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Kumar N, Delu V, Ulasov I, Kumar S, Singh RK, Kumar S, Shukla A, Patel AK, Yadav L, Tiwari R, Rachana K, Mohanta SP, Singh V, Yadav A, Kaushalendra K, Acharya A. Pharmacological Insights: Mitochondrial ROS Generation by FNC (Azvudine) in Dalton's Lymphoma Cells Revealed by Super Resolution Imaging. Cell Biochem Biophys 2024; 82:873-883. [PMID: 38483755 DOI: 10.1007/s12013-024-01238-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/25/2024]
Abstract
Nucleoside analogs are a common form of chemotherapy that disrupts DNA replication and repair, leading to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is a significant mechanism through which these drugs exert their anticancer effects. This study investigated a new nucleoside analog called FNC or Azvudine, and its impact on ROS production and cell viability in Dalton's lymphoma (DL) cells. The study found that FNC treatment resulted in a time- and dose-dependent increase in ROS levels in DL cells. After 15 and 30 min of treatment with 2 and 1 mg/ml of FNC, mitochondrial ROS production was observed in DL cells. Furthermore, prolonged exposure to FNC caused structural alterations and DNA damage in DL cells. The results suggest that FNC's ability to impair DL cell viability may be due to its induction of ROS production and indicate a need for further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveen Kumar
- Department of Zoology, School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Raffles University, Neemrana, Rajasthan, 301705, India
| | - Vikram Delu
- Senior Analyst, Pashmina Certification Centre, Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248001, India
| | - Ilya Ulasov
- Group of Experimental Biotherapy and Diagnostic, Department of Advanced Materials, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Sanjay Kumar
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221005, India
| | - Rishi Kant Singh
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221005, India
| | - Sandeep Kumar
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221005, India
| | - Alok Shukla
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221005, India
| | - Anand Kumar Patel
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221005, India
| | - Lokesh Yadav
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221005, India
| | - Ruchi Tiwari
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221005, India
| | - Kumari Rachana
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221005, India
| | | | - Varsha Singh
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221005, India
| | - Anuradha Yadav
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221005, India
| | - Kaushalendra Kaushalendra
- Department of Zoology, Pachhunga University College Campus, Mizoram University, Aizawl, 796001, India
| | - Arbind Acharya
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221005, India.
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2
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Prasad CB, Oo A, Liu Y, Qiu Z, Zhong Y, Li N, Singh D, Xin X, Cho YJ, Li Z, Zhang X, Yan C, Zheng Q, Wang QE, Guo D, Kim B, Zhang J. The thioredoxin system determines CHK1 inhibitor sensitivity via redox-mediated regulation of ribonucleotide reductase activity. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4667. [PMID: 38821952 PMCID: PMC11143221 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48076-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) is critical for cell survival under replication stress (RS). CHK1 inhibitors (CHK1i's) in combination with chemotherapy have shown promising results in preclinical studies but have displayed minimal efficacy with substantial toxicity in clinical trials. To explore combinatorial strategies that can overcome these limitations, we perform an unbiased high-throughput screen in a non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line and identify thioredoxin1 (Trx1), a major component of the mammalian antioxidant-system, as a determinant of CHK1i sensitivity. We establish a role for redox recycling of RRM1, the larger subunit of ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), and a depletion of the deoxynucleotide pool in this Trx1-mediated CHK1i sensitivity. Further, the TrxR inhibitor auranofin, an approved anti-rheumatoid arthritis drug, shows a synergistic interaction with CHK1i via interruption of the deoxynucleotide pool. Together, we show a pharmacological combination to treat NSCLC that relies on a redox regulatory link between the Trx system and mammalian RNR activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandra Bhushan Prasad
- Department of Radiation Oncology, James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Adrian Oo
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Yujie Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Zhaojun Qiu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Yaogang Zhong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center, Center for Cancer Metabolism, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Na Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Deepika Singh
- Department of Radiation Oncology, James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Xiwen Xin
- The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Young-Jae Cho
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Zaibo Li
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Xiaoli Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Wexner Medical Center, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Chunhong Yan
- Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Qingfei Zheng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center, Center for Cancer Metabolism, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Qi-En Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Deliang Guo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center, Center for Cancer Metabolism, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Baek Kim
- Center for ViroScience and Cure, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Junran Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center, Center for Cancer Metabolism, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center, Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
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3
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Karsa M, Xiao L, Ronca E, Bongers A, Spurling D, Karsa A, Cantilena S, Mariana A, Failes TW, Arndt GM, Cheung LC, Kotecha RS, Sutton R, Lock RB, Williams O, de Boer J, Haber M, Norris MD, Henderson MJ, Somers K. FDA-approved disulfiram as a novel treatment for aggressive leukemia. J Mol Med (Berl) 2024; 102:507-519. [PMID: 38349407 PMCID: PMC10963497 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-023-02414-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Acute leukemia continues to be a major cause of death from disease worldwide and current chemotherapeutic agents are associated with significant morbidity in survivors. While better and safer treatments for acute leukemia are urgently needed, standard drug development pipelines are lengthy and drug repurposing therefore provides a promising approach. Our previous evaluation of FDA-approved drugs for their antileukemic activity identified disulfiram, used for the treatment of alcoholism, as a candidate hit compound. This study assessed the biological effects of disulfiram on leukemia cells and evaluated its potential as a treatment strategy. We found that disulfiram inhibits the viability of a diverse panel of acute lymphoblastic and myeloid leukemia cell lines (n = 16) and patient-derived xenograft cells from patients with poor outcome and treatment-resistant disease (n = 15). The drug induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in leukemia cells within hours of treatment and was able to potentiate the effects of daunorubicin, etoposide, topotecan, cytarabine, and mitoxantrone chemotherapy. Upon combining disulfiram with auranofin, a drug approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis that was previously shown to exert antileukemic effects, strong and consistent synergy was observed across a diverse panel of acute leukemia cell lines, the mechanism of which was based on enhanced ROS induction. Acute leukemia cells were more sensitive to the cytotoxic activity of disulfiram than solid cancer cell lines and non-malignant cells. While disulfiram is currently under investigation in clinical trials for solid cancers, this study provides evidence for the potential of disulfiram for acute leukemia treatment. KEY MESSAGES: Disulfiram induces rapid apoptosis in leukemia cells by boosting oxidative stress. Disulfiram inhibits leukemia cell growth more potently than solid cancer cell growth. Disulfiram can enhance the antileukemic efficacy of chemotherapies. Disulfiram strongly synergises with auranofin in killing acute leukemia cells by ROS induction. We propose testing of disulfiram in clinical trial for patients with acute leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mawar Karsa
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Lin Xiao
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Emma Ronca
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Angelika Bongers
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Dayna Spurling
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ayu Karsa
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sandra Cantilena
- Cancer Section, Development Biology and Cancer Programme, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Anna Mariana
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- ACRF Drug Discovery Centre for Childhood Cancer, Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Tim W Failes
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- ACRF Drug Discovery Centre for Childhood Cancer, Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Greg M Arndt
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- ACRF Drug Discovery Centre for Childhood Cancer, Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Laurence C Cheung
- Leukemia Translational Research Laboratory, Telethon Kids Cancer Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA, Australia
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Rishi S Kotecha
- Leukemia Translational Research Laboratory, Telethon Kids Cancer Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA, Australia
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
- Department of Clinical Haematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Perth Children's Hospital, Perth, WA, Australia
- Division of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Rosemary Sutton
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Richard B Lock
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- UNSW Centre for Childhood Cancer Research, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Owen Williams
- Cancer Section, Development Biology and Cancer Programme, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Jasper de Boer
- Cancer Section, Development Biology and Cancer Programme, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Michelle Haber
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Murray D Norris
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- UNSW Centre for Childhood Cancer Research, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Michelle J Henderson
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Klaartje Somers
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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4
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Zhang S, Zhao Y, Wang X, Qi C, Tian J, Zou Z. Synergistic lethality between auranofin-induced oxidative DNA damage and ATR inhibition in cancer cells. Life Sci 2023; 332:122131. [PMID: 37778414 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.122131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Studies in the past have shown that inhibition of the ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) kinase sensitizes cancer cells to genotoxic anticancer treatments, however, clinical use of ATR inhibitors in combination with DNA damaging chemotherapy is limited due to toxicity in healthy tissues. In this study, we investigated the synergistic anticancer effect between ATR inhibition and oxidative DNA damage induced by the thioredoxin reductase inhibitor auranofin. MAIN METHODS Cytotoxicity was evaluated by cell viability assays. Western blot, comet assay, immunostaining and flow cytometry were performed to dissect the underlying mechanisms. In vivo efficacy was examined against tumor xenografts. KEY FINDINGS Nontoxic doses of auranofin alone increased the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cancer but not noncancerous cells, resulting in oxidative DNA damage and activation of the ATR DNA damage response pathway selectively in cancer cells. Inhibition of ATR in auranofin-treated cancer cells resulted in unscheduled firing of dormant DNA replication origins, abrogation of the S phase cell cycle checkpoint and extensive DNA breakage, leading to replication catastrophe and potent synergistic lethality. Both the antioxidant NAC and the DNA polymerase inhibitor aphidicolin reduced replication stress and synergistic cytotoxicity, implicating replication stress-driven catastrophic cell death resulted from collision between oxidative DNA damage and dysregulated DNA replication. In vivo, auranofin and VE822 coadministration enabled marked regressions of tumor xenografts, while each drug alone had no effect. SIGNIFICANCE As increased generation of ROS is a universal feature of tumors, our findings may open new routes to broaden the therapeutic potential of ATR inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yue Zhao
- Department of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xueqi Wang
- Department of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ce Qi
- Department of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jialiang Tian
- Department of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhihua Zou
- Department of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
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5
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Abdalbari FH, Martinez-Jaramillo E, Forgie BN, Tran E, Zorychta E, Goyeneche AA, Sabri S, Telleria CM. Auranofin Induces Lethality Driven by Reactive Oxygen Species in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5136. [PMID: 37958311 PMCID: PMC10650616 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15215136] [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: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) accounts for 70% of ovarian cancer cases, and the survival rate remains remarkably low due to the lack of effective long-term consolidation therapies. Clinical remission can be temporarily induced by platinum-based chemotherapy, but death subsequently results from the extensive growth of a platinum-resistant component of the tumor. This work explores a novel treatment against HGSOC using the gold complex auranofin (AF). AF primarily functions as a pro-oxidant by inhibiting thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), an antioxidant enzyme overexpressed in ovarian cancer. We investigated the effect of AF on TrxR activity and the various mechanisms of cytotoxicity using HGSOC cells that are clinically sensitive or resistant to platinum. In addition, we studied the interaction between AF and another pro-oxidant, L-buthionine sulfoximine (L-BSO), an anti-glutathione (GSH) compound. We demonstrated that AF potently inhibited TrxR activity and reduced the vitality and viability of HGSOC cells regardless of their sensitivities to platinum. We showed that AF induces the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), triggers the depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane, and kills HGSOC cells by inducing apoptosis. Notably, AF-induced cell death was abrogated by the ROS-scavenger N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). In addition, the lethality of AF was associated with the activation of caspases-3/7 and the generation of DNA damage, effects that were also prevented by the presence of NAC. Finally, when AF and L-BSO were combined, we observed synergistic lethality against HGSOC cells, which was mediated by a further increase in ROS and a decrease in the levels of the antioxidant GSH. In summary, our results support the concept that AF can be used alone or in combination with L-BSO to kill HGSOC cells regardless of their sensitivity to platinum, suggesting that the depletion of antioxidants is an efficient strategy to mitigate the course of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farah H. Abdalbari
- Experimental Pathology Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; (F.H.A.); (E.M.-J.); (B.N.F.); (E.T.); (E.Z.); (A.A.G.)
| | - Elvis Martinez-Jaramillo
- Experimental Pathology Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; (F.H.A.); (E.M.-J.); (B.N.F.); (E.T.); (E.Z.); (A.A.G.)
| | - Benjamin N. Forgie
- Experimental Pathology Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; (F.H.A.); (E.M.-J.); (B.N.F.); (E.T.); (E.Z.); (A.A.G.)
| | - Estelle Tran
- Experimental Pathology Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; (F.H.A.); (E.M.-J.); (B.N.F.); (E.T.); (E.Z.); (A.A.G.)
| | - Edith Zorychta
- Experimental Pathology Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; (F.H.A.); (E.M.-J.); (B.N.F.); (E.T.); (E.Z.); (A.A.G.)
| | - Alicia A. Goyeneche
- Experimental Pathology Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; (F.H.A.); (E.M.-J.); (B.N.F.); (E.T.); (E.Z.); (A.A.G.)
- Cancer Research Program, Research Institute, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada;
| | - Siham Sabri
- Cancer Research Program, Research Institute, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada;
| | - Carlos M. Telleria
- Experimental Pathology Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; (F.H.A.); (E.M.-J.); (B.N.F.); (E.T.); (E.Z.); (A.A.G.)
- Cancer Research Program, Research Institute, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada;
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6
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Freire Boullosa L, Van Loenhout J, Flieswasser T, Hermans C, Merlin C, Lau HW, Marcq E, Verschuuren M, De Vos WH, Lardon F, Smits ELJ, Deben C. Auranofin Synergizes with the PARP Inhibitor Olaparib to Induce ROS-Mediated Cell Death in Mutant p53 Cancers. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:antiox12030667. [PMID: 36978917 PMCID: PMC10045521 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12030667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Auranofin (AF) is a potent, off-patent thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) inhibitor that efficiently targets cancer via reactive oxygen species (ROS)- and DNA damage-mediated cell death. The goal of this study is to enhance the efficacy of AF as a cancer treatment by combining it with the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP) inhibitor olaparib (referred to as ‘aurola’). Firstly, we investigated whether mutant p53 can sensitize non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cancer cells to AF and olaparib treatment in p53 knock-in and knock-out models with varying p53 protein expression levels. Secondly, we determined the therapeutic range for synergistic cytotoxicity between AF and olaparib and elucidated the underlying molecular cell death mechanisms. Lastly, we evaluated the effectiveness of the combination strategy in a murine 344SQ 3D spheroid and syngeneic in vivo lung cancer model. We demonstrated that high concentrations of AF and olaparib synergistically induced cytotoxicity in NSCLC and PDAC cell lines with low levels of mutant p53 protein that were initially more resistant to AF. The aurola combination also led to the highest accumulation of ROS, which resulted in ROS-dependent cytotoxicity of mutant p53 NSCLC cells through distinct types of cell death, including caspase-3/7-dependent apoptosis, inhibited by Z-VAD-FMK, and lipid peroxidation-dependent ferroptosis, inhibited by ferrostatin-1 and alpha-tocopherol. High concentrations of both compounds were also needed to obtain a synergistic cytotoxic effect in 3D spheroids of the murine lung adenocarcinoma cell line 344SQ, which was interestingly absent in 2D. This cell line was used in a syngeneic mouse model in which the oral administration of aurola significantly delayed the growth of mutant p53 344SQ tumors in 129S2/SvPasCrl mice, while either agent alone had no effect. In addition, RNA sequencing results revealed that AF- and aurola-treated 344SQ tumors were negatively enriched for immune-related gene sets, which is in accordance with AF’s anti-inflammatory function as an anti-rheumatic drug. Only 344SQ tumors treated with aurola showed the downregulation of genes related to the cell cycle, potentially explaining the growth inhibitory effect of aurola since no apoptosis-related gene sets were enriched. Overall, this novel combination strategy of oxidative stress induction (AF) with PARP inhibition (olaparib) could be a promising treatment for mutant p53 cancers, although high concentrations of both compounds need to be reached to obtain a substantial cytotoxic effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie Freire Boullosa
- Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized & Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Jinthe Van Loenhout
- Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized & Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Tal Flieswasser
- Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized & Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Christophe Hermans
- Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized & Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Céline Merlin
- Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized & Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Ho Wa Lau
- Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized & Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Elly Marcq
- Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized & Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Marlies Verschuuren
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Antwerp Center for Advanced Microscopy, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
- µNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Winnok H. De Vos
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Antwerp Center for Advanced Microscopy, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
- µNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Filip Lardon
- Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized & Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Evelien L. J. Smits
- Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized & Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Christophe Deben
- Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized & Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +32-3-265-25-76
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7
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Raninga PV, He Y, Datta KK, Lu X, Maheshwari UR, Venkat P, Mayoh C, Gowda H, Kalimutho M, Hooper JD, Khanna KK. Combined thioredoxin reductase and glutaminase inhibition exerts synergistic anti-tumor activity in MYC-high high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. Mol Ther 2023; 31:729-743. [PMID: 36560881 PMCID: PMC10014232 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2022.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 50%-55% of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) patients have MYC oncogenic pathway activation. Because MYC is not directly targetable, we have analyzed molecular pathways enriched in MYC-high HGSOC tumors to identify potential therapeutic targets. Here, we report that MYC-high HGSOC tumors show enrichment in genes controlled by NRF2, an antioxidant signaling pathway, along with increased thioredoxin redox activity. Treatment of MYC-high HGSOC tumors cells with US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR1) inhibitor auranofin resulted in significant growth suppression and apoptosis in MYC-high HGSOC cells in vitro and also significantly reduced tumor growth in an MYC-high HGSOC patient-derived tumor xenograft. We found that auranofin treatment inhibited glycolysis in MYC-high cells via oxidation-induced GAPDH inhibition. Interestingly, in response to auranofin-induced glycolysis inhibition, MYC-high HGSOC cells switched to glutamine metabolism for survival. Depletion of glutamine with either glutamine starvation or glutaminase (GLS1) inhibitor CB-839 exerted synergistic anti-tumor activity with auranofin in HGSOC cells and OVCAR-8 cell line xenograft. These findings suggest that applying a combined therapy of GLS1 inhibitor and TrxR1 inhibitor could effectively treat MYC-high HGSOC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prahlad V Raninga
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia.
| | - Yaowu He
- Mater Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Keshava K Datta
- Proteomics and Metabolomics Platform, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Xue Lu
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Uma R Maheshwari
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Pooja Venkat
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW 2750, Australia
| | - Chelsea Mayoh
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW 2750, Australia
| | - Harsha Gowda
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Murugan Kalimutho
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - John D Hooper
- Mater Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Kum Kum Khanna
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia.
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8
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The Gold(I) Complex with Plant Hormone Kinetin Shows Promising In Vitro Anticancer and PPARγ Properties. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032293. [PMID: 36768617 PMCID: PMC9916778 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032293] [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] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Motivated by the clinical success of gold(I) metallotherapeutic Auranofin in the effective treatment of both inflammatory and cancer diseases, we decided to prepare, characterize, and further study the [Au(kin)(PPh3)] complex (1), where Hkin = kinetin, 6-furfuryladenine, for its in vitro anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities. The results revealed that the complex (1) had significant in vitro cytotoxicity against human cancer cell lines (A2780, A2780R, PC-3, 22Rv1, and THP-1), with IC50 ≈ 1-5 μM, which was even significantly better than that for the conventional platinum-based drug Cisplatin while comparable with Auranofin. Although its ability to inhibit transcription factor NF-κB activity did not exceed the comparative drug Auranofin, it has been found that it is able to positively influence peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ), and as a consequence of this to have the impact of moderating/reducing inflammation. The cellular effects of the complex (1) in A2780 cancer cells were also investigated by cell cycle analysis, induction of apoptosis, intracellular ROS production, activation of caspases 3/7 and disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential, and shotgun proteomic analysis. Proteomic analysis of R2780 cells treated with complex (1) and starting compounds revealed possible different places of the effect of the studied compounds. Moreover, the time-dependent cellular accumulation of copper was studied by means of the mass spectrometry study with the aim of exploring the possible mechanisms responsible for its biological effects.
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9
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Falchetti M, Delgobo M, Zancanaro H, Almeida K, das Neves RN, Dos Santos B, Stefanes NM, Bishop A, Santos-Silva MC, Zanotto-Filho A. Omics-based identification of an NRF2-related auranofin resistance signature in cancer: Insights into drug repurposing. Comput Biol Med 2023; 152:106347. [PMID: 36493734 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.106347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Auranofin is a thioredoxin reductase-1 inhibitor originally approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Recently, auranofin has been repurposed as an anticancer drug, with pharmacological activity reported in multiple cancer types. In this study, we characterized transcriptional and genetic alterations associated with auranofin response in cancer. By integrating data from an auranofin cytotoxicity screen with transcriptome profiling of lung cancer cell lines, we identified an auranofin resistance signature comprising 29 genes, most of which are classical targets of the transcription factor NRF2, such as genes involved in glutathione metabolism (GCLC, GSR, SLC7A11) and thioredoxin system (TXN, TXNRD1). Pan-cancer analysis revealed that mutations in NRF2 pathway genes, namely KEAP1 and NFE2L2, are strongly associated with overexpression of the auranofin resistance gene set. By clustering cancer types based on auranofin resistance signature expression, hepatocellular carcinoma, and a subset of non-small cell lung cancer, head-neck squamous cell carcinoma, and esophageal cancer carrying NFE2L2/KEAP1 mutations were predicted resistant, whereas leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma were predicted sensitive to auranofin. Cell viability assays in a panel of 20 cancer cell lines confirmed the augmented sensitivity of hematological cancers to auranofin; an effect associated with dependence upon glutathione and decreased expression of NRF2 target genes involved in GSH synthesis and recycling (GCLC, GCLM and GSR) in these cancer types. In summary, the omics-based identification of sensitive/resistant cancers and genetic alterations associated with these phenotypes may guide an appropriate repurposing of auranofin in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Falchetti
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Bioquímica do Câncer (LabCancer), Departamento de Farmacologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas (CCB), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88040-900, Brazil
| | - Marina Delgobo
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Bioquímica do Câncer (LabCancer), Departamento de Farmacologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas (CCB), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88040-900, Brazil
| | - Helena Zancanaro
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Bioquímica do Câncer (LabCancer), Departamento de Farmacologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas (CCB), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88040-900, Brazil
| | - Karoline Almeida
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Bioquímica do Câncer (LabCancer), Departamento de Farmacologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas (CCB), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88040-900, Brazil
| | - Raquel Nascimento das Neves
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Bioquímica do Câncer (LabCancer), Departamento de Farmacologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas (CCB), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88040-900, Brazil; Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Barbara Dos Santos
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Bioquímica do Câncer (LabCancer), Departamento de Farmacologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas (CCB), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88040-900, Brazil
| | - Natália Marcéli Stefanes
- Laboratório de Oncologia Experimental e Hemopatias (LOEH), Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88040-900, Brazil
| | - Alexander Bishop
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA; Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Maria Cláudia Santos-Silva
- Laboratório de Oncologia Experimental e Hemopatias (LOEH), Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88040-900, Brazil
| | - Alfeu Zanotto-Filho
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Bioquímica do Câncer (LabCancer), Departamento de Farmacologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas (CCB), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88040-900, Brazil. https://labcancer.paginas.ufsc.br
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10
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Szeliga M, Rola R. Menadione Potentiates Auranofin-Induced Glioblastoma Cell Death. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232415712. [PMID: 36555352 PMCID: PMC9778806 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232415712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary brain tumor. Recently, agents increasing the level of oxidative stress have been proposed as anticancer drugs. However, their efficacy may be lowered by the cytoprotective activity of antioxidant enzymes, often upregulated in neoplastic cells. Here, we assessed the mRNA and protein expression of thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR1), a master regulator of cellular redox homeostasis, in GBM and non-tumor brain tissues. Next, we examined the influence of an inhibitor of TrxR1, auranofin (AF), alone or in combination with a prooxidant menadione (MEN), on growth of GBM cell lines, patient-derived GBM cells and normal human astrocytes. We detected considerable amount of TrxR1 in the majority of GBM tissues. Treatment with AF decreased viability of GBM cells and their potential to form colonies and neurospheres. Moreover, it increased the intracellular level of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Pre-treatment with ROS scavenger prevented the AF-induced cell death, pointing to the important role of ROS in the reduction of cell viability. The cytotoxic effect of AF was potentiated by treatment with MEN. In conclusion, our results identify TrxR1 as an attractive drug target and highlights AF as an off-patent drug candidate in GBM therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Szeliga
- Department of Neurotoxicology, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawińskiego Str., 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-226086416
| | - Radosław Rola
- Department of Neurosurgery and Paediatric Neurosurgery, Medical University of Lublin, 8 Jaczewski-ego Str., 20-090 Lublin, Poland
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11
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Chen SY, Chao CN, Huang HY, Fang CY. Auranofin induces urothelial carcinoma cell death via reactive oxygen species production and synergy with cisplatin. Oncol Lett 2022; 23:61. [PMID: 35069870 PMCID: PMC8756563 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2021.13179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is one of the most common cancer types of the urinary tract. UC is associated with poor 5-year survival rate, and resistance to cisplatin-based therapy remains a challenge for invasive bladder cancer treatment. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new drugs for advanced UC therapy. Auranofin (AF) was developed over 30 years ago for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and has been reported to exert an antitumor effect by increasing the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cancer cells. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of AF on cancer cell proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis, either alone or in combination with cisplatin. AF induced cell death in two separate cell lines, HT 1376 and BFTC 909, in a concentration- and time-dependent manner by inducing cell cycle arrest. However, the distribution of cells in different phases of the cell cycle differed between the two cell lines, with G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in HT 1376 cells and S phase arrest in BFTC 909 cells. In addition, AF induced apoptosis in HT 1376, as well as redox imbalance in both HT 1376 and BFTC 909 cells. Cell viability was rescued following treatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine, a ROS scavenger. Furthermore, AF treatment synergistically increased the cytotoxicity of HT 1376 and BFTC 909 cells when combined with cisplatin treatment. These findings suggest that AF may represent a potential candidate drug against UC and increase the therapeutic effect of cisplatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- San-Yuan Chen
- Department of Chinese Medicine, Ditmanson Medical Foundation, Chiayi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 60002, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Department of Sports Management, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan 71710, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Chun-Nun Chao
- Department of Pediatrics, Ditmanson Medical Foundation, Chiayi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 60002, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Department of Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung 41354, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Hsin-Yi Huang
- Department of Medical Research, Ditmanson Medical Foundation, Chiayi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 60002, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Chiung-Yao Fang
- Department of Medical Research, Ditmanson Medical Foundation, Chiayi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 60002, Taiwan, R.O.C
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12
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Karsa M, Ronca E, Bongers A, Mariana A, Moles E, Failes TW, Arndt GM, Cheung LC, Kotecha RS, Kavallaris M, Haber M, Norris MD, Henderson MJ, Xiao L, Somers K. Systematic In Vitro Evaluation of a Library of Approved and Pharmacologically Active Compounds for the Identification of Novel Candidate Drugs for KMT2A-Rearranged Leukemia. Front Oncol 2022; 11:779859. [PMID: 35127484 PMCID: PMC8811472 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.779859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients whose leukemias harbor a rearrangement of the Mixed Lineage Leukemia (MLL/KMT2A) gene have a poor prognosis, especially when the disease strikes in infants. The poor clinical outcome linked to this aggressive disease and the detrimental treatment side-effects, particularly in children, warrant the urgent development of more effective and cancer-selective therapeutics. The aim of this study was to identify novel candidate compounds that selectively target KMT2A-rearranged (KMT2A-r) leukemia cells. A library containing 3707 approved drugs and pharmacologically active compounds was screened for differential activity against KMT2A-r leukemia cell lines versus KMT2A-wild type (KMT2A-wt) leukemia cell lines, solid tumor cells and non-malignant cells by cell-based viability assays. The screen yielded SID7969543, an inhibitor of transcription factor Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 5 Group A Member 1 (NR5A1), that limited the viability of 7 out of 11 KMT2A-r leukemia cell lines including 5 out of 7 lines derived from infants, without affecting KMT2A-wt leukemia cells, solid cancer lines, non-malignant cell lines, or peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy controls. The compound also significantly inhibited growth of leukemia cell lines with a CALM-AF10 translocation, which defines a highly aggressive leukemia subtype that shares common underlying leukemogenic mechanisms with KMT2A-r leukemia. SID7969543 decreased KMT2A-r leukemia cell viability by inducing caspase-dependent apoptosis within hours of treatment and demonstrated synergy with established chemotherapeutics used in the treatment of high-risk leukemia. Thus, SID7969543 represents a novel candidate agent with selective activity against CALM-AF10 translocated and KMT2A-r leukemias that warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mawar Karsa
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Emma Ronca
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Angelika Bongers
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Anna Mariana
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) Drug Discovery Centre for Childhood Cancer, Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ernest Moles
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology and Australian Centre for Nanomedicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Timothy W. Failes
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) Drug Discovery Centre for Childhood Cancer, Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Greg M. Arndt
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) Drug Discovery Centre for Childhood Cancer, Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Laurence C. Cheung
- Leukaemia Translational Research Laboratory, Telethon Kids Cancer Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA, Australia
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Rishi S. Kotecha
- Leukaemia Translational Research Laboratory, Telethon Kids Cancer Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA, Australia
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
- Department of Clinical Haematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Perth Children’s Hospital, Perth, WA, Australia
- Division of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Maria Kavallaris
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology and Australian Centre for Nanomedicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michelle Haber
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Murray D. Norris
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- University of New South Wales (UNSW) Centre for Childhood Cancer Research, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michelle J. Henderson
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Lin Xiao
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Klaartje Somers
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence: Klaartje Somers,
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13
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Abdalbari FH, Telleria CM. The gold complex auranofin: new perspectives for cancer therapy. Discov Oncol 2021; 12:42. [PMID: 35201489 PMCID: PMC8777575 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-021-00439-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Advanced stages of cancer are highly associated with short overall survival in patients due to the lack of long-term treatment options following the standard form of care. New options for cancer therapy are needed to improve the survival of cancer patients without disease recurrence. Auranofin is a clinically approved agent against rheumatoid arthritis that is currently enrolled in clinical trials for potential repurposing against cancer. Auranofin mainly targets the anti-oxidative system catalyzed by thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), which protects the cell from oxidative stress and death in the cytoplasm and the mitochondria. TrxR is over-expressed in many cancers as an adaptive mechanism for cancer cell proliferation, rendering it an attractive target for cancer therapy, and auranofin as a potential therapeutic agent for cancer. Inhibiting TrxR dysregulates the intracellular redox state causing increased intracellular reactive oxygen species levels, and stimulates cellular demise. An alternate mechanism of action of auranofin is to mimic proteasomal inhibition by blocking the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), which is critically important in cancer cells to prevent cell death when compared to non-cancer cells, because of its role on cell cycle regulation, protein degradation, gene expression, and DNA repair. This article provides new perspectives on the potential mechanisms used by auranofin alone, in combination with diverse other compounds, or in combination with platinating agents and/or immune checkpoint inhibitors to combat cancer cells, while assessing the feasibility for its repurposing in the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farah H Abdalbari
- Experimental Pathology Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Carlos M Telleria
- Experimental Pathology Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Cancer Research Program, Research Institute, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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