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Manoharan S, Ying Ying L. Pyrimethamine reduced tumour growth in pre-clinical cancer models: a systematic review to identify potential pre-clinical studies for subsequent human clinical trials. Biol Methods Protoc 2024; 9:bpae021. [PMID: 38618181 PMCID: PMC11014785 DOI: 10.1093/biomethods/bpae021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Pyrimethamine (PYR), a STAT3 inhibitor, has been shown to reduce tumour burden in mouse cancer models. It is unclear how much of a reduction occurred or whether the PYR dosages and route of administration used in mice were consistent with the FDA's recommendations for drug repurposing. Search engines such as ScienceDirect, PubMed/MEDLINE, and other databases, including Google Scholar, were thoroughly searched, as was the reference list. The systematic review includes fourteen (14) articles. The risk of bias (RoB) was assessed using SYRCLE's guidelines. Due to the heterogeneity of the data, no meta-analysis was performed. According to the RoB assessment, 13/14 studies fall into the moderate RoB category, with one study classified as high RoB. None adhered to the ARRIVE guideline for transparent research reporting. Oral (FDA-recommended) and non-oral routes of PYR administration were used in mice, with several studies reporting very high PYR dosages that could lead to myelosuppression, while oral PYR dosages of 30 mg/kg or less are considered safe. Direct human equivalent dose translation is probably not the best strategy for comparing whether the used PYR dosages in mice are in line with FDA-approved strength because pharmacokinetic profiles, particularly PYR's half-life (t1/2), between humans (t1/2 = 96 h) and mice (t1/2 = 6 h), must also be considered. Based on the presence of appropriate control and treatment groups, as well as the presence of appropriate clinically proven chemotherapy drug(s) for comparison purposes, only one study (1/14) involving liver cancer can be directed into a clinical trial. Furthermore, oesophageal cancer too can be directed into clinical trials, where the indirect effect of PYR on the NRF2 gene may suppress oesophageal cancer in patients, but this must be done with caution because PYR is an investigational drug for oesophageal cancer, and combining it with proven chemotherapy drug(s) is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sivananthan Manoharan
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Cancer Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Shah Alam 40170, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Lee Ying Ying
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Asia Metropolitan University, Johor Bahru 81750, Johor, Malaysia
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2
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Brown JI, Persaud R, Iliev P, Karmacharya U, Attarha S, Sahile H, Olsen JE, Hanke D, Idowu T, Frank DA, Frankel A, Williams KC, Page BDG. Investigating the anti-cancer potential of pyrimethamine analogues through a modern chemical biology lens. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 264:115971. [PMID: 38071795 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115971] [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: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Pharmacological inhibition of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is an established approach for treating a variety of human diseases, including foreign infections and cancer. However, treatment with classic DHFR inhibitors, such as methotrexate (MTX), are associated with negative side-effects and resistance mechanisms that have prompted the search for alternatives. The DHFR inhibitor pyrimethamine (Pyr) has compelling anti-cancer activity in in vivo models, but lacks potency compared to MTX, thereby requiring higher concentrations to induce therapeutic responses. The purpose of this work was to investigate structural analogues of Pyr to improve its in vitro and cellular activity. A series of 36 Pyr analogues were synthesized and tested in a sequence of in vitro and cell-based assays to monitor their DHFR inhibitory activity, cellular target engagement, and impact on breast cancer cell viability. Ten top compounds were identified, two of which stood out as potential lead candidates, 32 and 34. These functionalized Pyr analogues potently engaged DHFR in cells, at concentrations as low as 1 nM and represent promising DHFR inhibitors that could be further explored as potential anti-cancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer I Brown
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Rosanne Persaud
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Petar Iliev
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Ujjwala Karmacharya
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Sanaz Attarha
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Henok Sahile
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Jonas E Olsen
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Danielle Hanke
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Temilolu Idowu
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - David A Frank
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Adam Frankel
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Karla C Williams
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Brent D G Page
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
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3
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Ren X, Wang X, Zheng G, Wang S, Wang Q, Yuan M, Xu T, Xu J, Huang P, Ge M. Targeting one-carbon metabolism for cancer immunotherapy. Clin Transl Med 2024; 14:e1521. [PMID: 38279895 PMCID: PMC10819114 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1521] [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: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND One-carbon (1C) metabolism is a metabolic network that plays essential roles in biological reactions. In 1C metabolism, a series of nutrients are used to fuel metabolic pathways, including nucleotide metabolism, amino acid metabolism, cellular redox defence and epigenetic maintenance. At present, 1C metabolism is considered the hallmark of cancer. The 1C units obtained from the metabolic pathways increase the proliferation rate of cancer cells. In addition, anticancer drugs, such as methotrexate, which target 1C metabolism, have long been used in the clinic. In terms of immunotherapy, 1C metabolism has been used to explore biomarkers connected with immunotherapy response and immune-related adverse events in patients. METHODS We collected numerous literatures to explain the roles of one-carbon metabolism in cancer immunotherapy. RESULTS In this review, we focus on the important pathways in 1C metabolism and the function of 1C metabolism enzymes in cancer immunotherapy. Then, we summarise the inhibitors acting on 1C metabolism and their potential application on cancer immunotherapy. Finally, we provide a viewpoint and conclusion regarding the opportunities and challenges of targeting 1C metabolism for cancer immunotherapy in clinical practicability in the future. CONCLUSION Targeting one-carbon metabolism is useful for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Ren
- Department of Head and Neck SurgeryOtolaryngology & Head and Neck Center, Cancer Center, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital)Hangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Gland Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Malignant TumorHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Department of PathologyCancer CenterZhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital)Hangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Xiang Wang
- Department of PharmacyAffiliated Hangzhou First People's HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Guowan Zheng
- Department of Head and Neck SurgeryOtolaryngology & Head and Neck Center, Cancer Center, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital)Hangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Gland Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Malignant TumorHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Shanshan Wang
- Department of PharmacyCenter for Clinical PharmacyCancer Center, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Qiyue Wang
- Department of Head and Neck SurgeryOtolaryngology & Head and Neck Center, Cancer Center, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital)Hangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Gland Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Malignant TumorHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Mengnan Yuan
- Department of PharmacyCenter for Clinical PharmacyCancer Center, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Tong Xu
- Department of PharmacyCenter for Clinical PharmacyCancer Center, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Jiajie Xu
- Department of Head and Neck SurgeryOtolaryngology & Head and Neck Center, Cancer Center, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital)Hangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Gland Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Malignant TumorHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Ping Huang
- Department of PharmacyCenter for Clinical PharmacyCancer Center, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Minghua Ge
- Department of Head and Neck SurgeryOtolaryngology & Head and Neck Center, Cancer Center, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital)Hangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Gland Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Malignant TumorHangzhouZhejiangChina
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4
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Paiboonrungruang C, Xiong Z, Lamson D, Li Y, Bowman B, Chembo J, Huang C, Li J, Livingston EW, Frank JE, Chen V, Li Y, Weissman B, Yuan H, Williams KP, Ben Major M, Chen X. Small molecule screen identifies pyrimethamine as an inhibitor of NRF2-driven esophageal hyperplasia. Redox Biol 2023; 67:102901. [PMID: 37776708 PMCID: PMC10558795 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102901] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE NRF2 is a master transcription factor that regulates the stress response. NRF2 is frequently mutated and activated in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), which drives resistance to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Therefore, a great need exists for NRF2 inhibitors for targeted therapy of NRF2high ESCC. DESIGN We performed high-throughput screening of two compound libraries from which hit compounds were further validated in human ESCC cells and a genetically modified mouse model. The mechanism of action of one compound was explored by biochemical assays. RESULTS Using high-throughput screening of two small molecule compound libraries, we identified 11 hit compounds as potential NRF2 inhibitors with minimal cytotoxicity at specified concentrations. We then validated two of these compounds, pyrimethamine and mitoxantrone, by demonstrating their dose- and time-dependent inhibitory effects on the expression of NRF2 and its target genes in two NRF2Mut human ESCC cells (KYSE70 and KYSE180). RNAseq and qPCR confirmed the suppression of global NRF2 signaling by these two compounds. Mechanistically, pyrimethamine reduced NRF2 half-life by promoting NRF2 ubiquitination and degradation in KYSE70 and KYSE180 cells. Expression of an Nrf2E79Q allele in mouse esophageal epithelium (Sox2CreER;LSL-Nrf2E79Q/+) resulted in an NRF2high phenotype, which included squamous hyperplasia, hyperkeratinization, and hyperactive glycolysis. Treatment with pyrimethamine (30 mg/kg/day, p.o.) suppressed the NRF2high esophageal phenotype with no observed toxicity. CONCLUSION We have identified and validated pyrimethamine as an NRF2 inhibitor that may be rapidly tested in the clinic for NRF2high ESCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chorlada Paiboonrungruang
- Coriell Institute for Medical Research, Camden, NJ, 08103, USA; Cancer Research Program, Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA
| | - Zhaohui Xiong
- Coriell Institute for Medical Research, Camden, NJ, 08103, USA; Cancer Research Program, Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA
| | - David Lamson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA
| | - Yahui Li
- Coriell Institute for Medical Research, Camden, NJ, 08103, USA; Cancer Research Program, Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA
| | - Brittany Bowman
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Julius Chembo
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Caizhi Huang
- Cancer Research Program, Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA
| | - Jianying Li
- Euclados Bioinformatics Solutions, Cary, NC, 27519, USA
| | - Eric W Livingston
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 277599, USA
| | - Jon E Frank
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 277599, USA
| | - Vivian Chen
- Cancer Research Program, Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA
| | - Yong Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center, Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Bernard Weissman
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 277599, USA
| | - Hong Yuan
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 277599, USA; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 277599, USA; Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 277599, USA
| | - Kevin P Williams
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA.
| | - M Ben Major
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - Xiaoxin Chen
- Coriell Institute for Medical Research, Camden, NJ, 08103, USA; Cancer Research Program, Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA; Surgical Research Lab, Department of Surgery, Cooper University Health Care, Camden, NJ, 08103, USA; MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, Camden, NJ, 08103, USA; Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, 08103, USA.
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5
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Mohi-Ud-Din R, Chawla A, Sharma P, Mir PA, Potoo FH, Reiner Ž, Reiner I, Ateşşahin DA, Sharifi-Rad J, Mir RH, Calina D. Repurposing approved non-oncology drugs for cancer therapy: a comprehensive review of mechanisms, efficacy, and clinical prospects. Eur J Med Res 2023; 28:345. [PMID: 37710280 PMCID: PMC10500791 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-023-01275-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer poses a significant global health challenge, with predictions of increasing prevalence in the coming years due to limited prevention, late diagnosis, and inadequate success with current therapies. In addition, the high cost of new anti-cancer drugs creates barriers in meeting the medical needs of cancer patients, especially in developing countries. The lengthy and costly process of developing novel drugs further hinders drug discovery and clinical implementation. Therefore, there has been a growing interest in repurposing approved drugs for other diseases to address the urgent need for effective cancer treatments. The aim of this comprehensive review is to provide an overview of the potential of approved non-oncology drugs as therapeutic options for cancer treatment. These drugs come from various chemotherapeutic classes, including antimalarials, antibiotics, antivirals, anti-inflammatory drugs, and antifungals, and have demonstrated significant antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, immunomodulatory, and antimetastatic properties. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify relevant studies on the repurposing of approved non-oncology drugs for cancer therapy. Various electronic databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, were searched using appropriate keywords. Studies focusing on the therapeutic potential, mechanisms of action, efficacy, and clinical prospects of repurposed drugs in cancer treatment were included in the analysis. The review highlights the promising outcomes of repurposing approved non-oncology drugs for cancer therapy. Drugs belonging to different therapeutic classes have demonstrated notable antitumor effects, including inhibiting cell proliferation, promoting apoptosis, modulating the immune response, and suppressing metastasis. These findings suggest the potential of these repurposed drugs as effective therapeutic approaches in cancer treatment. Repurposing approved non-oncology drugs provides a promising strategy for addressing the urgent need for effective and accessible cancer treatments. The diverse classes of repurposed drugs, with their demonstrated antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, immunomodulatory, and antimetastatic properties, offer new avenues for cancer therapy. Further research and clinical trials are warranted to explore the full potential of these repurposed drugs and optimize their use in treating various cancer types. Repurposing approved drugs can significantly expedite the process of identifying effective treatments and improve patient outcomes in a cost-effective manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roohi Mohi-Ud-Din
- Department of General Medicine, Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190001, India
| | - Apporva Chawla
- Khalsa College of Pharmacy, G.T. Road, Amritsar, Punjab, 143001, India
| | - Pooja Sharma
- Khalsa College of Pharmacy, G.T. Road, Amritsar, Punjab, 143001, India
| | - Prince Ahad Mir
- Khalsa College of Pharmacy, G.T. Road, Amritsar, Punjab, 143001, India
| | - Faheem Hyder Potoo
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Clinical Pharmacy, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, 1982, 31441, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Željko Reiner
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivan Reiner
- Department of Nursing Sciences, Catholic University of Croatia, Ilica 242, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dilek Arslan Ateşşahin
- Baskil Vocational School, Department of Plant and Animal Production, Fırat University, 23100, Elazıg, Turkey
| | | | - Reyaz Hassan Mir
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Division, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar, Kashmir, 190006, India.
| | - Daniela Calina
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349, Craiova, Romania.
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6
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Cetin E, Guclu TF, Kantarcioglu I, Gaszek IK, Toprak E, Atilgan AR, Dedeoglu B, Atilgan C. Kinetic Barrier to Enzyme Inhibition Is Manipulated by Dynamical Local Interactions in E. coli DHFR. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:4839-4849. [PMID: 37491825 PMCID: PMC10428214 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is an important drug target and a highly studied model protein for understanding enzyme dynamics. DHFR's crucial role in folate synthesis renders it an ideal candidate to understand protein function and protein evolution mechanisms. In this study, to understand how a newly proposed DHFR inhibitor, 4'-deoxy methyl trimethoprim (4'-DTMP), alters evolutionary trajectories, we studied interactions that lead to its superior performance over that of trimethoprim (TMP). To elucidate the inhibition mechanism of 4'-DTMP, we first confirmed, both computationally and experimentally, that the relative binding free energy cost for the mutation of TMP and 4'-DTMP is the same, pointing the origin of the characteristic differences to be kinetic rather than thermodynamic. We then employed an interaction-based analysis by focusing first on the active site and then on the whole enzyme. We confirmed that the polar modification in 4'-DTMP induces additional local interactions with the enzyme, particularly, the M20 loop. These changes are propagated to the whole enzyme as shifts in the hydrogen bond networks. To shed light on the allosteric interactions, we support our analysis with network-based community analysis and show that segmentation of the loop domain of inhibitor-bound DHFR must be avoided by a successful inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ebru Cetin
- Faculty
of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci
University, Tuzla 34956, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Tandac F. Guclu
- Faculty
of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci
University, Tuzla 34956, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Isik Kantarcioglu
- Faculty
of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci
University, Tuzla 34956, Istanbul, Turkey
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern
Medical Center, Dallas 75390, Texas, United States
| | - Ilona K. Gaszek
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern
Medical Center, Dallas 75390, Texas, United States
| | - Erdal Toprak
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern
Medical Center, Dallas 75390, Texas, United States
| | - Ali Rana Atilgan
- Faculty
of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci
University, Tuzla 34956, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Burcu Dedeoglu
- Department
of Chemistry, Gebze Technical University, Gebze 41400, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Canan Atilgan
- Faculty
of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci
University, Tuzla 34956, Istanbul, Turkey
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7
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Zhang W, Wei C, Huang F, Huang W, Xu X, Zhu X. A tumor mutational burden-derived immune computational framework selects sensitive immunotherapy/chemotherapy for lung adenocarcinoma populations with different prognoses. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1104137. [PMID: 37456238 PMCID: PMC10349266 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1104137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) kills millions of people every year. Recently, FDA and researchers proved the significance of high tumor mutational burden (TMB) in treating solid tumors. But no scholar has constructed a TMB-derived computing framework to select sensitive immunotherapy/chemotherapy for the LUAD population with different prognoses. Methods The datasets were collected from TCGA, GTEx, and GEO. We constructed the TMB-derived immune lncRNA prognostic index (TILPI) computing framework based on TMB-related genes identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), oncogenes, and immune-related genes. Furthermore, we mapped the immune landscape based on eight algorithms. We explored the immunotherapy sensitivity of different prognostic populations based on immunotherapy response, tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE), and tumor inflammation signature (TIS) model. Furthermore, the molecular docking models were constructed for sensitive drugs identified by the pRRophetic package, oncopredict package, and connectivity map (CMap). Results The TILPI computing framework was based on the expression of TMB-derived immune lncRNA signature (TILncSig), which consisted of AC091057.1, AC112721.1, AC114763.1, AC129492.1, LINC00592, and TARID. TILPI divided all LUAD patients into two populations with different prognoses. The random grouping verification, survival analysis, 3D PCA, and ROC curve (AUC=0.74) firmly proved the reliability of TILPI. TILPI was associated with clinical characteristics, including smoking and pathological stage. Furthermore, we estimated three types of immune cells threatening the survival of patients based on multiple algorithms. They were macrophage M0, T cell CD4 Th2, and T cell CD4 memory activated. Nevertheless, five immune cells, including B cell, endothelial cell, eosinophil, mast cell, and T cell CD4 memory resting, prolonged the survival. In addition, the immunotherapy response and TIDE model proved the sensitivity of the low-TILPI population to immunotherapy. We also identified seven intersected drugs for the LUAD population with poor prognosis, which included docetaxel, gemcitabine, paclitaxel, palbociclib, pyrimethamine, thapsigargin, and vinorelbine. Their molecular docking models and best binding energy were also constructed and calculated. Conclusions We divided all LUAD patients into two populations with different prognoses. The good prognosis population was sensitive to immunotherapy, while the people with poor prognosis benefitted from 7 drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenlong Zhang
- Huizhou First Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Huizhou, China
| | - Chuzhong Wei
- Huizhou First Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Huizhou, China
| | - Fengyu Huang
- Huizhou First Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Huizhou, China
| | - Wencheng Huang
- Huizhou First Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Huizhou, China
| | - Xiaoxin Xu
- Huizhou First Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Huizhou, China
| | - Xiao Zhu
- Computational Oncology Laboratory, The Marine Biomedical Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
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8
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Brown JI, Wang P, Wong AYL, Petrova B, Persaud R, Soukhtehzari S, Lopez McDonald M, Hanke D, Christensen J, Iliev P, Wang W, Everton DK, Williams KC, Frank DA, Kanarek N, Page BDG. Cycloguanil and Analogues Potently Target DHFR in Cancer Cells to Elicit Anti-Cancer Activity. Metabolites 2023; 13:151. [PMID: 36837770 PMCID: PMC9961069 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13020151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is an established anti-cancer drug target whose inhibition disrupts folate metabolism and STAT3-dependent gene expression. Cycloguanil was proposed as a DHFR inhibitor in the 1950s and is the active metabolite of clinically approved plasmodium DHFR inhibitor Proguanil. The Cycloguanil scaffold was explored to generate potential cancer therapies in the 1970s. Herein, current computational and chemical biology techniques were employed to re-investigate the anti-cancer activity of Cycloguanil and related compounds. In silico modeling was employed to identify promising Cycloguanil analogues from NCI databases, which were cross-referenced with NCI-60 Human Tumor Cell Line Screening data. Using target engagement assays, it was found that these compounds engage DHFR in cells at sub-nanomolar concentrations; however, growth impairments were not observed until higher concentrations. Folinic acid treatment rescues the viability impairments induced by some, but not all, Cycloguanil analogues, suggesting these compounds may have additional targets. Cycloguanil and its most promising analogue, NSC127159, induced similar metabolite profiles compared to established DHFR inhibitors Methotrexate and Pyrimethamine while also blocking downstream signaling, including STAT3 transcriptional activity. These data confirm that Cycloguanil and its analogues are potent inhibitors of human DHFR, and their anti-cancer activity may be worth further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer I. Brown
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alan Y. L. Wong
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard/MIT MD-PhD Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Boryana Petrova
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rosanne Persaud
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Sepideh Soukhtehzari
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | | | - Danielle Hanke
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Josephine Christensen
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Petar Iliev
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Weiyuan Wang
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Daniel K. Everton
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Karla C. Williams
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - David A. Frank
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Naama Kanarek
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Brent D. G. Page
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
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9
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Vásquez AF, Gómez LA, González Barrios A, Riaño-Pachón DM. Identification of Active Compounds against Melanoma Growth by Virtual Screening for Non-Classical Human DHFR Inhibitors. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:13946. [PMID: 36430425 PMCID: PMC9694616 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232213946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Antifolates such as methotrexate (MTX) have been largely known as anticancer agents because of their role in blocking nucleic acid synthesis and cell proliferation. Their mechanism of action lies in their ability to inhibit enzymes involved in the folic acid cycle, especially human dihydrofolate reductase (hDHFR). However, most of them have a classical structure that has proven ineffective against melanoma, and, therefore, inhibitors with a non-classical lipophilic structure are increasingly becoming an attractive alternative to circumvent this clinical resistance. In this study, we conducted a protocol combining virtual screening (VS) and cell-based assays to identify new potential non-classical hDHFR inhibitors. Among 173 hit compounds identified (average logP = 3.68; average MW = 378.34 Da), two-herein, called C1 and C2-exhibited activity against melanoma cell lines B16 and A375 by MTT and Trypan-Blue assays. C1 showed cell growth arrest (39% and 56%) and C2 showed potent cytotoxic activity (77% and 51%) in a dose-dependent manner. The effects of C2 on A375 cell viability were greater than MTX (98% vs 60%) at equivalent concentrations and times. Our results indicate that the integrated in silico/in vitro approach provided a benchmark to identify novel promising non-classical DHFR inhibitors showing activity against melanoma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Felipe Vásquez
- Grupo de Diseño de Productos y Procesos (GDPP), School of Chemical Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá 111711, Colombia
- Naturalius SAS, Bogotá 110221, Colombia
| | - Luis Alberto Gómez
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá 111321, Colombia
- Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá 11001, Colombia
| | - Andrés González Barrios
- Grupo de Diseño de Productos y Procesos (GDPP), School of Chemical Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá 111711, Colombia
| | - Diego M. Riaño-Pachón
- Laboratório de Biologia Computacional, Evolutiva e de Sistemas, Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA), Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba 05508-060, SP, Brazil
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10
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Shamshad H, Bakri R, Mirza AZ. Dihydrofolate reductase, thymidylate synthase, and serine hydroxy methyltransferase: successful targets against some infectious diseases. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:6659-6691. [PMID: 35253073 PMCID: PMC8898753 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07266-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Parasitic diseases have a serious impact on the world in terms of health and economics and are responsible for worldwide mortality and morbidity. The present review features the hybrid targeting involving three main enzymes for the treatment of different parasitic diseases. The enzymes Dihydrofolate reductase, thymidylate synthase, and Serine hydroxy methyltransferase play an essential role in the folate pathway. The present review focuses on these enzymes, which can be targeted against several diseases. It shed light on the past, present, and future of these targets, and it can be assessed that these targets can play a significant role against several infectious diseases. For combating viral and protozoal infectious diseases, these targets in combination should be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hina Shamshad
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jinnah University for Women, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Rowaida Bakri
- College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
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11
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Kast RE, Alfieri A, Assi HI, Burns TC, Elyamany AM, Gonzalez-Cao M, Karpel-Massler G, Marosi C, Salacz ME, Sardi I, Van Vlierberghe P, Zaghloul MS, Halatsch ME. MDACT: A New Principle of Adjunctive Cancer Treatment Using Combinations of Multiple Repurposed Drugs, with an Example Regimen. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:2563. [PMID: 35626167 PMCID: PMC9140192 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14102563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In part one of this two-part paper, we present eight principles that we believe must be considered for more effective treatment of the currently incurable cancers. These are addressed by multidrug adjunctive cancer treatment (MDACT), which uses multiple repurposed non-oncology drugs, not primarily to kill malignant cells, but rather to reduce the malignant cells' growth drives. Previous multidrug regimens have used MDACT principles, e.g., the CUSP9v3 glioblastoma treatment. MDACT is an amalgam of (1) the principle that to be effective in stopping a chain of events leading to an undesired outcome, one must break more than one link; (2) the principle of Palmer et al. of achieving fractional cancer cell killing via multiple drugs with independent mechanisms of action; (3) the principle of shaping versus decisive operations, both being required for successful cancer treatment; (4) an idea adapted from Chow et al., of using multiple cytotoxic medicines at low doses; (5) the idea behind CUSP9v3, using many non-oncology CNS-penetrant drugs from general medical practice, repurposed to block tumor survival paths; (6) the concept from chess that every move creates weaknesses and strengths; (7) the principle of mass-by adding force to a given effort, the chances of achieving the goal increase; and (8) the principle of blocking parallel signaling pathways. Part two gives an example MDACT regimen, gMDACT, which uses six repurposed drugs-celecoxib, dapsone, disulfiram, itraconazole, pyrimethamine, and telmisartan-to interfere with growth-driving elements common to cholangiocarcinoma, colon adenocarcinoma, glioblastoma, and non-small-cell lung cancer. gMDACT is another example of-not a replacement for-previous multidrug regimens already in clinical use, such as CUSP9v3. MDACT regimens are designed as adjuvants to be used with cytotoxic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alex Alfieri
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cantonal Hospital of Winterthur, 8400 Winterthur, Switzerland; (A.A.); (M.-E.H.)
| | - Hazem I. Assi
- Naef K. Basile Cancer Center, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1100, Lebanon;
| | - Terry C. Burns
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA;
| | - Ashraf M. Elyamany
- Oncology Unit, Hemato-Oncology Department, SECI Assiut University Egypt/King Saud Medical City, Riyadh 7790, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Maria Gonzalez-Cao
- Translational Cancer Research Unit, Dexeus University Hospital, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
| | | | - Christine Marosi
- Clinical Division of Medical Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Michael E. Salacz
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA;
| | - Iacopo Sardi
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Meyer Children’s Hospital, Viale Pieraccini 24, 50139 Florence, Italy;
| | - Pieter Van Vlierberghe
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
| | - Mohamed S. Zaghloul
- Children’s Cancer Hospital & National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo 11796, Egypt;
| | - Marc-Eric Halatsch
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cantonal Hospital of Winterthur, 8400 Winterthur, Switzerland; (A.A.); (M.-E.H.)
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12
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Pyrimethamine inhibits cell growth by inducing cell senescence and boosting CD8 + T-cell mediated cytotoxicity in colorectal cancer. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:4281-4292. [PMID: 35262820 PMCID: PMC9262800 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07262-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The emergence of nonresponse or resistance to traditional chemotherapeutic agents is one of the main challenges of colorectal cancer (CRC) therapies. Thus, novel therapeutic drugs that can improve the clinical outcomes of CRC patients are urgently needed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects and mechanisms of pyrimethamine in CRC. METHODS AND RESULTS In this study, we assessed the role of pyrimethamine on CRC cell growth by cell counting kit-8 and colony formation assays. Cell cycle distribution and cellular senescence were determined by flow cytometry and senescence-associated β-galactosidase staining respectively. RNA-seq analysis and western blotting were used to investigate the potential pathways of pyrimethamine in CRC development. Moreover, animal experiments were performed to evaluate the effect of pyrimethamine in vivo. Our results demonstrated that pyrimethamine could inhibit cell growth by inducing S phase arrest followed by cellular senescence in CRC cells, and the p38MAPK-p53 axis was probably involved in that effect. In addition, pyrimethamine could also boost CD8+ T-cell mediated cytotoxicity and exert antitumor activity in vivo. CONCLUSION These results indicated that pyrimethamine may be a promising candidate agent for CRC treatment.
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13
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Heppler LN, Attarha S, Persaud R, Brown JI, Wang P, Petrova B, Tošić I, Burton FB, Flamand Y, Walker SR, Yeh JE, Zubarev RA, Gaetani M, Kanarek N, Page BDG, Frank DA. The antimicrobial drug pyrimethamine inhibits STAT3 transcriptional activity by targeting the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101531. [PMID: 34953855 PMCID: PMC8800111 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is often characterized by aberrant gene expression patterns caused by the inappropriate activation of transcription factors. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a key transcriptional regulator of many protumorigenic processes and is persistently activated in many types of human cancer. However, like many transcription factors, STAT3 has proven difficult to target clinically. To address this unmet clinical need, we previously developed a cell-based assay of STAT3 transcriptional activity and performed an unbiased and high-throughput screen of small molecules known to be biologically active in humans. We identified the antimicrobial drug pyrimethamine as a novel and specific inhibitor of STAT3 transcriptional activity. Here, we show that pyrimethamine does not significantly affect STAT3 phosphorylation, nuclear translocation, or DNA binding at concentrations sufficient to inhibit STAT3 transcriptional activity, suggesting a potentially novel mechanism of inhibition. To identify the direct molecular target of pyrimethamine and further elucidate the mechanism of action, we used a new quantitative proteome profiling approach called proteome integral solubility alteration coupled with a metabolomic analysis. We identified human dihydrofolate reductase as a target of pyrimethamine and demonstrated that the STAT3-inhibitory effects of pyrimethamine are the result of a deficiency in reduced folate downstream of dihydrofolate reductase inhibition, implicating folate metabolism in the regulation of STAT3 transcriptional activity. This study reveals a previously unknown regulatory node of the STAT3 pathway that may be important for the development of novel strategies to treat STAT3-driven cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa N Heppler
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sanaz Attarha
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rosanne Persaud
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jennifer I Brown
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Boryana Petrova
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Isidora Tošić
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Foster B Burton
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yael Flamand
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber-Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sarah R Walker
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jennifer E Yeh
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Roman A Zubarev
- Division of Physiological Chemistry I, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden; Chemical Proteomics, SciLifeLab, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Pharmacological & Technological Chemistry, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Massimiliano Gaetani
- Division of Physiological Chemistry I, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden; Chemical Proteomics, SciLifeLab, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Naama Kanarek
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Brent D G Page
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden; Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - David A Frank
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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14
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Ramchandani S, Mohan CD, Mistry JR, Su Q, Naz I, Rangappa KS, Ahn KS. The multifaceted antineoplastic role of pyrimethamine against different human malignancies. IUBMB Life 2021; 74:198-212. [PMID: 34921584 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Cancer accounted for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020 and is the second leading cause of death worldwide. The chemotherapeutic agents that are in clinical practice possess a broad range of severe adverse effects towards vital organs which emphasizes the importance of the discovery of new therapeutic agents or repurposing of existing drugs for the treatment of human cancers. Pyrimethamine is an antiparasitic drug used for the treatment of malaria and toxoplasmosis with a well-documented excellent safety profile. In the last five years, numerous efforts have been made to explore the anticancer potential of pyrimethamine in in vitro and in vivo preclinical models and to repurpose it as an anticancer agent. The studies have demonstrated that pyrimethamine inhibits oncogenic proteins such as STAT3, NF-κB, DX2, MAPK, DHFR, thymidine phosphorylase, telomerase, and many more in a different types of cancer models. Moreover, pyrimethamine has been reported to work in synergy with other anticancer agents, such as temozolomide, to induce apoptosis of tumor cells. Recently, the results of phase-1/2 clinical trials demonstrated that pyrimethamine administration reduces the expression of STAT3 signature genes in tumor tissues of chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients with a good therapeutic response. In the present article, we have reviewed most of the published papers related to the antitumor effects of pyrimethamine in malignancies of breast, liver, lung, skin, ovary, prostate, pituitary, and leukemia in in vitro and in vivo settings. We have also discussed the pharmacokinetic profile and results of clinical trials obtained after pyrimethamine treatment. From these studies, we believe that pyrimethamine has the potential to be repurposed as an anticancer drug. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanaya Ramchandani
- Department of Pharmacology and Biochemistry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Jenaifer Rustom Mistry
- Jenaifer Rustom Mistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Ave, 639798, Singapore
| | - Qi Su
- Qi Su, Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 21 Lower Kent Ridge Rd, Singapore
| | - Irum Naz
- Irum Naz, Qaid-i-Azam, University of Islamabad & Institute of Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, The Islamia University, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | | | - Kwang Seok Ahn
- Department of Science in Korean Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 24 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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15
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Wang L, Astone M, Alam SK, Zhu Z, Pei W, Frank DA, Burgess SM, Hoeppner LH. Suppressing STAT3 activity protects the endothelial barrier from VEGF-mediated vascular permeability. Dis Model Mech 2021; 14:272222. [PMID: 34542605 PMCID: PMC8592016 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Vascular permeability triggered by inflammation or ischemia promotes edema, exacerbates disease progression and impairs tissue recovery. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent inducer of vascular permeability. VEGF plays an integral role in regulating vascular barrier function physiologically and in pathologies, including cancer, stroke, cardiovascular disease, retinal conditions and COVID-19-associated pulmonary edema, sepsis and acute lung injury. Understanding temporal molecular regulation of VEGF-induced vascular permeability will facilitate developing therapeutics to inhibit vascular permeability, while preserving tissue-restorative angiogenesis. Here, we demonstrate that VEGF signals through signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) to promote vascular permeability. We show that genetic STAT3 ablation reduces vascular permeability in STAT3-deficient endothelium of mice and VEGF-inducible zebrafish crossed with CRISPR/Cas9-generated Stat3 knockout zebrafish. Intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) expression is transcriptionally regulated by STAT3, and VEGF-dependent STAT3 activation is regulated by JAK2. Pyrimethamine, an FDA-approved antimicrobial agent that inhibits STAT3-dependent transcription, substantially reduces VEGF-induced vascular permeability in zebrafish, mouse and human endothelium. Collectively, our findings suggest that VEGF/VEGFR-2/JAK2/STAT3 signaling regulates vascular barrier integrity, and inhibition of STAT3-dependent activity reduces VEGF-induced vascular permeability. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: Genetic STAT3 ablation in mice and VEGF-inducible zebrafish reveals that VEGF signals through STAT3 to promote vascular permeability. Pyrimethamine reduces VEGF-induced permeability in animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA
| | - Matteo Astone
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA
| | - Sk Kayum Alam
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA
| | - Zhu Zhu
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA
| | - Wuhong Pei
- Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - David A Frank
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Shawn M Burgess
- Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Luke H Hoeppner
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA.,Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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16
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Peng Y, Li Z, Chen S, Zhou J. DHFR silence alleviated the development of liver fibrosis by affecting the crosstalk between hepatic stellate cells and macrophages. J Cell Mol Med 2021; 25:10049-10060. [PMID: 34626074 PMCID: PMC8572769 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver fibrogenesis is a dynamic cellular and tissue process which has the potential to progress into cirrhosis of even liver cancer and liver failure. The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is the central event underlying liver fibrosis. Besides, hepatic macrophages have been proposed as potential targets in combatting fibrosis. As for the relationship between HSCs and hepatic macrophages in liver fibrosis, it is generally considered that macrophages promoted liver fibrosis via activating HSCs. However, whether activated HSCs could in turn affect macrophage polarization has rarely been studied. In this study, mRNAs with significant differences were explored using exosomal RNA‐sequencing of activated Lx‐2 cells and normal RNA‐sequencing of DHFR loss‐of‐function Lx‐2 cell models. Cell functional experiments in both Lx‐2 cells and macrophages animal model experiments were performed. The results basically confirmed exosomes secreted from activated HSCs could promote M1 polarization of macrophages further. Exosome harbouring DHFR played an important role in this process. DHFR silence in HSCs could decrease Lx‐2 activation and M1 polarization of M0 macrophages and then alleviate the development of liver fibrosis both in vitro and vivo. Our work brought a new insight that exosomal DHFR derived from HSCs had a crucial role in crosstalk between HSCs activation and macrophage polarization, which may be a potential therapeutic target in liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Peng
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zedong Li
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Sheng Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jun Zhou
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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17
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Savir S, Liew JWK, Vythilingam I, Lim YAL, Tan CH, Sim KS, Lee VS, Maah MJ, Tan KW. Nickel(II) Complexes with Polyhydroxybenzaldehyde and O,N,S tridentate Thiosemicarbazone ligands: Synthesis, Cytotoxicity, Antimalarial Activity, and Molecular Docking Studies. J Mol Struct 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2021.130815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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18
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Rahman F, Libre C, Oleinikov A, Tcherniuk S. Chloroquine and pyrimethamine inhibit the replication of human respiratory syncytial virus A. J Gen Virol 2021; 102. [PMID: 34342560 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) is a major cause of respiratory illness in young children and can cause severe infections in the elderly or in immunocompromised adults. To date, there is no vaccine to prevent hRSV infections, and disease management is limited to preventive care by palivizumab in infants and supportive care for adults. Intervention with small-molecule antivirals specific for hRSV represents a good alternative, but no such compounds are currently approved. The investigation of existing drugs for new therapeutic purposes (drug repositioning) can be a faster approach to address this issue. In this study, we show that chloroquine and pyrimethamine inhibit the replication of human respiratory syncytial virus A (long strain) and synergistically increase the anti-replicative effect of ribavirin in cellulo. Moreover, chloroquine, but not pyrimethamine, inhibits hRSV replication in the mouse model. Our results show that chloroquine can potentially be an interesting compound for treatment of hRSV infection in monotherapy or in combination with other antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fryad Rahman
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.,Department of Molecular Biology, High Quality Laboratory, Anwar Sheikha Medical City, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
| | - Camille Libre
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM U1052 UMR CNRS 5286, Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Lyon, 69008 Lyon, France
| | - Andrew Oleinikov
- Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Science, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Rd, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA
| | - Sergey Tcherniuk
- Unité de Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, INRA, Université Paris SaclayJouy-en-Josas, France.,Department of Biological Sciences, Youth Academy of Sciences, Kiev, Ukraine
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19
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Abstract
Background: STAT3 is a pro-oncogenic transcription factor. Pyrimethamine (PYM) is a STAT3 inhibitor that suppresses the proliferation of some cancer cells through downregulation of STAT3 target proteins. Methodology & Results: We have used structure-based tools to design novel PYM-based compounds. Intracellular target validation studies revealed that representative compounds 11b-d and 15a downregulate STAT3 downstream proteins and inhibit STAT3 DNA binding domain (DBD). Relative to PYM, a cohort of these compounds are >100-fold more cytotoxic to cancer cells with constitutively active (high pSTAT3) and basal (low pSTAT3) STAT3 signaling, suggesting that STAT3 DBD inhibition is deleterious to the proliferation of cancer cells with low and high pSTAT3 levels. Conclusion: These are promising leads for further preclinical evaluation as therapeutic agents for STAT3-dependent cancers.
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20
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Huang H, He Q, Guo B, Xu X, Wu Y, Li X. Progress in Redirecting Antiparasitic Drugs for Cancer Treatment. DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY 2021; 15:2747-2767. [PMID: 34188451 PMCID: PMC8235938 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s308973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Drug repurposing is a feasible strategy in developing novel medications. Regarding the cancer field, scientists are continuously making efforts to redirect conventional drugs into cancer treatment. This approach aims at exploring new applications in the existing agents. Antiparasitic medications, including artemisinin derivatives (ARTs), quinine-related compounds, niclosamide, ivermectin, albendazole derivatives, nitazoxanide and pyrimethamine, have been deeply investigated and widely applied in treating various parasitic diseases for a long time. Generally, their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties are well understood, while the side effects are roughly acceptable. Scientists noticed that some of these agents have anticancer potentials and explored the underlying mechanisms to achieve drug repurposing. Recent studies show that these agents inhibit cancer progression via multiple interesting ways, inducing ferroptosis induction, autophagy regulation, mitochondrial disturbance, immunoregulation, and metabolic disruption. In this review, we summarize the recent advancement in uncovering antiparasitic drugs' anticancer properties from the perspective of their pharmacological targets. Instead of paying attention to the previously discovered mechanisms, we focus more on newly emerging ones that are worth noticing. While most investigations are focusing on the mechanisms of their antiparasitic effect, more in vivo exploration in clinical trials in the future is necessary. Moreover, we also paid attention to what limits the clinical application of these agents. For some of these agents like ARTs and niclosamide, drug modification, novel delivery system invention, or drug combination are strongly recommended for future exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyang Huang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Qing He
- Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,CAEA Center of Excellence on Nuclear Technology Applications for Insect Control, Beijing, 100048, People's Republic of China
| | - Binghua Guo
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, People's Republic of China
| | - Xudong Xu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Yinjuan Wu
- Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,CAEA Center of Excellence on Nuclear Technology Applications for Insect Control, Beijing, 100048, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuerong Li
- Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,CAEA Center of Excellence on Nuclear Technology Applications for Insect Control, Beijing, 100048, People's Republic of China
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21
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Zhang Z, Ji J, Liu H. Drug Repurposing in Oncology: Current Evidence and Future Direction. Curr Med Chem 2021; 28:2175-2194. [PMID: 33109032 DOI: 10.2174/0929867327999200820124111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drug repurposing, the application of known drugs and compounds with a primary non-oncology purpose, might be an attractive strategy to offer more effective treatment options to cancer patients at a low cost and reduced time. METHODS This review described a total of 10 kinds of non-oncological drugs from more than 100 mechanical studies as well as evidence from population-based studies. The future direction of repurposed drug screening is discussed by using patient-derived tumor organoids. RESULTS Many old drugs showed previously unknown effects or off-target effects and can be intelligently applied for cancer chemoprevention and therapy. The identification of repurposed drugs needs to combine evidence from mechanical studies and population-based studies. Due to the heterogeneity of cancer, patient-derived tumor organoids can be used to screen the non-oncological drugs in vitro. CONCLUSION These identified old drugs could be repurposed in oncology and might be added as adjuvants and finally benefit patients with cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhan Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianguang Ji
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University/Region Skåne, Sweden
| | - Hao Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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22
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Cuthbertson CR, Arabzada Z, Bankhead A, Kyani A, Neamati N. A Review of Small-Molecule Inhibitors of One-Carbon Enzymes: SHMT2 and MTHFD2 in the Spotlight. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2021; 4:624-646. [PMID: 33860190 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.0c00223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic reprogramming is a key hallmark of cancer and shifts cellular metabolism to meet the demands of biomass production necessary for abnormal cell reproduction. One-carbon metabolism (1CM) contributes to many biosynthetic pathways that fuel growth and is comprised of a complex network of enzymes. Methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil were pioneering drugs in this field and are still widely used today as anticancer agents as well as for other diseases such as arthritis. Besides dihydrofolate reductase and thymidylate synthase, two other enzymes of the folate cycle arm of 1CM have not been targeted clinically: serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) and methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (MTHFD). An increasing body of literature suggests that the mitochondrial isoforms of these enzymes (SHMT2 and MTHFD2) are clinically relevant in the context of cancer. In this review, we focused on the 1CM pathway as a target for cancer therapy and, in particular, SHMT2 and MTHFD2. The function, regulation, and clinical relevance of SHMT2 and MTHFD2 are all discussed. We expand on previous clinical studies and evaluate the prognostic significance of these critical enzymes by performing a pan-cancer analysis of patient data from the The Cancer Genome Atlas and a transcriptional coexpression network enrichment analysis. We also provide an overview of preclinical and clinical inhibitors targeting the folate pathway, the methionine cycle, and folate-dependent purine biosynthesis enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine R Cuthbertson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy and the Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, North Campus Research Complex, 1600 Huron Parkway, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Zahra Arabzada
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy and the Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, North Campus Research Complex, 1600 Huron Parkway, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Armand Bankhead
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.,Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Armita Kyani
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy and the Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, North Campus Research Complex, 1600 Huron Parkway, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Nouri Neamati
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy and the Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, North Campus Research Complex, 1600 Huron Parkway, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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23
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Attri A, Thakur D, Kaur T, Sensale S, Peng Z, Kumar D, Singh RP. Nanoparticles Incorporating a Fluorescence Turn-on Reporter for Real-Time Drug Release Monitoring, a Chemoenhancer and a Stealth Agent: Poseidon's Trident against Cancer? Mol Pharm 2020; 18:124-147. [PMID: 33346663 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.0c00730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The rate and extent of drug release under physiological conditions is a key factor influencing the therapeutic activity of a formulation. Real-time detection of drug release by conventional pharmacokinetics approaches is confounded by low sensitivity, particularly in the case of tissue-targeted novel drug delivery systems, where low concentrations of the drug reach systemic circulation. We present a novel fluorescence turn-on platform for real-time monitoring of drug release from nanoparticles based on reversible fluorescence quenching in fluorescein esters. Fluorescein-conjugated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were esterified with methotrexate in solution and solid phase, followed by supramolecular functionalization with a chemoenhancer (suramin) or/and a stealth agent (dextran sulfate). Suramin was found to increase the cytotoxicity of methotrexate in A549 cells. On the other hand, dextran sulfate exhibited no effect on cytotoxicity or cellular uptake of CNTs by A549 cells, while a decrease in cellular uptake of CNTs and cytotoxicity of methotrexate was observed in macrophages (RAW 264.7 cells). Similar results were also obtained when CNTs were replaced with graphene. Docking studies revealed that the conjugates are not internalized by folate receptors/transporters. Further, docking and molecular dynamics studies revealed the conjugates do not exhibit affinity toward the methotrexate target, dihydrofolate reductase. Molecular dynamics studies also revealed that distinct features of dextran-CNT and suramin-CNT interactions, characterized by π-π interactions between CNTs and dextran/suramin. Our study provides a simple, cost-effective, and scalable method for the synthesis of nanoparticles conferred with the ability to monitor drug release in real-time. This method could also be extended to other drugs and other types of nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun Attri
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shoolini University, Solan, Himachal Pradesh 173 221, India
| | - Deepak Thakur
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shoolini University, Solan, Himachal Pradesh 173 221, India
| | - Taranpreet Kaur
- Department of Biotechnology, Government Mohindra College, Patiala, Punjab 147 001, India
| | - Sebastian Sensale
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556-5637, United States
| | - Zhangli Peng
- Center for Bioinformatics and Quantitative Biology, Richard and Loan Hill Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
| | - Deepak Kumar
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shoolini University, Solan, Himachal Pradesh 173 221, India
| | - Raman Preet Singh
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shoolini University, Solan, Himachal Pradesh 173 221, India.,Department of Pharmacy, Government Polytechnic College, Bathinda, Punjab 151 001, India
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24
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Wang L, Astone M, Alam SK, Zhu Z, Pei W, Frank DA, Burgess SM, Hoeppner LH. Suppressing STAT3 activity protects the endothelial barrier from VEGF-mediated vascular permeability. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2020. [PMID: 33140053 PMCID: PMC7605565 DOI: 10.1101/2020.10.27.358374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Vascular permeability triggered by inflammation or ischemia promotes edema, exacerbates disease progression, and impairs tissue recovery. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent inducer of vascular permeability. VEGF plays an integral role in regulating vascular barrier function physiologically and in pathologies, such as cancer, ischemic stroke, cardiovascular disease, retinal conditions, and COVID-19-associated pulmonary edema and sepsis, which often leads to acute lung injury, including acute respiratory distress syndrome. However, after initially stimulating permeability, VEGF subsequently mediates angiogenesis to repair damaged tissue. Consequently, understanding temporal molecular regulation of VEG-Finduced vascular permeability will facilitate developing therapeutics that achieve the delicate balance of inhibiting vascular permeability while preserving tissue repair. Here, we demonstrate that VEGF signals through signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) to promote vascular permeability. Specifically, we show that genetic STAT3 ablation reduces vascular permeability in STAT3-deficient endothelium of mice and VEGF-inducible zebrafish crossed with CRISPR/Cas9 generated genomic STAT3 knockout zebrafish. Importantly, STAT3 deficiency does not impair vascular development and function in vivo. We identify intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) as a STAT3-dependent transcriptional regulator and show VEGF-dependent STAT3 activation is regulated by JAK2. Pyrimethamine, an FDA-approved antimicrobial agent that inhibits STAT3-dependent transcription, substantially reduces VEGF-induced vascular permeability in zebrafish, mouse, and human endothelium. Indeed, pharmacologically targeting STAT3 increases vascular barrier integrity using two additional compounds, atovaquone and C188-9. Collectively, our findings suggest that the VEGF, VEGFR-2, JAK2, and STAT3 signaling cascade regulates vascular barrier integrity, and inhibition of STAT3-dependent activity reduces VEGF-induced vascular permeability in vertebrate models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN, USA
| | - Matteo Astone
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN, USA
| | - Sk Kayum Alam
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN, USA
| | - Zhu Zhu
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN, USA
| | - Wuhong Pei
- Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - David A Frank
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shawn M Burgess
- Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Luke H Hoeppner
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN, USA.,Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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25
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Shakeran Z, Keyhanfar M, Varshosaz J, Sutherland DS. Biodegradable nanocarriers based on chitosan-modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles for delivery of methotrexate for application in breast cancer treatment. MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING. C, MATERIALS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS 2020; 118:111526. [PMID: 33255079 DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2020.111526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Nanocarriers have demonstrated great promise in the delivery of hydrophobic drugs particularly to tumor spaces by enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effects. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are the attractive nanocarrier system to reduce the drug's toxic side effects, enable controlled drug release, prevent drug degradation and provide a biocompatible and biodegradable high surface area carrier. Surface-modified MSNs have been applied to increase drug loading and efficiency. In this study, functionalized MSNs loaded with methotrexate (MTX) were designed for use as a cytotoxic agent. The MSNs were first modified with 3-triethoxysilylpropylamine (APTES) and then with chitosan through covalent coupling mediated by glutaraldehyde. The physicochemical properties of the nanoparticles were optimized for each step. The loading percentage (12.2%) and release profile of MTX as an anti-breast cancer drug, loaded at amine-modified MSNs, were measured via high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Moreover, the uptake profiles of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled MSN-APTES-chitosan with or without MTX were monitored on MCF7 cancer cells via confocal microscopy. Following exposure of nanoparticles to body fluids, they were surrounded by specific proteins that may affect their cellular uptake. Hence, the adsorption profiles of protein corona on the surface of MSN, amine-modified MSN and MTX-loaded MSN-APTES-chitosan were analyzed. The cytotoxic potential for killing breast cancer cells was also studied. The MTX loaded MSN-APTES-chitosan showed a positive effect at a low dose (0.5 μM MTX). In this study, we introduce a new method to synthesize biodegradable MSNs with small and uniform particle size, achieve high MTX loading via covalent amine and chitosan-functionalization, monitor the cellular uptake and demonstrate the potential to decrease the viability of breast cancer cells at low dose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Shakeran
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mehrnaz Keyhanfar
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Jaleh Varshosaz
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy and Novel Drug Delivery Systems Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Duncan S Sutherland
- iNANO Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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26
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Anticancer Activity of Pyrimethamine via Ubiquitin Mediated Degradation of AIMP2-DX2. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25122763. [PMID: 32549310 PMCID: PMC7355952 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25122763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
While aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase-interacting multifunctional protein 2 (AIMP2) is a tumor suppressor, its exon 2-depleted splice variant (AIMP2-DX2 or shortly DX2) is highly expressed in human lung cancer, and the ratio of DX2 to AIMP2 increases according to the progression of lung cancer. In this study, pyrimethamine inhibited the level of DX2 (IC50 = 0.73 µM) in A549 cells expressing nanoluciferase-tagged DX2. In a panel of 5 lung cancer cell lines with various DX2 levels, pyrimethamine most potently suppressed the growth of H460 cells, which express high levels of DX2 (GI50 = 0.01 µM). An immunoblot assay in H460 cells showed that pyrimethamine decreased the DX2 level dose-dependently but did not affect the AIMP2 level. Further experiments confirmed that pyrimethamine resulted in ubiquitination-mediated DX2 degradation. In an in vivo mouse xenograft assay using H460 cells, intraperitoneal administration of pyrimethamine significantly reduced the tumor size and weight, comparable with the effects of taxol, without affecting body weight. Analysis of tumor tissue showed a considerably high concentration of pyrimethamine with a decreased levels of DX2. These results suggest that pyrimethamine, currently used as anti-parasite drug, could be repurposed to treat lung cancer patients expressing high level of DX2.
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27
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Pyrimethamine conjugated histone deacetylase inhibitors: Design, synthesis and evidence for triple negative breast cancer selective cytotoxicity. Bioorg Med Chem 2020; 28:115345. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2020.115345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 01/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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28
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Brachet-Botineau M, Polomski M, Neubauer HA, Juen L, Hédou D, Viaud-Massuard MC, Prié G, Gouilleux F. Pharmacological Inhibition of Oncogenic STAT3 and STAT5 Signaling in Hematopoietic Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E240. [PMID: 31963765 PMCID: PMC7016966 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12010240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) 3 and 5 are important effectors of cellular transformation, and aberrant STAT3 and STAT5 signaling have been demonstrated in hematopoietic cancers. STAT3 and STAT5 are common targets for different tyrosine kinase oncogenes (TKOs). In addition, STAT3 and STAT5 proteins were shown to contain activating mutations in some rare but aggressive leukemias/lymphomas. Both proteins also contribute to drug resistance in hematopoietic malignancies and are now well recognized as major targets in cancer treatment. The development of inhibitors targeting STAT3 and STAT5 has been the subject of intense investigations during the last decade. This review summarizes the current knowledge of oncogenic STAT3 and STAT5 functions in hematopoietic cancers as well as advances in preclinical and clinical development of pharmacological inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Brachet-Botineau
- Leukemic Niche and Oxidative metabolism (LNOx), CNRS ERL 7001, University of Tours, 37000 Tours, France;
| | - Marion Polomski
- Innovation Moléculaire et Thérapeutique (IMT), EA 7501, University of Tours, 37000 Tours, France; (M.P.); (L.J.); (D.H.); (M.-C.V.-M.); (G.P.)
| | - Heidi A. Neubauer
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, A-1210 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Ludovic Juen
- Innovation Moléculaire et Thérapeutique (IMT), EA 7501, University of Tours, 37000 Tours, France; (M.P.); (L.J.); (D.H.); (M.-C.V.-M.); (G.P.)
| | - Damien Hédou
- Innovation Moléculaire et Thérapeutique (IMT), EA 7501, University of Tours, 37000 Tours, France; (M.P.); (L.J.); (D.H.); (M.-C.V.-M.); (G.P.)
| | - Marie-Claude Viaud-Massuard
- Innovation Moléculaire et Thérapeutique (IMT), EA 7501, University of Tours, 37000 Tours, France; (M.P.); (L.J.); (D.H.); (M.-C.V.-M.); (G.P.)
| | - Gildas Prié
- Innovation Moléculaire et Thérapeutique (IMT), EA 7501, University of Tours, 37000 Tours, France; (M.P.); (L.J.); (D.H.); (M.-C.V.-M.); (G.P.)
| | - Fabrice Gouilleux
- Leukemic Niche and Oxidative metabolism (LNOx), CNRS ERL 7001, University of Tours, 37000 Tours, France;
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