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Esquea EM, Ciraku L, Young RG, Merzy J, Talarico AN, Ahmed NN, Karuppiah M, Ramesh A, Chatoff A, Crispim CV, Rashad AA, Cocklin S, Snyder NW, Beld J, Simone NL, Reginato MJ, Dick A. Selective and brain-penetrant ACSS2 inhibitors target breast cancer brain metastatic cells. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1394685. [PMID: 38818373 PMCID: PMC11137182 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1394685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) typically results in an end-stage diagnosis and is hindered by a lack of brain-penetrant drugs. Tumors in the brain rely on the conversion of acetate to acetyl-CoA by the enzyme acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2), a key regulator of fatty acid synthesis and protein acetylation. Here, we used a computational pipeline to identify novel brain-penetrant ACSS2 inhibitors combining pharmacophore-based shape screen methodology with absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) property predictions. We identified compounds AD-5584 and AD-8007 that were validated for specific binding affinity to ACSS2. Treatment of BCBM cells with AD-5584 and AD-8007 leads to a significant reduction in colony formation, lipid storage, acetyl-CoA levels and cell survival in vitro. In an ex vivo brain-tumor slice model, treatment with AD-8007 and AD-5584 reduced pre-formed tumors and synergized with irradiation in blocking BCBM tumor growth. Treatment with AD-8007 reduced tumor burden and extended survival in vivo. This study identifies selective brain-penetrant ACSS2 inhibitors with efficacy towards breast cancer brain metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M. Esquea
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Lorela Ciraku
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Riley G. Young
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jessica Merzy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Alexandra N. Talarico
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Nusaiba N. Ahmed
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Mangalam Karuppiah
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Anna Ramesh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Adam Chatoff
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Claudia V. Crispim
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Adel A. Rashad
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Simon Cocklin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Nathaniel W. Snyder
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Joris Beld
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Nicole L. Simone
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Cancer Risk and Control Program, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Mauricio J. Reginato
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Translational Cellular Oncology Program, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Alexej Dick
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Chen WW, Chu TSM, Xu L, Zhao CN, Poon WS, Leung GKK, Kong FM(S. Immune related biomarkers for cancer metastasis to the brain. Exp Hematol Oncol 2022; 11:105. [PMID: 36527157 PMCID: PMC9756766 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-022-00349-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain metastasis accounts for a large number of cancer-related deaths. The host immune system, involved at each step of the metastatic cascade, plays an important role in both the initiation of the brain metastasis and their treatment responses to various modalities, through either local and or systemic effect. However, few reliable immune biomarkers have been identified in predicting the development and the treatment outcome in patients with cancer brain metastasis. Here, we provide a focused perspective of immune related biomarkers for cancer metastasis to the brain and a thorough discussion of the potential utilization of specific biomarkers such as tumor mutation burden (TMB), genetic markers, circulating and tumor-infiltrating immune cells, cytokines, in predicting the brain disease progression and regression after therapeutic intervention. We hope to inspire the field to extend the research and establish practical guidelines for developing and validating immune related biomarkers to provide personalized treatment and improve treatment outcomes in patients with metastatic brain cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Wei Chen
- grid.194645.b0000000121742757Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR China
| | - Timothy Shun Man Chu
- grid.419334.80000 0004 0641 3236Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 4LP UK ,grid.1006.70000 0001 0462 7212Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
| | - LiangLiang Xu
- grid.440671.00000 0004 5373 5131Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Cai-Ning Zhao
- grid.194645.b0000000121742757Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR China
| | - Wai-Sang Poon
- grid.440671.00000 0004 5373 5131Neuro-Medical Center, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China ,grid.194645.b0000000121742757Department of Surgery, School of Clinical Medicine,LKS Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR China
| | - Gilberto Ka-Kit Leung
- grid.194645.b0000000121742757Department of Surgery, School of Clinical Medicine,LKS Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR China
| | - Feng-Ming (Spring) Kong
- grid.194645.b0000000121742757Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR China ,grid.440671.00000 0004 5373 5131Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
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Ma W, Li X, Yang L, Pan J, Chen Y, Lu Y, Dong X, Li D, Gan W. High VSX1 expression promotes the aggressiveness of clear cell renal cell carcinoma by transcriptionally regulating FKBP10. J Transl Med 2022; 20:554. [PMID: 36463181 PMCID: PMC9719260 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03772-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the most common urological malignancy, has an unfavorable prognosis and an unknown mechanism of progression. Through survival analyses screening of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, we identified Visual system homeobox1 (VSX1) as a novel potential prognostic biomarker in ccRCC and subsequently investigated the oncogenic role of VSX1 in ccRCC. METHODS The differential expression of VSX1 in human tumors and the clinical prognoses were analyzed in the TCGA dataset and Gene Expression Omnibus. Spearman's correlation coefficient was determined for the correlation analysis of VSX1 expression and other genes of interest. The roles of VSX1 in cell proliferation, invasion, and migration of ccRCC cells were evaluated via the CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, and Transwell assay, respectively. Further results were demonstrated by western blotting, immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR, tumor sphere formation, flow cytometry, and the dual‑luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS VSX1 mRNA upregulation was generally observed in multiple human malignancies from the TCGA database and was confirmed in ccRCC clinical specimens from our department. High VSX1 expression usually indicated that overall and disease-free survival were unfavorable for patients with ccRCC. In terms of mechanism, knockdown or overexpression of VSX1 affected ccRCC aggressiveness in vitro. The dual-luciferase reporter gene assay implied that VSX1 overexpression significantly increased the luciferase activity of TMEM44, FKBP10, and TRIB3, which indicated that VSX1 promoted ccRCC invasiveness via transcriptional regulation of these genes. The significantly enhanced growth in vitro that was induced by stable VSX1 overexpression was almost restored to normal by the knockdown of FKBP10. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that VSX1 was a novel prognostic biomarker in ccRCC and that high VSX1 expression promoted cell proliferation, invasion, and migration in ccRCC via transcriptional activation of downstream target genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenliang Ma
- grid.41156.370000 0001 2314 964XDepartment of Urology, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008 Jiangsu People’s Republic of China
| | - Xin Li
- grid.41156.370000 0001 2314 964XImmunology and Reproduction Biology Laboratory & State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093 Jiangsu People’s Republic of China
| | - Lei Yang
- grid.41156.370000 0001 2314 964XImmunology and Reproduction Biology Laboratory & State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093 Jiangsu People’s Republic of China
| | - Jun Pan
- grid.41156.370000 0001 2314 964XDepartment of Urology, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008 Jiangsu People’s Republic of China
| | - Yi Chen
- grid.41156.370000 0001 2314 964XImmunology and Reproduction Biology Laboratory & State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093 Jiangsu People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanwen Lu
- grid.41156.370000 0001 2314 964XDepartment of Urology, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008 Jiangsu People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiang Dong
- grid.41156.370000 0001 2314 964XDepartment of Urology, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008 Jiangsu People’s Republic of China
| | - Dongmei Li
- grid.41156.370000 0001 2314 964XImmunology and Reproduction Biology Laboratory & State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093 Jiangsu People’s Republic of China ,grid.41156.370000 0001 2314 964XJiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093 Jiangsu China
| | - Weidong Gan
- grid.41156.370000 0001 2314 964XDepartment of Urology, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008 Jiangsu People’s Republic of China
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Melatonin Alleviates Oxidative Stress Induced by H2O2 in Porcine Trophectodern Cells. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:antiox11061047. [PMID: 35739944 PMCID: PMC9219737 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11061047] [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: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Placental oxidative stress has been implicated as a main risk factor for placental dysfunction. Alleviation of oxidative stress and enhancement of antioxidant capacity of porcine trophectoderm (PTr2) cells are effective means to maintaining normal placental function. The present study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of melatonin (MT) on H2O2-induced oxidative damage in PTr2 cells. Our data revealed that pretreatment with MT could significantly improve the decrease in cell viability induced by H2O2, and reduce intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and the ratio of apoptotic cells. Here, we compared the transcriptomes of untreated versus melatonin-treated PTr2 cells by RNA-seq analysis and found that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were highly enriched in the Wnt signaling, TGF-beta signaling and mTOR signaling pathways. Moreover, pretreatment with MT upregulated the antioxidant-related genes such as early growth response3 (EGR3), WAP four-disulfide core domain1 (WFDC1), heme oxygenase1 (HMOX1) and vimentin (VIM). These findings reveal that melatonin protects PTr2 cells from H2O2-induced oxidative stress damage.
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