide desaturase, and ceramide synthase which are associated with various types of cancers. We also discuss the physicochemical properties of well-studied inhibitors with natural product origins and their related structures in terms of these enzymes. Targeting ceramide metabolism exhibited promising mono- and combination therapies at preclinical stages in preventing cancer progression and cemented the significance of sphingolipid metabolism in cancer treatments. Targeting ceramide-metabolizing enzymes will help medicinal chemists design potent and selective small molecules for treating cancer progression at various levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farjana Afrin
- Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kasiska Division of Health Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209, USA; (F.A.); (S.M.); (J.O.); (J.C.K.L.)
| | - Sameena Mateen
- Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kasiska Division of Health Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209, USA; (F.A.); (S.M.); (J.O.); (J.C.K.L.)
| | - Jordan Oman
- Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kasiska Division of Health Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209, USA; (F.A.); (S.M.); (J.O.); (J.C.K.L.)
| | - James C. K. Lai
- Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kasiska Division of Health Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209, USA; (F.A.); (S.M.); (J.O.); (J.C.K.L.)
| | - Jared J. Barrott
- Cell Biology and Physiology, College of Life Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA;
| | - Srinath Pashikanti
- Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kasiska Division of Health Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209, USA; (F.A.); (S.M.); (J.O.); (J.C.K.L.)
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3
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Alizadeh J, da Silva Rosa SC, Weng X, Jacobs J, Lorzadeh S, Ravandi A, Vitorino R, Pecic S, Zivkovic A, Stark H, Shojaei S, Ghavami S. Ceramides and ceramide synthases in cancer: Focus on apoptosis and autophagy. Eur J Cell Biol 2023; 102:151337. [PMID: 37392580 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2023.151337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Different studies corroborate a role for ceramide synthases and their downstream products, ceramides, in modulation of apoptosis and autophagy in the context of cancer. These mechanisms of regulation, however, appear to be context dependent in terms of ceramides' fatty acid chain length, subcellular localization, and the presence or absence of their downstream targets. Our current understanding of the role of ceramide synthases and ceramides in regulation of apoptosis and autophagy could be harnessed to pioneer the development of new treatments to activate or inhibit a single type of ceramide synthase, thereby regulating the apoptosis induction or cross talk of apoptosis and autophagy in cancer cells. Moreover, the apoptotic function of ceramide suggests that ceramide analogues can pave the way for the development of novel cancer treatments. Therefore, in the current review paper we discuss the impact of ceramide synthases and ceramides in regulation of apoptosis and autophagy in context of different types of cancers. We also briefly introduce the latest information on ceramide synthase inhibitors, their application in diseases including cancer therapy, and discuss approaches for drug discovery in the field of ceramide synthase inhibitors. We finally discussed strategies for developing strategies to use lipids and ceramides analysis in biological fluids for developing early biomarkers for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Alizadeh
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Simone C da Silva Rosa
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Xiaohui Weng
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, California State University, Fullerton, 800 N. State College, Fullerton, CA 92834, United States
| | - Joadi Jacobs
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Shahrokh Lorzadeh
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Amir Ravandi
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, 66 Chancellors Cir, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Rui Vitorino
- UnIC, Department of Surgery and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal; Department of Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine iBiMED, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Stevan Pecic
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, California State University, Fullerton, 800 N. State College, Fullerton, CA 92834, United States
| | - Aleksandra Zivkovic
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitaetstrasse 1, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Holger Stark
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitaetstrasse 1, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Shahla Shojaei
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Saeid Ghavami
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada; Faculty of Medicine in Zabrze, University of Technology in Katowice, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland; Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, Cancer Care Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
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4
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Setia A, Sahu RK, Ray S, Widyowati R, Ekasari W, Saraf S. Advances in Hybrid Vesicular-based Drug Delivery Systems: Improved Biocompatibility, Targeting, Therapeutic Efficacy and Pharmacokinetics of Anticancer Drugs. Curr Drug Metab 2022; 23:757-780. [PMID: 35761494 DOI: 10.2174/1389200223666220627110049] [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: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Anticancer drugs and diagnostics can be transported in nanoscale vesicles that provide a flexible platform. A hybrid nanoparticle, a nano assembly made up of many types of nanostructures, has the greatest potential to perform these two activities simultaneously. Nanomedicine has shown the promise of vesicular carriers based on lipopolymersomes, lipid peptides, and metallic hybrid nano-vesicle systems. However, there are significant limitations that hinder the clinical implementation of these systems at the commercial scale, such as low productivity, high energy consumption, expensive setup, long process durations, and the current cancer therapies described in this article. Combinatorial hybrid systems can be used to reduce the above limitations. A greater therapeutic index and improved clinical results are possible with hybrid nanovesicular systems, which integrate the benefits of many carriers into a single structure. Due to their unique properties, cell-based drug delivery systems have shown tremendous benefits in the treatment of cancer. Nanoparticles (NPs) can benefit significantly from the properties of erythrocytes and platelets, which are part of the circulatory cells and circulate for a long time. Due to their unique physicochemical properties, nanomaterials play an essential role in cell-based drug delivery. Combining the advantages of different nanomaterials and cell types gives the resulting delivery systems a wide range of desirable properties. NPs are nextgeneration core-shell nanostructures that combine a lipid shell with a polymer core. The fabrication of lipid-polymer hybrid NPs has recently undergone a fundamental shift, moving from a two-step to a one-step technique based on the joint self-assembly of polymers and lipids. Oncologists are particularly interested in this method as a combinatorial drug delivery platform because of its two-in-one structure. This article addresses various preparative methods for the preparation of hybrid nano-vesicular systems. It also discusses the cellular mechanism of hybrid nano-vesicular systems and describes the thorough knowledge of various hybrid vesicular systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aseem Setia
- Department of Pharmacy, Shri Rawatpura Sarkar University, Raipur, (C.G) - 492015, India
| | - Ram Kumar Sahu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Assam University (A Central University), Silchar-788011, Assam, India
| | - Supratim Ray
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Assam University (A Central University), Silchar-788011, Assam, India
| | - Retno Widyowati
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, 60115, Indonesia
| | - Wiwied Ekasari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, 60115, Indonesia
| | - Swarnlata Saraf
- Institute of Pharmacy, Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur 492010, Chhattisgarh, India
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5
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Janneh AH, Ogretmen B. Targeting Sphingolipid Metabolism as a Therapeutic Strategy in Cancer Treatment. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:2183. [PMID: 35565311 PMCID: PMC9104917 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Sphingolipids are bioactive molecules that have key roles in regulating tumor cell death and survival through, in part, the functional roles of ceramide accumulation and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) production, respectively. Mechanistic studies using cell lines, mouse models, or human tumors have revealed crucial roles of sphingolipid metabolic signaling in regulating tumor progression in response to anticancer therapy. Specifically, studies to understand ceramide and S1P production pathways with their downstream targets have provided novel therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment. In this review, we present recent evidence of the critical roles of sphingolipids and their metabolic enzymes in regulating tumor progression via mechanisms involving cell death or survival. The roles of S1P in enabling tumor growth/metastasis and conferring cancer resistance to existing therapeutics are also highlighted. Additionally, using the publicly available transcriptomic database, we assess the prognostic values of key sphingolipid enzymes on the overall survival of patients with different malignancies and present studies that highlight their clinical implications for anticancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Besim Ogretmen
- Hollings Cancer Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA;
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6
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Li S, Kim HE. Implications of Sphingolipids on Aging and Age-Related Diseases. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2022; 2:797320. [PMID: 35822041 PMCID: PMC9261390 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2021.797320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Aging is a process leading to a progressive loss of physiological integrity and homeostasis, and a primary risk factor for many late-onset chronic diseases. The mechanisms underlying aging have long piqued the curiosity of scientists. However, the idea that aging is a biological process susceptible to genetic manipulation was not well established until the discovery that the inhibition of insulin/IGF-1 signaling extended the lifespan of C. elegans. Although aging is a complex multisystem process, López-Otín et al. described aging in reference to nine hallmarks of aging. These nine hallmarks include: genomic instability, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, loss of proteostasis, deregulated nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion, and altered intercellular communication. Due to recent advances in lipidomic, investigation into the role of lipids in biological aging has intensified, particularly the role of sphingolipids (SL). SLs are a diverse group of lipids originating from the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) and can be modified to create a vastly diverse group of bioactive metabolites that regulate almost every major cellular process, including cell cycle regulation, senescence, proliferation, and apoptosis. Although SL biology reaches all nine hallmarks of aging, its contribution to each hallmark is disproportionate. In this review, we will discuss in detail the major contributions of SLs to the hallmarks of aging and age-related diseases while also summarizing the importance of their other minor but integral contributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengxin Li
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX, United States
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Hyun-Eui Kim
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX, United States
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
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7
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Bataller M, Sánchez-García A, Garcia-Mayea Y, Mir C, Rodriguez I, LLeonart ME. The Role of Sphingolipids Metabolism in Cancer Drug Resistance. Front Oncol 2022; 11:807636. [PMID: 35004331 PMCID: PMC8733468 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.807636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance continues to be one of the major challenges to cure cancer. As research in this field evolves, it has been proposed that numerous bioactive molecules might be involved in the resistance of cancer cells to certain chemotherapeutics. One well-known group of lipids that play a major role in drug resistance are the sphingolipids. Sphingolipids are essential components of the lipid raft domains of the plasma membrane and this structural function is important for apoptosis and/or cell proliferation. Dysregulation of sphingolipids, including ceramide, sphingomyelin or sphingosine 1-phosphate, has been linked to drug resistance in different types of cancer, including breast, melanoma or colon cancer. Sphingolipid metabolism is complex, involving several lipid catabolism with the participation of key enzymes such as glucosylceramide synthase (GCS) and sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1). With an overview of the latest available data on this topic and its implications in cancer therapy, this review focuses on the main enzymes implicated in sphingolipids metabolism and their intermediate metabolites involved in cancer drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Bataller
- Biomedical Research in Cancer Stem Cells Group, Vall d´Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Almudena Sánchez-García
- Biomedical Research in Cancer Stem Cells Group, Vall d´Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yoelsis Garcia-Mayea
- Biomedical Research in Cancer Stem Cells Group, Vall d´Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Mir
- Biomedical Research in Cancer Stem Cells Group, Vall d´Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Isabel Rodriguez
- Assistant Director of Nursing, Nursing Management Service Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Matilde Esther LLeonart
- Biomedical Research in Cancer Stem Cells Group, Vall d´Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain.,Spanish Biomedical Research Network Centre in Oncology, CIBERONC, Madrid, Spain
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8
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Fu Y, Zou T, Shen X, Nelson PJ, Li J, Wu C, Yang J, Zheng Y, Bruns C, Zhao Y, Qin L, Dong Q. Lipid metabolism in cancer progression and therapeutic strategies. MedComm (Beijing) 2021; 2:27-59. [PMID: 34766135 PMCID: PMC8491217 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulated lipid metabolism represents an important metabolic alteration in cancer. Fatty acids, cholesterol, and phospholipid are the three most prevalent lipids that act as energy producers, signaling molecules, and source material for the biogenesis of cell membranes. The enhanced synthesis, storage, and uptake of lipids contribute to cancer progression. The rewiring of lipid metabolism in cancer has been linked to the activation of oncogenic signaling pathways and cross talk with the tumor microenvironment. The resulting activity favors the survival and proliferation of tumor cells in the harsh conditions within the tumor. Lipid metabolism also plays a vital role in tumor immunogenicity via effects on the function of the noncancer cells within the tumor microenvironment, especially immune‐associated cells. Targeting altered lipid metabolism pathways has shown potential as a promising anticancer therapy. Here, we review recent evidence implicating the contribution of lipid metabolic reprogramming in cancer to cancer progression, and discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying lipid metabolism rewiring in cancer, and potential therapeutic strategies directed toward lipid metabolism in cancer. This review sheds new light to fully understanding of the role of lipid metabolic reprogramming in the context of cancer and provides valuable clues on therapeutic strategies targeting lipid metabolism in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Fu
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital & Cancer Metastasis Institute & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences Fudan University Shanghai China
| | - Tiantian Zou
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital & Cancer Metastasis Institute & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences Fudan University Shanghai China
| | - Xiaotian Shen
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital & Cancer Metastasis Institute & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences Fudan University Shanghai China
| | - Peter J Nelson
- Medical Clinic and Policlinic IV Ludwig-Maximilian-University (LMU) Munich Germany
| | - Jiahui Li
- General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery University Hospital of Cologne Cologne Germany
| | - Chao Wu
- Department of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
| | - Jimeng Yang
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital & Cancer Metastasis Institute & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences Fudan University Shanghai China
| | - Yan Zheng
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital & Cancer Metastasis Institute & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences Fudan University Shanghai China
| | - Christiane Bruns
- General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery University Hospital of Cologne Cologne Germany
| | - Yue Zhao
- General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery University Hospital of Cologne Cologne Germany
| | - Lunxiu Qin
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital & Cancer Metastasis Institute & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences Fudan University Shanghai China
| | - Qiongzhu Dong
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital & Cancer Metastasis Institute & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences Fudan University Shanghai China
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9
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Taniai T, Shirai Y, Shimada Y, Hamura R, Yanagaki M, Takada N, Horiuchi T, Haruki K, Furukawa K, Uwagawa T, Tsuboi K, Okamoto Y, Shimada S, Tanaka S, Ohashi T, Ikegami T. Inhibition of acid ceramidase elicits mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in pancreatic cancer cells. Cancer Sci 2021; 112:4570-4579. [PMID: 34459070 PMCID: PMC8586682 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the inhibition of acid ceramidase (AC) is known to induce antitumor effects in various cancers, there are few reports in pancreatic cancer, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Moreover, there is currently no safe administration method of AC inhibitor. Here the effects of gene therapy using siRNA and shRNA for AC inhibition with its mechanisms for pancreatic cancer were investigated. The inhibition of AC by siRNA and shRNA using an adeno-associated virus 8 (AAV8) vector had antiproliferative effects by inducing apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells and xenograft mouse model. Acid ceramidase inhibition elicits mitochondrial dysfunction, reactive oxygen species accumulation, and manganese superoxide dismutase suppression, resulting in apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells accompanied by ceramide accumulation. These results elucidated the mechanisms underlying the antitumor effect of AC inhibition in pancreatic cancer cells and suggest the potential of the AAV8 vector to inhibit AC as a therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiko Taniai
- Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Gene Therapy, Research Center for Medical Science, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Shirai
- Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Gene Therapy, Research Center for Medical Science, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yohta Shimada
- Division of Gene Therapy, Research Center for Medical Science, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryoga Hamura
- Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Gene Therapy, Research Center for Medical Science, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Yanagaki
- Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Gene Therapy, Research Center for Medical Science, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoki Takada
- Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Gene Therapy, Research Center for Medical Science, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Horiuchi
- Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Gene Therapy, Research Center for Medical Science, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koichiro Haruki
- Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Gene Therapy, Research Center for Medical Science, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenei Furukawa
- Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Gene Therapy, Research Center for Medical Science, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tadashi Uwagawa
- Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuhito Tsuboi
- Department of Pharmacology, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan
| | - Yasuo Okamoto
- Department of Pharmacology, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan
| | - Shu Shimada
- Department of Molecular Oncology Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinji Tanaka
- Department of Molecular Oncology Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toya Ohashi
- Division of Gene Therapy, Research Center for Medical Science, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toru Ikegami
- Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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10
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Acid ceramidase controls apoptosis and increases autophagy in human melanoma cells treated with doxorubicin. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11221. [PMID: 34045496 PMCID: PMC8159975 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90219-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Acid ceramidase (AC) is a lysosomal hydrolase encoded by the ASAH1 gene, which cleaves ceramides into sphingosine and fatty acid. AC is expressed at high levels in most human melanoma cell lines and may confer resistance against chemotherapeutic agents. One such agent, doxorubicin, was shown to increase ceramide levels in melanoma cells. Ceramides contribute to the regulation of autophagy and apoptosis. Here we investigated the impact of AC ablation via CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing on the response of A375 melanoma cells to doxorubicin. We found that doxorubicin activates the autophagic response in wild-type A375 cells, which effectively resist apoptotic cell death. In striking contrast, doxorubicin fails to stimulate autophagy in A375 AC-null cells, which rapidly undergo apoptosis when exposed to the drug. The present work highlights changes that affect melanoma cells during incubation with doxorubicin, in A375 melanoma cells lacking AC. We found that the remarkable reduction in recovery rate after doxorubicin treatment is strictly associated with the impairment of autophagy, that forces the AC-inhibited cells into apoptotic path.
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11
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Ablation of Acid Ceramidase Impairs Autophagy and Mitochondria Activity in Melanoma Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22063247. [PMID: 33806766 PMCID: PMC8004726 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22063247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous melanoma is often resistant to therapy due to its high plasticity, as well as its ability to metabolise chemotherapeutic drugs. Sphingolipid signalling plays a pivotal role in its progression and metastasis. One of the ways melanoma alters sphingolipid rheostat is via over-expression of lysosomal acid ceramidase (AC), which catalyses the hydrolysis of pro-apoptotic long-chain ceramides into sphingosine and fatty acid. In this report, we examine the role of acid ceramidase in maintaining cellular homeostasis through the regulation of autophagy and mitochondrial activity in melanoma cell lines. We show that under baseline conditions, wild-type melanoma cells had 3-fold higher levels of the autophagy marker, microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3B (LC3 II), compared to AC-null cells. This difference was further magnified after cell starvation. Moreover, we noticed autophagy impairment in A375 AC-null cells, possibly due to local accumulation of non-metabolized ceramides. Nonetheless, we observed that AC-null cells exhibited a significant increase in mitochondrial membrane potential compared to control cells. Consistent with this observation, we found that, after total starvation, ~30% of AC-null cells undergo apoptosis compared to ~6% of wild-type cells. As expected, AC transfection restored viability in A375 AC-null cells. Together, these findings suggest that AC-null melanoma cells change and adapt their metabolism to survive in the absence of AC, although in a way that does not allow them to cope with the stress of nutrient deprivation.
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12
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Vethakanraj HS, Chandrasekaran N, Sekar AK. Acid ceramidase, a double-edged sword in cancer aggression: A minireview. Curr Cancer Drug Targets 2020; 21:CCDT-EPUB-112652. [PMID: 33357194 DOI: 10.2174/1568009620666201223154621] [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: 08/09/2020] [Revised: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Acid ceramidase (AC), the key enzyme of the ceramide metabolic pathway hydrolyzes pro-apoptotic ceramide to sphingosine, which by the action of sphingosine-1-kinase is metabolized to mitogenic sphingosine-1-phosphate. The intracellular level of AC determines ceramide/sphingosine-1-phosphate rheostat which in turn decides the cell fate. The upregulated AC expression during cancerous condition acts as a "double-edged sword" by converting pro-apoptotic ceramide to anti-apoptotic sphingosine-1-phosphate, wherein on one end, the level of ceramide is decreased and on the other end, the level of sphingosine-1-phosphate is increased, thus altogether aggravating the cancer progression. In addition, cancer cells with upregulated AC expression exhibited increased cell proliferation, metastasis, chemoresistance, radioresistance and numerous strategies were developed in the past to effectively target the enzyme. Gene silencing and pharmacological inhibition of AC sensitized the resistant cells to chemo/radiotherapy thereby promoting cell death. The core objective of this review is to explore AC mediated tumour progression and the potential role of AC inhibitors in various cancer cell lines/models.
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13
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Clifford RE, Govindarajah N, Bowden D, Sutton P, Glenn M, Darvish-Damavandi M, Buczacki S, McDermott U, Szulc Z, Ogretmen B, Parsons JL, Vimalachandran D. Targeting Acid Ceramidase to Improve the Radiosensitivity of Rectal Cancer. Cells 2020; 9:E2693. [PMID: 33334013 PMCID: PMC7765421 DOI: 10.3390/cells9122693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous work utilizing proteomic and immunohistochemical analyses has identified that high levels of acid ceramidase (AC) expression confers a poorer response to neoadjuvant treatment in locally advanced rectal cancer. We aimed to assess the radiosensitising effect of biological and pharmacological manipulation of AC and elucidate the underlying mechanism. AC manipulation in three colorectal cancer cell lines (HT29, HCT116 and LIM1215) was achieved using siRNA and plasmid overexpression. Carmofur and a novel small molecular inhibitor (LCL521) were used as pharmacological AC inhibitors. Using clonogenic assays, we demonstrate that an siRNA knockdown of AC enhanced X-ray radiosensitivity across all colorectal cancer cell lines compared to a non-targeting control siRNA, and conversely, AC protein overexpression increased radioresistance. Using CRISPR gene editing, we also generated AC knockout HCT116 cells that were significantly more radiosensitive compared to AC-expressing cells. Similarly, two patient-derived organoid models containing relatively low AC expression were found to be comparatively more radiosensitive than three other models containing higher levels of AC. Additionally, AC inhibition using carmofur and LCL521 in three colorectal cancer cell lines increased cellular radiosensitivity. Decreased AC protein led to significant poly-ADP ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1) cleavage and apoptosis post-irradiation, which was shown to be executed through a p53-dependent process. Our study demonstrates that expression of AC within colorectal cancer cell lines modulates the cellular response to radiation, and particularly that AC inhibition leads to significantly enhanced radiosensitivity through an elevation in apoptosis. This work further solidifies AC as a target for improving radiotherapy treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael E. Clifford
- Cancer Research Centre, Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, 200 London Road, Liverpool L3 9TA, UK; (N.G.); (D.B.); (P.S.); (M.G.); (J.L.P.)
| | - Naren Govindarajah
- Cancer Research Centre, Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, 200 London Road, Liverpool L3 9TA, UK; (N.G.); (D.B.); (P.S.); (M.G.); (J.L.P.)
| | - David Bowden
- Cancer Research Centre, Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, 200 London Road, Liverpool L3 9TA, UK; (N.G.); (D.B.); (P.S.); (M.G.); (J.L.P.)
| | - Paul Sutton
- Cancer Research Centre, Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, 200 London Road, Liverpool L3 9TA, UK; (N.G.); (D.B.); (P.S.); (M.G.); (J.L.P.)
| | - Mark Glenn
- Cancer Research Centre, Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, 200 London Road, Liverpool L3 9TA, UK; (N.G.); (D.B.); (P.S.); (M.G.); (J.L.P.)
| | - Mahnaz Darvish-Damavandi
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (M.D.-D.); (S.B.)
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Simon Buczacki
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (M.D.-D.); (S.B.)
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | | | - Zdzislaw Szulc
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (Z.S.); (B.O.)
| | - Besim Ogretmen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (Z.S.); (B.O.)
| | - Jason L. Parsons
- Cancer Research Centre, Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, 200 London Road, Liverpool L3 9TA, UK; (N.G.); (D.B.); (P.S.); (M.G.); (J.L.P.)
- Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Clatterbridge Road, Bebington CH63 4JY, UK
| | - Dale Vimalachandran
- Cancer Research Centre, Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, 200 London Road, Liverpool L3 9TA, UK; (N.G.); (D.B.); (P.S.); (M.G.); (J.L.P.)
- The Countess of Chester Hospital, Liverpool Road, Chester CH2 1UL, UK
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Caputo S, Di Martino S, Cilibrasi V, Tardia P, Mazzonna M, Russo D, Penna I, Summa M, Bertozzi SM, Realini N, Margaroli N, Migliore M, Ottonello G, Liu M, Lansbury P, Armirotti A, Bertorelli R, Ray SS, Skerlj R, Scarpelli R. Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of a Series of Oxazolone Carboxamides as a Novel Class of Acid Ceramidase Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2020; 63:15821-15851. [PMID: 33290061 PMCID: PMC7770833 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Acid
ceramidase (AC) is a cysteine hydrolase that plays a crucial
role in the metabolism of lysosomal ceramides, important members of
the sphingolipid family, a diversified class of bioactive molecules
that mediate many biological processes ranging from cell structural
integrity, signaling, and cell proliferation to cell death. In the
effort to expand the structural diversity of the existing collection
of AC inhibitors, a novel class of substituted oxazol-2-one-3-carboxamides
were designed and synthesized. Herein, we present the chemical optimization
of our initial hits, 2-oxo-4-phenyl-N-(4-phenylbutyl)oxazole-3-carboxamide 8a and 2-oxo-5-phenyl-N-(4-phenylbutyl)oxazole-3-carboxamide 12a, which resulted in the identification of 5-[4-fluoro-2-(1-methyl-4-piperidyl)phenyl]-2-oxo-N-pentyl-oxazole-3-carboxamide 32b as a potent
AC inhibitor with optimal physicochemical and metabolic properties,
showing target engagement in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells and
a desirable pharmacokinetic profile in mice, following intravenous
and oral administration. 32b enriches the arsenal of
promising lead compounds that may therefore act as useful pharmacological
tools for investigating the potential therapeutic effects of AC inhibition
in relevant sphingolipid-mediated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Caputo
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Drug Discovery and Development (D3)-Validation, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Simona Di Martino
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Drug Discovery and Development (D3)-Validation, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Cilibrasi
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Drug Discovery and Development (D3)-Validation, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Piero Tardia
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Drug Discovery and Development (D3)-Validation, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Marco Mazzonna
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Drug Discovery and Development (D3)-Validation, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Debora Russo
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,D3-Pharma Chemistry, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Ilaria Penna
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,D3-Pharma Chemistry, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Maria Summa
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Analytical Chemistry and Translational Pharmacology, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Sine Mandrup Bertozzi
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Analytical Chemistry and Translational Pharmacology, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Natalia Realini
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Drug Discovery and Development (D3)-Validation, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Natasha Margaroli
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Drug Discovery and Development (D3)-Validation, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Marco Migliore
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Drug Discovery and Development (D3)-Validation, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Giuliana Ottonello
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Analytical Chemistry and Translational Pharmacology, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Min Liu
- Lysosomal Therapeutics Inc., 19 Blackstone Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Peter Lansbury
- Lysosomal Therapeutics Inc., 19 Blackstone Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Andrea Armirotti
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Analytical Chemistry and Translational Pharmacology, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Rosalia Bertorelli
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Analytical Chemistry and Translational Pharmacology, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Soumya S Ray
- Lysosomal Therapeutics Inc., 19 Blackstone Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Renato Skerlj
- Lysosomal Therapeutics Inc., 19 Blackstone Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Rita Scarpelli
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Drug Discovery and Development (D3)-Validation, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
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15
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Hawkins CC, Ali T, Ramanadham S, Hjelmeland AB. Sphingolipid Metabolism in Glioblastoma and Metastatic Brain Tumors: A Review of Sphingomyelinases and Sphingosine-1-Phosphate. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E1357. [PMID: 32977496 PMCID: PMC7598277 DOI: 10.3390/biom10101357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is a primary malignant brain tumor with a dismal prognosis, partially due to our inability to completely remove and kill all GBM cells. Rapid tumor recurrence contributes to a median survival of only 15 months with the current standard of care which includes maximal surgical resection, radiation, and temozolomide (TMZ), a blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetrant chemotherapy. Radiation and TMZ cause sphingomyelinases (SMase) to hydrolyze sphingomyelins to generate ceramides, which induce apoptosis. However, cells can evade apoptosis by converting ceramides to sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). S1P has been implicated in a wide range of cancers including GBM. Upregulation of S1P has been linked to the proliferation and invasion of GBM and other cancers that display a propensity for brain metastasis. To mediate their biological effects, SMases and S1P modulate signaling via phospholipase C (PLC) and phospholipase D (PLD). In addition, both SMase and S1P may alter the integrity of the BBB leading to infiltration of tumor-promoting immune populations. SMase activity has been associated with tumor evasion of the immune system, while S1P creates a gradient for trafficking of innate and adaptive immune cells. This review will explore the role of sphingolipid metabolism and pharmacological interventions in GBM and metastatic brain tumors with a focus on SMase and S1P.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyntanna C. Hawkins
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Birmingham at Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA; (C.C.H.); (S.R.)
| | - Tomader Ali
- Research Department, Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 48338, UAE;
| | - Sasanka Ramanadham
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Birmingham at Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA; (C.C.H.); (S.R.)
- Comprehensive Diabetes Center, University of Birmingham at Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Anita B. Hjelmeland
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Birmingham at Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA; (C.C.H.); (S.R.)
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16
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Zhao D, Hajiaghamohseni LM, Liu X, Szulc ZM, Bai A, Bielawska A, Norris JS, Reddy SV, Hannun YA, Haque A. Inhibition of acid ceramidase regulates MHC class II antigen presentation and suppression of autoimmune arthritis. Cytokine 2020; 135:155219. [PMID: 32738771 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2020.155219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The bioactive sphingolipid ceramide affects immune responses although its effect on antigen (Ag) processing and delivery by HLA class II to CD4+T-cells remains unclear. Therefore, we examined the actions of a novel cell-permeable acid ceramidase (AC) inhibitor [(1R,2R) N myristoylamino-(4'-nitrophenyl)-propandiol-1,3] on antigen presentation and inflammatory cytokine production by Ag-presenting cells (APCs) such as B-cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells. We found that AC inhibition in APCs perturbed Ag-processing and presentation via HLA-DR4 (MHC class II) proteins as measured by coculture assay and T-cell production of IL-2. Mass spectral analyses showed that B13 treatment significantly raised levels of four types of ceramides in human B-cells. B13 treatment did not alter Ag internalization and class II protein expression, but significantly inhibited lysosomal cysteinyl cathepsins (B, S and L) and thiol-reductase (GILT), HLA class II Ag-processing, and generation of functional class II-peptide complexes. Ex vivo Ag presentation assays showed that inhibition of AC impaired primary and recall CD4+T-cell responses and cytokine production in response against type II collagen. Further, B13 delayed onset and reduced severity of inflamed joints and cytokine production in the collagen-induced arthritis mouse model in vivo. These findings suggest that inhibition of AC in APCs may dysregulate endolysosomal proteases and HLA class II-associated self-antigen presentation to CD4+T-cells, attenuating inflammatory cytokine production and suppressing host autoimmune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Zhao
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, United States; Darby Children's Research Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, United States; Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Laela M Hajiaghamohseni
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, United States; Darby Children's Research Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, United States; Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Xiang Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, United States; Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Zdzislaw M Szulc
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Aiping Bai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Alicja Bielawska
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - James S Norris
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, United States; Darby Children's Research Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, United States; Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Sakamuri V Reddy
- Darby Children's Research Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Yusuf A Hannun
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Azizul Haque
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, United States; Darby Children's Research Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, United States; Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, United States.
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17
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Inhibitors of Ceramide- and Sphingosine-Metabolizing Enzymes as Sensitizers in Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12082062. [PMID: 32722626 PMCID: PMC7463798 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In the treatment of advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), including oral SCC, radiotherapy is a commonly performed therapeutic modality. The combined use of radiotherapy with chemotherapy improves therapeutic effects, but it also increases adverse events. Ceramide, a central molecule in sphingolipid metabolism and signaling pathways, mediates antiproliferative responses, and its level increases in response to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, when ceramide is metabolized, prosurvival factors, such as sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P), and glucosylceramide, are produced, reducing the antitumor effects of ceramide. The activities of ceramide- and sphingosine-metabolizing enzymes are also associated with radio- and chemo-resistance. Ceramide analogs and low molecular-weight compounds targeting these enzymes exert anticancer effects. Synthetic ceramides and a therapeutic approach using ultrasound have also been developed. Inhibitors of ceramide- and sphingosine-metabolizing enzymes and synthetic ceramides can function as sensitizers of radiotherapy and chemotherapy for HNSCC.
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18
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Kroll A, Cho HE, Kang MH. Antineoplastic Agents Targeting Sphingolipid Pathways. Front Oncol 2020; 10:833. [PMID: 32528896 PMCID: PMC7256948 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging studies in the enigmatic area of bioactive lipids have made many exciting new discoveries in recent years. Once thought to play a strictly structural role in cellular function, it has since been determined that sphingolipids and their metabolites perform a vast variety of cellular functions beyond what was previously believed. Of utmost importance is their role in cellular signaling, for it is now well understood that select sphingolipids serve as bioactive molecules that play critical roles in both cancer cell death and survival, as well as other cellular responses such as chronic inflammation, protection from intestinal pathogens, and intrinsic protection from intestinal contents, each of which are associated with oncogenesis. Importantly, it has been demonstrated time and time again that many different tumors display dysregulation of sphingolipid metabolism, and the exact profile of said dysregulation has been proven to be useful in determining not only the presence of a tumor, but also the susceptibility to various chemotherapeutic drugs, as well as the metastasizing characteristics of the malignancies. Since these discoveries surfaced it has become apparent that the understanding of sphingolipid metabolism and profile will likely become of great importance in the clinic for both chemotherapy and diagnostics of cancer. The goal of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the current state of chemotherapeutic agents that target sphingolipid metabolism that are undergoing clinical trials. Additionally, we will formulate questions involving the use of sphingolipid metabolism as chemotherapeutic targets in need of further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Kroll
- School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Hwang Eui Cho
- Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Min H Kang
- Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States
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19
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Vijayan Y, Lankadasari MB, Harikumar KB. Acid Ceramidase: A Novel Therapeutic Target in Cancer. Curr Top Med Chem 2019; 19:1512-1520. [PMID: 30827244 DOI: 10.2174/1568026619666190227222930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Sphingolipids are important constituents of the eukaryotic cell membrane which govern various signaling pathways related to different aspects of cell survival. Ceramide and Sphingosine are interconvertible sphingolipid metabolites, out of which Ceramide is pro-apoptotic and sphingosine is anti-apoptotic in nature. The conversion of ceramide to sphingosine is mediated by Acid Ceramidase (ASAH1) thus maintaining a rheostat between a tumor suppressor and a tumor promoter. This rheostat is completely altered in many tumors leading to uncontrolled proliferation. This intriguing property of ASAH1 can be used by cancer cells to their advantage, by increasing the expression of the tumor promoter, sphingosine inside cells, thus creating a favorable environment for cancer growth. The different possibilities through which this enzyme serves its role in formation, progression and resistance of different types of cancers will lead to the possibility of making Acid Ceramidase a promising drug target. This review discusses the current understanding of the role of acid ceramidase in cancer progression, metastasis and resistance, strategies to develop novel natural and synthetic inhibitors of ASAH1 and their usefulness in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yadu Vijayan
- Cancer Research Program, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala State 695014, India.,Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, India
| | - Manendra Babu Lankadasari
- Cancer Research Program, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala State 695014, India.,Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, India
| | - Kuzhuvelil B Harikumar
- Cancer Research Program, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala State 695014, India
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20
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Montrose DC, Galluzzi L. Drugging cancer metabolism: Expectations vs. reality. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 347:1-26. [PMID: 31451211 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2019.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
As compared to their normal counterparts, neoplastic cells exhibit a variety of metabolic changes that reflect not only genetic and epigenetic defects underlying malignant transformation, but also the nutritional and immunobiological conditions of the tumor microenvironment. Such alterations, including the so-called Warburg effect (an increase in glucose uptake largely feeding anabolic and antioxidant metabolism), have attracted considerable attention as potential targets for the development of novel anticancer therapeutics. However, very few drugs specifically conceived to target bioenergetic cancer metabolism are currently approved by regulatory agencies for use in humans. This reflects the elevated degree of heterogeneity and redundancy in the metabolic circuitries exploited by neoplastic cells from different tumors (even of the same type), as well as the resemblance of such metabolic pathways to those employed by highly proliferating normal cells. Here, we summarize the major metabolic alterations that accompany oncogenesis, the potential of targeting bioenergetic metabolism for cancer therapy, and the obstacles that still prevent the clinical translation of such a promising therapeutic paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Montrose
- Department of Pathology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States.
| | - Lorenzo Galluzzi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States; Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States; Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Université Paris Descartes/Paris V, Paris, France.
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Lai M, La Rocca V, Amato R, Freer G, Pistello M. Sphingolipid/Ceramide Pathways and Autophagy in the Onset and Progression of Melanoma: Novel Therapeutic Targets and Opportunities. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20143436. [PMID: 31336922 PMCID: PMC6678284 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20143436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is a malignant tumor deriving from neoplastic transformation of melanocytes. The incidence of melanoma has increased dramatically over the last 50 years. It accounts for most cases of skin cancer deaths. Early diagnosis leads to remission in 90% of cases of melanoma; conversely, for melanoma at more advanced stages, prognosis becomes more unfavorable also because dvanced melanoma is often resistant to pharmacological and radiological therapies due to genetic plasticity, presence of cancer stem cells that regenerate the tumor, and efficient elimination of drugs. This review illustrates the role of autophagy in tumor progression and resistance to therapy, focusing on molecular targets for future drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Lai
- Retrovirus Center and Virology Section, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Veronica La Rocca
- Retrovirus Center and Virology Section, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Rachele Amato
- Retrovirus Center and Virology Section, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giulia Freer
- Retrovirus Center and Virology Section, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Mauro Pistello
- Retrovirus Center and Virology Section, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
- Virology Unit, Pisa University Hospital, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
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22
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Govindarajah N, Clifford R, Bowden D, Sutton PA, Parsons JL, Vimalachandran D. Sphingolipids and acid ceramidase as therapeutic targets in cancer therapy. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2019; 138:104-111. [PMID: 31092365 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2019.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sphingolipids have been shown to play a key part in cancer cell growth and death and have increasingly become the subject of novel anti-cancer therapies. Acid ceramidase, a sphingolipid enzyme, has an important role in the regulation of apoptosis. In this review we aim to assess the current evidence supporting the role of sphingolipids in cancer and the potential role that acid ceramidase may play in cancer treatment. METHODS A literature search was performed for published full text articles using the PubMed, Cochrane and Scopus databases using the search criteria string "acid ceramidase", "sphingolipid", "cancer". Additional papers were detected by scanning the references of relevant papers. A summary of the evidence for each cancer subgroup was then formed. Given the nature of the data extracted, no meta-analysis was performed. RESULTS Over expression of acid ceramidase has been demonstrated in a number of human cancers. In vitro data demonstrate that manipulation of acid ceramidase may present a useful therapeutic target. In the clinical setting, a number of drugs have been investigated with the ability to target acid ceramidase, with the most promising of those being small molecular inhibitors, such as LCL521. CONCLUSION The role of the sphingolipid pathway in cancer is becoming very clearly established by promoting ceramide accumulation in response to cancer or cellular stress. Acid ceramidase is over expressed in a variety of cancers and has a role as a potential target for inhibition by novel specific inhibitors or off-target effects of traditional anti-cancer agents. Further work is required to develop acid ceramidase inhibitors safe for progression to clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Govindarajah
- Institute of Translational Medicine, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Department of General Surgery, The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Chester, United Kingdom
| | - R Clifford
- Institute of Translational Medicine, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Department of General Surgery, The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Chester, United Kingdom
| | - D Bowden
- Institute of Translational Medicine, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Department of General Surgery, The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Chester, United Kingdom
| | - P A Sutton
- Institute of Translational Medicine, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Department of General Surgery, The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Chester, United Kingdom
| | - J L Parsons
- Institute of Translational Medicine, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - D Vimalachandran
- Institute of Translational Medicine, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Department of General Surgery, The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Chester, United Kingdom.
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23
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Acid ceramidase, an emerging target for anti-cancer and anti-angiogenesis. Arch Pharm Res 2019; 42:232-243. [DOI: 10.1007/s12272-019-01114-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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24
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Dementiev A, Joachimiak A, Nguyen H, Gorelik A, Illes K, Shabani S, Gelsomino M, Ahn EYE, Nagar B, Doan N. Molecular Mechanism of Inhibition of Acid Ceramidase by Carmofur. J Med Chem 2018; 62:987-992. [PMID: 30525581 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Human acid ceramidase (AC) is a lysosomal cysteine amidase, which has received a great deal of interest in recent years as a potential target for the development of new therapeutics against melanoma and glioblastoma tumors. Despite the strong interest in obtaining structural information, only the structures of the apo-AC enzyme in its zymogen and activated conformations are available. In this work, the crystal structure of AC in complex with the covalent carmofur inhibitor is presented. Carmofur is an antineoplastic drug containing an electrophilic carbonyl reactive group that targets the catalytic cysteine. This novel structural data explains the basis of the AC inhibition, provides insights into the enzymatic properties of the protein, and is a great aid toward the structure-based drug design of potent inhibitors for AC, providing the detailed mechanism, which has eluded the scientific community for more than 30 years, of carmofur's mysterious 5-fluorouracil-independent antitumor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey Dementiev
- Structural Biology Center, Biosciences Division , Argonne National Laboratory , Lemont , Illinois 60439 , United States
| | - Andrzej Joachimiak
- Structural Biology Center, Biosciences Division , Argonne National Laboratory , Lemont , Illinois 60439 , United States
| | - Ha Nguyen
- California Institute of Neuroscience , Thousand Oaks , California 91360 , United States.,National Skull Base Center , Thousand Oaks , California 91360 , United States
| | - Alexei Gorelik
- Department of Biochemistry and Groupe de Recherche Axé sur la Structure des Protéines , McGill University , Montreal , Quebec H3G 0B1 , Canada
| | - Katalin Illes
- Department of Biochemistry and Groupe de Recherche Axé sur la Structure des Protéines , McGill University , Montreal , Quebec H3G 0B1 , Canada
| | - Saman Shabani
- Department of Neurosurgery , Medical College of Wisconsin , Milwaukee , Wisconsin 53226 , United States
| | - Michael Gelsomino
- Department of Neurosurgery , Medical College of Wisconsin , Milwaukee , Wisconsin 53226 , United States
| | - Eun-Young Erin Ahn
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mitchell Cancer Institute , University of South Alabama , Mobile , Alabama 36617 United States
| | - Bhushan Nagar
- Department of Biochemistry and Groupe de Recherche Axé sur la Structure des Protéines , McGill University , Montreal , Quebec H3G 0B1 , Canada
| | - Ninh Doan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mitchell Cancer Institute , University of South Alabama , Mobile , Alabama 36617 United States
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25
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Bai A, Bielawska A, Rahmaniyan M, Kraveka JM, Bielawski J, Hannun YA. Dose dependent actions of LCL521 on acid ceramidase and key sphingolipid metabolites. Bioorg Med Chem 2018; 26:6067-6075. [PMID: 30448190 PMCID: PMC6323005 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2018.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The function of acid ceramidase (ACDase), whose congenital deficiency leads to Farber disease, has been recognized to be vital to tumor cell biology, and inhibition of its activity may be beneficial in cancer therapy. Therefore, manipulation of the activity of this enzyme may have significant effect, especially on cancer cells. LCL521, Di-DMG-B13, is a lysosomotropic inhibitor of ACDase. Here we define complexities in the actions of LCL521 on ACDase. Systematic studies in MCF7 cells showed dose and time divergent action of LCL521 on ACDase protein expression and sphingolipid levels. Low dose of LCL521 (1 µM) effectively inhibited ACDase in cells, but the effects were transient. A higher dose of LCL521 (10 µM) caused a profound decrease of sphingosine and increase of ceramide, but additionally affected the processing and regeneration of the ACDase protein, with biphasic and reversible effects on the expression of ACDase, which paralleled the long term changes of cellular sphingosine and ceramide. Finally, the higher concentrations of LCL521 also inhibited Dihydroceramide desaturase (DES-1). In summary, LCL521 exhibits significant effects on ACDase in a dose and time dependent manner, but dose range and treatment time need to be paid attention to specify its future exploration on ACDase targeted cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiping Bai
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave., Charleston, SC 294255, United States; Lipidomics Shared Resources, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave., Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Alicja Bielawska
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave., Charleston, SC 294255, United States; Lipidomics Shared Resources, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave., Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Mehrdad Rahmaniyan
- Department of Pediatrics-Hematology/Oncology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave., Charleston, SC 294255, United States
| | - Jacqueline M Kraveka
- Department of Pediatrics-Hematology/Oncology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave., Charleston, SC 294255, United States
| | - Jacek Bielawski
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave., Charleston, SC 294255, United States; Lipidomics Shared Resources, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave., Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Yusuf A Hannun
- Departments of Medicine, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, and Pharmacology and the Stony Brook Cancer Center at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
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26
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Mashhadi Akbar Boojar M, Mashhadi Akbar Boojar M, Golmohammad S, Yazdi MN. Ceramide generation as a novel biological mechanism for chemo-preventive and cytotoxic effects of hesperidin on HT-144 melanoma cells. BENI-SUEF UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF BASIC AND APPLIED SCIENCES 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bjbas.2018.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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Lysosomal acid ceramidase ASAH1 controls the transition between invasive and proliferative phenotype in melanoma cells. Oncogene 2018; 38:1282-1295. [PMID: 30254208 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-018-0500-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity and subsequent generation of intratumoral heterogeneity underly key traits in malignant melanoma such as drug resistance and metastasis. Melanoma plasticity promotes a switch between proliferative and invasive phenotypes characterized by different transcriptional programs of which MITF is a critical regulator. Here, we show that the acid ceramidase ASAH1, which controls sphingolipid metabolism, acted as a rheostat of the phenotypic switch in melanoma cells. Low ASAH1 expression was associated with an invasive behavior mediated by activation of the integrin alphavbeta5-FAK signaling cascade. In line with that, human melanoma biopsies revealed heterogeneous staining of ASAH1 and low ASAH1 expression at the melanoma invasive front. We also identified ASAH1 as a new target of MITF, thereby involving MITF in the regulation of sphingolipid metabolism. Together, our findings provide new cues to the mechanisms underlying the phenotypic plasticity of melanoma cells and identify new anti-metastatic targets.
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28
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Voelkel-Johnson C, Norris JS, White-Gilbertson S. Interdiction of Sphingolipid Metabolism Revisited: Focus on Prostate Cancer. Adv Cancer Res 2018; 140:265-293. [PMID: 30060812 PMCID: PMC6460930 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2018.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sphingolipid metabolism is known to play a role in cell death, survival, and therapy resistance in cancer. Sphingolipids, particularly dihydroceramide and ceramide, are associated with antiproliferative or cell death responses, respectively, and are central to effective cancer therapy. Within the last decade, strides have been made in elucidating many intricacies of sphingolipid metabolism. New information has emerged on the mechanisms by which sphingolipid metabolism is dysregulated during malignancy and how cancer cells survive and/or escape therapeutic interventions. This chapter focuses on three main themes: (1) sphingolipid enzymes that are dysregulated in cancer, particularly in prostate cancer; (2) inhibitors of sphingolipid metabolism that antagonize prosurvival responses; and (3) sphingolipid-driven escape mechanisms that allow cancer cells to evade therapies. We explore clinical and preclinical approaches to interdict sphingolipid metabolism and provide a rationale for combining strategies to drive the generation of antiproliferative ceramides with prevention of ceramide clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Voelkel-Johnson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - James S. Norris
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Shai White-Gilbertson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
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29
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Shaw J, Costa-Pinheiro P, Patterson L, Drews K, Spiegel S, Kester M. Novel Sphingolipid-Based Cancer Therapeutics in the Personalized Medicine Era. Adv Cancer Res 2018; 140:327-366. [PMID: 30060815 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2018.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Sphingolipids are bioactive lipids that participate in a wide variety of biological mechanisms, including cell death and proliferation. The myriad of pro-death and pro-survival cellular pathways involving sphingolipids provide a plethora of opportunities for dysregulation in cancers. In recent years, modulation of these sphingolipid metabolic pathways has been in the forefront of drug discovery for cancer therapeutics. About two decades ago, researchers first showed that standard of care treatments, e.g., chemotherapeutics and radiation, modulate sphingolipid metabolism to increase endogenous ceramides, which kill cancer cells. Strikingly, resistance to these treatments has also been linked to altered sphingolipid metabolism, favoring lipid species that ultimately lead to cell survival. To this end, many inhibitors of sphingolipid metabolism have been developed to further define not only our understanding of these pathways but also to potentially serve as therapeutic interventions. Therefore, understanding how to better use these new drugs that target sphingolipid metabolism, either alone or in combination with current cancer treatments, holds great potential for cancer control. While sphingolipids in cancer have been reviewed previously (Hannun & Obeid, 2018; Lee & Kolesnick, 2017; Morad & Cabot, 2013; Newton, Lima, Maceyka, & Spiegel, 2015; Ogretmen, 2018; Ryland, Fox, Liu, Loughran, & Kester, 2011) in this chapter, we present a comprehensive review on how standard of care therapeutics affects sphingolipid metabolism, the current landscape of sphingolipid inhibitors, and the clinical utility of sphingolipid-based cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Shaw
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Pedro Costa-Pinheiro
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Logan Patterson
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Kelly Drews
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Sarah Spiegel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Mark Kester
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States; University of Virginia Cancer Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
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30
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Nguyen HS, Shabani S, Awad AJ, Kaushal M, Doan N. Molecular Markers of Therapy-Resistant Glioblastoma and Potential Strategy to Combat Resistance. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19061765. [PMID: 29899215 PMCID: PMC6032212 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19061765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant tumor of the central nervous system. With its overall dismal prognosis (the median survival is 14 months), GBMs demonstrate a resounding resilience against all current treatment modalities. The absence of a major progress in the treatment of GBM maybe a result of our poor understanding of both GBM tumor biology and the mechanisms underlying the acquirement of treatment resistance in recurrent GBMs. A comprehensive understanding of these markers is mandatory for the development of treatments against therapy-resistant GBMs. This review also provides an overview of a novel marker called acid ceramidase and its implication in the development of radioresistant GBMs. Multiple signaling pathways were found altered in radioresistant GBMs. Given these global alterations of multiple signaling pathways found in radioresistant GBMs, an effective treatment for radioresistant GBMs may require a cocktail containing multiple agents targeting multiple cancer-inducing pathways in order to have a chance to make a substantial impact on improving the overall GBM survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ha S Nguyen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
- Faculty of Neurosurgery, California Institute of Neuroscience, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360, USA.
| | - Saman Shabani
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
| | - Ahmed J Awad
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus 11941, Palestine.
| | - Mayank Kaushal
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
| | - Ninh Doan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA.
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Abstract
Chemotherapy resistance, inherent or acquired, represents a serious barrier to the successful treatment of cancer. Although drug efflux, conducted by plasma membrane-resident proteins, detoxification enzymes, cell death inhibition, and DNA damage repair are ensemble players in this unwanted biology, a full understanding of the many in concert molecular mechanisms driving drug resistance is lacking. Recent discoveries in sphingolipid (SL) metabolism have provided significant insight into the role of these lipids in cancer growth; however, considerably less is known with respect to SLs and the drug-resistant phenotype. One exception here is enhanced ceramide glycosylation, a hallmark of multidrug resistance that is believed responsible, in part, for diminishing ceramides tumor-suppressor potential. This chapter will review various aspects of SL biology that relate to chemotherapy resistance and extend this topic to acknowledge the role of chemotherapy selection pressure in promoting dysregulated SL metabolism, a characteristic in cancer and an exploitable target for therapy.
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32
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Molecular Targeting of Acid Ceramidase in Glioblastoma: A Review of Its Role, Potential Treatment, and Challenges. Pharmaceutics 2018; 10:pharmaceutics10020045. [PMID: 29642535 PMCID: PMC6027516 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics10020045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma is the most common, malignant primary tumor of the central nervous system. The average prognosis for life expectancy after diagnosis, with the triad of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, is less than 1.5 years. Chemotherapy treatment is mostly limited to temozolomide. In this paper, the authors review an emerging, novel drug called acid ceramidase, which targets glioblastoma. Its role in cancer treatment in general, and more specifically, in the treatment of glioblastoma, are discussed. In addition, the authors provide insights on acid ceramidase as a potential druggable target for glioblastoma.
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Bowden DL, Sutton PA, Wall MA, Jithesh PV, Jenkins RE, Palmer DH, Goldring CE, Parsons JL, Park BK, Kitteringham NR, Vimalachandran D. Proteomic profiling of rectal cancer reveals acid ceramidase is implicated in radiation response. J Proteomics 2018. [PMID: 29518574 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2018.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is used in locally advanced rectal cancer when tumours threaten the circumferential resection margin, with varying response to treatment. This experimental study aimed to identify significantly differentially expressed proteins between patients responding and not responding to CRT, and to validate any proteins of interest. METHODS Mass spectrometry (with isobaric tagging for relative quantification) analysis of rectal cancers pre- and post-CRT, and at resection. Validation of proteins of interest was performed by assessing tissue microarray (TMA) immunohistochemistry expression in a further 111 patients with rectal cancer. RESULTS Proteomic data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD008436. Reduced abundance of contributing peptide ions for acid ceramidase (AC) (log fold change -1.526, p = 1.17E-02) was observed in CRT responders. Differential expression of AC was confirmed upon analysis of the TMAs. Cancer site expression of AC in stromal cells from post-CRT resection specimens was observed to be relatively low in pathological complete response (p = 0.003), and relatively high with no response to CRT (p = 0.017). CONCLUSION AC may be implicated in the response of rectal cancer to CRT. We propose its further assessment as a novel potential biomarker and therapeutic target. SIGNIFICANCE There is a need for biomarkers to guide the use of chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer, as none are in routine clinical use. We have determined acid ceramidase may have a role in radiation response, based on novel proteomic profiling and validation in a wider dataset using tissue microarrays. The ability to predict or improve response would positively select those patients who will derive benefit, prevent delays in the local and systemic management of disease in non-responders, and reduce morbidity associated with chemoradiotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- D L Bowden
- The University of Liverpool, Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Ashton Street, Liverpool L69 3GE, United Kingdom.
| | - P A Sutton
- The University of Liverpool, Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Ashton Street, Liverpool L69 3GE, United Kingdom
| | - M A Wall
- The Countess of Chester Hospital, Liverpool Road, Chester CH2 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - P V Jithesh
- Sidra Medical and Research Centre, PO Box 26999, Doha, Qatar
| | - R E Jenkins
- The University of Liverpool, Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Ashton Street, Liverpool L69 3GE, United Kingdom
| | - D H Palmer
- The University of Liverpool, Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, London Road, Liverpool L3 9TA, United Kingdom
| | - C E Goldring
- The University of Liverpool, Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Ashton Street, Liverpool L69 3GE, United Kingdom
| | - J L Parsons
- The University of Liverpool, Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, London Road, Liverpool L3 9TA, United Kingdom
| | - B K Park
- The University of Liverpool, Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Ashton Street, Liverpool L69 3GE, United Kingdom
| | - N R Kitteringham
- The University of Liverpool, Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Ashton Street, Liverpool L69 3GE, United Kingdom
| | - D Vimalachandran
- The Countess of Chester Hospital, Liverpool Road, Chester CH2 1UL, United Kingdom; The University of Liverpool, Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, London Road, Liverpool L3 9TA, United Kingdom
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34
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Abstract
Studies of bioactive lipids in general and sphingolipids in particular have intensified over the past several years, revealing an unprecedented and unanticipated complexity of the lipidome and its many functions, which rivals, if not exceeds, that of the genome or proteome. These results highlight critical roles for bioactive sphingolipids in most, if not all, major cell biological responses, including all major cell signalling pathways, and they link sphingolipid metabolism to key human diseases. Nevertheless, the fairly nascent field of bioactive sphingolipids still faces challenges in its biochemical and molecular underpinnings, including defining the molecular mechanisms of pathway and enzyme regulation, the study of lipid-protein interactions and the development of cellular probes, suitable biomarkers and therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuf A Hannun
- Stony Brook Cancer Center and Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, New York 11794, USA
| | - Lina M Obeid
- Stony Brook Cancer Center and Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, New York 11794, USA
- Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Northport, New York 11768, USA
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35
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Complete Acid Ceramidase ablation prevents cancer-initiating cell formation in melanoma cells. Sci Rep 2017; 7:7411. [PMID: 28785021 PMCID: PMC5547127 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07606-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid ceramidase (AC) is a lysosomal cysteine hydrolase that catalyzes the conversion of ceramide into fatty acid and sphingosine. This reaction lowers intracellular ceramide levels and concomitantly generates sphingosine used for sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) production. Since increases in ceramide and consequent decreases of S1P reduce proliferation of various cancers, AC might offer a new target for anti-tumor therapy. Here we used CrispR-Cas9-mediated gene editing to delete the gene encoding for AC, ASAH1, in human A375 melanoma cells. ASAH1-null clones show significantly greater accumulation of long-chain saturated ceramides that are substrate for AC. As seen with administration of exogenous ceramide, AC ablation blocks cell cycle progression and accelerates senescence. Importantly, ASAH1-null cells also lose the ability to form cancer-initiating cells and to undergo self-renewal, which is suggestive of a key role for AC in maintaining malignancy and self-renewal of invasive melanoma cells. The results suggest that AC inhibitors might find therapeutic use as adjuvant therapy for advanced melanoma.
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36
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Doan NB, Nguyen HS, Al-Gizawiy MM, Mueller WM, Sabbadini RA, Rand SD, Connelly JM, Chitambar CR, Schmainda KM, Mirza SP. Acid ceramidase confers radioresistance to glioblastoma cells. Oncol Rep 2017; 38:1932-1940. [PMID: 28765947 PMCID: PMC5652937 DOI: 10.3892/or.2017.5855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary, intracranial malignancy of the central nervous system. The standard treatment protocol, which involves surgical resection, and concurrent radiation with adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ), still imparts a grim prognosis. Ultimately, all GBMs exhibit recurrence or progression, developing resistance to standard treatment. This study demonstrates that GBMs acquire resistance to radiation via upregulation of acid ceramidase (ASAH1) and sphingosine-1-phosphate (Sph-1P). Moreover, inhibition of ASAH1 and Sph-1P, either with humanized monoclonal antibodies, small molecule drugs (i.e. carmofur), or a combination of both, led to suppression of GBM cell growth. These results suggest that ASAH1 and Sph-1P may be excellent targets for the treatment of new GBMs and recurrent GBMs, especially since the latter overexpresses ASAH1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ninh B Doan
- Biotechnology and Bioengineering Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Ha S Nguyen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Mona M Al-Gizawiy
- Department of Radiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Wade M Mueller
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Roger A Sabbadini
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, and Lpath Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Scott D Rand
- Department of Radiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Jennifer M Connelly
- Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | | | | | - Shama P Mirza
- Biotechnology and Bioengineering Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
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37
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Ortega JA, Arencibia JM, La Sala G, Borgogno M, Bauer I, Bono L, Braccia C, Armirotti A, Girotto S, Ganesan A, De Vivo M. Pharmacophore Identification and Scaffold Exploration to Discover Novel, Potent, and Chemically Stable Inhibitors of Acid Ceramidase in Melanoma Cells. J Med Chem 2017; 60:5800-5815. [PMID: 28603987 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b00472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Acid ceramidase (AC) hydrolyzes ceramides, which are central lipid messengers for metabolism and signaling of sphingolipids. A growing body of evidence links deregulation of sphingolipids to several diseases, including cancer. Indeed, AC expression is abnormally high in melanoma cells. AC inhibition may thus be key to treating malignant melanoma. Here, we have used a systematic scaffold exploration to design a general pharmacophore for AC inhibition. This pharmacophore comprises a 6 + 5 fused ring heterocycle linked to an aliphatic substituent via a urea moiety. We have thus identified the novel benzimidazole derivatives 10, 21, 27, and 30, which are highly potent AC inhibitors. Their chemical and metabolic stabilities are comparable or superior to those of previously reported AC inhibitors. Moreover, they are potent against endogenous AC in intact melanoma cells. These novel inhibitors merit further characterization and can serve as a promising starting point for the discovery of new antimelanoma therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Antonio Ortega
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling & Drug Discovery, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Jose M Arencibia
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling & Drug Discovery, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Giuseppina La Sala
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling & Drug Discovery, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Marco Borgogno
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling & Drug Discovery, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Inga Bauer
- CompuNet, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Luca Bono
- D3-PharmaChemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Clarissa Braccia
- D3-PharmaChemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Armirotti
- D3-PharmaChemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Stefania Girotto
- CompuNet, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Anand Ganesan
- Department of Dermatology and Biological Chemistry, University of California , 202 Sprague Hall, 92697-2400 Irvine, United States
| | - Marco De Vivo
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling & Drug Discovery, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy.,IAS-5/INM-9 Computational Biomedicine Forschungszentrum Jülich , Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
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38
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Liu Q, Luo Q, Halim A, Song G. Targeting lipid metabolism of cancer cells: A promising therapeutic strategy for cancer. Cancer Lett 2017; 401:39-45. [PMID: 28527945 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 235] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2017] [Revised: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/11/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
One of the most important metabolic hallmarks of cancer cells is deregulation of lipid metabolism. In addition, enhancing de novo fatty acid (FA) synthesis, increasing lipid uptake and lipolysis have also been considered as means of FA acquisition in cancer cells. FAs are involved in various aspects of tumourigenesis and tumour progression. Therefore, targeting lipid metabolism is a promising therapeutic strategy for human cancer. Recent studies have shown that reprogramming lipid metabolism plays important roles in providing energy, macromolecules for membrane synthesis, and lipid signals during cancer progression. Moreover, accumulation of lipid droplets in cancer cells acts as a pivotal adaptive response to harmful conditions. Here, we provide a brief review of the crucial roles of FA metabolism in cancer development, and place emphasis on FA origin, utilization and storage in cancer cells. Understanding the regulation of lipid metabolism in cancer cells has important implications for exploring a new therapeutic strategy for management and treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuping Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China
| | - Qing Luo
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China
| | - Alexander Halim
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China
| | - Guanbin Song
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China.
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39
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Xu R, Wang K, Mileva I, Hannun YA, Obeid LM, Mao C. Alkaline ceramidase 2 and its bioactive product sphingosine are novel regulators of the DNA damage response. Oncotarget 2017; 7:18440-57. [PMID: 26943039 PMCID: PMC4951300 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.7825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cells respond to DNA damage by elevating sphingosine, a bioactive sphingolipid that induces programmed cell death (PCD) in response to various forms of stress, but its regulation and role in the DNA damage response remain obscure. Herein we demonstrate that DNA damage increases sphingosine levels in tumor cells by upregulating alkaline ceramidase 2 (ACER2) and that the upregulation of the ACER2/sphingosine pathway induces PCD in response to DNA damage by increasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Treatment with the DNA damaging agent doxorubicin increased both ACER2 expression and sphingosine levels in HCT116 cells in a dose-dependent manner. ACER2 overexpression increased sphingosine in HeLa cells whereas knocking down ACER2 inhibited the doxorubicin-induced increase in sphingosine in HCT116 cells, suggesting that DNA damage elevates sphingosine by upregulating ACER2. Knocking down ACER2 inhibited an increase in the apoptotic and necrotic cell population and the cleavage of poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) in HCT116 cells in response to doxorubicin as well as doxorubicin-induced release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) from these cells. Similar to treatment with doxorubicin, ACER2 overexpression induced an increase in the apoptotic and necrotic cell population and PARP cleavage in HeLa cells and LDH release from cells, suggesting that ACER2 upregulation mediates PCD in response to DNA damage through sphingosine. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that the upregulation of the ACER2/sphingosine pathway induces PCD by increasing ROS levels. Taken together, these results suggest that the ACER2/sphingosine pathway mediates PCD in response to DNA damage through ROS production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruijuan Xu
- Department of Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.,Stony Brook Cancer Center, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.,Stony Brook Cancer Center, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Izolda Mileva
- Lipidomics Core Facility, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Yusuf A Hannun
- Department of Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.,Stony Brook Cancer Center, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Lina M Obeid
- Department of Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.,Stony Brook Cancer Center, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.,Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Administration Hospital, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Cungui Mao
- Department of Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.,Stony Brook Cancer Center, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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40
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Ahmad A, Mitrofanova A, Bielawski J, Yang Y, Marples B, Fornoni A, Zeidan YH. Sphingomyelinase-like phosphodiesterase 3b mediates radiation-induced damage of renal podocytes. FASEB J 2016; 31:771-780. [PMID: 27836988 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201600618r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms responsible for the development of proteinuria and glomerulosclerosis in radiation nephropathy remain largely unknown. Podocytes are increasingly recognized as key players in the pathogenesis of proteinuria in primary and secondary glomerular disorders. The lipid-modulating enzyme sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase acid-like 3B (SMPDL3b) is a key determinant of podocyte injury and a known off target of the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab (RTX). The current study investigates the role of sphingolipids in radiation-induced podocytopathy. After a single dose of radiation (8 Gy), several ceramide species were significantly elevated. In particular, C16:00, C24:00, and C24:1 ceramides were the most abundant ceramide species detected. These changes were paralleled by a time-dependent drop in SMPDL3b protein, sphingosine, and sphingosine-1-phosphate levels. Interestingly, SMPDL3b-overexpressing podocytes had higher basal levels of sphingosine-1-phosphate and maintained basal ceramide levels after irradiation. Morphologically, irradiated podocytes demonstrated loss of filopodia and remodeling of cortical actin. Furthermore, the actin binding protein ezrin relocated from the plasma membrane to the cytosol as early as 2 h after radiation. In contrast, SMPDL3b overexpressing podocytes were protected from radiation-induced cytoskeletal remodeling. Treatment with RTX before radiation exposure partially protected podocytes from SMPDL3b loss, cytoskeletal remodeling, and caspase 3 cleavage. Our results demonstrate that radiation injury induces early cytoskeletal remodeling, down-regulation of SMPDL3b, and elevation of cellular ceramide levels. Overexpression of SMPDL3b and pretreatment with RTX confer a radioprotective effect in cultured podocytes. These findings indicate a potential role for SMPDL3b and RTX in radiation-induced podocytopathy.-Ahmad, A., Mitrofanova, A., Bielawski, J., Yang, Y., Marples, B., Fornoni, A., Zeidan, Y. H. Sphingomyelinase-like phosphodiesterase 3b mediates radiation-induced damage of renal podocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anis Ahmad
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Miller School of Medicine/Sylvester Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Alla Mitrofanova
- Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA.,Department of Surgery, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Jacek Bielawski
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Yidong Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Miller School of Medicine/Sylvester Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Brian Marples
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Miller School of Medicine/Sylvester Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Alessia Fornoni
- Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA.,Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA; and
| | - Youssef H Zeidan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Miller School of Medicine/Sylvester Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA; .,Department of Radiation Oncology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
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Fragment-Based Hologram QSAR Studies on a Series of 2,4-Dioxopyrimidine-1-Carboxamides As Highly Potent Inhibitors of Acid Ceramidase. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH : IJPR 2016; 15:139-148. [PMID: 28058055 PMCID: PMC5175217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
A series of structurally related 2,4-dioxopyrimidine-1-carboxamide derivatives as highly potent inhibitors against acid ceramidase were subjected to hologram quantitative structure-activity relationship (HQSAR) analysis. A training set containing 24 compounds served to establish the HQSAR model. The best HQSAR model was generated using atoms, bond, connectivity, donor and acceptor as fragment distinction and 3-6 as fragment size with six components showing cross-validated q2 value of 0.834 and conventional r2 value of 0.965. The model was then employed to predict the potency of test set compounds that were excluded in the training set, and a good agreement between the experimental and predicted values was observed exhibiting the powerful predictable capability of this model [Formula: see text]. Atom contribution maps indicate that the electron-withdrawing effects at position 5 of the uracil ring, the preferential acyl substitution at N3 position and the substitution of eight-carbon alkyl chain length at N1 position predominantly contribute to the inhibitory activity. Based upon these key structural features derived from atom contribution maps, we have designed novel inhibitors of acid ceramidase possessing better inhibitory activity.
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42
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Mashhadi Akbar Boojar M, Hassanipour M, Ejtemaei Mehr S, Mashhadi Akbar Boojar M, Dehpour AR. New Aspects of Silibinin Stereoisomers and their 3-O-galloyl Derivatives on Cytotoxicity and Ceramide Metabolism in Hep G 2 hepatocarcinoma Cell Line. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH : IJPR 2016; 15:421-433. [PMID: 27980577 PMCID: PMC5149029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Ceramide as a second messenger is a key regulator in apoptosis and cytotoxicity. Ceramide-metabolizing enzymes are ideal target in cancer chemo-preventive studies. Neutral sphingomyelinase (NSMase), acid ceramidase (ACDase) and glucosyl ceramide synthase (GCS) are the main enzymes in ceramide metabolism. Silymarin flavonolignans are potent apoptosis inducers and silibinin is the most active component of silymarin. This study evaluated the effects of silybin A, silybin B and their 3-O-gallyl derivatives (SGA and SGB) at different concentrations (0-200 micro molar) on ceramide metabolism enzymes in Hep G2 hepatocarcinoma cell line. Cell viability, caspase-3 and 9 activities, total cell ceramide and the activities of ACDase, NSMase and GCS were evaluated. Under silibinin derivatives treatments, cell viability decreased and the activities of caspase-3 and 9 increased in a dose dependent manner among which SGB was the most effective one (P<0.05). Total cell ceramide and the activity of NSMase, the enzyme which elevates ceramide level, increased by silibinin derivatives. Furthermore, the activities of removing ceramide enzymes (ACDase and GCS) decreased efficiently. The galloyl esterification increased the activity of silibinin isomers. Consequently, this study reveals new sibilinin effects on ceramide metabolism and potential strategies to enhance the antineoplastic properties of this compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahdi Mashhadi Akbar Boojar
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mahsa Hassanipour
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
| | - Shahram Ejtemaei Mehr
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | | | - Ahmad Reza Dehpour
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Abstract
Studies over the past two decades have identified ceramide as a multifunctional central molecule in the sphingolipid biosynthetic pathway. Given its diverse tumor suppressive activities, molecular understanding of ceramide action will produce fundamental insights into processes that limit tumorigenesis and may identify key molecular targets for therapeutic intervention. Ceramide can be activated by a diverse array of stresses such as heat shock, genotoxic damage, oxidative stress and anticancer drugs. Ceramide triggers a variety of tumor suppressive and anti-proliferative cellular programs such as apoptosis, autophagy, senescence, and necroptosis by activating or repressing key effector molecules. Defects in ceramide generation and metabolism in cancer contribute to tumor cell survival and resistance to chemotherapy. The potent and versatile anticancer activity profile of ceramide has motivated drug development efforts to (re-)activate ceramide in established tumors. This review focuses on our current understanding of the tumor suppressive functions of ceramide and highlights the potential downstream targets of ceramide which are involved in its tumor suppressive action.
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44
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Roh JL, Park JY, Kim EH, Jang HJ. Targeting acid ceramidase sensitises head and neck cancer to cisplatin. Eur J Cancer 2015; 52:163-72. [PMID: 26687835 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2015.10.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Revised: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acid ceramidase (AC), a key enzyme in ceramide metabolism, plays a role in cancer progression and resistance to therapy. However, the role of AC in head and neck cancer (HNC) has not been addressed. Here, we investigate the effect of AC inhibition on the response to cisplatin-based chemotherapy for HNC. METHODS AC protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression were examined in primary tumours and paired normal tissues, and in HNC cell lines. The effects of genetic and pharmacological AC inhibition using small hairpin RNA (shRNA) and N-oleoyl-ethanolamine (NOE), alone and in combination with cisplatin, were assessed in human HNC cells by measuring cell viability, cell cycle progression, apoptosis, mRNA, and protein expression, and in preclinical tumour xenograft mouse models. FINDINGS AC overexpression was observed in four of six primary tumour tissues and six of nine HNC cell lines. Cisplatin sensitivity was significantly decreased by AC overexpression and significantly increased by AC downregulation in HNC cells (P<0.01). NOE or AC shRNA-mediated AC inhibition enhanced cisplatin-induced HNC cell death by increasing ceramide production and activating pro-apoptotic proteins, and these effects were abrogated by PUMA small interfering RNA transfection. AC inhibition promoted cisplatin-induced apoptosis of HNC cells in vitro and in vivo. INTERPRETATIONS AC overexpression is associated with cisplatin sensitivity, suggesting its potential role as a chemotherapeutic target for HNC. Genetic or pharmacological AC inhibition promotes cisplatin cytotoxicity in HNC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong-Lyel Roh
- Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jin Young Park
- Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Hye Kim
- Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Jin Jang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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45
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Bach A, Pizzirani D, Realini N, Vozella V, Russo D, Penna I, Melzig L, Scarpelli R, Piomelli D. Benzoxazolone Carboxamides as Potent Acid Ceramidase Inhibitors: Synthesis and Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR) Studies. J Med Chem 2015; 58:9258-72. [PMID: 26560855 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b01188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Ceramides are lipid-derived intracellular messengers involved in the control of senescence, inflammation, and apoptosis. The cysteine amidase, acid ceramidase (AC), hydrolyzes these substances into sphingosine and fatty acid and, by doing so, regulates their signaling activity. AC inhibitors may be useful in the treatment of pathological conditions, such as cancer, in which ceramide levels are abnormally reduced. Here, we present a systematic SAR investigation of the benzoxazolone carboxamides, a recently described class of AC inhibitors that display high potency and systemic activity in mice. We examined a diverse series of substitutions on both benzoxazolone ring and carboxamide side chain. Several modifications enhanced potency and stability, and one key compound with a balanced activity-stability profile (14) was found to inhibit AC activity in mouse lungs and cerebral cortex after systemic administration. The results expand our arsenal of AC inhibitors, thereby facilitating the use of these compounds as pharmacological tools and their potential development as drug leads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Bach
- Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Daniela Pizzirani
- Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Natalia Realini
- Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Valentina Vozella
- Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Debora Russo
- Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Ilaria Penna
- Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Laurin Melzig
- Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Rita Scarpelli
- Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Daniele Piomelli
- Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Biological Chemistry, and Pharmacology, University of California , Irvine, California 92697-4625, United States
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46
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Abstract
The topic of ceramidases has experienced an enormous boost during the last few years. Ceramidases catalyze the degradation of ceramide to sphingosine and fatty acids. Ceramide is not only the central hub of sphingolipid biosynthesis and degradation, it is also a key molecule in sphingolipid signaling, promoting differentiation or apoptosis. Acid ceramidase inhibition sensitizes certain types of cancer to chemo- and radio-therapy and this is suggestive of a role of acid ceramidase inhibitors as chemo-sensitizers which can act synergistically with chemo-therapeutic drugs. In this review, we summarize the development of ceramide analogues as first-generation ceramidase inhibitors together with data on their activity in cells and disease models. Furthermore, we describe the recent developments that have led to highly potent second-generation ceramidase inhibitors that act at nanomolar concentrations. In the third part, various assays of ceramidases are described and their relevance for accurately measuring ceramidase activities and for the development of novel inhibitors is highlighted. Besides potential clinical implications, the recent improvements in ceramidase inhibition and assaying may help to better understand the mechanisms of ceramide biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Essa M Saied
- Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Institute for Chemistry, Berlin, Germany; Suez Canal University, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Christoph Arenz
- Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Institute for Chemistry, Berlin, Germany.
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47
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Aureli M, Murdica V, Loberto N, Samarani M, Prinetti A, Bassi R, Sonnino S. Exploring the link between ceramide and ionizing radiation. Glycoconj J 2015; 31:449-59. [PMID: 25129488 DOI: 10.1007/s10719-014-9541-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The aim of radiotherapy is to eradicate cancer cells with ionizing radiation; tumor cell death following irradiation can be induced by several signaling pathways, most of which are triggered as a consequence of DNA damage, the primary and major relevant cell response to radiation. Several lines of evidence demonstrated that ceramide, a crucial sensor and/or effector of different signalling pathways promoting cell cycle arrest, death and differentiation, is directly involved in the molecular mechanisms underlying cellular response to irradiation. Most of the studies strongly support a direct relationship between ceramide accumulation and radiation-induced cell death, mainly apoptosis; for this reason, defining the contribution of the multiple metabolic pathways leading to ceramide formation and the causes of its dysregulated metabolism represent the main goal in order to elucidate the ceramide-mediated signaling in radiotherapy. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge concerning the different routes leading to ceramide accumulation in radiation-induced cell response with particular regard to the role of the enzymes involved in both ceramide neogenesis and catabolism. Emphasis is placed on sphingolipid breakdown as mechanism of ceramide generation activated following cell irradiation; the functional relevance of this pathway, and the role of glycosphingolipid glycohydrolases as direct targets of ionizing radiation are also discussed. These new findings add a further attractive point of investigation to better define the complex interplay between sphingolipid metabolism and radiation therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Aureli
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milano, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, 20090, Segrate, Italy
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48
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Modulation of Acid Sphingomyelinase in Melanoma Reprogrammes the Tumour Immune Microenvironment. Mediators Inflamm 2015; 2015:370482. [PMID: 26101462 PMCID: PMC4460251 DOI: 10.1155/2015/370482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Revised: 04/24/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The inflammatory microenvironment induces tumours to acquire an aggressive and immunosuppressive behaviour. Since acid sphingomyelinase (A-SMase) downregulation in melanoma was shown to determine a malignant phenotype, we aimed here to elucidate the role of A-SMase in the regulation of tumour immunogenic microenvironment using in vivo melanoma models in which A-SMase was either downregulated or maintained at constitutively high levels. We found high levels of inflammatory factors in low A-SMase expressing tumours, which also displayed an immunosuppressive/protumoural microenvironment: high levels of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and regulatory T lymphocytes (Tregs), as well as low levels of dendritic cells (DCs). In contrast, the restoration of A-SMase in melanoma cells not only reduced tumour growth and immunosuppression, but also induced a high recruitment at tumour site of effector immune cells with an antitumoural function. Indeed, we observed a poor homing of MDSCs and Tregs and the increased recruitment of CD8+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes as well as the infiltration of DCs and CD8+/CD44high T lymphocytes. This study demonstrates that change of A-SMase expression in cancer cells is sufficient per se to tune in vivo melanoma growth and that A-SMase levels modulate immune cells at tumour site. This may be taken into consideration in the setting of therapeutic strategies.
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Morad SAF, Cabot MC. Tamoxifen regulation of sphingolipid metabolism--Therapeutic implications. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2015; 1851:1134-45. [PMID: 25964209 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2015.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Revised: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Tamoxifen, a triphenylethylene antiestrogen and one of the first-line endocrine therapies used to treat estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, has a number of interesting, off-target effects, and among these is the inhibition of sphingolipid metabolism. More specifically, tamoxifen inhibits ceramide glycosylation, and enzymatic step that can adventitiously support the influential tumor-suppressor properties of ceramide, the aliphatic backbone of sphingolipids. Additionally, tamoxifen and metabolites N-desmethyltamoxifen and 4-hydroxytamoxifen, have been shown to inhibit ceramide hydrolysis by the enzyme acid ceramidase. This particular intervention slows ceramide destruction and thereby depresses formation of sphingosine 1-phosphate, a mitogenic sphingolipid with cancer growth-promoting properties. As ceramide-centric therapies are becoming appealing clinical interventions in the treatment of cancer, agents like tamoxifen that can retard the generation of mitogenic sphingolipids and buffer ceramide clearance via inhibition of glycosylation, take on new importance. In this review, we present an abridged, lay introduction to sphingolipid metabolism, briefly chronicle tamoxifen's history in the clinic, examine studies that demonstrate the impact of triphenylethylenes on sphingolipid metabolism in cancer cells, and canvass works relevant to the use of tamoxifen as adjuvant to drive ceramide-centric therapies in cancer treatment. The objective is to inform the readership of what could be a novel, off-label indication of tamoxifen and structurally-related triphenylethylenes, an indication divorced from estrogen receptor status and one with application in drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samy A F Morad
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, East Carolina University, Brody School of Medicine, Greenville, NC 27834, USA; East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, 115 Heart Drive, Greenville, NC 27834, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena 83523, Egypt
| | - Myles C Cabot
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, East Carolina University, Brody School of Medicine, Greenville, NC 27834, USA; East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, 115 Heart Drive, Greenville, NC 27834, USA.
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50
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Mizutani N, Inoue M, Omori Y, Ito H, Tamiya-Koizumi K, Takagi A, Kojima T, Nakamura M, Iwaki S, Nakatochi M, Suzuki M, Nozawa Y, Murate T. Increased acid ceramidase expression depends on upregulation of androgen-dependent deubiquitinases, USP2, in a human prostate cancer cell line, LNCaP. J Biochem 2015; 158:309-19. [PMID: 25888580 DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvv039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Acid ceramidase (ACDase) metabolizes ceramide to sphingosine, leading to sphingosine 1-phosphate production. Reportedly, ACDase has been upregulated in prostate cancer. However, its regulatory mechanism remains unclear. LNCaP (androgen-sensitive prostate cancer cell line) but not PC3 and DU-145, (androgen-unresponsive cell lines) exhibited the highest ACDase protein. Among three cell lines, ASAH1 mRNA level was not correlated with ACDase protein expression, and the 5'-promoter activity did not show androgen dependency, suggesting the post-transcriptional regulation of ACDase in LNCaP cells. Based on these results, LNCaP was analysed further. Casodex, androgen receptor antagonist, and charcoal-stripped FCS (CS-FCS) decreased ACDase protein and activity, whereas dihydrotestosterone in CS-FCS culture increased ACDase protein and enzyme activity. MG132, a proteasome inhibitor, prevented the decrease of ACDase protein when cultured in CS-FCS, suggesting the involvement of ubiquitin/proteasome system. Reportedly, USP2, a deubiquitinase, plays an important role in LNCaP cells. USP2 siRNA decreased ACDase protein, whereas USP2 overexpression increased ACDase protein of LNCaP cells. However, SKP2, an ubiquitin E3 ligase known to be active in prostate cancer, did not affect androgen-dependent ACDase expression in LNCaP cells. Thus, ACDase regulation by androgen in androgen-sensitive LNCaP cells is mainly due to its prolonged protein half-life by androgen-stimulated USP2 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Mizutani
- Department of Pathophysiological Laboratory Science, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 461-8673
| | - Minami Inoue
- Department of Pathophysiological Laboratory Science, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 461-8673
| | - Yukari Omori
- Department of Pathophysiological Laboratory Science, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 461-8673
| | - Hiromi Ito
- Department of Pathophysiological Laboratory Science, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 461-8673
| | - Keiko Tamiya-Koizumi
- Department of Pathophysiological Laboratory Science, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 461-8673
| | - Akira Takagi
- Department of Pathophysiological Laboratory Science, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 461-8673
| | - Tetsuhito Kojima
- Department of Pathophysiological Laboratory Science, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 461-8673
| | - Mitsuhiro Nakamura
- Department of Drug Information, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Gifu 501-1196
| | - Soichiro Iwaki
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathophysiology and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8603
| | - Masahiro Nakatochi
- Bioinformatics Section, Center for Advanced Medicine and Clinical Research, Nagoya University Hospital, Nagoya 466-8550
| | - Motoshi Suzuki
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8560; and
| | - Yoshinori Nozawa
- Department of Food and Health Science, Tokai Gakuin University, Kakamigahara 504-8511, Japan
| | - Takashi Murate
- Department of Pathophysiological Laboratory Science, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 461-8673;
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