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Merjaneh N, Hajjar M, Lan YW, Kalinichenko VV, Kalin TV. The Promise of Combination Therapies with FOXM1 Inhibitors for Cancer Treatment. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:756. [PMID: 38398147 PMCID: PMC10886945 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16040756] [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: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) is a transcription factor in the forkhead (FOX) family, which is required for cellular proliferation in normal and neoplastic cells. FOXM1 is highly expressed in many different cancers, and its expression is associated with a higher tumor stage and worse patient-related outcomes. Abnormally high expression of FOXM1 in cancers compared to normal tissue makes FOXM1 an attractive target for pharmacological inhibition. FOXM1-inhibiting agents and specific FOXM1-targeted small-molecule inhibitors have been developed in the lab and some of them have shown promising efficacy and safety profiles in mouse models. While the future goal is to translate FOXM1 inhibitors to clinical trials, potential synergistic drug combinations can maximize anti-tumor efficacy while minimizing off-target side effects. Hence, we discuss the rationale and efficacy of all previously studied drug combinations with FOXM1 inhibitors for cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nawal Merjaneh
- Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA
- Department of Child Health, Division of Hematology and Oncology, The University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | - Mona Hajjar
- The Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA;
| | - Ying-Wei Lan
- Phoenix Children’s Research Institute, The University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA; (Y.-W.L.)
| | - Vladimir V. Kalinichenko
- Phoenix Children’s Research Institute, The University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA; (Y.-W.L.)
- Division of Neonatology, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA
| | - Tanya V. Kalin
- Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA
- Department of Child Health, Division of Hematology and Oncology, The University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
- Phoenix Children’s Research Institute, The University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA; (Y.-W.L.)
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Martynov I, Dhaka L, Wilke B, Hoyer P, Vahdad MR, Seitz G. Contemporary preclinical mouse models for pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma: from bedside to bench to bedside. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1333129. [PMID: 38371622 PMCID: PMC10869630 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1333129] [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: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common pediatric soft-tissue malignancy, characterized by high clinicalopathological and molecular heterogeneity. Preclinical in vivo models are essential for advancing our understanding of RMS oncobiology and developing novel treatment strategies. However, the diversity of scholarly data on preclinical RMS studies may challenge scientists and clinicians. Hence, we performed a systematic literature survey of contemporary RMS mouse models to characterize their phenotypes and assess their translational relevance. Methods We identified papers published between 01/07/2018 and 01/07/2023 by searching PubMed and Web of Science databases. Results Out of 713 records screened, 118 studies (26.9%) were included in the qualitative synthesis. Cell line-derived xenografts (CDX) were the most commonly utilized (n = 75, 63.6%), followed by patient-derived xenografts (PDX) and syngeneic models, each accounting for 11.9% (n = 14), and genetically engineered mouse models (GEMM) (n = 7, 5.9%). Combinations of different model categories were reported in 5.9% (n = 7) of studies. One study employed a virus-induced RMS model. Overall, 40.0% (n = 30) of the studies utilizing CDX models established alveolar RMS (aRMS), while 38.7% (n = 29) were embryonal phenotypes (eRMS). There were 20.0% (n = 15) of studies that involved a combination of both aRMS and eRMS subtypes. In one study (1.3%), the RMS phenotype was spindle cell/sclerosing. Subcutaneous xenografts (n = 66, 55.9%) were more frequently used compared to orthotopic models (n = 29, 24.6%). Notably, none of the employed cell lines were derived from primary untreated tumors. Only a minority of studies investigated disseminated RMS phenotypes (n = 16, 13.6%). The utilization areas of RMS models included testing drugs (n = 64, 54.2%), studying tumorigenesis (n = 56, 47.5%), tumor modeling (n = 19, 16.1%), imaging (n = 9, 7.6%), radiotherapy (n = 6, 5.1%), long-term effects related to radiotherapy (n = 3, 2.5%), and investigating biomarkers (n = 1, 0.8%). Notably, no preclinical studies focused on surgery. Conclusions This up-to-date review highlights the need for mouse models with dissemination phenotypes and cell lines from primary untreated tumors. Furthermore, efforts should be directed towards underexplored areas such as surgery, radiotherapy, and biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Illya Martynov
- Department of Pediatric Surgery and Urology, University Hospital Giessen-Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital Giessen-Marburg, Giessen, Germany
| | - Lajwanti Dhaka
- Department of Pediatric Surgery and Urology, University Hospital Giessen-Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Benedikt Wilke
- Department of Pediatric Surgery and Urology, University Hospital Giessen-Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Paul Hoyer
- Department of Pediatric Surgery and Urology, University Hospital Giessen-Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - M. Reza Vahdad
- Department of Pediatric Surgery and Urology, University Hospital Giessen-Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital Giessen-Marburg, Giessen, Germany
| | - Guido Seitz
- Department of Pediatric Surgery and Urology, University Hospital Giessen-Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital Giessen-Marburg, Giessen, Germany
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Deng Z, Gao W, Kohram F, Li E, Kalin TV, Shi D, Kalinichenko VV. Fluorinated amphiphilic Poly(β-Amino ester) nanoparticle for highly efficient and specific delivery of nucleic acids to the Lung capillary endothelium. Bioact Mater 2024; 31:1-17. [PMID: 37593494 PMCID: PMC10432146 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2023.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Endothelial cell dysfunction occurs in a variety of acute and chronic pulmonary diseases including pulmonary hypertension, viral and bacterial pneumonia, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and congenital lung diseases such as alveolar capillary dysplasia with misalignment of pulmonary veins (ACDMPV). To correct endothelial dysfunction, there is a critical need for the development of nanoparticle systems that can deliver drugs and nucleic acids to endothelial cells with high efficiency and precision. While several nanoparticle delivery systems targeting endothelial cells have been recently developed, none of them are specific to lung endothelial cells without targeting other organs in the body. In the present study, we successfully solved this problem by developing non-toxic poly(β-amino) ester (PBAE) nanoparticles with specific structure design and fluorinated modification for high efficiency and specific delivery of nucleic acids to the pulmonary endothelial cells. After intravenous administration, the PBAE nanoparticles were capable of delivering non-integrating DNA plasmids to lung microvascular endothelial cells but not to other lung cell types. IVIS whole body imaging and flow cytometry demonstrated that DNA plasmid were functional in the lung endothelial cells but not in endothelial cells of other organs. Fluorination of PBAE was required for lung endothelial cell-specific targeting. Hematologic analysis and liver and kidney metabolic panels demonstrated the lack of toxicity in experimental mice. Thus, fluorinated PBAE nanoparticles can be an ideal vehicle for gene therapy targeting lung microvascular endothelium in pulmonary vascular disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zicheng Deng
- Phoenix Children's Health Research Institute, Department of Child Health, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Wen Gao
- Phoenix Children's Health Research Institute, Department of Child Health, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Fatemeh Kohram
- Phoenix Children's Health Research Institute, Department of Child Health, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Enhong Li
- Phoenix Children's Health Research Institute, Department of Child Health, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Tanya V. Kalin
- Division of Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Donglu Shi
- The Materials Science and Engineering Program, College of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Vladimir V. Kalinichenko
- Phoenix Children's Health Research Institute, Department of Child Health, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
- Division of Neonatology, Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ, 85016, USA
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Raghuwanshi S, Gartel AL. Small-molecule inhibitors targeting FOXM1: Current challenges and future perspectives in cancer treatments. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2023; 1878:189015. [PMID: 37913940 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.189015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Forkhead box (FOX) protein M1 (FOXM1) is a critical proliferation-associated transcription factor (TF) that is aberrantly overexpressed in the majority of human cancers and has also been implicated in poor prognosis. A comprehensive understanding of various aspects of this molecule has revealed its role in, cell proliferation, cell migration, invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis. The FOXM1 as a TF directly or indirectly regulates the expression of several target genes whose dysregulation is associated with almost all hallmarks of cancer. Moreover, FOXM1 expression is associated with chemoresistance to different anti-cancer drugs. Several studies have confirmed that suppression of FOXM1 enhanced the drug sensitivity of various types of cancer cells. Current data suggest that small molecule inhibitors targeting FOXM1 in combination with anticancer drugs may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for chemo-resistant cancers. In this review, we discuss the clinical utility of FOXM1, further, we summarize and discuss small-molecule inhibitors targeting FOXM1 and categorize them according to their mechanisms of targeting FOXM1. Despite great progress, small-molecule inhibitors targeting FOXM1 face many challenges, and we present here all small-molecule FOXM1 inhibitors in different stages of development. We discuss the current challenges and provide insights on the future application of FOXM1 inhibition to the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjeev Raghuwanshi
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Andrei L Gartel
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
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Shukla S, Saha T, Rama N, Acharya A, Le T, Bian F, Donovan J, Tan LA, Vatner R, Kalinichenko V, Mascia A, Perentesis JP, Kalin TV. Ultra-high dose-rate proton FLASH improves tumor control. Radiother Oncol 2023; 186:109741. [PMID: 37315577 PMCID: PMC10527231 DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2023.109741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Proton radiotherapy (PRT) offers potential benefits over other radiation modalities, including photon and electron radiotherapy. Increasing the rate at which proton radiation is delivered may provide a therapeutic advantage. Here, we compared the efficacy of conventional proton therapy (CONVpr) to ultrahigh dose-rate proton therapy, FLASHpr, in a mouse model of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS Mice bearing orthotopic lung tumors received thoracic radiation therapy using CONVpr (<0.05 Gy/s) and FLASHpr (>60 Gy/s) dose rates. RESULTS Compared to CONVpr, FLASHpr was more effective in reducing tumor burden and decreasing tumor cell proliferation. Furthermore, FLASHpr was more efficient in increasing the infiltration of cytotoxic CD8+ T-lymphocytes inside the tumor while simultaneously reducing the percentage of immunosuppressive regulatory T-cells (Tregs) among T-lymphocytes. Also, compared to CONVpr, FLASHpr was more effective in decreasing pro-tumorigenic M2-like macrophages in lung tumors, while increasing infiltration of anti-tumor M1-like macrophages. Finally, FLASHpr treatment reduced expression of checkpoint inhibitors in lung tumors, indicating reduced immune tolerance. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that FLASH dose-rate proton delivery modulates the immune system to improve tumor control and might thus be a promising new alternative to conventional dose rates for NSCLC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samriddhi Shukla
- Division of Pulmonary Biology, the Perinatal Institute of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States
| | - Taniya Saha
- Division of Pulmonary Biology, the Perinatal Institute of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States
| | - Nihar Rama
- Division of Pulmonary Biology, the Perinatal Institute of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States
| | - Anusha Acharya
- Division of Pulmonary Biology, the Perinatal Institute of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States
| | - Tien Le
- Division of Pulmonary Biology, the Perinatal Institute of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States
| | - Fenghua Bian
- Division of Pulmonary Biology, the Perinatal Institute of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States
| | - Johnny Donovan
- Division of Pulmonary Biology, the Perinatal Institute of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States
| | - Lin Abigail Tan
- Division of Pulmonary Biology, the Perinatal Institute of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States
| | - Ralph Vatner
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Vladimir Kalinichenko
- Division of Pulmonary Biology, the Perinatal Institute of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States; Neonatology, the Perinatal Institute of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States; Center for Lung Regenerative Medicine, the Perinatal Institute of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States
| | - Anthony Mascia
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - John P Perentesis
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Division of Oncology, Division of Experimental Hematology, Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Tanya V Kalin
- Division of Pulmonary Biology, the Perinatal Institute of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States; Neonatology, the Perinatal Institute of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States.
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