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Therapeutic targeting of TRAIL death receptors. Biochem Soc Trans 2023; 51:57-70. [PMID: 36629496 PMCID: PMC9988005 DOI: 10.1042/bst20220098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The discovery of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) along with its potent and selective antitumor effects initiated a decades-long search for therapeutic strategies to target the TRAIL pathway. First-generation approaches were focused on the development of TRAIL receptor agonists (TRAs), including recombinant human TRAIL (rhTRAIL) and TRAIL receptor-targeted agonistic antibodies. While such TRAIL pathway-targeted therapies showed promise in preclinical data and clinical trials have been conducted, none have advanced to FDA approval. Subsequent second-generation approaches focused on improving upon the specific limitations of first-generation approaches by ameliorating the pharmacokinetic profiles and agonistic abilities of TRAs as well as through combinatorial approaches to circumvent resistance. In this review, we summarize the successes and shortcomings of first- and second-generation TRAIL pathway-based therapies, concluding with an overview of the discovery and clinical introduction of ONC201, a compound with a unique mechanism of action that represents a new generation of TRAIL pathway-based approaches. We discuss preclinical and clinical findings in different tumor types and provide a unique perspective on translational directions of the field.
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Montinaro A, Walczak H. Harnessing TRAIL-induced cell death for cancer therapy: a long walk with thrilling discoveries. Cell Death Differ 2023; 30:237-249. [PMID: 36195672 PMCID: PMC9950482 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-022-01059-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) can induce apoptosis in a wide variety of cancer cells, both in vitro and in vivo, importantly without killing any essential normal cells. These findings formed the basis for the development of TRAIL-receptor agonists (TRAs) for cancer therapy. However, clinical trials conducted with different types of TRAs have, thus far, afforded only limited therapeutic benefit, as either the respectively chosen agonist showed insufficient anticancer activity or signs of toxicity, or the right TRAIL-comprising combination therapy was not employed. Therefore, in this review we will discuss molecular determinants of TRAIL resistance, the most promising TRAIL-sensitizing agents discovered to date and, importantly, whether any of these could also prove therapeutically efficacious upon cancer relapse following conventional first-line therapies. We will also discuss the more recent progress made with regards to the clinical development of highly active non-immunogenic next generation TRAs. Based thereupon, we next propose how TRAIL resistance might be successfully overcome, leading to the possible future development of highly potent, cancer-selective combination therapies that are based on our current understanding of biology TRAIL-induced cell death. It is possible that such therapies may offer the opportunity to tackle one of the major current obstacles to effective cancer therapy, namely overcoming chemo- and/or targeted-therapy resistance. Even if this were achievable only for certain types of therapy resistance and only for particular types of cancer, this would be a significant and meaningful achievement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Montinaro
- Centre for Cell Death, Cancer, and Inflammation (CCCI), UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK.
| | - Henning Walczak
- Centre for Cell Death, Cancer, and Inflammation (CCCI), UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK.
- CECAD Cluster of Excellence, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
- Center for Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 52, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
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3
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Sarwar A, Zhu M, Su Q, Zhu Z, Yang T, Chen Y, Peng X, Zhang Y. Targeting mitochondrial dysfunctions in pancreatic cancer evokes new therapeutic opportunities. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2022; 180:103858. [DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2022.103858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
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Cingöz A, Ozyerli-Goknar E, Morova T, Seker-Polat F, Esai Selvan M, Gümüş ZH, Bhere D, Shah K, Solaroglu I, Bagci-Onder T. Generation of TRAIL-resistant cell line models reveals distinct adaptive mechanisms for acquired resistance and re-sensitization. Oncogene 2021; 40:3201-3216. [PMID: 33767436 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-01697-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) induces tumor cell-specific apoptosis, making it a prime therapeutic candidate. However, many tumor cells are either innately TRAIL-resistant, or they acquire resistance with adaptive mechanisms that remain poorly understood. In this study, we generated acquired TRAIL resistance models using multiple glioblastoma (GBM) cell lines to assess the molecular alterations in the TRAIL-resistant state. We selected TRAIL-resistant cells through chronic and long-term TRAIL exposure and noted that they showed persistent resistance both in vitro and in vivo. Among known TRAIL-sensitizers, proteosome inhibitor Bortezomib, but not HDAC inhibitor MS-275, was effective in overcoming resistance in all cell models. This was partly achieved through upregulating death receptors and pro-apoptotic proteins, and downregulating major anti-apoptotic members, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. We showed that CRISPR/Cas9 mediated silencing of DR5 could block Bortezomib-mediated re-sensitization, demonstrating its critical role. While overexpression of Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL was sufficient to confer resistance to TRAIL-sensitive cells, it failed to override Bortezomib-mediated re-sensitization. With RNA sequencing in multiple paired TRAIL-sensitive and TRAIL-resistant cells, we identified major alterations in inflammatory signaling, particularly in the NF-κB pathway. Inhibiting NF-κB substantially sensitized the most resistant cells to TRAIL, however, the sensitization effect was not as great as what was observed with Bortezomib. Together, our findings provide new models of acquired TRAIL resistance, which will provide essential tools to gain further insight into the heterogeneous therapy responses within GBM tumors. Additionally, these findings emphasize the critical importance of combining proteasome inhibitors and pro-apoptotic ligands to overcome acquired resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmet Cingöz
- Brain Cancer Research and Therapy Laboratory, Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine, Istanbul, 34450, Turkey
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, 34450, Turkey
| | - Ezgi Ozyerli-Goknar
- Brain Cancer Research and Therapy Laboratory, Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine, Istanbul, 34450, Turkey
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, 34450, Turkey
| | - Tunc Morova
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, 34450, Turkey
| | - Fidan Seker-Polat
- Brain Cancer Research and Therapy Laboratory, Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine, Istanbul, 34450, Turkey
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, 34450, Turkey
| | - Myvizhi Esai Selvan
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Zeynep Hülya Gümüş
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, 34450, Turkey
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Deepak Bhere
- Center for Stem Cell Therapeutics and Imaging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Khalid Shah
- Center for Stem Cell Therapeutics and Imaging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Ihsan Solaroglu
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, 34450, Turkey
- Department of Neurosurgery, Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, 34010, Turkey
| | - Tugba Bagci-Onder
- Brain Cancer Research and Therapy Laboratory, Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine, Istanbul, 34450, Turkey.
- Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, 34450, Turkey.
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Sun B, Liu Y, He D, Li J, Wang J, Wen W, Hong M. Traditional Chinese medicines and their active ingredients sensitize cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2021; 22:190-203. [PMID: 33719224 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.b2000497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The rapidly developing resistance of cancers to chemotherapy agents and the severe cytotoxicity of such agents to normal cells are major stumbling blocks in current cancer treatments. Most current chemotherapy agents have significant cytotoxicity, which leads to devastating adverse effects and results in a substandard quality of life, including increased daily morbidity and premature mortality. The death receptor of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) can sidestep p53-dependent pathways to induce tumor cell apoptosis without damaging most normal cells. However, various cancer cells can develop resistance to TRAIL-induced apoptosis via different pathways. Therefore, it is critical to find an efficient TRAIL sensitizer to reverse the resistance of tumor cells to TRAIL, and to reinforce TRAIL's ability to induce tumor cell apoptosis. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicines and their active ingredients have shown great potential to trigger apoptotic cell death in TRAIL-resistant cancer cell lines. This review aims to collate information about Chinese medicines that can effectively reverse the resistance of tumor cells to TRAIL and enhance TRAIL's ability to induce apoptosis. We explore the therapeutic potential of TRAIL and provide new ideas for the development of TRAIL therapy and the generation of new anti-cancer drugs for human cancer treatment. This study involved an extensive review of studies obtained from literature searches of electronic databases such as Google Scholar and PubMed. "TRAIL sensitize" and "Chinese medicine" were the search keywords. We then isolated newly published studies on the mechanisms of TRAIL-induced apoptosis. The name of each plant was validated using certified databases such as The Plant List. This study indicates that TRAIL can be combined with different Chinese medicine components through intrinsic or extrinsic pathways to promote cancer cell apoptosis. It also demonstrates that the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicines enhance the sensitivity of cancer cells to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis. This provides useful information regarding traditional Chinese medicine treatment, the development of TRAIL-based therapies, and the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingyu Sun
- Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yongqiang Liu
- Research Center of Chinese Herbal Resource Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Danhua He
- Research Center of Chinese Herbal Resource Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jinke Li
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66105, USA
| | - Jiawei Wang
- Zhongshan People's Hospital, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Wulin Wen
- ENT & HN Surgery Department, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750000, China.
| | - Ming Hong
- Institute of Advanced Diagnostic and Clinical Medicine, Zhongshan People's Hospital, Guangzhou University & Zhongshan People's Hospital Joint Biomedical Institute, Zhongshan 528400, China. .,Dongguan & Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine Cooperative Academy of Mathematical Engineering for Chinese Medicine, Dongguan 523000, China.
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The role of histone methylation in the development of digestive cancers: a potential direction for cancer management. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2020; 5:143. [PMID: 32747629 PMCID: PMC7398912 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-020-00252-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Digestive cancers are the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide and have high risks of morbidity and mortality. Histone methylation, which is mediated mainly by lysine methyltransferases, lysine demethylases, and protein arginine methyltransferases, has emerged as an essential mechanism regulating pathological processes in digestive cancers. Under certain conditions, aberrant expression of these modifiers leads to abnormal histone methylation or demethylation in the corresponding cancer-related genes, which contributes to different processes and phenotypes, such as carcinogenesis, proliferation, metabolic reprogramming, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, invasion, and migration, during digestive cancer development. In this review, we focus on the association between histone methylation regulation and the development of digestive cancers, including gastric cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer, as well as on its clinical application prospects, aiming to provide a new perspective on the management of digestive cancers.
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Thapa B, Kc R, Uludağ H. TRAIL therapy and prospective developments for cancer treatment. J Control Release 2020; 326:335-349. [PMID: 32682900 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand (TRAIL), an immune cytokine of TNF-family, has received much attention in late 1990s as a potential cancer therapeutics due to its selective ability to induce apoptosis in cancer cells. TRAIL binds to cell surface death receptors, TRAIL-R1 (DR4) and TRAIL-R2 (DR5) and facilitates formation of death-inducing signaling complex (DISC), eventually activating the p53-independent apoptotic cascade. This unique mechanism makes the TRAIL a potential anticancer therapeutic especially for p53-mutated tumors. However, recombinant human TRAIL protein (rhTRAIL) and TRAIL-R agonist monoclonal antibodies (mAb) failed to exert robust anticancer activities due to inherent and/or acquired resistance, poor pharmacokinetics and weak potencies for apoptosis induction. To get TRAIL back on track as a cancer therapeutic, multiple strategies including protein modification, combinatorial approach and TRAIL gene therapy are being extensively explored. These strategies aim to enhance the half-life and bioavailability of TRAIL and synergize with TRAIL action ultimately sensitizing the resistant and non-responsive cells. We summarize emerging strategies for enhanced TRAIL therapy in this review and cover a wide range of recent technologies that will provide impetus to rejuvenate the TRAIL therapeutics in the clinical realm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bindu Thapa
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
| | - Remant Kc
- Department of Chemical & Material Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
| | - Hasan Uludağ
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Department of Chemical & Material Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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Single and dual target inhibitors based on Bcl-2: Promising anti-tumor agents for cancer therapy. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 201:112446. [PMID: 32563811 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) proteins family is an essential checkpoint in apoptosis. Extensive evidences suggested that overexpression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins can be observed in multiple cancer cell lines and primary tumor biopsy samples, which is an important reason for tumor cells to evade apoptosis and further acquire drug resistance for chemotherapy. Hence, down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins is effective for the treatment of cancers. In view that Bcl-2 inhibitors and some other anti-tumor agents, such as HDAC inhibitors and Mdm2 inhibitors, exert synergy effects in tumor cells, it is pointed out that dual-targeting therapies based on these targets are regarded as rational strategies to enhance the effectiveness of single target agents for cancer treatment. This review briefly introduces the apoptosis, the structure of Bcl-2 family proteins, and focuses on the current status and recent advances of Bcl-2 inhibitors and the corresponding SARs of them. Moreover, we discuss the synergisms between Bcl-2 and other anti-tumor targets, and summarize the current dual-target agents.
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Yi H, Qiu MZ, Yuan L, Luo Q, Pan W, Zhou S, Zhang L, Yan X, Yang DJ. Bcl-2/Bcl-xl inhibitor APG-1252-M1 is a promising therapeutic strategy for gastric carcinoma. Cancer Med 2020; 9:4197-4206. [PMID: 32346976 PMCID: PMC7300393 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.3090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastric carcinoma is the third major cause of cancer‐related death in China. Bcl‐2 and other BH3 family proteins are critically important in the process of apoptosis pathway, which may be a promising target. APG‐1252‐M1 specifically connects to Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐xl. The antitumor effect of APG‐1252‐M1 in six gastric cancer cells was identified by the Cell Counting Kit‐8 assay. The expression level of proapoptotic proteins was evaluated by Western blot. Meanwhile, the cell cycle and apoptosis distributions were analyzed by flow cytometry and JC‐1. Xenograft models were used to investigate the roles of APG‐1252‐M1 in suppressing the growth of tumors and enhancing the chemotherapy antitumor effect. The antitumor effect of APG‐1252‐M1 was time‐ and dose‐dependent and acted by initiating apoptosis. The change of cell cycle distribution was not discovered in gastric cancer cells treated with APG‐1252‐M1. APG‐1252‐M1 also exhibited synergy with chemotherapy in vivo. The combined group inhibited xenograft tumor growth more obviously than the other groups. Moreover, Ki‐67 was remarkably decreased in the combination group compared to other groups. In conclusion, APG‐1252‐M1 had a strong antitumor effect by inducing apoptosis and was synergistic with chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanjie Yi
- Department of Experimental Research, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Medical Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Miao-Zhen Qiu
- Department of Medical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Luping Yuan
- Department of Experimental Research, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiuyun Luo
- Department of Experimental Research, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wentao Pan
- Department of Experimental Research, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Suna Zhou
- Department of Experimental Research, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xianglei Yan
- Department of Experimental Research, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Da-Jun Yang
- Department of Experimental Research, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
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Abstract
Significance: Mitochondria undergo constant morphological changes through fusion, fission, and mitophagy. As the key organelle in cells, mitochondria are responsible for numerous essential cellular functions such as metabolism, regulation of calcium (Ca2+), generation of reactive oxygen species, and initiation of apoptosis. Unsurprisingly, mitochondrial dysfunctions underlie many pathologies including cancer. Recent Advances: Currently, the gold standard for cancer treatment is chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. However, the efficacy of these treatments varies across different cancer cells. It has been suggested that mitochondria may be at the center of these diverse responses. In the past decade, significant advances have been made in understanding distinct types of mitochondrial dysfunctions in cancer. Through investigations of underlying mechanisms, more effective treatment options are developed. Critical Issues: We summarize various mitochondria dysfunctions in cancer progression that have led to the development of therapeutic options. Current mitochondrial-targeted therapies and challenges are discussed. Future Directions: To address the "root" of cancer, utilization of mitochondrial-targeted therapy to target cancer stem cells may be valuable. Investigation of other areas such as mitochondrial trafficking may offer new insights into cancer therapy. Moreover, common antibiotics could be explored as mitocans, and synthetic lethality screens can be utilized to overcome the plasticity of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsin Yao Chiu
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Emmy Xue Yun Tay
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Derrick Sek Tong Ong
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Reshma Taneja
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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Sun YL, Jiang WQ, Luo QY, Yang DJ, Cai YC, Huang HQ, Sun J. A novel Bcl-2 inhibitor, BM-1197, induces apoptosis in malignant lymphoma cells through the endogenous apoptotic pathway. BMC Cancer 2019; 20:1. [PMID: 31892356 PMCID: PMC6938641 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-019-6169-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bcl-2 family members play an important role in the development of malignant lymphoma and can induce drug resistance in anticancer treatment. The development of small molecules targeting Bcl-2 family proteins may be a new strategy for the treatment of malignant lymphoma. In this study, we investigate the antitumor effect and cellular mechanism of a novel Bcl-2/Bcl-xL dual inhibitor, BM-1197, in DCBCL and Burkitt lymphoma cells. Methods The CCK-8 assay was used to detect cell viability. Apoptosis was determined by Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometry. The activity of caspase-3/caspase-9 was determined using a caspase-3/caspase-9 activity kit. Western blotting analysis was performed to evaluate the changes in protein expression. Functional analysis was performed via immunoprecipitation and siRNA interference. Human malignant lymphoma xenograft models in nude mice were established for in vivo efficacy detection. Results We find that BM-1197 exerts potent growth-inhibitory activity against lymphoma cells that harbor high expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL in vitro and has a synergistic effect with chemotherapeutic drugs. Mechanistically, we see that the intrinsic apoptosis pathway is activated upon BM-1197 treatment. BM-1197 affects the protein interactions of Bak/Bcl-xl, Bim/Bcl-2, Bim/Bcl-xl, and PUMA/Bcl-2 and induces conformational changes in the Bax protein, which result in the activation of Bax and release of cytochrome c, activate caspase − 9, − 3, and − 7 and finally induce cell apoptosis. Furthermore, our data demonstrate that BM-1197 exhibits strong anti-tumor effects against established human malignant lymphoma xenograft models. Conclusions Our study demonstrated BM-1197 exerts potent antitumor effects both in vitro and in vivo and provides promising preclinical data for the further development of BM-1197 in malignant lymphoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue-Li Sun
- Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Wen-Qi Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China.,Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, China
| | - Qiu-Yun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China.,Department of Experimental Research, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Da-Jun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China.,Department of Experimental Research, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Yu-Chen Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China.,Department of Experimental Research, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Hui-Qiang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China. .,Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, China.
| | - Jian Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China. .,Department of Clinical Research, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng East Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
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12
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Peng R, Zhu J, Deng S, Shi H, Xu S, Wu H, Zou F. Targeting BAX ubiquitin‐binding sites reveals that BAX activation is essential for its ubiquitin‐dependent degradation. J Cell Biochem 2019; 121:2802-2810. [DOI: 10.1002/jcb.29505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rui Peng
- College of Life SciencesSichuan University Chengdu Sichuan China
| | - Jialin Zhu
- College of Life SciencesSichuan University Chengdu Sichuan China
| | - Shujin Deng
- College of Life SciencesSichuan University Chengdu Sichuan China
| | - Hui Shi
- College of Life SciencesSichuan University Chengdu Sichuan China
| | - Shutao Xu
- College of Life SciencesSichuan University Chengdu Sichuan China
| | - Hongjuan Wu
- College of Life SciencesSichuan University Chengdu Sichuan China
| | - Fangdong Zou
- College of Life SciencesSichuan University Chengdu Sichuan China
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13
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Wong SHM, Kong WY, Fang CM, Loh HS, Chuah LH, Abdullah S, Ngai SC. The TRAIL to cancer therapy: Hindrances and potential solutions. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2019; 143:81-94. [PMID: 31561055 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2019.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis is an ordered and orchestrated cellular process that occurs in physiological and pathological conditions. Resistance to apoptosis is a hallmark of virtually all malignancies. Despite being a cause of pathological conditions, apoptosis could be a promising target in cancer treatment. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), also known as Apo-2 ligand (Apo2L), is a member of TNF cytokine superfamily. It is a potent anti-cancer agent owing to its specific targeting towards cancerous cells, while sparing normal cells, to induce apoptosis. However, resistance occurs either intrinsically or after multiple treatments which may explain why cancer therapy fails. This review summarizes the apoptotic mechanisms via extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways, as well as the apoptotic resistance mechanisms. It also reviews the current clinically tested recombinant human TRAIL (rhTRAIL) and TRAIL receptor agonists (TRAs) against TRAIL-Receptors, TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2, in which the outcomes of the clinical trials have not been satisfactory. Finally, this review discusses the current strategies in overcoming resistance to TRAIL-induced apoptosis in pre-clinical and clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia How Ming Wong
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Wei Yang Kong
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Chee-Mun Fang
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham Malaysia, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Hwei-San Loh
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Lay-Hong Chuah
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia; Advanced Engineering Platform, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Syahril Abdullah
- Medical Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, 43400 UPM, Malaysia; UPM-MAKNA Cancer Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, 43400 UPM, Malaysia
| | - Siew Ching Ngai
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia.
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14
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Kretz AL, Trauzold A, Hillenbrand A, Knippschild U, Henne-Bruns D, von Karstedt S, Lemke J. TRAILblazing Strategies for Cancer Treatment. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11040456. [PMID: 30935038 PMCID: PMC6521007 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11040456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In the late 1990s, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), a member of the TNF-family, started receiving much attention for its potential in cancer therapy, due to its capacity to induce apoptosis selectively in tumour cells in vivo. TRAIL binds to its membrane-bound death receptors TRAIL-R1 (DR4) and TRAIL-R2 (DR5) inducing the formation of a death-inducing signalling complex (DISC) thereby activating the apoptotic cascade. The ability of TRAIL to also induce apoptosis independently of p53 makes TRAIL a promising anticancer agent, especially in p53-mutated tumour entities. Thus, several so-called TRAIL receptor agonists (TRAs) were developed. Unfortunately, clinical testing of these TRAs did not reveal any significant anticancer activity, presumably due to inherent or acquired TRAIL resistance of most primary tumour cells. Since the potential power of TRAIL-based therapies still lies in TRAIL's explicit cancer cell-selectivity, a desirable approach going forward for TRAIL-based cancer therapy is the identification of substances that sensitise tumour cells for TRAIL-induced apoptosis while sparing normal cells. Numerous of such TRAIL-sensitising strategies have been identified within the last decades. However, many of these approaches have not been verified in animal models, and therefore potential toxicity of these approaches has not been taken into consideration. Here, we critically summarise and discuss the status quo of TRAIL signalling in cancer cells and strategies to force tumour cells into undergoing apoptosis triggered by TRAIL as a cancer therapeutic approach. Moreover, we provide an overview and outlook on innovative and promising future TRAIL-based therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Laura Kretz
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Ulm University Hospital, Albert-Einstein-Allee 23, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Anna Trauzold
- Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, University of Kiel, 24105 Kiel, Germany.
- Clinic for General Surgery, Visceral, Thoracic, Transplantation and Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, 24105 Kiel, Germany.
| | - Andreas Hillenbrand
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Ulm University Hospital, Albert-Einstein-Allee 23, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Uwe Knippschild
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Ulm University Hospital, Albert-Einstein-Allee 23, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Doris Henne-Bruns
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Ulm University Hospital, Albert-Einstein-Allee 23, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Silvia von Karstedt
- Department of Translational Genomics, University Hospital Cologne, Weyertal 115b, 50931 Cologne, Germany.
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Response in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann Straße 26, 50931 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Johannes Lemke
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Ulm University Hospital, Albert-Einstein-Allee 23, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
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15
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Ralff MD, El-Deiry WS. TRAIL pathway targeting therapeutics. EXPERT REVIEW OF PRECISION MEDICINE AND DRUG DEVELOPMENT 2018; 3:197-204. [PMID: 30740527 DOI: 10.1080/23808993.2018.1476062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Despite decades of focused research efforts, cancer remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is capable of inducing cell death selectively in cancer cells while sparing normal cells. Areas covered In this review, the authors cover TRA therapy and strategies that have been undertaken to improve their efficacy, as well as unconventional approaches to TRAIL pathway activation including TRAIL-inducing small molecules. They also discuss mechanisms of resistance to TRAIL and the use of combination strategies to overcome it. Expert commentary Targeting the TRAIL pathway has been of interest in oncology, and although initial clinical trials of TRAIL receptor agonists (TRAs) showed limitations, novel approaches represent the future of TRAIL-based therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie D Ralff
- MD/PhD Program, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.,Laboratory of Translational Oncology and Experimental Cancer Therapeutics, Department of Hematology/Oncology and Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Wafik S El-Deiry
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology and Experimental Cancer Therapeutics, Department of Hematology/Oncology and Molecular Therapeutics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
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16
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Lu C, Yang D, Sabbatini ME, Colby AH, Grinstaff MW, Oberlies NH, Pearce C, Liu K. Contrasting roles of H3K4me3 and H3K9me3 in regulation of apoptosis and gemcitabine resistance in human pancreatic cancer cells. BMC Cancer 2018; 18:149. [PMID: 29409480 PMCID: PMC5801751 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-018-4061-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Pancreas ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has the most dismal prognosis among all human cancers since it is highly resistant to chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy. The anticipated consequence of all therapies is induction of tumor apoptosis. The highly resistance nature of PDACs to all therapies suggests that the intrinsic tumor cell factors, likely the deregulated apoptosis pathway, are key mechanisms underlying PDAC non-response to these therapies, rather than the therapeutic agents themselves. The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that epigenetic dysregulation of apoptosis mediators underlies PDAC resistance to gemcitabine, the standard chemotherapy for human PDAC. Methods PDAC cells were analyzed for apoptosis sensitivity in the presence of a selective epigenetic inhibitor. The epigenetic regulation of apoptosis regulators was determined by Western Blotting and quantitative PCR. The specific epigenetic modification of apoptosis regulator promoter chromatin was determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation in PDAC cells. Results Inhibition of histone methyltransferase (HMTase) by a selective HMTase inhibitor, verticillin A, significantly increased human PDAC cell sensitivity to gemcitabine-induced growth suppression. Verticillin A treatment decreased FLIP, Mcl-1, Bcl-x and increased Bak, Bax and Bim protein level in the tumor cells, resulting in activation of caspases, elevated cytochrome C release and increased apoptosis as determined by upregulated PARP cleavage in tumor cells. Analysis of human PDAC specimens indicated that the expression levels of anti-apoptotic mediators Bcl-x, Mcl-1, and FLIP were significantly higher, whereas the expression levels of pro-apoptotic mediators Bim, Bak and Bax were dramatically lower in human PDAC tissues as compared to normal pancreas. Verticillin A downregulated H3K4me3 levels at the BCL2L1, CFLAR and MCL-1 promoter to decrease Bcl-x, FLIP and Mcl-1 expression level, and inhibited H3K9me3 levels at the BAK1, BAX and BCL2L11 promoter to upregulate Bak, Bax and Bim expression level. Conclusion We determined that PDAC cells use H3K4me3 to activate Bcl-x, FLIP and Mcl-1, and H3K9me3 to silence Bak, Bax and Bim to acquire an apoptosis-resistant phenotype. Therefore, selective inhibition of H3K4me3 and H3K9me3 is potentially an effective approach to overcome PDAC cells resistance to gemcitabine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunwan Lu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, 1410 Laney Walker Blvd, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA. .,Georgia Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA. .,Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, 30904, USA.
| | - Dafeng Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, 1410 Laney Walker Blvd, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA.,Georgia Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA.,Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, 30904, USA
| | - Maria E Sabbatini
- Department of Biological Sciences, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30904, USA
| | - Aaron H Colby
- Ionic Pharmaceuticals, Brookline, MA, 02445, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Mark W Grinstaff
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Nicholas H Oberlies
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, 27402, USA
| | | | - Kebin Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, 1410 Laney Walker Blvd, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA.,Georgia Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA.,Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA, 30904, USA
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17
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Zhang P, Kawakami H, Liu W, Zeng X, Strebhardt K, Tao K, Huang S, Sinicrope FA. Targeting CDK1 and MEK/ERK Overcomes Apoptotic Resistance in BRAF-Mutant Human Colorectal Cancer. Mol Cancer Res 2017; 16:378-389. [PMID: 29233910 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-17-0404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The BRAFV600E mutation occurs in approximately 8% of human colorectal cancers and is associated with therapeutic resistance that is due, in part, to reactivation of MEK/ERK signaling cascade. Recently, pathway analysis identified cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) upregulation in a subset of human BRAFV600E colorectal cancers. Therefore, it was determined whether CDK1 antagonism enhances the efficacy of MEK inhibition in BRAFV600E colorectal cancer cells. BRAFV600E colorectal cancer cell lines expressing CDK1 were sensitized to apoptosis upon siRNA knockdown or small-molecule inhibition with RO-3306 (CDK1 inhibitor) or dinaciclib (CDK1, 2, 5, 9 inhibitors). Combination of RO-3306 or dinaciclib with cobimetinib (MEK inhibitor) cooperatively enhanced apoptosis and reduced clonogenic survival versus monotherapy. Cells isogenic or ectopic for BRAFV600E displayed resistance to CDK1 inhibitors, as did cells with ectopic expression of constitutively active MEK CDK1 inhibitors induced a CASP8-dependent apoptosis shown by caspase-8 restoration in deficient NB7 cells that enhanced dinaciclib-induced CASP3 cleavage. CDK inhibitors suppressed pro-CASP8 phosphorylation at S387, as shown by drug withdrawal, which restored p-S387 and increased mitosis. In a colorectal cancer xenograft model, dinaciclib plus cobimetinib produced significantly greater tumor growth inhibition in association with a caspase-dependent apoptosis versus either drug alone. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) transcriptomic dataset revealed overexpression of CDK1 in human colorectal cancers versus normal colon. Together, these data establish CDK1 as a novel mediator of apoptosis resistance in BRAFV600E colorectal cancers whose combined targeting with a MEK/ERK inhibitor represents an effective therapeutic strategy.Implications: CDK1 is a novel mediator of apoptosis resistance in BRAFV600E colorectal cancers whose dual targeting with a MEK inhibitor may be therapeutically effective. Mol Cancer Res; 16(3); 378-89. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhang
- Gastroenterology Research Unit, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Hisato Kawakami
- Gastroenterology Research Unit, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Weizhen Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiangyu Zeng
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Klaus Strebhardt
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Kaixiong Tao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shengbing Huang
- Gastroenterology Research Unit, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Frank A Sinicrope
- Gastroenterology Research Unit, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. .,Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, Rochester, Minnesota
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18
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Singh PK, Roukounakis A, Frank DO, Kirschnek S, Das KK, Neumann S, Madl J, Römer W, Zorzin C, Borner C, Haimovici A, Garcia-Saez A, Weber A, Häcker G. Dynein light chain 1 induces assembly of large Bim complexes on mitochondria that stabilize Mcl-1 and regulate apoptosis. Genes Dev 2017; 31:1754-1769. [PMID: 28982759 PMCID: PMC5666674 DOI: 10.1101/gad.302497.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In this study, Singh et al. investigated Bim structure and activity and show that Bim is regulated by the formation of large protein complexes containing dynein light chain 1 (DLC1). Their findings demonstrate that control of apoptosis at mitochondria extends beyond the interaction of monomers of proapoptotic and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members and involves more complex structures of proteins at the mitochondrial outer membrane. The Bcl-2 family protein Bim triggers mitochondrial apoptosis. Bim is expressed in nonapoptotic cells at the mitochondrial outer membrane, where it is activated by largely unknown mechanisms. We found that Bim is regulated by formation of large protein complexes containing dynein light chain 1 (DLC1). Bim rapidly inserted into cardiolipin-containing membranes in vitro and recruited DLC1 to the membrane. Bim binding to DLC1 induced the formation of large Bim complexes on lipid vesicles, on isolated mitochondria, and in intact cells. Native gel electrophoresis and gel filtration showed Bim-containing mitochondrial complexes of several hundred kilodaltons in all cells tested. Bim unable to form complexes was consistently more active than complexed Bim, which correlated with its substantially reduced binding to anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins. At endogenous levels, Bim surprisingly bound only anti-apoptotic Mcl-1 but not Bcl-2 or Bcl-XL, recruiting only Mcl-1 into large complexes. Targeting of DLC1 by RNAi in human cell lines induced disassembly of Bim–Mcl-1 complexes and the proteasomal degradation of Mcl-1 and sensitized the cells to the Bcl-2/Bcl-XL inhibitor ABT-737. Regulation of apoptosis at mitochondria thus extends beyond the interaction of monomers of proapoptotic and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members but involves more complex structures of proteins at the mitochondrial outer membrane, and targeting complexes may be a novel therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prafull Kumar Singh
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.,Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Aristomenis Roukounakis
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Daniel O Frank
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.,Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Susanne Kirschnek
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Kushal Kumar Das
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry (IFIB), University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Simon Neumann
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Josef Madl
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.,BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Winfried Römer
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.,BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Carina Zorzin
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Borner
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.,BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Aladin Haimovici
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ana Garcia-Saez
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry (IFIB), University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Arnim Weber
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Georg Häcker
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.,BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
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19
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Liu JW, Zhu ZC, Li K, Wang HT, Xiong ZQ, Zheng J. UMI-77 primes glioma cells for TRAIL-induced apoptosis by unsequestering Bim and Bak from Mcl-1. Mol Cell Biochem 2017; 432:55-65. [DOI: 10.1007/s11010-017-2997-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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20
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Gillissen B, Richter A, Richter A, Preissner R, Schulze-Osthoff K, Essmann F, Daniel PT. Bax/Bak-independent mitochondrial depolarization and reactive oxygen species induction by sorafenib overcome resistance to apoptosis in renal cell carcinoma. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:6478-6492. [PMID: 28154184 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.754184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Revised: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is polyresistant to chemo- and radiotherapy and biologicals, including TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). Sorafenib, a multikinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of RCC, has been shown to sensitize cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis, in particular by down-regulation of the Bak-inhibitory Bcl-2 family protein Mcl-1. Here we demonstrate that sorafenib overcomes TRAIL resistance in RCC by a mechanism that does not rely on Mcl-1 down-regulation. Instead, sorafenib induces rapid dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) that is accompanied by the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Loss of ΔΨm and ROS production induced by sorafenib are independent of caspase activities and do not depend on the presence of the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins Bax or Bak, indicating that both events are functionally upstream of the mitochondrial apoptosis signaling cascade. More intriguingly, we find that it is sorafenib-induced ROS accumulation that enables TRAIL to activate caspase-8 in RCC. This leads to apoptosis that involves activation of an amplification loop via the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Thus, our mechanistic data indicate that sorafenib bypasses central resistance mechanisms through a direct induction of ΔΨm breakdown and ROS production. Activation of this pathway might represent a useful strategy to overcome the cell-inherent resistance to cancer therapeutics, including TRAIL, in multiresistant cancers such as RCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Gillissen
- From the Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Tumor Immunology, University Medical Center Charité, Campus Berlin-Buch, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.,the German Cancer Consortium and German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anja Richter
- From the Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Tumor Immunology, University Medical Center Charité, Campus Berlin-Buch, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.,the German Cancer Consortium and German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Antje Richter
- From the Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Tumor Immunology, University Medical Center Charité, Campus Berlin-Buch, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Preissner
- the Institute of Physiology and Experimental Clinical Research Center, University Medical Center Charité, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Klaus Schulze-Osthoff
- the German Cancer Consortium and German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,the Interfaculty Institute for Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Strasse 4, 72076 Tübingen, Germany, and
| | - Frank Essmann
- the German Cancer Consortium and German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,the Interfaculty Institute for Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Strasse 4, 72076 Tübingen, Germany, and
| | - Peter T Daniel
- From the Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Tumor Immunology, University Medical Center Charité, Campus Berlin-Buch, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany, .,the German Cancer Consortium and German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical and Molecular Oncology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin-Buch, Germany
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21
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Kawakami H, Huang S, Pal K, Dutta SK, Mukhopadhyay D, Sinicrope FA. Mutant BRAF Upregulates MCL-1 to Confer Apoptosis Resistance that Is Reversed by MCL-1 Antagonism and Cobimetinib in Colorectal Cancer. Mol Cancer Ther 2016; 15:3015-3027. [PMID: 27765849 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-16-0017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Revised: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Oncogenic BRAFV600E mutations activate MAPK signaling and are associated with treatment resistance and poor prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer. In BRAFV600E-mutant colorectal cancers, treatment failure may be related to BRAFV600E-mediated apoptosis resistance that occurs by an as yet undefined mechanism. We found that BRAFV600E can upregulate anti-apoptotic MCL-1 in a gene dose-dependent manner using colorectal cancer cell lines isogenic for BRAF BRAFV600E-induced MCL-1 upregulation was confirmed by ectopic BRAFV600E expression that activated MEK/ERK signaling to phosphorylate (MCL-1Thr163) and stabilize MCL-1. Upregulation of MCL-1 was mediated by MEK/ERK shown by the ability of ERK siRNA to suppress MCL-1. Stabilization of MCL-1 by phosphorylation was shown by a phosphorylation-mimicking mutant and an unphosphorylated MCL-1 mutant that decreased or increased MCL-1 protein turnover, respectively. MEK/ERK inhibition by cobimetinib suppressed MCL-1 expression/phosphorylation and induced proapoptotic BIM to a greater extent than did vemurafenib in BRAFV600E cell lines. MCL-1 knockdown versus control shRNA significantly enhanced cobimetinib-induced apoptosis in vitro and in HT29 colon cancer xenografts. The small-molecule MCL-1 inhibitor, A-1210477, also enhanced cobimetinib-induced apoptosis in vitro that was due to disruption of the interaction of MCL-1 with proapoptotic BAK and BIM. Knockdown of BIM attenuated BAX, but not BAK, activation by cobimetinib plus A-1210477. In summary, BRAFV600E-mediated MEK/ERK activation can upregulate MCL-1 by phosphorylation/stabilization to confer apoptosis resistance that can be reversed by MCL-1 antagonism combined with cobimetinib, suggesting a novel therapeutic strategy against BRAFV600E-mutant CRCs. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(12); 3015-27. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisato Kawakami
- Departments of Medicine and Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Shengbing Huang
- Departments of Medicine and Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Krishnendu Pal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida
| | - Shamit K Dutta
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida
| | | | - Frank A Sinicrope
- Departments of Medicine and Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
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Bcl-xL inhibition by molecular-targeting drugs sensitizes human pancreatic cancer cells to TRAIL. Oncotarget 2016; 6:41902-15. [PMID: 26506422 PMCID: PMC4747197 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.5881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2015] [Accepted: 10/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) induces apoptosis in various types of cancer cells without damaging normal cells. However, in terms of pancreatic cancer, not all cancer cells are sensitive to TRAIL. In this study, we examined a panel of human pancreatic cancer cell lines for TRAIL sensitivity and investigated the effects of Bcl-2 family inhibitors on their response to TRAIL. Both ABT-263 and ABT-737 inhibited the function of Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Bcl-w. Of the nine pancreatic cancer cell lines tested, six showed no or low sensitivity to TRAIL, which correlated with protein expression of Bcl-xL. ABT-263 significantly sensitized four cell lines (AsPC-1, Panc-1, CFPAC-1, and Panc10.05) to TRAIL, with reduced cell viability and increased apoptosis. Knockdown of Bcl-xL, but not Bcl-2, by siRNA transfection increased the sensitivity of AsPC-1 and Panc-1 cells to TRAIL. ABT-263 treatment had no effect on protein expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, or c-FLIPs. In Panc-1 cells, ABT-263 increased the surface expression of death receptor (DR) 5; the NF-κB pathway, but not endoplasmic reticulum stress, participated in the increase. In xenograft mouse models, the combination of TRAIL and ATB-737 suppressed the in vivo tumor growth of AsPC-1 and Panc-1 cells. These results indicate that Bcl-xL is responsible for TRAIL resistance in human pancreatic cancer cells, and that Bcl-2 family inhibitors could represent promising reagents to sensitize human pancreatic cancers in DR-targeting therapy.
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23
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Zhang C, Li YL, Weng X, Li LY, Zhou MX, Zhang DY, Lin NM. Nedaplatin enhanced apoptotic effects of ABT-737 in human cancer cells via Mcl-1 inhibition. Oncol Lett 2016; 12:4195-4202. [PMID: 27895791 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2016.5151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2015] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Platinum compounds, such as cisplatin, carboplatin, oxaliplatin and nedaplatin, are widely used to treat a number of solid malignancies. Nedaplatin is a second-generation platinum complex, based on its pronounced anti-cancer activities against several solid tumors being equivalent to that of cisplatin, but with lower nephrotoxicity. In this context, the present study aimed to investigate the potential anti-cancer effect by combining nedaplatin with ABT-737. It was found that nedaplatin greatly increased ABT-737-mediated apoptosis in A549 and 95-D cells, accompanied by enhanced cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and caspase-3. In addition, this enhancement was also paralleled by cytochrome c release and dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential. Additional mechanistic investigations revealed that nedaplatin plus ABT-737 exerted a synergistic effect on cancer cells through their ability to accelerate the degradation of Mcl-1. The present study has revealed nedaplatin as a pertinent sensitizer to ABT-737, which opens up new avenues for this promising BH3-mimetic molecule in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Zhang
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310015, P.R. China
| | - Yang-Ling Li
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, P.R. China; Hangzhou Translational Medicine Research Center, Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, P.R. China
| | - Xu Weng
- The First Affiliated Hangzhou Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, P.R. China
| | - Li-Yan Li
- The First Affiliated Hangzhou Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, P.R. China; Department of Pharmacy, Yongkang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yongkang, Zhejiang 321300, P.R. China
| | - Ming-Xian Zhou
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310015, P.R. China
| | - Da-Yong Zhang
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310015, P.R. China
| | - Neng-Ming Lin
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Affiliated Hangzhou Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, P.R. China; The First Affiliated Hangzhou Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, P.R. China; Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacy, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, P.R. China
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Beekman AM, O'Connell MA, Howell LA. Identification of Small-Molecule Inhibitors of the Antiapoptotic Protein Myeloid Cell Leukaemia-1 (Mcl-1). ChemMedChem 2016; 11:840-4. [PMID: 26616140 PMCID: PMC4848766 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201500488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) control many cellular processes in cancer and tumour growth. Of significant interest is the role PPIs play in regulating apoptosis. The overexpression of the antiapoptosis regulating Bcl-2 family of proteins is commonly observed in several cancers, leading to resistance towards both radiation and chemotherapies. From this family, myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) has proven the most difficult to target, and one of the leading causes of treatment resistance. Exploiting the selective PPI between the apoptosis-regulating protein Noxa and Mcl-1, utilising a fluorescence polarization assay, we have identified four small molecules with the ability to modulate Mcl-1. The identified compounds were computationally modelled and docked against the Mcl-1 binding interface to obtain structural information about their binding sites allowing for future analogue design. When examined for their activity towards pancreatic cell lines that overexpress Mcl-1 (MiaPaCa-2 and BxPC-3), the identified compounds demonstrated growth inhibition, suggesting effective Mcl-1 modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Beekman
- School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Maria A O'Connell
- School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Lesley A Howell
- School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK.
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Qin G, Zhao C, Zhang L, Liu H, Quan Y, Chai L, Wu S, Wang X, Chen T. Dihydroartemisinin induces apoptosis preferentially via a Bim-mediated intrinsic pathway in hepatocarcinoma cells. Apoptosis 2016; 20:1072-86. [PMID: 25935454 DOI: 10.1007/s10495-015-1132-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
This report is designed to dissect the detail molecular mechanism by which dihydroartemisinin (DHA), a derivative of artemisinin, induces apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. DHA induced a loss of the mitochondrial transmemberane potential (ΔΨm), release of cytochrome c, activation of caspases, and externalization of phosphatidylserine indicative of apoptosis induction. Compared with the modest inhibitory effects of silencing Bax, silencing Bak largely prevented DHA-induced ΔΨm collapse and apoptosis though DHA induced a commensurable activation of Bax and Bak, demonstrating a key role of the Bak-mediated intrinsic apoptosis pathway. DHA did not induce Bid cleavage and translocation from cytoplasm to mitochondria and had little effects on the expressions of Puma and Noxa, but did increase Bim and Bak expressions and decrease Mcl-1 expression. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of DHA was remarkably reduced by silencing Bim, and modestly but significantly reduced by silencing Puma or Noxa. Silencing Bim or Noxa preferentially reduced DHA-induced Bak activation, while silencing Puma preferentially reduced DHA-induced Bax activation, demonstrating that Bim and to a lesser extent Noxa act as upstream mediators to trigger the Bak-mediated intrinsic apoptosis pathway. In addition, silencing Mcl-1 enhanced DHA-induced Bak activation and apoptosis. Taken together, our data demonstrate a crucial role of Bim in preferentially regulating the Bak/Mcl-1 rheostat to mediate DHA-induced apoptosis in HCC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guiqi Qin
- MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
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A novel, soluble compound, C25, sensitizes to TRAIL-induced apoptosis through upregulation of DR5 expression. Anticancer Drugs 2015; 26:518-30. [PMID: 25646742 DOI: 10.1097/cad.0000000000000213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a potential therapeutic agent that induces apoptosis selectively in tumor cells. However, numerous solid tumor types are resistant to TRAIL. Sensitization to TRAIL has been an area of great research interest, but has met significant challenges because of poor bioavailability, half-life, and solubility of sensitizing compounds such as curcumin. Soluble, TRAIL-sensitizing compounds were screened on the basis of similarity to the redox-active substructure of curcumin and sensitization to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. We determined the effect of the lead compound, C25, in combination with TRAIL in human cancer cell lines using MTS proliferation assays, apoptosis assays, and western blotting. Short hairpin RNA knockdown of death receptor 5 (DR5) was performed to determine whether DR5 upregulation was required for TRAIL-mediated apoptosis. In-vivo efficacy was determined using human lung tumor xenograft models. C25 helped overcome TRAIL resistance by upregulating the expression of the TRAIL receptor DR5 and apoptosis in several tumor cell lines. Blockade of DR5 expression abrogated C25 sensitization to TRAIL, demonstrating the requirement for DR5 upregulation for C25-mediated potentiation of TRAIL-mediated apoptosis. The combination of C25 and TRAIL effectively inhibited tumorigenesis in vivo. This study demonstrates the synergistic efficacy of C25 in sensitization to TRAIL-induced apoptosis in multiple tumor cell types, including highly resistant lung and ovarian tumor cell lines. Furthermore, C25 was efficacious against tumor growth in vivo. Thus, C25 may be a potential therapeutic for cancer in combination with TRAIL or DR5 agonist therapy.
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27
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Zaanan A, Okamoto K, Kawakami H, Khazaie K, Huang S, Sinicrope FA. The Mutant KRAS Gene Up-regulates BCL-XL Protein via STAT3 to Confer Apoptosis Resistance That Is Reversed by BIM Protein Induction and BCL-XL Antagonism. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:23838-49. [PMID: 26245900 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.657833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In colorectal cancers with oncogenic GTPase Kras (KRAS) mutations, inhibition of downstream MEK/ERK signaling has shown limited efficacy, in part because of failure to induce a robust apoptotic response. We studied the mechanism of apoptosis resistance in mutant KRAS cells and sought to enhance the efficacy of a KRAS-specific MEK/ERK inhibitor, GDC-0623. GDC-0623 was shown to potently up-regulate BIM expression to a greater extent versus other MEK inhibitors in isogenic KRAS HCT116 and mutant KRAS SW620 colon cancer cells. ERK silencing enhanced BIM up-regulation by GDC-0623 that was due to its loss of phosphorylation at Ser(69), confirmed by a BIM-EL phosphorylation-defective mutant (S69G) that increased protein stability and blocked BIM induction. Despite BIM and BIK induction, the isogenic KRAS mutant versus wild-type cells remained resistant to GDC-0623-induced apoptosis, in part because of up-regulation of BCL-XL. KRAS knockdown by a doxycycline-inducible shRNA attenuated BCL-XL expression. BCL-XL knockdown sensitized KRAS mutant cells to GDC-0623-mediated apoptosis, as did the BH3 mimetic ABT-263. GDC-0623 plus ABT-263 induced a synergistic apoptosis by a mechanism that includes release of BIM from its sequestration by BCL-XL. Furthermore, mutant KRAS activated p-STAT3 (Tyr(705)) in the absence of IL-6 secretion, and STAT3 knockdown reduced BCL-XL mRNA and protein expression. These data suggest that BCL-XL up-regulation by STAT3 contributes to mutant KRAS-mediated apoptosis resistance. Such resistance can be overcome by potent BIM induction and concurrent BCL-XL antagonism to enable a synergistic apoptotic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aziz Zaanan
- From the Departments of Medicine and Oncology, Gastroenterology Research Unit, and the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and
| | - Koichi Okamoto
- From the Departments of Medicine and Oncology, Gastroenterology Research Unit, and the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and
| | - Hisato Kawakami
- From the Departments of Medicine and Oncology, Gastroenterology Research Unit, and the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and
| | | | - Shengbing Huang
- From the Departments of Medicine and Oncology, Gastroenterology Research Unit, and the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and
| | - Frank A Sinicrope
- From the Departments of Medicine and Oncology, Gastroenterology Research Unit, and the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and
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28
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Okamoto K, Zaanan A, Kawakami H, Huang S, Sinicrope FA. Reversal of Mutant KRAS-Mediated Apoptosis Resistance by Concurrent Noxa/Bik Induction and Bcl-2/Bcl-xL Antagonism in Colon Cancer Cells. Mol Cancer Res 2014; 13:659-69. [PMID: 25548100 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-14-0476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED KRAS mutations are frequently detected in human colorectal cancer and contribute to de novo apoptosis resistance and ultimately therapeutic failure. To overcome KRAS-mediated apoptosis resistance, the irreversible proteasome inhibitor, carfilzomib, was evaluated and found to potently induce Noxa, which was dependent upon c-Myc, and Bik. Isogenic mutant versus wild-type KRAS carcinoma cells showed elevated Bcl-xL, confirmed by KRAS siRNA or ectopic expression. Upregulated Bcl-xL by mutant KRAS was mediated by ERK as indicated by ERK knockdown. Bcl-xL expression was regulated at the level of mRNA and protein as shown using actinomycin D and cyclohexamide, respectively. Suppression of Bcl-xL by shRNA sensitized mutant KRAS cells to carfilzomib. Concurrent Bcl-xL antagonism by the BH3 mimetic ABT-263 combined with carfilzomib synergistically enhanced apoptosis that was dependent on Bax or p53, and was attenuated by Noxa or Bik shRNA. In support of this strategy, ectopically expressed Noxa enhanced apoptosis by ABT-263. Carfilzomib-induced Noxa and Bik sequestered Mcl-1 and ABT-263 released Bik and Bak from Bcl-xL, suggesting a mechanism for drug synergy. These preclinical findings establish mutant KRAS-mediated Bcl-xL upregulation as a key mechanism of apoptosis resistance in KRAS-mutant colorectal cancer. Furthermore, antagonizing Bcl-xL enabled carfilzomib-induced Noxa and Bik to induce synergistic apoptosis that reversed KRAS-mediated resistance. IMPLICATIONS This novel study reveals a promising treatment strategy to overcome apoptosis resistance in KRAS-mutant colorectal cancer by concurrent upregulation of Noxa/Bik and antagonism of Bcl-xL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koichi Okamoto
- Department of Medicine, GI Research Unit, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Cancer Center, Rochester, Minnesota. Department of Oncology, GI Research Unit, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Cancer Center, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Aziz Zaanan
- Department of Medicine, GI Research Unit, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Cancer Center, Rochester, Minnesota. Department of Oncology, GI Research Unit, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Cancer Center, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Hisato Kawakami
- Department of Medicine, GI Research Unit, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Cancer Center, Rochester, Minnesota. Department of Oncology, GI Research Unit, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Cancer Center, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Shengbing Huang
- Department of Medicine, GI Research Unit, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Cancer Center, Rochester, Minnesota. Department of Oncology, GI Research Unit, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Cancer Center, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Frank A Sinicrope
- Department of Medicine, GI Research Unit, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Cancer Center, Rochester, Minnesota. Department of Oncology, GI Research Unit, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Cancer Center, Rochester, Minnesota.
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29
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Clitocine induces apoptosis and enhances the lethality of ABT-737 in human colon cancer cells by disrupting the interaction of Mcl-1 and Bak. Cancer Lett 2014; 355:253-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2014.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2014] [Revised: 09/12/2014] [Accepted: 09/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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30
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Schmid D, Jarvis GE, Fay F, Small DM, Greene MK, Majkut J, Spence S, McLaughlin KM, McCloskey KD, Johnston PG, Kissenpfennig A, Longley DB, Scott CJ. Nanoencapsulation of ABT-737 and camptothecin enhances their clinical potential through synergistic antitumor effects and reduction of systemic toxicity. Cell Death Dis 2014; 5:e1454. [PMID: 25299779 PMCID: PMC4649518 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2014.413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2014] [Revised: 08/28/2014] [Accepted: 08/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The simultaneous delivery of multiple cancer drugs in combination therapies to achieve optimal therapeutic effects in patients can be challenging. This study investigated whether co-encapsulation of the BH3-mimetic ABT-737 and the topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin (CPT) in PEGylated polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) was a viable strategy for overcoming their clinical limitations and to deliver both compounds at optimal ratios. We found that thrombocytopenia induced by exposure to ABT-737 was diminished through its encapsulation in NPs. Similarly, CPT-associated leukopenia and gastrointestinal toxicity were reduced compared with the administration of free CPT. In addition to the reduction of dose-limiting side effects, the co-encapsulation of both anticancer compounds in a single NP produced synergistic induction of apoptosis in both in vitro and in vivo colorectal cancer models. This strategy may widen the therapeutic window of these and other drugs and may enhance the clinical efficacy of synergistic drug combinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Schmid
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - G E Jarvis
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - F Fay
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - D M Small
- Centre for Infection and Immunity, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - M K Greene
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - J Majkut
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - S Spence
- Centre for Infection and Immunity, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - K M McLaughlin
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - K D McCloskey
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - P G Johnston
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - A Kissenpfennig
- Centre for Infection and Immunity, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - D B Longley
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - C J Scott
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
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31
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Geserick P, Wang J, Feoktistova M, Leverkus M. The ratio of Mcl-1 and Noxa determines ABT737 resistance in squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. Cell Death Dis 2014; 5:e1412. [PMID: 25210795 PMCID: PMC4540197 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2014.379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2014] [Revised: 07/22/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Tumour progression and therapy resistance in squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (SCC) is strongly associated with resistance to intrinsic mitochondrial apoptosis. We thus investigated the role of various anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins for apoptosis protection in SCC using the BH3 agonist ABT737 that can overcome multidomain Bcl-2 protein protection. Sensitive SCC cells underwent rapid loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), subsequent apoptosis concomitant with caspase-3 activation and an early release of mitochondria-derived cytochrome c and smac/DIABLO. In contrast, ABT737 resistance in subsets of SCC cells was not explained by XIAP, important for protection from DR-induced apoptosis in SCC. Of note, ABT737 did not prime SCC cells to DR-induced apoptosis. Interestingly, the ratio of Mcl-1 and Noxa determined sensitivity to ABT737: loss of Mcl-1 rendered resistant cells sensitive to ABT737, whereas loss of Noxa promoted resistance in sensitive cells. In line, suppression of Mcl-1 by the pan-Bcl-2 inhibitor Obatoclax or overexpression of Noxa rendered resistant SCC cells sensitive to BH3 mimetics. Our data indicate that targeting of the Mcl-1/Noxa axis is important to overcome resistance to mitochondrial apoptosis in SCC. Therefore, combination treatment of ABT737 or derivatives with Mcl-1 inhibitors, or inducers of Noxa, may represent a novel option of targeted therapy in metastatic SCC of the skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Geserick
- Section of Molecular Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, Venerology, and Allergology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - J Wang
- Section of Molecular Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, Venerology, and Allergology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - M Feoktistova
- Section of Molecular Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, Venerology, and Allergology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - M Leverkus
- Section of Molecular Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, Venerology, and Allergology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
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32
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Combining the antimesothelin immunotoxin SS1P with the BH3-mimetic ABT-737 induces cell death in SS1P-resistant pancreatic cancer cells. J Immunother 2014; 37:8-15. [PMID: 24316551 DOI: 10.1097/cji.0000000000000010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
SS1P is an antimesothelin recombinant immunotoxin (RIT). Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell lines are resistant to SS1P, despite high mesothelin expression. The aim of this study is to examine whether combining SS1P and BH3-mimetic ABT-737 induces cell death in a panel of PDAC cell lines. ABT-737 binds and neutralizes several antiapoptotic BCL2 family proteins, but has a low affinity for the short-lived MCL1 and BCL2A1. SS1P inhibits protein synthesis, which has shown to downregulate MCL1. PDAC cell lines KLM-1, BxPc-3, and Panc 3.014 were resistant to SS1P or ABT-737 alone. Combining both compounds led to a significant increase in cell death. After 48 hours of treatment, cell death was observed in 92% of KLM-1, 55% of BxPc-3, and 23% of Panc 3.014 cells. Panc 3.014 had the highest number of mesothelin-binding sites (92×10(3)), followed by KLM-1 (58×10(3)) and BxPc-3 (3×10(3)). ABT-737 had no effect on SS1P internalization, but enhanced SS1P-induced protein synthesis inhibition significantly in KLM-1, to a lesser extent in BxPc-3, and very little in Panc 3.014. SS1P alone or in combination with ABT-737 downregulated MCL1 in KLM-1 and BxPc-3, but not in Panc 3.014. Similar observations were made for BCL2A1, which had the highest levels in Panc 3.014. Compared with KLM-1, Panc 3.014, and BxPc-3 also had lower proapoptotic BAK and a trend toward higher MCL1. Proapoptotic BAX was similar in KLM-1 and BxPc-3, but lower in Panc 3.014. In conclusion, combining SS1P with ABT-737 overcomes SS1P-resistance in PDAC, although to a variable extent. The efficacy of the combination is mainly associated with the RIT-associated inhibition of protein synthesis and the ability to downregulate MCL1 and BCL2A1, while levels of other key apoptotic proteins may also be important. Our data support the combination of an RIT and a BH3-mimetic, and identify factors that potentially limit the efficacy of such therapeutic approach.
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Schlegel CR, Fonseca AV, Stöcker S, Georgiou ML, Misterek MB, Munro CE, Carmo CR, Seckl MJ, Costa-Pereira AP. DAPK2 is a novel modulator of TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Cell Death Differ 2014; 21:1780-91. [PMID: 25012503 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2014.93] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Revised: 05/27/2014] [Accepted: 05/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeting molecules involved in TRAIL-mediated signalling has been hailed by many as a potential magic bullet to kill cancer cells efficiently, with little side effects on normal cells. Indeed, initial clinical trials showed that antibodies against TRAIL receptors, death receptor (DR)4 and DR5, are well tolerated by cancer patients. Despite efficacy issues in the clinical setting, novel approaches to trigger TRAIL-mediated apoptosis are being developed and its clinical potential is being reappraised. Unfortunately, as observed with other cancer therapies, many patients develop resistance to TRAIL-induced apoptosis and there is thus impetuous for identifying additional resistance mechanisms that may be targetable and usable in combination therapies. Here, we show that the death-associated protein kinase 2 (DAPK2) is a modulator of TRAIL signalling. Genetic ablation of DAPK2 using RNA interference causes phosphorylation of NF-κB and its transcriptional activity in several cancer cell lines. This then leads to the induction of a variety of NF-κB target genes, which include proapoptotic DR4 and DR5. DR4 and DR5 protein expression is correspondingly increased on the cell surface and this leads to the sensitisation of resistant cells to TRAIL-induced killing, in a p53-independent manner. As DAPK2 is a kinase, it is imminently druggable, and our data thus offer a novel avenue to overcome TRAIL resistance in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- C R Schlegel
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Faculty of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, ICTEM, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - A-V Fonseca
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Faculty of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, ICTEM, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - S Stöcker
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Faculty of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, ICTEM, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - M L Georgiou
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Faculty of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, ICTEM, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - M B Misterek
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Faculty of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, ICTEM, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - C E Munro
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Faculty of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, ICTEM, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - C R Carmo
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Faculty of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, ICTEM, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - M J Seckl
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Faculty of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, ICTEM, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - A P Costa-Pereira
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Faculty of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, ICTEM, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
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34
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Lemke J, von Karstedt S, Zinngrebe J, Walczak H. Getting TRAIL back on track for cancer therapy. Cell Death Differ 2014; 21:1350-64. [PMID: 24948009 PMCID: PMC4131183 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2014.81] [Citation(s) in RCA: 359] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2014] [Revised: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Unlike other members of the TNF superfamily, the TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL, also known as Apo2L) possesses the unique capacity to induce apoptosis selectively in cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. This exciting discovery provided the basis for the development of TRAIL-receptor agonists (TRAs), which have demonstrated robust anticancer activity in a number of preclinical studies. Subsequently initiated clinical trials testing TRAs demonstrated, on the one hand, broad tolerability but revealed, on the other, that therapeutic benefit was rather limited. Several factors that are likely to account for TRAs' sobering clinical performance have since been identified. First, because of initial concerns over potential hepatotoxicity, TRAs with relatively weak agonistic activity were selected to enter clinical trials. Second, although TRAIL can induce apoptosis in several cancer cell lines, it has now emerged that many others, and importantly, most primary cancer cells are resistant to TRAIL monotherapy. Third, so far patients enrolled in TRA-employing clinical trials were not selected for likelihood of benefitting from a TRA-comprising therapy on the basis of a valid(ated) biomarker. This review summarizes and discusses the results achieved so far in TRA-employing clinical trials in the light of these three shortcomings. By integrating recent insight on apoptotic and non-apoptotic TRAIL signaling in cancer cells, we propose approaches to introduce novel, revised TRAIL-based therapeutic concepts into the cancer clinic. These include (i) the use of recently developed highly active TRAs, (ii) the addition of efficient, but cancer-cell-selective TRAIL-sensitizing agents to overcome TRAIL resistance and (iii) employing proteomic profiling to uncover resistance mechanisms. We envisage that this shall enable the design of effective TRA-comprising therapeutic concepts for individual cancer patients in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Lemke
- 1] Centre for Cell Death, Cancer and Inflammation (CCCI), UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6DD, UK [2] Clinic of General and Visceral Surgery, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 23, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - S von Karstedt
- Centre for Cell Death, Cancer and Inflammation (CCCI), UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - J Zinngrebe
- Centre for Cell Death, Cancer and Inflammation (CCCI), UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - H Walczak
- Centre for Cell Death, Cancer and Inflammation (CCCI), UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6DD, UK
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35
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Overcoming multiple drug resistance mechanisms in medulloblastoma. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2014; 2:57. [PMID: 24887326 PMCID: PMC4229867 DOI: 10.1186/2051-5960-2-57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2014] [Accepted: 05/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant paediatric brain tumour. Recurrence and progression of disease occurs in 15-20% of standard risk and 30-40% of high risk patients. We analysed whether circumvention of chemoresistance pathways (drug export, DNA repair and apoptotic inhibition) can restore chemotherapeutic efficacy in a panel of MB cell lines. RESULTS We demonstrate, by immunohistochemistry in patient tissue microarrays, that ABCB1 is expressed in 43% of tumours and is significantly associated with high-risk. We show that ABCB1, O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) and BCL2 family members are differentially expressed (by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting and flow cytometry) in MB cell lines. Based on these findings, each pathway was then inhibited or circumvented and cell survival assessed using clonogenic assays. Inhibition of ABCB1 using vardenafil or verapamil resulted in a significant increase in sensitivity to etoposide in ABCB1-expressing MB cell lines. Sensitivity to temozolomide (TMZ) was MGMT-dependent, but two novel imidazotetrazine derivatives (N-3 sulfoxide and N-3 propargyl TMZ analogues) demonstrated ≥7 fold and ≥3 fold more potent cytotoxicity respectively compared to TMZ in MGMT-expressing MB cell lines. Activity of the BAD mimetic ABT-737 was BCL2A1 and ABCB1 dependent, whereas the pan-BCL2 inhibitor obatoclax was effective as a single cytotoxic agent irrespective of MCL1, BCL2, BCL2A1, or ABCB1 expression. CONCLUSIONS ABCB1 is associated with high-risk MB; hence, inhibition of ABCB1 by vardenafil may represent a valid approach in these patients. Imidazotetrazine analogues of TMZ and the BH3 mimetic obatoclax are promising clinical candidates in drug resistant MB tumours expressing MGMT and BCL2 anti-apoptotic members respectively.
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Garimella SV, Gehlhaus K, Dine JL, Pitt JJ, Grandin M, Chakka S, Nau MM, Caplen NJ, Lipkowitz S. Identification of novel molecular regulators of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells by RNAi screening. Breast Cancer Res 2014; 16:R41. [PMID: 24745479 PMCID: PMC4053258 DOI: 10.1186/bcr3645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2013] [Accepted: 04/02/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) binds to its receptors, TRAIL-receptor 1 (TRAIL-R1) and TRAIL-receptor 2 (TRAIL-R2), leading to apoptosis by activation of caspase-8 and the downstream executioner caspases, caspase-3 and caspase-7 (caspase-3/7). Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines with a mesenchymal phenotype are sensitive to TRAIL, whereas other breast cancer cell lines are resistant. The underlying mechanisms that control TRAIL sensitivity in breast cancer cells are not well understood. Here, we performed small interfering RNA (siRNA) screens to identify molecular regulators of the TRAIL pathway in breast cancer cells. METHODS We conducted siRNA screens of the human kinome (691 genes), phosphatome (320 genes), and about 300 additional genes in the mesenchymal TNBC cell line MB231. Forty-eight hours after transfection of siRNA, parallel screens measuring caspase-8 activity, caspase-3/7 activity, or cell viability were conducted in the absence or presence of TRAIL for each siRNA, relative to a negative control siRNA (siNeg). A subset of genes was screened in cell lines representing epithelial TNBC (MB468), HER2-amplified breast cancer (SKBR3), and estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer (T47D). Selected putative negative regulators of the TRAIL pathway were studied by using small-molecule inhibitors. RESULTS The primary screens in MB231 identified 150 genes, including 83 kinases, 4 phosphatases, and 63 nonkinases, as potential negative regulators of TRAIL. The identified genes are involved in many critical cell processes, including apoptosis, growth factor-receptor signaling, cell-cycle regulation, transcriptional regulation, and DNA repair. Gene-network analysis identified four genes (PDPK1, IKBKB, SRC, and BCL2L1) that formed key nodes within the interaction network of negative regulators. A secondary screen of a subset of the genes identified in additional cell lines representing different breast cancer subtypes and sensitivities to TRAIL validated and extended these findings. Further, we confirmed that small-molecule inhibition of SRC or BCL2L1, in combination with TRAIL, sensitizes breast cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis, including cell lines resistant to TRAIL-induced cytotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS These data identify novel molecular regulators of TRAIL-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells and suggest strategies for the enhanced application of TRAIL as a therapy for breast cancer.
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Mohana-Kumaran N, Hill DS, Allen JD, Haass NK. Targeting the intrinsic apoptosis pathway as a strategy for melanoma therapy. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2014; 27:525-39. [PMID: 24655414 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.12242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Melanoma drug resistance is often attributed to abrogation of the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. Targeting regulators of apoptosis is thus considered a promising approach to sensitizing melanomas to treatment. The development of small-molecule inhibitors that mimic natural antagonists of either antiapoptotic members of the BCL-2 family or the inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs), known as BH3- or SMAC-mimetics, respectively, are helping us to understand the mechanisms behind apoptotic resistance. Studies using BH3-mimetics indicate that the antiapoptotic BCL-2 protein MCL-1 and its antagonist NOXA are particularly important regulators of BCL-2 family signaling, while SMAC-mimetic studies show that both XIAP and the cIAPs must be targeted to effectively induce apoptosis of cancer cells. Although most solid tumors, including melanoma, are insensitive to these mimetic drugs as single agents, combinations with other therapeutics have yielded promising results, and tests combining them with BRAF-inhibitors, which have already revolutionized melanoma treatment, are a clear priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nethia Mohana-Kumaran
- The Centenary Institute, Newtown, NSW, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
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Hashim YM, Spitzer D, Vangveravong S, Hornick MC, Garg G, Hornick JR, Goedegebuure P, Mach RH, Hawkins WG. Targeted pancreatic cancer therapy with the small molecule drug conjugate SW IV-134. Mol Oncol 2014; 8:956-67. [PMID: 24731702 DOI: 10.1016/j.molonc.2014.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2013] [Revised: 02/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is highly resistant to conventional therapeutics and has been shown to evade apoptosis by deregulation of the X-linked and cellular inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (XIAP and cIAP). Second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases (Smac) induces and amplifies cell death by reversing the anti-apoptotic activity of IAPs. Thus, Smac-derived peptide analogues (peptidomimetics) have been developed and shown to represent promising cancer therapeutics. Sigma-2 receptors are overexpressed in many proliferating tumor cells including pancreatic cancer. Selected ligands to this receptor are rapidly internalized by cancer cells. These characteristics have made the sigma-2 receptor an attractive target for drug delivery because selective delivery to cancer cells has the potential to increase therapeutic efficacy while minimizing toxicity to normal tissues. Here, we describe the initial characterization of SW IV-134, a chemically linked drug conjugate between the sigma-2 ligand SW43 and the Smac mimetic SW IV-52 as a novel treatment option for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The tumor killing characteristics of our dual-domain therapeutic SW IV-134 was far greater than either component in isolation or in an equimolar mix and suggests enhanced cellular delivery when chemically linked to the sigma-2 ligand. One of the key findings was that SW IV-134 retained target selectivity of the Smac cargo with the involvement of the NF-κB/TNFα signaling pathway. Importantly, SW IV-134 slowed tumor growth and improved survival in murine models of pancreatic cancer. Our data support further study of this novel therapeutic and this drug delivery strategy because it may eventually benefit patients with pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yassar M Hashim
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Dirk Spitzer
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States; Department of Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Suwanna Vangveravong
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Mary C Hornick
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Gunjal Garg
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - John R Hornick
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Peter Goedegebuure
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States; Department of Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Robert H Mach
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States.
| | - William G Hawkins
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States; Department of Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States.
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Abulwerdi F, Liao C, Liu M, Azmi AS, Aboukameel A, Mady ASA, Gulappa T, Cierpicki T, Owens S, Zhang T, Sun D, Stuckey JA, Mohammad RM, Nikolovska-Coleska Z. A novel small-molecule inhibitor of mcl-1 blocks pancreatic cancer growth in vitro and in vivo. Mol Cancer Ther 2014; 13:565-75. [PMID: 24019208 PMCID: PMC4174574 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-12-0767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Using a high-throughput screening (HTS) approach, we have identified and validated several small-molecule Mcl-1 inhibitors (SMI). Here, we describe a novel selective Mcl-1 SMI inhibitor, 2 (UMI-77), developed by structure-based chemical modifications of the lead compound 1 (UMI-59). We have characterized the binding of UMI-77 to Mcl-1 by using complementary biochemical, biophysical, and computational methods and determined its antitumor activity against a panel of pancreatic cancer cells and an in vivo xenograft model. UMI-77 binds to the BH3-binding groove of Mcl-1 with Ki of 490 nmol/L, showing selectivity over other members of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family. UMI-77 inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner, accompanied by cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments revealed that UMI-77 blocks the heterodimerization of Mcl-1/Bax and Mcl-1/Bak in cells, thus antagonizing the Mcl-1 function. The Bax/Bak-dependent induction of apoptosis was further confirmed using murine embryonic fibroblasts that are Bax- and Bak-deficient. In an in vivo BxPC-3 xenograft model, UMI-77 effectively inhibited tumor growth. Western blot analysis in tumor remnants revealed enhancement of proapoptotic markers and significant decrease of survivin. Collectively, these promising findings show the therapeutic potential of Mcl-1 inhibitors against pancreatic cancer and warrant further preclinical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fardokht Abulwerdi
- Corresponding Author: Zaneta Nikolovska-Coleska, 4510E MSRB I, 1150 West Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.
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Huang S, Okamoto K, Yu C, Sinicrope FA. p62/sequestosome-1 up-regulation promotes ABT-263-induced caspase-8 aggregation/activation on the autophagosome. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:33654-33666. [PMID: 24121507 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.518134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy and apoptosis regulate cancer cell viability in response to cytotoxic stress; however, their functional relationship remains unclear. p62/sequestosome 1 is a multifunctional protein and a signaling hub that shuttles ubiquitinated proteins to the lysosome during autophagy. Autophagy inhibition up-regulates p62, and prior data suggest that p62 may mediate apoptosis. Here, we demonstrate that p62 can regulate a caspase-8-dependent apoptosis in response to the BH3 mimetic agent, ABT-263. Up-regulation of p62 was shown to enhance ABT-263-induced caspase-8 activation that was Bax-dependent and resulted from mitochondrial amplification. Dependence upon caspase-8 was confirmed using caspase-8-deficient cells and by caspase-8 siRNA. Ectopic wild-type p62, but not p62 mutants with loss of ability to promote apoptosis, was shown to co-localize with caspase-8 and to promote its self-aggregation in ABT-263-treated cells, shown using a bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay. Endogenous p62 co-localized with caspase-8 in the presence of ABT-263 plus an autophagy inhibitor. Caspase-8 was shown to interact and co-localize with the autophagosome marker, LC3II. Knockdown of p62 attenuated binding between caspase-8 and LC3II, whereas p62 overexpression enhanced the co-localization of caspase-8 aggregates with LC3. LC3 knockdown did not affect interaction between caspase-8 and p62, suggesting that p62 may facilitate caspase-8 translocation to the autophagosomal membrane. A direct activator of caspase-8, i.e., TRAIL, alone or combined with ABT-263, induced caspase-8 aggregation and co-localization with p62 that was associated with a synergistic drug interaction. Together, these results demonstrate that up-regulation of p62 can mediate apoptosis via caspase-8 in the setting of autophagy inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengbing Huang
- Departments of Medicine and Oncology, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Cancer Center, Rochester, Minnesota 55905
| | - Koichi Okamoto
- Departments of Medicine and Oncology, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Cancer Center, Rochester, Minnesota 55905
| | - Chunrong Yu
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York 14263
| | - Frank A Sinicrope
- Departments of Medicine and Oncology, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Cancer Center, Rochester, Minnesota 55905.
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Ren H, Zhao L, Li Y, Yue P, Deng X, Owonikoko TK, Chen M, Khuri FR, Sun SY. The PI3 kinase inhibitor NVP-BKM120 induces GSK3/FBXW7-dependent Mcl-1 degradation, contributing to induction of apoptosis and enhancement of TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Cancer Lett 2013; 338:229-38. [PMID: 23562472 PMCID: PMC3750077 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2013.03.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2013] [Revised: 03/22/2013] [Accepted: 03/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
This study focuses on determining whether and how the novel PI3 kinase inhibitor NVP-BKM120 (BKM120) induces apoptosis and enhances TRAIL-induced apoptosis in human lung cancer cells. We found that BKM120 reduced Mcl-1 levels across the tested cell lines along with induction of apoptosis and enhancement of TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Enforced expression of ectopic Mcl-1 significantly attenuated the effects of BKM120 alone or in combination with TRAIL on induction of apoptosis. Thus Mcl-1 downregulation contributes to BKM120-induced apoptosis or enhancement of TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Moreover, we have demonstrated that BMK120 decreases Mcl-1 levels through facilitating its degradation involving a GSK3/FBXW7-dependent mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Ren
- Department of Respiration, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Liqun Zhao
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Yikun Li
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Ping Yue
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Xingming Deng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Taofeek K. Owonikoko
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Mingwei Chen
- Department of Respiration, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Fadlo R. Khuri
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Shi-Yong Sun
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Simultaneous knock-down of Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 induces apoptosis through Bax activation in pancreatic cancer cells. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2013; 1833:2980-2987. [PMID: 23954445 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2013.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2012] [Revised: 07/29/2013] [Accepted: 08/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins have been reported to play an important role in apoptotic cell death of human malignancies. The aim of this study was to delineate the mechanism of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins in pancreatic cancer (PaCa) cell survival. We first analyzed the endogenous expression and subcellular localization of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins in six PaCa cell lines by Western blot. To delineate the functional role of Bcl-2 family proteins, siRNA-mediated knock-down of protein expression was used. Apoptosis was measured by Cell Death ELISA and Hoechst 33258 staining. In the results, the expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins varied between PaCa cell lines. Mcl-1 knock-down resulted in marked cleavage of PARP and induction of apoptosis. Down-regulation of Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL had a much weaker effect. Simultaneous knock-down of Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 strongly induced apoptosis, but simultaneous knock-down of Bcl-xL/Bcl-2 or Mcl-1/Bcl-2 had no additive effect. The apoptosis-inducing effect of simultaneous knock-down of Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 was associated with translocation of Bax from the cytosol to the mitochondrial membrane, cytochrome c release, and caspase activation. These results demonstrated that Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 play an important role in pancreatic cancer cell survival. Targeting both Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 may be an intriguing therapeutic strategy in PaCa.
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Cencic R, Robert F, Galicia-Vázquez G, Malina A, Ravindar K, Somaiah R, Pierre P, Tanaka J, Deslongchamps P, Pelletier J. Modifying chemotherapy response by targeted inhibition of eukaryotic initiation factor 4A. Blood Cancer J 2013; 3:e128. [PMID: 23872707 PMCID: PMC3730203 DOI: 10.1038/bcj.2013.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2013] [Revised: 06/13/2013] [Accepted: 06/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Translation is regulated predominantly at the initiation phase by several signal transduction pathways that are often usurped in human cancers, including the PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis. mTOR exerts unique administration over translation by regulating assembly of eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4F, a heterotrimeric complex responsible for recruiting 40S ribosomes (and associated factors) to mRNA 5′ cap structures. Hence, there is much interest in targeted therapies that block eIF4F activity to assess the consequences on tumor cell growth and chemotherapy response. We report here that hippuristanol (Hipp), a translation initiation inhibitor that selectively inhibits the eIF4F RNA helicase subunit, eIF4A, resensitizes Eμ-Myc lymphomas to DNA damaging agents, including those that overexpress eIF4E—a modifier of rapamycin responsiveness. As Mcl-1 levels are significantly affected by Hipp, combining its use with the Bcl-2 family inhibitor, ABT-737, leads to a potent synergistic response in triggering cell death in mouse and human lymphoma and leukemia cells. Suppression of eIF4AI using RNA interference also synergized with ABT-737 in murine lymphomas, highlighting eIF4AI as a therapeutic target for modulating tumor cell response to chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Cencic
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Flusberg DA, Sorger PK. Modulating cell-to-cell variability and sensitivity to death ligands by co-drugging. Phys Biol 2013; 10:035002. [PMID: 23735516 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/10/3/035002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) holds promise as an anti-cancer therapeutic but efficiently induces apoptosis in only a subset of tumor cell lines. Moreover, even in clonal populations of responsive lines, only a fraction of cells dies in response to TRAIL and individual cells exhibit cell-to-cell variability in the timing of cell death. Fractional killing in these cell populations appears to arise not from genetic differences among cells but rather from differences in gene expression states, fluctuations in protein levels and the extent to which TRAIL-induced death or survival pathways become activated. In this study, we ask how cell-to-cell variability manifests in cell types with different sensitivities to TRAIL, as well as how it changes when cells are exposed to combinations of drugs. We show that individual cells that survive treatment with TRAIL can regenerate the sensitivity and death-time distribution of the parental population, demonstrating that fractional killing is a stable property of cell populations. We also show that cell-to-cell variability in the timing and probability of apoptosis in response to treatment can be tuned using combinations of drugs that together increase apoptotic sensitivity compared to treatment with one drug alone. In the case of TRAIL, modulation of cell-to-cell variability by co-drugging appears to involve a reduction in the threshold for mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A Flusberg
- Center for Cell Decision Processes, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Gillissen B, Richter A, Richter A, Overkamp T, Essmann F, Hemmati PG, Preissner R, Belka C, Daniel PT. Targeted therapy of the XIAP/proteasome pathway overcomes TRAIL-resistance in carcinoma by switching apoptosis signaling to a Bax/Bak-independent 'type I' mode. Cell Death Dis 2013; 4:e643. [PMID: 23703388 PMCID: PMC3674381 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2013.67] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
TRAIL is a promising anticancer agent, capable of inducing apoptosis in a wide range of treatment-resistant tumor cells. In ‘type II' cells, the death signal triggered by TRAIL requires amplification via the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Consequently, deregulation of the intrinsic apoptosis-signaling pathway, for example, by loss of Bax and Bak, confers TRAIL-resistance and limits its application. Here, we show that despite resistance of Bax/Bak double-deficient cells, TRAIL-treatment resulted in caspase-8 activation and complete processing of the caspase-3 proenzymes. However, active caspase-3 was degraded by the proteasome and not detectable unless the XIAP/proteasome pathway was inhibited. Direct or indirect inhibition of XIAP by RNAi, Mithramycin A or by the SMAC mimetic LBW-242 as well as inhibition of the proteasome by Bortezomib overcomes TRAIL-resistance of Bax/Bak double-deficient tumor cells. Moreover, activation and stabilization of caspase-3 becomes independent of mitochondrial death signaling, demonstrating that inhibition of the XIAP/proteasome pathway overcomes resistance by converting ‘type II' to ‘type I' cells. Our results further demonstrate that the E3 ubiquitin ligase XIAP is a gatekeeper critical for the ‘type II' phenotype. Pharmacological manipulation of XIAP therefore is a promising strategy to sensitize cells for TRAIL and to overcome TRAIL-resistance in case of central defects in the intrinsic apoptosis-signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Gillissen
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Tumor Immunology, University Medical Center Charité, Campus Berlin-Buch, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
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Gao Y, Koide K. Chemical perturbation of Mcl-1 pre-mRNA splicing to induce apoptosis in cancer cells. ACS Chem Biol 2013; 8:895-900. [PMID: 23485022 DOI: 10.1021/cb300602j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL1) gene encodes antiapoptotic Mcl-1(L) and proapoptotic Mcl-1(S) proteins. In cancer, the Mcl-1(L)/Mcl-1(S) ratio is very high, accounting for the antiapoptotic nature of cancer cells. As such, reducing this ratio can render the cancer cells prone to apoptosis. The Mcl-1(L)/Mcl-1(S) ratio is determined in the alternative pre-mRNA splicing step that is regulated by splicing factor 3B1 (SF3B1). Here, we report that meayamycin B, a potent inhibitor of SF3B1, reversed the dominant isoform from Mcl-1(L) to Mcl-1(S) at the mRNA and protein levels. The resulting proapoptotic cellular environment was further exploited; when meayamycin B was combined with Bcl-x(L) inhibitor ABT-737, the combination treatment triggered apoptosis in nonsmall cell lung cancer A549 and H1299 cells that were otherwise resistant to ABT-737. These results demonstrate that perturbation of the MCL1 splicing with small molecule inhibitors of SF3B1 provides a means to sensitize cancer cells toward Bcl-x(L) inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Gao
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, 219 Parkman Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
15260, United States
| | - Kazunori Koide
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, 219 Parkman Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
15260, United States
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Elkady AI. Crude alkaloid extract of Rhazya stricta inhibits cell growth and sensitizes human lung cancer cells to cisplatin through induction of apoptosis. Genet Mol Biol 2013; 36:12-21. [PMID: 23569403 PMCID: PMC3615516 DOI: 10.1590/s1415-47572013005000009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2012] [Accepted: 09/28/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an urgent need to improve the clinical management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), one of the most frequent causes of cancer-related deaths in men and women worldwide. Rhazya stricta, an important medicinal plant used in traditional Oriental medicine, possesses anti-oxidant, anti-carcinogenic and free radical scavenging properties. This study was done to explore the potential anticancer activity of a crude alkaloid extract of R. stricta (CAERS) against the NSCLC line A549. CAERS markedly suppressed the growth of A549 cells and considerably enhanced the anti-proliferative potential of cisplatin. CAERS-mediated inhibition of A549 cell growth correlated with the induction of apoptosis that was accompanied by numerous morphological changes, DNA fragmentation, an increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c, activation of caspases 3 and 9 and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose)-polymerase. CAERS reduced the constitutive expression of anti-apoptotic proteins (Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, Mcl-1 and Survivin) and cell cycle regulating proteins (cyclin D1 and c-Myc), but enhanced expression of the proapoptotic proteins Noxa and BAD. These observations indicate that CAERS induced apoptosis and sensitized NSCLC to cisplatin via a mitochondria-mediated apoptotic pathway. These data provide a rationale for using a combination of CAERS and CDDP to treat NSCLC and other CDDP-resistant tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayman I Elkady
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Cristofanon S, Fulda S. ABT-737 promotes tBid mitochondrial accumulation to enhance TRAIL-induced apoptosis in glioblastoma cells. Cell Death Dis 2012. [PMID: 23190604 PMCID: PMC3542599 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2012.163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
To search for novel strategies to enhance the tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis pathways in glioblastoma, we used the B-cell lymphoma 2/Bcl2-like 2-inhibitor ABT-737. Here we report that ABT-737 and TRAIL cooperate to induce apoptosis in several glioblastoma cell lines in a highly synergistic manner (combination index <0.1). Interestingly, the concerted action of ABT-737 and TRAIL to trigger the accumulation of truncated Bid (tBid) at mitochondrial membranes is identified as a key underlying mechanism. ABT-737 and TRAIL cooperate to cleave BH3-interacting domain death agonist (Bid) into its active fragment tBid, leading to increased accumulation of tBid at mitochondrial membranes. Coinciding with tBid accumulation, the activation of Bcl2-associated X protein (Bax), loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, release of cytochrome-c and second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase (Smac) into the cytosol and caspase activation are strongly increased in cotreated cells. Of note, knockdown of Bid significantly decreases ABT-737- and TRAIL-mediated Bax activation and apoptosis. Also, caspase-3 silencing reduces ABT-737- and TRAIL-induced Bid cleavage and apoptosis, indicating that a caspase-3-driven, mitochondrial feedback loop contributes to Bid processing. Importantly, ABT-737 profoundly enhances TRAIL-triggered apoptosis in primary cultured glioblastoma cells derived from tumor material, underlining the clinical relevance. Also, ABT-737 acts in concert with TRAIL to suppress tumor growth in an in vivo glioblastoma model. In conclusion, the rational combination of ABT-737 and TRAIL cooperates to trigger tBid mitochondrial accumulation and apoptosis. This approach presents a promising strategy for targeting the apoptosis pathways in glioblastoma, which warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Cristofanon
- Institute for Experimental Cancer Research in Pediatrics, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Happo
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
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Stamelos VA, Redman CW, Richardson A. Understanding sensitivity to BH3 mimetics: ABT-737 as a case study to foresee the complexities of personalized medicine. J Mol Signal 2012; 7:12. [PMID: 22898329 PMCID: PMC3477050 DOI: 10.1186/1750-2187-7-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2012] [Accepted: 07/29/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BH3 mimetics such as ABT-737 and navitoclax bind to the BCL-2 family of proteins and induce apoptosis through the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. There is considerable variability in the sensitivity of different cells to these drugs. Understanding the molecular basis of this variability will help to determine which patients will benefit from these drugs. Furthermore, this understanding aids in the design of rational strategies to increase the sensitivity of cells which are otherwise resistant to BH3 mimetics. We discuss how the expression of BCL-2 family proteins regulates the sensitivity to ABT-737. One of these, MCL-1, has been widely described as contributing to resistance to ABT-737 which might suggest a poor response in patients with cancers that express levels of MCL-1. In some cases, resistance to ABT-737 conferred by MCL-1 is overcome by the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins that bind to apoptosis inhibitors such as MCL-1. However, the distribution of the pro-apoptotic proteins amongst the various apoptosis inhibitors also influences sensitivity to ABT-737. Furthermore, the expression of both pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins can change dynamically in response to exposure to ABT-737. Thus, there is significant complexity associated with predicting response to ABT-737. This provides a paradigm for the multiplicity of intricate factors that determine drug sensitivity which must be considered for the full implementation of personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasileios A Stamelos
- Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine & School of Pharmacy, Guy Hilton Research Centre, Keele University, Thornburrow Drive, Stoke-on-Trent, Keele, ST4 7QB, UK.
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