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Wu P, Wang X, Ge C, Jin L, Ding Z, Liu F, Zhang J, Gao F, Du W. pSTAT3 activation of Foxl2 initiates the female pathway underlying temperature-dependent sex determination. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2401752121. [PMID: 39226347 PMCID: PMC11406301 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2401752121] [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: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Ovarian development was traditionally recognized as a "default" sexual outcome and therefore received much less scientific attention than testis development. In turtles with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), how the female pathway is initiated to induce ovary development remains unknown. In this study, we have found that phosphorylation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (pSTAT3) and Foxl2 exhibit temperature-dependent sexually dimorphic patterns and tempo-spatial coexpression in early embryos of the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans). Inhibition of pSTAT3 at a female-producing temperature of 31 °C induces 64.7% female-to-male sex reversal, whereas activation of pSTAT3 at a male-producing temperature of 26 °C triggers 75.6% male-to-female sex reversal. In addition, pSTAT3 directly binds to the locus of the female sex-determining gene Foxl2 and promotes Foxl2 transcription. Overexpression or knockdown of Foxl2 can rescue the sex reversal induced by inhibition or activation of pSTAT3. This study has established a direct genetic link between warm temperature-induced STAT3 phosphorylation and female pathway initiation in a TSD system, highlighting the critical role of pSTAT3 in the cross talk between female and male pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Wu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Xifeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - Chutian Ge
- Institute of Animal Sex and Development, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, People's Republic of China
- College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Jin
- Institute of Animal Sex and Development, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, People's Republic of China
- College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, People's Republic of China
| | - Zihan Ding
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Fang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - Ju Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - Fei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiguo Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
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2
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Dutta D, Ray P, De A, Ghosh A, Hazra RS, Ghosh P, Banerjee S, Diaz FJ, Upadhyay SP, Quadir M, Banerjee SK. pH-responsive targeted nanoparticles release ERK-inhibitor in the hypoxic zone and sensitize free gemcitabine in mutant K-Ras-addicted pancreatic cancer cells and mouse model. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297749. [PMID: 38687749 PMCID: PMC11060587 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic options for managing Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), one of the deadliest types of aggressive malignancies, are limited and disappointing. Therefore, despite suboptimal clinical effects, gemcitabine (GEM) remains the first-line chemotherapeutic drug in the clinic for PDAC treatment. The therapeutic limitations of GEM are primarily due to poor bioavailability and the development of chemoresistance resulting from the addiction of mutant-K-RAS/AKT/ERK signaling-mediated desmoplastic barriers with a hypoxic microenvironment. Several new therapeutic approaches, including nanoparticle-assisted drug delivery, are being investigated by us and others. This study used pH-responsive nanoparticles encapsulated ERK inhibitor (SCH772984) and surface functionalized with tumor-penetrating peptide, iRGD, to target PDAC tumors. We used a small molecule, SCH772984, to target ERK1 and ERK2 in PDAC and other cancer cells. This nanocarrier efficiently released ERKi in hypoxic and low-pH environments. We also found that the free-GEM, which is functionally weak when combined with nanoencapsulated ERKi, led to significant synergistic treatment outcomes in vitro and in vivo. In particular, the combination approaches significantly enhanced the GEM effect in PDAC growth inhibition and prolonged survival of the animals in a genetically engineered KPC (LSL-KrasG12D/+/LSL-Trp53R172H/+/Pdx-1-Cre) pancreatic cancer mouse model, which is not observed in a single therapy. Mechanistically, we anticipate that the GEM efficacy was increased as ERKi blocks desmoplasia by impairing the production of desmoplastic regulatory factors in PDAC cells and KPC mouse tumors. Therefore, 2nd generation ERKi (SCH 772984)-iRGD-pHNPs are vital for the cellular response to GEM and denote a promising therapeutic target in PDAC with mutant K-RAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debasmita Dutta
- Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, United States of America
| | - Priyanka Ray
- Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, United States of America
| | - Archana De
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, MO, United States of America
| | - Arnab Ghosh
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, MO, United States of America
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, United States of America
| | - Raj Shankar Hazra
- Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, United States of America
| | - Pratyusha Ghosh
- Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, United States of America
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, MO, United States of America
| | - Snigdha Banerjee
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, MO, United States of America
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, United States of America
| | - Francisco J. Diaz
- Department of Biostatistics & Data Science, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, United States of America
| | - Sunil P. Upadhyay
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, MO, United States of America
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, United States of America
| | - Mohiuddin Quadir
- Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, United States of America
| | - Sushanta K. Banerjee
- Cancer Research Unit, VA Medical Center, Kansas City, MO, United States of America
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, United States of America
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3
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Hsueh KC, Ju PC, Hsieh YH, Su SC, Yeh CB, Lin CW. HO-3867, a curcumin analog, elicits cell apoptosis and p38-mediated caspase activation in hepatocellular carcinoma. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY 2024; 39:794-802. [PMID: 37782689 DOI: 10.1002/tox.23977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
HO-3867, a synthetic curcumin analog, has displayed various tumor-suppressive characteristics and improved bioabsorption over its parent compound. However, its influences on the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are poorly defined. To address this, we tested the anticarcinogenic impact of HO-3867 and investigated the underlying mechanisms in fighting liver cancer. Our result demonstrated that HO-3867 reduced the viability of HCC cells, accompanied by promotion of cell cycle arrest at the sub-G1 stage and apoptotic responses. Furthermore, a distinctive profile of apoptosis associated proteins, encompassing elevated heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) level and caspase activation, was detected in HO-3867-stimulated HCC cells. In addition, such HO-3867-mediated elevation in caspase activation was dampened by pharmacological suppression of p38 activities. Taken together, our findings unveiled that HO-3867 triggered cell cycle arrest and apoptotic events in liver cancer, involving a p38-mediated activation of caspase cascades. These data highlighted a usefulness of curcumin or its analogs on the management of hepatocarcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuan-Chun Hsueh
- Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Tungs' Taichung Metroharbor Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Po-Chung Ju
- School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Hsien Hsieh
- Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Chi Su
- Whole-Genome Research Core Laboratory of Human Diseases, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Chao-Bin Yeh
- School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chiao-Wen Lin
- Institute of Oral Sciences, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Dentistry, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
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4
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Curcumin Analog, HO-3867, Induces Both Apoptosis and Ferroptosis via Multiple Mechanisms in NSCLC Cells with Wild-Type p53. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2023; 2023:8378581. [PMID: 36814470 PMCID: PMC9940973 DOI: 10.1155/2023/8378581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Over the last decade, researchers have paid more and more attention to the natural compound curcumin for its potential application in anticancer therapy. However, the application of curcumin has been limited owing to its rapid metabolism in the body. HO-3867, a stable curcumin analog, shows potent antitumor activities against various tumor cells. Yet, information on HO-3867's impact on non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells is lacking. Herein, we evaluated the cytotoxicity of HO-3867 in NSCLC cells. We discovered that HO-3867 suppressed the viability of NSCLC cells containing wild-type p53. In NSCLC cells, HO-3867 promotes both apoptosis and ferroptosis, the latter of which is a newly discovered mode of cell death. Mechanically, HO-3867-induced apoptosis relied on the inhibition of Mcl-1 and Bcl-2 and the upregulation of Bax. Moreover, NSCLC cells undergo ferroptosis when treated with HO-3867 via activating the p53-DMT1 axis and suppressing GPX4. Additionally, HO-3867 caused an accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in NSCLC in a way that was dependent on the presence of iron. Our findings point to the possibility that HO-3867 might be employed as a therapeutic agent for treating NSCLC.
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The Role of Bioactive Compounds in Natural Products Extracted from Plants in Cancer Treatment and Their Mechanisms Related to Anticancer Effects. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2022; 2022:1429869. [PMID: 35211240 PMCID: PMC8863487 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1429869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is one of the greatest causes of death worldwide. With the development of surgery, radiotherapy, and medical agents, the outcomes of cancer patients have greatly improved. However, the underlying mechanisms of cancer are not yet fully understood. Recently, natural products have been proven to be beneficial for various conditions and have played important roles in the development of novel therapies. A substantial amount of evidence indicates that bioactive compounds could improve the outcomes of cancer patients via various pathways, such as endoplasmic reticulum stress, epigenetic modification, and modulation of oxidative stress. Here, we review the current evidence of bioactive compounds in natural products for the treatment of cancer and summarize the underlying mechanisms in this pathological process.
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Targeting STAT3 Signaling Facilitates Responsiveness of Pancreatic Cancer Cells to Chemoradiotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14051301. [PMID: 35267609 PMCID: PMC8908974 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14051301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The debate is ongoing regarding the potential role of preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and whether it should be reserved for borderline resectable or unresectable tumors. However, treatment response is heterogeneous, implicating the need to unveil and overcome the underlying mechanisms of resistance. Activation of the transcription factor STAT3 was recently linked to CRT resistance in other gastrointestinal cancers such as rectal and esophageal cancers, but its role in PDAC needs to be clarified. Protein expression and phosphorylation of STAT3 was determined in PDAC cell lines and connected to transcriptional activity measured by dual-luciferase reporter gene assays. Inhibition of STAT3 signaling was achieved by RNAi or the small-molecule inhibitor napabucasin. We observed a positive correlation between STAT3 signaling activity and CRT resistance. Importantly, genetical and pharmacological perturbation of the IL-6/STAT3 pathway resulted in CRT sensitization specifically in those cell lines, in which STAT3 activity was augmented by IL-6. In conclusion, our data underscore the general importance of IL-6/STAT3 signaling for CRT resistance and suggest that pathway inhibition may represents a putative treatment strategy in order to increase the fraction of patients with PDAC who are candidates for surgical approaches.
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Chen CW, Hsieh MJ, Ju PC, Hsieh YH, Su CW, Chen YL, Yang SF, Lin CW. Curcumin analog HO-3867 triggers apoptotic pathways through activating JNK1/2 signalling in human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. J Cell Mol Med 2022; 26:2273-2284. [PMID: 35191177 PMCID: PMC8995445 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.17248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the common head and neck malignancy in the world. While surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are emerging as the standard treatment for OSCC patients, the outcome is limited to the recurrence and side effects. Therefore, patients with OSCC require alternative strategies for treatment. In this study, we aimed to explore the therapeutic effect and the mode of action of the novel curcumin analog, HO-3867, against human OSCC cells. We analysed the cytotoxicity of HO-3867 using MTT assay. In vitro mechanic studies were performed to determine whether MAPK pathway is involved in HO-3867 induced cell apoptosis. As the results, we found HO-3867 suppressed OSCC cells growth effectively. The flow cytometry data indicate that HO-3867 induce the sub-G1 phase. Moreover, we found that HO-3867 induced cell apoptosis by triggering formation of activated caspase 3, caspase 8, caspase 9 and PARP. After dissecting MAPK pathway, we found HO-3867 induced cell apoptosis via the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)1/2 pathway. Our results suggest that HO-3867 is an effective anticancer agent as its induction of cell apoptosis through JNK1/2 pathway in human oral cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Wei Chen
- Department of Life Science, College of Science and Engineering, National Dong Hwa University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Ju Hsieh
- Oral Cancer Research Center, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan.,Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Po-Chung Ju
- School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Hsien Hsieh
- Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Research, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Wen Su
- Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Research, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Lin Chen
- Institute of Oral Sciences, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Dentistry, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Shun-Fa Yang
- Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Research, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chiao-Wen Lin
- Institute of Oral Sciences, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Dentistry, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung 402, Taiwan
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Abstract
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The biological responses to dienone compounds with a 1,5-diaryl-3-oxo-1,4-pentadienyl
pharmacophore have been studied extensively. Despite their expected
general thiol reactivity, these compounds display considerable degrees
of tumor cell selectivity. Here we review in vitro and preclinical studies of dienone compounds including b-AP15, VLX1570,
RA-9, RA-190, EF24, HO-3867, and MCB-613. A common property of these
compounds is their targeting of the ubiquitin–proteasome system
(UPS), known to be essential for the viability of tumor cells. Gene
expression profiling experiments have shown induction of responses
characteristic of UPS inhibition, and experiments using cellular reporter
proteins have shown that proteasome inhibition is associated with
cell death. Other mechanisms of action such as reactivation of mutant
p53, stimulation of steroid receptor coactivators, and induction of
protein cross-linking have also been described. Although unsuitable
as biological probes due to widespread reactivity, dienone compounds
are cytotoxic to apoptosis-resistant tumor cells and show activity
in animal tumor models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Bazzaro
- Masonic Cancer Center and Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Heath, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Stig Linder
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (BKV), Linköping University, SE-58183 Linköping, Sweden.,Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institute, SE-17176 Stockholm, Sweden
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9
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Vundavilli H, Datta A, Sima C, Hua J, Lopes R, Bittner M. In Silico Design and Experimental Validation of Combination Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer. IEEE/ACM TRANSACTIONS ON COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY AND BIOINFORMATICS 2020; 17:1010-1018. [PMID: 30281473 DOI: 10.1109/tcbb.2018.2872573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The number of deaths associated with Pancreatic Cancer has been on the rise in the United States making it an especially dreaded disease. The overall prognosis for pancreatic cancer patients continues to be grim because of the complexity of the disease at the molecular level involving the potential activation/inactivation of several diverse signaling pathways. In this paper, we first model the aberrant signaling in pancreatic cancer using a multi-fault Boolean Network. Thereafter, we theoretically evaluate the efficacy of different drug combinations by simulating this boolean network with drugs at the relevant intervention points and arrive at the most effective drug(s) to achieve cell death. The simulation results indicate that drug combinations containing Cryptotanshinone, a traditional Chinese herb derivative, result in considerably enhanced cell death. These in silico results are validated using wet lab experiments we carried out on Human Pancreatic Cancer (HPAC) cell lines.
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Hong Z, Wang Z, Zhou B, Wang J, Tong H, Liao Y, Zheng P, Jamshed MB, Zhang Q, Chen H. Effects of evodiamine on PI3K/Akt and MAPK/ERK signaling pathways in pancreatic cancer cells. Int J Oncol 2020; 56:783-793. [PMID: 31922213 PMCID: PMC7010218 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2020.4956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The effective antitumor drug evodiamine (EVO) is attracting increased attention. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of EVO on the proliferation, apoptosis and autophagy of human pancreatic cancer (PC) cell lines in vitro and in vivo. Human PANC-1 and SW1990 PC cell lines were treated with different concentrations of EVO and proliferation was detected using a Cell Counting Kit (CCK)-8 assay. Colony formation and wound-healing assays showed that EVO inhibited PC cell viability and migration, and apoptosis was detected using flow cytometry. Western blotting and immunofluorescence detected the expression of proteins in PANC-1 and SW1990 cells. The PANC-1 cells were used to establish an orthotopic pancreatic tumor model in nude mice. Tumor-bearing nude mice were administered with different concentrations of EVO, and growth was monitored. High-resolution positron emission tomography and fluorine-18-labeled fluorodeoxyglucose were used to monitor the tumor/non-tumor (T/NT) ratio and standard uptake value (SUV) of the mice, which were subsequently sacrificed to measure the transplanted tumor weight. Apoptosis increased with increasing EVO concentration. The EVO-treated PC cells exhibited significantly higher expression of LC3II than the controls cells. EVO decreased LC3II, enhanced P62 and inhibited the expression of Akt, extracellular-signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK)1/2 and p38. Compared with the control group, the T/NT ratio, SUV and tumor weight decreased more markedly in the EVO-treated group. The tumor expression of phosphorylated AKT, detected using immunohistochemistry, decreased with increasing EVO doses in vivo. EVO induced PC cell apoptosis by inhibiting phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT and mitogen-activated protein kinase/ERK and inhibiting the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription activator 3 in PC cells to inhibit autophagy, suggesting that EVO may be considered as a novel PC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong Hong
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, P.R. China
| | - Zhaohong Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, P.R. China
| | - Bin Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, P.R. China
| | - Jisheng Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, P.R. China
| | - Hongfei Tong
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, P.R. China
| | - Yi Liao
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, P.R. China
| | - Peng Zheng
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, P.R. China
| | - Muhammad Babar Jamshed
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, P.R. China
| | - Qiyu Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, P.R. China
| | - Hui Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, P.R. China
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11
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Xiang DB, Zhang KQ, Zeng YL, Yan QZ, Shi Z, Tuo QH, Lin LM, Xia BH, Wu P, Liao DF. Curcumin: From a controversial "panacea" to effective antineoplastic products. Medicine (Baltimore) 2020; 99:e18467. [PMID: 31914018 PMCID: PMC6959860 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000018467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Curcumin, a controversial "panacea," has been broadly studied. Its bioactivities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and especially antineoplastic activities have been documented. However, due to its extensive bioactivities, some scientists hold a skeptical point of view toward curcumin and described curcumin as a "deceiver" to chemists. The objective of this study was to explore curcumin's another possibility as a potential supplementary leading compound to cancer treatments. METHODS Literature searches were conducted using electronic databases. Search terms such as "curcumin," "curcumin analogues," and so on were used. The literatures were collected and summarized. In this article, reported targets of curcumin are reviewed. The limitations of a curcumin as a therapeutic anticancer product including low bioavailability and poor targeting are mentioned. Furthermore, modified curcumin analogues and antitumor mechanisms are listed and discussed in the aspects of cell death and tumor microenvironment including angiogenesis, tissue hypoxia status, and energy metabolism. RESULTS Several possible modification strategies were presented by analyzing the relationships between the antitumor activity of curcumin analogues and their structural characteristics, including the introduction of hydrophilic group, shortening of redundant hydrocarbon chain, the introduction of extra chemical group, and so on. CONCLUSIONS From our perspective, after structural modification curcumin could be more effective complementary product for cancer therapies by the enhancement of targeting abilities and the improvement of bioavailability.
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Affiliation(s)
- De-Biao Xiang
- Division of Stem Cell Regulation and Application, Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province
| | - Kai-Qiang Zhang
- Division of Stem Cell Regulation and Application, Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province
| | - Ya-Ling Zeng
- Medical School, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Qing-Zi Yan
- Division of Stem Cell Regulation and Application, Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province
| | - Zhe Shi
- Division of Stem Cell Regulation and Application, Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province
| | - Qin-Hui Tuo
- Division of Stem Cell Regulation and Application, Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province
| | - Li-Mei Lin
- Division of Stem Cell Regulation and Application, Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province
| | - Bo-Hou Xia
- Division of Stem Cell Regulation and Application, Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province
| | - Ping Wu
- Division of Stem Cell Regulation and Application, Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province
| | - Duan-Fang Liao
- Division of Stem Cell Regulation and Application, Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Bulk Herbs of Hunan Province
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12
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Vundavilli H, Datta A, Sima C, Hua J, Lopes R, Bittner M. Cryptotanshinone Induces Cell Death in Lung Cancer by Targeting Aberrant Feedback Loops. IEEE J Biomed Health Inform 2019; 24:2430-2438. [PMID: 31825884 DOI: 10.1109/jbhi.2019.2958042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Signaling pathways oversee highly efficient cellular mechanisms such as growth, division, and death. These processes are controlled by robust negative feedback loops that inhibit receptor-mediated growth factor pathways. Specifically, the ERK, the AKT, and the S6K feedback loops attenuate signaling via growth factor receptors and other kinase receptors to regulate cell growth. Irregularity in any of these supervised processes can lead to uncontrolled cell proliferation and possibly Cancer. These irregularities primarily occur as mutated genes, and an exhaustive search of the perfect drug combination by performing experiments can be both costly and complex. Hence, in this paper, we model the Lung Cancer pathway as a Modified Boolean Network that incorporates feedback. By simulating this network, we theoretically predict the drug combinations that achieve the desired goal for the majority of mutations. Our theoretical analysis identifies Cryptotanshinone, a traditional Chinese herb derivative, as a potent drug component in the fight against cancer. We validated these theoretical results using multiple wet lab experiments carried out on H2073 and SW900 lung cancer cell lines.
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13
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Shakeri A, Zirak MR, Wallace Hayes A, Reiter R, Karimi G. Curcumin and its analogues protect from endoplasmic reticulum stress: Mechanisms and pathways. Pharmacol Res 2019; 146:104335. [DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2019.104335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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14
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Piperine: role in prevention and progression of cancer. Mol Biol Rep 2019; 46:5617-5629. [PMID: 31273611 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-019-04927-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide. Several pharmacological protocols have been developed in order to block tumor progression often showing partial efficacy and severe counterproductive effects. It is now conceived that a healthy lifestyle coupled with the consumption of certain phytochemicals can play a protective role against tumor development and progression. According to this vision, it has been introduced the concept of "chemoprevention". This term refers to natural agents with the capability to interfere with the tumorigenesis and metastasis, or at least, attenuate the cancer-related symptoms. Piperine (1-Piperoylpiperidine), a main extract of Piper longum and Piper nigrum, is an alkaloid with a long history of medicinal use. In fact, it exhibits a variety of biochemical and pharmaceutical properties, including chemopreventive activities without significant cytotoxic effects on normal cells, at least at doses < of 250 µg/ml. The aim of this review is to discuss the relevant molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the chemopreventive action of this natural alkaloid.
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15
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Abstract
Cervical cancer is the third most common gynecological cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women around the world. Substantial evidence has demonstrated that microRNA (miRNA) expression is disordered in many malignant tumors. The dysregulation of miRNAs has been suggested to be involved in the tumorigenesis and tumor development of cervical cancer. Therefore, identification of miRNAs and their biological roles and targets involved in tumor pathology would provide valuable insight into the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cervical cancer. MicroRNA-411 (miR-411) has been reported to play an important role in several types of human cancer. However, the expression level, role, and underlying molecular mechanisms of miR-411 in cervical cancer remain unclear. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to investigate the expression pattern and clinical significance of miR-411 in cervical cancer and to evaluate its role and underlying mechanisms in this disease. In this study, we confirmed that the expression of miR-411 was significantly downregulated in both cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. Low expression of miR-411 was associated with tumor size, FIGO stage, lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis. Additionally, miR-411 overexpression inhibited cell proliferation and invasion in cervical cancer. Furthermore, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) was identified as a direct target of miR-411 in this disease. In clinical samples, miR-411 expression levels were inversely correlated with STAT3, which was significantly upregulated in cervical cancer. Restored STAT3 expression abolished the tumor-suppressing effects of miR-411 overexpression on the proliferation and invasion of cervical cancer cells. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that miR-411 inhibited cervical cancer progression by directly targeting STAT3 and may represent a novel potential therapeutic target and prognostic marker for patients with this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Shan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tianjin Hospital, Tianjin, P.R. China
| | - Yumin Shang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tianjin Hospital, Tianjin, P.R. China
| | - Tongxiu Hu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tianjin Hospital, Tianjin, P.R. China
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16
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Two decades of research in discovery of anticancer drugs targeting STAT3, how close are we? Pharmacol Ther 2018; 191:74-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2018.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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17
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Perreault M, Maltais R, Roy J, Picard S, Popa I, Bertrand N, Poirier D. Induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress by aminosteroid derivative RM-581 leads to tumor regression in PANC-1 xenograft model. Invest New Drugs 2018; 37:431-440. [PMID: 30062573 DOI: 10.1007/s10637-018-0643-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The high fatality and morbidity of pancreatic cancer have remained almost unchanged over the last decades and new clinical therapeutic tools are urgently needed. We determined the cytotoxic activity of aminosteroid derivatives RM-133 (androstane) and RM-581 (estrane) in three human pancreatic cancer cell lines (BxPC3, Hs766T and PANC-1). In PANC-1, a similar level of antiproliferative activity was observed for RM-581 and RM-133 (IC50 = 3.9 and 4.3 μM, respectively), but RM-581 provided a higher selectivity index (SI = 12.8) for cancer cells over normal pancreatic cells than RM-133 (SI = 2.8). We also confirmed that RM-581 induces the same ER stress-apoptosis markers (BIP, CHOP and HERP) than RM-133 in PANC-1 cells, pointing out to a similar mechanism of action. Finally, these relevant in vitro results have been successfully translated in vivo by testing RM-581 using different doses (10-60 mg/kg/day) and modes of administration in PANC-1 xenograft models, which have led to tumor regression without any sign of toxicity in mice (animal weight, behavior and histology). Interestingly, RM-581 fully reduced the pancreatic tumor growth when administered orally in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Perreault
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Endocrinology and Nephrology Unit, CHU de Québec - Research Center (CHUL, T4-42), 2705 Laurier Boulevard, Québec, QC, GIV 4G2, Canada
| | - René Maltais
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Endocrinology and Nephrology Unit, CHU de Québec - Research Center (CHUL, T4-42), 2705 Laurier Boulevard, Québec, QC, GIV 4G2, Canada
| | - Jenny Roy
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Endocrinology and Nephrology Unit, CHU de Québec - Research Center (CHUL, T4-42), 2705 Laurier Boulevard, Québec, QC, GIV 4G2, Canada
| | - Sylvain Picard
- Department of Anatomo-Pathology, CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Québec, QC, GIV 4G2, Canada
| | - Ion Popa
- Department of Anatomo-Pathology, CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Québec, QC, GIV 4G2, Canada
| | - Nicolas Bertrand
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Québec, QC, GIV OA6, Canada.,Endocrinology and Nephrology Unit, CHU de Québec-Research Center (CHUL, T4-13), Québec, QC, GIV 4G2, Canada
| | - Donald Poirier
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Endocrinology and Nephrology Unit, CHU de Québec - Research Center (CHUL, T4-42), 2705 Laurier Boulevard, Québec, QC, GIV 4G2, Canada. .,Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, GIV OA6, Canada.
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18
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Zou Z, Chang H, Li H, Wang S. Induction of reactive oxygen species: an emerging approach for cancer therapy. Apoptosis 2018; 22:1321-1335. [PMID: 28936716 DOI: 10.1007/s10495-017-1424-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 356] [Impact Index Per Article: 59.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS), a group of ions and molecules, include hydroxyl radicals (·OH), alkoxyl radicals, superoxide anion (O2·-), singlet oxygen (1O2) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Hydroxyl radicals and alkoxyl radicals are extremely and highly reactive species respectively. Endogenous ROS are mainly formed in mitochondrial respiratory chain. Low levels of ROS play important roles in regulating biological functions in mammalian cells. However, excess production of ROS can induce cell death by oxidative damaging effects to intracellular biomacromolecules. Cancer cell death types induced by ROS include apoptotic, autophagic, ferroptotic and necrotic cell death. Since abnormal metabolism in cancer cells, they have higher ROS content compared to normal cells. The higher endogenous ROS levels in cancer cells endow them more susceptible to the ROS-induction treatment. Indeed, some anticancer drugs currently used in clinic, such as molecular targeted drugs and chemotherapeutic agents, effectively kill cancer cells by inducing ROS generation. In addition, photodynamic therapy (PDT) is mainly based on induction of ROS burst to kill cancer cells. The mechanism of cell death induced by radiotherapy using ionizing radiation also refers to ROS production. Moreover, ROS play an important role in tumor immune therapy. Altogether, combining above traditional treatments with ROS-induced agents will be considered as a promising strategy in cancer therapy. In this review, we focus on our current understanding of the anticancer effects of ROS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengzhi Zou
- MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science and Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China. .,Joint Laboratory of Laser Oncology with Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Haocai Chang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science and Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haolong Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science and Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Songmao Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science and Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
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19
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Madan E, Parker TM, Bauer MR, Dhiman A, Pelham CJ, Nagane M, Kuppusamy ML, Holmes M, Holmes TR, Shaik K, Shee K, Kiparoidze S, Smith SD, Park YSA, Gomm JJ, Jones LJ, Tomás AR, Cunha AC, Selvendiran K, Hansen LA, Fersht AR, Hideg K, Gogna R, Kuppusamy P. The curcumin analog HO-3867 selectively kills cancer cells by converting mutant p53 protein to transcriptionally active wildtype p53. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:4262-4276. [PMID: 29382728 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.000950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
p53 is an important tumor-suppressor protein that is mutated in more than 50% of cancers. Strategies for restoring normal p53 function are complicated by the oncogenic properties of mutant p53 and have not met with clinical success. To counteract mutant p53 activity, a variety of drugs with the potential to reconvert mutant p53 to an active wildtype form have been developed. However, these drugs are associated with various negative effects such as cellular toxicity, nonspecific binding to other proteins, and inability to induce a wildtype p53 response in cancer tissue. Here, we report on the effects of a curcumin analog, HO-3867, on p53 activity in cancer cells from different origins. We found that HO-3867 covalently binds to mutant p53, initiates a wildtype p53-like anticancer genetic response, is exclusively cytotoxic toward cancer cells, and exhibits high anticancer efficacy in tumor models. In conclusion, HO-3867 is a p53 mutant-reactivating drug with high clinical anticancer potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esha Madan
- From the Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal.,the Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Amity University, Gautam Buddha Nagar Section 125, Noida 201301, India
| | - Taylor M Parker
- the Department of Surgery, Simon Cancer Research Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
| | - Matthias R Bauer
- the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - Alisha Dhiman
- the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
| | - Christopher J Pelham
- the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri 63104
| | - Masaki Nagane
- the Department of Biochemistry, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5201, Japan
| | - M Lakshmi Kuppusamy
- the Department of Radiology and Medicine, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756
| | - Matti Holmes
- the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178
| | - Thomas R Holmes
- the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178
| | - Kranti Shaik
- the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178
| | - Kevin Shee
- the Department of Radiology and Medicine, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756
| | | | - Sean D Smith
- the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178
| | - Yu-Soon A Park
- the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178
| | - Jennifer J Gomm
- the Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6BQ, United Kingdom
| | - Louise J Jones
- the Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6BQ, United Kingdom
| | - Ana R Tomás
- From the Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana C Cunha
- From the Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Karuppaiyah Selvendiran
- the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, and
| | - Laura A Hansen
- the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178
| | - Alan R Fersht
- the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - Kálmán Hideg
- the Institute of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs-H-7624, Hungary
| | - Rajan Gogna
- From the Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal, .,the Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Amity University, Gautam Buddha Nagar Section 125, Noida 201301, India
| | - Periannan Kuppusamy
- the Department of Radiology and Medicine, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756,
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20
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Zhou B, Hong Z, Zheng H, Chen M, Shi L, Zhao C, Qian H. Pectolinarigenin Suppresses Pancreatic Cancer Cell Growth by Inhibiting STAT3 Signaling. Nat Prod Commun 2017. [DOI: 10.1177/1934578x1701201212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths with extremely poor prognosis. Thus, novel and effective therapies need to be developed to improve the poor survival rates of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Pectolinarigenin, a flavonoids compound, has been shown to possess numerous biologic activities such as anti-inflammation and anti-cancer. However, the function and mechanism of pectolinarigenin in pancreatic cancer are still not well understood. We evaluated the antitumor effects of pectolinarigenin, an active component of a medicinal plant. Pectolinarigenin exerted a strong antitumor effect in pancreatic cancer cell lines. Colony formation assay and wound healing assay indicated that pectolinarigenin inhibited cell viability and cell migration. Treatment with pectolinarigenin induced apoptosis and decreased phosphorylation of STAT3. Pectolinarigenin modulates the STAT3 signaling module, thereby inducing cytotoxicity in pancreatic cancer cells. This result verifies the potential use of pectolinarigenin as a new therapeutic agent for the treatment pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Zhou
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University Medical College, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, China
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Zhong Hong
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Hailun Zheng
- Chemical Biology Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Min Chen
- Chemical Biology Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Lingyi Shi
- Department of Pharmacy, Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Pinghu, Zhejiang 314200, China
| | - Chengguang Zhao
- Chemical Biology Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Haixin Qian
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University Medical College, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, China
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21
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Costunolide specifically binds and inhibits thioredoxin reductase 1 to induce apoptosis in colon cancer. Cancer Lett 2017; 412:46-58. [PMID: 29037867 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2017.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2017] [Revised: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths. A natural sesquiterpene lactone, costunolide (CTD), showed inhibition of cancer development. However, the underlying mechanisms are not known. Here, we have examined the therapeutic activity and novel mechanisms of the anti-cancer activities of CTD in colon cancer cells. Using SPR analysis and enzyme activity assay on recombinant TrxR1 protein, our results show that CTD directly binds and inhibits the activity of TrxR1, which caused enhanced generation of ROS and led to ROS-dependent endoplasmic reticulum stress and cell apoptosis in colon cancer cells. Overexpression of TrxR1 in HCT116 cells reversed CTD-induced cell apoptosis and ROS increase. CTD treatment of mice implanted with colon cancer cells showed tumor growth inhibition and reduced TrxR1 activity and ROS level. In addition, it was observed that TrxR1 was significantly up-regulated in existing colon cancer gene database and clinically obtained colon cancer tissues. Our studies have uncovered the mechanism underlying the biological activity of CTD in colon cancer and suggest that targeting TrxR1 may prove to be beneficial as a treatment option.
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22
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Qiu Z, Chu Y, Xu B, Wang Q, Jiang M, Li X, Wang G, Yu P, Liu G, Wang H, Kang H, Liu J, Zhang Y, Jin JP, Wu K, Liang J. Increased expression of calponin 2 is a positive prognostic factor in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Oncotarget 2017; 8:56428-56442. [PMID: 28915602 PMCID: PMC5593573 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.17701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Calponin 2 plays an important role in regulating actin cytoskeleton, which is critical for cell division and migration. Previous studies have demonstrated that calponin 2 inhibits prostate cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. However, the role of calponin 2 in pancreatic tumor growth, metastasis and patient survival remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that the level of calponin 2 is a positive prognostic factor for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Patients with high calponin 2 expression in the tumor presented less lymph node metastasis and longer survival. Knockdown of calponin 2 facilitated pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. Further experiments suggested that PI3K/AKT, NF-κB, Vimentin, Fibronectin, Snail and Slug were upregulated and E-cadherin was downregulated after calponin 2 was knocked down, implicating altered functions in PDAC proliferation and metastasis. In addition, we verified that calponin 2 functioned through inhibiting PI3K/AKT and NF-κB pathways. Our study suggests that the upregulation of calponin 2 in PDAC correlates to lower malignancy and presents a novel target for the development of new treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoyan Qiu
- Department of General Surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Bing Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Mingzuo Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaowei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Gang Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Pengfei Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Guoxiao Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Hua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Huijie Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jiayu Liu
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, General Hospital of Lanzhou Military Area Command, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jian-Ping Jin
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Kaichun Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jie Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
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23
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Zubair H, Azim S, Ahmad A, Khan MA, Patel GK, Singh S, Singh AP. Cancer Chemoprevention by Phytochemicals: Nature's Healing Touch. Molecules 2017; 22:molecules22030395. [PMID: 28273819 PMCID: PMC6155418 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22030395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Revised: 02/27/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Phytochemicals are an important part of traditional medicine and have been investigated in detail for possible inclusion in modern medicine as well. These compounds often serve as the backbone for the synthesis of novel therapeutic agents. For many years, phytochemicals have demonstrated encouraging activity against various human cancer models in pre-clinical assays. Here, we discuss select phytochemicals—curcumin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), resveratrol, plumbagin and honokiol—in the context of their reported effects on the processes of inflammation and oxidative stress, which play a key role in tumorigenesis. We also discuss the emerging evidence on modulation of tumor microenvironment by these phytochemicals which can possibly define their cancer-specific action. Finally, we provide recent updates on how low bioavailability, a major concern with phytochemicals, is being circumvented and the general efficacy being improved, by synthesis of novel chemical analogs and nanoformulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haseeb Zubair
- Department of Oncologic Sciences, Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA.
| | - Shafquat Azim
- Department of Oncologic Sciences, Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA.
| | - Aamir Ahmad
- Department of Oncologic Sciences, Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA.
| | - Mohammad Aslam Khan
- Department of Oncologic Sciences, Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA.
| | - Girijesh Kumar Patel
- Department of Oncologic Sciences, Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA.
| | - Seema Singh
- Department of Oncologic Sciences, Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA.
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA.
| | - Ajay Pratap Singh
- Department of Oncologic Sciences, Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA.
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA.
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