Hydrazinobenzoylcurcumin inhibits androgen receptor activity and growth of castration-resistant prostate cancer in mice

Effects of curcumin and ursolic acid in prostate cancer: A systematic review

The major barriers to phytonutrients in prostate cancer therapy are non-specific mechanisms and bioavailability issues. Studies have pointed to a synergistic combination of curcumin (CURC) and ursolic acid (UA). We investigate this combination using a systematic review process to assess the most likely mechanistic pathway and human testing in prostate cancer. We used the PRISMA statement to screen titles, abstracts, and the full texts of relevant articles and performed a descriptive analysis of the literature reviewed for study inclusion and consensus of the manuscript. The most common molecular and cellular pathway from articles reporting on the pathways and effects of CURC (n = 173) in prostate cancer was NF-κB (n = 25, 14.5%). The most common molecular and cellular pathway from articles reporting on the pathways and effects of UA (n = 24) in prostate cancer was caspase 3/caspase 9 (n = 10, 41.6%). The three most common molecular and cellular pathway from articles reporting on the pathways and effects of both CURC and UA (n = 193) in prostate cancer was NF-κB (n = 28, 14.2%), Akt (n = 22, 11.2%), and androgen (n = 19, 9.6%). Therefore, we have identified the potential synergistic target pathways of curcumin and ursolic acid to involve NF-κB, Akt, androgen receptors, and apoptosis pathways. Our review highlights the limited human studies and specific effects in prostate cancer.

Targeting the N-terminal domain of the androgen receptor: The effective approach in therapy of CRPC

The androgen receptor (AR) is dominant in prostate cancer (PCa) pathology. Current therapeutic agents for advanced PCa include androgen synthesis inhibitors and AR antagonists that bind to the hormone binding pocket (HBP) at the ligand binding domain (LBD). However, AR amplification, AR splice variants (AR-Vs) expression, and intra-tumoral de novo synthesis of androgens result in the reactivation of AR signalling. The AR N-terminal domain (NTD) plays an essential role in AR transcriptional activity. The AR inhibitor targeting NTD could potentially block the activation of both full-length AR and AR-Vs, thus overcoming major resistance mechanisms to current treatments. This review discusses the progress of research in various NTD inhibitors and provides new insight into the development of AR-NTD inhibitors.

Therapeutic potentials of curcumin in the treatment of glioblstoma

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a greatly aggressive malignancy of the brain, is correlated with a poor prognosis and low rate of survival. Up to now, chemotherapy and radiation therapy after surgical approaches have been the treatments increasing the survival rates. The low efficacy of mentioned therapies as well as their side-effects has forced researchers to explore an appropriate alternative or complementary treatment for glioblastoma. In experimental models, it has been shown that curcumin has therapeutic potentials to fight against GBM. Given that curcumin has pharmacological effects against cancer stem cells, as major causes of resistance to therapy in glioblastoma cells. Moreover, it has been showed that curcumin exerts its therapeutic effects on GBM cells via affecting on apoptosis, oxidant system, and inflammatory pathways. Curcumin would possess a synergistic impact with chemotherapeutic agents. Herein, we summarized the current findings on curcumin as therapeutic agent in the treatment of GBM.

Castration-resistant prostate cancer: Androgen receptor inactivation induces telomere DNA damage, and damage response inhibition leads to cell death

Telomere stability is important for cell viability, as cells with telomere DNA damage that is not repaired do not survive. We reported previously that androgen receptor (AR) antagonist induces telomere DNA damage in androgen-sensitive LNCaP prostate cancer cells; this triggers a DNA damage response (DDR) at telomeres that includes activation of ATM, and blocking ATM activation prevents telomere DNA repair and leads to cell death. Remarkably, AR antagonist induces telomere DNA damage and triggers ATM activation at telomeres also in 22Rv1 castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells that are not growth inhibited by AR antagonist. Treatment with AR antagonist enzalutamide (ENZ) or ATM inhibitor (ATMi) by itself had no effect on growth in vitro or in vivo, but combined treatment with ENZ plus ATMi significantly inhibited cell survival in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. By inducing telomere DNA damage and activating a telomere DDR, an opportunity to inhibit DNA repair and promote cell death was created, even in CRPC cells. 22Rv1 cells express both full-length AR and AR splice variant AR-V7, but full-length AR was found to be the predominant form of AR associated with telomeres and required for telomere stability. Although 22Rv1 growth of untreated 22Rv1 cells appears to be driven by AR-V7, it is, ironically, expression of full-length AR that makes them sensitive to growth inhibition by combined treatment with ENZ plus ATMi. Notably, this combined treatment approach to induce telomere DNA damage and inhibit the DDR was effective in inducing cell death also in other CRPC cell lines (LNCaP/AR and C4-2B). Thus, the use of ENZ in combination with a DDR inhibitor, such as ATMi, may be effective in prolonging disease-free survival of patients with AR-positive metastatic CRPC, even those that co-express AR splice variant.

Fatty Acids and Calcium Regulation in Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is a widespread malignancy characterized by a comparative ease of primary diagnosis and difficulty in choosing the individualized course of treatment. Management of prostate cancer would benefit from a clearer understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind the transition to the lethal, late-stage forms of the disease, which could potentially yield new biomarkers for differential prognosis and treatment prioritization in addition to possible new therapeutic targets. Epidemiological research has uncovered a significant correlation of prostate cancer incidence and progression with the intake (and often co-intake) of fatty acids and calcium. Additionally, there is evidence of the impact of these nutrients on intracellular signaling, including the mechanisms mediated by the calcium ion as a second messenger. The present review surveys the recent literature on the molecular mechanisms associated with the critical steps in the prostate cancer progression, with special attention paid to the regulation of these processes by fatty acids and calcium homeostasis. Testable hypotheses are put forward that integrate some of the recent results in a more unified picture of these phenomena at the interface of cell signaling and metabolism.

Curcumin on the "flying carpets" to modulate different signal transduction cascades in cancers: Next-generation approach to bridge translational gaps

Curcumin, a bioactive and pharmacologically efficient component isolated from Curcuma longa has attracted considerable attention because of its ability to modulate diverse cellular and physiological pathways. WNT, TGF/SMAD, NOTCH, and SHH are fundamentally different signaling cascades, but their choreographed activation is strongly associated with cancer development and progression. In this review we have attempted to set spotlight on regulation of different cell signaling pathways by curcumin in different cancers. We partition this multi-component review into in-depth biological understanding of various signal transduction cascades and how curcumin targets intracellular signal transducers of deregulated pathways to inhibit cancer development and progression. Rapidly broadening landscape of both established and candidate oncogenic driver mutations identified in different cancers is a major stumbling block in the standardization of drugs having significant clinical outcome. Intra and inter-tumor heterogeneity had leveraged the complexity of therapeutic challenges to another level. Multi-pronged approach and molecularly guided treatments will be helpful in improving the clinical outcome.

Dissecting the roles of the androgen receptor in prostate cancer from molecular perspectives

Androgen receptor plays a pivotal role in prostate cancer progression, and androgen deprivation therapy to intercept androgen receptor signal pathway is an indispensable treatment for most advanced prostate cancer patients to delay cancer progression. However, the emerging of castration-resistant prostate cancer reminds us the alteration of androgen receptor, which includes androgen receptor mutation, the formation of androgen receptor variants, and androgen receptor distribution in cancer cells. In this review, we introduce the process of androgen receptor and also its variants' formation, translocation, and function alteration by protein modification or interaction with other pathways. We dissect the roles of androgen receptor in prostate cancer from molecular perspective to provide clues for battling prostate cancer, especially castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Association of Smoking, Alcohol Use, and Betel Quid Chewing with Epigenetic Aberrations in Cancers

Numerous environmental factors such as diet, alcohol use, stress, and environmental chemicals are known to elicit epigenetic changes, leading to increased rates of cancers and other diseases. The incidence of head and neck cancer, one of the most common cancers in Taiwanese males, is increasing: oral cancer and nasopharyngeal carcinoma are ranked fourth and tenth respectively, among the top ten cancers in this group, and a major cause of cancer-related deaths in Taiwanese males. Previous studies have identified smoking, alcohol use, and betel quid chewing as the three major causes of head and neck cancers; these three social habits are commonly observed in Taiwanese males, resulting in an increasing morbidity rate of head and neck cancers in this population. In this literature review, we discuss the association between specific components of betel quid, alcohol, and tobacco, and the occurrence of head and neck cancers, lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, and urethral cancer. We focus on regulatory mechanisms at the epigenetic level and their oncogenic effects. The review further discusses the application of FDA-approved epigenetic drugs as therapeutic strategies against cancer.

Androgen receptor CAG and GGN repeat length variation contributes more to the tumorigenesis of osteosarcoma

The androgen receptor (AR) is involved in the differentiation and growth of many cancers. We hypothesized that two microsatellite polymorphic variants, AR (CAG)n and (GGN)n repeats, were also associated with the development of Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and Osteosarcoma. In current study, we conducted two case-control studies in a Chinese population to investigate the possible relationship between these two AR repeat polymorphisms and the risk of PTC and Osteosarcoma. The AR CAG repeat length was significantly associated with both risk of PTC and Osteosarcoma. Subjects with shorter AR CAG repeats had a higher risk of developing PTC (OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.17–1.85, P = 0.001) and Osteosarcoma (OR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.19–1.97, P = 9.2 × 10^–4). Specifically, shorter GGN repeats also contribute a significant increased risk of Osteosarcoma (OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.03–1.77, P = 0.030). Our results contribute to a better understanding of the complex hormone related mechanisms underlying PTC and Osteosarcoma.

Epigenetic modulators as therapeutic targets in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is one of the most common non-cutaneous malignancies among men worldwide. Epigenetic aberrations, including changes in DNA methylation patterns and/or histone modifications, are key drivers of prostate carcinogenesis. These epigenetic defects might be due to deregulated function and/or expression of the epigenetic machinery, affecting the expression of several important genes. Remarkably, epigenetic modifications are reversible and numerous compounds that target the epigenetic enzymes and regulatory proteins were reported to be effective in cancer growth control. In fact, some of these drugs are already being tested in clinical trials. This review discusses the most important epigenetic alterations in prostate cancer, highlighting the role of epigenetic modulating compounds in pre-clinical and clinical trials as potential therapeutic agents for prostate cancer management.

Aberrant lysine acetylation in tumorigenesis: Implications in the development of therapeutics

The 'language' of covalent histone modifications translates environmental and cellular cues into gene expression. This vast array of post-translational modifications on histones are more than just covalent moieties added onto a protein, as they also form a platform on which crucial cellular signals are relayed. The reversible lysine acetylation has emerged as an important post-translational modification of both histone and non-histone proteins, dictating numerous epigenetic programs within a cell. Thus, understanding the complex biology of lysine acetylation and its regulators is essential for the development of epigenetic therapeutics. In this review, we will attempt to address the complexities of lysine acetylation in the context of tumorigenesis, their role in cancer progression and emphasize on the modalities developed to target lysine acetyltransferases towards cancer treatment.