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Chen D, Wang Y, Xiao S, Cheng G, Liu Y, Zhao T, Cao J, Wen Y. Investigation on the mechanism of androsta-4,6,8,14-tetraene-3,11,16-trione against acute lymphoblastic leukemia. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2024; 243:106573. [PMID: 38909867 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2024.106573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Steroids are potential anti-leukemia agents, and Epigynum auritum is a Yunnan folk medicine with high levels of androsterone, pregnane, and steroid derivatives. However, the underlying therapeutic mechanism of androsta-4,6,8,14-tetraene-3,11,16-trione (ATT), an androsterone isolated from Epigynum auritum, is not yet clear. This study aimed to explore the anti-leukemia mechanism of ATT using molecular biology, network pharmacology, and molecular docking technology. The cell viability results showed that ATT had an anti-proliferation effect in acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells (CEM/C1, MOLT-4, Jurkat, BALL-1, Nalm-6, and RS4;11). Further studies showed that ATT reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines (BALL-1, Nalm-6, and RS4;11) and induced cell cycle arrest in MOLT-4 and BALL-1. ATT induced BALL-1 cell apoptosis by activating Caspase 3/7 activity and causing DNA fragmentation. Network pharmacology results suggested that ATT exerts its anti-leukemia activity via the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. In addition, molecular docking analysis showed that ATT had high scores in docking with PTGS2, NR3C1, and AR. Western blotting results showed that ATT reduced the relative protein level of P-PI3K and P-Akt, thereby increasing the relative level of pro-apoptosis protein Bax and reducing the relative level of anti-apoptosis protein Bcl-2, the apoptosis downstream protein pro-caspase3, and cell proliferation-related proteins (P-GSK3B and CyclinD1). In conclusion, these results demonstrated that ATT could be a potential candidate drug with apoptosis-induction and cell cycle arrest effects for further investigation in acute lymphoblastic leukemia therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongjie Chen
- Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Yongpeng Wang
- Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Shanshan Xiao
- Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Guiguang Cheng
- Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Yaping Liu
- Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Tianrui Zhao
- Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Jianxin Cao
- Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China.
| | - Yan Wen
- Department of Hematology, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Yunnan Province Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Disease, Yunnan Province Clinical Center for Hematologic Disease, Kunming 650032, China.
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Gladbach YS, Sklarz LM, Roolf C, Beck J, Schütz E, Fuellen G, Junghanss C, Murua Escobar H, Hamed M. Molecular Characterization of the Response to Conventional Chemotherapeutics in Pro-B-ALL Cell Lines in Terms of Tumor Relapse. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13071240. [PMID: 35886023 PMCID: PMC9316692 DOI: 10.3390/genes13071240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about optimally applying chemotherapeutic agents in a specific temporal sequence to rapidly reduce the tumor load and to improve therapeutic efficacy. The clinical optimization of drug efficacy while reducing side effects is still restricted due to an incomplete understanding of the mode of action and related tumor relapse mechanisms on the molecular level. The molecular characterization of transcriptomic drug signatures can help to identify the affected pathways, downstream regulated genes and regulatory interactions related to tumor relapse in response to drug application. We tried to outline the dynamic regulatory reprogramming leading to tumor relapse in relapsed MLL-rearranged pro-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) cells in response to two first-line treatments: dexamethasone (Dexa) and cytarabine (AraC). We performed an integrative molecular analysis of whole transcriptome profiles of each treatment, specifically considering public knowledge of miRNA regulation via a network-based approach to unravel key driver genes and miRNAs that may control the relapse mechanisms accompanying each treatment. Our results gave hints to the crucial regulatory roles of genes leading to Dexa-resistance and related miRNAs linked to chemosensitivity. These genes and miRNAs should be further investigated in preclinical models to obtain more hints about relapse processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Saara Gladbach
- Institute for Biostatistics and Informatics in Medicine and Ageing Research (IBIMA), Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (Y.S.G.); (G.F.)
- Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Applied Bioinformatics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lisa-Madeleine Sklarz
- Clinic III—Hematology, Oncology, Palliative Medicine, Center for Internal Medicine, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (L.-M.S.); (C.R.); (C.J.); (H.M.E.)
| | - Catrin Roolf
- Clinic III—Hematology, Oncology, Palliative Medicine, Center for Internal Medicine, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (L.-M.S.); (C.R.); (C.J.); (H.M.E.)
| | - Julia Beck
- Chronix Biomedical GmbH, 37073 Göttingen, Germany; (J.B.); (E.S.)
| | - Ekkehard Schütz
- Chronix Biomedical GmbH, 37073 Göttingen, Germany; (J.B.); (E.S.)
| | - Georg Fuellen
- Institute for Biostatistics and Informatics in Medicine and Ageing Research (IBIMA), Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (Y.S.G.); (G.F.)
| | - Christian Junghanss
- Clinic III—Hematology, Oncology, Palliative Medicine, Center for Internal Medicine, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (L.-M.S.); (C.R.); (C.J.); (H.M.E.)
| | - Hugo Murua Escobar
- Clinic III—Hematology, Oncology, Palliative Medicine, Center for Internal Medicine, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (L.-M.S.); (C.R.); (C.J.); (H.M.E.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (CCC-MV), Campus Rostock, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Mohamed Hamed
- Institute for Biostatistics and Informatics in Medicine and Ageing Research (IBIMA), Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (Y.S.G.); (G.F.)
- Correspondence:
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Abstract
Despite the therapeutic progress, relapse remains a major problem in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Most leukemia cells that survive chemotherapy are found in the bone marrow (BM), thus resistance to chemotherapy and other treatments may be partially attributed to pro-survival signaling to leukemic cells mediated by leukemia cell-microenvironment interactions. Adhesion of leukemia cells to BM stromal cells may lead to cell adhesion-mediated drug resistance (CAM-DR) mediating intracellular signaling changes that support survival of leukemia cells. In ALL and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), adhesion-mediated activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway has been shown to be critical in CAM-DR. PI3K targeting inhibitors have been approved for CLL and have been evaluated preclinically in ALL. However, PI3K inhibition has yet to be approved for clinical use in ALL. Here, we review the role of PI3K signaling for normal hematopoietic and leukemia cells and summarize preclinical inhibitors of PI3K in ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Na Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Heather Ogana
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Vanessa Sanchez
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Cydney Nichols
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Yong-Mi Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
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Ridge SM, Whiteley AE, Yao H, Price TT, Brockman ML, Murray AS, Simon BG, Islam P, Sipkins DA. Pan-PI3Ki targets multiple B-ALL microenvironment interactions that fuel systemic and CNS relapse. Leuk Lymphoma 2021; 62:2690-2702. [PMID: 34355654 DOI: 10.1080/10428194.2021.1929963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The majority of adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) suffer relapse, and in patients with central nervous system (CNS) metastasis, prognosis is particularly poor. We recently demonstrated a novel route of ALL CNS metastasis dependent on PI3Kδ regulation of the laminin receptor integrin α6. B-ALL cells did not, however, rely on PI3Kδ signaling for growth. Here we show that broad targeting of PI3K isoforms can induce growth arrest in B-ALL, reducing systemic disease burden in mice treated with a single agent pan-PI3Ki, copanlisib. Moreover, we show that cellular stress activates PI3K/Akt-dependent survival pathways in B-ALL, exposing their vulnerability to PI3Kδ and pan-PI3Ki. The addition of a brief course of copanlisib to chemotherapy delivered the combined benefits of increased survival, decreased systemic disease, and reduced CNS metastasis. These data suggest the promising, multifaceted potential of pan-PI3Ki for B-ALL CNS prophylaxis, systemic disease control, and chemosensitization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Ridge
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Andrew E Whiteley
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hisayuki Yao
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.,Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Trevor T Price
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Maegan L Brockman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Andrew S Murray
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Brennan G Simon
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Prioty Islam
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Dorothy A Sipkins
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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