Focal adhesion kinase: from biological functions to therapeutic strategies

Clinical significance of upregulated Rho GTPase activating protein 12 causing resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major health challenge with high incidence and poor survival rates in China. Systemic therapies, particularly tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), are the first-line treatment for advanced HCC, but resistance is common. The Rho GTPase family member Rho GTPase activating protein 12 (ARHGAP12), which regulates cell adhesion and invasion, is a potential therapeutic target for overcoming TKI resistance in HCC. However, no studies on the expression of ARHGAP12 in HCC and its role in resistance to TKIs have been reported.

AIM

To unveil the expression of ARHGAP12 in HCC, its role in TKI resistance and its potential associated pathways.

METHODS

This study used single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to evaluate ARHGAP12 mRNA levels and explored its mechanisms through enrichment analysis. CellChat was used to investigate focal adhesion (FA) pathway regulation. We integrated bulk RNA data (RNA-seq and microarray), immunohistochemistry and proteomics to analyze ARHGAP12 mRNA and protein levels, correlating with clinical outcomes. We assessed ARHGAP12 expression in TKI-resistant HCC, integrated conventional HCC to explore its mechanism, identified intersecting FA pathway genes with scRNA-seq data and evaluated its response to TKI and immunotherapy.

RESULTS

ARHGAP12 mRNA was found to be highly expressed in malignant hepatocytes and to regulate FA. In malignant hepatocytes in high-score FA groups, MDK-[integrin alpha 6 (ITGA6) + integrin β-1 (ITGB1)] showed specificity in ligand-receptor interactions. ARHGAP12 mRNA and protein were upregulated in bulk RNA, immunohistochemistry and proteomics, and higher expression was associated with a worse prognosis. ARHGAP12 was also found to be a TKI resistance gene that regulated the FA pathway. ITGB1 was identified as a crossover gene in the FA pathway in both scRNA-seq and bulk RNA. High expression of ARHGAP12 was associated with adverse reactions to sorafenib, cabozantinib and regorafenib, but not to immunotherapy.

CONCLUSION

ARHGAP12 expression is elevated in HCC and TKI-resistant HCC, and its regulatory role in FA may underlie the TKI-resistant phenotype.

Widely-targeted in silico and in vitro evaluation of veratrum alkaloid analogs as FAK inhibitors and dual targeting of FAK and Hh/SMO pathways for cancer therapy: A critical analysis

Focal Adhesive Kinase (FAK), a key player in aggressive cancers, mediates signals crucial for progression, invasion, and metastasis. Despite advances in targeted therapies, drug resistance is still a challenge, and survival rates remain low, particularly for late-stage patients, emphasizing the need for innovative cancer therapeutics. Cyclopamine, a veratrum alkaloid, has shown promising anti-tumor properties, but the search for more potent analogs with enhanced affinity for the biological target continues. This study employs a hybrid virtual screening approach combining pharmacophore model-based virtual screening (PB-VS) and docking-based virtual screening (DB-VS) to identify potential inhibitors of the FAK catalytic domain. PB-VS on the PubChem database yielded a set of hits, which were then docked with the FAK catalytic domain in two stages (1st and 2nd DB-VS). Hits were ranked based on docking scores and interactions with the active site. The top three compounds underwent molecular dynamics simulations, alongside two control compounds (SMO inhibitor(s) and FAK inhibitor(s)), to assess stability through RMSD, RMSF, Rg, and SASA analyses. ADMET properties were evaluated, and compounds were filtered based on drug-likeness criteria. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated the stability of compounds when complexed with the FAK catalytic domain. Compounds 16 (-25 kcal/mol), 88 (-27.47 kcal/mol), and 87 (-18.94 kcal/mol) exhibited comparable docking scores, interaction profiles, stability, and binding energies, indicating their potential as lead candidates. However, further validation and optimization through quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) studies are essential to refine their efficacy and therapeutic potential. The in vitro cell-based assay demonstrated that compound 101PF, a FAK inhibitor, significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of A549 cells. However, the results regarding the combined effects of FAK and SMO inhibitors were inconclusive, highlighting the need for further investigation. This study contributes to developing more effective anti-cancer drugs by improving the understanding of potential cyclopamine-based veratrum alkaloid analogs with enhanced interactions with the FAK catalytic domain.

SEPT9_i1 and Septin Dynamics in Oncogenesis and Cancer Treatment

Despite significant advancements in the field of oncology, cancers still pose one of the greatest challenges of modern healthcare. Given the cytoskeleton's pivotal role in regulating mechanisms critical to cancer development, further studies of the cytoskeletal elements could yield new practical applications. Septins represent a group of relatively well-conserved GTP-binding proteins that constitute the fourth component of the cytoskeleton. Septin 9 (SEPT9) has been linked to a diverse spectrum of malignancies and appears to be the most notable septin member in that category. SEPT9 constitutes a biomarker of colorectal cancer (CRC) and has been positively correlated with a high clinical stage in breast cancer, cervical cancer, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. SEPT9_i1 represents the most extensively studied isoform of SEPT9, which substantially contributes to carcinogenesis, metastasis, and treatment resistance. Nevertheless, the mechanistic basis of SEPT9_i1 oncogenicity remains to be fully elucidated. In this review, we highlight SEPT9's and SEPT9_i1's structures and interactions with Hypoxia Inducible Factor α (HIF-1 α) and C-Jun N-Terminal Kinase (JNK), as well as discuss SEPT9_i1's contribution to aneuploidy, cell invasiveness, and taxane resistance-key phenomena in the progression of malignancies. Finally, we emphasize forchlorfenuron and other septin inhibitors as potential chemotherapeutics and migrastatics.

Lespedeza bicolor root extract exerts anti-TNBC potential by regulating FAK-related signalling pathways

Lespedeza bicolor is a shrub plant that has been widely distributed in East Asia. The methanol extract from its LBR has been shown to exhibit anticancer and anti-bacterial effects. However, its anticancer efficacy in TNBC remains uncertain. This work aimed to study the anti-TNBC effect of LBR ethanol extract and its underlying mechanism. LBR triggered the cell death in TNBC through inhibiting cell proliferation, S-phase cell arrest, and induction of apoptosis. RNA-seq analysis revealed that the genes altered by LBR treatment were predominantly enriched in the cell adhesion. Notably, LBR inhibited phosphorylation and distribution of FAK. Furthermore, LBR demonstrated significant anticancer activity in xenograft tumors in mice through inhibiting cancer cell growth and inducing apoptosis. This work demonstrated the anticancer efficiency of LBR in TNBC without causing significant adverse effect, which providing a foundation for developing LBR based chemotherapeutic agents for breast cancer therapy.

Focal adhesion kinase-mediated interaction between tumor and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment: implications for cancer-associated therapies and tumor progression

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) expression has been linked to tumor growth, immunosuppression, metastasis, angiogenesis, and therapeutic resistance through kinase-dependent and kinase scaffolding functions in the nucleus and cytoplasm. Hence, targeting FAK alone or with other agents has gained attention as a potential therapeutic strategy. Moreover, mounting evidence shows that FAK activity can influence the tumor immune microenvironment crosstalk to support tumor progression. Recently, tumor immune microenvironment interaction orchestrators have shown to be promising therapeutic agents for cancer immunotherapies. Therefore, this review highlights how FAK regulates the tumor immune microenvironment interplay to promote tumor immune evasive mechanisms and their potential for combination therapies with standard cancer treatments.

Recycling machinery of integrin coupled with focal adhesion turnover via RAB11-UNC13D-FAK axis for migration of pancreatic cancer cells

BACKGROUND

Recycling of integrin via endosomal vesicles is critical for the migration of cancer cells, which leads to the metastasis of pancreatic cancer and devastating cancer-related death. So, new diagnostic and therapeutic molecules which target the recycling of endosomal vesicles need to be developed.

METHODS

Public databases including TCGA, ICGC, GSE21501, GSE28735, and GENT are analyzed to derive diagnostic and therapeutic targets. To reveal biological roles and underlying mechanisms of molecular targets, various molecular biological experiments were conducted.

RESULTS

First, we identified UNC13D's overexpression in patients with pancreatic cancer (n = 824) and its prognostic significance and high hazard ratio (HR) in four independent pancreatic cancer cohorts (TCGA, n = 178, p = 0.014, HR = 3.629; ICGC, n = 91, p = 0.000, HR = 4.362; GSE21501, n = 102, p = 0.002, HR = 2.339; GSE28735, n = 45, p = 0.022, HR = 2.681). Additionally, its expression is associated with the clinicopathological progression of pancreatic cancer. Further biological studies have shown that UNC13D regulates the migration of pancreatic cancer cells by coupling the exocytosis of recycling endosomes with focal adhesion turnover via the regulation of FAK phosphorylation. Immunoprecipitation and immunocytochemistry showed the formation of the RAB11-UNC13D-FAK axis in endosomes during integrin recycling. We observed that UNC13D directly interacted with the FERM domain of FAK and regulated FAK phosphorylation in a calcium-dependent manner. Finally, we found co-expression of UNC13D and FAK showed the poorest survival (TCGA, p = 0.000; ICGC, p = 0.036; GSE28735, p = 0.006).

CONCLUSIONS

We highlight that UNC13D, a novel prognostic factor, promotes pancreatic cancer progression by coupling integrin recycling with focal adhesion turnover via the RAB11-UNC13D-FAK axis for the migration of pancreatic cancer cells.

Adipose-derived stem cell-based anti-inflammatory paracrine factor regulation for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease

Stem cell-based therapies offer promising avenues for treating inflammatory diseases owing to their immunomodulatory properties. However, challenges persist regarding their survival and efficacy in inflamed tissues. Our study introduces a novel approach by engineering adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) to enhance their viability in inflammatory environments and boost the secretion of paracrine factors for treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). An arginine-glycine-aspartate peptide-poly (ethylene glycol)-chlorin e6 conjugate (RPC) was synthesized and coupled with ADSCs, resulting in RPC-labeled ADSCs (ARPC). This conjugation strategy employed RGD-integrin interaction to shield stem cells and allowed visualization and tracking using chlorin e6. The engineered ARPC demonstrated enhanced viability and secretion of paracrine factors upon light irradiation, regulating the inflammatory microenvironment. RNA-sequencing analysis unveiled pathways favoring angiogenesis, DNA repair, and exosome secretion in ARPC(+) while downregulating inflammatory pathways. In in vivo models of acute and chronic IBD, ARPC(+) treatment led to reduced inflammation, preserved colon structure, and increased populations of regulatory T cells, highlighting its therapeutic potential. ARPC(+) selectively homed to inflammatory sites, demonstrating its targeted effect. Overall, ARPC(+) exhibits promise as an effective and safe therapeutic strategy for managing inflammatory diseases like IBD by modulating immune responses and creating an anti-inflammatory microenvironment.

Integrin αV Inhibition by GMI, a Ganoderma Microsporum Immunomodulatory Protein, Abolish Stemness and Migration in EGFR-Mutated Lung Cancer Cells Resistant to Osimertinib

Integrins, the receptors of the extracellular matrix, are critical in the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells. GMI, a Ganoderma microsporum immunomodulatory protein, possesses anticancer and antivirus abilities. The object of this study is to investigate the role of GMI in the integrins signaling pathway in lung cancer cells that harbor the EGFR L858R/T790M double mutation and osimertinib-resistance. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and western blot assay were used to investigate the effect of GMI on inhibiting the protein expressions of integrins in H1975 cells. The migration ability and xenograft tumor growth of H1975 were suppressed by GMI. To elucidate the role of the integrin family in lung cancer resistant to osimertinib (AZD-9291, Tagrisso), H1975 cells were used to establish the osimertinib-resistant cells, named H1975/TR cells. The expressions of Integrin αV and stemness markers were much higher in H1975/TR cells than in H1975 cells. GMI suppressed cell viability, tumor spheroid growth, and the expressions of integrin αV and β1 in H1975/TR cells. Furthermore, GMI suppressed the expressions of stemness markers and formation of tumor spheres via blocking integrin αV signaling cascade. This is the first study to reveal the novel function of GMI in constraining cancer stem cells and migration by abolishing the integrin αV-related signaling pathway in EGFR-mutated and osimertinib-resistant lung cancer cells.

Non-Receptor Tyrosine Kinases: Their Structure and Mechanistic Role in Tumor Progression and Resistance

Protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) function as key molecules in the signaling pathways in addition to their impact as a therapeutic target for the treatment of many human diseases, including cancer. PTKs are characterized by their ability to phosphorylate serine, threonine, or tyrosine residues and can thereby rapidly and reversibly alter the function of their protein substrates in the form of significant changes in protein confirmation and affinity for their interaction with protein partners to drive cellular functions under normal and pathological conditions. PTKs are classified into two groups: one of which represents tyrosine kinases, while the other one includes the members of the serine/threonine kinases. The group of tyrosine kinases is subdivided into subgroups: one of them includes the member of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), while the other subgroup includes the member of non-receptor tyrosine kinases (NRTKs). Both these kinase groups function as an "on" or "off" switch in many cellular functions. NRTKs are enzymes which are overexpressed and activated in many cancer types and regulate variable cellular functions in response to extracellular signaling-dependent mechanisms. NRTK-mediated different cellular functions are regulated by kinase-dependent and kinase-independent mechanisms either in the cytoplasm or in the nucleus. Thus, targeting NRTKs is of great interest to improve the treatment strategy of different tumor types. This review deals with the structure and mechanistic role of NRTKs in tumor progression and resistance and their importance as therapeutic targets in tumor therapy.

Marein Alleviates Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity through FAK/AKT Pathway Modulation while Potentiating its Anticancer Activity

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an effective anticancer agent, yet its clinical utility is hampered by dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. This study explores the cardioprotective potential of Marein (Mar) against DOX-induced cardiac injury and elucidates underlying molecular mechanisms. Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) and murine models were employed to assess the impact of Mar on DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC). In vitro, cell viability, oxidative stress were evaluated. In vivo, a chronic injection method was employed to induce a DIC mouse model, followed by eight weeks of Mar treatment. Cardiac function, histopathology, and markers of cardiotoxicity were assessed. In vitro, Mar treatment demonstrated significant cardioprotective effects in vivo, as evidenced by improved cardiac function and reduced indicators of cardiac damage. Mechanistically, Mar reduced inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in cardiomyocytes, potentially via activation of the Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK)/AKT pathway. Mar also exhibited an anti-ferroptosis effect. Interestingly, Mar did not compromise DOX's efficacy in cancer cells, suggesting a dual benefit in onco-cardiology. Molecular docking studies suggested a potential interaction between Mar and FAK. This study demonstrates Mar's potential as a mitigator of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, offering a translational perspective on its clinical application. By activating the FAK/AKT pathway, Mar exerts protective effects against DOX-induced cardiomyocyte damage, highlighting its promise in onco-cardiology. Further research is warranted to validate these findings and advance Mar as a potential adjunctive therapy in cancer treatment.

Immunohistochemistry identifies E-cadherin, N-cadherin and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) as predictors of stage I non-small cell lung carcinoma spread through the air spaces (STAS), and the combinations as prognostic factors

Background

Spread through air spaces (STAS) is one of the multiple modes of lung cancer dissemination, yet its molecular and clinicopathological characterization remains poorly studied. This study aimed to investigate the effect of adhesion molecule expression levels on the incidence of STAS and postoperative recurrence in stage I lung cancer patients undergoing radical resection.

Methods

E-cadherin, P-cadherin, N-cadherin, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), neural cell adhesion molecule 1 (NCAM1), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM1), intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were analyzed retrospectively using immunohistochemistry in patients undergoing radical resection for stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients were categorized into four groups based on adhesion molecule expression levels: "low/low", "high/low", "low/high", and "high/high", and the group with the lowest recurrence-free probability (RFP) was defined as high risk. Associations between those adhesion molecules' expression levels and STAS were determined by using the Chi-squared test and logistic regression model. RFP was analyzed by using the log-rank test and Cox proportional risk model.

Results

As of January 1, 2024, 12 of 60 patients undergoing radical resection for stage I lung carcinoma had a disease recurrence. All 60 patients' tissue specimens were retrospectively analyzed, and there were no significant differences between patients with STAS-positive (n=30) and STAS-negative (n=30) in baseline clinicopathologic features, except for histological growth patterns. We found that low expression of E-cadherin, high expression of N-cadherin and FAK, and males were independent predictors of higher incidence of STAS. Multivariate Cox analysis showed that tumors with low E-cadherin/high N-cadherin, low E-cadherin/high FAK, and high N-cadherin/high FAK expression were important predictors of recurrence in patients with stage I lung carcinoma. In addition, females and high N-cadherin/high FAK were associated with a high risk of recurrence in patients with STAS.

Conclusions

E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and FAK are predictors of STAS occurrence in stage I NSCLC, and their combinations are prognostic factors. The discovery of these molecular markers provides clinicians with a reliable means that may help in the early identification of individuals with a higher risk of recurrence in lung cancer patients, targeting personalized treatment plans such as aggressive adjuvant therapy or closer follow-up.

Defactinib inhibits FAK phosphorylation and regulates psoriasis via attenuating hyperproliferation of keratinocytes

Excessive proliferation of keratinocytes is a crucial pathological risk feature of psoriasis. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor protein that primarily regulates cell proliferation and migration. However, the expression and regulatory mechanism of FAK in psoriasis remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the regulation of FAK in psoriasis and examined the potential impact of FAK inhibitor on psoriasis. A small molecular selective FAK inhibitor, defactinib, was used to evaluate the effect of FAK on psoriasis in in vitro and in vivo functional assays. In our experiments, imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis mice and human keratinocytes cells were used to study the potential roles and mechanisms of FAK in psoriasis. FAK phosphorylation has been weakly detected in normal intact skin and is markedly elevated upon IMQ treatment. By reducing FAK phosphorylation (p-FAK), defactinib treatment could attenuate psoriasiform inflammation and epidermal hyperplasia in IMQ-treated mice compared with IMQ-induced mice treated with the vehicle. In in vitro studies, resiquimod (R848) increased (p-FAK) and promoted cell proliferation in human keratinocytes cells, while defactinib reversed this effect. Mechanistically, defactinib can alleviate the proliferation via JNK/YB1 pathway in vitro and in vivo. Defactinib significantly attenuates psoriasiform inflammation and epidermal hyperproliferation through the inhibition of the FAK-mediated axis. The downregulation of phosphorylated FAK then suppressed the activation of JNK/YB1 protein signaling pathway in psoriasis. Our work highlights targeting FAK as a potentially effective strategy for the treatment of psoriasis.

Computational insights into allosteric inhibition of focal adhesion kinase: A combined pharmacophore modeling and molecular dynamics approach

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase that modulates integrin and growth factor signaling pathways and is implicated in cancer cell migration, proliferation, and survival. Over the past decade various, FAK kinase, FERM, and FAT domain inhibitors have been reported and a few kinase domain inhibitors are under clinical consideration. However, few of them were identified as multikinase inhibitors. In kinase drug design selectivity is always a point of concern, to improve selectivity allosteric inhibitor development is the best choice. The current research utilized a pharmacophore modeling (PM) approach to identify novel allosteric inhibitors of FAK. The all-available allosteric inhibitor bound 3D structures with PDB ids 4EBV, 4EBW, and 4I4F were utilized for the pharmacophore modeling. The validated PM models were utilized to map a database of 770,550 compounds prepared from ZINC, EXIMED, SPECS, ASINEX, and InterBioScreen, aiming to identify potential allosteric inhibitors. The obtained compounds from screening step were forwarded to molecular docking (MD) for the prediction of binding orientation inside the allosteric site and the results were evaluated with the known FAK allosteric inhibitor (REF). Finally, 14 FAK-inhibitor complexes were selected from the docking study and were studied under molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) for 500 ns. The complexes were ranked according to binding free energy (BFE) and those demonstrated higher affinity for allosteric site of FAK than REF inhibitors were selected. The selected complexes were further analyzed for intermolecular interactions and finally, three potential allosteric inhibitor candidates for the inhibition of FAK protein were identified. We believe that identified scaffolds may help in drug development against FAK as an anticancer agent.

Elucidating hippocampal proteome dynamics in moderate hepatic encephalopathy rats: insights from high-resolution mass spectrometry

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a debilitating neurological disorder associated with liver failure and characterized by impaired brain function. Decade-long studies have led to significant advances in our understanding of HE; however, effective therapeutic management of HE is lacking, and HE continues to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients, underscoring the need for continued research into its pathophysiology and treatment. Accordingly, the present study provides a comprehensive overview aimed at elucidating the molecular underpinnings of HE and identifying potential therapeutic targets. A moderate-grade HE model was induced in rats using thioacetamide, which simulates the liver damage observed in patients, and its impact on cognitive function, neuronal arborization, and cellular morphology was also evaluated. We employed label-free LC-MS/MS proteomics to quantitatively profile hippocampal proteins to explore the molecular mechanism of HE pathogenesis; 2175 proteins were identified, 47 of which exhibited significant alterations in moderate-grade HE. The expression of several significantly upregulated proteins, such as FAK1, CD9 and Tspan2, was further validated at the transcript and protein levels, confirming the mass spectrometry results. These proteins have not been previously reported in HE. Utilizing Metascape, a tool for gene annotation and analysis, we further studied the biological pathways integral to brain function, including gliogenesis, the role of erythrocytes in maintaining blood-brain barrier integrity, the modulation of chemical synaptic transmission, astrocyte differentiation, the regulation of organ growth, the response to cAMP, myelination, and synaptic function, which were disrupted during HE. The STRING database further elucidated the protein‒protein interaction patterns among the differentially expressed proteins. This study provides novel insights into the molecular mechanisms driving HE and paves the way for identifying novel therapeutic targets for improved disease management.

SPP1 promotes tumor progression in esophageal carcinoma by activating focal adhesion pathway

Background

Recurrence and metastasis are the major obstacles affecting the therapeutic efficacy and clinical outcomes for patients with esophageal carcinoma (ESCA). Secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) is considered as a hub gene in ESCA and is negatively associated with disease-free survival (DFS) in ESCA. However, the exact roles and underlying mechanisms remain elusive. This study aims to examine the roles of SPP1 on ESCA, and elucidate the potential mechanisms.

Methods

Bioinformatics were used to analyze the expression of SPP1 in ESCA tissues, and its relations with clinicopathological characteristics and clinical prognosis in patients with ESCA based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. Loss-of-function was conducted to examine the roles of SPP1 on malignant behaviors of ESCA cells by cell counting kit-8 (CCK8), plate clone, wound healing, and transwell assays. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted to screen the pathways associated with SPP1 in ESCA. Then, the enriched pathway and the underlying mechanism were elucidated by western blotting, cell adhesion, and cell spreading assays. Lastly, Y15 [a specific inhibitor of focal adhesion kinase (FAK)] was used to examine its potential to inhibit tumor growth in ESCA cells.

Results

SPP1 was upregulated in ESCA tissues compared to the adjacent nontumorous tissues, which was closely associated with clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, histological subtype, and p53 mutation. A high expression of SPP1 indicated a poor clinical prognosis in patients with ESCA. The knockdown of SPP1 inhibited cell proliferative, migratory, and invasive capacities in ESCA cells. GSEA indicated that the focal adhesion pathway was closely related with SPP1 in ESCA. Further studies confirmed that the knockdown of SPP1 suppressed cell adhesion ability and reduced the expression of p-FAK and p-Erk in ESCA cells. In addition, Y15 inhibited FAK autophosphorylation and dramatically inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in ESCA cells.

Conclusions

SPP1 promotes tumor progression in ESCA by activating FAK/Erk pathway, and FAK is a potential therapeutic target to overcome tumor recurrence and metastasis of ESCA.

Quinoline-based thiazolyl-hydrazones target cancer cells through autophagy inhibition

Heterocyclic pharmacophores such as thiazole and quinoline rings have a significant role in medicinal chemistry. They are considered privileged structures since they constitute several Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs for cancer treatment. Herein, we report the synthesis, in silico evaluation of the ADMET profiles, and in vitro investigation of the anticancer activity of a series of novel thiazolyl-hydrazones based on the 8-quinoline (1a-c), 2-quinoline (2a-c), and 8-hydroxy-2-quinolyl moiety (3a-c). The panel of several human cancer cell lines and the nontumorigenic human embryonic kidney cell line HEK-293 were used to evaluate the compound-mediated in vitro anticancer activities, leading to [2-(2-(quinolyl-8-ol-2-ylmethylene)hydrazinyl)]-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,3-thiazole (3c) as the most promising compound. The study revealed that 3c blocks the cell-cycle progression of a human colon cancer cell line (HCT-116) in the S phase and induces DNA double-strand breaks. Also, our findings demonstrate that 3c accumulates in lysosomes, ultimately leading to the cell death of the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (Hep-G2) and HCT-116 cells, by the mechanism of autophagy inhibition.

Targeting focal adhesion kinase boosts immune response in KRAS/LKB1 co-mutated lung adenocarcinoma via remodeling the tumor microenvironment

BACKGROUND

KRAS mutation is one of the most common oncogenic drivers in NSCLC, however, the response to immunotherapy is heterogeneous owing to the distinct co-occurring genomic alterations. KRAS/LKB1 co-mutated lung adenocarcinoma displays poor response to PD-1 blockade whereas the mechanism remains undetermined.

METHODS

We explored the specific characteristics of tumor microenvironment (TME) in KL tumors using syngeneic KRASG12DLKB1-/- (KL) and KRASG12DTP53-/- (KP) lung cancer mouse models. The impact of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor on KL lung tumors was investigated in vitro and in vivo through evaluation of both KL cell lines and KL lung cancer mouse models.

RESULTS

We identified KL tumors as "immune-cold" tumors with excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) collagen deposition that formed a physical barrier to block the infiltration of CD8+T cells. Mechanistically, abundant activated cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) resulted from FAK activation contributed to the formation of the unique TME of KL tumors. FAK inhibition with a small molecular inhibitor could remodel the TME by inhibiting CAFs activation, decreasing collagen deposition and further facilitating the infiltration of anti-tumor immune cells, including CD8+ T cells, DC cells and M1-like macrophages into tumors, hence, converting "immune-cold" KL tumors into "immune-hot" tumors. The combined FAK inhibitor and PD-1 blockade therapy synergistically retarded primary and metastatic tumor growth of KL tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study identified FAK as a promising intervention target for KL tumors and provided basis for the combination of FAK inhibitor with PD-1 blockade in the management of KL lung cancers.

Simultaneous inhibition of FAK and ROS1 synergistically repressed triple-negative breast cancer by upregulating p53 signalling

BACKGROUND

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype lacking effective targeted therapies, necessitating innovative treatment approaches. While targeting ROS proto-oncogene 1 (ROS1) with crizotinib has shown promise, resistance remains a limitation. Recent evidence links focal adhesion kinase (FAK) to drug resistance, prompting our study to assess the combined impact of FAK inhibitor IN10018 and crizotinib in TNBC and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

We employed the Timer database to analyze FAK and ROS1 mRNA levels in TNBC and adjacent normal tissues. Furthermore, we investigated the correlation between FAK, ROS1, and TNBC clinical prognosis using the GSE database. We conducted various in vitro assays, including cell viability, colony formation, flow cytometry, EdU assays, and western blotting. Additionally, TNBC xenograft and human TNBC organoid models were established to assess the combined therapy's efficacy. To comprehensively understand the synergistic anti-tumor mechanisms, we utilized multiple techniques, such as RNA sequencing, immunofluorescence, cell flow cytometry, C11-BODIPY staining, MDA assay, and GSH assay.

RESULTS

The Timer database revealed higher levels of FAK and ROS1 in TNBC tissues compared to normal tissues. Analysis of GEO databases indicated that patients with high FAK and ROS1 expression had the poorest prognosis. Western blotting confirmed increased p-FAK expression in crizotinib-resistant TNBC cells. In vitro experiments showed that the combination therapy down-regulated cyclin B1, p-Cdc2, and Bcl2 while up-regulating BAX, cleaved-Caspase-3, cleaved-Caspase-9, and cleaved PARP. In TNBC xenograft models, the tumor volume in the combination therapy group was 73% smaller compared to the control group (p < 0.0001). Additionally, the combination therapy resulted in a 70% reduction in cell viability in human TNBC organoid models (p < 0.0001). RNA sequencing analysis of TNBC cells and xenograft tumor tissues highlighted enrichment in oxidative stress, glutathione metabolism, and p53 pathways. The combined group displayed a fivefold rise in the reactive oxygen species level, a 69% decrease in the GSH/GSSG ratio, and a sixfold increase in the lipid peroxidation in comparison to the control group. Western blotting demonstrated p53 upregulation and SCL7A11 and GPX4 downregulation in the combination group. The addition of a p53 inhibitor reversed these effects.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates that the combination of IN10018 and crizotinib shows synergistic antitumor effects in TNBC. Mechanistically, this combination inhibits cell proliferation, enhances apoptosis, and induces ferroptosis, which is associated with increased p53 levels.

Matrix stiffness affects tumor-associated macrophage functional polarization and its potential in tumor therapy

The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays critical roles in cytoskeletal support, biomechanical transduction and biochemical signal transformation. Tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) function is regulated by matrix stiffness in solid tumors and is often associated with poor prognosis. ECM stiffness-induced mechanical cues can activate cell membrane mechanoreceptors and corresponding mechanotransducers in the cytoplasm, modulating the phenotype of TAMs. Currently, tuning TAM polarization through matrix stiffness-induced mechanical stimulation has received increasing attention, whereas its effect on TAM fate has rarely been summarized. A better understanding of the relationship between matrix stiffness and macrophage function will contribute to the development of new strategies for cancer therapy. In this review, we first introduced the overall relationship between macrophage polarization and matrix stiffness, analyzed the changes in mechanoreceptors and mechanotransducers mediated by matrix stiffness on macrophage function and tumor progression, and finally summarized the effects of targeting ECM stiffness on tumor prognosis to provide insight into this new field.