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Bueno MLP, Foglio MA, Baréa P, de Oliveira AR, Sarragiotto MH, Saad STO, Roversi FM. β-Carboline derivatives are potent against Acute Myeloid Leukemia in vitro and in vivo. Pharmacol Rep 2024; 76:838-850. [PMID: 38902478 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-024-00614-4] [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: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND β-carboline alkaloids exert a distinguished ability to impair cell growth and induce cell death in a variety of cancers and the evaluation of such new therapeutic candidates may denote new possibilities for leukemia treatment. In this present study, we screened 12 β-carboline derivatives containing different substituents at 1- and 3-positions of β-carboline nucleus for their antineoplastic activities in a panel of leukemia cell lines. METHODS The cytotoxic effects of the β-carboline derivatives were evaluated in different leukemia cell lines as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, autophagy, and important signaling pathways. RESULTS Treatment with the β-carboline derivatives resulted in a potent antineoplastic activity leading to a reduced cell viability that was associated with increased cell death in a concentration-dependent manner. Interestingly, the treatment of primary mononuclear cells isolated from the peripheral blood of healthy donors with the β-carboline derivatives showed a minor change in cell survival. The antineoplastic activity occurs by blocking ROS production causing consequent interruption of the PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK signaling and modulating autophagy processes. Notably, in vivo, AML burden was diminished in peripheral blood and bone marrow of a xenograft mouse model. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicated that β-carboline derivatives have an on-target malignant cell-killing activity and may be promising candidates for treating leukemia cells by disrupting crucial events that promote leukemia expansion and chemotherapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maura Lima Pereira Bueno
- Hematology and Transfusion Medicine Center, University of Campinas/Hemocentro-UNICAMP, Rua Carlos Chagas, 480 - Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz - Barão Geraldo, Campinas, SP, CEP: 13083-878, Brazil
| | - Mary Ann Foglio
- Hematology and Transfusion Medicine Center, University of Campinas/Hemocentro-UNICAMP, Rua Carlos Chagas, 480 - Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz - Barão Geraldo, Campinas, SP, CEP: 13083-878, Brazil
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas/UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Paula Baréa
- Department of Chemistry, State University of Maringá, Maringá, PR, Brazil
| | | | | | - Sara T Olalla Saad
- Hematology and Transfusion Medicine Center, University of Campinas/Hemocentro-UNICAMP, Rua Carlos Chagas, 480 - Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz - Barão Geraldo, Campinas, SP, CEP: 13083-878, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Marconi Roversi
- Hematology and Transfusion Medicine Center, University of Campinas/Hemocentro-UNICAMP, Rua Carlos Chagas, 480 - Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz - Barão Geraldo, Campinas, SP, CEP: 13083-878, Brazil.
- Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Emory University, 101 Woodruff Circle, Atlanta, GA, 300322, USA.
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Li X, Ye F, Wang Y, Sun X, Chen H, Chen T, Gao Y, Chen H. Synthesis, structure-activity relationship, and biological evaluation of quinolines for development of anticancer agents. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2023:e2200673. [PMID: 37160703 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202200673] [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: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Tetrahydro-β-carbolines (THβCs) are a kind of natural alkaloids with multiple pharmaceutical activities. Herein, a focused compound library derived from THβCs was synthesized and their anticancer activities were studied in several cancer cell lines. Among them, three compounds showed considerable anticancer activities with low micromolar to submicromolar IC50 values. The abilities to induce apoptosis and alter mitochondrial membrane potential levels, which are comparable to those of the commercial anticancer drug adriamycin, were confirmed by one representative compound (21) on the B16/F10 cell line. Our preliminary structure-activity relationship studies indicated that alkylamines with suitable lengths are very important for potency improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xudong Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecule Synthesis and Function Discovery (Fujian Province University), College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Fu Ye
- Key Laboratory of Molecule Synthesis and Function Discovery (Fujian Province University), College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Yuran Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecule Synthesis and Function Discovery (Fujian Province University), College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Xianbin Sun
- Key Laboratory of Molecule Synthesis and Function Discovery (Fujian Province University), College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Hui Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecule Synthesis and Function Discovery (Fujian Province University), College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Tingyan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecule Synthesis and Function Discovery (Fujian Province University), College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Yu Gao
- Key Laboratory of Molecule Synthesis and Function Discovery (Fujian Province University), College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Haijun Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecule Synthesis and Function Discovery (Fujian Province University), College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
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Liao M, Qin R, Huang W, Zhu HP, Peng F, Han B, Liu B. Targeting regulated cell death (RCD) with small-molecule compounds in triple-negative breast cancer: a revisited perspective from molecular mechanisms to targeted therapies. J Hematol Oncol 2022; 15:44. [PMID: 35414025 PMCID: PMC9006445 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-022-01260-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of human breast cancer with one of the worst prognoses, with no targeted therapeutic strategies currently available. Regulated cell death (RCD), also known as programmed cell death (PCD), has been widely reported to have numerous links to the progression and therapy of many types of human cancer. Of note, RCD can be divided into numerous different subroutines, including autophagy-dependent cell death, apoptosis, mitotic catastrophe, necroptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis and anoikis. More recently, targeting the subroutines of RCD with small-molecule compounds has been emerging as a promising therapeutic strategy, which has rapidly progressed in the treatment of TNBC. Therefore, in this review, we focus on summarizing the molecular mechanisms of the above-mentioned seven major RCD subroutines related to TNBC and the latest progress of small-molecule compounds targeting different RCD subroutines. Moreover, we further discuss the combined strategies of one drug (e.g., narciclasine) or more drugs (e.g., torin-1 combined with chloroquine) to achieve the therapeutic potential on TNBC by regulating RCD subroutines. More importantly, we demonstrate several small-molecule compounds (e.g., ONC201 and NCT03733119) by targeting the subroutines of RCD in TNBC clinical trials. Taken together, these findings will provide a clue on illuminating more actionable low-hanging-fruit druggable targets and candidate small-molecule drugs for potential RCD-related TNBC therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minru Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, and West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Rui Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Wei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Hong-Ping Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.,Antibiotics Research and Re-Evaluation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Industrial Institute of Antibiotics, Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
| | - Fu Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, and West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Bo Han
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
| | - Bo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, and West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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