IMB5036 inhibits human pancreatic cancer growth primarily through activating necroptosis

Therapeutic strategies of targeting non-apoptotic regulated cell death (RCD) with small-molecule compounds in cancer

Regulated cell death (RCD) is a controlled form of cell death orchestrated by one or more cascading signaling pathways, making it amenable to pharmacological intervention. RCD subroutines can be categorized as apoptotic or non-apoptotic and play essential roles in maintaining homeostasis, facilitating development, and modulating immunity. Accumulating evidence has recently revealed that RCD evasion is frequently the primary cause of tumor survival. Several non-apoptotic RCD subroutines have garnered attention as promising cancer therapies due to their ability to induce tumor regression and prevent relapse, comparable to apoptosis. Moreover, they offer potential solutions for overcoming the acquired resistance of tumors toward apoptotic drugs. With an increasing understanding of the underlying mechanisms governing these non-apoptotic RCD subroutines, a growing number of small-molecule compounds targeting single or multiple pathways have been discovered, providing novel strategies for current cancer therapy. In this review, we comprehensively summarized the current regulatory mechanisms of the emerging non-apoptotic RCD subroutines, mainly including autophagy-dependent cell death, ferroptosis, cuproptosis, disulfidptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, alkaliptosis, oxeiptosis, parthanatos, mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT)-driven necrosis, entotic cell death, NETotic cell death, lysosome-dependent cell death, and immunogenic cell death (ICD). Furthermore, we focused on discussing the pharmacological regulatory mechanisms of related small-molecule compounds. In brief, these insightful findings may provide valuable guidance for investigating individual or collaborative targeting approaches towards different RCD subroutines, ultimately driving the discovery of novel small-molecule compounds that target RCD and significantly enhance future cancer therapeutics.

Fundamental insights and molecular interactions in pancreatic cancer: Pathways to therapeutic approaches

The gastrointestinal tract can be affected by a number of diseases that pancreatic cancer (PC) is a malignant manifestation of them. The prognosis of PC patients is unfavorable and because of their diagnosis at advanced stage, the treatment of this tumor is problematic. Owing to low survival rate, there is much interest towards understanding the molecular profile of PC in an attempt in developing more effective therapeutics. The conventional therapeutics for PC include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy as well as emerging immunotherapy. However, PC is still incurable and more effort should be performed. The molecular landscape of PC is an underlying factor involved in increase in progression of tumor cells. In the presence review, the newest advances in understanding the molecular and biological events in PC are discussed. The dysregulation of molecular pathways including AMPK, MAPK, STAT3, Wnt/β-catenin and non-coding RNA transcripts has been suggested as a factor in development of tumorigenesis in PC. Moreover, cell death mechanisms such as apoptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis and necroptosis demonstrate abnormal levels. The EMT and glycolysis in PC cells enhance to ensure their metastasis and proliferation. Furthermore, such abnormal changes have been used to develop corresponding pharmacological and nanotechnological therapeutics for PC.

Acetylshikonin induces necroptosis via the RIPK1/RIPK3-dependent pathway in lung cancer

Despite advances in therapeutic strategies, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Acetylshikonin is a derivative of the traditional Chinese medicine Zicao and presents a variety of anticancer properties. However, the effects of acetylshikonin on lung cancer have not been fully understood yet. This study explored the mechanisms underlying acetylshikonin-induced cell death in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Treating NSCLC cells with acetylshikonin significantly reduced cell viability, as evidenced by chromatin condensation and the appearance of cell debris. Acetylshikonin has also been shown to increase cell membrane permeability and induce cell swelling, leading to an increase in the population of necrotic cells. When investigating the mechanisms underlying acetylshikonin-induced cell death, we discovered that acetylshikonin promoted oxidative stress, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and promoted G2/M phase arrest in lung cancer cells. The damage to NSCLC cells induced by acetylshikonin resembled results involving alterations in the cell membrane and mitochondrial morphology. Our analysis of oxidative stress revealed that acetylshikonin induced lipid oxidation and down-regulated the expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), which has been associated with necroptosis. We also determined that acetylshikonin induces the phosphorylation of receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1)/RIPK3 and mixed lineage kinase domain-like kinase (MLKL). Treatment with RIPK1 inhibitors (necrostatin-1 or 7-Cl-O-Nec-1) significantly reversed acetylshikonin-induced MLKL phosphorylation and NSCLC cell death. These results indicate that acetylshikonin activated the RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL cascade, leading to necroptosis in NSCLC cells. Our findings indicate that acetylshikonin reduces lung cancer cells by promoting G2/M phase arrest and necroptosis.

Genome, Metabolism, or Immunity: Which Is the Primary Decider of Pancreatic Cancer Fate through Non-Apoptotic Cell Death?

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a solid tumor characterized by poor prognosis and resistance to treatment. Resistance to apoptosis, a cell death process, and anti-apoptotic mechanisms, are some of the hallmarks of cancer. Exploring non-apoptotic cell death mechanisms provides an opportunity to overcome apoptosis resistance in PDAC. Several recent studies evaluated ferroptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis as the non-apoptotic cell death processes in PDAC that play a crucial role in the prognosis and treatment of this disease. Ferroptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis play a crucial role in PDAC development via several signaling pathways, gene expression, and immunity regulation. This review summarizes the current understanding of how ferroptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis interact with signaling pathways, the genome, the immune system, the metabolism, and other factors in the prognosis and treatment of PDAC.

IMB5036 overcomes resistance to multiple chemotherapeutic drugs in human cancer cells through pyroptosis by targeting the KH-type splicing regulatory protein

AIMS

IMB5036 is a pyridazinone compound with antiproliferative and antitumour activity against hepatoma and pancreatic cancer. In this study, we attempted to identify the target protein of IMB5036 and test its potential for overcoming multidrug resistance and inducing pyroptosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We examined the effects of IMB5036 on cancer cells by in vitro assays, a molecular docking model and in vivo tumour models. We performed pull-down experiments using biotinylated IMB5036 and identified the binding proteins. Gene knockdown were used to investigate the oncogenic role of KH-type splicing regulatory protein (KSRP). Western blot was used to detect for mechanism-associated molecules.

KEY FINDINGS

IMB5036 could overcome resistance to multiple chemotherapeutic drugs at the cellular level and in vivo. Furthermore, IMB5036 was not a P-glycoprotein (P-gp) substrate and downregulated the expression of P-gp. We identified KSRP as a binding protein of IMB5036. The knockdown of KSRP inhibited the proliferation of MCF7 and MCF7/adriamycin (MCF7/ADR) cells. In addition, IMB5036 induced pyroptosis in both MCF7 and MCF7/ADR cells via KSRP.

SIGNIFICANCE

We found IMB5036 binds to KSRP and overcomes multidrug resistance via gasdermin E (GSDME)-dependent pyroptosis.

Necroptosis-Related Prognostic Model for Pancreatic Carcinoma Reveals Its Invasion and Metastasis Potential through Hybrid EMT and Immune Escape

Necroptosis, pro-inflammatory programmed necrosis, has been reported to exert momentous roles in pancreatic cancer (PC). Herein, the objective of this study is to construct a necroptosis-related prognostic model for detecting pancreatic cancer. In this study, the intersection between necroptosis-related genes and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) was obtained based on GeneCards database, GEO database (GSE28735 and GSE15471), and verified using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Next, a prognostic model with Cox and LASSO regression analysis, and divided the patients into high-risk and low-risk groups. Subsequently, the Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival curve and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to assess the predictive ability of overall survival (OS) of PC patients. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to predict the potential biofunction and possible mechanical pathways. The EMTome database and an immune analysis were applied to further explore underlying mechanism. Finally, clinical samples of PDAC patients were utilized to verify the expression of model genes via immunohistochemistry (IHC), and the normal human pancreatic ductal cell line, hTERT-HPNE as well as human pancreatic ductal carcinoma cell lines, PANC-1 and PL45, were used to identify the levels of model genes by Western blot (WB) and immunofluorescence (IF) in vitro. The results showed that 13 necroptosis-related DEGs (NRDEGs) were screened based on GEO database, and finally four of five prognostic genes, including KRT7, KRT19, IGF2BP3, CXCL5, were further identified by TCGA to successfully construct a prognostic model. Univariate and multivariate Cox analysis ultimately confirmed that this prognostic model has independent prognostic significance, KM curve suggested that the OS of low-risk group was longer than high-risk group, and the area under receiver (AUC) of ROC for 1, 3, 5 years was 0.733, 0.749 and 0.667, respectively. A GO analysis illustrated that model genes may participate in cell-cell junction, cadherin binding, cell adhesion molecule binding, and neutrophil migration and chemotaxis, while KEGG showed involvement in PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, ECMreceptor interaction, IL-17 signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, etc. Moreover, our results showed KRT7 and KRT19 were closely related to EMT markers, and EMTome database manifested that KRT7 and KRT19 are highly expressed in both primary and metastatic pancreatic cancer, declaring that model genes promoted invasion and metastasis potential through EMT. In addition, four model genes were positively correlated with Th2, which has been reported to take part in promoting immune escape, while model genes except CXCL5 were negatively correlated with TFH cells, indicating that model genes may participate in immunity. Additionally, IHC results showed that model genes were higher expressed in PC tissues than that in adjacent tumor tissues, and WB and IF also suggested that model genes were more highly expressed in PANC-1 and PL45 than in hTERT-HPNE. Tracing of a necroptosis-related prognostic model for pancreatic carcinoma reveals its invasion and metastasis potential through EMT and immunity. The construction of this model and the possible mechanism of necroptosis in PDAC was preliminarily explored to provide reliable new biomarkers for the early diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis for pancreatic cancer patients.

A necroptosis related prognostic model of pancreatic cancer based on single cell sequencing analysis and transcriptome analysis

Background

As a tumor type with high mortality and poor therapeutic effect, the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer is still unclear. It is necessary to explore the significance of necroptosis in pancreatic cancer.

Methods

Pancreatic cancer transcriptome data were obtained from the TCGA database, ICGC database, and GSE85916 in the GEO database. The TCGA cohort was set as a training cohort, while the ICGC and GSE85916 cohort were set as the validation cohorts. Single-cell sequencing data of pancreatic cancer were obtained from GSE154778 in the GEO database. The genes most associated with necroptosis were identified by weighted co-expression network analysis and single-cell sequencing analysis. COX regression and Lasso regression were performed for these genes, and the prognostic model was established. By calculating risk scores, pancreatic cancer patients could be divided into NCPTS_high and NCPTS_low groups, and survival analysis, immune infiltration analysis, and mutation analysis between groups were performed. Cell experiments including gene knockdown, CCK-8 assay, clone formation assay, transwell assay and wound healing assay were conducted to explore the role of the key gene EPS8 in pancreatic cancer. PCR assays on clinical samples were further used to verify EPS8 expression.

Results

We constructed the necroptosis-related signature in pancreatic cancer using single-cell sequencing analysis and transcriptome analysis. The calculation formula of risk score was as follows: NCPTS = POLR3GL * (-0.404) + COL17A1 * (0.092) + DDIT4 * (0.007) + PDE4C * (0.057) + CLDN1 * 0.075 + HMGA2 * 0.056 + CENPF * 0.198 +EPS8 * 0.219. Through this signature, pancreatic cancer patients with different cohorts can be divided into NCPTS_high and NCPTS_low group, and the NCPTS_high group has a significantly poorer prognosis. Moreover, there were significant differences in immune infiltration level and mutation level between the two groups. Cell assays showed that in CAPAN-1 and PANC-1 cell lines, EPS8 knockdown significantly reduced the viability, clonogenesis, migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells. Clinical PCR assay of EPS8 expression showed that EPS8 expression was significantly up-regulated in pancreatic cancer (*P<0.05).

Conclusion

Our study can provide a reference for the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis assessment of pancreatic cancer.

Understanding Necroptosis in Pancreatic Diseases

Intermediate between apoptosis and necrosis, necroptosis is a regulated caspase-independent programmed cell death that induces an inflammatory response and mediates cancer development. As our understanding improves, its role in the physiopathology of numerous diseases, including pancreatic diseases, has been reconsidered, and especially in pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. However, the exact pathogenesis remains elusive, even though some studies have been conducted on these diseases. Its unique mechanisms of action in diseases are expected to bring prospects for the treatment of pancreatic diseases. Therefore, it is imperative to further explore its molecular mechanism in pancreatic diseases in order to identify novel therapeutic options. This article introduces recent related research on necroptosis and pancreatic diseases, explores necroptosis-related molecular pathways, and provides a theoretical foundation for new therapeutic targets for pancreatic diseases.