Correction to: Hydroxychloroquine synergizes with the PI3K inhibitor BKM120 to exhibit antitumor efficacy independent of autophagy

Hydroxychloroquine interaction with phosphoinositide 3-kinase modulates prostate cancer growth in bone microenvironment: In vitro and molecular dynamics based approach

Patients with advanced prostate cancer (PCa) are more likely to develop bone metastases. Tumor cells thrive in the bone microenvironment, interacting with osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Given the PI3K/AKT pathway's metastatic potential and signal integration's ability to modulate cell fates in PCa development, drugs targeting this system have great therapeutic promise. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is an anti-malarial medication commonly used to treat clinical conditions such as rheumatology and infectious disorders. We explored the anti-neoplastic effect of HCQ on PC3 and C4-2B cell lines in the bone microenvironment. Interestingly, HCQ treatment substantially decreases the viability, proliferation, and migration potential of PCa cells in the bone microenvironment. HCQ induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, even in the presence of osteoblast-secreted factors. Mechanistically, HCQ inhibited the activity of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, which ultimately regulates the proliferation and migration of PCa cells in the bone. The binding energy for docking HCQ with PI3K was -6.7 kcal/mol, and the complex was stabilized by hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic forces, and van der Waals forces. Molecular simulations further validated the structural integrity of the HCQ-PI3K complex without altering PI3K's secondary structure. Our findings underscore the efficacy of HCQ as a potential therapeutic agent in treating PCa.

A Biomimetic Upconversion Nanobait-Based Near Infrared Light Guided Photodynamic Therapy Alleviates Alzheimer's Disease by Inhibiting β-Amyloid Aggregation

Aberrant β-amyloid (Aβ) fibrillation is the key event in Alzheimer's disease (AD), the inhibition and degradation of which are recognized as a promising therapeutic strategy to alleviate the nerve damage of AD. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) holds great potential for modulation of Aβ self-assembly, which is nevertheless limited by the inefficient utilization of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Herein, an erythrocyte membrane (EM)-modified core-shell upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP/Cur@EM) is designed and fabricated as a biomimetic nanobait to improve the PDT efficiency in AD. The UCNP with the outlayer of mesoporous silica is synthesized to load a high amount of the photosensitizer (curcumin), the unique optical feature of which can trigger curcumin to generate ROS upon near-infrared light (NIR) irradiation. Integration of EM enables the biomimetic nanobait to attract Aβ peptides trapped in the phospholipid bilayer, restraining the growth of Aβ monomers to form aggregates and improving the utilization rate of ROS to degrade the preformed Aβ aggregates. In vivo studies demonstrate that UCNP/Cur@EM irradiated by NIR enables to decrease Aβ deposits, ameliorates memory deficits, and rescues cognitive functions in the APP/PS1 transgenic mouse model. A biocompatible and controllable way is provided here to inhibit the amyloid protein-associated pathological process of AD.