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Cretu B, Zamfir A, Bucurica S, Scheau AE, Savulescu Fiedler I, Caruntu C, Caruntu A, Scheau C. Role of Cannabinoids in Oral Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:969. [PMID: 38256042 PMCID: PMC10815457 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020969] [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: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoids have incited scientific interest in different conditions, including malignancy, due to increased exposure to cannabis. Furthermore, cannabinoids are increasingly used to alleviate cancer-related symptoms. This review paper aims to clarify the recent findings on the relationship between cannabinoids and oral cancer, focusing on the molecular mechanisms that could link cannabinoids with oral cancer pathogenesis. In addition, we provide an overview of the current and future perspectives on the management of oral cancer patients using cannabinoid compounds. Epidemiological data on cannabis use and oral cancer development are conflicting. However, in vitro studies assessing the effects of cannabinoids on oral cancer cells have unveiled promising anti-cancer features, including apoptosis and inhibition of cell proliferation. Downregulation of various signaling pathways with anti-cancer effects has been identified in experimental models of oral cancer cells exposed to cannabinoids. Furthermore, in some countries, several synthetic or phytocannabinoids have been approved as medical adjuvants for the management of cancer patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy. Cannabinoids may improve overall well-being by relieving anxiety, depression, pain, and nausea. In conclusion, the link between cannabinoid compounds and oral cancer is complex, and further research is necessary to elucidate the potential risks or their protective impact on oral cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte Cretu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, “Carol Davila” Central Military Emergency Hospital, 010825 Bucharest, Romania; (B.C.); (A.Z.)
| | - Alexandra Zamfir
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, “Carol Davila” Central Military Emergency Hospital, 010825 Bucharest, Romania; (B.C.); (A.Z.)
| | - Sandica Bucurica
- Department of Gastroenterology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania;
- Department of Gastroenterology, “Carol Davila” University Central Emergency Military Hospital, 010825 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Andreea Elena Scheau
- Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, Fundeni Clinical Institute, 022328 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Ilinca Savulescu Fiedler
- Department of Internal Medicine, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania;
- Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Coltea Clinical Hospital, 030167 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Constantin Caruntu
- Department of Physiology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (C.C.); (C.S.)
- Department of Dermatology, “Prof. N.C. Paulescu” National Institute of Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases, 011233 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Ana Caruntu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, “Carol Davila” Central Military Emergency Hospital, 010825 Bucharest, Romania; (B.C.); (A.Z.)
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dental Medicine, “Titu Maiorescu” University, 031593 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Cristian Scheau
- Department of Physiology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (C.C.); (C.S.)
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2
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Imanishi M, Inoue T, Fukushima K, Yamashita R, Nakayama R, Nojima M, Kondo K, Gomi Y, Tsunematsu H, Goto K, Miyamoto L, Funamoto M, Denda M, Ishizawa K, Otaka A, Fujino H, Ikeda Y, Tsuchiya K. CA9 and PRELID2; hypoxia-responsive potential therapeutic targets for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma as per bioinformatics analyses. J Pharmacol Sci 2023; 153:232-242. [PMID: 37973221 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphs.2023.10.003] [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: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
A strong hypoxic environment has been observed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells, which contributes to drug resistance, tumor progression, and metastasis. Therefore, we performed bioinformatics analyses to investigate potential targets for the treatment of PDAC. To identify potential genes as effective PDAC treatment targets, we selected all genes whose expression level was related to worse overall survival (OS) in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and selected only the genes that matched with the genes upregulated due to hypoxia in pancreatic cancer cells in the dataset obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Although the extracted 107 hypoxia-responsive genes included the genes that were slightly enriched in angiogenic factors, TCGA data analysis revealed that the expression level of endothelial cell (EC) markers did not affect OS. Finally, we selected CA9 and PRELID2 as potential targets for PDAC treatment and elucidated that a CA9 inhibitor, U-104, suppressed pancreatic cancer cell growth more effectively than 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and PRELID2 siRNA treatment suppressed the cell growth stronger than CA9 siRNA treatment. Thus, we elucidated that specific inhibition of PRELID2 as well as CA9, extracted via exhaustive bioinformatic analyses of clinical datasets, could be a more effective strategy for PDAC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Imanishi
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Japan.
| | - Takahisa Inoue
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Japan; Department of Pharmacy, Tokushima University Hospital, Japan
| | - Keijo Fukushima
- Department of Pharmacology for Life Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Japan.
| | - Ryosuke Yamashita
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Japan
| | - Ryo Nakayama
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Japan
| | - Masataka Nojima
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Japan
| | - Kosuke Kondo
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Gomi
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Japan
| | - Honoka Tsunematsu
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Japan
| | - Kohei Goto
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Japan
| | - Licht Miyamoto
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Food Science, Department of Nutrition and Life Science, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Kanagawa Institute of Technology, Japan
| | - Masafumi Funamoto
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Japan
| | - Masaya Denda
- Department of Bioorganic Synthetic Chemistry, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Japan
| | - Keisuke Ishizawa
- Department of Pharmacy, Tokushima University Hospital, Japan; Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Japan; Clinical Research Center for Developmental Therapeutics, Tokushima University Hospital, Japan
| | - Akira Otaka
- Department of Bioorganic Synthetic Chemistry, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Japan
| | - Hiromichi Fujino
- Department of Pharmacology for Life Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Japan
| | - Yasumasa Ikeda
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Japan
| | - Koichiro Tsuchiya
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Japan
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3
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Kienzl M, Hasenoehrl C, Maitz K, Sarsembayeva A, Taschler U, Valadez-Cosmes P, Kindler O, Ristic D, Raftopoulou S, Santiso A, Bärnthaler T, Brcic L, Hahnefeld L, Gurke R, Thomas D, Geisslinger G, Kargl J, Schicho R. Monoacylglycerol lipase deficiency in the tumor microenvironment slows tumor growth in non-small cell lung cancer. Oncoimmunology 2021; 10:1965319. [PMID: 34527428 PMCID: PMC8437460 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2021.1965319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL) expressed in cancer cells influences cancer pathogenesis but the role of MGL in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is less known. Using a syngeneic tumor model with KP cells (KrasLSL-G12D/p53fl/fl; from mouse lung adenocarcinoma), we investigated whether TME-expressed MGL plays a role in tumor growth of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In sections of human and experimental NSCLC, MGL was found in tumor cells and various cells of the TME including macrophages and stromal cells. Mice treated with the MGL inhibitor JZL184 as well as MGL knock-out (KO) mice exhibited a lower tumor burden than the controls. The reduction in tumor growth was accompanied by an increased number of CD8+ T cells and eosinophils. Naïve CD8+ T cells showed a shift toward more effector cells in MGL KOs and an increased expression of granzyme-B and interferon-γ, indicative of enhanced tumoricidal activity. 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) was increased in tumors of MGL KO mice, and dose-dependently induced differentiation and migration of CD8+ T cells as well as migration and activation of eosinophils in vitro. Our results suggest that next to cancer cell-derived MGL, TME cells expressing MGL are responsible for maintaining a pro-tumorigenic environment in tumors of NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Kienzl
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed, Graz, Austria
| | - Carina Hasenoehrl
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Kathrin Maitz
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Arailym Sarsembayeva
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Ulrike Taschler
- Institute Of Molecular Biosciences, University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Paulina Valadez-Cosmes
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Oliver Kindler
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Dusica Ristic
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Sofia Raftopoulou
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Ana Santiso
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Thomas Bärnthaler
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Luka Brcic
- Diagnostic And Research Institute Of Pathology, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Lisa Hahnefeld
- Institute Of Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Robert Gurke
- Institute Of Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute For Translational Medicine And Pharmacology ITMP, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Dominique Thomas
- Institute Of Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Gerd Geisslinger
- Institute Of Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute For Translational Medicine And Pharmacology ITMP, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Julia Kargl
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Rudolf Schicho
- Division Of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Of Graz, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed, Graz, Austria
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Lowe H, Toyang N, Steele B, Bryant J, Ngwa W, Nedamat K. The Current and Potential Application of Medicinal Cannabis Products in Dentistry. Dent J (Basel) 2021; 9:106. [PMID: 34562980 PMCID: PMC8466648 DOI: 10.3390/dj9090106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Oral and dental diseases are a major global burden, the most common non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and may even affect an individual's general quality of life and health. The most prevalent dental and oral health conditions are tooth decay (otherwise referred to as dental caries/cavities), oral cancers, gingivitis, periodontitis, periodontal (gum) disease, Noma, oro-dental trauma, oral manifestations of HIV, sensitive teeth, cracked teeth, broken teeth, and congenital anomalies such as cleft lip and palate. Herbs have been utilized for hundreds of years in traditional Chinese, African and Indian medicine and even in some Western countries, for the treatment of oral and dental conditions including but not limited to dental caries, gingivitis and toothaches, dental pulpitis, halitosis (bad breath), mucositis, sore throat, oral wound infections, and periodontal abscesses. Herbs have also been used as plaque removers (chew sticks), antimicrobials, analgesics, anti-inflammatory agents, and antiseptics. Cannabis sativa L. in particular has been utilized in traditional Asian medicine for tooth-pain management, prevention of dental caries and reduction in gum inflammation. The distribution of cannabinoid (CB) receptors in the mouth suggest that the endocannabinoid system may be a target for the treatment of oral and dental diseases. Most recently, interest has been geared toward the use of Cannabidiol (CBD), one of several secondary metabolites produced by C. sativa L. CBD is a known anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anxiolytic, anti-microbial and anti-cancer agent, and as a result, may have therapeutic potential against conditions such burning mouth syndrome, dental anxiety, gingivitis, and possible oral cancer. Other major secondary metabolites of C. sativa L. such as terpenes and flavonoids also share anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anxiolytic and anti-microbial properties and may also have dental and oral applications. This review will investigate the potential of secondary metabolites of C. sativa L. in the treatment of dental and oral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Lowe
- Biotech R & D Institute, University of the West Indies, Mona 99999, Jamaica; (H.L.); (J.B.)
- Vilotos Pharmaceuticals Inc., Baltimore, MD 21202, USA;
- Flavocure Biotech Inc., Baltimore, MD 21202, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Maryland Medical School, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA
| | - Ngeh Toyang
- Vilotos Pharmaceuticals Inc., Baltimore, MD 21202, USA;
- Flavocure Biotech Inc., Baltimore, MD 21202, USA
| | - Blair Steele
- Biotech R & D Institute, University of the West Indies, Mona 99999, Jamaica; (H.L.); (J.B.)
| | - Joseph Bryant
- Biotech R & D Institute, University of the West Indies, Mona 99999, Jamaica; (H.L.); (J.B.)
| | - Wilfred Ngwa
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA;
- School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Kaveh Nedamat
- Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA;
- Auraleaf Innovations, Toronto, ON M9B 4H6, Canada
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Rankin L, Gouveia-Figueira S, Danielsson KP, Fowler CJ. Relative Deficiency of Anti-Inflammatory N-Acylethanolamines Compared to Prostaglandins in Oral Lichen Planus. Biomedicines 2020; 8:biomedicines8110481. [PMID: 33172176 PMCID: PMC7694776 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines8110481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory oromucosal disease. The N-acylethanolamines (NAEs), are a family of endogenous biologically active lipid mediators, with palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) being of particular interest here due to its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. In this study using oral mucosa biopsies from OLP patients and healthy controls, we investigated whether NAE synthesis was mobilized in response to the inflammation associated with OLP. PTGS2 levels, coding for cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), were increased approximately 4-fold in OLP compared to controls and a significant increase in the ratio of PTGS2 to NAPEPLD, the latter coding for a key enzyme in NAE synthesis, was seen. This was matched by an increased ratio of COX-2-derived prostaglandins to PEA in a second patient cohort. We conclude that there is an imbalance between prostaglandins and PEA in OLP, opening up the possibility that PEA might be a useful treatment for this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Rankin
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden;
| | | | - Karin P. Danielsson
- Department of Odontology, Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden;
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Christopher J. Fowler
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +46-90-786-7297
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6
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El-Bayoumy K, Christensen ND, Hu J, Viscidi R, Stairs DB, Walter V, Chen KM, Sun YW, Muscat JE, Richie JP. An Integrated Approach for Preventing Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers: Two Etiologies with Distinct and Shared Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 2020; 13:649-660. [PMID: 32434808 DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.capr-20-0096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) was the 7th most common malignancy worldwide in 2018 and despite therapeutic advances, the overall survival rate for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC; ∼50%) has remained unchanged for decades. The most common types are OSCC and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC, survival rate ∼85%). Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor of HNSCC. In the developed world, the incidence of OSCC is declining as a result of tobacco cessation programs. However, OPSCC, which is also linked to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, is on the rise and now ranks as the most common HPV-related cancer. The current state of knowledge indicates that HPV-associated disease differs substantially from other types of HNSCC and distinct biological differences between HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC have been identified. Although risk factors have been extensively discussed in the literature, there are multiple clinically relevant questions that remain unanswered and even unexplored. Moreover, existing approaches (e.g., tobacco cessation, vaccination, and chemoprevention) to manage and control this disease remain a challenge. Thus, in this review, we discuss potential future basic research that can assist in a better understanding of disease pathogenesis which may lead to novel and more effective preventive strategies for OSCC and OPSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karam El-Bayoumy
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania.
| | - Neil D Christensen
- The Jake Gittlen Laboratories for Cancer Research, Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania.,Department of Pathology, Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Jiafen Hu
- The Jake Gittlen Laboratories for Cancer Research, Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania.,Department of Pathology, Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Raphael Viscidi
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Douglas B Stairs
- Department of Pathology, Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Vonn Walter
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania.,Department of Public Health Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Kun-Ming Chen
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Yuan-Wan Sun
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Joshua E Muscat
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - John P Richie
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
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