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Dong X, Liao P, Liu X, Yang Z, Wang Y, Zhong W, Wang B. Construction and Validation of a Reliable Disulfidptosis-Related LncRNAs Signature of the Subtype, Prognostic, and Immune Landscape in Colon Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12915. [PMID: 37629096 PMCID: PMC10454603 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Disulfidptosis, a novel form of regulated cell death (RCD) associated with metabolism, represents a promising intervention target in cancer therapy. While abnormal lncRNA expression is associated with colon cancer development, the prognostic potential and biological characteristics of disulfidptosis-related lncRNAs (DRLs) remain unclear. Consequently, the research aimed to discover a novel indication of DRLs with significant prognostic implications, and to investigate their possible molecular role in the advancement of colon cancer. Here, we acquired RNA-seq data, pertinent clinical data, and genomic mutations of colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) from the TCGA database, and then DRLs were determined through Pearson correlation analysis. A total of 434 COAD patients were divided in to three subgroups through clustering analysis based on DRLs. By utilizing univariate Cox regression, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm, and multivariate Cox regression analysis, we ultimately created a prognostic model consisting of four DRLs (AC007728.3, AP003555.1, ATP2B1.AS1, and NSMCE1.DT), and an external database was used to validate the prognostic features of the risk model. According to the Kaplan-Meier curve analysis, patients in the low-risk group exhibited a considerably superior survival time in comparison to those in the high-risk group. Enrichment analysis revealed a significant association between metabolic processes and the genes that were differentially expressed in the high- and low-risk groups. Additionally, significant differences in the tumor immune microenvironment landscape were observed, specifically pertaining to immune cells, function, and checkpoints. High-risk patients exhibited a low likelihood of immune evasion, as indicated by the Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) analysis. Patients who exhibit both a high risk and high Tumor Mutational Burden (TMB) experience the least amount of time for survival, whereas those belonging to the low-risk and low-TMB category demonstrate the most favorable prognosis. In addition, the risk groups determined by the 4-DRLs signature displayed distinct drug sensitivities. Finally, we confirmed the levels of expression for four DRLs through rt-qPCR in both tissue samples from colon cancer patients and cell lines. Taken together, the first 4-DRLs-based signature we proposed may serve for a hopeful instrument for forecasting the prognosis, immune landscape, and therapeutic responses in colon cancer patients, thereby facilitating optimal clinical decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqian Dong
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; (X.D.)
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin Institute of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Pan Liao
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; (X.D.)
| | - Xiaotong Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin Institute of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Zhenni Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin Institute of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Yali Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin Institute of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Weilong Zhong
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin Institute of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Bangmao Wang
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; (X.D.)
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin Institute of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin 300052, China
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Sharma A, Cipriano M, Ferrins L, Hajduk SL, Mensa-Wilmot K. Hypothesis-generating proteome perturbation to identify NEU-4438 and acoziborole modes of action in the African Trypanosome. iScience 2022; 25:105302. [PMID: 36304107 PMCID: PMC9593816 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
NEU-4438 is a lead for the development of drugs against Trypanosoma brucei, which causes human African trypanosomiasis. Optimized with phenotypic screening, targets of NEU-4438 are unknown. Herein, we present a cell perturbome workflow that compares NEU-4438's molecular modes of action to those of SCYX-7158 (acoziborole). Following a 6 h perturbation of trypanosomes, NEU-4438 and acoziborole reduced steady-state amounts of 68 and 92 unique proteins, respectively. After analysis of proteomes, hypotheses formulated for modes of action were tested: Acoziborole and NEU-4438 have different modes of action. Whereas NEU-4438 prevented DNA biosynthesis and basal body maturation, acoziborole destabilized CPSF3 and other proteins, inhibited polypeptide translation, and reduced endocytosis of haptoglobin-hemoglobin. These data point to CPSF3-independent modes of action for acoziborole. In case of polypharmacology, the cell-perturbome workflow elucidates modes of action because it is target-agnostic. Finally, the workflow can be used in any cell that is amenable to proteomic and molecular biology experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amrita Sharma
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA
| | - Michael Cipriano
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Lori Ferrins
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Stephen L. Hajduk
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Kojo Mensa-Wilmot
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA,Corresponding author
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Chen Y, Zhang Y, Lu J, Liu Z, Zhao S, Zhang M, Lu M, Xu W, Sun F, Wu Q, Zhong Q, Cui Z. Characteristics of Prognostic Programmed Cell Death-Related Long Noncoding RNAs Associated With Immune Infiltration and Therapeutic Responses to Colon Cancer. Front Immunol 2022; 13:828243. [PMID: 35711417 PMCID: PMC9195301 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.828243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Programmed cell death (PCD) plays an important role in the onset and progression of various cancers. The molecular events surrounding the occurrence of abnormally expressed long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) leading to colon cancer (CC) have become a focus. We comprehensively evaluated the roles of PCD-related lncRNAs in the clinical management of CC and their immune responses. Therefore, we screened 41 prognostic PCD-related lncRNAs in The Cancer Genome Atlas database using co-expression analysis and assigned patients to groups according to the results of cluster analysis. The immune response and functions of cluster 2 were substantially suppressed, which might explain the poor prognosis in this group. A prognostic model comprising eight PCD-related lncRNAs was developed, and its effectiveness was verified using an external database. High-and low-risk groups had different epigenetic modifications and changes in immune cell infiltration. Patients in the high-risk group were resistant to immunotherapy and various chemotherapeutic drugs. Studies in vitro and in vivo further confirmed a carcinogenic role of the lncRNA U62317.4. Our findings of the prognostic value of PCD-related lncRNAs revealed their important roles in immune response disorders, thus providing valuable insights into the clinical management and molecular mechanisms of CC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Central Laboratory, Clinical Medicine Scientific and Technical Innovation Park, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiayi Lu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhongchen Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital Affiliated to TongJi University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shasha Zhao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengmei Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingzhi Lu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Clinical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Wen Xu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Clinical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Fenyong Sun
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi Wu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi Zhong
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhongqi Cui
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
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AF8c, a Multi-Kinase Inhibitor Induces Apoptosis by Activating DR5/Nrf2 via ROS in Colorectal Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14133043. [PMID: 35804815 PMCID: PMC9264837 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14133043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary AF8c, a lapatinib hybrid quinazoline-based EGFR/HER2 inhibitor, was chosen to scrutinize its antiproliferative activity in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. We found that AF8cinduced apoptosis in CRC cells via diverse mechanisms. In addition to inhibiting the phosphorylation of the ErbB family, AF8c increased the mRNA and protein levels of death receptor 5 (DR5) in vitro and in vivo. In addition, AF8c upregulated several ER stress proteins and the redox-sensitive nuclear respiratory factor 2 alpha subunit (Nrf2) in a p53-dependent manner. We also found that the AF8c-induced increase in the levels of Nrf2, DR5, and apoptosis was diminished by p53 downregulation or knockdown. Furthermore, AF8c showed higher antiproliferative activity than lapatinib in the CRC mouse model in vivo. Therefore, our results suggest AF8c as a highly effective polypharmacological small molecule with an encouraging safety profile, both in vitro and in vivo, for further evaluation as a treatment of CRC. Abstract Our team has previously reported a series of quinazoline-based lapatinib hybrids as potent kinase-targeting anticancer agents. Among them, AF8c showed a relatively safe profile in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. In this study, we delineate a novel anticancer activity of AF8c in CRC cells. AF8c mediated p53-dependent apoptosis of CRC cells via the generation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as activation of nuclear respiratory factor 2 alpha subunit (Nrf2) and death receptor 5 (DR5), among others. The silencing of DR5 attenuated the expression levels of Nrf2 and partially inhibited AF8c-induced apoptosis. Additionally, upregulation of Nrf2 by AF8c evoked apoptosis through a decrease in antioxidant levels. Treatment of a CRC mice model with AF8c also resulted in the upregulation of DR5, Nrf2, and CHOP proteins, subsequently leading to a significant decrease in tumor burden. In comparison with lapatinib, AF8c showed higher cellular antiproliferative activity at the tested concentrations in CRC cells and synergized TRAIL effects in CRC cells. Overall, our results suggest that AF8c-induced apoptosis may be associated with DR5/Nrf2 activation through ER stress and ROS generation in CRC cells. These findings indicate that AF8c represents a promising polypharmacological molecule for the treatment of human CRC.
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Yu Z, Zhang X, Pei X, Cao W, Ye J, Wang J, Sun L, Yu F, Wang J, Li N, Lee K, Barth S, Yang VC, He H. Antibody-siRNA conjugates (ARCs) using multifunctional peptide as a tumor enzyme cleavable linker mediated effective intracellular delivery of siRNA. Int J Pharm 2021; 606:120940. [PMID: 34310959 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2021.120940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The tissue-specific targeted delivery and efficient cellular uptake of siRNAs are the main obstacles to their clinical application. Antibody-siRNA-conjugates (ARCs) can deliver siRNA by exploiting the targeting property of antibodies like antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). However, the effective conjugation of antibodies and siRNAs and the release of siRNAs specifically at target sites have posed challenges to the development of ARCs. In this study, the successful conjugation of antibodies and siRNAs was achieved using a multifunctional peptide as a linker, composed of a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) and a substrate peptide (SP), which is highly expressed in solid tumors. The resulting antibody-multifunctional peptide (SP-CPP)-siRNA system delivered the siRNA to target tumor cells by the specific binding of the antibody. Once the enzymes on the tumor cell surface hydrolyzed the substrate peptide linker, siRNA-CPP was released from ARCs. The released siRNA-CPP entered the targeted cells via the cellular penetrating ability of CPP, resulting in improved siRNA-mediated gene silencing efficiency, verified both in vitro and in vivo. After intravenous administration, the designed ARCs achieved approximately 66.7% EGFP (Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein) downregulation efficiency in nude mice xenografted with the HCT116-EGFP tumor model. The proposed system provides a prospective choice for ARC production and the safe and efficient delivery of siRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhili Yu
- Research Center of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Xiaojuan Zhang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Xing Pei
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Weiran Cao
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Junxiao Ye
- College of Pharmacy, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jianxin Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University & Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Lu Sun
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Fei Yu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Jiancheng Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, XueYuan Rd 38, Haidian Dist, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Nan Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Kyuri Lee
- College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Stefan Barth
- South African Research Chair in Cancer Biotechnology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM), Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Victor C Yang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1065, USA
| | - Huining He
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China.
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Zinnah KMA, Park SY. Sensitizing TRAIL‑resistant A549 lung cancer cells and enhancing TRAIL‑induced apoptosis with the antidepressant amitriptyline. Oncol Rep 2021; 46:144. [PMID: 34080659 PMCID: PMC8185507 DOI: 10.3892/or.2021.8095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a cytokine with the potential to induce cancer cell-specific apoptosis with minimal toxicity to normal cells. Therefore, the resistance of certain cancer cells to TRAIL is a major concern and agents that can either enhance TRAIL capabilities or overcome TRAIL resistance are necessary for the development of cancer treatments. The present study investigated whether the antidepressant drug amitriptyline could sensitize TRAIL-resistant A549 lung cancer cells and enhance TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Antidepressants are usually prescribed to cancer patients to relieve emotional distress, such as depression or dysthymia. The present study revealed for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, that amitriptyline increased death receptor (DR) 4 and 5 expression, a requirement for TRAIL-induced cell death. Genetic inhibitors of DR4 and DR5 significantly reduced amitriptyline-enhanced TRAIL-mediated apoptosis. Additionally, the present study explored whether blocking autophagy increased DR4 and DR5 expression. Blocking autophagy flux with the final stage autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) also upregulated DR4 and DR5 expression. TRAIL in combination with amitriptyline or CQ significantly increased the expression of apoptosis-indicator proteins cleaved caspase-8 and caspase-3. The expression levels of LC3-II and p62 were significantly higher in amitriptyline-treated cells, which confirmed that amitriptyline blocks autophagy by inhibiting the fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes. Overall, the present results contributed to understanding the mechanism responsible for the synergistic anticancer effect of amitriptyline and TRAIL and also presented a novel mechanism involved in DR4 and DR5 upregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- K M A Zinnah
- Biosafety Research Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 54596, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Youel Park
- Biosafety Research Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 54596, Republic of Korea
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Mensa-Wilmot K. How Physiologic Targets Can Be Distinguished from Drug-Binding Proteins. Mol Pharmacol 2021; 100:1-6. [PMID: 33941662 DOI: 10.1124/molpharm.120.000186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In clinical trials, some drugs owe their effectiveness to off-target activity. This and other observations raise a possibility that many studies identifying targets of drugs are incomplete. If off-target proteins are pharmacologically important, it will be worthwhile to identify them early in the development process to gain a better understanding of the molecular basis of drug action. Herein, we outline a multidisciplinary strategy for systematic identification of physiologic targets of drugs in cells. A drug-binding protein whose genetic disruption yields very similar molecular effects as treatment of cells with the drug may be defined as a physiologic target of the drug. For a drug developed with a rational approach, it is desirable to verify experimentally that a protein used for hit optimization in vitro remains the sole polypeptide recognized by the drug in a cell. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: A body of evidence indicates that inactivation of many drug-binding proteins may not cause the pharmacological effects triggered by the drugs. A multidisciplinary cell-based approach can be of great value in identifying the physiologic targets of drugs, including those developed with target-based strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kojo Mensa-Wilmot
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia, and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
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Ma M, Zhang C, Xiang XH, Deng XQ, Dai SL, Wei SS, Zhang XM, Zhao LM, Liu YJ, Shan BE. p-Hydroxylcinnamaldehyde from cochinchinamomordica seed reverses resistance to TRAIL in human oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma via the activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling pathway. Biomed Pharmacother 2019; 121:109611. [PMID: 31731196 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2019.109611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Our previous studies have showed that p-Hydroxylcinnamaldehyde (CMSP) could induce the differentiation of ESCC cells via the cAMP-RhoA-MAPK signalling pathway, which suggests a new potential strategy for ESCC treatment. Tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a potent inducer of apoptosis in several tumour cells by binding to the death receptors DR4 and DR5. However, TRAIL has little effect on oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells due to the loss of the receptors. The present study determined the effect of CMSP, the firstly found chemical constituent of Cochinchinamomordica seed (CMS), on TRAIL-induced apoptosis and its mechanism in ESCC cells. METHODS MTS assays were performed to examine the CMSP- and TRAIL-mediated inhibition of ESCC cell growth. Flow cytometry and Hoechst 33258 staining assays were used to detect apoptosis in ESCC cells treated with CMSP combined with TRAIL. Western blotting was used to determine the effect of CMSP on the expression of p38, p-p38, DR4, DR5, Bid and caspase-3/8 in ESCC cells treated with CMSP combined with TRAIL. Additionally, immunodeficient Balb-c/null mouse model was used to determine the chemotherapeutic efficacy of CMSP and TRAIL against ESCC tumour xenograft growth in vivo. RESULTS We found that the combination of CMSP and TRAIL had a greater inhibitory effect on ESCC cell viability in vitro than CMSP or TRAIL alone. CMSP enhanced the TRAIL-induced apoptosis in ESCC cells by upregulating the expression of DR4 and DR5 via the p38 MAPK signalling pathway. Furthermore, the increased expression of DR4 and DR5 upon TRAIL-induced apoptosis in ESCC cells was mediated at least in part by subsequent caspase-3 and caspase-8 activation. Moreover, the in vivo model showed that tumour growth was significantly slower in CMSP and TRAIL combination-treated mice than in mice treated with CMSP or TRAIL alone. CONCLUSION Taken together, our findings indicate that CMSP as an extract from TCM, might be as a potential sensitizer of TRAIL and thus provide a novel strategy for the clinical treatment of ESCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Ma
- Research Centre, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China; Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050021, China
| | - Cong Zhang
- Research Centre, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Xiao-Han Xiang
- Research Centre, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Xiao-Qing Deng
- Research Centre, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Su-Li Dai
- Research Centre, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Si-Si Wei
- Research Centre, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Xiang-Mei Zhang
- Research Centre, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Lian-Mei Zhao
- Research Centre, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China.
| | - Yun-Jiang Liu
- Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China.
| | - Bao-En Shan
- Research Centre, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China.
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Abo-Zeid MAM, Abo-Elfadl MT, Gamal-Eldeen AM. Evaluation of lapatinib cytotoxicity and genotoxicity on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2019; 71:103207. [PMID: 31234033 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2019.103207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Lapatinib, one of the tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), is used to reduce epidermal growth factor family proteins overexpression. This study aims to assess the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of lapatinib on the triple negative breast cancer cell line "MDA-MB-231". We investigated the cytotoxicity of lapatinib by MTT assay, mode of cell death using apoptosis-necrosis assay, DNA damage using micronucleus test, EGFR protein expression by immunocytochemistry, and assessed its effect on EGFR (7p11.2 locus) and TP53 (17p13 locus) genes using interphase-FISH technique. Lapatinib induced cytotoxicity on MDA-MB-231 cell line by elevating the concentration and its IC50 value was 32.5 μM after 24 h. Lapatinib increased apoptotic cells and micronuclei in binucleated cells gradually by increasing the concentration for 24 h. The EGFR protein expression was reduced by double fold that expressed in non-treated cells. Lapatinib enhanced deletion of EGFR gene signals highly significantly from the lowest concentration. Alternatively, lapatinib amplified signals of TP53 gene effectively by raising the concentration. In conclusion, lapatinib induced cytotoxic and genotoxic effects on MDA-MB-231 cell line. However, laptinib reduced the EGFR protein expression and EGFR signals, it raised the apoptotic cells and TP53 gene signals, which triggered extensive DNA damage. Therefore, lapatinib is an effective TKI in triple negative breast cancer cells as elucidated by its mode of cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona A M Abo-Zeid
- Genetics and Cytology Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Division, National Research Centre, Dokki, 12622, Cairo, Egypt; Cancer Biology and Genetics Laboratory, Centre of Excellence for Advanced Sciences, National Research Centre, Dokki, 12622, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Mahmoud T Abo-Elfadl
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Laboratory, Centre of Excellence for Advanced Sciences, National Research Centre, Dokki, 12622, Cairo, Egypt; Biochemistry Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Division, National Research Centre, Dokki, 12622, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Amira M Gamal-Eldeen
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Laboratory, Centre of Excellence for Advanced Sciences, National Research Centre, Dokki, 12622, Cairo, Egypt; Biochemistry Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Division, National Research Centre, Dokki, 12622, Cairo, Egypt; Clinical Laboratory Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Al Mutamarat Rd, Al Mathnah, At Taif, 26521, Saudi Arabia
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Tanner MA, Thomas TP, Grisanti LA. Death receptor 5 contributes to cardiomyocyte hypertrophy through epidermal growth factor receptor transactivation. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2019; 136:1-14. [PMID: 31473246 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2019.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Cardiomyocyte survival and death contributes to many cardiac diseases. A common mechanism of cardiomyocyte death is through apoptosis however, numerous death receptors (DR) have been virtually unstudied in the context of cardiovascular disease. Previous studies have identified TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) and its receptor, DR5, as being altered in a chronic catecholamine administration model of heart failure, and suggest a role of non-canonical signaling in cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, multiple clinical studies have identified TRAIL or DR5 as biomarkers in the prediction of severity and mortality following myocardial infarction and in heart failure development risk suggesting a role of DR5 signaling in the heart. While TRAIL/DR5 have been extensively studied as a potential cancer therapeutic due to their ability to selectively activate apoptosis in cancer cells, TRAIL and DR5 are highly expressed in the heart where their function is uncharacterized. However, many non-transformed cell types are resistant to TRAIL-induced apoptosis suggesting non-canonical functions in non-cancerous cell types. Our goal was to determine the role of DR5 in the heart with the hypothesis that DR5 does not induce cardiomyocyte apoptosis but initiates non-canonical signaling to promote cardiomyocyte growth and survival. Histological analysis of hearts from mice treated with a DR5 agonists showed increased hypertrophy with no differences in cardiomyocyte death, fibrosis or function. Mechanistic studies in the heart and isolated cardiomyocytes identified ERK1/2 activation with DR5 agonist treatment which contributed to hypertrophy. Furthermore, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was activated following DR5 agonist treatment through activation of MMP and HB-EGFR cleavage and specific inhibitors of MMP and EGFR prevented DR5-mediated ERK1/2 signaling and hypertrophy. Taken together, these studies identify a previously unidentified role for DR5 in the heart, which does not promote apoptosis but acts through non-canonical MMP-EGFR-ERK1/2 signaling mechanisms to contribute to cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miles A Tanner
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Toby P Thomas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Laurel A Grisanti
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
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11
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Zhao LM, Li L, Huang Y, Han LJ, Li D, Huo BJ, Dai SL, Xu LY, Zhan Q, Shan BE. Antitumor Effect of Periplocin in TRAIL-Resistant gastric cancer cells via upregulation of death receptor through activating ERK1/2-EGR1 pathway. Mol Carcinog 2019; 58:1033-1045. [PMID: 30737960 DOI: 10.1002/mc.22991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), a member of the tumor necrosis factor family, induces apoptosis in a variety of cancer cells. However, gastric cancer (GC) cells are insensitive to TRAIL usually. In the previous study, we showed that Periplocin could induce apoptosis in GC cells via the activation of ERK1/2-EGR1 pathway. In the present study, we have shown that the combination of Periplocin and TRAIL had a greater inhibitory effect on gastric cancer cell viability in vitro and in vivo than Periplocin or TRAIL alone. Through upregulating the expression of DR4 and DR5 at transcriptional and protein levels, Periplocin enhanced the sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to TRAIL. Furthermore, enhanced activity of ERK1/2-EGR1 pathway was responsible for upregulating of DR4 and DR5 uponPeriplocin treatment, subsequently reducing the expression of Mcl-1 and Bcl2 and activating Bid and caspase-3/8. Collectively, these data implied that Periplocin might act as a sensitizer of TRAIL and could be a potential strategy for the treatment of GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian-Mei Zhao
- Research Centre, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China.,State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Li
- Research Centre, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Ying Huang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Lu-Juan Han
- Research Centre, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Dan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Bing-Jie Huo
- Research Centre, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Su-Li Dai
- Research Centre, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Li-Yan Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Shantou 4University, Shantou, China
| | - Qimin Zhan
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Bao-En Shan
- Research Centre, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
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12
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Eustace AJ, Conlon NT, McDermott MSJ, Browne BC, O'Leary P, Holmes FA, Espina V, Liotta LA, O'Shaughnessy J, Gallagher C, O'Driscoll L, Rani S, Madden SF, O'Brien NA, Ginther C, Slamon D, Walsh N, Gallagher WM, Zagozdzon R, Watson WR, O'Donovan N, Crown J. Development of acquired resistance to lapatinib may sensitise HER2-positive breast cancer cells to apoptosis induction by obatoclax and TRAIL. BMC Cancer 2018; 18:965. [PMID: 30305055 PMCID: PMC6180577 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-018-4852-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Lapatinib has clinical efficacy in the treatment of trastuzumab-refractory HER2-positive breast cancer. However, a significant proportion of patients develop progressive disease due to acquired resistance to the drug. Induction of apoptotic cell death is a key mechanism of action of lapatinib in HER2-positive breast cancer cells. Methods We examined alterations in regulation of the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways in cell line models of acquired lapatinib resistance both in vitro and in patient samples from the NCT01485926 clinical trial, and investigated potential strategies to exploit alterations in apoptosis signalling to overcome lapatinib resistance in HER2-positive breast cancer. Results In this study, we examined two cell lines models of acquired lapatinib resistance (SKBR3-L and HCC1954-L) and showed that lapatinib does not induce apoptosis in these cells. We identified alterations in members of the BCL-2 family of proteins, in particular MCL-1 and BAX, which may play a role in resistance to lapatinib. We tested the therapeutic inhibitor obatoclax, which targets MCL-1. Both SKBR3-L and HCC1954-L cells showed greater sensitivity to obatoclax-induced apoptosis than parental cells. Interestingly, we also found that the development of acquired resistance to lapatinib resulted in acquired sensitivity to TRAIL in SKBR3-L cells. Sensitivity to TRAIL in the SKBR3-L cells was associated with reduced phosphorylation of AKT, increased expression of FOXO3a and decreased expression of c-FLIP. In SKBR3-L cells, TRAIL treatment caused activation of caspase 8, caspase 9 and caspase 3/7. In a second resistant model, HCC1954-L cells, p-AKT levels were not decreased and these cells did not show enhanced sensitivity to TRAIL. Furthermore, combining obatoclax with TRAIL improved response in SKBR3-L cells but not in HCC1954-L cells. Conclusions Our findings highlight the possibility of targeting altered apoptotic signalling to overcome acquired lapatinib resistance, and identify potential novel treatment strategies, with potential biomarkers, for HER2-positive breast cancer that is resistant to HER2 targeted therapies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-4852-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex J Eustace
- Molecular Therapeutics for Cancer Ireland, National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Neil T Conlon
- Molecular Therapeutics for Cancer Ireland, National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Martina S J McDermott
- Molecular Therapeutics for Cancer Ireland, National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Brigid C Browne
- Molecular Therapeutics for Cancer Ireland, National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Patrick O'Leary
- UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Frankie A Holmes
- Texas Oncology-Memorial Hermann Memorial City, US Oncology Research, 925 Gessner Road #550, Houston, TX, 77024-2546, USA
| | | | | | | | - Clair Gallagher
- Molecular Therapeutics for Cancer Ireland, National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Lorraine O'Driscoll
- School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sweta Rani
- School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Stephen F Madden
- Molecular Therapeutics for Cancer Ireland, National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.,Data Science Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Neil A O'Brien
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Charles Ginther
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Dennis Slamon
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Naomi Walsh
- Molecular Therapeutics for Cancer Ireland, National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - William M Gallagher
- UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Radoslaw Zagozdzon
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Transplantation Institute, Medical University of Warsaw, Nowogrodzka, 59, Warsaw, Poland
| | - William R Watson
- UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Norma O'Donovan
- Molecular Therapeutics for Cancer Ireland, National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - John Crown
- Molecular Therapeutics for Cancer Ireland, National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.,Department of Oncology, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
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13
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Mao X, Chen Z, Zhao Y, Yu Y, Guan S, Woodfield SE, Vasudevan SA, Tao L, Pang JC, Lu J, Zhang H, Zhang F, Yang J. Novel multi-targeted ErbB family inhibitor afatinib blocks EGF-induced signaling and induces apoptosis in neuroblastoma. Oncotarget 2018; 8:1555-1568. [PMID: 27902463 PMCID: PMC5352076 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.13657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children. The ErbB family of proteins is a group of receptor tyrosine kinases that promote the progression of various malignant cancers including neuroblastoma. Thus, targeting them with small molecule inhibitors is a promising strategy for neuroblastoma therapy. In this study, we investigated the anti-tumor effect of afatinib, an irreversible inhibitor of members of the ErbB family, on neuroblastoma. We found that afatinib suppressed the proliferation and colony formation ability of neuroblastoma cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. Afatinib also induced apoptosis and blocked EGF-induced activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in all neuroblastoma cell lines tested. In addition, afatinib enhanced doxorubicin-induced cytotoxicity in neuroblastoma cells, including the chemoresistant LA-N-6 cell line. Finally, afatinib exhibited antitumor efficacy in vivo by inducing apoptosis in an orthotopic xenograft neuroblastoma mouse model. Taken together, these results show that afatinib inhibits neuroblastoma growth both in vitro and in vivo by suppressing EGFR-mediated PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling. Our study supports the idea that EGFR is a potential therapeutic target in neuroblastoma. And targeting ErbB family protein kinases with small molecule inhibitors like afatinib alone or in combination with doxorubicin is a viable option for treating neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinfang Mao
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, P. R. China.,Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Zhenghu Chen
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, P. R. China
| | - Yanling Zhao
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Yang Yu
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Shan Guan
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, P. R. China.,Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Sarah E Woodfield
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital Department of Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Sanjeev A Vasudevan
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital Department of Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Ling Tao
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Jonathan C Pang
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Jiaxiong Lu
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Huiyuan Zhang
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Fuchun Zhang
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, P. R. China
| | - Jianhua Yang
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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14
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Yin N, Lepp A, Ji Y, Mortensen M, Hou S, Qi XM, Myers CR, Chen G. The K-Ras effector p38γ MAPK confers intrinsic resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors by stimulating EGFR transcription and EGFR dephosphorylation. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:15070-15079. [PMID: 28739874 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.779488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in K-Ras and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are mutually exclusive, but it is not known how K-Ras activation inactivates EGFR, leading to resistance of cancer cells to anti-EGFR therapy. Here, we report that the K-Ras effector p38γ MAPK confers intrinsic resistance to small molecular tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) by concurrently stimulating EGFR gene transcription and protein dephosphorylation. We found that p38γ increases EGFR transcription by c-Jun-mediated promoter binding and stimulates EGFR dephosphorylation via activation of protein-tyrosine phosphatase H1 (PTPH1). Silencing the p38γ/c-Jun/PTPH1 signaling network increased sensitivities to TKIs in K-Ras mutant cells in which EGFR knockdown inhibited growth. Similar results were obtained with the p38γ-specific pharmacological inhibitor pirfenidone. These results indicate that in K-Ras mutant cancers, EGFR activity is regulated by the p38γ/c-Jun/PTPH1 signaling network, whose disruption may be a novel strategy to restore the sensitivity to TKIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Yin
- From the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226 and
| | - Adrienne Lepp
- From the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226 and
| | - Yongsheng Ji
- From the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226 and
| | - Matthew Mortensen
- From the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226 and
| | - Songwang Hou
- From the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226 and
| | - Xiao-Mei Qi
- From the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226 and
| | - Charles R Myers
- From the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226 and
| | - Guan Chen
- From the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226 and .,the Research Service, Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53295
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15
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Tunicamycin enhances human colon cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis by JNK-CHOP-mediated DR5 upregulation and the inhibition of the EGFR pathway. Anticancer Drugs 2017; 28:66-74. [DOI: 10.1097/cad.0000000000000431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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16
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Zhang WJ, Li Y, Wei MN, Chen Y, Qiu JG, Jiang QW, Yang Y, Zheng DW, Qin WM, Huang JR, Wang K, Zhang WJ, Wang YJ, Yang DH, Chen ZS, Shi Z. Synergistic antitumor activity of regorafenib and lapatinib in preclinical models of human colorectal cancer. Cancer Lett 2016; 386:100-109. [PMID: 27864115 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2016.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Regorafenib significantly prolongs overall survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), but the overall clinical efficacy of regorafenib remains quite limited. Combination chemotherapy is a potentially promising approach to enhance anticancer activity, overcome drug resistance, and improve disease-free and overall survival. The current study investigates the antitumor activity of regorafenib in combination with lapatinib in preclinical models of human CRC. Our results show improved antitumor efficacy when regorafenib is combined with lapatinib both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, pharmacokinetic analyses revealed that regorafenib and lapatinib do not influence on each plasma concentration. The finding that regorafenib in combination with lapatinib have synergistic activity warrants further clinical investigation of this beneficial combination as a potential treatment strategy for CRC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Ji Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology & Institute of Biomedicine, National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Yong Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery & General Surgery, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Meng-Ning Wei
- Department of Cell Biology & Institute of Biomedicine, National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Yao Chen
- Department of Cell Biology & Institute of Biomedicine, National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Jian-Ge Qiu
- Department of Cell Biology & Institute of Biomedicine, National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Qi-Wei Jiang
- Department of Cell Biology & Institute of Biomedicine, National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Cell Biology & Institute of Biomedicine, National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Di-Wei Zheng
- Department of Cell Biology & Institute of Biomedicine, National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Wu-Ming Qin
- Department of Cell Biology & Institute of Biomedicine, National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Jia-Rong Huang
- Department of Cell Biology & Institute of Biomedicine, National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Kun Wang
- Department of Cell Biology & Institute of Biomedicine, National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Wen-Juan Zhang
- Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Yi-Jun Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Dong-Hua Yang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Zhe-Sheng Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of Traditional Chinese Medicine and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, PR China.
| | - Zhi Shi
- Department of Cell Biology & Institute of Biomedicine, National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China.
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17
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Chen L, Meng Y, Guo X, Sheng X, Tai G, Zhang F, Cheng H, Zhou Y. Gefitinib enhances human colon cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis of via autophagy- and JNK-mediated death receptors upregulation. Apoptosis 2016; 21:1291-1301. [DOI: 10.1007/s10495-016-1287-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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18
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Montero JC, García-Alonso S, Ocaña A, Pandiella A. Identification of therapeutic targets in ovarian cancer through active tyrosine kinase profiling. Oncotarget 2016; 6:30057-71. [PMID: 26336133 PMCID: PMC4745781 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.4996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The activation status of a set of pro-oncogenic tyrosine kinases in ovarian cancer patient samples was analyzed to define potential therapeutic targets. Frequent activation of HER family receptor tyrosine kinases, especially HER2, was observed. Studies in ovarian cancer cell lines confirmed the activation of HER2. Moreover, knockdown of HER2 caused a strong inhibition of their proliferation. Analyses of the action of agents that target HER2 indicated that the antibody drug conjugate trastuzumab-emtansine (T-DM1) caused a substantial antitumoral effect in vivo and in vitro, and potentiated the action of drugs used in the therapy of ovarian cancer. T-DM1 provoked cell cycle arrest in mitosis, and caused the appearance of aberrant mitotic spindles in cells treated with the drug. Biochemical experiments confirmed accumulation of the mitotic markers phospho-Histone H3 and phospho-BUBR1 in cells treated with the drug. Prolonged treatment of ovarian cancer cells with T-DM1 provoked the appearance of multinucleated cells which later led to cell death. Together, these data indicate that HER2 represents an important oncogene in ovarian cancer, and suggest that targeting this tyrosine kinase with T-DM1 may be therapeutically effective, especially in ovarian tumors with high content of HER2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Montero
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC-Universidad de Salamanca, Spain
| | - Sara García-Alonso
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC-Universidad de Salamanca, Spain
| | - Alberto Ocaña
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital of Albacete, Spain
| | - Atanasio Pandiella
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC-Universidad de Salamanca, Spain
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19
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Ginsenoside compound K sensitizes human colon cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis via autophagy-dependent and -independent DR5 upregulation. Cell Death Dis 2016; 7:e2334. [PMID: 27512955 PMCID: PMC5108320 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2016.234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Revised: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a potent cancer cell-specific apoptosis-inducing cytokine with little toxicity to most normal cells. However, acquired resistance of cancer cells to TRAIL is a roadblock. Agents that can either potentiate the effect of TRAIL or overcome resistance to TRAIL are urgently needed. This article reports that ginsenoside compound K (CK) potentiates TRAIL-induced apoptosis in HCT116 colon cancer cells and sensitizes TRAIL-resistant colon cancer HT-29 cells to TRAIL. On a cellular mechanistic level, CK downregulated cell survival proteins including Mcl-1, Bcl-2, surviving, X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein and Fas-associated death domain-like IL-1-converting enzyme-inhibitory protein, upregulated cell pro-apoptotic proteins including Bax, tBid and cytochrome c, and induced the cell surface expression of TRAIL death receptor DR5. Reduction of DR5 levels by siRNAs significantly decreases CK- and TRAIL-mediated apoptosis. Importantly, our results indicate, for the first time, that DR5 upregulation is mediated by autophagy, as blockade of CK-induced autophagy by 3-MA, LY294002 or Atg7 siRNAs substantially decreases DR5 upregulation and reduces the synergistic effect. Furthermore, CK-stimulated autophagy is mediated by the reactive oxygen species–c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase pathway. Moreover, we found that p53 and the C/EBP homologous (CHOP) protein is also required for DR5 upregulation but not related with autophagy. Our findings contribute significantly to the understanding of the mechanism accounted for the synergistic anticancer activity of CK and TRAIL, and showed a novel mechanism related with DR5 upregulation.
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20
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Delivery of tumor-homing TRAIL sensitizer with long-acting TRAIL as a therapy for TRAIL-resistant tumors. J Control Release 2015; 220:671-81. [PMID: 26381901 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2015.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2015] [Revised: 09/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) has attracted great interest as a cancer therapy because it selectively induces death receptor (DR)-mediated apoptosis in cancer cells while sparing normal tissue. However, recombinant human TRAIL demonstrates limited therapeutic efficacy in clinical trials, possibly due to TRAIL-resistance of primary cancers and its inherent short half-life. Here we introduce drug delivery approaches to maximize in vivo potency of TRAIL in TRAIL-resistant tumor xenografts by (1) extending the half-life of the ligand with PEGylated TRAIL (TRAILPEG) and (2) concentrating a TRAIL sensitizer, selected from in vitro screening, in tumors via tumor-homing nanoparticles. Antitumor efficacy of TRAILPEG with tumor-homing sensitizer was evaluated in HCT116 and HT-29 colon xenografts. Western blot, real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry and cell viability assays were employed to investigate mechanisms of action and antitumor efficacy of the combination. We discovered that doxorubicin (DOX) sensitizes TRAIL-resistant HT-29 colon cancer cells to TRAIL by upregulating mRNA expression of DR5 by 60% in vitro. Intravenously administered free DOX does not effectively upregulate DR5 in tumor tissues nor demonstrate synergy with TRAILPEG in HT-29 xenografts, but rather introduces significant systemic toxicity. Alternatively, when DOX was encapsulated in hyaluronic acid-based nanoparticles (HAC/DOX) and intravenously administered with TRAILPEG, DR-mediated apoptosis was potentiated in HT-29 tumors by upregulating DR5 protein expression by 70% and initiating both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways with reduced systemic toxicity compared to HAC/DOX or free DOX combined with TRAILPEG (80% vs. 40% survival rate; 75% vs. 34% tumor growth inhibition). This study demonstrates a unique approach to overcome TRAIL-based therapy drawbacks using sequential administration of a tumor-homing TRAIL sensitizer and long-acting TRAILPEG.
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21
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New benzimidazole acridine derivative induces human colon cancer cell apoptosis in vitro via the ROS-JNK signaling pathway. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2015; 36:1074-84. [PMID: 26235743 DOI: 10.1038/aps.2015.44] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2014] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM To investigate the mechanisms underlying anticancer action of the benzimidazole acridine derivative N-{(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)methyl}-2-butylacridin-9-amine(8m) against human colon cancer cells in vitro. METHODS Human colon cancer cell lines SW480 and HCT116 were incubated in the presence of 8m, and then the cell proliferation and apoptosis were measured. The expression of apoptotic/signaling genes and proteins was detected using RT-PCR and Western blotting. ROS generation and mitochondrial membrane depolarization were visualized with fluorescence microscopy. RESULTS 8m dose-dependently suppressed the proliferation of SW480 and HCT116 cells with IC50 values of 6.77 and 3.33 μmol/L, respectively. 8m induced apoptosis of HCT116 cells, accompanied by down-regulation of Bcl-2, up-regulation of death receptor-5 (DR5), truncation of Bid, cleavage of PARP, and activation of caspases (including caspase-8 and caspase-9 as well as the downstream caspases-3 and caspase-7). Moreover, 8m selectively activated JNK and p38 without affecting ERK in HCT116 cells. Knockout of JNK1, but not p38, attenuated 8m-induced apoptosis. In addition, 8m induced ROS production and mitochondrial membrane depolarization in HCT116 cells. Pretreatment with the antioxidants N-acetyl cysteine or glutathione attenuated 8m-induced apoptosis and JNK activation in HCT116 cells. CONCLUSION The new benzimidazole acridine derivative, 8m exerts anticancer activity against human colon cancer cells in vitro by inducing both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways via the ROS-JNK1 pathway.
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Lim B, Allen JE, Prabhu VV, Talekar MK, Finnberg NK, El-Deiry WS. Targeting TRAIL in the treatment of cancer: new developments. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2015; 19:1171-85. [DOI: 10.1517/14728222.2015.1049838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Nie W, Song W, Zhang W, Wang Y, Zhu A, Shao J, Guan X. miR-1470 mediates lapatinib induced p27 upregulation by targeting c-jun. J Cell Physiol 2015; 230:1630-9. [PMID: 25545366 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.24910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2014] [Accepted: 12/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Nie
- Department of Medical Oncology; Jinling Hospital; School of Medicine; Southern Medical University; Guangzhou P.R. China
| | - Wei Song
- Department of Medical Oncology; Jinling Hospital; School of Medicine; Southern Medical University; Guangzhou P.R. China
| | - Wenwen Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology; Jinling Hospital; Medical School of Nanjing University; Nanjing P.R. China
| | - Yanru Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology; Jinling Hospital; School of Medicine; Southern Medical University; Guangzhou P.R. China
| | - Aiyu Zhu
- Department of Medical Oncology; Jinling Hospital; School of Medicine; Southern Medical University; Guangzhou P.R. China
| | - Jiaqing Shao
- Department of Medical Oncology; Jinling Hospital; School of Medicine; Southern Medical University; Guangzhou P.R. China
- Department of Endocrinology; Jinling Hospital; School of Medicine; Southern Medical University; Guangzhou P.R. China
| | - Xiaoxiang Guan
- Department of Medical Oncology; Jinling Hospital; School of Medicine; Southern Medical University; Guangzhou P.R. China
- Department of Medical Oncology; Jinling Hospital; Medical School of Nanjing University; Nanjing P.R. China
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A benzimidazole derivative exhibiting antitumor activity blocks EGFR and HER2 activity and upregulates DR5 in breast cancer cells. Cell Death Dis 2015; 6:e1686. [PMID: 25766325 PMCID: PMC4385914 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2015.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2014] [Revised: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant expression or function of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or the closely related human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) can promote cell proliferation and survival, thereby contributing to tumorigenesis. Specific antibodies and low-molecular-weight tyrosine kinase inhibitors of both proteins are currently in clinical trials for cancer treatment. Benzimidazole derivatives possess diverse biological activities, including antitumor activity. However, the anticancer mechanism of 5a (a 2-aryl benzimidazole compound; 2-chloro-N-(2-p-tolyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-5-yl)acetamide, C16H14ClN3O, MW299), a novel 2-aryl benzimidazole derivative, toward breast cancer is largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that 5a potently inhibited both EGFR and HER2 activity by reducing EGFR and HER2 tyrosine phosphorylation and preventing downstream activation of PI3K/Akt and MEK/Erk pathways in vitro and in vivo. We also show that 5a inhibited the phosphorylation of FOXO and promoted FOXO translocation from the cytoplasm into the nucleus, resulting in the G1-phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Moreover, 5a potently induced apoptosis via the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-mediated death receptor 5 upregulation in breast cancer cells. The antitumor activity of 5a was consistent with additional results demonstrating that 5a significantly reduced tumor volume in nude mice in vivo. Analysis of the primary breast cancer cell lines with HER2 overexpression further confirmed that 5a significantly inhibited Akt Ser473 and Bad Ser136 phosphorylation and reduced cyclin D3 expression. On the basis of our findings, further development of this 2-aryl benzimidazole derivative, a new class of multitarget anticancer agents, is warranted and represents a novel strategy for improving breast cancer treatment.
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Effect of TRAIL in combination with DDP on the expression of MDR1 gene in gastric cancer cells. GASTROENTEROLOGY REVIEW 2014; 9:214-9. [PMID: 25276252 PMCID: PMC4178047 DOI: 10.5114/pg.2014.45103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2013] [Revised: 01/06/2014] [Accepted: 01/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumor, and gastric cancer is the second most common cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Although chemotherapy is one of the most important treatment options for gastric cancer, and could improve the overall survival rate and quality of live, one significant reason for its failure is multidrug resistance (MDR). AIM To study the effect of tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) combined with chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin (DDP) on the expression of multidrug resistance gene 1 (MDR1) in the gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901/VCR. MATERIAL AND METHODS SGC-7901/VCR cells were cultured with DDP and TRAIL in various concentrations. The apoptosis rate was separately measured by a flow cytometer in DDP (sub-toxic dose) alone, TRAIL (200 µg/l) alone and in a combination of the two. Expression levels of MDR1 mRNA and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) were detected by RT-PCR and ELISA analysis, respectively. RESULTS The apoptosis rate in the combination group was significantly higher than that in the other groups (p < 0.05). According to the results of RT-PCR and ELISA, the expressions of MDR1 mRNA and P-gp in the combination group were statistically significant different compared with other groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The combination of TRAIL with DDP could reverse MDR phenotype in gastric cancer cell line SGC7901/VCR. The mechanism may be involved in the down-regulation of MDR1 mRNA and P-gp, which may play an essential role in overcoming the chemotherapeutic resistance of gastric cancer cells. This study indicates that a combination of chemotherapy and TRAIL may be an effective strategy to treat MDR gastric cancer.
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Gunda V, Bucur O, Varnau J, Vanden Borre P, Bernasconi MJ, Khosravi-Far R, Parangi S. Blocks to thyroid cancer cell apoptosis can be overcome by inhibition of the MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways. Cell Death Dis 2014; 5:e1104. [PMID: 24603332 PMCID: PMC3973207 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2014.78] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2013] [Revised: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 01/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Current treatment for recurrent and aggressive/anaplastic thyroid cancers is ineffective. Novel targeted therapies aimed at the inhibition of the mutated oncoprotein BRAFV600E have shown promise in vivo and in vitro but do not result in cellular apoptosis. TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) induces apoptosis in a tumor-selective manner by activating the extrinsic apoptotic pathway. Here, we show that a TRAIL-R2 agonist antibody, lexatumumab, induces apoptosis effectively in some thyroid cancer cell lines (HTh-7, TPC-1 and BCPAP), while more aggressive anaplastic cell lines (8505c and SW1736) show resistance. Treatment of the most resistant cell line, 8505c, using lexatumumab in combination with the BRAFV600E inhibitor, PLX4720, and the PI3K inhibitor, LY294002, (triple-drug combination) sensitizes the cells by triggering both the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways in vitro as well as 8505c orthotopic thyroid tumors in vivo. A decrease in anti-apoptotic proteins, pAkt, Bcl-xL, Mcl-1 and c-FLIP, coupled with an increase in the activator proteins, Bax and Bim, results in an increase in the Bax to Bcl-xL ratio that appears to be critical for sensitization and subsequent apoptosis of these resistant cells. Our results suggest that targeting the death receptor pathway in thyroid cancer can be a promising strategy for inducing apoptosis in thyroid cancer cells, although combination with other kinase inhibitors may be needed in some of the more aggressive tumors initially resistant to apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Gunda
- Thyroid Cancer Research Laboratory, Unit of Endocrine Surgery Unit, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - O Bucur
- 1] Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA [2] Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania
| | - J Varnau
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - P Vanden Borre
- Thyroid Cancer Research Laboratory, Unit of Endocrine Surgery Unit, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - M J Bernasconi
- Thyroid Cancer Research Laboratory, Unit of Endocrine Surgery Unit, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - R Khosravi-Far
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - S Parangi
- Thyroid Cancer Research Laboratory, Unit of Endocrine Surgery Unit, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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Gandhi MD, Agulnik M. Targeted treatment of head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma: potential of lapatinib. Onco Targets Ther 2014; 7:245-51. [PMID: 24611017 PMCID: PMC3928467 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s46933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Squamous-cell cancer of the head and neck is a heterogeneous malignancy with treatment predicated on a multimodality therapy involving surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. However, this approach results in durable responses in only a subset of patients, and is associated with significant toxicity. In advanced disease, multi-agent platinum-based chemotherapy produces only modest improvements in survival. Increased insight into tumor biology has demonstrated several critical oncogenic pathways offering prospects for targeted therapy that may improve upon the existing treatment strategies. The epidermal growth factor receptor is one such target, and directed therapy with the monoclonal antibody cetuximab has been extensively studied. Lapatinib is an oral agent that targets multiple transmembrane receptors within the epidermal growth factor receptor family, and offers a promising new approach to treatment. This paper reviews the rationale for and clinical activity of lapatinib in squamous-cell cancer of the head and neck.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitul D Gandhi
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mark Agulnik
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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Chen YJ, Yeh MH, Yu MC, Wei YL, Chen WS, Chen JY, Shih CY, Tu CY, Chen CH, Hsia TC, Chien PH, Liu SH, Yu YL, Huang WC. Lapatinib-induced NF-kappaB activation sensitizes triple-negative breast cancer cells to proteasome inhibitors. Breast Cancer Res 2013; 15:R108. [PMID: 24216290 PMCID: PMC3979035 DOI: 10.1186/bcr3575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2013] [Accepted: 10/31/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a subtype of breast cancer with negative expressions of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), is frequently diagnosed in younger women and has poor prognosis for disease-free and overall survival. Due to the lack of known oncogenic drivers for TNBC proliferation, clinical benefit from currently available targeted therapies is limited, and new therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. Methods Triple-negative breast cancer cell lines were treated with proteasome inhibitors in combination with lapatinib (a dual epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor). Their in vitro and in vivo viability was examined by MTT assay, clonogenic analysis, and orthotopic xenograft mice model. Luciferase reporter gene, immunoblot, and RT-qPCR, immunoprecipitation assays were used to investigate the molecular mechanisms of action. Results Our data showed that nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation was elicited by lapatinib, independent of EGFR/HER2 inhibition, in TNBCs. Lapatinib-induced constitutive activation of NF-κB involved Src family kinase (SFK)-dependent p65 and IκBα phosphorylations, and rendered these cells more vulnerable to NF-κB inhibition by p65 small hairpin RNA. Lapatinib but not other EGFR inhibitors synergized the anti-tumor activity of proteasome inhibitors both in vitro and in vivo. Our results suggest that treatment of TNBCs with lapatinib may enhance their oncogene addiction to NF-κB, and thus augment the anti-tumor activity of proteasome inhibitors. Conclusions These findings suggest that combination therapy of a proteasome inhibitor with lapatinib may benefit TNBC patients.
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Knox SS, Ochs MF. Implications of systemic dysfunction for the etiology of malignancy. GENE REGULATION AND SYSTEMS BIOLOGY 2013; 7:11-22. [PMID: 23440603 PMCID: PMC3572920 DOI: 10.4137/grsb.s10943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The current approach to treatment in oncology is to replace the generally cytotoxic chemotherapies with pharmaceutical treatment which inactivates specific molecular targets associated with cancer development and progression. The goal is to limit cellular damage to pathways perceived to be directly responsible for the malignancy. Its underlying assumptions are twofold: (1) that individual pathways are the cause of malignancy; and (2) that the treatment objective should be destruction-either of the tumor or the dysfunctional pathway. However, the extent to which data actually support these assumptions has not been directly addressed. Accumulating evidence suggests that systemic dysfunction precedes the disruption of specific genetic/molecular pathways in most adult cancers and that targeted treatments such as kinase inhibitors may successfully treat one pathway while generating unintended changes to other, non-targeted pathways. This article discusses (1) the systemic basis of malignancy; (2) better profiling of pre-cancerous biomarkers associated with elevated risk so that preventive lifestyle modifications can be instituted early to revert high-risk epigenetic changes before tumors develop; (3) a treatment emphasis in early stage tumors that would target the restoration of systemic balance by strengthening the body's innate defense mechanisms; and (4) establishing better quantitative models of systems to capture adequate complexity for predictability at all stages of tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah S. Knox
- West Virginia University School of Public Health, Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, West Virginia University School of Medicine
| | - Michael F. Ochs
- Division of Oncology Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Departments of Oncology and Health Science Informatics, Johns Hopkins University
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Singh A, Lun X, Jayanthan A, Obaid H, Ruan Y, Strother D, Chi SN, Smith A, Forsyth P, Narendran A. Profiling pathway-specific novel therapeutics in preclinical assessment for central nervous system atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (CNS ATRT): favorable activity of targeting EGFR- ErbB2 signaling with lapatinib. Mol Oncol 2013; 7:497-512. [PMID: 23375777 DOI: 10.1016/j.molonc.2013.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2012] [Accepted: 01/02/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite intensifying multimodal treatments, children with central nervous system atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (CNS ATRT) continue to endure unacceptably high mortality rates. At present, concerted efforts are focusing on understanding the characteristic INI1 mutation and its implications for the growth and survival of these tumors. Additionally, pharmaceutical pipeline libraries constitute a significant source of potential agents that can be taken to clinical trials in a timely manner. However, this process requires efficient target validation and relevant preclinical studies. As an initial screening approach, a panel of 129 small molecule inhibitors from multiple pharmaceutical pipeline libraries was tested against three ATRT cell lines by in vitro cytotoxicity assays. Based on these data, agents that have strong activity and corresponding susceptible cellular pathways were identified. Target modulation, antibody array analysis, drug combination and in vivo xenograft studies were performed on one of the pathway inhibitors found in this screening. Approximately 20% of agents in the library showed activity with IC(50) values of 1 μM or less and many showed IC(50) values less than 0.05 μM. Intra cell line variability was also noted among some of the drugs. However, it was determined that agents capable of affecting pathways constituting ErbB2, mTOR, proteasomes, Hsp90, Polo like kinases and Aurora kinases were universally effective against the three ATRT cell lines. The first target selected for further analysis, the inhibition of ErbB2-EGFR pathway by the small molecule inhibitor lapatinib, indicated inhibition of cell migration properties and the initiation of apoptosis. Synergy between lapatinib and IGF-IR inhibition was also demonstrated by combination index (CI) values. Xenograft studies showed effective antitumor activity of lapatinib in vivo. We present an experimental approach to identifying agents and drug combinations for future clinical trials and provide evidence for the potential of lapatinib as an effective agent in the context of the biology and heterogeneity of its targets in ATRT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjali Singh
- Pediatric Oncology Experimental Therapeutics Investigators Consortium (POETIC), Laboratory for Pre-Clinical and Drug Discovery Studies, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Kauntz H, Bousserouel S, Gossé F, Raul F. The flavonolignan silibinin potentiates TRAIL-induced apoptosis in human colon adenocarcinoma and in derived TRAIL-resistant metastatic cells. Apoptosis 2012; 17:797-809. [PMID: 22555452 DOI: 10.1007/s10495-012-0731-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Silibinin, a flavonolignan, is the major active component of the milk thistle plant (Silybum marianum) and has been shown to possess anti-neoplastic properties. TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a promising anti-cancer agent which selectively induces apoptosis in cancer cells. However, resistance to TRAIL-induced apoptosis is an important and frequent problem in cancer treatment. In this study, we investigated the effect of silibinin and TRAIL in an in vitro model of human colon cancer progression, consisting of primary colon tumor cells (SW480) and their derived TRAIL-resistant metastatic cells (SW620). We showed by flow cytometry that silibinin and TRAIL synergistically induced cell death in the two cell lines. Up-regulation of death receptor 4 (DR4) and DR5 by silibinin was shown by RT-PCR and by flow cytometry. Human recombinant DR5/Fc chimera protein that has a dominant-negative effect by competing with the endogenous receptors abrogated cell death induced by silibinin and TRAIL, demonstrating the activation of the death receptor pathway. Synergistic activation of caspase-3, -8, and -9 by silibinin and TRAIL was shown by colorimetric assays. When caspase inhibitors were used, cell death was blocked. Furthermore, silibinin and TRAIL potentiated activation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and down-regulated the anti-apoptotic proteins Mcl-1 and XIAP. The involvement of XIAP in sensitization of the two cell lines to TRAIL was demonstrated using the XIAP inhibitor embelin. These findings demonstrate the synergistic action of silibinin and TRAIL, suggesting chemopreventive and therapeutic potential which should be further explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henriette Kauntz
- Laboratory of Nutritional Cancer Prevention, Unit EA 4438, IRCAD, University of Strasbourg, 1 Place de l'Hôpital, 67091, Strasbourg-Cedex, France
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Cheng H, Hong B, Zhou L, Allen JE, Tai G, Humphreys R, Dicker DT, Liu YY, El-Deiry WS. Mitomycin C potentiates TRAIL-induced apoptosis through p53-independent upregulation of death receptors: evidence for the role of c-Jun N-terminal kinase activation. Cell Cycle 2012; 11:3312-23. [PMID: 22895172 DOI: 10.4161/cc.21670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of the molecular targets of chemotherapeutic medicines and their chemical footprints can validate and improve the use of such medicines. In the present report, we investigated the effect of mitomycin C (MMC), a classical chemotherapeutic agent on cancer cell apoptosis induced by TRAIL. We found that MMC not only potentiated TRAIL-induced apoptosis in HCT116 (p53-/-) colon cancer cells but also sensitized TRAIL-resistant colon cancer cells HT-29 to the cytokine both in vitro and in vivo. MMC also augmented the pro-apoptotic effects of two TRAIL receptor agonist antibodies, mapatumumab and lexatumumab. At a mechanistic level, MMC downregulated cell survival proteins, including Bcl2, Mcl-1 and Bcl-XL, and upregulated pro-apoptotic proteins including Bax, Bim and the cell surface expression of TRAIL death receptors DR4 and DR5. Gene silencing of DR5 by short hairpin RNA reduced the apoptosis induced by combination treatment of MMC and TRAIL. Induction of DR4 and DR5 was independent of p53, Bax and Bim but was dependent on c-Jun N terminal kinase (JNK) as JNK pharmacological inhibition and siRNA abolished the induction of the TRAIL receptors by MMC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hairong Cheng
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology and Experimental Cancer Therapeutics, Department of Medicine (Hematology/Oncology), Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
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Molecular targets of TRAIL-sensitizing agents in colorectal cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2012; 13:7886-7901. [PMID: 22942679 PMCID: PMC3430210 DOI: 10.3390/ijms13077886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2012] [Revised: 06/18/2012] [Accepted: 06/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL), a member of the TNF superfamily, interacts with its functional death receptors (DRs) and induces apoptosis in a wide range of cancer cell types. Therefore, TRAIL has been considered as an attractive agent for cancer therapy. However, many cancers are resistant to TRAIL-based therapies mainly due to the reduced expression of DRs and/or up-regulation of TRAIL pathway-related anti-apoptotic proteins. Compounds that revert such defects restore the sensitivity of cancer cells to TRAIL, suggesting that combined therapies could help manage neoplastic patients. In this article, we will focus on the TRAIL-sensitizing effects of natural products and synthetic compounds in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and discuss the molecular mechanisms by which such agents enhance the response of CRC cells to TRAIL.
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Therapeutic development in targeting protein-protein interactions with synthetic topological mimetics. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2012; 12:403-7. [PMID: 22578832 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2012.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2012] [Revised: 04/17/2012] [Accepted: 04/19/2012] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions lie at the heart of cellular signaling pathways and the deregulation of which has frequently led to diseases. In contrast to inhibitors that bind to distinctive enzyme active sites, molecules targeting protein surface topologies have been underexploited in drug development. The challenges in developing protein surface antagonists or agonists originate from the relatively large and flat surface areas that lack well-defined cavities required for sufficient binding affinity. In the past decade, our understanding of protein recognition has served as solid basis for the design of synthetic mimetics to modulate these protein-protein interactions. Herein, we summarize recent successes in the development of synthetic α-helix mimetics, proteomimetics, and biologics with the therapeutic potentials of inhibiting tumorgenesis or cancer-related viral infections.
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Loriaux PM, Hoffmann A. A framework for modeling the relationship between cellular steady-state and stimulus-responsiveness. Methods Cell Biol 2012; 110:81-109. [PMID: 22482946 PMCID: PMC5763568 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-388403-9.00004-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In cell signaling systems, the abundances of signaling molecules are generally thought to determine the response to stimulation. However, the kinetics of molecular processes, for example receptor trafficking and protein turnover, may also play an important role. Few studies have systematically examined this relationship between the resting state and stimulus-responsiveness. Fewer still have investigated the relative contribution of steady-state concentrations and reaction kinetics. Here we describe a mathematical framework for modeling the resting state of signaling systems. Among other things, this framework allows steady-state concentration measurements to be used in parameterizing kinetic models, and enables comprehensive characterization of the relationship between the resting state and the cellular response to stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M Loriaux
- Signaling Systems Laboratory, San Diego Center for Systems Biology of Cellular Stress Responses, Program in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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Nussinov R, Tsai CJ, Csermely P. Allo-network drugs: harnessing allostery in cellular networks. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2011; 32:686-93. [PMID: 21925743 PMCID: PMC7380718 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2011.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2011] [Revised: 08/16/2011] [Accepted: 08/19/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Allosteric drugs are increasingly used because they produce fewer side effects. Allosteric signal propagation does not stop at the 'end' of a protein, but may be dynamically transmitted across the cell. We propose here that the concept of allosteric drugs can be broadened to 'allo-network drugs' - whose effects can propagate either within a protein, or across several proteins, to enhance or inhibit specific interactions along a pathway. We posit that current allosteric drugs are a special case of allo-network drugs, and suggest that allo-network drugs can achieve specific, limited changes at the systems level, and in this way can achieve fewer side effects and lower toxicity. Finally, we propose steps and methods to identify allo-network drug targets and sites that outline a new paradigm in systems-based drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Nussinov
- Center for Cancer Research Nanobiology Program, Science Applications International Corporation-Frederick, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
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