Pharmacologic targeting of the P-TEFb complex as a therapeutic strategy for chronic myeloid leukemia

On the mechanism of wogonin against acute monocytic leukemia using network pharmacology and experimental validation

Wogonin is a natural flavone compound from the plant Scutellaria baicalensis, which has a variety of pharmacological activities such as anti-cancer, anti-virus, anti-inflammatory, and immune regulation. However, the potential mechanism of wogonin remains unknown. This study was to confirm the molecular mechanism of wogonin for acute monocytic leukemia treatment, known as AML-M5. The potential action targets between wogonin and acute monocytic leukemia were predicted from databases. The compound-target-pathway network and protein-protein interaction network (PPI) were constructed. The enrichment analysis of related targets and molecular docking were performed. The network pharmacological results of wogonin for AML-M5 treatment were verified using the THP-1 cell line. 71 target genes of wogonin associated with AML-M5 were found. The key genes TP53, SRC, AKT1, RELA, HSP90AA1, JUN, PIK3R1, and CCND1 were preliminarily found to be the potential central targets of wogonin for AML-M5 treatment. The PPI network analysis, GO analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis demonstrated that the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was the significant pathway in the wogonin for AML-M5 treatment. The antiproliferative effects of wogonin on THP-1 cells of AML-M5 presented a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner, inducing apoptosis, blocking the cell cycle at the G2/M phase, decreasing the expressions of CCND1, CDK2, and CyclinA2 mRNA, as well as AKT and p-AKT proteins. The mechanisms of wogonin on AML-M5 treatment may be associated with inhibiting cell proliferation and regulating the cell cycle via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Recent Discovery and Development of Inhibitors that Target CDK9 and Their Therapeutic Indications

CDK9 is a cyclin-dependent kinase that plays pivotal roles in multiple cellular functions including gene transcription, cell cycle regulation, DNA damage repair, and cellular differentiation. Targeting CDK9 is considered an attractive strategy for antitumor therapy, especially for leukemia and lymphoma. Several potent small molecule inhibitors, exemplified by TG02 (4), have progressed to clinical trials. However, many of them face challenges such as low clinical efficacy and multiple adverse reactions and may necessitate the exploration of novel strategies to lead to success in the clinic. In this perspective, we present a comprehensive overview of the structural characteristics, biological functions, and preclinical status of CDK9 inhibitors. Our focus extends to various types of inhibitors, including pan-inhibitors, selective inhibitors, dual-target inhibitors, degraders, PPI inhibitors, and natural products. The discussion encompasses chemical structures, structure-activity relationships (SARs), biological activities, selectivity, and therapeutic potential, providing detailed insight into the diverse landscape of CDK9 inhibitors.

Wogonin, as a potent anticancer compound: From chemistry to cellular interactions

Chinese native medicine Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, also referred to as Chinese skullcap or Huang-Qin, is frequently used to treat cancer, viral infections, and seizures. This plant's abundance of flavones (wogonoside) and their related aglycones (wogonin) is responsible for many of its pharmacologic effects. A significant ingredient in S. baicalensis that has been the subject of the most research is wogonin. Numerous preclinical investigations revealed that wogonin suppresses tumor growth by cell cycle arrest, stimulating cell death and preventing metastasis. This review focuses on a complete overview of published reports that suggest chemopreventive action of wogonin and the mechanistic insights behind these neoplastic activities. It also emphasizes the synergistic improvements made by wogonin in chemoprevention. The factual data in this mini-review stimulate additional research on chemistry and toxicological profile of wogonin to confirm its safety issues. This review will encourage researchers to generalize the merits of wogonin to be used as potential compound for cancer treatment.

Targeting TLR2/Rac1/cdc42/JNK Pathway to Reveal That Ruxolitinib Promotes Thrombocytopoiesis

BACKGROUND

Thrombocytopenia has long been considered an important complication of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which severely limits the effectiveness of cancer treatment and the overall survival of patients. However, clinical treatment options are extremely limited so far. Ruxolitinib is a potential candidate.

METHODS

The impact of ruxolitinib on the differentiation and maturation of K562 and Meg-01 cells megakaryocytes (MKs) was examined by flow cytometry, Giemsa and Phalloidin staining. A mouse model of radiation-injured thrombocytopenia (RIT) was employed to evaluate the action of ruxolitinib on thrombocytopoiesis. Network pharmacology, molecular docking, drug affinity responsive target stability assay (DARTS), RNA sequencing, protein blotting and immunofluorescence analysis were applied to explore the targets and mechanisms of action of ruxolitinib.

RESULTS

Ruxolitinib can stimulate MK differentiation and maturation in a dose-dependent manner and accelerates recovery of MKs and thrombocytopoiesis in RIT mice. Biological targeting analysis showed that ruxolitinib binds directly to Toll Like Receptor 2 (TLR2) to activate Rac1/cdc42/JNK, and this action was shown to be blocked by C29, a specific inhibitor of TLR2.

CONCLUSIONS

Ruxolitinib was first identified to facilitate MK differentiation and thrombocytopoiesis, which may alleviate RIT. The potential mechanism of ruxolitinib was to promote MK differentiation via activating the Rac1/cdc42/JNK pathway through binding to TLR2.

Lysosomal membrane permeabilization mediated apoptosis involve in perphenazine-induced hepatotoxicity in vitro and in vivo

Antipsychotic drugs represent a class of lysosomotropic drugs widely used in clinical practice. However, the hepatotoxicity of these drugs has been reported in recent years. Therefore, understanding the changes in cellular homeostasis mediated by these drugs is of great significance for revealing the true mechanisms underlying hepatotoxicity. Perphenazine is a classical antipsychotic drug that can reportedly induce extrapyramidal and sympatholytic side effects. The present research focuses on the toxicity effect of perphenazine on normal human hepatocytes. To assess the hepatotoxicity of continuous administration of perphenazine and investigate potential mechanisms related to apoptosis, human normal L02 hepatocytes were exposed to 10-40μM perphenazine in vitro. The results showed that perphenazine inhibited cell viability in a concentration and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, 30μM perphenazine induced intense lysosome vacuolation, impaired lysosomal membrane, and induced lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP), ultimately triggering lysosomal cell death in L02 cells. Knockdown cathepsin D(CTSD) also ameliorated perphenazine-induced liver injury via the inhibition of LMP. In vivo, ICR mice received intragastric administration of 10-180mg/kg B.W. perphenazine every other day for 21 days. 180mg/kg perphenazine significantly increased histological injury and aminotransferases compared with control. Taken together, our findings suggest that perphenazine can trigger hepatotoxicity through lysosome disruption both in vitro and in vivo.