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Townsend PA, Kozhevnikova MV, Cexus ONF, Zamyatnin AA, Soond SM. BH3-mimetics: recent developments in cancer therapy. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2021; 40:355. [PMID: 34753495 PMCID: PMC8576916 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-02157-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The hopeful outcomes from 30 years of research in BH3-mimetics have indeed served a number of solid paradigms for targeting intermediates from the apoptosis pathway in a variety of diseased states. Not only have such rational approaches in drug design yielded several key therapeutics, such outputs have also offered insights into the integrated mechanistic aspects of basic and clinical research at the genetics level for the future. In no other area of medical research have the effects of such work been felt, than in cancer research, through targeting the BAX-Bcl-2 protein-protein interactions. With these promising outputs in mind, several mimetics, and their potential therapeutic applications, have also been developed for several other pathological conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and tissue fibrosis, thus highlighting the universal importance of the intrinsic arm of the apoptosis pathway and its input to general tissue homeostasis. Considering such recent developments, and in a field that has generated so much scientific interest, we take stock of how the broadening area of BH3-mimetics has developed and diversified, with a focus on their uses in single and combined cancer treatment regimens and recently explored therapeutic delivery methods that may aid the development of future therapeutics of this nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Townsend
- University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation.
- University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
| | - Maria V Kozhevnikova
- University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | | | - Andrey A Zamyatnin
- University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation
- Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russian Federation
| | - Surinder M Soond
- University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation.
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Abstract
Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a malignant disease characterized by an excessive number of immature lymphocytes, including immature precursors of both B- and T cells. ALL affects children more often than adults. Immature lymphocytes lead to arrested differentiation and proliferation of cells. Its conventional treatments involve medication with dexamethasone, vincristine, and other anticancer drugs. Although the current first-line drugs can achieve effective treatment, they still cannot prevent the recurrence of some patients with ALL. Treatments have high risk of recurrence especially after the first remission. Currently, novel therapies to treat ALL are in need. Autophagy and apoptosis play important roles in regulating cancer development. Autophagy involves degradation of proteins and organelles, and apoptosis leads to cell death. These phenomena are crucial in cancer progression. Past studies reported that many potential anticancer agents regulate intracellular signaling pathways. Methods: The authors discuss the recent research findings on the role of autophagy and apoptosis in ALL. Results: The autophagy and apoptosis are widely used in the treatment of ALL. Most studies showed that many agents regulate autophagy and apoptosis in ALL cell models, clinical trials, and ALL animal models. Conclusions: In summary, activating autophagy and apoptosis pathways are the main strategies for ALL treatments. For ALL, combining new drugs with traditional chemotherapy and glucocorticoids treatments can achieve the greatest therapeutic effect by activating autophagy and apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Liang Huang
- Children's Medical Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.,Department of Physical Therapy, Hungkuang University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.,Institute of Biomedical Sciences, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Sheng-Jie Yu
- Department of Medical Education and Research, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chia-Ling Li
- Children's Medical Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC
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3
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Chen M, Jiang Y, Cai X, Lu X, Chao H. Combination of Gemcitabine and Thymosin alpha 1 exhibit a better anti-tumor effect on nasal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 98:107829. [PMID: 34119916 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.107829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nasal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NNKTL) is an aggressive and poor prognostic malignant tumor along with high-level infection of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Gemcitabine (Gem) and Thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1) exert an anti-tumor effect in various cancers. However, the effect of the combination of Gem and Tα1 in NNKTL remains unknown. METHODS SNK6 cells were treated with Gem, Tα1 and Gem plus Tα1 for 48 h. The expression levels of EBV and inflammatory factors were measured by qRT-PCR assay. The effect of Gem and Tα1 on cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy was detected by CCK-8, colony formation, flow cytometry, autophagic flux measurement, respectively. Western blot was used to evaluate the expression of proteins related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), apoptosis and autophagy. In vivo xenograft models were used to further verify the roles of Gem and Tα1. Tumors were removed for weight measurement, H&E and IHC staining. RESULTS We identified that the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of Gem and Tα1 was 116.5 μmol/ml and 1.334 μmol/ml. Alone or combined administration of Gem and Tα1 dramatically attenuated the EBV viral load and promoted inflammatory factors expression in SNK6 cells, among which the combination of Gem and Tα1 treatment showed the most significant effect. Besides, combination treatment with Gem and Tα1 markedly inhibited cell growth and EMT progress, and enhanced apoptosis and autophagy. Similarly, Gem combined with Tα1 suppressed tumor growth, promoted apoptosis and autophagy in vivo. Additionally, combination treatment with Gem and Tα1 inhibited PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. CONCLUSION In summary, combination administration of Gem and Tα1 suppressed the progression of NNKTL in vivo and in vitro. Our study provided an effective therapeutic strategy potentially for the clinical treatment of NNKTL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiyu Chen
- Department of Hematology, Affiliated Changzhou Second Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213003, China.
| | - Yu Jiang
- Department of Hematology, Affiliated Changzhou Second Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213003, China.
| | - Xiaohui Cai
- Department of Hematology, Affiliated Changzhou Second Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213003, China
| | - Xuzhang Lu
- Department of Hematology, Affiliated Changzhou Second Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213003, China
| | - Hongying Chao
- Department of Hematology, Affiliated Changzhou Second Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213003, China.
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Shi Y, Zhao H, Ye J, Li Z, Deng M, Zha J, Zhou Y, Zeng H, Lin Y, Pu X, Guo C, Song H, Qiu Y, Xu B. Low-dose triptolide enhances antitumor effect of JQ1 on acute myeloid leukemia through inhibiting RNA polymerase II in vitro and in vivo. Mol Carcinog 2020; 59:1076-1087. [PMID: 32691884 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 06/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) domain inhibitor JQ1 exerts potent anticancer activity in various cancer cells. However, the resistance to BET inhibitors in leukemia stem cells limits its implication in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). High concentration of triptolide (TPL) presents anticancer activities but with adverse effects. Here, we investigated whether the combination of low-dose TPL with JQ1 could help to circumvent the dilemma of drug resistance and side effect in treating AML. AML cell lines, primary cells from 10 AML patients with different status, as well as AML mice model were subjected to different treatments and apoptotic related protein expression were evaluated. Data showed that low-dose TPL combined with JQ1 effectively killed AML cell lines and primary cells from AML patients without exerting significantly greater lethal activity against normal cells. Mechanism study revealed that low-dose TPL combined with JQ1 triggered reactive oxygen species production and induced mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis in AML cells, in which the inhibition of RNA polymerase II to downregulate c-Myc was mainly responsible for the enhanced activity of TPL in combination with JQ1. In vivo study presented that cotreatment with low-dose TPL and JQ1 significantly reduced tumor burden of the NOD/SCID mice engrafted with MOLM-13 cells. In conclusion, low-dose TPL enhanced the antitumor effect of JQ1 on AML without increasing the side effects, supporting a potential option for AML treatment.
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MESH Headings
- Adult
- Animals
- Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating/pharmacology
- Apoptosis
- Azepines/pharmacology
- Biomarkers, Tumor
- Cell Proliferation
- Diterpenes/pharmacology
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/drug effects
- Epoxy Compounds/pharmacology
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic/drug effects
- Humans
- In Vitro Techniques
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/enzymology
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Inbred NOD
- Mice, Nude
- Mice, SCID
- Middle Aged
- Neoplastic Stem Cells/drug effects
- Neoplastic Stem Cells/enzymology
- Neoplastic Stem Cells/pathology
- Phenanthrenes/pharmacology
- Prognosis
- RNA Polymerase II/antagonists & inhibitors
- Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism
- Signal Transduction
- Triazoles/pharmacology
- Tumor Cells, Cultured
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanfei Shi
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Haijun Zhao
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Jing Ye
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Zhifeng Li
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Manman Deng
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Jie Zha
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Yong Zhou
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Hanyan Zeng
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Yun Lin
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
| | - Xuan Pu
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Chengcen Guo
- School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haihan Song
- Department of Immunology, DICAT Biomedical Computation Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yi Qiu
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Bing Xu
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Xiamen for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy, Xiamen, China
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Li M, Wang D, He J, Chen L, Li H. Bcl-X L: A multifunctional anti-apoptotic protein. Pharmacol Res 2020; 151:104547. [PMID: 31734345 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2019.104547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-XL) is one of the anti-apoptotic proteins of the Bcl-2 family that is localized in the mitochondria. Bcl-XL is one of the key regulators of apoptosis that can also regulate other important cellular functions. Bcl-XL is overexpressed in many cancers, and its inhibitors have shown good therapeutic effects. Bcl-XL interacts with Beclin 1, a key factor regulating autophagy. Bcl-XL is essential for the survival of neurons and plays protective roles in neuronal injuries. It can promote the growth of neurons and the correct formation of neural networks, enhance synaptic plasticity, and control neurotoxicity. Bcl-XL can also promote the transport of Ca2+ to mitochondria, increase the production of ATP, and improve metabolic efficiency. In addition, targeting Bcl-XL has shown potential value in autoimmune diseases and aging. In this review, we summarize the functions of Bcl-XL in cancer, autophagy, Ca2+ signaling, neuroprotection, neuronal growth and synaptic plasticity, energy metabolism, immunity, and senescence as revealed by investigations conducted in the past 10 years. Moreover, we list some inhibitors that have been developed based on the functions of Bcl-XL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxue Li
- Wuya College of Innovation, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Dun Wang
- Wuya College of Innovation, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Jianhua He
- Wuya College of Innovation, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Lixia Chen
- Wuya College of Innovation, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
| | - Hua Li
- Wuya College of Innovation, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China; School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
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Venetoclax Synergistically Enhances the Anti-leukemic Activity of Vosaroxin Against Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells Ex Vivo. Target Oncol 2019; 14:351-364. [DOI: 10.1007/s11523-019-00638-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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