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The Features of Immune Checkpoint Gene Regulation by microRNA in Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169324. [PMID: 36012588 PMCID: PMC9409052 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, the search for new promising tools of immunotherapy continues. In this regard, microRNAs (miRNAs) that influence immune checkpoint (IC) gene expression in tumor and T-cells and may be important regulators of immune cells are considered. MiRNAs regulate gene expression by blocking mRNA translation. An important feature of miRNA is its ability to affect the expression of several genes simultaneously, which corresponds to the trend toward the use of combination therapy. The article provides a list of miRNAs acting simultaneously on several ICs and miRNAs that, in addition to IC, can regulate the expression of targeted therapy genes. There is dependence of miRNA interactions with IC genes on the type of cancer. The analysis of the accumulated data demonstrates that only about 14% (95% CI: 9.8–20.1%) of the studied miRNAs regulate the expression of specific IC in more than one type of cancer. That is, there is tumor specificity in the miRNA action on ICs. A number of miRNAs demonstrated high efficiency in vitro and in vivo. This indicates the potential of miRNAs as promising agents for cancer immunotherapy. Additional studies of the miRNA–gene interaction features and the search for an optimal miRNA mimic structure are necessary.
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Majumder J, Minko T. Multifunctional Lipid-Based Nanoparticles for Codelivery of Anticancer Drugs and siRNA for Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer with Different Level of Resistance and EGFR Mutations. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13071063. [PMID: 34371754 PMCID: PMC8309189 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13071063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Resistance to chemotherapy, enhanced proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis (RPIAM) represent major obstacles that limit the efficacy of cancer treatment especially in advanced stages of cancer. Overcoming or suppressing RPIAM can dramatically improve the treatment outcome. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is frequently diagnosed in an advanced stage and often possesses intrinsic resistance to chemotherapy accompanied by the fast development of acquired resistance during the treatment. Oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinases (TKs), specifically epidermal growth factor (EGF) TKs, play an important role in the activation of MAPK/PI3K/Akt/STAT pathways, finally leading to the development of RPIAM. However, the suppression of EGF-TK by different drugs is limited by various defensive mechanisms and mutations. In order to effectively prevent the development of RPIAM in NSCLC, we formulated and tested a multicomponent and multifunctional cancer targeted delivery system containing Nanostructured Lipid Carriers (NLCs) as vehicles, luteinizing hormone release hormone (LHRH) as a cancer targeting moiety, EFG-TK inhibitor gefitinib and/or paclitaxel as anticancer drug(s), siRNA targeted to EGF receptor (EGFR) mRNA as a suppressor of EGF receptors, and an imaging agent (rhodamine) for the visualization of cancer cells. Experimental data obtained show that this complex delivery system possesses significantly enhanced anticancer activity that cannot be achieved by individual components applied separately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joydeb Majumder
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA;
| | - Tamara Minko
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA;
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
- Environmental and Occupational Health Science Institute, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-848-445-6348
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Hatami E, Nagesh PKB, Jaggi M, Chauhan SC, Yallapu MM. Gambogic acid potentiates gemcitabine induced anticancer activity in non-small cell lung cancer. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 888:173486. [PMID: 32805254 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most frequent type of lung cancer accounting up to 80-85% of all lung cancer (LC) cases. Gemcitabine (Gem), a pyrimidine nucleoside antimetabolite, is widely used chemotherapy offering several months survival benefit in patients with NSCLC. The emergence of Gem resistance is a main clinical concern in cancer treatment and thus a continuous demand for development of new therapeutic strategies to improve its antitumor activity. Hence, we report an adjuvant therapeutic regimen based on natural compound, gambogic acid (GA) which has been shown to enhanced Gem induced inhibition of cancer cell growth, arrest cell cycle, and induce apoptosis by enhanced accumulation of Gem. The in vitro cell viability, clonogenicity, invasion, and migration assays demonstrated a significant higher therapeutic effect of Gem when it was combined with GA in A549 and H1299 cells. A better access of internalization of drug molecules achieved in rhodamine 123 assay when GA was used as adjuvant treatment. Further, GA and Gem combination significantly reduced tubular formation of HUVEC cells indicates lowering angiogenesis potential. Microarray and Western blot studies confirm that GA + Gem co-treatment strategy promotes cancer cell death by downregulating anti-apoptotic proteins, chemoresistance-associated proteins, and upregulation of apoptosis proteins. More importantly, a significant higher therapeutic benefit was noticed for GA and Gem combination in A549 xenograft mice model. Together, these results offer a rationale to evaluate the clinical translational possibility of GA as adjuvant therapy to overcome Gem resistance. This combination regimen can be a new therapeutic concept to eradicate this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Hatami
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Center for Cancer Research, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Prashanth K B Nagesh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Center for Cancer Research, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA; Laboratory of Signal Transduction, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Meena Jaggi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Center for Cancer Research, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA; Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX, USA; The South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX, USA
| | - Subhash C Chauhan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Center for Cancer Research, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA; Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX, USA; The South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX, USA
| | - Murali M Yallapu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Center for Cancer Research, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA; Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX, USA; The South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX, USA.
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Ciciola P, Cascetta P, Bianco C, Formisano L, Bianco R. Combining Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors with Anti-Angiogenic Agents. J Clin Med 2020; 9:E675. [PMID: 32138216 PMCID: PMC7141336 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9030675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has recently emerged as a novel strategy for treating different types of solid tumors, with promising results. However, still a large fraction of patients do not primarily respond to such approaches, and even responders sooner or later develop resistance. Moreover, immunotherapy is a promising strategy for certain malignancies but not for others, with this discrepancy having been attributed to a more immunogenic microenvironment of some tumors. As abnormal and augmented tumor vessels often occur in cancerogenesis, anti-angiogenic drugs have already demonstrated their effectiveness both in preclinical and in clinical settings. By targeting abnormal formation of tumor vessels, anti-angiogenetic agents potentially result in an enhanced infiltration of immune effector cells. Moreover, crosstalks downstream of the immune checkpoint axis and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) signaling may result in synergistic effects of combined treatment in tumor cells. In this review, we will describe and discuss the biological rationale of a combined therapy, underlying the modification in tumor microenvironment as well as in tumor cells after exposure to checkpoint inhibitors and anti-angiogenic drugs. Moreover, we will highlight this strategy as a possible way for overcoming drug resistance. By first discussing potential prognostic and predictive factors for combined treatment, we will then turn to clinical settings, focusing on clinical trials where this strategy is currently being investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Ciciola
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy; (P.C.); (P.C.)
| | - Priscilla Cascetta
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy; (P.C.); (P.C.)
| | - Cataldo Bianco
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Catanzaro “Magna Graecia”, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy;
| | - Luigi Formisano
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy; (P.C.); (P.C.)
| | - Roberto Bianco
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy; (P.C.); (P.C.)
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Vlahopoulos S, Adamaki M, Khoury N, Zoumpourlis V, Boldogh I. Roles of DNA repair enzyme OGG1 in innate immunity and its significance for lung cancer. Pharmacol Ther 2018; 194:59-72. [PMID: 30240635 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2018.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cytokines are pivotal mediators of the immune response, and their coordinated expression protects host tissue from excessive damage and oxidant stress. Nevertheless, the development of lung pathology, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and ozone-induced lung injury, is associated with oxidant stress; as evidence, there is a significant increase in levels of the modified guanine base 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) in the genome. 8-OxoG is primarily recognized by 8-oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (OGG1), which catalyzes the first step in the DNA base excision repair pathway. However, oxidant stress in the cell transiently halts enzymatic activity of substrate-bound OGG1. The stalled OGG1 facilitates DNA binding of transactivators, including NF-κB, to their cognate sites to enable expression of cytokines and chemokines, with ensuing recruitments of inflammatory cells. Hence, defective OGG1 will modulate the coordination between innate and adaptive immunity through excessive oxidant stress and cytokine dysregulation. Both oxidant stress and cytokine dysregulation constitute key elements of oncogenesis by KRAS, which is mechanistically coupled to OGG1. Thus, analysis of the mechanism by which OGG1 modulates gene expression helps discern between beneficial and detrimental effects of oxidant stress, exposes a missing functional link as a marker, and yields a novel target for lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spiros Vlahopoulos
- Ηoremeio Research Laboratory, First Department of Paediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece.
| | - Maria Adamaki
- Biomedical Applications Unit, Institute of Biology, Medicinal Chemistry and Biotechnology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, 11635 Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolas Khoury
- Biomedical Applications Unit, Institute of Biology, Medicinal Chemistry and Biotechnology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, 11635 Athens, Greece
| | - Vassilis Zoumpourlis
- Biomedical Applications Unit, Institute of Biology, Medicinal Chemistry and Biotechnology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, 11635 Athens, Greece
| | - Istvan Boldogh
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology and the Sealy Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, United States
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Kim HB, Myung SJ. Clinical implications of the Hippo-YAP pathway in multiple cancer contexts. BMB Rep 2018; 51:119-125. [PMID: 29366445 PMCID: PMC5882218 DOI: 10.5483/bmbrep.2018.51.3.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The Hippo pathway plays prominent and widespread roles in various forms of human carcinogenesis. Specifically, the Yes-associated protein (YAP), a downstream effector of the Hippo pathway, can lead to excessive cell proliferation and the inhibition of apoptosis, resulting in tumorigenesis. It was reported that the YAP is strongly elevated in multiple types of human malignancies such as breast, lung, small intestine, colon, and liver cancers. Recent work indicates that, surprisingly, Hippo signaling components' (SAV1, MST1/2, Lats1/2) mutations are virtually absent in human cancer, rendering this signaling an unlikely candidate to explain the vigorous activation of the YAP in most, if not all human tumors and an activated YAP promotes the resistance to RAF-, MAPK/ERK Kinase (MEK)-, and Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted inhibitor therapy. The analysis of YAP expressions can facilitate the identification of patients who respond better to an anti-cancer drug treatment comprising RAF-, MEK-, and EGFR-targeted inhibitors. The prominence of YAP for those aspects of cancer biology denotes that these factors are ideal targets for the development of anti-cancer medications. Therefore, our report strongly indicates that the YAP is of potential prognostic utility and druggability in various human cancers. [BMB Reports 2018; 51(3): 119-125].
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Affiliation(s)
- Han-Byul Kim
- LG Chem, Department of Life Sciences, R&D Park, Seoul 07796, Korea
| | - Seung-Jae Myung
- Biomedical Research Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Seoul 05505; Department of Gastroenterology and Convergence Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul 05505, Korea
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Wang S, Qin Y, Wang Z, Xiang J, Zhang Y, Xu M, Li B, Xia Y, Zhang P, Wang H. Construction of a human monoclonal antibody against bFGF for suppression of NSCLC. J Cancer 2018; 9:2003-2011. [PMID: 29896285 PMCID: PMC5995934 DOI: 10.7150/jca.24255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Compelling evidence implicates that overexpression of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) drives tumor progression, can serve as prognostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets for NSCLC patients. But at present, we still lack of effective drugs for bFGF. The preparation of monoclonal antibodies against bFGF or to understand its mechanism of action is urgently need. Previously, we used hybridoma technology to produce a murine anti-bFGF monoclonal antibody (E12). However, E12 carries risks of heterogeneity and immunogenicity. In the present work, we produced three humanized variants (H1L1, H2L2 and H3L3) based on E12 by substituting residues in or near the complementarity-determining region (CDR). In addition, we thoroughly explored VH/VL domain combinations to simulate full-length IgG1 antibodies using computational protein design. H3L3 was selected for further study, as it demonstrated the best humanization and strongest affinity for bFGF. Specially, humanization of H3L3's light chain and heavy chain were 100% and 98.89%, respectively. The FGF2 neutralizing effect of H3L3 were confirmed by ELISA. We also found that H3L3 can effectively suppress the growth and angiogenesis of cancer through reduce the phosphorylation of AKT and MAPK. Moreover, H3L3 dramatically reduced tumor size and micro-vessel density in nude mice. Altogether, our study demonstrates that H3L3 exerts anti-tumor effects by impeding NSCLC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Wang
- Guangdong Province Engineering Research Center for antibody drug and immunoassay, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yiyang Qin
- Guangdong Province Engineering Research Center for antibody drug and immunoassay, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Zhongmin Wang
- Akeso Biopharma, Inc., Zhongshan, 528400, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Junjian Xiang
- Guangdong Province Engineering Research Center for antibody drug and immunoassay, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Guangdong Province Engineering Research Center for antibody drug and immunoassay, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Meng Xu
- Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Baiyong Li
- Akeso Biopharma, Inc., Zhongshan, 528400, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yu Xia
- Akeso Biopharma, Inc., Zhongshan, 528400, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Akeso Biopharma, Inc., Zhongshan, 528400, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Hong Wang
- Guangdong Province Engineering Research Center for antibody drug and immunoassay, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong Province, China
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