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Gorgoń S, Billing O, Eriksson AU, Hemmingsson O. A Drug Discovery Pipeline for MAPK/ERK Pathway Inhibitors in Caenorhabditis elegans. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:2454-2462. [PMID: 39212544 PMCID: PMC11409438 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-24-0221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Oncogenic signaling through the MAPK/ERK pathway drives tumor progression in many cancers. Although targeted MAPK/ERK pathway inhibitors improve survival in selected patients, most tumors are resistant. New drugs could be identified in small-animal models that, unlike in vitro models, can address oral uptake, compound bioavailability, and toxicity. This requires pharmacologic conformity between human and model MAPK/ERK pathways and available phenotypic assays. In this study, we test if the conserved MAPK/ERK pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans could serve as a model for pharmacological inhibition and develop in vivo pipelines for high-throughput compound screens. Using fluorescence-based image analysis of vulva development as a readout for MAPK/ERK activity, we obtained excellent assay Z-scores for the MEK inhibitors trametinib (Z = 0.95), mirdametinib (Z = 0.93), and AZD8330 (Z = 0.87), as well as the ERK inhibitor temuterkib (Z = 0.86). The throughput was 800 wells per hour, with an average seed density of 25.5 animals per well. Readouts included drug efficacy, toxicity, and pathway specificity, which was tested against pathway activating upstream (lin-15)- and downstream (lin-1) mutants. To validate the model in a high-throughput setting, we screened a blinded library of 433 anticancer compounds and identified four MEK inhibitors among seven positive hits. Our results highlight a high degree of pharmacological conformity between C. elegans and human MAPK/ERK pathways, and the presented high-throughput pipeline may discover and characterize novel inhibitors in vivo. SIGNIFICANCE Many tumors depend on MAPK/ERK signaling to sustain growth, avoid cell death, and metastasize. We show that specific and clinically relevant MAPK/ERK signaling inhibitors can be discovered in vivo with a high-throughput screening pipeline in small animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szymon Gorgoń
- Department of Diagnostics and Intervention, Surgery, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ola Billing
- Department of Diagnostics and Intervention, Surgery, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anna U Eriksson
- Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Oskar Hemmingsson
- Department of Diagnostics and Intervention, Surgery, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Makhoul P, Galas S, Paniagua-Gayraud S, Deleuze-Masquefa C, Hajj HE, Bonnet PA, Richaud M. Uncovering the Molecular Pathways Implicated in the Anti-Cancer Activity of the Imidazoquinoxaline Derivative EAPB02303 Using a Caenorhabditis elegans Model. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7785. [PMID: 39063027 PMCID: PMC11277376 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25147785] [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: 06/04/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Imiqualines are analogues of the immunomodulatory drug imiquimod. EAPB02303, the lead of the second-generation imiqualines, is characterized by significant anti-tumor effects with IC50s in the nanomolar range. We used Caenorhabditis elegans transgenic and mutant strains of two key signaling pathways (PI3K-Akt and Ras-MAPK) disrupted in human cancers to investigate the mode of action of EAPB02303. The ability of this imiqualine to inhibit the insulin/IGF1 signaling (IIS) pathway via the PI3K-Akt kinase cascade was explored through assessing the lifespan of wild-type worms. Micromolar doses of EAPB02303 significantly enhanced longevity of N2 strain and led to the nuclear translocation and subsequent activation of transcription factor DAF-16, the only forkhead box transcription factor class O (Fox O) homolog in C. elegans. Moreover, EAPB02303 significantly reduced the multivulva phenotype in let-60/Ras mutant strains MT2124 and MT4698, indicative of its mode of action through the Ras pathway. In summary, we showed that EAPB02303 potently reduced the activity of IIS and Ras-MAPK signaling in C. elegans. Our results revealed the mechanism of action of EAPB02303 against human cancers associated with hyperactivated IIS pathway and oncogenic Ras mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perla Makhoul
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), UMR 5247, CNRS, ENSCM, Université de Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France; (P.M.); (S.G.); (S.P.-G.); (C.D.-M.)
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, GSBT Laboratory, Lebanese University, R. Hariri Campus, Hadath 1533, Lebanon
| | - Simon Galas
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), UMR 5247, CNRS, ENSCM, Université de Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France; (P.M.); (S.G.); (S.P.-G.); (C.D.-M.)
| | - Stéphanie Paniagua-Gayraud
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), UMR 5247, CNRS, ENSCM, Université de Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France; (P.M.); (S.G.); (S.P.-G.); (C.D.-M.)
| | - Carine Deleuze-Masquefa
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), UMR 5247, CNRS, ENSCM, Université de Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France; (P.M.); (S.G.); (S.P.-G.); (C.D.-M.)
| | - Hiba El Hajj
- Department of Experimental Pathology, Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Riad El-Solh, P.O. Box 11-0236, Beirut 1107, Lebanon;
| | - Pierre-Antoine Bonnet
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), UMR 5247, CNRS, ENSCM, Université de Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France; (P.M.); (S.G.); (S.P.-G.); (C.D.-M.)
| | - Myriam Richaud
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), UMR 5247, CNRS, ENSCM, Université de Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France; (P.M.); (S.G.); (S.P.-G.); (C.D.-M.)
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Cerón J. Caenorhabditis elegans for research on cancer hallmarks. Dis Model Mech 2023; 16:dmm050079. [PMID: 37278614 PMCID: PMC10259857 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050079] [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] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
After decades of research, our knowledge of the complexity of cancer mechanisms, elegantly summarized as 'hallmarks of cancer', is expanding, as are the therapeutic opportunities that this knowledge brings. However, cancer still needs intense research to diminish its tremendous impact. In this context, the use of simple model organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans, in which the genetics of the apoptotic pathway was discovered, can facilitate the investigation of several cancer hallmarks. Amenable for genetic and drug screens, convenient for fast and efficient genome editing, and aligned with the 3Rs ('Replacement, Reduction and Refinement') principles for ethical animal research, C. elegans plays a significant role in unravelling the intricate network of cancer mechanisms and presents a promising option in clinical diagnosis and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julián Cerón
- Modeling Human Diseases in C. elegans Group – Genes, Disease and Therapy Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute – IDIBELL, 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
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Tilekar K, Shelke O, Upadhyay N, Lavecchia A, Ramaa CS. Current status and future prospects of molecular hybrids with thiazolidinedione (TZD) scaffold in anticancer drug discovery. J Mol Struct 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2021.131767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Jalali A, Dabaghian F, Zarshenas MM. Alkaloids of Peganum harmala: Anticancer Biomarkers with Promising Outcomes. Curr Pharm Des 2021; 27:185-196. [PMID: 33238864 DOI: 10.2174/1381612826666201125103941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer is a serious and growing global health issue worldwide. In the cancerous cells, the normal cell cycle has been disrupted via a series of irreversible changes. Recently, the investigations on herbal medicine and clarifying the phytochemicals potential in treat cancer has been increased. The combination of phytochemicals with conventional cancer treatment approaches can improve outcomes via advancing cell death, restraining cell proliferation and invasion, sensitizing cancerous cells, and promoting the immune system. Therefore, phytochemicals can be introduced as relevant complementary medicaments in cancer therapy. Peganum harmala L. (Zygophyllaceae) as a valuable medicinal herb, possesses various alkaloid ingredient. OBJECTIVE Pointing to the importance of new avenues for cancer management and P. harmala convincing effect in this field, this review strived to collect a frame to epitome possible scopes to develop novel medicines in cancer treatment. METHODS Keywords "Peganum harmala" and cancer, or chemotherapy, or anti-neoplasm were searched through the "Scopus" database up to 29th of February 2020. Papers linking to agriculture, chemistry, environmental, and genetics sciences were omitted and, papers centered on cancer were selected. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In the current study, 42 related papers to cancer treatment and 22 papers on alkaloid bioactive components are collected from 72 papers. The β-carboline alkaloids derived from P. harmala, especially harmine, demonstrate notable anticancer properties by targeting apoptosis, autophagy, abnormal cell proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis, and cytotoxicity. Based on the collected information, P. harmala holds significant anticancer activity. Considering the mechanism of the various anticancer drugs and their acting similarity to P. harmala, the alkaloids derived from this herb, particularly harmine, can introduce as a novel anticancer medicine solely or in adjuvant cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atefeh Jalali
- Medicinal Plants Processing Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Farid Dabaghian
- Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad M Zarshenas
- Medicinal Plants Processing Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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Giunti S, Andersen N, Rayes D, De Rosa MJ. Drug discovery: Insights from the invertebrate Caenorhabditis elegans. Pharmacol Res Perspect 2021; 9:e00721. [PMID: 33641258 PMCID: PMC7916527 DOI: 10.1002/prp2.721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic drug development is a long, expensive, and complex process that usually takes 12-15 years. In the early phases of drug discovery, in particular, there is a growing need for animal models that ensure the reduction in both cost and time. Caenorhabditis elegans has been traditionally used to address fundamental aspects of key biological processes, such as apoptosis, aging, and gene expression regulation. During the last decade, with the advent of large-scale platforms for screenings, this invertebrate has also emerged as an essential tool in the pharmaceutical research industry to identify novel drugs and drug targets. In this review, we discuss the reasons why C. elegans has been positioned as an outstanding cost-effective option for drug discovery, highlighting both the advantages and drawbacks of this model. Particular attention is paid to the suitability of this nematode in large-scale genetic and pharmacological screenings. High-throughput screenings in C. elegans have indeed contributed to the breakthrough of a wide variety of candidate compounds involved in extensive fields including neurodegeneration, pathogen infections and metabolic disorders. The versatility of this nematode, which enables its instrumentation as a model of human diseases, is another attribute also herein underscored. As illustrative examples, we discuss the utility of C. elegans models of both human neurodegenerative diseases and parasitic nematodes in the drug discovery industry. Summing up, this review aims to demonstrate the impact of C. elegans models on the drug discovery pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastián Giunti
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca (INIBIBB) CCT UNS‐CONICETBahía BlancaArgentina
- Dpto de Biología, Bioquímica y FarmaciaUniversidad Nacional del SurBahía BlancaArgentina
| | - Natalia Andersen
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca (INIBIBB) CCT UNS‐CONICETBahía BlancaArgentina
- Dpto de Biología, Bioquímica y FarmaciaUniversidad Nacional del SurBahía BlancaArgentina
| | - Diego Rayes
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca (INIBIBB) CCT UNS‐CONICETBahía BlancaArgentina
- Dpto de Biología, Bioquímica y FarmaciaUniversidad Nacional del SurBahía BlancaArgentina
| | - María José De Rosa
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca (INIBIBB) CCT UNS‐CONICETBahía BlancaArgentina
- Dpto de Biología, Bioquímica y FarmaciaUniversidad Nacional del SurBahía BlancaArgentina
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Wu ZN, Chen NH, Tang Q, Chen S, Zhan ZC, Zhang YB, Wang GC, Li YL, Ye WC. β-Carboline Alkaloids from the Seeds of Peganum harmala and Their Anti-HSV-2 Virus Activities. Org Lett 2020; 22:7310-7314. [PMID: 32896126 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.0c02650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Pegaharines A-G (1-6), six novel β-carboline alkaloids representing three types of skeleton, were isolated from the seeds of Peganum harmala. Compound 1 is a peculiar β-carboline alkaloid characterized by the unprecedented carbon skeleton of an azepine-indole system. Compounds 3-6 represent the first examples of heterodimers constructed from rare tetracyclic β-carboline and classic tricyclic β-carboline alkaloids. Compounds 1 and 2 were characterized by X-ray crystallography. Compound 4 exhibited strong antiviral activity against HSV-2, with an IC50 value of 2.12 ± 0.14 μM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong-Nan Wu
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Natural Products, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, P. R. China.,The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, P. R. China
| | - Neng-Hua Chen
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Natural Products, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, P. R. China
| | - Qing Tang
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Natural Products, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, P. R. China
| | - Si Chen
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Natural Products, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, P. R. China
| | - Zhao-Chun Zhan
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Natural Products, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, P. R. China
| | - Yu-Bo Zhang
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Natural Products, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, P. R. China.,Guangdong Clinical Translational Center for Targeted Drug, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, P. R. China
| | - Guo-Cai Wang
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Natural Products, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, P. R. China
| | - Yao-Lan Li
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Natural Products, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, P. R. China
| | - Wen-Cai Ye
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Natural Products, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, P. R. China
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