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Maggi M, Scotti C. Enzymes in Metabolic Anticancer Therapy. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1148:173-199. [PMID: 31482500 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-7709-9_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cancer treatment has greatly improved over the last 50 years, but it remains challenging in several cases. Useful therapeutic targets are normally unique peculiarities of cancer cells that distinguish them from normal cells and that can be tackled with appropriate drugs. It is now known that cell metabolism is rewired during tumorigenesis and metastasis as a consequence of oncogene activation and oncosuppressors inactivation, leading to a new cellular homeostasis typically directed towards anabolism. Because of these modifications, cells can become strongly or absolutely dependent on specific substrates, like sugars, lipids or amino acids. Cancer addictions are a relevant target for therapy, as removal of an essential substrate can lead to their selective cell-cycle arrest or even to cell death, leaving normal cells untouched. Enzymes can act as powerful agents in this respect, as demonstrated by asparaginase, which has been included in the treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia for half a century. In this review, a short outline of cancer addictions will be provided, focusing on the main cancer amino acid dependencies described so far. Therapeutic enzymes which have been already experimented at the clinical level will be discussed, along with novel potential candidates that we propose as new promising molecules. The intrinsic limitations of their present molecular forms, along with molecular engineering solutions to explore, will also be presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maristella Maggi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Unit of Immunology and General Pathology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Claudia Scotti
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Unit of Immunology and General Pathology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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Savaraj N, Wu C, Li YY, Wangpaichitr M, You M, Bomalaski J, He W, Kuo MT, Feun LG. Targeting argininosuccinate synthetase negative melanomas using combination of arginine degrading enzyme and cisplatin. Oncotarget 2016; 6:6295-309. [PMID: 25749046 PMCID: PMC4467438 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.3370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Loss of argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS) expression in melanoma makes these tumor cells vulnerable to arginine deprivation. Pegylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG20) which degrades arginine to citrulline and ammonia has been used clinically and partial responses and stable disease have been noted with minimal toxicity. In order to improve the therapeutic efficacy of ADI-PEG20, we have combined ADI-PEG20 with a DNA damaging agent, cisplatin. We have shown that the combination of the two drugs together significantly improved the therapeutic efficacy when compared to ADI-PEG20 alone or cisplatin alone in 4 melanoma cell lines, regardless of their BRAF mutation. In-vivo study also exhibited the same effect as in-vitro with no added toxicity to either agent alone. The underlying mechanism is complex, but increased DNA damage upon arginine deprivation due to decreased DNA repair proteins, FANCD2, ATM, and CHK1/2 most likely leads to increased apoptosis. This action is further intensified by increased proapoptotic protein, NOXA, and decreased antiapoptotic proteins, SURVIVIN, BCL2 and XIAP. The autophagic process which protects cells from apoptosis upon ADI-PEG20 treatment also dampens upon cisplatin administration. Thus, the combination of arginine deprivation and cisplatin function in concert to kill tumor cells which do not express ASS without added toxicity to normal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niramol Savaraj
- Miami VA Healthcare System, Department of Veterans Affairs, Miami, FL, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Chunjing Wu
- Miami VA Healthcare System, Department of Veterans Affairs, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Ying-Ying Li
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Medhi Wangpaichitr
- Miami VA Healthcare System, Department of Veterans Affairs, Miami, FL, USA.,Department of Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Min You
- Department of Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | | | - Wei He
- Polaris Group, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Macus Tien Kuo
- Departments of Molecular Pathology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lynn G Feun
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
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