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Al Azzani M, Nizami ZN, Magramane R, Sekkal MN, Eid AH, Al Dhaheri Y, Iratni R. Phytochemical-mediated modulation of autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum stress as a cancer therapeutic approach. Phytother Res 2024. [PMID: 38961675 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.8283] [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: 01/20/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress are conserved processes that generally promote survival, but can induce cell death when physiological thresholds are crossed. The pro-survival aspects of these processes are exploited by cancer cells for tumor development and progression. Therefore, anticancer drugs targeting autophagy or ER stress to induce cell death and/or block the pro-survival aspects are being investigated extensively. Consistently, several phytochemicals have been reported to exert their anticancer effects by modulating autophagy and/or ER stress. Various phytochemicals (e.g., celastrol, curcumin, emodin, resveratrol, among others) activate the unfolded protein response to induce ER stress-mediated apoptosis through different pathways. Similarly, various phytochemicals induce autophagy through different mechanisms (namely mechanistic target of Rapamycin [mTOR] inhibition). However, phytochemical-induced autophagy can function either as a cytoprotective mechanism or as programmed cell death type II. Interestingly, at times, the same phytochemical (e.g., 6-gingerol, emodin, shikonin, among others) can induce cytoprotective autophagy or programmed cell death type II depending on cellular contexts, such as cancer type. Although there is well-documented mechanistic interplay between autophagy and ER stress, only a one-way modulation was noted with some phytochemicals (carnosol, capsaicin, cryptotanshinone, guangsangon E, kaempferol, and δ-tocotrienol): ER stress-dependent autophagy. Plant extracts are sources of potent phytochemicals and while numerous phytochemicals have been investigated in preclinical and clinical studies, the search for novel phytochemicals with anticancer effects is ongoing from plant extracts used in traditional medicine (e.g., Origanum majorana). Nonetheless, the clinical translation of phytochemicals, a promising avenue for cancer therapeutics, is hindered by several limitations that need to be addressed in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mazoun Al Azzani
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Zohra Nausheen Nizami
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rym Magramane
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohammed N Sekkal
- Department of Surgery, Specialty Orthopedic, Tawam Hospital, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ali H Eid
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Yusra Al Dhaheri
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rabah Iratni
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
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Muralidharan C, Huang F, Enriquez JR, Wang JE, Nelson JB, Nargis T, May SC, Chakraborty A, Figatner KT, Navitskaya S, Anderson CM, Calvo V, Surguladze D, Mulvihill MJ, Yi X, Sarkar S, Oakes SA, Webb-Robertson BJM, Sims EK, Staschke KA, Eizirik DL, Nakayasu ES, Stokes ME, Tersey SA, Mirmira RG. Inhibition of the Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2-α Kinase PERK Decreases Risk of Autoimmune Diabetes in Mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.06.561126. [PMID: 38895427 PMCID: PMC11185543 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.06.561126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Preventing the onset of autoimmune type 1 diabetes (T1D) is feasible through pharmacological interventions that target molecular stress-responsive mechanisms. Cellular stresses, such as nutrient deficiency, viral infection, or unfolded proteins, trigger the integrated stress response (ISR), which curtails protein synthesis by phosphorylating eIF2α. In T1D, maladaptive unfolded protein response (UPR) in insulin-producing β cells renders these cells susceptible to autoimmunity. We show that inhibition of the eIF2α kinase PERK, a common component of the UPR and ISR, reverses the mRNA translation block in stressed human islets and delays the onset of diabetes, reduces islet inflammation, and preserves β cell mass in T1D-susceptible mice. Single-cell RNA sequencing of islets from PERK-inhibited mice shows reductions in the UPR and PERK signaling pathways and alterations in antigen processing and presentation pathways in β cells. Spatial proteomics of islets from these mice shows an increase in the immune checkpoint protein PD-L1 in β cells. Golgi membrane protein 1, whose levels increase following PERK inhibition in human islets and EndoC-βH1 human β cells, interacts with and stabilizes PD-L1. Collectively, our studies show that PERK activity enhances β cell immunogenicity, and inhibition of PERK may offer a strategy to prevent or delay the development of T1D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charanya Muralidharan
- Department of Medicine and the Kovler Diabetes Center, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Fei Huang
- Department of Medicine and the Kovler Diabetes Center, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jacob R. Enriquez
- Department of Medicine and the Kovler Diabetes Center, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jiayi E. Wang
- Department of Medicine and the Kovler Diabetes Center, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jennifer B. Nelson
- Department of Medicine and the Kovler Diabetes Center, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Titli Nargis
- Department of Medicine and the Kovler Diabetes Center, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sarah C. May
- Department of Medicine and the Kovler Diabetes Center, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Advaita Chakraborty
- Department of Medicine and the Kovler Diabetes Center, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kayla T. Figatner
- Department of Medicine and the Kovler Diabetes Center, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Svetlana Navitskaya
- Department of Medicine and the Kovler Diabetes Center, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Cara M. Anderson
- Department of Medicine and the Kovler Diabetes Center, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | | | | | - Xiaoyan Yi
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Soumyadeep Sarkar
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Scott A. Oakes
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Emily K. Sims
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, and the Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Kirk A Staschke
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Decio L. Eizirik
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ernesto S. Nakayasu
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | | | - Sarah A. Tersey
- Department of Medicine and the Kovler Diabetes Center, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Raghavendra G. Mirmira
- Department of Medicine and the Kovler Diabetes Center, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Rozpędek-Kamińska W, Galita G, Siwecka N, Granek Z, Barczuk J, Saramowicz K, Majsterek I. NCI 159456 PERK Inhibitor as a Targeted Therapy for Lung Cancer: An In Vitro Study. Biomedicines 2024; 12:889. [PMID: 38672243 PMCID: PMC11048160 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12040889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents the most common histological type of lung cancer, characterized by a five-year survival rate of 15% and poor prognosis. Accumulating evidence indicates a prominent role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK)-dependent pathway of the unfolded protein response (UPR) in the pathogenesis of NSCLC. Increased expression of downstream targets of PERK was observed in various subtypes of NSCLC, and it was associated with a more aggressive phenotype, high risk of recurrence, and poor prognosis. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the biological effect of the selective PERK inhibitor NCI 159456 on A549 NSCLC cells and Human Pulmonary Fibroblasts (HPF) in vitro. Treatment of both normal and ER-stressed A549 cells with NCI 159456 resulted in a significant increase in the mRNA expression level of pro-apoptotic genes like activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), DNA damage inducible transcript 3 (DDIT3), and BCL2 Associated X, Apoptosis Regulator (BAX) as well as a decreased level of the anti-apoptotic gene B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2). Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity analyses revealed that NCI 159456 significantly decreased viability and increased DNA damage in A549 cells under normal and ER stress conditions. Caspase-3 and reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection assays demonstrated that NCI 159456 significantly induced apoptosis and increased the ROS level in normal and ER-stressed A549 cells. Importantly, treatment with the inhibitor did not affect substantially normal HPF cells at any used concentration. The results indicate that PERK inhibitors could potentially be applied as a targeted therapy for NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ireneusz Majsterek
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, 90-419 Lodz, Poland; (W.R.-K.); (G.G.); (N.S.); (Z.G.); (J.B.); (K.S.)
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Wadgaonkar P, Wang Z, Chen F. Endoplasmic reticulum stress responses and epigenetic alterations in arsenic carcinogenesis. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 347:123565. [PMID: 38373625 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123565] [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: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Arsenic is a well-known human carcinogen whose environmental exposure via drinking water, food, and air impacts millions of people across the globe. Various mechanisms of arsenic carcinogenesis have been identified, ranging from damage caused by excessive production of free radicals and epigenetic alterations to the generation of cancer stem cells. A growing body of evidence supports the critical involvement of the endoplasmic stress-activated unfolded protein response (UPR) in promoting as well as suppressing cancer development/progression. Various in vitro and in vivo models have also demonstrated that arsenic induces the UPR via activation of the PERK, IRE1α, and ATF6 proteins. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of arsenic-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and the role of each UPR pathway in the various cancer types with a focus on the epigenetic regulation and function of the ATF6 protein. The importance of UPR in arsenic carcinogenesis and cancer stem cells is a relatively new area of research that requires additional investigations via various omics-based and computational tools. These approaches will provide interesting insights into the mechanisms of arsenic-induced cancers for prospective target identification and development of novel anti-cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya Wadgaonkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, 259 Mack Avenue, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Ziwei Wang
- Stony Brook Cancer Center, Department of Pathology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Lauterbur Drive, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Fei Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, 259 Mack Avenue, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA; Stony Brook Cancer Center, Department of Pathology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Lauterbur Drive, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.
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Ma Z, Chen M, Liu X, Cui H. Identification and verification of a prognostic autophagy-related gene signature in hepatocellular carcinoma. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3032. [PMID: 38321105 PMCID: PMC10847443 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53565-4] [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: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the potential of autophagy-related genes (ATGs) as a prognostic signature for HCC and explore their relationships with immune cells and immune checkpoint molecules. A total of 483 samples were collected from the GEO database (n = 115) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database (n = 368). The GEO dataset was used as the training set, while the TCGA dataset was used for validation. The list of ATGs was obtained from the human autophagy database (HADB). Using Cox regression and LASSO regression methods, a prognostic signature based on ATGs was established. The independent use of this prognostic signature was tested through subgroup analysis. Additionally, the predictive value of this signature for immune-related profiles was explored. Following selection through univariate Cox regression analysis and iterative LASSO Cox analysis, a total of 11 ATGs were used in the GEO dataset to establish a prognostic signature that stratified patients into high- and low-risk groups based on survival. The robustness of this prognostic signature was validated using an external dataset. This signature remained a prognostic factor even in subgroups with different clinical features. Analysis of immune profiles revealed that patients in the high-risk group exhibited immunosuppressive states characterized by lower immune scores and ESTIMATE scores, greater tumour purity, and increased expression of immune checkpoint molecules. Furthermore, this signature was found to be correlated with the infiltration of different immune cell subpopulations. The results suggest that the ATG-based signature can be utilized to evaluate the prognosis of HCC patients and predict the immune status within the tumour microenvironment (TME). However, it is important to note that this study represents a preliminary attempt to use ATGs as prognostic indicators for HCC, and further validation is necessary to determine the predictive power of this signature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Ma
- The Second Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, No. 82, Cuiyingmen, Chengguan District, Lanzhou City, 730000, Gansu Province, China
- The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730030, Gansu, China
- Key Laboratory of the Digestive System Tumors of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730030, China
| | - Mali Chen
- Department of Obstetrics, Gansu Provincial Maternity and Child-Care Hospital, 143 North Street, Qilihe District, Lanzhou City, 730030, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - XiaoLong Liu
- The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730030, Gansu, China
| | - Hongbin Cui
- The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730030, Gansu, China.
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