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Smart SK, Yeung TY, Santos MO, McSwain LF, Wang X, Frye SV, Earp HS, DeRyckere D, Graham DK. MERTK Is a Potential Therapeutic Target in Ewing Sarcoma. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2831. [PMID: 39199601 PMCID: PMC11352666 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16162831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 07/27/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Outcomes are poor in patients with advanced or relapsed Ewing sarcoma (EWS) and current treatments have significant short- and long-term side effects. New, less toxic and more effective treatments are urgently needed. MER proto-oncogene tyrosine kinase (MERTK) promotes tumor cell survival, metastasis, and resistance to cytotoxic and targeted therapies in a variety of cancers. MERTK was ubiquitously expressed in five EWS cell lines and five patient samples. Moreover, data from CRISPR-based library screens indicated that EWS cell lines are particularly dependent on MERTK. Treatment with MRX-2843, a first-in-class, MERTK-selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor currently in clinical trials, decreased the phosphorylation of MERTK and downstream signaling in a dose-dependent manner in A673 and TC106 cells and provided potent anti-tumor activity against all five EWS cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 178 to 297 nM. Inhibition of MERTK correlated with anti-tumor activity, suggesting MERTK inhibition as a therapeutic mechanism of MRX-2843. Combined treatment with MRX-2843 and BCL-2 inhibitors venetoclax or navitoclax provided enhanced therapeutic activity compared to single agents. These data highlight MERTK as a promising therapeutic target in EWS and provide rationale for the development of MRX-2843 for the treatment of EWS, especially in combination with BCL-2 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherri K. Smart
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (S.K.S.); (T.Y.Y.); (L.F.M.); (D.D.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Tsz Y. Yeung
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (S.K.S.); (T.Y.Y.); (L.F.M.); (D.D.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | | | - Leon F. McSwain
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (S.K.S.); (T.Y.Y.); (L.F.M.); (D.D.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Xiaodong Wang
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (X.W.); (S.V.F.)
| | - Stephen V. Frye
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (X.W.); (S.V.F.)
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA;
| | - H. Shelton Earp
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA;
- Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Deborah DeRyckere
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (S.K.S.); (T.Y.Y.); (L.F.M.); (D.D.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Douglas K. Graham
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (S.K.S.); (T.Y.Y.); (L.F.M.); (D.D.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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2
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Oliveira RC, Gama J, Casanova J. B-cell lymphoma 2 family members and sarcomas: a promising target in a heterogeneous disease. EXPLORATION OF TARGETED ANTI-TUMOR THERAPY 2023; 4:583-599. [PMID: 37720343 PMCID: PMC10501895 DOI: 10.37349/etat.2023.00154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeting the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family proteins has been the backbone for hematological malignancies with overall survival improvements. The Bcl-2 family is a major player in apoptosis regulation and, has captured the researcher's interest in the treatment of solid tumors. Sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of diseases, comprising several entities, with high morbidity and mortality and with few specific therapies available. The treatment for sarcomas is based on platinum regimens, with variable results and poor outcomes, especially in advanced lesions. The high number of different sarcoma entities makes treatment standardization as well as the performance of clinical trials difficult. The use of Bcl-2 family members modifiers has revealed promising results in in vitro and in vivo models and may be a valid option, especially when used in combination with chemotherapy. In this article, a revision of these results and possibilities for the use of Bcl-2 family members inhibitors in sarcomas was performed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Caetano Oliveira
- Centro de Anatomia Patológica Germano de Sousa, 3000 Coimbra, Portugal
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), 3000 Coimbra, Portugal
- Centre of Investigation on Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), 3000 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João Gama
- Pathology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, 3000 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - José Casanova
- Centre of Investigation on Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), 3000 Coimbra, Portugal
- Orthopedic Oncology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, 3000 Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra, 3000 Coimbra, Portugal
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3
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MYCN and Metabolic Reprogramming in Neuroblastoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14174113. [PMID: 36077650 PMCID: PMC9455056 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14174113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is a pediatric cancer responsible for approximately 15% of all childhood cancer deaths. Aberrant MYCN activation, as a result of genomic MYCN amplification, is a major driver of high-risk neuroblastoma, which has an overall survival rate of less than 50%, despite the best treatments currently available. Metabolic reprogramming is an integral part of the growth-promoting program driven by MYCN, which fuels cell growth and proliferation by increasing the uptake and catabolism of nutrients, biosynthesis of macromolecules, and production of energy. This reprogramming process also generates metabolic vulnerabilities that can be exploited for therapy. In this review, we present our current understanding of metabolic reprogramming in neuroblastoma, focusing on transcriptional regulation as a key mechanism in driving the reprogramming process. We also highlight some important areas that need to be explored for the successful development of metabolism-based therapy against high-risk neuroblastoma.
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Lemberg KM, Zhao L, Wu Y, Veeravalli V, Alt J, Aguilar JMH, Dash RP, Lam J, Tenora L, Rodriguez C, Nedelcovych MT, Brayton C, Majer P, Blakeley JO, Rais R, Slusher BS. The Novel Glutamine Antagonist Prodrug JHU395 Has Antitumor Activity in Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor. Mol Cancer Ther 2020; 19:397-408. [PMID: 31594823 PMCID: PMC7007868 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-19-0319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The carbon and nitrogen components of glutamine are used for multiple biosynthetic processes by tumors. Glutamine metabolism and the therapeutic potential of glutamine antagonists (GA), however, are incompletely understood in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST), an aggressive soft tissue sarcoma observed in patients with neurofibromatosis type I. We investigated glutamine dependence of MPNST using JHU395, a novel orally bioavailable GA prodrug designed to circulate inert in plasma, but permeate and release active GA within target tissues. Human MPNST cells, compared with Schwann cells derived from healthy peripheral nerve, were selectively susceptible to both glutamine deprivation and GA dose-dependent growth inhibition. In vivo, orally administered JHU395 delivered active GA to tumors with over 2-fold higher tumor-to-plasma exposure, and significantly inhibited tumor growth in a murine flank MPNST model without observed toxicity. Global metabolomics studies and stable isotope-labeled flux analyses in tumors identified multiple glutamine-dependent metabolites affected, including prominent effects on purine synthesis. These data demonstrate that glutamine antagonism is a potential antitumor strategy for MPNST.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M Lemberg
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Liang Zhao
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ying Wu
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Vijayabhaskar Veeravalli
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jesse Alt
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - Ranjeet P Dash
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jenny Lam
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Lukáš Tenora
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Chabely Rodriguez
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Michael T Nedelcovych
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Cory Brayton
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Medicine and Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Pavel Majer
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jaishri O Blakeley
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Rana Rais
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Barbara S Slusher
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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5
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Sharma A, Boise LH, Shanmugam M. Cancer Metabolism and the Evasion of Apoptotic Cell Death. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:E1144. [PMID: 31405035 PMCID: PMC6721599 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11081144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular growth and proliferation depend upon the acquisition and synthesis of specific metabolites. These metabolites fuel the bioenergy, biosynthesis, and redox potential required for duplication of cellular biomass. Multicellular organisms maintain tissue homeostasis by balancing signals promoting proliferation and removal of cells via apoptosis. While apoptosis is in itself an energy dependent process activated by intrinsic and extrinsic signals, whether specific nutrient acquisition (elevated or suppressed) and their metabolism regulates apoptosis is less well investigated. Normal cellular metabolism is regulated by lineage specific intrinsic features and microenvironment driven extrinsic features. In the context of cancer, genetic abnormalities, unconventional microenvironments and/or therapy engage constitutive pro-survival signaling to re-program and rewire metabolism to maintain survival, growth, and proliferation. It thus becomes particularly relevant to understand whether altered nutrient acquisition and metabolism in cancer can also contribute to the evasion of apoptosis and consequently therapy resistance. Our review attempts to dissect a causal relationship between two cancer hallmarks, i.e., deregulated cellular energetics and the evasion of programmed cell death with primary focus on the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Sharma
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Lawrence H Boise
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Mala Shanmugam
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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Sen N, Cross AM, Lorenzi PL, Khan J, Gryder BE, Kim S, Caplen NJ. EWS-FLI1 reprograms the metabolism of Ewing sarcoma cells via positive regulation of glutamine import and serine-glycine biosynthesis. Mol Carcinog 2018; 57:1342-1357. [PMID: 29873416 PMCID: PMC6175245 DOI: 10.1002/mc.22849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EWS) is a soft tissue and bone tumor that occurs primarily in adolescents and young adults. In most cases of EWS, the chimeric transcription factor, EWS-FLI1 is the primary oncogenic driver. The epigenome of EWS cells reflects EWS-FLI1 binding and activation or repression of transcription. Here, we demonstrate that EWS-FLI1 positively regulates the expression of proteins required for serine-glycine biosynthesis and uptake of the alternative nutrient source glutamine. Specifically, we show that EWS-FLI1 activates expression of PHGDH, PSAT1, PSPH, and SHMT2. Using cell-based studies, we also establish that EWS cells are dependent on glutamine for cell survival and that EWS-FLI1 positively regulates expression of the glutamine transporter, SLC1A5 and two enzymes involved in the one-carbon cycle, MTHFD2 and MTHFD1L. Inhibition of serine-glycine biosynthesis in EWS cells impacts their redox state leading to an accumulation of reactive oxygen species, DNA damage, and apoptosis. Importantly, analysis of EWS primary tumor transcriptome data confirmed that the aforementioned genes we identified as regulated by EWS-FLI1 exhibit increased expression compared with normal tissues. Furthermore, retrospective analysis of an independent data set generated a significant stratification of the overall survival of EWS patients into low- and high-risk groups based on the expression of PHGDH, PSAT1, PSPH, SHMT2, SLC1A5, MTHFD2, and MTHFD1L. In summary, our study demonstrates that EWS-FLI1 reprograms the metabolism of EWS cells and that serine-glycine metabolism or glutamine uptake are potential targetable vulnerabilities in this tumor type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nirmalya Sen
- Functional Genetics Section, Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR)National Cancer Institute (NCI)BethesdaMaryland
| | - Allison M. Cross
- Functional Genetics Section, Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR)National Cancer Institute (NCI)BethesdaMaryland
| | - Philip L. Lorenzi
- Proteomic and Metabolomics Core Facility, Department of Bioinformatics and Computational BiologyThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTexas
| | - Javed Khan
- Oncogenomics Section, Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR)National Cancer Institute (NCI)BethesdaMaryland
| | - Berkley E. Gryder
- Oncogenomics Section, Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR)National Cancer Institute (NCI)BethesdaMaryland
| | - Suntae Kim
- Functional Genetics Section, Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR)National Cancer Institute (NCI)BethesdaMaryland
| | - Natasha J. Caplen
- Functional Genetics Section, Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research (CCR)National Cancer Institute (NCI)BethesdaMaryland
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7
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MYCN induces neuroblastoma in primary neural crest cells. Oncogene 2017; 36:5075-5082. [PMID: 28459463 PMCID: PMC5582212 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2017.128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Revised: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NBL) is an embryonal cancer of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which causes 15% of pediatric cancer deaths. High-risk NBL is characterized by N-Myc amplification and segmental chromosomal gains and losses. Owing to limited disease models, the etiology of NBL is largely unknown, including both the cell of origin and the majority of oncogenic drivers. We have established a novel system for studying NBL based on the transformation of neural crest cells (NCCs), the progenitor cells of the SNS, isolated from mouse embryonic day 9.5 trunk neural tube explants. Based on pathology and gene expression analysis, we report the first successful transformation of wild-type NCCs into NBL by enforced expression of N-Myc, to generate phenotypically and molecularly accurate tumors that closely model human MYCN-amplified NBL. Using comparative genomic hybridization, we found that NCC-derived NBL tumors acquired copy number gains and losses that are syntenic to those observed in human MYCN-amplified NBL including 17q gain, 2p gain and loss of 1p36. When p53-compromised NCCs were transformed with N-Myc, we generated primitive neuroectodermal tumors with divergent differentiation including osteosarcoma. These subcutaneous tumors were metastatic to regional lymph nodes, liver and lung. Our novel experimental approach accurately models human NBL and establishes a new system with potential to study early stages of NBL oncogenesis, to functionally assess NBL oncogenic drivers and to characterize NBL metastasis.
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Malek R, Wang H, Taparra K, Tran PT. Therapeutic Targeting of Epithelial Plasticity Programs: Focus on the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. Cells Tissues Organs 2017; 203:114-127. [PMID: 28214899 DOI: 10.1159/000447238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mounting data points to epithelial plasticity programs such as the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as clinically relevant therapeutic targets for the treatment of malignant tumors. In addition to the widely realized role of EMT in increasing cancer cell invasiveness during cancer metastasis, the EMT has also been implicated in allowing cancer cells to avoid tumor suppressor pathways during early tumorigenesis. In addition, data linking EMT to innate and acquired treatment resistance further points towards the desire to develop pharmacological therapies to target epithelial plasticity in cancer. In this review we organized our discussion on pathways and agents that can be used to target the EMT in cancer into 3 groups: (1) extracellular inducers of EMT, (2) the transcription factors that orchestrate the EMT transcriptome, and (3) the downstream effectors of EMT. We highlight only briefly specific canonical pathways known to be involved in EMT, such as the signal transduction pathways TGFβ, EFGR, and Axl-Gas6. We emphasize in more detail pathways that we believe are emerging novel pathways and therapeutic targets such as epigenetic therapies, glycosylation pathways, and immunotherapy. The heterogeneity of tumors and the dynamic nature of epithelial plasticity in cancer cells make it likely that targeting only 1 EMT-related process will be unsuccessful or only transiently successful. We suggest that with greater understanding of epithelial plasticity regulation, such as with the EMT, a more systematic targeting of multiple EMT regulatory networks will be the best path forward to improve cancer outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reem Malek
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Feasibility and antitumor efficacy in vivo, of simultaneously targeting glycolysis, glutaminolysis and fatty acid synthesis using lonidamine, 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine and orlistat in colon cancer. Oncol Lett 2017; 13:1905-1910. [PMID: 28454342 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.5615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate in vivo the feasibility and efficacy of the combination of lonidamine (LND), 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (DON) and orlistat to simultaneously target glycolysis, glutaminolysis and de novo synthesis of fatty acids, respectively. The doses of LND and DON used in humans were translated to mouse doses (77.7 mg/kg and 145.5 mg/kg, respectively) and orlistat was used at 240 mg/kg. Three schedules of LND, DON and orlistat at different doses were administered by intraperitoneal injection to BALB/c mice in a 21-day cycle (schedule 1: LND, 0.5 mg/day; DON, 0.25 mg/day 1, 5 and 9; orlistat, 240 mg/kg/day; schedule 2: LND, 0.1 mg/day; DON, 0.5 mg/day 1, 5 and 9; orlistat, 240 mg/kg/day; schedule 3: LND, 0.5 mg/day; DON, 0.08 mg/day 1, 5 and 9; orlistat, 360 mg/kg/day) to assess tolerability. To determine the antitumor efficacy, a syngeneic tumor model in BALB/c mice was created using colon cancer CT26.WT cells, and a xenogeneic tumor model was created in nude mice using the human colon cancer SW480 cell line. Mice were treated with schedule 1. Animals were weighed, clinically inspected during the experiment and the tumor volume was measured at day 21. The 3 schedules assessed in the tolerability experiments were well tolerated, as mice maintained their weight and no evident clinical signs of toxicity were observed. Combination treatment with schedule 1 significantly decreased tumor growth in each mouse model. No evident signs of toxicity were observed and mice maintained their weight during treatment. The triple metabolic blockade of the malignant phenotype appears feasible and promising for cancer therapy.
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Targeting glutamine metabolism in multiple myeloma enhances BIM binding to BCL-2 eliciting synthetic lethality to venetoclax. Oncogene 2015; 35:3955-64. [PMID: 26640142 PMCID: PMC5025767 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2015.464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Revised: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy that is largely incurable due to development of resistance to therapy-elicited cell death. Nutrients are intricately connected to maintenance of cellular viability in part by inhibition of apoptosis. We were interested to determine if examination of metabolic regulation of BCL-2 proteins may provide insight on alternative routes to engage apoptosis. MM cells are reliant on glucose and glutamine and withdrawal of either nutrient is associated with varying levels of apoptosis. We and others have demonstrated that glucose maintains levels of key resistance-promoting BCL-2 family member, myeloid cell leukemic factor 1 (MCL-1). Cells continuing to survive in the absence of glucose or glutamine were found to maintain expression of MCL-1 but importantly induce pro-apoptotic BIM expression. One potential mechanism for continued survival despite induction of BIM could be due to binding and sequestration of BIM to alternate pro-survival BCL-2 members. Our investigation revealed that cells surviving glutamine withdrawal in particular, enhance expression and binding of BIM to BCL-2, consequently sensitizing these cells to the BH3 mimetic venetoclax. Glutamine deprivation-driven sensitization to venetoclax can be reversed by metabolic supplementation with TCA cycle intermediate α-ketoglutarate. Inhibition of glucose metabolism with the GLUT4 inhibitor ritonavir elicits variable cytotoxicity in MM that is marginally enhanced with venetoclax treatment, however, targeting glutamine metabolism with 6-diazo-5-oxo-l-norleucine uniformly sensitized MM cell lines and relapse/refractory patient samples to venetoclax. Our studies reveal a potent therapeutic strategy of metabolically driven synthetic lethality involving targeting glutamine metabolism for sensitization to venetoclax in MM.
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Cervantes-Madrid D, Romero Y, Dueñas-González A. Reviving Lonidamine and 6-Diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine to Be Used in Combination for Metabolic Cancer Therapy. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:690492. [PMID: 26425550 PMCID: PMC4575731 DOI: 10.1155/2015/690492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2015] [Revised: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 08/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal metabolism is another cancer hallmark. The two most characterized altered metabolic pathways are high rates of glycolysis and glutaminolysis, which are natural targets for cancer therapy. Currently, a number of newer compounds to block glycolysis and glutaminolysis are being developed; nevertheless, lonidamine and 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (DON) are two old drugs well characterized as inhibitors of glycolysis and glutaminolysis, respectively, whose clinical development was abandoned years ago when the importance of cancer metabolism was not fully appreciated and clinical trial methodology was less developed. In this review, a PubMed search using the words lonidamine and 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (DON) was undertaken to analyse existing information on the preclinical and clinical studies of these drugs for cancer treatment. Data show that they exhibit antitumor effects; besides there is also the suggestion that they are synergistic. We conclude that lonidamine and DON are safe and potentially effective drugs that need to be reevaluated in combination as metabolic therapy of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yair Romero
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 Mexico City, DF, Mexico
| | - Alfonso Dueñas-González
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México/Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, 14080 Mexico City, DF, Mexico
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12
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Harnett CC, Abusneina A, Clément J, Gauthier ER. Inhibition of MCL-1 by obatoclax sensitizes Sp2/0-Ag14 hybridoma cells to glutamine deprivation-induced apoptosis. Cell Biochem Funct 2015; 33:334-40. [DOI: 10.1002/cbf.3121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Revised: 05/06/2015] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Curtis C. Harnett
- Biomolecular Sciences Ph.D. program; Laurentian University; Sudbury Ontario Canada
| | | | - Julie Clément
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Laurentian University; Sudbury Ontario Canada
| | - Eric R. Gauthier
- Biomolecular Sciences Ph.D. program; Laurentian University; Sudbury Ontario Canada
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Laurentian University; Sudbury Ontario Canada
- Biology Department; Laurentian University; Sudbury Ontario Canada
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