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Vinik Y, Maimon A, Dubey V, Raj H, Abramovitch I, Malitsky S, Itkin M, Ma'ayan A, Westermann F, Gottlieb E, Ruppin E, Lev S. Programming a Ferroptosis-to-Apoptosis Transition Landscape Revealed Ferroptosis Biomarkers and Repressors for Cancer Therapy. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2307263. [PMID: 38441406 PMCID: PMC11077643 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202307263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
Ferroptosis and apoptosis are key cell-death pathways implicated in several human diseases including cancer. Ferroptosis is driven by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation and currently has no characteristic biomarkers or gene signatures. Here a continuous phenotypic gradient between ferroptosis and apoptosis coupled to transcriptomic and metabolomic landscapes is established. The gradual ferroptosis-to-apoptosis transcriptomic landscape is used to generate a unique, unbiased transcriptomic predictor, the Gradient Gene Set (GGS), which classified ferroptosis and apoptosis with high accuracy. Further GGS optimization using multiple ferroptotic and apoptotic datasets revealed highly specific ferroptosis biomarkers, which are robustly validated in vitro and in vivo. A subset of the GGS is associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer patients and PDXs and contains different ferroptosis repressors. Depletion of one representative, PDGFA-assaociated protein 1(PDAP1), is found to suppress basal-like breast tumor growth in a mouse model. Omics and mechanistic studies revealed that ferroptosis is associated with enhanced lysosomal function, glutaminolysis, and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, while its transition into apoptosis is attributed to enhanced endoplasmic reticulum(ER)-stress and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)-to-phosphatidylcholine (PC) metabolic shift. Collectively, this study highlights molecular mechanisms underlying ferroptosis execution, identified a highly predictive ferroptosis gene signature with prognostic value, ferroptosis versus apoptosis biomarkers, and ferroptosis repressors for breast cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaron Vinik
- Molecular Cell Biology DepartmentWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovot76100Israel
| | - Avi Maimon
- Molecular Cell Biology DepartmentWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovot76100Israel
| | - Vinay Dubey
- Molecular Cell Biology DepartmentWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovot76100Israel
| | - Harsha Raj
- Molecular Cell Biology DepartmentWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovot76100Israel
| | - Ifat Abramovitch
- The Ruth and Bruce RappaportFaculty of MedicineTechnion–Israel Institute of TechnologyHaifa3525433Israel
| | - Sergey Malitsky
- Metabolic Profiling UnitWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovot76100Israel
| | - Maxim Itkin
- Metabolic Profiling UnitWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovot76100Israel
| | - Avi Ma'ayan
- Department of Pharmacological SciencesMount Sinai Center for BioinformaticsIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNY10029USA
| | - Frank Westermann
- Neuroblastoma GenomicsGerman Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)69120HeidelbergGermany
| | - Eyal Gottlieb
- The Ruth and Bruce RappaportFaculty of MedicineTechnion–Israel Institute of TechnologyHaifa3525433Israel
| | - Eytan Ruppin
- Cancer Data Science LaboratoryNational Cancer InstituteNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMD20892USA
| | - Sima Lev
- Molecular Cell Biology DepartmentWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovot76100Israel
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Xu T, Chakraborty S, Wei D, Tran M, Rhea R, Wei B, Nguyen P, Gagea M, Cohen L, Liao Z, Yang P. Evaluation of the Protective Effect of Compound Kushen Injection Against Radiation- induced Pneumonitis in Mice. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3880937. [PMID: 38352564 PMCID: PMC10862984 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3880937/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Background Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) via inflammation is a common adverse effect of thoracic radiation that negatively impacts patient quality of life and survival. Compound kushen injection (CKI), a botanical drug treatment, was examined for its ability to reduce RILI, and inflammatory responses and improve survival in mice exposed total lung irradiation (TLI). CKI's specific mechanisms of action were also evaluated. Methods C3H mice underwent TLI and were treated with CKI (2, 4, or 8 mL/kg) intraperitoneally once a day for 8 weeks. The effects of CKI on survival were estimated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and compared by log-rank test. RILI damage was evaluated by histopathology and micro-computed tomography (CT). Inflammatory cytokines and cyclooxygenase metabolites were examined by IHC staining, western blot, and ELISA. Results Pre-irradiation treatment with 4 or 8 mL/kg CKI starting 2 weeks before TLI or concurrent treatment with 8 mL/kg CKI were associated with a significantly longer survival compared with TLI vehicle-treated group ( P < 0.05). Micro-CT images evaluations showed that concurrent treatment with 8 mL/kg CKI was associated with significantly lower incidence of RILI ( P < 0.05). Histological evaluations revealed that concurrent TLI treatment of CKI (4 and 8 mL/kg) significantly reduced lung inflammation (p < 0.05). Mechanistic investigation showed that at 72 hours after radiation, TLI plus vehicle mice had significantly elevated serum IL6, IL17A, and TGF-β levels compared with non-irradiated, age-matched normal mice; in contrast, levels of these cytokines in mice that received TLI plus CKI treatment were lower than those in the TLI plus vehicle-treated mice ( P < 0.05) and similar to the nonirradiated mice. IHC staining showed that the CKI treatment led to a reduction of TGF-β positive cells in the lung tissues of TLI mice (P < 0.01). The concurrent CKI with TLI treatment group had a significant reduction in COX-2 activity and COX-2 metabolites compared with the TLI vehicle-treated group ( P < 0.05). Conclusions These data suggest that CKI treatment was associated with reduced radiation-induced inflammation in lung tissues, reduced RILI, and improved survival. Further investigation of CKI in human clinical trials as a potential radioprotector against RILI to improve patients' quality of life and survival is warranted.
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Chen X, Yu S, Wang P, Zhao X, Sang G. Development and Evaluation of a Novel Hyaluronic Acid and Chitosan-modified Phytosome for Co-delivery of Oxymatrine and Glycyrrhizin for Combination Therapy. Recent Pat Anticancer Drug Discov 2024; 19:154-164. [PMID: 38214355 DOI: 10.2174/1574892818666230215112942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multidrug resistance (MDR) of cancer cells is a major obstacle to efficient cancer chemotherapy. Combination therapy is expected to enhance the anticancer effect and reverse MDR. Numerous patents involve different kinds of nanoparticles for the co-delivery of multiple chemotherapeutics, but the FDA has approved none. OBJECTIVE In this study, oxymatrine (OMT) and glycyrrhizin (GL) were co-loaded into phytosomes as the core of nanocarriers, and the shell was cross-linked with chitosan (CS) and hyaluronic acid (HA) with the capability for the controlled, sequential release and the targeted drug uptake. METHODS Phospholipid complexes of OMT and GL (OGPs) were prepared by a solvent evaporation technique and could self-assemble in an aqueous solution to form phytosomes. CS and HA were sequentially coated on the surface of OGPs via electrostatic interactions to obtain CS coated OGPs (CS-OGPs) and HA modified CS-OGPs (HA-CS-OGPs), respectively. The particle size and zeta potential were measured to optimize the formulations. In vitro cytotoxicity and cellular uptake experiments on HepG2 cells were performed to evaluate the anticancer activity. RESULTS OGPs were obtained with nano-size around 100 nm, and CS and HA coating on phytosomes could change the particle size and surface potential. The drug loading of OMT and GL showed that the nanocarriers could maintain a fixed ratio of 1:1. The in vitro release experiments indicated the release of OMT and GL was pH-dependent and sequential: the release of OMT from CS-OGPs and HA-CS-OGPs was significantly increased at pH 5.0 compared to the release at pH 7.4, while GL exhibited sustained released from CS-OGPs and HA-CS-OGPs at pH 5.0. Furthermore, in vitro cytotoxicity and cellular uptake experiments on HepG2 cells demonstrated that the co-delivery system based on phytosomes had significant synergistic anti-tumor activities, and the effects were enhanced by CS and HA modification. CONCLUSION The delivery of OMT and GL via HA-CS-OGPs might be a promising treatment to reverse MDR in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojin Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Children's Hospital, Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shuying Yu
- Department of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Children's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, China
| | - Pingping Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Children's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, China
| | - XinFeng Zhao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Hangzhou Children's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, China
| | - Gao Sang
- Department of Traditional Medicine, Hangzhou Children's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, China
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Shang W, Ye A, Tong YK. Sub-Cellular Dynamic Analysis of BGC823 Cells after Treatment with the Multi-Component Drug CKI Using Raman Spectroscopy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12750. [PMID: 37628931 PMCID: PMC10454546 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Multi-component drugs (MCDs) can induce various cellular changes covering multiple levels, from molecular and subcellular structure to cell morphology. A "non-invasive" method for comprehensively detecting the dynamic changes of cellular fine structure and chemical components on the subcellular level is highly desirable for MCD studies. In this study, the subcellular dynamic processes of gastric cancer BGC823 cells after treatment with a multi-component drug, Compound Kushen Injection (CKI), were investigated using a homemade, high-resolution, confocal Raman spectroscopy (RS) device combined with bright-field imaging. The Raman spectra of the nucleus, cytoplasm and intracellular vesicles (0.4-1 μm) were collected simultaneously for each cell treated with CKI at different times and doses. The RS measurements showed that CKI decreased the DNA signatures, which the drug is known to inhibit. Meanwhile, the CKI-induced subcellular dynamic changes in the appearance of numerous intracellular vesicles and the deconstruction of cytoplasm components were observed and discussed. The results demonstrated that high-resolution subcellular micro-Raman spectroscopy has potential for detecting fine cellular dynamic variation induced by drugs and the screening of MCDs in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhao Shang
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, School of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Biomed-X Center, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Anpei Ye
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, School of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Biomed-X Center, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yu-Kai Tong
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, School of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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Liu X, Bai M, Li H, Ye P, Duan X, Wu C, Huang Z, Lu S, Zhang J, Zhao Z, Guo F, You R, Qin W, Wang W, Han A, Shen L, Wang Y, Zhao Z, Luo H, Wu J. Single-cell RNA-sequencing uncovers compound kushen injection synergistically improves the efficacy of chemotherapy by modulating the tumor environment of breast cancer. Front Immunol 2022; 13:965342. [DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.965342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundDue to lack of enough specific targets and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), TNBC patients often cannot benefit from a single treatment option. This study aims to explore the regulatory effects of Compound kushen injection (CKI) plus chemotherapy on the TME of TNBC from a single cell level.MethodsA mouse TNBC model in BALB/c mice was established to evaluate the antitumor efficacy and toxicity of CKI combined with chemotherapy. Flow cytometry was used to observe the influence of CKI on the lymphocyte populations in the tumor bearing mice. Both bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) were applied to portray the modulation of CKI combined with chemotherapy on the TME of TNBC mice.ResultsCKI significantly enhanced the anticancer activity of chemotherapy in vivo with no obvious side effects. Flow cytometry results revealed a significantly higher activation of CD8+ T lymphocytes in the spleens and tumors of the mice with combination therapy. Bulk RNA-seq indicated that CKI could promote the cytotoxic immune cell infiltrating into tumor tissues. Meanwhile, scRNA-seq further revealed that CKI combined with chemotherapy could enhance the percentage of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells, inhibit tumor-promoting signaling pathways, and promote T cell activation and positive regulation of immune response. In addition, CKI showed obvious anticancer activity against MDA-MB-231 breast tumor cells in vitro.ConclusionsThe combination of CKI and chemotherapy might provide a higher efficiency and lower toxicity strategy than a single chemotherapy drug for TNBC. CKI potentiates the anti-TNBC effects of chemotherapy by activating anti-tumor immune response in mice.
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Harata-Lee Y, Qu Z, Bateman E, Xiao X, Keller MD, Bowen J, Wang W, Adelson DL. Compound Kushen injection reduces severity of radiation-induced gastrointestinal mucositis in rats. Front Oncol 2022; 12:929735. [PMID: 36033515 PMCID: PMC9403047 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.929735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Mucositis, or damage/injury to mucous membranes of the alimentary, respiratory, or genitourinary tract, is the major side effect associated with anticancer radiotherapies. Because there is no effective treatment for mucositis at present, this is a particular issue as it limits the dose of therapy in cancer patients and significantly affects their quality of life. Gastrointestinal mucositis (GIM) occurs in patients receiving radiotherapies to treat cancers of the stomach, abdomen, and pelvis. It involves inflammation and ulceration of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract causing diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, and bloating. However, there is currently no effective treatment for this debilitating condition. In this study, we investigated the potential of a type of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), compound Kushen injection (CKI), as a treatment for GIM. It has previously been shown that major groups of chemical compounds found in CKI have anti-inflammatory effects and are capable of inhibiting the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Intraperitoneal administration of CKI to Sprague Dawley (SD) rats that concurrently received abdominal irradiation over five fractions resulted in reduced severity of GIM symptoms compared to rats administered a vehicle control. Histological examination of the intestinal tissues revealed significantly less damaged villus epithelium in CKI-administered rats that had reduced numbers of apoptotic cells in the crypts. Furthermore, it was also found that CKI treatment led to decreased levels of inflammatory factors including lower levels of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 as well as myeloperoxidase (MPO)-producing cells in the intestinal mucosa. Together, our data indicate a novel effect of CKI to reduce the symptoms of radiation-induced GIM by inhibiting inflammation in the mucosa and apoptosis of epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuka Harata-Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Zhipeng Qu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Emma Bateman
- School of Biomedicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Xi Xiao
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Marianne D. Keller
- Preclinical, Imaging and Research Laboratories (PIRL), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Joanne Bowen
- School of Biomedicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Wei Wang
- Zhendong Research Institute, Zhendong Pharmaceutical, Beijing, China
| | - David L. Adelson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- *Correspondence: David L. Adelson,
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Sun J, Li M, Lin T, Wang D, Chen J, Zhang Y, Mu Q, Su H, Wu N, Liu A, Yu Y, Liu Y, Wang S, Yu X, Guo J, Yu W. Cell cycle arrest is an important mechanism of action of compound Kushen injection in the prevention of colorectal cancer. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4384. [PMID: 35288618 PMCID: PMC8921286 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08336-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Compound Kushen injection (CKI) is the most widely used traditional Chinese medicine preparation for the comprehensive treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) in China, but its underlying molecular mechanisms of action are still unclear. The present study employed a network pharmacology approach, in which we constructed a "bioactive compound-target-pathway" network. Experimental RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis was performed to identify a key "bioactive compound-target-pathway" network for subsequent experimental validation. Cell cycle, proliferation, autophagy, and apoptosis assays and a model of azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate-induced colorectal carcinogenesis in mice were employed to detect the biological effect of CKI on CRC. Real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry were performed to verify the selected targets and pathways. We constructed a predicted network that included 82 bioactive compounds, 34 targets, and 33 pathways and further screened an anti-CRC CKI "biological compound (hesperetin 7-O-rutinoside, genistein 7-O-rutinoside, and trifolirhizin)-target (p53 and checkpoint kinase 1 [CHEK1])" network that targeted the "cell cycle pathway". Validation experiments showed that CKI effectively induced the cell-cycle arrest of CRC cells in vitro and suppressed the development of CRC in vivo by downregulating the expression of p53 and CHEK1. Our findings confirmed that inducing cell-cycle arrest by CKI is an important mechanism of its anti-CRC action, which provides a direct and scientific experimental basis for the clinical application of CKI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Sun
- Department of Central Laboratory and Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Mei Li
- Department of Central Laboratory and Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Tingru Lin
- Department of Central Laboratory and Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Di Wang
- Department of Central Laboratory and Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jingyi Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Mu
- Department of Central Laboratory and Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Huiting Su
- Department of Central Laboratory and Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Na Wu
- Department of Central Laboratory and Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Aiyu Liu
- Department of Central Laboratory and Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yimeng Yu
- Department of Central Laboratory and Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yulan Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shaojie Wang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jingzhu Guo
- Department of Pediatric, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
| | - Weidong Yu
- Department of Central Laboratory and Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
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Wang H, Wu Z, Liu Y, Wang M, Stalin A, Guo S, Li J, Wu C, Zhang J, Tan Y, Huang Z, Lu S, Fan X, Wu J. A novel strategy to reveal clinical advantages and molecular mechanism of aidi injection in the treatment of pancreatic cancer based on network meta-analysis and network pharmacology. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2022; 285:114852. [PMID: 34838619 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Pancreatic cancer is a common malignancy worldwide due to its poor prognosis and high mortality rate. It is clinically proven that the combination of chemotherapeutic drugs and Traditional Chinese Medicine injections (TCMIs) significantly improves the therapeutic effect. AIM OF THE STUDY To evaluate the efficacy and clinical benefits of TCMIs in combination with chemotherapy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer and to explore the mechanism of clinical advantage of Aidi injection. METHODS Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched in databases by NMA before December 29, 2020. WinBUGS 1.4, Stata 14.0, and R 4.0.4 software were used for calculations. All results were expressed as odds ratios and 95% credible intervals. Through the network pharmacology method, the chemical components and their targets, as well as the disease targets were further analyzed. And then, biological experiments were integrated to verify the results of network pharmacology analysis. (PROSPERO ID: CRD42021283559). RESULTS A total of 33 RCTs with 8 TCMIs and 2011 patients were included. The results of NMA showed that Aidi injection can significantly improve the clinical efficacy (OR = 0.34, 95%CI: 0.16-0.74), and the clinical advantage was that it can significantly alleviate the leukopenia and thrombocytopenia caused by chemotherapy (OR = 5.65, 95%CI: 1.18-28.13). A total of 23 chemical compounds and 280 potential targets for Aidi injection were obtained from the online databases. Among them, there were 22 compounds, 50 targets and 211 signaling pathways closely related to leukopenia. Five genes were predicted to be core targets of ADI in alleviating leukopenia, and 2 of them (TP53 and VEGFA) were confirmed by biological experiments as regulatory targets of ADI in the treatment of PC. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, TCMIs in combination with chemotherapy, can improve clinical efficacy and safety in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. However, the overall evidence base is low, and large samples with multi-center RCTs are still needed to support further research findings. Aidi injection can alleviate leukopenia mainly by intervening in oxidative stress, regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis, and regulating the inflammatory response. The combined application of NMA, network pharmacology, and biological experiments provides a reference for clinical evaluation and mechanism of action exploration of other drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haojia Wang
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Zhishan Wu
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Yingying Liu
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Miaomiao Wang
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Antony Stalin
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China.
| | - Siyu Guo
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Jialin Li
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Chao Wu
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Jingyuan Zhang
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Yingying Tan
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Zhihong Huang
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Shan Lu
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Xiaotian Fan
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Jiarui Wu
- Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
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Wainwright CL, Teixeira MM, Adelson DL, Buenz EJ, David B, Glaser KB, Harata-Lee Y, Howes MJR, Izzo AA, Maffia P, Mayer AM, Mazars C, Newman DJ, Nic Lughadha E, Pimenta AM, Parra JA, Qu Z, Shen H, Spedding M, Wolfender JL. Future Directions for the Discovery of Natural Product-Derived Immunomodulating Drugs. Pharmacol Res 2022; 177:106076. [PMID: 35074524 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Drug discovery from natural sources is going through a renaissance, having spent many decades in the shadow of synthetic molecule drug discovery, despite the fact that natural product-derived compounds occupy a much greater chemical space than those created through synthetic chemistry methods. With this new era comes new possibilities, not least the novel targets that have emerged in recent times and the development of state-of-the-art technologies that can be applied to drug discovery from natural sources. Although progress has been made with some immunomodulating drugs, there remains a pressing need for new agents that can be used to treat the wide variety of conditions that arise from disruption, or over-activation, of the immune system; natural products may therefore be key in filling this gap. Recognising that, at present, there is no authoritative article that details the current state-of-the-art of the immunomodulatory activity of natural products, this in-depth review has arisen from a joint effort between the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR) Natural Products and Immunopharmacology, with contributions from a Powered by Editorial Manager® and ProduXion Manager® from Aries Systems Corporation number of world-leading researchers in the field of natural product drug discovery, to provide a "position statement" on what natural products has to offer in the search for new immunomodulatory argents. To this end, we provide a historical look at previous discoveries of naturally occurring immunomodulators, present a picture of the current status of the field and provide insight into the future opportunities and challenges for the discovery of new drugs to treat immune-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cherry L Wainwright
- Centre for Natural Products in Health, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK.
| | - Mauro M Teixeira
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - David L Adelson
- Molecular & Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide, Australia.
| | - Eric J Buenz
- Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, New Zealand.
| | - Bruno David
- Green Mission Pierre Fabre, Pierre Fabre Laboratories, Toulouse, France.
| | - Keith B Glaser
- AbbVie Inc., Integrated Discovery Operations, North Chicago, USA.
| | - Yuka Harata-Lee
- Molecular & Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide, Australia
| | - Melanie-Jayne R Howes
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK; Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, UK.
| | - Angelo A Izzo
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Italy.
| | - Pasquale Maffia
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Italy; Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
| | - Alejandro Ms Mayer
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, IL, USA.
| | - Claire Mazars
- Green Mission Pierre Fabre, Pierre Fabre Laboratories, Toulouse, France.
| | | | | | - Adriano Mc Pimenta
- Laboratory of Animal Venoms and Toxins, Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - John Aa Parra
- Laboratory of Animal Venoms and Toxins, Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Zhipeng Qu
- Molecular & Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide, Australia
| | - Hanyuan Shen
- Molecular & Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide, Australia
| | | | - Jean-Luc Wolfender
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
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10
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Zheng J, Li G, Wang J, Wang S, Tang Q, Sheng H, Wu W, Wang S. Compound Kushen Injection Protects Skin From Radiation Injury via Regulating Bim. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:753068. [PMID: 34955827 PMCID: PMC8696473 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.753068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Radiation-induced skin injury is a major side-effect observed in cancer patients who received radiotherapy. Thus identifying new radioprotective drugs for prevention or treatment of post-irradiation skin injury should be prompted. A large number of clinical studies have confirmed that Compound Kushen injection (CKI) can enhance efficacy and reduce toxicity of radiotherapy. The aim of this study is to confirm the effect of CKI in alleviating radiotherapy injury in the skin and explore the exact mechanism. Methods: 60 patients who met the inclusion/exclusion criteria were allocated to treatment group (CKI before radiotherapy) or control group (normal saline before radiotherapy) randomly. MTT assay, flow cytometry, Western Blot, and transient transfection were performed to detect the cell viability, cell apoptosis and Bim expression after treatment with CKI or/and radiotherapy. Results: CKI had the effect of alleviating skin injury in cancer patients who received radiotherapy in clinic. CKI induced cancer cell apoptosis when combined with irradiation (IR), while it reversed the induction of cell apoptosis by IR in human skin fibroblast (HSF) cells. And Bim, as a tumor suppressor, was induced in cancer cells but had no change in HSF cells when treated with CKI. Moreover, the above effect could be attenuated when Bim was silenced by siRNA. Conclusion: We conclude that CKI represents a promising radio-protective agent with a potential differential beneficial effect on both cancer cells (inducing apoptosis) and HSF cells (providing radio-protection via inhibiting IR-induced apoptosis), via regulating Bim. Our study uncovers a novel mechanism by which CKI inhibits human cancer cell while protects skin from radiotherapy, indicating CKI might be a promising radio-protective drug. Clinical Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (www.chictr.org.cn), identifier ChiCTR2100049164.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianxiao Zheng
- Department of Oncology, Clinical and Basic Research Team of TCM Prevention and Treatment of NSCLC, the Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease Research, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Radiology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, the Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Gong Li
- Department of Radiology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, the Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Juanjuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shujing Wang
- The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing Tang
- Department of Oncology, Clinical and Basic Research Team of TCM Prevention and Treatment of NSCLC, the Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease Research, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Honghao Sheng
- Department of Oncology, Clinical and Basic Research Team of TCM Prevention and Treatment of NSCLC, the Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease Research, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wanyin Wu
- Department of Oncology, Clinical and Basic Research Team of TCM Prevention and Treatment of NSCLC, the Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease Research, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sumei Wang
- Department of Oncology, Clinical and Basic Research Team of TCM Prevention and Treatment of NSCLC, the Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease Research, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
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11
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Li Y, Wang K, Chen Y, Cai J, Qin X, Lu A, Guan D, Qin G, Chen W. A System Pharmacology Model for Decoding the Synergistic Mechanisms of Compound Kushen Injection in Treating Breast Cancer. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:723147. [PMID: 34899291 PMCID: PMC8660088 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.723147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignant tumors among women worldwide and can be treated using various methods; however, side effects of these treatments cannot be ignored. Increasing evidence indicates that compound kushen injection (CKI) can be used to treat BC. However, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is characterized by “multi-components” and “multi-targets”, which make it challenging to clarify the potential therapeutic mechanisms of CKI on BC. Herein, we designed a novel system pharmacology strategy using differentially expressed gene analysis, pharmacokinetics synthesis screening, target identification, network analysis, and docking validation to construct the synergy contribution degree (SCD) and therapeutic response index (TRI) model to capture the critical components responding to synergistic mechanisms of CKI in BC. Through our designed mathematical models, we defined 24 components as a high contribution group of synergistic components (HCGSC) from 113 potentially active components of CKI based on ADME parameters. Pathway enrichment analysis of HCGSC targets indicated that Rhizoma Heterosmilacis and Radix Sophorae Flavescentis could synergistically target the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and the cAMP signaling pathway to treat BC. Additionally, TRI analysis showed that the average affinity of HCGSC and targets involved in the key pathways reached -6.47 kcal/mmol, while in vitro experiments proved that two of the three high TRI-scored components in the HCGSC showed significant inhibitory effects on breast cancer cell proliferation and migration. These results demonstrate the accuracy and reliability of the proposed strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Li
- Department of Radiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kexin Wang
- Institute of Integrated Bioinformedicine and Translational Science, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Neurosurgery Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Department of Cerebrovascular Surgery, Engineering Technology Research Center of Education Ministry of China on Diagnosis and Treatment of Cerebrovascular Disease, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yupeng Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Biochip Technology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jieqi Cai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Biochip Technology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xuemei Qin
- Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Aiping Lu
- Institute of Integrated Bioinformedicine and Translational Science, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Daogang Guan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Biochip Technology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Genggeng Qin
- Department of Radiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weiguo Chen
- Department of Radiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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12
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Liu X, Wu Y, Zhang Y, Bu D, Wu C, Lu S, Huang Z, Song Y, Zhao Y, Guo F, Ye P, Fu C, Shen L, Zhang J, Wang H, Duan X, Wu J. High Throughput Transcriptome Data Analysis and Computational Verification Reveal Immunotherapy Biomarkers of Compound Kushen Injection for Treating Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:747300. [PMID: 34604090 PMCID: PMC8484800 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.747300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although notable therapeutic and prognostic benefits of compound kushen injection (CKI) have been found when it was used alone or in combination with chemotherapy or radiotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) treatment, the effects of CKI on TNBC microenvironment remain largely unclear. This study aims to construct and validate a predictive immunotherapy signature of CKI on TNBC. Methods The UPLC-Q-TOF-MS technology was firstly used to investigate major constituents of CKI. RNA sequencing data of CKI-perturbed TNBC cells were analyzed to detect differential expression genes (DEGs), and the GSVA algorithm was applied to explore significantly changed pathways regulated by CKI. Additionally, the ssGSEA algorithm was used to quantify immune cell abundance in TNBC patients, and these patients were classified into distinct immune infiltration subgroups by unsupervised clustering. Then, prognosis-related genes were screened from DEGs among these subgroups and were further overlapped with the DEGs regulated by CKI. Finally, a predictive immunotherapy signature of CKI on TNBC was constructed based on the LASSO regression algorithm to predict mortality risks of TNBC patients, and the signature was also validated in another TNBC cohort. Results Twenty-three chemical components in CKI were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS analysis. A total of 3692 DEGs were detected in CKI-treated versus control groups, and CKI significantly activated biological processes associated with activation of T, natural killer and natural killer T cells. Three immune cell infiltration subgroups with 1593 DEGs were identified in TNBC patients. Then, two genes that can be down-regulated by CKI with hazard ratio (HR) > 1 and 26 genes that can be up-regulated by CKI with HR < 1 were selected as key immune- and prognosis-related genes regulated by CKI. Lastly, a five-gene prognostic signature comprising two risky genes (MARVELD2 and DYNC2I2) that can be down-regulated by CKI and three protective genes (RASSF2, FERMT3 and RASSF5) that can be up-regulated by CKI was developed, and it showed a good performance in both training and test sets. Conclusions This study proposes a predictive immunotherapy signature of CKI on TNBC, which would provide more evidence for survival prediction and treatment guidance in TNBC as well as a paradigm for exploring immunotherapy biomarkers in compound medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinkui Liu
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Information Processing, Advanced Computer Research Center, Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yingying Zhang
- Department of Vascular Neurosurgery, New Era Stroke Care and Research Institute, The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force Characteristic Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Dechao Bu
- Pervasive Computing Research Center, Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Wu
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Lu
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Zhihong Huang
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yurong Song
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Information Processing, Advanced Computer Research Center, Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Fengying Guo
- School of Management, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Peizhi Ye
- National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Changgeng Fu
- Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liangliang Shen
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jingyuan Zhang
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Haojia Wang
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xianchun Duan
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Jiarui Wu
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
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Schultz CJ, Goonetilleke SN, Liang J, Lahnstein J, Levin KA, Bianco-Miotto T, Burton RA, Mather DE, Chalmers KJ. Analysis of Genetic Diversity in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Plant 'Kushen' ( Sophora flavescens Ait.). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:704201. [PMID: 34413868 PMCID: PMC8369264 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.704201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Kushen root, from the woody legume Sophora flavescens, is a traditional Chinese medicine that is a key ingredient in several promising cancer treatments. This activity is attributed in part to two quinolizidine alkaloids (QAs), oxymatrine and matrine, that have a variety of therapeutic activities in vitro. Genetic selection is needed to adapt S. flavescens for cultivation and to improve productivity and product quality. Genetic diversity of S. flavescens was investigated using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) on 85 plants grown from seeds collected from 9 provinces of China. DArTSeq provided over 10,000 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, 1636 of which were used in phylogenetic analysis to reveal clear regional differences for S. flavescens. One accession from each region was selected for PCR-sequencing to identify gene-specific SNPs in the first two QA pathway genes, lysine decarboxylase (LDC) and copper amine oxidase (CAO). To obtain SfCAO sequence for primer design we used a targeted transcript capture and assembly strategy using publicly available RNA sequencing data. Partial gene sequence analysis of SfCAO revealed two recently duplicated genes, SfCAO1 and SfCAO2, in contrast to the single gene found in the QA-producing legume Lupinus angustifolius. We demonstrate high efficiency converting SNPs to Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) markers developing 27 new KASP markers, 17 from DArTSeq data, 7 for SfLDC, and 3 for SfCAO1. To complement this genetic diversity analysis a field trial site has been established in South Australia, providing access to diverse S. flavescens material for morphological, transcriptomic, and QA metabolite analysis. Analysis of dissected flower buds revealed that anthesis occurs before buds fully open suggesting a potential for S. flavescens to be an inbreeding species, however this is not supported by the relatively high level of heterozygosity observed. Two plants from the field trial site were analysed by quantitative real-time PCR and levels of matrine and oxymatrine were assessed in a variety of tissues. We are now in a strong position to select diverse plants for crosses to accelerate the process of genetic selection needed to adapt kushen to cultivation and improve productivity and product quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn J. Schultz
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Shashi N. Goonetilleke
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Jianping Liang
- Department of Chinese Medicine, College of Life Sciences, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China
- *Correspondence: Jianping Liang,
| | - Jelle Lahnstein
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Kara A. Levin
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Tina Bianco-Miotto
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Rachel A. Burton
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Diane E. Mather
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Kenneth J. Chalmers
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Kenneth J. Chalmers,
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