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Aboomar NM, Essam O, Hassan A, Bassiouny AR, Arafa RK. Exploring a repurposed candidate with dual hIDO1/hTDO2 inhibitory potential for anticancer efficacy identified through pharmacophore-based virtual screening and in vitro evaluation. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9386. [PMID: 38653790 PMCID: PMC11039737 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59353-4] [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: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Discovering effective anti-cancer agents poses a formidable challenge given the limited efficacy of current therapeutic modalities against various cancer types due to intrinsic resistance mechanisms. Cancer immunochemotherapy is an alternative strategy for breast cancer treatment and overcoming cancer resistance. Human Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (hIDO1) and human Tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase 2 (hTDO2) play pivotal roles in tryptophan metabolism, leading to the generation of kynurenine and other bioactive metabolites. This process facilitates the de novo synthesis of Nicotinamide Dinucleotide (NAD), promoting cancer resistance. This study identified a new dual hIDO1/hTDO2 inhibitor using a drug repurposing strategy of FDA-approved drugs. Herein, we delineate the development of a ligand-based pharmacophore model based on a training set of 12 compounds with reported hIDO1/hTDO2 inhibitory activity. We conducted a pharmacophore search followed by high-throughput virtual screening of 2568 FDA-approved drugs against both enzymes, resulting in ten hits, four of them with high potential of dual inhibitory activity. For further in silico and in vitro biological investigation, the anti-hypercholesterolemic drug Pitavastatin deemed the drug of choice in this study. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations demonstrated that Pitavastatin forms stable complexes with both hIDO1 and hTDO2 receptors, providing a structural basis for its potential therapeutic efficacy. At nanomolar (nM) concentration, it exhibited remarkable in vitro enzyme inhibitory activity against both examined enzymes. Additionally, Pitavastatin demonstrated potent cytotoxic activity against BT-549, MCF-7, and HepG2 cell lines (IC50 = 16.82, 9.52, and 1.84 µM, respectively). Its anticancer activity was primarily due to the induction of G1/S phase arrest as discovered through cell cycle analysis of HepG2 cancer cells. Ultimately, treating HepG2 cancer cells with Pitavastatin affected significant activation of caspase-3 accompanied by down-regulation of cellular apoptotic biomarkers such as IDO, TDO, STAT3, P21, P27, IL-6, and AhR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nourhan M Aboomar
- Drug Design and Discovery Lab, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Ahmed Zewail Road, October Gardens, Cairo, 12578, Giza, Egypt
- Biomedical Sciences Program, University of Science and Technology, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Cairo, 12578, Egypt
| | - Omar Essam
- Drug Design and Discovery Lab, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Ahmed Zewail Road, October Gardens, Cairo, 12578, Giza, Egypt
- Biomedical Sciences Program, University of Science and Technology, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Cairo, 12578, Egypt
| | - Afnan Hassan
- Drug Design and Discovery Lab, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Ahmed Zewail Road, October Gardens, Cairo, 12578, Giza, Egypt
- Biomedical Sciences Program, University of Science and Technology, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Cairo, 12578, Egypt
- Euro-Mediterranean Master in Neuroscience and Biotechnology Program, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 21511, Egypt
| | - Ahmad R Bassiouny
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 21511, Egypt
| | - Reem K Arafa
- Drug Design and Discovery Lab, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Ahmed Zewail Road, October Gardens, Cairo, 12578, Giza, Egypt.
- Biomedical Sciences Program, University of Science and Technology, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Cairo, 12578, Egypt.
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Hacıseyitoğlu AÖ, Doğan TÇ, Dilsiz SA, Canpınar H, Eken A, Bucurgat ÜÜ. Pitavastatin induces caspase-mediated apoptotic death through oxidative stress and DNA damage in combined with cisplatin in human cervical cancer cell line. J Appl Toxicol 2024; 44:623-640. [PMID: 38053498 DOI: 10.1002/jat.4565] [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: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Pitavastatin (PITA) is a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor to treat hypercholesterolemia and in recent studies is focused that its potential anti-cancer effect. This study was aimed to elucidate the effect of PITA alone and in combination with cisplatin on cervical cancer cells (HeLa) in vitro. Cytotoxicity of PITA (5-200 μM) was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and neutral red uptake (NRU) assays for 24, 48, and 72 h. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle analyses were performed in flow cytometry (0.1-100 μM). The evaluation of genotoxic effects and oxidative DNA damage of PITA (2-200 μM) were performed with standard comet assay, formamidopyrimidine glycosylase (fpg)-modified comet assay, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) activation in HeLa cells. PITA alone reduced cell viability in a dose-dependent manner (20-200, 20-200, and 5-200 μM for 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively, in MTT). The combined treatment of PITA with cisplatin resulted in significantly greater inhibition of cell viability. ROS and DNA damage increased significantly at 100 μM for 4 h and 20 μM for 24 h, respectively. PITA-induced apoptosis, an increased proportion of sub G1 cells, was monitored, and also, it increased the expression of active caspase-9 and caspase-3 and upregulated cleaved poly adenosine diphosphate ribose polymerase (PARP) by western blotting and caspase 3/8/9 multiple assay kit. We conclude that PITA can be used to efficiently cervical cancer studies, and promising findings have been obtained for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aysun Ökçesiz Hacıseyitoğlu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
- Betül-Ziya Eren Genome and Stem Cell Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Tuğbagül Çal Doğan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Sevtap Aydın Dilsiz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Hande Canpınar
- Department of Basic Oncology, Institute of Cancer, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ayşe Eken
- Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Ülkü Ündeğer Bucurgat
- Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
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Dewidar SA, Hamdy O, Soliman MM, El Gayar AM, El-Mesery M. Enhanced therapeutic efficacy of doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide in combination with pitavastatin or simvastatin against breast cancer cells. Med Oncol 2023; 41:7. [PMID: 38051378 PMCID: PMC10697881 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-023-02248-7] [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: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Fighting breast tumors mandates finding different agents devoid of chemotherapy side effects. Repurposing existing drugs, such as statins, presents a promising avenue for the development of novel cancer therapeutics. Based on the different effects of statin members, this study aims to evaluate the effect of two of the most promising lipophilic statins, Simvastatin and Pitavastatin, and their combination with a conventional chemotherapeutic regimen of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide on breast cancer cells. MDA-MB-231 and MCF7 cell lines were used to analyze the effects of Pitavastatin and simvastatin in combination with doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide. Cell viability and cell cycle were analyzed and certain apoptosis-related genes such as Bax, Bcl2, and caspase-3, besides cyclin D1 were analyzed using qPCR. The viability of breast cancer cells decreased significantly after treatment with a doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide combination in the presence of Pitavastatin or simvastatin compared with dual doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide with a higher effect in MDA-MB-231 cells than MCF7. In MDA-MB-231, The triple combination of Pitavastatin or simvastatin with doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide resulted in an increase in the expression levels of apoptotic markers than treatment with doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide combination (Bax (p-value = 0.09& 0.02, respectively), Bax/Bcl2 ratio (p-value = 0.0002& <0.0001, respectively)). However, the increase in caspase3 wasn't significant (p-value = 0.45& 0.09, respectively). Moreover, the expression of cyclin D1 decreased (p-value = 0.0002& <0.0001, respectively) and the cell cycle was arrested in the G1 phase. Combination of Pitavastatin or simvastatin with doxorubicin/ cyclophosphamide may induce apoptosis in breast cancer cells via upregulation of the Bax/Bcl2 pathway, potentially providing a promising new therapeutic strategy for breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samar A Dewidar
- Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Omar Hamdy
- Surgical oncology department, Oncology Center, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
| | - Moetaza M Soliman
- Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Amal M El Gayar
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Mohamed El-Mesery
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
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Banach M, Surma S, Kapłon-Cieślicka A, Mitkowski P, Dzida G, Tomasik T, Mastalerz-Migas A. Position paper of the Polish Expert Group on the use of pitavastatin in the treatment of lipid disorders in Poland endorsed by the Polish Lipid Association. Arch Med Sci 2023; 20:28-42. [PMID: 38414478 PMCID: PMC10895972 DOI: 10.5114/aoms/175879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Lipid disorders, primarily hypercholesterolemia, are the most common cardiovascular (CV) risk factor in Poland (this applies even 3/4 of people). The low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) serum level is the basic lipid parameter that should be measured to determine CV risk and determines the aim and target of lipid-lowering treatment (LLT). Lipid-lowering treatment improves cardiovascular prognosis and prolongs life in both primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention. Despite the availability of effective lipid-lowering drugs and solid data on their beneficial effects, the level of LDL-C control is highly insufficient. This is related, among other things, to physician inertia and patients' fear of side effects. The development of lipidology has made drugs available with a good safety profile and enabling personalisation of therapy. Pitavastatin, the third most potent lipid-lowering statin, is characterised by a lower risk of muscle complications and new cases of diabetes due to its being metabolised differently. Thus, pitavastatin is a very good therapeutic option in patients at high risk of diabetes or with existing diabetes, and in patients at cardiovascular risk. This expert opinion paper attempts at recommendation on the place and possibility of using pitavastatin in the treatment of lipid disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Banach
- Department of Preventive Cardiology and Lipidology, Medical University of Lodz (MUL), Lodz, Poland
- Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Zielona Gora in Zielona Gora, Poland
- Department of Cardiology and Adult Congenital Heart Diseases, Polish Mother’s Memorial Hospital Research Institute (PMMHRI), Lodz, Poland
| | - Stanisław Surma
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | | | - Przemysław Mitkowski
- 1 Department of Cardiology, Karol Marcinkowski Poznan Medical University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Dzida
- Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Tomasz Tomasik
- Department of Family Medicine, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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Zaky MY, Fan C, Zhang H, Sun XF. Unraveling the Anticancer Potential of Statins: Mechanisms and Clinical Significance. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4787. [PMID: 37835481 PMCID: PMC10572000 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15194787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Statins are an essential medication class in the treatment of lipid diseases because they inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase. They reduce cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in both primary and secondary prevention. In addition to their powerful pharmacologic suppression of cholesterol production, statins appear to have pleitropic effects in a wide variety of other diseases by modulating signaling pathways. In recent years, statins have seen a large increase in interest due to their putative anticancer effects. Statins appear to cause upregulation or inhibition in key pathways involved in cancer such as inhibition of proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis as well as reducing cancer stemness. Further, statins have been found to induce oxidative stress, cell cycle arrest, autophagy, and apoptosis of cancer cells. Interestingly, clinical studies have shown that statin use is associated with a decreased risk of cancer formation, lower cancer grade at diagnosis, reduction in the risk of local reoccurrence, and increasing survival in patients. Therefore, our objective in the present review is to summarize the findings of the publications on the underlying mechanisms of statins' anticancer effects and their clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Y. Zaky
- Department of Oncology, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
- Molecular Physiology Division, Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62521, Egypt
| | - Chuanwen Fan
- Department of Oncology, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Huan Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Xiao-Feng Sun
- Department of Oncology, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
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Dewidar SA, Hamdy O, Eltantawy A, El-Mesery M, El Gayar AM, Soliman MM. Effect of concomitant use of pitavastatin with neoadjuvant chemotherapy protocols in breast cancer patients: A randomized controlled clinical trial. Saudi Pharm J 2022; 30:1486-1496. [PMID: 36387337 PMCID: PMC9649354 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2022.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Preclinical studies have demonstrated the possible anticancer effects of statins, but the synergistic effect of concomitant statin use with standard chemotherapy protocols in patients with breast cancer has not yet been investigated. Aim The current study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of concomitant pitavastatin use with neoadjuvant chemotherapy protocols in patients with breast cancer. Methods This study was a randomized controlled clinical trial. A total of 70 adult female patients with pathologically-proven invasive breast cancer were randomized to receive or not receive pitavastatin (2 mg) oral tablets once daily concomitantly with standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy protocols for 6 months. The primary outcomes of this study were changes in tumor size and changes to the Ki67 index. In addition, secondary outcomes were changes in cyclin D1 and cleaved caspase-3 serum levels. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT04705909). Results Patients in the pitavastatin group showed significantly higher median (IQR) reductions in tumor size [−19.8 (−41.5, 9.5)] compared to those in the control group [−5.0 (−15.5, 0.0), p = 0.0009]. The change in Ki67 from baseline to the end of therapy was similar between the two groups (p = 0.12). By the end of therapy, the cyclin D1 levels in the pitavastatin group were significantly decreased [median (IQR) change of − 10.0 (−20.2, −2.9) from baseline], whereas the control group showed an increase in cyclin D1 levels [14.8 (4.1, 56.4)]. The median (IQR) caspase−3 was elevated in the pitavastatin group 1.6 (0.2, 2.2), and decreased in the control group (−0.2 (−1.1, 0.0), p = 0.0002). Subgroup analysis of the pitavastatin group revealed that patients with positive human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER2) had higher median (IQR) reductions in Ki67 [−35.0 (−70.0, −12.5)] than those with negative HER2 [2.5 (−15.0, 10.0), p = 0.04]. All patients who achieved a complete pathological response (n = 9) exhibited an HER2-neu positive receptor at baseline. Conclusion Concomitant use of pitavastatin with standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy protocols may improve neoadjuvant chemotherapy responses in patients with breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samar A. Dewidar
- Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Omar Hamdy
- Surgical Oncology Department, Oncology Center, Mansoura University, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Eltantawy
- Medical Oncology Unit, Oncology Center, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Mohamed El-Mesery
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Amal M. El Gayar
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Moetaza M. Soliman
- Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
- Corresponding author at: Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
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Crosstalk between Statins and Cancer Prevention and Therapy: An Update. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14121220. [PMID: 34959621 PMCID: PMC8704600 DOI: 10.3390/ph14121220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The importance of statins in cancer has been discussed in many studies. They are known for their anticancer properties against solid tumors of the liver or lung, as well as diffuse cancers, such as multiple myeloma or leukemia. Currently, the most commonly used statins are simvastatin, rosuvastatin and atorvastatin. The anti-tumor activity of statins is largely related to their ability to induce apoptosis by targeting cancer cells with high selectivity. Statins are also involved in the regulation of the histone acetylation level, the disturbance of which can lead to abnormal activity of genes involved in the regulation of proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. As a result, tumor growth and its invasion may be promoted, which is associated with a poor prognosis. High levels of histone deacetylases are observed in many cancers; therefore, one of the therapeutic strategies is to use their inhibitors. Combining statins with histone deacetylase inhibitors can induce a synergistic anticancer effect.
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