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An S, Chun J, Lee J, Kim YS, Noh M, Ko H. Unraveling Stereochemical Structure-Activity Relationships of Sesquiterpene Lactones for Inhibitory Effects on STAT3 Activation. Biomol Ther (Seoul) 2024; 32:627-634. [PMID: 39091020 PMCID: PMC11392665 DOI: 10.4062/biomolther.2023.210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Sesquiterpene lactones, a class of natural compounds abundant in the Asteraceae family, have gained attention owing to their diverse biological activities, and particularly their anti-proliferative effects on human cancer cells. In this study, we systematically investigated the structure-activity relationship of ten sesquiterpene lactones with the aim of elucidating the structural determinants for the STAT3 inhibition governing their anti-proliferative effects. Our findings revealed a significant correlation between the STAT3 inhibitory activity and the anti-proliferative effects of sesquiterpene lactones in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. Among the compounds tested, alantolactone and isoalantolactone emerged as the most potent STAT3 inhibitors, highlighting their potential as candidates for anticancer drug development. Through protein-ligand docking studies, we revealed the structural basis of STAT3 inhibition by sesquiterpene lactones, emphasizing the critical role of hydrogen-bonding interactions with key residues, including Arg609, Ser611, Glu612, and Ser613, in the SH2 domain of STAT3. Furthermore, our conformational analysis revealed the decisive role of the torsion angle within the geometry-optimized structures of sesquiterpene lactones in their STAT3 inhibitory activity (R=0.80, p<0.01). These findings not only provide preclinical evidence for sesquiterpene lactones as promising phytomedicines against diseases associated with abnormal STAT3 activation, but also highlight the importance of stereochemical aspects in their activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungchan An
- College of Pharmacy, Natural Products Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaemoo Chun
- KM Convergence Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 34054, Republic of Korea
| | - Joohee Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Natural Products Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Department of Dermatology, Severance Hospital, Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeong Shik Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Natural Products Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Minsoo Noh
- College of Pharmacy, Natural Products Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyejin Ko
- College of Pharmacy, Natural Products Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Natural Products Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Gangneung 25451, Republic of Korea
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2
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Miao J, Chen S, Cao H, Ding Z, Li Y, Wang W, Nundlall K, Deng Y, Li J. Bruceantinol targeting STAT3 exerts promising antitumor effects in in vitro and in vivo osteosarcoma models. Mol Carcinog 2024; 63:1133-1145. [PMID: 38426797 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Bruceantinol (BOL) is a quassinoid compound found in the fruits of Brucea javanica. Previous research has highlighted the manifold physiological and pharmacological activities of BOL. Notably, BOL has demonstrated antitumor cytotoxic and antibacterial effects, lending support to its potential as a promising therapeutic agent for various diseases. Despite being recognized as a potent antitumor inhibitor in multiple cancer types, its efficacy against osteosarcoma (OS) has not been elucidated. In this work, we investigated the antitumor properties of BOL against OS. Our findings showed that BOL significantly decreased the proliferation and migration of OS cells, induced apoptosis, and caused cell death without affecting the cell cycle. We further confirmed that BOL potently suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Mechanismly, we discovered that BOL directly bound to STAT3, and prevent the activation of STAT3 signaling at low nanomolar concentrations. Overall, our study demonstrated that BOL potently inhibited the growth and metastasis of OS, and efficiently suppressed STAT3 signaling pathway. These results suggest that BOL could be a promising therapeutic candidate for OS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinglei Miao
- Department of Spine Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Shijie Chen
- Department of Spine Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Hongqing Cao
- Department of Spine Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Zhiyu Ding
- Department of Spine Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Yuezhan Li
- Department of Spine Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Weiguo Wang
- Department of Spine Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Keshav Nundlall
- Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Youwen Deng
- Department of Spine Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Jinsong Li
- Department of Spine Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
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3
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Wang KN, Zhou K, Zhong NN, Cao LM, Li ZZ, Xiao Y, Wang GR, Huo FY, Zhou JJ, Liu B, Bu LL. Enhancing cancer therapy: The role of drug delivery systems in STAT3 inhibitor efficacy and safety. Life Sci 2024; 346:122635. [PMID: 38615745 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2024.122635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), a member of the STAT family, resides in the nucleus to regulate genes essential for vital cellular functions, including survival, proliferation, self-renewal, angiogenesis, and immune response. However, continuous STAT3 activation in tumor cells promotes their initiation, progression, and metastasis, rendering STAT3 pathway inhibitors a promising avenue for cancer therapy. Nonetheless, these inhibitors frequently encounter challenges such as cytotoxicity and suboptimal biocompatibility in clinical trials. A viable strategy to mitigate these issues involves delivering STAT3 inhibitors via drug delivery systems (DDSs). This review delineates the regulatory mechanisms of the STAT3 signaling pathway and its association with cancer. It offers a comprehensive overview of the current application of DDSs for anti-STAT3 inhibitors and investigates the role of DDSs in cancer treatment. The conclusion posits that DDSs for anti-STAT3 inhibitors exhibit enhanced efficacy and reduced adverse effects in tumor therapy compared to anti-STAT3 inhibitors alone. This paper aims to provide an outline of the ongoing research and future prospects of DDSs for STAT3 inhibitors. Additionally, it presents our insights on the merits and future outlook of DDSs in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang-Ning Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Kan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Nian-Nian Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Lei-Ming Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Zi-Zhan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Yao Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Guang-Rui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Fang-Yi Huo
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Jun-Jie Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China; Department of Oral & Maxillofacial, Anyang Sixth People's Hospital, Anyang 45500, China.
| | - Bing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China; Department of Oral & Maxillofacial - Head Neck Oncology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China.
| | - Lin-Lin Bu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China; Department of Oral & Maxillofacial - Head Neck Oncology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China.
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4
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Xue Y, Ruan Y, Wang Y, Xiao P, Xu J. Signaling pathways in liver cancer: pathogenesis and targeted therapy. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2024; 5:20. [PMID: 38816668 PMCID: PMC11139849 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-024-00184-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer remains one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide with high incidence and mortality rates. Due to its subtle onset, liver cancer is commonly diagnosed at a late stage when surgical interventions are no longer feasible. This situation highlights the critical role of systemic treatments, including targeted therapies, in bettering patient outcomes. Despite numerous studies on the mechanisms underlying liver cancer, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are the only widely used clinical inhibitors, represented by sorafenib, whose clinical application is greatly limited by the phenomenon of drug resistance. Here we show an in-depth discussion of the signaling pathways frequently implicated in liver cancer pathogenesis and the inhibitors targeting these pathways under investigation or already in use in the management of advanced liver cancer. We elucidate the oncogenic roles of these pathways in liver cancer especially hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as well as the current state of research on inhibitors respectively. Given that TKIs represent the sole class of targeted therapeutics for liver cancer employed in clinical practice, we have particularly focused on TKIs and the mechanisms of the commonly encountered phenomena of its resistance during HCC treatment. This necessitates the imperative development of innovative targeted strategies and the urgency of overcoming the existing limitations. This review endeavors to shed light on the utilization of targeted therapy in advanced liver cancer, with a vision to improve the unsatisfactory prognostic outlook for those patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangtao Xue
- Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology of Zhejiang Province, Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Innovation and Application of Minimally Invasive Instruments, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- Zhejiang Minimal Invasive Diagnosis and Treatment Technology Research Center of Severe Hepatobiliary Disease, Zhejiang Research and Development Engineering Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Technology and Equipment, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- Zhejiang University Cancer Center, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Yeling Ruan
- Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology of Zhejiang Province, Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Innovation and Application of Minimally Invasive Instruments, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- Zhejiang Minimal Invasive Diagnosis and Treatment Technology Research Center of Severe Hepatobiliary Disease, Zhejiang Research and Development Engineering Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Technology and Equipment, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- Zhejiang University Cancer Center, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Yali Wang
- Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology of Zhejiang Province, Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Innovation and Application of Minimally Invasive Instruments, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- Zhejiang Minimal Invasive Diagnosis and Treatment Technology Research Center of Severe Hepatobiliary Disease, Zhejiang Research and Development Engineering Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Technology and Equipment, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- Zhejiang University Cancer Center, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Peng Xiao
- Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
| | - Junjie Xu
- Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology of Zhejiang Province, Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
- National Engineering Research Center of Innovation and Application of Minimally Invasive Instruments, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
- Zhejiang Minimal Invasive Diagnosis and Treatment Technology Research Center of Severe Hepatobiliary Disease, Zhejiang Research and Development Engineering Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Technology and Equipment, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
- Zhejiang University Cancer Center, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, 311121, China.
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5
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Korai A, Lin X, Tago K, Funakoshi-Tago M. The acetylation of STAT3 at K685 attenuates NPM-ALK-induced tumorigenesis. Cell Signal 2024; 114:110985. [PMID: 38000524 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2023.110985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Nucleophosmin-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (NPM-ALK), a fusion protein generated by a chromosomal translocation, is a causative gene product of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). It induces cell proliferation and tumorigenesis by activating the transcription factor, signal transducer and activator of transcription factor 3 (STAT3). We herein demonstrated that STAT3 underwent acetylation at K685 in a manner that was dependent on the kinase activity of NPM-ALK. To investigate the role of STAT3 acetylation in NPM-ALK-induced oncogenesis, we generated Ba/F3 cells expressing NPM-ALK in which STAT3 was silenced by shRNA, named STAT3-KD cells, and then reconstituted wild-type STAT3 or the STAT3 K685R mutant into these cells. The phosphorylation level of the K685R mutant at Y705 and S727 was significantly higher than that of wild-type STAT3 in STAT3-KD cells. The expression of STAT3 target genes, such as IL-6, Pim1, Pim2, and Socs3, was more strongly induced by the reconstitution of the K685R mutant than wild-type STAT3. In addition, the proliferative ability of STAT3-KD cells reconstituted with the K685R mutant was slightly higher than that of STAT3-KD cells reconstituted with wild-type STAT3. In comparisons with the inoculation of STAT3-KD cells reconstituted with wild-type STAT3, the inoculation of STAT3-KD cells reconstituted with the K685R mutant significantly enhanced tumorigenesis and hepatosplenomegaly in nude mice. Collectively, these results revealed for the first time that the acetylation of STAT3 at K685 attenuated NPM-ALK-induced oncogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Korai
- Division of Hygienic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Keio University, 1-5-30 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8512, Japan
| | - Xin Lin
- Division of Hygienic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Keio University, 1-5-30 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8512, Japan
| | - Kenji Tago
- Department of Laboratory Sciences, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22 Showa-Machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8514, Japan.
| | - Megumi Funakoshi-Tago
- Division of Hygienic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Keio University, 1-5-30 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8512, Japan.
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6
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Hu Y, Dong Z, Liu K. Unraveling the complexity of STAT3 in cancer: molecular understanding and drug discovery. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:23. [PMID: 38245798 PMCID: PMC10799433 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-024-02949-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a transcriptional factor involved in almost all cancer hallmark features including tumor proliferation, metastasis, angiogenesis, immunosuppression, tumor inflammation, metabolism reprogramming, drug resistance, cancer stemness. Therefore, STAT3 has become a promising therapeutic target in a wide range of cancers. This review focuses on the up-to-date knowledge of STAT3 signaling in cancer. We summarize both the positive and negative modulators of STAT3 together with the cancer hallmarks involving activities regulated by STAT3 and highlight its extremely sophisticated regulation on immunosuppression in tumor microenvironment and metabolic reprogramming. Direct and indirect inhibitors of STAT3 in preclinical and clinical studies also have been summarized and discussed. Additionally, we highlight and propose new strategies of targeting STAT3 and STAT3-based combinations with established chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and combination therapy. These efforts may provide new perspectives for STAT3-based target therapy in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamei Hu
- Tianjian Laboratory for Advanced Biomedical Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
- Medical Research Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Zigang Dong
- Tianjian Laboratory for Advanced Biomedical Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China.
- China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China.
- Cancer Chemoprevention International Collaboration Laboratory, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
| | - Kangdong Liu
- Tianjian Laboratory for Advanced Biomedical Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China.
- China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
- Provincial Cooperative Innovation Center for Cancer Chemoprevention, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
- Cancer Chemoprevention International Collaboration Laboratory, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
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7
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Song H, Huang W, Jia F, Wang Z, Zhang J, Qian R, Nie G, Wang H. Targeted Degradation of Signal Transduction and Activator of Transcription 3 by Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy Targeting Chimeric Nanoplatform. ACS NANO 2024; 18:1599-1610. [PMID: 38157218 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c09536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) is a lysosomal-dependent proteolysis pathway for the degradation of cytosolic proteins. However, exploiting CMA-mediated proteolysis to degrade proteins of interest in cancer therapy has not been widely applied. In this study, we develop a CMA-targeting chimera (CMATAC) to efficiently and specifically degrade signal transduction and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in tumor cells. CMATAC consists of STAT3 and heat shock cognate 70 kDa protein (HSC70) targeting peptides connected by a linker. To efficiently deliver CMATACs into tumor cells, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are used to encapsulate CMATACs (nCMATACs) and decorated with an insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor (IGF2R) targeting peptide (InCMATACs) to achieve tumor targeting and precise delivery. The CMA pathway is activated in tumor cells by a fasting-mimicking diet (FMD). Furthermore, FMD treatment strongly enhances the cellular uptake and tumor accumulation of InCMATACs by upregulating the IGF2R expression. As a result, InCMATACs efficiently degrade STAT3 protein in both A549 and HCC827 tumor cells and inhibit tumor growths in vivo. This study demonstrates that InCMATACs can be used for selective proteolysis in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haohao Song
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials & Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
- Henan Institutes of Advanced Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
| | - Wenping Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials & Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fuhao Jia
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials & Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhihang Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials & Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials & Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ruihao Qian
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials & Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Gungjun Nie
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials & Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hai Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials & Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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8
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Li J, Tang B, Miao Y, Li G, Sun Z. Targeting of STAT5 using the small molecule topotecan hydrochloride suppresses acute myeloid leukemia progression. Oncol Rep 2023; 50:208. [PMID: 37830151 PMCID: PMC10603551 DOI: 10.3892/or.2023.8645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a common type of acute leukemia in adults and relapse is one of the main reasons for treatment failure. FLT3‑ITD mutations are associated with poor prognosis, short disease‑free progression survival and high relapse rates in patients with AML. STAT5 is activated by FLT3‑ITD and drives the pathogenesis of AML. STAT5 activation is usually a hallmark of hematologic malignancies and occurs in ~70% of patients with AML. Moreover, STAT5 is a key molecule which regulates hematopoiesis, and its high expression is closely associated with drug resistance, thus direct targeting of STAT5 for AML is of great clinical value. The present study introduces a new small‑molecule inhibitor that targets STAT5, presenting a promising approach for AML therapy. A high throughput fluorescence polarization (FP) screening system for STAT5 was designed and established, and used to screen an existing compound library to obtain the highly active small molecule inhibitor, topotecan hydrochloride. Topotecan hydrochloride was demonstrated to be an effective inhibitor of STAT5 by molecular docking prediction and cellular thermal shift assay. Topotecan hydrochloride bound to STAT5, inhibiting its dimerization, phosphorylation and transcription of specific target genes. The compound exhibits cellular activity at the nanomolar level and significantly inhibits the proliferation of human AML cell lines and FLT3‑ITD+ AML cells. Furthermore, topotecan hydrochloride has the potential to exert an anti‑tumor effect in vivo. Overall, topotecan hydrochloride offers a new opportunity for the treatment of AML and other hematologic malignancies by directly targeting STAT5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Li
- Fengxian Hospital Affiliated to Anhui University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 201499, P.R. China
| | - Bin Tang
- Department of Gynecology, East China Normal University Wuhu Affiliated Hospital (The Second People's Hospital of Wuhu City), Wuhu, Anhui 241000, P.R. China
| | - Ying Miao
- East China Normal University and Shanghai Fengxian District Central Hospital Joint Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 201100, P.R. China
| | - Guihong Li
- Fengxian Hospital Affiliated to The Southern Medical University, Shanghai 201499, P.R. China
| | - Zhenliang Sun
- Fengxian Hospital Affiliated to Anhui University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 201499, P.R. China
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9
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Sun Y, Gong W, Zhang S. METTL3 promotes colorectal cancer progression through activating JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:765. [PMID: 38001065 PMCID: PMC10673931 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06287-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
The role of METTL3-mediated N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification has been elucidated in several cancers, but the concrete mechanism underlying its function in colorectal cancer is still obscure. Here, we revealed that upregulated methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) in colorectal cancer exerted both methyltransferase activity-dependent and -independent functions in gene regulation. METTL3 deposited m6A on the 3' untranslated region of the JAK1 transcript to promote JAK1 translation relying on YTHDF1 recognition. Besides, METTL3 was redistributed to the STAT3 promoter and worked in concert with NF-κB to facilitate STAT3 transcription, which was achieved independently on METTL3 methyltransferase activity. The increased JAK1 and STAT3 corporately contributed to the activation of the p-STAT3 signaling pathway and further upregulated downstream effectors expressions, including VEGFA and CCND1, which finally resulted in enhanced cancer cell proliferation and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, our study revealed the unappreciated dual role of METTL3 as an m6A writer and a transcription regulator, which worked together in the same signaling pathway to drive colorectal cancer malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuechao Sun
- Ningbo Institute of Life and Health Industry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang, The People's Republic of China
| | - Weipeng Gong
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, The People's Republic of China
| | - Song Zhang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, The People's Republic of China.
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10
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Tan X, Ma X, Dai Y, An J, Yu X, Li S, Liao Y, Pei T, Tang Y, Gui Y, Zhou S, Guo D, Deng Y, Hu K, Wang D. A large-scale transcriptional analysis reveals herb-derived ginsenoside F2 suppressing hepatocellular carcinoma via inhibiting STAT3. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 120:155031. [PMID: 37666060 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.155031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common type of cancer that shows great morbidity and mortality rates. However, there are limited available drugs to treat HCC. AIM The present work focused on discovering the potential anti-HCC compounds from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) by employing high-throughput sequencing-based high-throughput screening (HTS2) together with the liver cancer pathway-associated gene signature. METHODS HTS2 assay was adopted for identifying herbs. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis and computer-aided drug design (CADD) were used to identify key targets and screen the candidate natural products of herbs. Molecular docking, network pharmacology analysis, western blotting, immunofluorescent staining, subcellular fractionation experiment, dual-luciferase reporter gene assay, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) as well as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) were performed to validate the ability of compound binding with key target and inhibiting its function. Moreover, cell viability, colony-forming, cell cycle assay and animal experiments were performed to examine the inhibitory effect of compound on HCC. RESULTS We examined the perturbation of 578 herb extracts on the expression of 84 genes from the liver cancer pathway, and identified the top 20 herbs significantly reverting the gene expression of this pathway. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) was identified as one of the key targets of the liver cancer pathway by PPI network analysis. Then, by analyzing compounds from top 20 herbs utilizing CADD, we found ginsenoside F2 (GF2) binds to STAT3 with high affinity, which was further validated by the results from molecular docking, SPR and NMR. Additionally, our results showed that GF2 suppresses the phosphorylation of Y705 of STAT3, inhibits its nuclear translocation, decreases its transcriptional activity and inhibits the growth of HCC in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION Based on this large-scale transcriptional study, a number of anti-HCC herbs were identified. GF2, a compound derived from TCM, was found to be a chemical basis of these herbs in treating HCC. The present work also discovered that GF2 is a new STAT3 inhibitor, which is able to suppress HCC. As such, GF2 represents a new potential anti-HCC therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Xiaofang Ma
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Yifei Dai
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jun An
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Xiankuo Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Shengrong Li
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Yile Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Tianli Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Yuqin Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China; Clinical Bioinformatics Experimental Center, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450003, China
| | - Yu Gui
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Shiyi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Dale Guo
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Yun Deng
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Kaifeng Hu
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
| | - Dong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China.
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Li L, Hu X, Nkwocha J, Sharma K, Kmieciak M, Mann H, Zhou L, Grant S. Non-canonical role for the ataxia-telangiectasia-Rad3 pathway in STAT3 activation in human multiple myeloma cells. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2023; 46:1369-1380. [PMID: 37126127 PMCID: PMC10618375 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-023-00817-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The goal of this study was to characterize the relationship between ATR and STAT3 interactions in human multiple myeloma (MM) cells. METHODS Various MM cell lines, including IL-6-dependent cells were exposed to ATR inhibitors and effects on STAT3 Tyr705 and Ser727 were monitored by WB analysis and ImageStream analysis. Parallel studies examined induction of cell death, STAT3 DNA binding activity, and expression of STAT3 downstream targets (BCL-XL, MCL-1, c-MYC). Validation was obtained in ATR shRNA knock-down cells, and in cells ectopically expressing BCL-XL, MCL-1, or c-MYC. Analogous studies were performed in primary MM cells and in a MM xenograft model. RESULTS Multiple pharmacologic ATR inhibitors inhibited STAT3 Tyr705 (but not Ser727) phosphorylation at low uM concentrations and down-regulated BCL-XL, MCL-1, c-MYC in association with cell death induction. Compatible results were observed in ATR shRNA knock-down cells. Cell death induced by ATR inhibitors was significantly attenuated in cells ectopically expressing constitutively active STAT3, BCL-XL, MCL-1, or c-MYC. Concordant results were observed in primary human MM cells and in an in vivo MM xenograft model. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, these findings argue for a non-canonical role for the ATR kinase in STAT3 activation in MM cells, and suggest that STAT3 inactivation contributes to the lethal actions of ATR inhibitors in MM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Li
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980035, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Xiaoyan Hu
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980035, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Jewel Nkwocha
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980035, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Kanika Sharma
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980035, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Maciej Kmieciak
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Hashim Mann
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980035, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Liang Zhou
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980035, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
- Department of Translational Medicine, Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc., Durham, NC, USA
| | - Steven Grant
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980035, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA.
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
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12
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Tan J, Feng R. A pan-cancer analysis of STAT3 expression and genetic alterations in human tumors. Open Med (Wars) 2023; 18:20230792. [PMID: 37724127 PMCID: PMC10505358 DOI: 10.1515/med-2023-0792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Combined cancer immunotherapy and targeted therapy have proven to be effective against various cancers and therefore have recently become the focus of cancer research. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a member of the STAT protein family of transcription factors. Several studies have shown that STAT3 can affect the prognosis of cancer patients by regulating immune microenvironment (IME). Therefore, STAT3 may have high research value for the development of combined immunotherapy/targeted therapy approaches for the treatment of cancer patients. We found differences in STAT3 expression between tumor and normal tissues. Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analyses showed that high expression of STAT3 is associated with poor prognosis in low-grade glioma (LGG) patients. The results of the analysis of the area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve further suggested that the expression of STAT3 is an effective way to evaluate the prognosis of patients with glioma. The results of the IME analysis revealed that the immune and matrix scores of LGGs were positively correlated with the expression of STAT3 (P < 0.05). The results of immune cell infiltration analysis showed that STAT3 was positively correlated with resting dendritic cells, eosinophils, neutrophils, M0 macrophages, M1 macrophages, CD4 memory resting T cells, and CD8 T cells in LGG patients, but negatively correlated with activated mast cells and M2 macrophages (P < 0.05). Our gene set enrichment analysis identified 384 enriched pathways. According to the enrichment scores, the top ten most significantly upregulated pathways were related to immune response. The top ten most significantly downregulated pathways were related to cell signal transduction and the regulation of cell survival, proliferation, and metabolism. Genetic alteration analysis showed that missense mutations in STAT3 account for the majority of mutations, and STAT3 mutations mostly occur in the Src homology domain. In conclusion overexpression of STAT3 can promote the development and growth of tumors by regulating IME, which is significantly related to the poor prognosis of cancer patients. Therefore, targeted inhibition of STAT3 expression may have high research value for the development of combined immunotherapy/targeted therapy approaches for the treatment of cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyin Tan
- Department of Oncology, Guigang People’s Hospital of Guangxi/The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guigang, Guangxi, China
| | - Ronghao Feng
- Department of Oncology, Guigang People’s Hospital of Guangxi/The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guigang, Guangxi, China
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Tian L, Li C, Xiang L, Zeng J, Chen S, Guo W, Chen S, Wang Y, He X, Su P, Xu C. T52 attenuates oncogenic STAT3 signaling and suppresses osteosarcoma. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 114:154799. [PMID: 37058945 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.154799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND T52 is a steroidal saponin extracted from the traditional Chinese herb Rohdea fargesii (Baill.), and it is reported to possess strong anti-proliferative capabilities in human pharyngeal carcinoma cell lines. However, whether T52 has anti-osteosarcoma properties, and its potential mechanism is remains unknown. PURPOSE To examine the outcome and underlying mechanism of T52 in osteosarcomas (OS). METHODS/STUDY DESIGNS The physiological roles of T52 in OS cells were examined using CCK-8, colony formation (CF), EdU staining, cell cycle/apoptosis and cell migration/invasion assays. The relevant T52 targets against OS were assessed via bioinformatics prediction, and the binding sites were analyzed by molecular docking. Western blot analysis was carried out to examine the levels of factors associated with apoptosis, cell cycle, and STAT3 signaling pathway activation. RESULTS T52 markedly diminished the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OS cells, and promoted G2/M arrest and apoptosis in a dose-dependent fashion (DDF) in vitro. Mechanistically, molecular docking predicted that T52 stably associated with STAT3 Src homology 2 (SH2) domain residues. Western blot revealed that T52 suppressed the STAT3 signaling pathway, as well as the expression of the downstream targets, such as, Bcl-2, Cyclin D1, and c-Myc. In addition, the anti-OS property of T52 were partially reversed by STAT3 reactivation, which confirmed that STAT3 signaling is critical for regulating the anti-OS property of T52. CONCLUSION We firstly demonstrated that T52 possessed strong anti-osteosarcoma property in vitro, which was brought on by the inhibition of the STAT3 signaling pathway. Our findings provided pharmacological support for treating OS with T52.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liru Tian
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Chuan Li
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Limin Xiang
- School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Lead Compounds & Drug Discovery, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jia Zeng
- School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Lead Compounds & Drug Discovery, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Shuqing Chen
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Weimin Guo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Department of Spine Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Shulin Chen
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Yihai Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Lead Compounds & Drug Discovery, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xiangjiu He
- School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Lead Compounds & Drug Discovery, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Peiqiang Su
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Department of Spine Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; The Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 58 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Caixia Xu
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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Ma X, Xu W, Jin X, Mu H, Wang Z, Hua Y, Cai Z, Zhang T. Telocinobufagin inhibits osteosarcoma growth and metastasis by inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. Eur J Pharmacol 2023; 942:175529. [PMID: 36690054 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.175529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone malignancy in children and adolescents; it exhibits rapid growth and a high metastatic potential and may thus lead to relatively high mortality. The JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, which plays a critical role in the occurrence and development of osteosarcoma, is a potential target for the treatment of osteosarcoma. Here, we identified the natural product telocinobufagin (TCB), which is a component isolated from toad cake, as a potent candidate with anti-osteosarcoma effects. TCB inhibited osteosarcoma cell growth, migration, invasion and induced cancer cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, TCB specifically inhibited the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. More importantly, TCB significantly suppressed tumor growth and metastasis in an osteosarcoma xenograft animal model. Moreover, TCB also showed strong inhibitory effects in other cancer types, such as lung cancer, liver cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer and gastric cancer. Hence, our study reveals TCB as a potent anti-osteosarcoma therapeutic agent that inhibits the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinglong Ma
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Bone Tumor Institution, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, PR China; Precision Research Center for Refractory Diseases, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, PR China
| | - Wenyuan Xu
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Bone Tumor Institution, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, PR China
| | - Xinmeng Jin
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Bone Tumor Institution, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, PR China
| | - Haoran Mu
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Bone Tumor Institution, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, PR China
| | - Zhuoying Wang
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Bone Tumor Institution, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, PR China
| | - Yingqi Hua
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Bone Tumor Institution, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, PR China.
| | - Zhengdong Cai
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Bone Tumor Institution, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, PR China.
| | - Tao Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Bone Tumor Institution, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, PR China.
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15
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Zhu Y, Yue P, Dickinson CF, Yang JK, Datanagan K, Zhai N, Zhang Y, Miklossy G, Lopez-Tapia F, Tius MA, Turkson J. Natural product preferentially targets redox and metabolic adaptations and aberrantly active STAT3 to inhibit breast tumor growth in vivo. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:1022. [PMID: 36473850 PMCID: PMC9726930 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-05477-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulated gene expression programs and redox and metabolic adaptations allow cancer cells to survive under high oxidative burden. These mechanisms also represent therapeutic vulnerabilities. Using triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) as a model, we show that compared to normal human breast epithelial cells, the TNBC cells, MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 that harbor constitutively active STAT3 also express higher glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), thioredoxin reductase (TrxR)1, NADPH, and GSH levels for survival. Present studies discover that the natural product, R001, targets these adaptation mechanisms. Treatment of TNBC cells with R001 inhibited constitutively active STAT3, STAT3-regulated gene expression, and the functions of G6PD and TrxR1. Consequently, in the TNBC, but not normal cells, R001 suppressed GSH levels, but raised NADPH levels, reflective of a loss of mitochondrial respiration and which led to reactive oxygen species (ROS) induction, all of which led to loss of viable cells and inhibition of anchorage-dependent and independent growth. R001 treatment further led to early pyroptosis and late DNA damage, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis only in the TNBC cells. Oral administration of 5 mg/kg R001 inhibited MDA-MB-468 xenografts growth in mice, with reduced pY705-STAT3, G6PD, TrxR1, and GSH levels. R001 serves as a therapeutic entity that targets the vulnerabilities of TNBC cells to inhibit tumor growth in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinsong Zhu
- grid.50956.3f0000 0001 2152 9905Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048 USA ,grid.50956.3f0000 0001 2152 9905Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048 USA
| | - Peibin Yue
- grid.50956.3f0000 0001 2152 9905Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048 USA ,grid.50956.3f0000 0001 2152 9905Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048 USA
| | - Cody F. Dickinson
- grid.410445.00000 0001 2188 0957Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii, Manoa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI 96825 USA
| | - Justin K. Yang
- grid.410445.00000 0001 2188 0957Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii, Manoa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI 96825 USA
| | - Kyrstin Datanagan
- grid.410445.00000 0001 2188 0957Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii, Manoa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI 96825 USA
| | - Ning Zhai
- grid.50956.3f0000 0001 2152 9905Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048 USA ,grid.50956.3f0000 0001 2152 9905Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048 USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- grid.50956.3f0000 0001 2152 9905Biobank and Research Pathology Resource, Academic Affairs and Research Administration, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048 USA
| | - Gabriella Miklossy
- grid.516097.c0000 0001 0311 6891Cancer Biology Program, University of Hawaii Cancer Center, 701 Ilalo Street, Honolulu, HI 96813 USA
| | - Francisco Lopez-Tapia
- grid.50956.3f0000 0001 2152 9905Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048 USA ,grid.50956.3f0000 0001 2152 9905Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048 USA
| | - Marcus A. Tius
- grid.410445.00000 0001 2188 0957Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii, Manoa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI 96825 USA ,grid.516097.c0000 0001 0311 6891Cancer Biology Program, University of Hawaii Cancer Center, 701 Ilalo Street, Honolulu, HI 96813 USA
| | - James Turkson
- grid.50956.3f0000 0001 2152 9905Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048 USA ,grid.50956.3f0000 0001 2152 9905Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048 USA
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16
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Wong GL, Manore SG, Doheny DL, Lo HW. STAT family of transcription factors in breast cancer: Pathogenesis and therapeutic opportunities and challenges. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 86:84-106. [PMID: 35995341 PMCID: PMC9714692 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and second-leading cause of cancer deaths in women. Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) promote metastasis and therapeutic resistance contributing to tumor relapse. Through activating genes important for BCSCs, transcription factors contribute to breast cancer metastasis and therapeutic resistance, including the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) family of transcription factors. The STAT family consists of six major isoforms, STAT1, STAT2, STAT3, STAT4, STAT5, and STAT6. Canonical STAT signaling is activated by the binding of an extracellular ligand to a cell-surface receptor followed by STAT phosphorylation, leading to STAT nuclear translocation and transactivation of target genes. It is important to note that STAT transcription factors exhibit diverse effects in breast cancer; some are either pro- or anti-tumorigenic while others maintain dual, context-dependent roles. Among the STAT transcription factors, STAT3 is the most widely studied STAT protein in breast cancer for its critical roles in promoting BCSCs, breast cancer cell proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, metastasis, and immune evasion. Consequently, there have been substantial efforts in developing cancer therapeutics to target breast cancer with dysregulated STAT3 signaling. In this comprehensive review, we will summarize the diverse roles that each STAT family member plays in breast cancer pathobiology, as well as, the opportunities and challenges in pharmacologically targeting STAT proteins and their upstream activators in the context of breast cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace L Wong
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Sara G Manore
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Daniel L Doheny
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Hui-Wen Lo
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Breast Cancer Center of Excellence, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
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Deng L, Mo J, Zhang Y, Peng K, Li H, Ouyang S, Feng Z, Fang W, Wei J, Rong D, Zhang X, Wang Y. Boronic Acid: A Novel Pharmacophore Targeting Src Homology 2 (SH2) Domain of STAT3. J Med Chem 2022; 65:13094-13111. [PMID: 36170649 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
SH2 domains have been recognized as promising targets for various human diseases. However, targeting SH2 domains with phosphopeptides or small-molecule inhibitors derived from bioisosteres of the phosphate group is still challenging. Identifying novel bioisosteres of the phosphate group to achieve favorable in vivo potency is urgently needed. Here, we report the feasibility of targeting the STAT3-SH2 domain with a boronic acid group and the identification of a highly potent inhibitor compound 7 by replacing the carboxylic acid of compound 4 with a boronic acid. Compound 7 shows higher binding affinity, better cellular potency, more favorable PK profiles, and higher in vivo antitumor activity than 4. The stronger anticancer effect of 7 partially stems from its covalent binding mode with the SH2 domain, verified by the washout experiments. The relatively high level of sequence conservation among SH2 domains makes the results presented here of general significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Deng
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory (BBDDL), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jianshan Mo
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drug Evaluation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory (BBDDL), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Keren Peng
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drug Evaluation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Huaxuan Li
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory (BBDDL), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Shumin Ouyang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drug Evaluation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zongbo Feng
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory (BBDDL), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Wei Fang
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory (BBDDL), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jianwei Wei
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory (BBDDL), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Deqin Rong
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory (BBDDL), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xiaolei Zhang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drug Evaluation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yuanxiang Wang
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory (BBDDL), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China.,National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drug Evaluation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
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18
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Wang J, Huang Z, Ji L, Chen C, Wan Q, Xin Y, Pu Z, Li K, Jiao J, Yin Y, Hu Y, Gong L, Zhang R, Yang X, Fang X, Wang M, Zhang B, Shao J, Zou J. SHF Acts as a Novel Tumor Suppressor in Glioblastoma Multiforme by Disrupting STAT3 Dimerization. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2200169. [PMID: 35843865 PMCID: PMC9475553 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202200169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Sustained activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a critical contributor in tumorigenesis and chemoresistance, thus making it an attractive cancer therapeutic target. Here, SH2 domain-containing adapter protein F (SHF) is identified as a tumor suppressor in glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) and its negative regulation of STAT3 activity is characterized. Mechanically, SHF selectively binds and inhibits acetylated STAT3 dimerization without affecting STAT3 phosphorylation or acetylation. Additionally, by blocking STAT3-DNMT1 (DNA Methyltransferase 1) interaction, SHF relieves methylation of tumor suppressor genes. The SH2 domain is documented to be essential for SHF's actions on STAT3, and almost entirely replaces the functions of SHF on STAT3 independently. Moreover, the peptide C16 a peptide derived from the STAT3-binding sites of SHF inhibits STAT3 dimerization and STAT3/DNMT1 interaction, and achieves remarkable growth inhibition in GBM cells in vitro and in vivo. These findings strongly identify targeting of the SHF/STAT3 interaction as a promising strategy for developing an optimal STAT3 inhibitor and provide early evidence of the potential clinical efficacy of STAT3 inhibitors such as C16 in GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Wang
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Zixuan Huang
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Li Ji
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Cheng Chen
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Quan Wan
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Affiliated Wuxi Second Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214002P. R. China
| | - Yu Xin
- Key Laboratory of Industry BiotechnologySchool of BiotechnologyJiangnan UniversityWuxiJiangsu214122P. R. China
| | - Zhening Pu
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Koukou Li
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Jiantong Jiao
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Ying Yin
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Yaling Hu
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Lingli Gong
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Xusheng Yang
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Xiangming Fang
- Department of RadiologyWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Mei Wang
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Junfei Shao
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Jian Zou
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
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Ahsan H, Islam SU, Ahmed MB, Lee YS. Role of Nrf2, STAT3, and Src as Molecular Targets for Cancer Chemoprevention. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:1775. [PMID: 36145523 PMCID: PMC9505731 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14091775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a complex and multistage disease that affects various intracellular pathways, leading to rapid cell proliferation, angiogenesis, cell motility, and migration, supported by antiapoptotic mechanisms. Chemoprevention is a new strategy to counteract cancer; to either prevent its incidence or suppress its progression. In this strategy, chemopreventive agents target molecules involved in multiple pathways of cancer initiation and progression. Nrf2, STAT3, and Src are promising molecular candidates that could be targeted for chemoprevention. Nrf2 is involved in the expression of antioxidant and phase II metabolizing enzymes, which have direct antiproliferative action as well as indirect activities of reducing oxidative stress and eliminating carcinogens. Similarly, its cross-talk with NF-κB has great anti-inflammatory potential, which can be utilized in inflammation-induced/associated cancers. STAT3, on the other hand, is involved in multiple pathways of cancer initiation and progression. Activation, phosphorylation, dimerization, and nuclear translocation are associated with tumor cell proliferation and angiogenesis. Src, being the first oncogene to be discovered, is important due to its convergence with many upstream stimuli, its cross-talk with other potential molecular targets, such as STAT3, and its ability to modify the cell cytoskeleton, making it important in cancer invasion and metastasis. Therefore, the development of natural/synthetic molecules and/or design of a regimen that can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the tumor microenvironment and stop multiple cellular targets in cancer to stop its initiation or retard its progression can form newer chemopreventive agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haseeb Ahsan
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Peshawar, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan
| | - Salman Ul Islam
- Department of Pharmacy, CECOS University, Peshawar 25000, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Bilal Ahmed
- BK21 FOUR KNU Creative BioResearch Group, School of Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea
| | - Young Sup Lee
- BK21 FOUR KNU Creative BioResearch Group, School of Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea
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Hashimoto S, Hashimoto A, Muromoto R, Kitai Y, Oritani K, Matsuda T. Central Roles of STAT3-Mediated Signals in Onset and Development of Cancers: Tumorigenesis and Immunosurveillance. Cells 2022; 11:cells11162618. [PMID: 36010693 PMCID: PMC9406645 DOI: 10.3390/cells11162618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the time of Rudolf Virchow in the 19th century, it has been well-known that cancer-associated inflammation contributes to tumor initiation and progression. However, it remains unclear whether a collapse of the balance between the antitumor immune response via the immunological surveillance system and protumor immunity due to cancer-related inflammation is responsible for cancer malignancy. The majority of inflammatory signals affect tumorigenesis by activating signal transducer and activation of transcription 3 (STAT3) and nuclear factor-κB. Persistent STAT3 activation in malignant cancer cells mediates extremely widespread functions, including cell growth, survival, angiogenesis, and invasion and contributes to an increase in inflammation-associated tumorigenesis. In addition, intracellular STAT3 activation in immune cells causes suppressive effects on antitumor immunity and leads to the differentiation and mobilization of immature myeloid-derived cells and tumor-associated macrophages. In many cancer types, STAT3 does not directly rely on its activation by oncogenic mutations but has important oncogenic and malignant transformation-associated functions in both cancer and stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). We have reported a series of studies aiming towards understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the proliferation of various types of tumors involving signal-transducing adaptor protein-2 as an adaptor molecule that modulates STAT3 activity, and we recently found that AT-rich interactive domain-containing protein 5a functions as an mRNA stabilizer that orchestrates an immunosuppressive TME in malignant mesenchymal tumors. In this review, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of the functional role of STAT3 in tumor progression and introduce novel molecular mechanisms of cancer development and malignant transformation involving STAT3 activation that we have identified to date. Finally, we discuss potential therapeutic strategies for cancer that target the signaling pathway to augment STAT3 activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeru Hashimoto
- Division of Molecular Psychoimmunology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0815, Japan
- Correspondence: (S.H.); (T.M.)
| | - Ari Hashimoto
- Department of Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan
| | - Ryuta Muromoto
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Yuichi Kitai
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Kenji Oritani
- Department of Hematology, International University of Health and Welfare, Narita 286-8686, Japan
| | - Tadashi Matsuda
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
- Correspondence: (S.H.); (T.M.)
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21
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Hua Y, Yuan X, Shen YH, Wang J, Azeem W, Yang S, Gade A, Lellahi SM, Øyan AM, Ke X, Zhang WD, Kalland KH. Novel STAT3 Inhibitors Targeting STAT3 Dimerization by Binding to the STAT3 SH2 Domain. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:836724. [PMID: 35712699 PMCID: PMC9196127 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.836724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Our drug discovery model has identified two novel STAT3 SH2 domain inhibitors 323–1 and 323–2 (delavatine A stereoisomers) in a series of experiments. In silico computational modeling, drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS), and fluorescence polarization (FP) assays altogether determined that 323–1 and 323–2 directly target the STAT3 SH2 domain and inhibited both phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated STAT3 dimerization. Computational docking predicted that compound 323s bind to three subpockets of the STAT3 SH2 domain. The 323s inhibition of STAT3 dimerization was more potent than the commercial STAT3 SH2 domain inhibitor S3I-201 in the co-immunoprecipitation assay, correlating with computational docking data. The fluorescence polarization assay further confirmed that the compound 323s target the STAT3 SH2 domain by competitively abrogating the interaction between STAT3 and the SH2-binding peptide GpYLPQTV. Compared with S3I-201, the 323 compounds exhibited stronger inhibition of STAT3 and reduced the level of IL-6-stimulated phosphorylation of STAT3 (Tyr705) in LNCaP cells over the phosphorylation of STAT1 (Tyr701) induced by IFN-ɣ in PC3 cells or the phosphorylation of STAT1 (Ser727) in DU145 cells. Both compounds downregulated STAT3 target genes MCL1 and cyclin D1. Thus, the two compounds are promising lead compounds for the treatment of cancers with hyper-activated STAT3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaping Hua
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO), Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- *Correspondence: Yaping Hua, ; Wei-dong Zhang, ; Karl-Henning Kalland,
| | - Xing Yuan
- Department of Phytochemistry, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yun-heng Shen
- Department of Phytochemistry, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinxin Wang
- Department of Phytochemistry, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Waqas Azeem
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO), Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Microbiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Helse Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Shuo Yang
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Alexandra Gade
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Seyed Mohammad Lellahi
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO), Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Anne Margrete Øyan
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO), Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Microbiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Helse Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xisong Ke
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO), Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei-dong Zhang
- Department of Phytochemistry, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Yaping Hua, ; Wei-dong Zhang, ; Karl-Henning Kalland,
| | - Karl-Henning Kalland
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO), Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Microbiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Helse Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
- *Correspondence: Yaping Hua, ; Wei-dong Zhang, ; Karl-Henning Kalland,
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22
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Inhibition of STAT3-ferroptosis negative regulatory axis suppresses tumor growth and alleviates chemoresistance in gastric cancer. Redox Biol 2022; 52:102317. [PMID: 35483272 PMCID: PMC9108091 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2022.102317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 73.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy is still one of the principal treatments for gastric cancer, but the clinical application of 5-FU is limited by drug resistance. Here, we demonstrate that ferroptosis triggered by STAT3 inhibition may provide a novel opportunity to explore a new effective therapeutic strategy for gastric cancer and chemotherapy resistance. We find that ferroptosis negative regulation (FNR) signatures are closely correlated with the progression and chemoresistance of gastric cancer. FNR associated genes (GPX4, SLC7A11, and FTH1) and STAT3 are upregulated in 5-FU resistant cells and xenografts. Further evidence demonstrates that STAT3 binds to consensus DNA response elements in the promoters of the FNR associated genes (GPX4, SLC7A11, and FTH1) and regulates their expression, thereby establishing a negative STAT3-ferroptosis regulatory axis in gastric cancer. Genetic inhibition of STAT3 activity triggers ferroptosis through lipid peroxidation and Fe2+ accumulation in gastric cancer cells. We further develop a potent and selective STAT3 inhibitor, W1131, which demonstrates significant anti-tumor effects in gastric cancer cell xenograft model, organoids model, and patient-derived xenografts (PDX) model partly by inducing ferroptosis, thus providing a new candidate compound for advanced gastric cancer. Moreover, targeting the STAT3-ferroptosis circuit promotes ferroptosis and restores sensitivity to chemotherapy. Our finding reveals that STAT3 acts as a key negative regulator of ferroptosis in gastric cancer through a multi-pronged mechanism and provides a new therapeutic strategy for advanced gastric cancer and chemotherapy resistance. Genetic and pharmacological inhibition of STAT3 triggers ferroptosis by transcriptionlly regulation of GPX4, SLC7A11, and FTH1 in gastric cancer. A potent and selective STAT3 inhibitor W1131, with strong anti-tumor effects, is developed. Ferroptosis plays a key role in the progression and chemoresistance of gastric cancer. Targeting the STAT3-ferroptosis circuit provides a new therapeutic strategy for advanced gastric cancer and chemotherapy resistance.
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The novel STAT3 inhibitor WZ-2-033 causes regression of human triple-negative breast cancer and gastric cancer xenografts. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2022; 43:1013-1023. [PMID: 34267347 PMCID: PMC8976066 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-021-00718-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hyperactive signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling is frequently detected in human triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and gastric cancer, leading to uncontrolled tumor growth, resistance to chemotherapy, and poor prognosis. Thus, inhibition of STAT3 signaling is a promising therapeutic approach for both TNBC and gastric cancer, which have high incidences and mortality and limited effective therapeutic approaches. Here, we report a small molecule, WZ-2-033, capable of inhibiting STAT3 activation and dimerization and STAT3-related malignant transformation. We present in vitro evidence from surface plasmon resonance analysis that WZ-2-033 interacts with the STAT3 protein and from confocal imaging that WZ-2-033 disrupts HA-STAT3 and Flag-STAT3 dimerization in intact cells. WZ-2-033 suppresses STAT3-DNA-binding activity but has no effect on STAT5-DNA binding. WZ-2-033 inhibits the phosphorylation and nuclear accumulation of pY705-STAT3 and consequently suppresses STAT3-dependent transcriptional activity and the expression of STAT3 downstream genes. Moreover, WZ-2-033 significantly inhibited the proliferation, colony survival, migration, and invasion of TNBC cells and gastric cancer cells with aberrant STAT3 activation. Furthermore, administration of WZ-2-033 in vivo induced a significant antitumor response in mouse models of TNBC and gastric cancer that correlated with the inhibition of constitutively active STAT3 and the suppression of known STAT3 downstream genes. Thus, our study provides a novel STAT3 inhibitor with significant antitumor activity in human TNBC and gastric cancer harboring persistently active STAT3.
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24
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Serine 727 phosphorylation is necessary to induce the STAT3-mediated transcription of LINC00184 in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Mol Cell Biochem 2022; 477:1775-1787. [DOI: 10.1007/s11010-022-04405-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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25
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Osteosarcoma cell proliferation suppression via SHP-2-mediated inactivation of the JAK/STAT3 pathway by tubocapsenolide A. J Adv Res 2022; 34:79-91. [PMID: 35024182 PMCID: PMC8655134 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2021.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Previously, we have reported a withanolide-type steroid, named tubocapsenolide A (TA), which shows potent anti-proliferative activity in several cancer cell lines. However, its inhibitory effect on the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK/STAT3) pathway and therapeutic potential on osteosarcoma have not been reported. Objectives In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect and molecular mechanism of TA in osteosarcoma. Methods The biological functions of TA in U2OS cells were investigated using colony formation, 5-ethynyl-20-deoxyuridine (EDU) staining, and cell cycle/apoptosis assays. The interaction between TA and Src homology 2 phosphatase 2 (SHP-2) was detected by enzyme activity and validated by target-identification methods such as drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS), cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), and biolayer interferometry (BLI). The in vivo anti-tumor efficacy of TA was analyzed in the xenograft tumor model. Western blotting analysis was performed to detect the protein expression levels. Results TA exhibited antitumor activity against osteosarcoma both in vitro and in vivo by regulating the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway. Mechanically, TA interacted with SHP-2 directly and activated its phosphatase activity. Importantly, protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) inhibitor, SHP-2 inhibitor, and SHP-2 siRNA could reverse the inhibitory effect of TA on the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway and restored the TA-induced cell death. Conclusion TA activated the phosphatase activity of SHP-2, which resulted in the inhibition of the JAK/STAT3 pathway and contributed to the antitumor efficacy of TA. Collectively, these findings suggested that TA could serve as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of osteosarcoma.
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26
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Dai X, Muto J, Shiraishi K, Utsunomiya R, Mori H, Murakami M, Sayama K. TSLP impairs epidermal barrier integrity by stimulating the formation of nuclear IL-33/phosphorylated STAT3 complex in human keratinocytes. J Invest Dermatol 2022; 142:2100-2108.e5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2022.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Xu J, Lin H, Wu G, Zhu M, Li M. IL-6/STAT3 Is a Promising Therapeutic Target for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2021; 11:760971. [PMID: 34976809 PMCID: PMC8714735 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.760971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor of which the occurrence and development, the tumorigenicity of HCC is involving in multistep and multifactor interactions. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a multifunctional inflammatory cytokine, has increased expression in HCC patients and is closely related to the occurrence of HCC and prognosis. IL-6 plays a role by binding to the IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) and then triggering the Janus kinase (JAK) associated with the receptor, stimulating phosphorylation and activating signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) to initiate downstream signals, participating in the processes of anti-apoptosis, angiogenesis, proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance of cancer cells. IL-6/STAT3 signal axes elicit an immunosuppressive in tumor microenvironment, it is important to therapy HCC by blocking the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway. Recent, some inhibitors of IL-6/STAT3 have been development, such as S31-201 or IL-6 neutralizing monoclonal antibody (IL-6 mAb), Madindoline A (Inhibits the dimerization of IL-6/IL-6R/gpl30 trimeric complexes), C188-9 and Curcumin (Inhibits STAT3 phosphorylation), etc. for treatment of cancers. Overall, consideration of the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway, and its role in the carcinogenesis and progression of HCC will contribute to the development of potential drugs for targeting treatment of liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junnv Xu
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, China
- Department of Medical Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, China
| | - Haifeng Lin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, China
| | - Gang Wu
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, China
| | - Mingyue Zhu
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, China
| | - Mengsen Li
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, China
- Department of Medical Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, China
- Institution of Tumour, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, China
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28
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Shen Y, Wang X, Liu Y, Singhal M, Gürkaşlar C, Valls AF, Lei Y, Hu W, Schermann G, Adler H, Yu FX, Fischer T, Zhu Y, Augustin HG, Schmidt T, de Almodóvar CR. STAT3-YAP/TAZ signaling in endothelial cells promotes tumor angiogenesis. Sci Signal 2021; 14:eabj8393. [PMID: 34874746 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.abj8393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Shen
- European Center for Angioscience, Medicine Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany.,Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Xiaohong Wang
- European Center for Angioscience, Medicine Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany.,Department of Pharmacology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammation Biology, Laboratory of Molecular Ophthalmology, The Province and Ministry Co-Sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, 300070 Tianjin, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammation Biology, Laboratory of Molecular Ophthalmology, The Province and Ministry Co-Sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, 300070 Tianjin, China
| | - Mahak Singhal
- European Center for Angioscience, Medicine Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany.,Division of Vascular Oncology and Metastasis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Can Gürkaşlar
- European Center for Angioscience, Medicine Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Aida Freire Valls
- European Center for Angioscience, Medicine Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany.,Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yi Lei
- Department of Pharmacology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammation Biology, Laboratory of Molecular Ophthalmology, The Province and Ministry Co-Sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, 300070 Tianjin, China
| | - Wenjie Hu
- European Center for Angioscience, Medicine Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Géza Schermann
- European Center for Angioscience, Medicine Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Heike Adler
- European Center for Angioscience, Medicine Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Fa-Xing Yu
- Institute of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Fudan University and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 200030 Shanghai, China
| | - Tamás Fischer
- Genome Biology Department, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Garran Rd, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Yi Zhu
- Department of physiology and pathophysiology, Tianjin Medical University, 300070 Tianjin, China
| | - Hellmut G Augustin
- European Center for Angioscience, Medicine Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany.,Division of Vascular Oncology and Metastasis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmidt
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of General, Visceral, Cancer and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital of Cologne, 50924 Köln, Germany
| | - Carmen Ruiz de Almodóvar
- European Center for Angioscience, Medicine Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
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Zhou L, Pei X, Zhang Y, Ning Y, Li L, Hu X, Chalasani SL, Sharma K, Nkwocha J, Yu J, Bandyopadhyay D, Sebti SM, Grant S. Chk1 inhibition potently blocks STAT3 tyrosine705 phosphorylation, DNA binding activity, and activation of downstream targets in human multiple myeloma cells. Mol Cancer Res 2021; 20:456-467. [PMID: 34782371 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-21-0366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between the checkpoint kinase Chk1 and the STAT3 pathway was examined in multiple myeloma (MM) cells. Gene expression profiling of U266 cells exposed to low (nM) Chk1 inhibitor (PF-477736) concentrations revealed STAT3 pathway-related gene down-regulation (e.g., BCL-XL, MCL-1, c-Myc), findings confirmed by RT-PCR. This was associated with marked inhibition of STAT3 Tyr705 (but not Ser727) phosphorylation, dimerization, nuclear localization, DNA binding, STAT3 promoter activity by ChIP assay, and down-regulation of STAT-3-dependent proteins. Similar findings were obtained in other MM cells and with alternative Chk1 inhibitors (e.g., prexasertib, CEP3891). While PF did not reduce GP130 expression or modify SOCS or PRL-3 phosphorylation, the phosphatase inhibitor pervanadate antagonized PF-mediated Tyr705 dephosphorylation. Significantly, PF attenuated Chk1-mediated STAT3 phosphorylation in in vitro assays. SPR analysis suggested Chk1/STAT3 interactions and PF reduced Chk1/STAT3 co-immunoprecipitation. Chk1 CRISPR knockout or shRNA knockdown cells also displayed STAT3 inactivation and STAT-3-dependent protein down-regulation. Constitutively active STAT3 diminished PF-mediated STAT3 inactivation and down-regulate STAT3-dependent proteins while significantly reducing PF-induced DNA damage (rH2A.X formation) and apoptosis. Exposure of cells with low basal phospho-STAT3 expression to IL-6 or human stromal cell conditioned medium activated STAT3, an event attenuated by Chk1 inhibitors. PF also inactivated STAT3 in primary human CD138+ MM cells and tumors extracted from an NSG MM xenograft model while inhibiting tumor growth. Implications: These findings identify a heretofore unrecognized link between the Chk1 and STAT3 pathways and suggest that Chk1 pathway inhibitors warrant attention as novel and potent candidate STAT3 antagonists in myeloma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Zhou
- Department of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University and the Massey Cancer Center
| | - Xinyan Pei
- Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Massey Cancer Center
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University
| | - Yanxia Ning
- Department of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center
| | - Lin Li
- Department of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center
| | - Xiaoyan Hu
- Department of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center
| | | | - Kanika Sharma
- Medicine, Biochemistry, and Human and Molecular Genetics, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University
| | - Jewel Nkwocha
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Massey Cancer Center
| | | | | | - Said M Sebti
- Pharmacology & Toxicology, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University
| | - Steven Grant
- Medicine, Biochemistry, and Human and Molecular Genetics, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University
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30
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Yang T, Xu R, Huo J, Wang B, Du X, Dai B, Zhu M, Zhan Y, Zhang D, Zhang Y. WWOX activation by toosendanin suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis through JAK2/Stat3 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Cancer Lett 2021; 513:50-62. [PMID: 34015398 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Loss of WW-domain containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) has been proven to be associated with malignant metastasis in patients with HCC. In this study, by using a non-biased CRISPR knockout genetic screen targeting 19,050 human genes, we found that toosendanin (TSN) is a novel druggable WWOX candidate agonist for metastatic HCC patients. We also found that TSN exhibited significant anti-proliferative and anti-metastatic effects on HCC cells in a WWOX-dependent manner. Overexpression and knockdown of WWOX in vitro and in vivo confirmed that the suppression of HCC by TSN involved WWOX. TSN regulated Stat3, DVL2, and GSK3β by transforming their interactions with WWOX as demonstrated by a Co-IP assay. TSN accelerated the degradation of β-catenin by promoting the function of APC, AXIN1, CK1, and GSK3β complex. Nuclear translocation of p-Stat3 Y705 and β-catenin was impeded by the TSN-induced blockade of JAK2/Stat3 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling, accompanied by the inhibition of MMPs and C-MYC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianfeng Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Shaanxi for Natural Medicines Research and Engineering, Xi'an, 710061, PR China
| | - Rui Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Shaanxi for Natural Medicines Research and Engineering, Xi'an, 710061, PR China
| | - Jian Huo
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Shaanxi for Natural Medicines Research and Engineering, Xi'an, 710061, PR China
| | - Bo Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Shaanxi for Natural Medicines Research and Engineering, Xi'an, 710061, PR China
| | - Xia Du
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shaanxi Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, 710003, PR China
| | - Bingling Dai
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Shaanxi for Natural Medicines Research and Engineering, Xi'an, 710061, PR China
| | - Man Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Shaanxi for Natural Medicines Research and Engineering, Xi'an, 710061, PR China
| | - Yingzhuan Zhan
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Shaanxi for Natural Medicines Research and Engineering, Xi'an, 710061, PR China
| | - Dongdong Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Shaanxi for Natural Medicines Research and Engineering, Xi'an, 710061, PR China
| | - Yanmin Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Shaanxi for Natural Medicines Research and Engineering, Xi'an, 710061, PR China.
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Ahmad E, Ali A, Fatima MT, Nimisha, Apurva, Kumar A, Sumi MP, Sattar RSA, Mahajan B, Saluja SS. Ligand decorated biodegradable nanomedicine in the treatment of cancer. Pharmacol Res 2021; 167:105544. [PMID: 33722711 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is one of the major global health problems, responsible for the second-highest number of deaths. The genetic and epigenetic changes in the oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes alter the regulatory pathways leading to its onset and progression. Conventional methods are used in appropriate combinations for the treatment. Surgery effectively treats localized tumors; however, it fails to treat metastatic tumors, leading to a spread in other organs, causing a high recurrence rate and death. Among the different strategies, the nanocarriers-based approach is highly sought for, but its nonspecific delivery can cause a profound side effect on healthy cells. Targeted nanomedicine has the advantage of targeting cancer cells specifically by interacting with the receptors overexpressed on their surface, overcoming its non-specificity to target healthy cells. Nanocarriers prepared from biodegradable and biocompatible materials are decorated with different ligands by encapsulating therapeutic or diagnostic agents or both to target cancer cells overexpressing the receptors. Scientists are now utilizing a theranostic approach to simultaneously evaluate nanocarrier bio-distribution and its effect on the treatment regime. Herein, we have summarized the recent 5-year efforts in the development of the ligands decorated biodegradable nanocarriers, as a targeted nanomedicine approach, which has been highly promising in the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ejaj Ahmad
- Central Molecular Laboratory, Govind Ballabh Pant, Postgraduate Institute of Medica, Education and Research (GIPMER), New Delhi 110002, India
| | - Asgar Ali
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Science, Patna 810507, India
| | - Munazza Tamkeen Fatima
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, QU health, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Nimisha
- Central Molecular Laboratory, Govind Ballabh Pant, Postgraduate Institute of Medica, Education and Research (GIPMER), New Delhi 110002, India
| | - Apurva
- Central Molecular Laboratory, Govind Ballabh Pant, Postgraduate Institute of Medica, Education and Research (GIPMER), New Delhi 110002, India
| | - Arun Kumar
- Central Molecular Laboratory, Govind Ballabh Pant, Postgraduate Institute of Medica, Education and Research (GIPMER), New Delhi 110002, India
| | - Mamta P Sumi
- Central Molecular Laboratory, Govind Ballabh Pant, Postgraduate Institute of Medica, Education and Research (GIPMER), New Delhi 110002, India
| | - Real Sumayya Abdul Sattar
- Central Molecular Laboratory, Govind Ballabh Pant, Postgraduate Institute of Medica, Education and Research (GIPMER), New Delhi 110002, India
| | - Bhawna Mahajan
- Department of Biochemistry, Govind Ballabh Pant, Postgraduate Institute of Medical, Education and Research (GIPMER), New Delhi 110002, India
| | - Sundeep Singh Saluja
- Central Molecular Laboratory, Govind Ballabh Pant, Postgraduate Institute of Medica, Education and Research (GIPMER), New Delhi 110002, India; Department of GI Surgery, Govind Ballabh Pant, Postgraduate Institute of Medica, Education and Research (GIPMER), New Delhi 110002, India.
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Targeting protein self-association in drug design. Drug Discov Today 2021; 26:1148-1163. [PMID: 33548462 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Protein self-association is a universal phenomenon essential for stability and molecular recognition. Disrupting constitutive homomers constitutes an original and emerging strategy in drug design. Inhibition of homomeric proteins can be achieved through direct complex disruption, subunit intercalation, or by promoting inactive oligomeric states. Targeting self-interaction grants several advantages over active site inhibition because of the stimulation of protein degradation, the enhancement of selectivity, substoichiometric inhibition, and by-pass of compensatory mechanisms. This new landscape in protein inhibition is driven by the development of biophysical and biochemical tools suited for the study of homomeric proteins, such as differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF), native mass spectrometry (MS), Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) spectroscopy, 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and X-ray crystallography. In this review, we discuss the different aspects of this new paradigm in drug design.
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Chen H, Bian A, Yang LF, Yin X, Wang J, Ti C, Miao Y, Peng S, Xu S, Liu M, Qiu WW, Yi Z. Targeting STAT3 by a small molecule suppresses pancreatic cancer progression. Oncogene 2021; 40:1440-1457. [PMID: 33420372 PMCID: PMC7906907 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-01626-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is lethal in over 90% of cases since it is resistant to current therapeutic strategies. The key role of STAT3 in promoting pancreatic cancer progression has been proven, but effective interventions that suppress STAT3 activities are limited. The development of novel anticancer agents that directly target STAT3 may have potential clinical benefits for pancreatic cancer treatment. Here, we report a new small-molecule inhibitor (N4) with potent antitumor bioactivity, which inhibits multiple oncogenic processes in pancreatic cancer. N4 blocked STAT3 and phospho-tyrosine (pTyr) peptide interactions in fluorescence polarization (FP) assay, specifically abolished phosphor-STAT3 (Tyr705), and suppressed expression of STAT3 downstream genes. The mechanism involved the direct binding of N4 to the STAT3 SH2 domain, thereby, the STAT3 dimerization, STAT3-EGFR, and STAT3-NF-κB cross-talk were efficiently inhibited. In animal models of pancreatic cancer, N4 was well tolerated, suppressed tumor growth and metastasis, and significantly prolonged survival of tumor-bearing mice. Our results offer a preclinical proof of concept for N4 as a candidate therapeutic compound for pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huang Chen
- East China Normal University and Shanghai Fengxian District Central Hospital Joint Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Aiwu Bian
- East China Normal University and Shanghai Fengxian District Central Hospital Joint Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Lian-Fang Yang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Xuan Yin
- Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Chaowen Ti
- East China Normal University and Shanghai Fengxian District Central Hospital Joint Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Ying Miao
- East China Normal University and Shanghai Fengxian District Central Hospital Joint Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Shihong Peng
- East China Normal University and Shanghai Fengxian District Central Hospital Joint Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Shifen Xu
- Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingyao Liu
- East China Normal University and Shanghai Fengxian District Central Hospital Joint Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
| | - Wen-Wei Qiu
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
| | - Zhengfang Yi
- East China Normal University and Shanghai Fengxian District Central Hospital Joint Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
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Aftabizadeh M, Li YJ, Zhao Q, Zhang C, Ambaye N, Song J, Nagao T, Lahtz C, Fakih M, Ann DK, Yu H, Herrmann A. Potent antitumor effects of cell-penetrating peptides targeting STAT3 axis. JCI Insight 2021; 6:136176. [PMID: 33491667 PMCID: PMC7934871 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.136176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
To date, there are no inhibitors that directly and specifically target activated STAT3 and c-Myc in the clinic. Although peptide-based inhibitors can selectively block activated targets, their clinical usage is limited because of low cell penetration and/or serum stability. Here, we generated cell-penetrating acetylated (acet.) STAT3, c-Myc, and Gp130 targeting peptides by attaching phosphorothioated (PS) polymer backbone to peptides. The cell-penetrating peptides efficiently penetrated cells and inhibited activation of the intended targets and their downstream genes. Locally or systemically treating tumor-bearing mice with PS-acet.-STAT3 peptide at low concentrations effectively blocked STAT3 in vivo, resulting in significant antitumor effects in 2 human xenograft models. Moreover, PS-acet.-STAT3 peptide penetrated and activated splenic CD8+ T cells in vitro. Treating immune-competent mice bearing mouse melanoma with PS-acet.-STAT3 peptide inhibited STAT3 in tumor-infiltrating T cells, downregulating tumor-infiltrating CD4+ T regulatory cells while activating CD8+ T effector cells. Similarly, systemic injections of the cell-penetrating c-Myc and Gp130 peptides prevented pancreatic tumor growth and induced antitumor immune responses. Taken together, we have developed therapeutic peptides that effectively and specifically block challenging cancer targets, resulting in antitumor effects through both direct tumor cell killing and indirectly through antitumor immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Qianqian Zhao
- Department of Immuno-Oncology and
- Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Christoph Lahtz
- Department of Immuno-Oncology and
- Sorrento Therapeutics, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Marwan Fakih
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics and
| | - David K. Ann
- Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Hua Yu
- Department of Immuno-Oncology and
| | - Andreas Herrmann
- Department of Immuno-Oncology and
- Sorrento Therapeutics, San Diego, California, USA
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Brotherton-Pleiss C, Yue P, Zhu Y, Nakamura K, Chen W, Fu W, Kubota C, Chen J, Alonso-Valenteen F, Mikhael S, Medina-Kauwe L, Tius MA, Lopez-Tapia F, Turkson J. Discovery of Novel Azetidine Amides as Potent Small-Molecule STAT3 Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2021; 64:695-710. [PMID: 33352047 PMCID: PMC7816766 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We optimized our previously reported proline-based STAT3 inhibitors into an exciting new series of (R)-azetidine-2-carboxamide analogues that have sub-micromolar potencies. 5a, 5o, and 8i have STAT3-inhibitory potencies (IC50) of 0.55, 0.38, and 0.34 μM, respectively, compared to potencies greater than 18 μM against STAT1 or STAT5 activity. Further modifications derived analogues, including 7e, 7f, 7g, and 9k, that addressed cell membrane permeability and other physicochemical issues. Isothermal titration calorimetry analysis confirmed high-affinity binding to STAT3, with KD of 880 nM (7g) and 960 nM (9k). 7g and 9k inhibited constitutive STAT3 phosphorylation and DNA-binding activity in human breast cancer, MDA-MB-231 or MDA-MB-468 cells. Furthermore, treatment of breast cancer cells with 7e, 7f, 7g, or 9k inhibited viable cells, with an EC50 of 0.9-1.9 μM, cell growth, and colony survival, and induced apoptosis while having relatively weaker effects on normal breast epithelial, MCF-10A or breast cancer, MCF-7 cells that do not harbor constitutively active STAT3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Brotherton-Pleiss
- Cancer Biology Program, University of
Hawaii Cancer Center, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813,
United States
- Medicinal Chemistry Leader, Department of Chemistry,
University of Hawaii, Manoa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu,
Hawaii 9682, United States
| | - Peibin Yue
- Cancer Biology Program, University of
Hawaii Cancer Center, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813,
United States
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology and
Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Cedars-Sinai Medical
Center, 8700 Beverly Blvd, Davis 5065, Los Angeles, California 90048,
United States
| | - Yinsong Zhu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology and
Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Cedars-Sinai Medical
Center, 8700 Beverly Blvd, Davis 5065, Los Angeles, California 90048,
United States
| | - Kayo Nakamura
- Department of Chemistry, University of
Hawaii, Manoa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, Hawaii 9682, United
States
| | - Weiliang Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of
Hawaii, Manoa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, Hawaii 9682, United
States
| | - Wenzhen Fu
- Cancer Biology Program, University of
Hawaii Cancer Center, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813,
United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of
Hawaii, Manoa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, Hawaii 9682, United
States
| | - Casie Kubota
- Cancer Biology Program, University of
Hawaii Cancer Center, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813,
United States
| | - Jasmine Chen
- Cancer Biology Program, University of
Hawaii Cancer Center, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813,
United States
| | - Felix Alonso-Valenteen
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology and
Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Cedars-Sinai Medical
Center, 8700 Beverly Blvd, Davis 5065, Los Angeles, California 90048,
United States
- Department of Biomedical Sciences,
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California 90048,
United States
| | - Simoun Mikhael
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology and
Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Cedars-Sinai Medical
Center, 8700 Beverly Blvd, Davis 5065, Los Angeles, California 90048,
United States
- Department of Biomedical Sciences,
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California 90048,
United States
| | - Lali Medina-Kauwe
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology and
Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Cedars-Sinai Medical
Center, 8700 Beverly Blvd, Davis 5065, Los Angeles, California 90048,
United States
- Department of Biomedical Sciences,
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California 90048,
United States
| | - Marcus A. Tius
- Cancer Biology Program, University of
Hawaii Cancer Center, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813,
United States
- Medicinal Chemistry Leader, Department of Chemistry,
University of Hawaii, Manoa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu,
Hawaii 9682, United States
| | - Francisco Lopez-Tapia
- Cancer Biology Program, University of
Hawaii Cancer Center, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813,
United States
- Medicinal Chemistry Leader, Department of Chemistry,
University of Hawaii, Manoa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu,
Hawaii 9682, United States
| | - James Turkson
- Cancer Biology Program, University of
Hawaii Cancer Center, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813,
United States
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology and
Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Cedars-Sinai Medical
Center, 8700 Beverly Blvd, Davis 5065, Los Angeles, California 90048,
United States
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36
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Tolomeo M, Cascio A. The Multifaced Role of STAT3 in Cancer and Its Implication for Anticancer Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22020603. [PMID: 33435349 PMCID: PMC7826746 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 is one of the most complex regulators of transcription. Constitutive activation of STAT3 has been reported in many types of tumors and depends on mechanisms such as hyperactivation of receptors for pro-oncogenic cytokines and growth factors, loss of negative regulation, and excessive cytokine stimulation. In contrast, somatic STAT3 mutations are less frequent in cancer. Several oncogenic targets of STAT3 have been recently identified such as c-myc, c-Jun, PLK-1, Pim1/2, Bcl-2, VEGF, bFGF, and Cten, and inhibitors of STAT3 have been developed for cancer prevention and treatment. However, despite the oncogenic role of STAT3 having been widely demonstrated, an increasing amount of data indicate that STAT3 functions are multifaced and not easy to classify. In fact, the specific cellular role of STAT3 seems to be determined by the integration of multiple signals, by the oncogenic environment, and by the alternative splicing into two distinct isoforms, STAT3α and STAT3β. On the basis of these different conditions, STAT3 can act both as a potent tumor promoter or tumor suppressor factor. This implies that the therapies based on STAT3 modulators should be performed considering the pleiotropic functions of this transcription factor and tailored to the specific tumor type.
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Zheng Q, Dong H, Mo J, Zhang Y, Huang J, Ouyang S, Shi S, Zhu K, Qu X, Hu W, Liu P, Wang Y, Zhang X. A novel STAT3 inhibitor W2014-S regresses human non-small cell lung cancer xenografts and sensitizes EGFR-TKI acquired resistance. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:824-840. [PMID: 33391507 PMCID: PMC7738869 DOI: 10.7150/thno.49600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Constitutive activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a common feature in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). STAT3 plays an important role in cancer progression as a driver oncogene and acquired resistance of targeted therapies as an alternatively activated pathway. W2014-S with pharmacophore structure of imidazopyridine, which was firstly reported to be utilized in STAT3 inhibitor discovery, was screened out as a potent STAT3 inhibitor from a library of small molecules. The aim of this study is to investigate the antitumor activities and mechanisms of W2014-S in NSCLC and effect on epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) resistance in vitro and in vivo. Methods: SPR analysis, Co-immunoprecipitation, confocal microscope imaging, and luciferase report gene assays were utilized to determine the mechanisms. Cell viability, colonial survival, wound healing, cell invasion assay, human cancer cell xenografts and PDX tumor xenografts were used to determine antitumor activities. Results: W2014-S disrupted STAT3 dimerization and selectively inhibited aberrant STAT3 signaling in NSCLC cell line. W2014-S strongly suppressed proliferation, survival, migration and invasion of lung cancer cells with aberrant STAT3 activation and inhibited the growth of human NSCLC cell xenografts and PDX tumor xenografts in mouse model. Furthermore, W2014-S significantly sensitized resistant NSCLC cell line to gefitinib and erlotinib in vitro and enhances the anti-tumor effect of gefitinib in TKI-resistant lung cancer xenografts in vivo. Conclusions: Our study has provided a novel STAT3 inhibitor with significant anti-tumor activities in NSCLC and suggests that combination of STAT3 inhibitor such as W2014-S with gefitinib could serve as a promising strategy to overcome EGFR-TKIs acquired resistance in NSCLC patients.
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Liu Y, Liao S, Bennett S, Tang H, Song D, Wood D, Zhan X, Xu J. STAT3 and its targeting inhibitors in osteosarcoma. Cell Prolif 2020; 54:e12974. [PMID: 33382511 PMCID: PMC7848963 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.12974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is one of seven STAT family members involved with the regulation of cellular growth, differentiation and survival. STAT proteins are conserved among eukaryotes and are important for biological functions of embryogenesis, immunity, haematopoiesis and cell migration. STAT3 is widely expressed and located in the cytoplasm in an inactive form. STAT3 is rapidly and transiently activated by tyrosine phosphorylation by a range of signalling pathways, including cytokines from the IL‐6 family and growth factors, such as EGF and PDGF. STAT3 activation and subsequent dimer formation initiates nuclear translocation of STAT3 for the regulation of target gene transcription. Four STAT3 isoforms have been identified, which have distinct biological functions. STAT3 is considered a proto‐oncogene and constitutive activation of STAT3 is implicated in the development of various cancers, including multiple myeloma, leukaemia and lymphomas. In this review, we focus on recent progress on STAT3 and osteosarcoma (OS). Notably, STAT3 is overexpressed and associated with the poor prognosis of OS. Constitutive activation of STAT3 in OS appears to upregulate the expression of target oncogenes, leading to OS cell transformation, proliferation, tumour formation, invasion, metastasis, immune evasion and drug resistance. Taken together, STAT3 is a target for cancer therapy, and STAT3 inhibitors represent potential therapeutic candidates for the treatment of OS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Liu
- Department of Spine and Osteopathic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.,Division of Regenerative Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,Research Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Shijie Liao
- Division of Regenerative Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,Research Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.,Department of Trauma Orthopedic and Hand Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Samuel Bennett
- Division of Regenerative Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Haijun Tang
- Department of Orthopedic, Guangxi hospital for nationalities, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Dezhi Song
- Division of Regenerative Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,Research Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - David Wood
- Division of Regenerative Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Xinli Zhan
- Department of Spine and Osteopathic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.,Division of Regenerative Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,Research Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Jiake Xu
- Division of Regenerative Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
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Bellidifolin Inhibits Proliferation of A549 Cells by Regulating STAT3/COX-2 Expression and Protein Activity. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2020; 2020:1723791. [PMID: 33299414 PMCID: PMC7703469 DOI: 10.1155/2020/1723791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Objectives Bellidifolin (BEL) is one type of tetraoxygenated xanthone that is particularly found in Swertia and Gentiana (Gentianaceae). Despite its broad range of pharmacological activities, it is still unclear whether BEL could be used for lung cancer treatment. Hence, we presently demonstrate the roles of BEL towards the proliferative inhibition of the prototypical A549 lung cancer cells. Materials and Methods The antiproliferative activity of BEL was initially verified by cellular experiments. A network pharmacology method was then pursued to assess BEL potential molecular targets from the platform for pharmacological analysis of Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP). Disease enrichment of potential targets and construction of compound-target-disease network maps were performed based on a total of 20 diseases. Two core targets related to the BEL-mediated effect in A549 cells were obtained by importing potential targets into a protein-protein interaction database (STRING) and also analyzing respective data of related targets into this database. Last, these core targets were examined by in vitro analysis and molecular docking. Results CCK8 assays indicated that treatment with 50-100 μm BEL had an inhibitory effect on the proliferation of human A549 lung cancer cells, whereas this effect was time- and concentration-dependent. As control, treatment with 50-100 μm BEL did not inhibit the proliferation of normal lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2b cell line). H&E staining of BEL-treated A549 cells showed that, upon an increase of drug concentration, nuclear condensation and fragmentation were largely observed. Cell cycle analysis showed that in vitro treatment with 75-100 μm BEL could block A549 cells in S and G2 phases. Western blot analyses showed that after 72 hours of BEL treatment, the level of caspase-8/3 in A549 cells increased, and the level of PARP1 decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Network pharmacology analysis also indicated that lung cancer was the major disease susceptible to BEL treatment. At the same time, STAT3 and COX-2 were identified as two core targets of BEL in lung cancer treatment. Functional analyses further revealed that the cytotoxicity effect of BEL in A549 cells potentially involved the STAT3/COX-2 pathway. Moreover, molecular docking analysis indicated that BEL structure properly matches with COX-2 and STAT3 in space shape, thus illustrating the putative molecular mechanism of BEL's anticancer effect. Conclusions Based on a series of in vitro analyses, network pharmacology, and molecular docking, the potential mechanism involving the antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects of BEL in lung cancer cells was investigated. Our study may help providing some theoretical basis for the discovery of novel phytotherapy drugs applicable for the treatment of lung cancer.
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An Electrophilic Deguelin Analogue Inhibits STAT3 Signaling in H- Ras-Transformed Human Mammary Epithelial Cells: The Cysteine 259 Residue as a Potential Target. Biomedicines 2020; 8:biomedicines8100407. [PMID: 33053804 PMCID: PMC7600869 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines8100407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a point of convergence for numerous oncogenic signals that are often constitutively activated in many cancerous or transformed cells and some stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment. Persistent STAT3 activation in malignant cells stimulates proliferation, survival, angiogenesis, invasion, and tumor-promoting inflammation. STAT3 undergoes activation through phosphorylation on tyrosine 705, which facilitates its dimerization. Dimeric STAT3 translocates to the nucleus, where it regulates the transcription of genes involved in cell proliferation, survival, etc. In the present study, a synthetic deguelin analogue SH48, discovered by virtual screening, inhibited the phosphorylation, nuclear translocation, and transcriptional activity of STAT3 in H-ras transformed human mammary epithelial MCF-10A cells (MCF10A-ras). We speculated that SH48 bearing an α,β-unsaturated carbonyl group could interact with a thiol residue of STAT3, thereby inactivating this transcription factor. Non-electrophilic analogues of SH48 failed to inhibit STAT3 activation, lending support to the above supposition. By utilizing a biotinylated SH48, we were able to demonstrate the complex formation between SH48 and STAT3. SH48 treatment to MCF10A-ras cells induced autophagy, which was verified by staining with a fluorescent acidotropic probe, LysoTracker Red, as well as upregulating the expression of LC3II and p62. In conclusion, the electrophilic analogue of deguelin interacts with STAT3 and inhibits its activation in MCF10A-ras cells, which may account for its induction of autophagic death.
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Morgan EL, Macdonald A. Manipulation of JAK/STAT Signalling by High-Risk HPVs: Potential Therapeutic Targets for HPV-Associated Malignancies. Viruses 2020; 12:E977. [PMID: 32899142 PMCID: PMC7552066 DOI: 10.3390/v12090977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are small, DNA viruses that cause around 5% of all cancers in humans, including almost all cervical cancer cases and a significant proportion of anogenital and oral cancers. The HPV oncoproteins E5, E6 and E7 manipulate cellular signalling pathways to evade the immune response and promote virus persistence. The Janus Kinase/Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway has emerged as a key mediator in a wide range of important biological signalling pathways, including cell proliferation, cell survival and the immune response. While STAT1 and STAT2 primarily drive immune signalling initiated by interferons, STAT3 and STAT5 have widely been linked to the survival and proliferative potential of a number of cancers. As such, the inhibition of STAT3 and STAT5 may offer a therapeutic benefit in HPV-associated cancers. In this review, we will discuss how HPV manipulates JAK/STAT signalling to evade the immune system and promote cell proliferation, enabling viral persistence and driving cancer development. We also discuss approaches to inhibit the JAK/STAT pathway and how these could potentially be used in the treatment of HPV-associated disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan L. Morgan
- Tumour Biology Section, Head and Neck Surgery Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Andrew Macdonald
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, West Yorkshire, UK
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, West Yorkshire, UK
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Yang PL, Liu LX, Li EM, Xu LY. STAT3, the Challenge for Chemotherapeutic and Radiotherapeutic Efficacy. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12092459. [PMID: 32872659 PMCID: PMC7564975 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12092459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemoradiotherapy is one of the most effective and extensively used strategies for cancer treatment. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) regulates vital biological processes, such as cell proliferation and cell growth. It is constitutively activated in various cancers and limits the application of chemoradiotherapy. Accumulating evidence suggests that STAT3 regulates resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy and thereby impairs therapeutic efficacy by mediating its feedback loop and several target genes. The alternative splicing product STAT3β is often identified as a dominant-negative regulator, but it enhances sensitivity to chemotherapy and offers a new and challenging approach to reverse therapeutic resistance. We focus here on exploring the role of STAT3 in resistance to receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitors and radiotherapy, outlining the potential of targeting STAT3 to overcome chemo(radio)resistance for improving clinical outcomes, and evaluating the importance of STAT3β as a potential therapeutic approach to overcomes chemo(radio)resistance. In this review, we discuss some new insights into the effect of STAT3 and its subtype STAT3β on chemoradiotherapy sensitivity, and we explore how these insights influence clinical treatment and drug development for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping-Lian Yang
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, China; (P.-L.Y.); (L.-X.L.)
- Institute of Oncologic Pathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - Lu-Xin Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, China; (P.-L.Y.); (L.-X.L.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - En-Min Li
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, China; (P.-L.Y.); (L.-X.L.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, China
- Correspondence: (E.-M.L.); (L.-Y.X.); Tel.: +86-754-88900460 (L.-Y.X.); Fax: +86-754-88900847 (L.-Y.X.)
| | - Li-Yan Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, China; (P.-L.Y.); (L.-X.L.)
- Institute of Oncologic Pathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, China
- Correspondence: (E.-M.L.); (L.-Y.X.); Tel.: +86-754-88900460 (L.-Y.X.); Fax: +86-754-88900847 (L.-Y.X.)
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Bharadwaj U, Kasembeli MM, Robinson P, Tweardy DJ. Targeting Janus Kinases and Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 to Treat Inflammation, Fibrosis, and Cancer: Rationale, Progress, and Caution. Pharmacol Rev 2020; 72:486-526. [PMID: 32198236 PMCID: PMC7300325 DOI: 10.1124/pr.119.018440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 175] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Before it was molecularly cloned in 1994, acute-phase response factor or signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3 was the focus of intense research into understanding the mammalian response to injury, particularly the acute-phase response. Although known to be essential for liver production of acute-phase reactant proteins, many of which augment innate immune responses, molecular cloning of acute-phase response factor or STAT3 and the research this enabled helped establish the central function of Janus kinase (JAK) family members in cytokine signaling and identified a multitude of cytokines and peptide hormones, beyond interleukin-6 and its family members, that activate JAKs and STAT3, as well as numerous new programs that their activation drives. Many, like the acute-phase response, are adaptive, whereas several are maladaptive and lead to chronic inflammation and adverse consequences, such as cachexia, fibrosis, organ dysfunction, and cancer. Molecular cloning of STAT3 also enabled the identification of other noncanonical roles for STAT3 in normal physiology, including its contribution to the function of the electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation, its basal and stress-related adaptive functions in mitochondria, its function as a scaffold in inflammation-enhanced platelet activation, and its contributions to endothelial permeability and calcium efflux from endoplasmic reticulum. In this review, we will summarize the molecular and cellular biology of JAK/STAT3 signaling and its functions under basal and stress conditions, which are adaptive, and then review maladaptive JAK/STAT3 signaling in animals and humans that lead to disease, as well as recent attempts to modulate them to treat these diseases. In addition, we will discuss how consideration of the noncanonical and stress-related functions of STAT3 cannot be ignored in efforts to target the canonical functions of STAT3, if the goal is to develop drugs that are not only effective but safe. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Key biological functions of Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3 signaling can be delineated into two broad categories: those essential for normal cell and organ development and those activated in response to stress that are adaptive. Persistent or dysregulated JAK/STAT3 signaling, however, is maladaptive and contributes to many diseases, including diseases characterized by chronic inflammation and fibrosis, and cancer. A comprehensive understanding of JAK/STAT3 signaling in normal development, and in adaptive and maladaptive responses to stress, is essential for the continued development of safe and effective therapies that target this signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uddalak Bharadwaj
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control & Employee Health, Division of Internal Medicine (U.B., M.M.K., P.R., D.J.T.), and Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology (D.J.T.), University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Moses M Kasembeli
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control & Employee Health, Division of Internal Medicine (U.B., M.M.K., P.R., D.J.T.), and Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology (D.J.T.), University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Prema Robinson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control & Employee Health, Division of Internal Medicine (U.B., M.M.K., P.R., D.J.T.), and Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology (D.J.T.), University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - David J Tweardy
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control & Employee Health, Division of Internal Medicine (U.B., M.M.K., P.R., D.J.T.), and Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology (D.J.T.), University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
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Silalai P, Sirion U, Piyachaturawat P, Chairoungdua A, Suksen K, Saeeng R. Design, Synthesis and Evaluations of New 10‐Triazolyl‐1‐methoxygenipin Analogues for Their Cytotoxicity to Cancer Cells. ChemistrySelect 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.202001908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Patamawadee Silalai
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science Burapha University, The Research Unit in Synthetic Compounds and Synthetic Analogues from Natural Product for Drug Discovery (RSND), Longhaad Bangsaen Rd. Chonburi 20131 Thailand
| | - Uthaiwan Sirion
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science Burapha University, The Research Unit in Synthetic Compounds and Synthetic Analogues from Natural Product for Drug Discovery (RSND), Longhaad Bangsaen Rd. Chonburi 20131 Thailand
| | | | - Arthit Chairoungdua
- Department of Physiology Faculty of Science Mahidol University Bangkok 10400 Thailand
| | - Kanoknetr Suksen
- Department of Physiology Faculty of Science Mahidol University Bangkok 10400 Thailand
| | - Rungnapha Saeeng
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science Burapha University, The Research Unit in Synthetic Compounds and Synthetic Analogues from Natural Product for Drug Discovery (RSND), Longhaad Bangsaen Rd. Chonburi 20131 Thailand
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Yiu SPT, Dorothea M, Hui KF, Chiang AKS. Lytic Induction Therapy against Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Malignancies: Past, Present, and Future. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12082142. [PMID: 32748879 PMCID: PMC7465660 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) lytic induction therapy is an emerging virus-targeted therapeutic approach that exploits the presence of EBV in tumor cells to confer specific killing effects against EBV-associated malignancies. Efforts have been made in the past years to uncover the mechanisms of EBV latent-lytic switch and discover different classes of chemical compounds that can reactivate the EBV lytic cycle. Despite the growing list of compounds showing potential to be used in the lytic induction therapy, only a few are being tested in clinical trials, with varying degrees of success. This review will summarize the current knowledge on EBV lytic reactivation, the major hurdles of translating the lytic induction therapy into clinical settings, and highlight some potential strategies in the future development of this therapy for EBV-related lymphoid and epithelial malignancies.
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Attarha S, Reithmeier A, Busker S, Desroses M, Page BDG. Validating Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) Protein-Inhibitor Interactions Using Biochemical and Cellular Thermal Shift Assays. ACS Chem Biol 2020; 15:1842-1851. [PMID: 32412740 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins have important biological functions; however, deregulation of STAT signaling is a driving force behind the onset and progression of inflammatory diseases and cancer. While their biological roles suggest that STAT proteins would be valuable targets for developing therapeutic agents, STAT proteins are notoriously difficult to inhibit using small drug-like molecules, as they do not have a distinct inhibitor binding site. Despite this, a multitude of small-molecule STAT inhibitors have been proposed, primarily focusing on inhibiting STAT3 protein to generate novel cancer therapies. Demonstrating that inhibitors bind to their targets in cells has historically been a very challenging task. With the advent of modern target engagement techniques, such as the cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), interactions between experimental compounds and their biological targets can be detected with relative ease. To investigate interactions between STAT proteins and inhibitors, we herein developed STAT CETSAs and evaluated known STAT3 inhibitors for their ability to engage STAT proteins in biological settings. While potent binding was detected between STAT proteins and peptidic STAT inhibitors, small-molecule inhibitors elicited variable responses, most of which failed to stabilize STAT3 proteins in cells and cell lysates. The described STAT thermal stability assays represent valuable tools for evaluating proposed STAT inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanaz Attarha
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65, Karolinska vägen A2:07, Solna 171 64, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory, Tomtebodavägen 23A, Alpha Floor 5, Solna 171 65, Sweden
| | - Anja Reithmeier
- Science for Life Laboratory, Tomtebodavägen 23A, Alpha Floor 5, Solna 171 65, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, Biomedicum A3, Solna 171 65, Sweden
- Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden (CBCS), Tomtebodavägen 23A, Alpha Floor 5, Solna 171 65, Sweden
| | - Sander Busker
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, Biomedicum A3, Solna 171 65, Sweden
| | - Matthieu Desroses
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65, Karolinska vägen A2:07, Solna 171 64, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory, Tomtebodavägen 23A, Alpha Floor 5, Solna 171 65, Sweden
| | - Brent D. G. Page
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65, Karolinska vägen A2:07, Solna 171 64, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory, Tomtebodavägen 23A, Alpha Floor 5, Solna 171 65, Sweden
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
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Busker S, Page B, Arnér ESJ. To inhibit TrxR1 is to inactivate STAT3-Inhibition of TrxR1 enzymatic function by STAT3 small molecule inhibitors. Redox Biol 2020; 36:101646. [PMID: 32863208 PMCID: PMC7378686 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2020.101646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor STAT3 plays a key role in cancer and immunity, being widely explored as a potential drug target for the development of novel immunomodulatory or anticancer therapeutics. The mechanisms of small molecule-derived inhibition of STAT3 appear, however, to be more complex than initially perceived. Our recent discovery, that some novel STAT3 inhibitors were bona fide inhibitors of the cytosolic selenoprotein oxidoreductase TrxR1 (TXNRD1), led us to explore the effects of a wide array of previously described STAT3 inhibitors on TrxR1 function. We found that 17 out of 23 tested STAT3 small molecule inhibitors indeed inhibited purified TrxR1 at the reported concentrations yielding STAT3 inhibition. All tested compounds were electrophilic as shown by direct reactivities with GSH, and several were found to also be redox cycling substrates of TrxR1. Ten compounds previously shown to inhibit STAT3 were here found to irreversibly inhibit cellular TrxR1 activity (Auranofin, Stattic, 5,15-DPP, Galiellalactone, LLL12, Napabucasin, BP1-102, STA-21, S3I-201 and Degrasyn (WP1130)). Our findings suggest that targeting of TrxR1 may be a common feature for many small molecules that inhibit cellular STAT3 function. It is possible that prevention of STAT3 activation in cells by several small molecules classified as STAT3 inhibitors can be a downstream event following TrxR1 inhibition. Therefore, the relationship between TrxR1 and STAT3 should be considered when studying inhibition of either of these promising drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sander Busker
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Brent Page
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Science for Life Laboratories, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Elias S J Arnér
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Selenoprotein Research, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary.
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Qian G, Xu J, Shen X, Wang Y, Zhao D, Qin X, You H, Liu Q. BP-1-102 and silencing of Fascin-1 by RNA interference inhibits the proliferation of mouse pituitary adenoma AtT20 cells via the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3/fascin-1 pathway. Int J Neurosci 2020; 131:810-827. [PMID: 32326790 DOI: 10.1080/00207454.2020.1758088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The expression levels of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) protein and Fascin-1 were inhibited using the STAT3 inhibitor BP-1-102 and RNA interference, respectively, to investigate the expression of AtT20 in mouse pituitary cells. The proliferative capacity and related molecular mechanisms of pituitary tumor cells were then analyzed. METHODS Mouse AtT20 pituitary adenoma cells were divided into a control group (Pa group), a STAT3 inhibitor vehicle group (PA + DMSO group), a STAT3 inhibitor group (PA + BP-1-102 group), a Fascin-1 negative control group (PA + neg-siRNA group) and a Fascin-1 silenced group (PA + Fascin-siRNA group). The related protein expression and cell proliferation of the five groups were measured using immunofluorescence, Western blot and real-time RT-PCR, whereas their apoptosis and cell cycle were evaluated using CCK-8 and flow cytometry. RESULTS Proliferation of AtT20 cells is inhibited with BP-1-102 enhanced apoptosis, at the same time reduced the expression of Fascin-1 and N-cadherin, and increased the expression of E-cadherin. After inhibiting Fascin-1, the expression of STAT3 decreased, the expression of N-cadherin decreased and the expression of E-cadherin increased. CONCLUSIONS BP-1-102 is a novel drug with a great potential in pituitary tumors. Given their important roles in the growth of pituitary adenomas, STAT3 and Fascin-1 can be used as new treatment targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- GuoDong Qian
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Jian Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - XiaoXu Shen
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Dong Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - XiaoChun Qin
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Hong You
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
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Qin J, Shen X, Zhang J, Jia D. Allosteric inhibitors of the STAT3 signaling pathway. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 190:112122. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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Abstract
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a cytoplasmic transcription factor that regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, inflammation and immune responses. Aberrant STAT3 activation triggers tumor progression through oncogenic gene expression in numerous human cancers, leading to promote tumor malignancy. On the contrary, STAT3 activation in immune cells cause elevation of immunosuppressive factors. Accumulating evidence suggests that the tumor microenvironment closely interacts with the STAT3 signaling pathway. So, targeting STAT3 may improve tumor progression, and anti-cancer immune response. In this review, we summarized the role of STAT3 in cancer and the tumor microenvironment, and present inhibitors of STAT3 signaling cascades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haeri Lee
- Department of Pharmacology and Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Ae Jin Jeong
- Department of Pharmacology and Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Sang-Kyu Ye
- Department of Pharmacology and Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080; Ischemic/Hypoxic Disease Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080; Neuro-Immune Information Storage Network Research Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080; Biomedical Science Project (BK21PLUS), Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
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