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Truong TTT, Liu ZSJ, Panizzutti B, Kim JH, Dean OM, Berk M, Walder K. Network-based drug repurposing for schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:983-992. [PMID: 38321095 PMCID: PMC11039639 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01805-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Despite recent progress, the challenges in drug discovery for schizophrenia persist. However, computational drug repurposing has gained popularity as it leverages the wealth of expanding biomedical databases. Network analyses provide a comprehensive understanding of transcription factor (TF) regulatory effects through gene regulatory networks, which capture the interactions between TFs and target genes by integrating various lines of evidence. Using the PANDA algorithm, we examined the topological variances in TF-gene regulatory networks between individuals with schizophrenia and healthy controls. This algorithm incorporates binding motifs, protein interactions, and gene co-expression data. To identify these differences, we subtracted the edge weights of the healthy control network from those of the schizophrenia network. The resulting differential network was then analysed using the CLUEreg tool in the GRAND database. This tool employs differential network signatures to identify drugs that potentially target the gene signature associated with the disease. Our analysis utilised a large RNA-seq dataset comprising 532 post-mortem brain samples from the CommonMind project. We constructed co-expression gene regulatory networks for both schizophrenia cases and healthy control subjects, incorporating 15,831 genes and 413 overlapping TFs. Through drug repurposing, we identified 18 promising candidates for repurposing as potential treatments for schizophrenia. The analysis of TF-gene regulatory networks revealed that the TFs in schizophrenia predominantly regulate pathways associated with energy metabolism, immune response, cell adhesion, and thyroid hormone signalling. These pathways represent significant targets for therapeutic intervention. The identified drug repurposing candidates likely act through TF-targeted pathways. These promising candidates, particularly those with preclinical evidence such as rimonabant and kaempferol, warrant further investigation into their potential mechanisms of action and efficacy in alleviating the symptoms of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trang T T Truong
- Deakin University, IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Australia
| | - Zoe S J Liu
- Deakin University, IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Australia
| | - Bruna Panizzutti
- Deakin University, IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Australia
| | - Jee Hyun Kim
- Deakin University, IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Australia
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Australia
| | - Olivia M Dean
- Deakin University, IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Australia
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Australia
| | - Michael Berk
- Deakin University, IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Australia
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Australia
| | - Ken Walder
- Deakin University, IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong, Australia.
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2
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Finnegan E, Ding W, Ude Z, Terer S, McGivern T, Blümel AM, Kirwan G, Shao X, Genua F, Yin X, Kel A, Fattah S, Myer PA, Cryan SA, Prehn JHM, O'Connor DP, Brennan L, Yochum G, Marmion CJ, Das S. Complexation of histone deacetylase inhibitor belinostat to Cu(II) prevents premature metabolic inactivation in vitro and demonstrates potent anti-cancer activity in vitro and ex vivo in colon cancer. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2024; 47:533-553. [PMID: 37934338 PMCID: PMC11090832 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-023-00882-x] [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] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), belinostat, has had limited therapeutic impact in solid tumors, such as colon cancer, due to its poor metabolic stability. Here we evaluated a novel belinostat prodrug, copper-bis-belinostat (Cubisbel), in vitro and ex vivo, designed to overcome the pharmacokinetic challenges of belinostat. METHODS The in vitro metabolism of each HDACi was evaluated in human liver microsomes (HLMs) using mass spectrometry. Next, the effect of belinostat and Cubisbel on cell growth, HDAC activity, apoptosis and cell cycle was assessed in three colon cancer cell lines. Gene expression alterations induced by both HDACis were determined using RNA-Seq, followed by in silico analysis to identify master regulators (MRs) of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The effect of both HDACis on the viability of colon cancer patient-derived tumor organoids (PDTOs) was also examined. RESULTS Belinostat and Cubisbel significantly reduced colon cancer cell growth mediated through HDAC inhibition and apoptosis induction. Interestingly, the in vitro half-life of Cubisbel was significantly longer than belinostat. Belinostat and its Cu derivative commonly dysregulated numerous signalling and metabolic pathways while genes downregulated by Cubisbel were potentially controlled by VEGFA, ERBB2 and DUSP2 MRs. Treatment of colon cancer PDTOs with the HDACis resulted in a significant reduction in cell viability and downregulation of stem cell and proliferation markers. CONCLUSIONS Complexation of belinostat to Cu(II) does not alter the HDAC activity of belinostat, but instead significantly enhances its metabolic stability in vitro and targets anti-cancer pathways by perturbing key MRs in colon cancer. Complexation of HDACis to a metal ion might improve the efficacy of clinically used HDACis in patients with colon cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Finnegan
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Wei Ding
- Department of Surgery, Division of Colon & Rectal Surgery, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, 17036, USA
| | - Ziga Ude
- Department of Chemistry, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sara Terer
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Tadhg McGivern
- Department of Chemistry, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Anna M Blümel
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Grainne Kirwan
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Xinxin Shao
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Flavia Genua
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Xiaofei Yin
- UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD Conway Institute, Belfield, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Alexander Kel
- GeneXplain GmbH, Wolfenbuettel, Germany
- BIOSOFT.RU, LLC, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SBRAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Sarinj Fattah
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Parvathi A Myer
- Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein Cancer Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Sally-Ann Cryan
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jochen H M Prehn
- Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Darran P O'Connor
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Lorraine Brennan
- UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD Conway Institute, Belfield, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gregory Yochum
- Department of Surgery, Division of Colon & Rectal Surgery, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, 17036, USA
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, 17036, USA
| | - Celine J Marmion
- Department of Chemistry, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Sudipto Das
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland.
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3
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Sandbaumhüter F, Nezhyva M, Andrén PE, Jansson ET. Label-Free Quantitative Thermal Proteome Profiling Reveals Target Transcription Factors with Activities Modulated by MC3R Signaling. Anal Chem 2023; 95:15400-15408. [PMID: 37804223 PMCID: PMC10585664 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
Thermal proteome profiling with label-free quantitation using ion-mobility-enhanced LC-MS offers versatile data sets, providing information on protein differential expression, thermal stability, and the activities of transcription factors. We developed a multidimensional data analysis workflow for label-free quantitative thermal proteome profiling (TPP) experiments that incorporates the aspects of gene set enrichment analysis, differential protein expression analysis, and inference of transcription factor activities from LC-MS data. We applied it to study the signaling processes downstream of melanocortin 3 receptor (MC3R) activation by endogenous agonists derived from the proopiomelanocortin prohormone: ACTH, α-MSH, and γ-MSH. The obtained information was used to map signaling pathways downstream of MC3R and to deduce transcription factors responsible for cellular response to ligand treatment. Using our workflow, we identified differentially expressed proteins and investigated their thermal stability. We found in total 298 proteins with altered thermal stability, resulting from MC3R activation. Out of these, several proteins were transcription factors, indicating them as being downstream target regulators that take part in the MC3R signaling cascade. We found transcription factors CCAR2, DDX21, HMGB2, SRSF7, and TET2 to have altered thermal stability. These apparent target transcription factors within the MC3R signaling cascade play important roles in immune responses. Additionally, we inferred the activities of the transcription factors identified in our data set. This was done with Bayesian statistics using the differential expression data we obtained with label-free quantitative LC-MS. The inferred transcription factor activities were validated in our bioinformatic pipeline by the phosphorylated peptide abundances that we observed, highlighting the importance of post-translational modifications in transcription factor regulation. Our multidimensional data analysis workflow allows for a comprehensive characterization of the signaling processes downstream of MC3R activation. It provides insights into protein differential expression, thermal stability, and activities of key transcription factors. All proteomic data generated in this study are publicly available at DOI: 10.6019/PXD039945.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mariya Nezhyva
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Per E. Andrén
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
- Science
for Life Laboratory, Spatial Mass Spectrometry, Uppsala University, 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Erik T. Jansson
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, 751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
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4
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Morello G, La Cognata V, Guarnaccia M, D'Agata V, Cavallaro S. Cracking the Code of Neuronal Cell Fate. Cells 2023; 12:cells12071057. [PMID: 37048129 PMCID: PMC10093029 DOI: 10.3390/cells12071057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional regulation is fundamental to most biological processes and reverse-engineering programs can be used to decipher the underlying programs. In this review, we describe how genomics is offering a systems biology-based perspective of the intricate and temporally coordinated transcriptional programs that control neuronal apoptosis and survival. In addition to providing a new standpoint in human pathology focused on the regulatory program, cracking the code of neuronal cell fate may offer innovative therapeutic approaches focused on downstream targets and regulatory networks. Similar to computers, where faults often arise from a software bug, neuronal fate may critically depend on its transcription program. Thus, cracking the code of neuronal life or death may help finding a patch for neurodegeneration and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Morello
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council (CNR-IRIB), 95126 Catania, Italy
| | - Valentina La Cognata
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council (CNR-IRIB), 95126 Catania, Italy
| | - Maria Guarnaccia
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council (CNR-IRIB), 95126 Catania, Italy
| | - Velia D'Agata
- Section of Human Anatomy and Histology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Cavallaro
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council (CNR-IRIB), 95126 Catania, Italy
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5
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Chapola H, de Bastiani MA, Duarte MM, Freitas MB, Schuster JS, de Vargas DM, Klamt F. A comparative study of COVID-19 transcriptional signatures between clinical samples and preclinical cell models in the search for disease master regulators and drug repositioning candidates. Virus Res 2023; 326:199053. [PMID: 36709793 PMCID: PMC9877318 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2023.199053] [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: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute viral disease with millions of cases worldwide. Although the number of daily new cases and deaths has been dropping, there is still a need for therapeutic alternatives to deal with severe cases. A promising strategy to prospect new therapeutic candidates is to investigate the regulatory mechanisms involved in COVID-19 progression using integrated transcriptomics approaches. In this work, we aimed to identify COVID-19 Master Regulators (MRs) using a series of publicly available gene expression datasets of lung tissue from patients which developed the severe form of the disease. We were able to identify a set of six potential COVID-19 MRs related to its severe form, namely TAL1, TEAD4, EPAS1, ATOH8, ERG, and ARNTL2. In addition, using the Connectivity Map drug repositioning approach, we identified 52 different drugs which could be used to revert the disease signature, thus being candidates for the design of novel clinical treatments. Furthermore, we compared the identified signature and drugs with the ones obtained from the analysis of nasopharyngeal swab samples from infected patients and preclinical cell models. This comparison showed significant similarities between them, although also revealing some limitations on the overlap between clinical and preclinical data in COVID-19, highlighting the need for careful selection of the best model for each disease stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrique Chapola
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Biochemistry Department, Institute of Health Sciences (ICBS), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Marco Antônio de Bastiani
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Biochemistry Department, Institute of Health Sciences (ICBS), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS 90035-003, Brazil; Zimmer Lab, Biochemistry Department, Institute of Health Sciences (ICBS), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Mendes Duarte
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Biochemistry Department, Institute of Health Sciences (ICBS), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Matheus Becker Freitas
- Estacio College of Rio Grande do Sul (ESTACIO FARGS), Porto Alegre, RS 90020-060, Brazil
| | | | - Daiani Machado de Vargas
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Biochemistry Department, Institute of Health Sciences (ICBS), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS 90035-003, Brazil.
| | - Fábio Klamt
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Biochemistry Department, Institute of Health Sciences (ICBS), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS 90035-003, Brazil; Zimmer Lab, Biochemistry Department, Institute of Health Sciences (ICBS), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS 90035-003, Brazil; National Institutes of Science & Technology, Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Porto Alegre, RS 90035-903, Brazil; IMMUNESHARE - MCTI Trial (CNPq/MCTI #137541939766794), Brazil
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6
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Bioinformatic Analysis of Human Cumulus Cells to Unravel Cellular's Processes that Could Be Used to Establish Oocyte Quality Biomarkers with Clinical Application. Reprod Sci 2023; 30:642-655. [PMID: 35882717 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-022-01046-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Metadata analysis of public microarray datasets using bioinformatics tools has been successfully used in several biomedical fields in the search for biomarkers. In reproductive science, there is an urgent need for the establishment of oocyte quality biomarkers that could be used in the clinical environment to increase the chances of successful outcomes in treatment cycles. Adaptive cellular processes observed in cumulus oophorus cells reflect the conditions of the follicular microenvironment and may thus bring relevant information of oocyte's conditions. Here we analyzed human cumulus cells gene expression datasets in search of predictors of oocyte quality, a strategy which uncovered several cellular processes positively and negatively associated with embryo development and pregnancy potential. Secondly, the expression levels of genes that were present in the majority of processes observed were validated in house with clinical samples. Our data confirmed the association of the selected biomarkers with blastocyst formation and pregnancy potential rates, independently of patients' clinical characteristics such as diagnosis, age, BMI, and stimulation protocol applied. This study shows that bioinformatic analysis of cellular processes can be successfully used to elucidate possible oocyte quality biomarkers. Our data reinforces the need to consider clinical characteristics of patients when selecting relevant biomarkers to be used in the clinical environment and suggests a combination of positive (PTGS2) and negative (CYPB1) quality biomarkers as a robust strategy for a complementary oocyte selection tool, potentially increasing assisted reproduction success rates. Also, GPX4 expression as pregnancy potential biomarker is indicated here as a possibility for further investigations.
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7
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Repurposing Drugs via Network Analysis: Opportunities for Psychiatric Disorders. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14071464. [PMID: 35890359 PMCID: PMC9319329 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14071464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite advances in pharmacology and neuroscience, the path to new medications for psychiatric disorders largely remains stagnated. Drug repurposing offers a more efficient pathway compared with de novo drug discovery with lower cost and less risk. Various computational approaches have been applied to mine the vast amount of biomedical data generated over recent decades. Among these methods, network-based drug repurposing stands out as a potent tool for the comprehension of multiple domains of knowledge considering the interactions or associations of various factors. Aligned well with the poly-pharmacology paradigm shift in drug discovery, network-based approaches offer great opportunities to discover repurposing candidates for complex psychiatric disorders. In this review, we present the potential of network-based drug repurposing in psychiatry focusing on the incentives for using network-centric repurposing, major network-based repurposing strategies and data resources, applications in psychiatry and challenges of network-based drug repurposing. This review aims to provide readers with an update on network-based drug repurposing in psychiatry. We expect the repurposing approach to become a pivotal tool in the coming years to battle debilitating psychiatric disorders.
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8
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Jiang H, Hu C, Chen M. The Advantages of Connectivity Map Applied in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:474267. [PMID: 33776757 PMCID: PMC7991830 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.474267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Amid the establishment and optimization of Connectivity Map (CMAP), the functional relationships among drugs, genes, and diseases are further explored. This biological database has been widely used to identify drugs with common mechanisms, repurpose existing drugs, discover the molecular mechanisms of unknown drugs, and find potential drugs for some diseases. Research on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has entered a new era in the wake of the development of bioinformatics and other subjects including network pharmacology, proteomics, metabolomics, herbgenomics, and so on. TCM gradually conforms to modern science, but there is still a torrent of limitations. In recent years, CMAP has shown its distinct advantages in the study of the components of TCM and the synergetic mechanism of TCM formulas; hence, the combination of them is inevitable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Jiang
- School of Medicine and Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Cheng Hu
- School of Medicine and Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.,The First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Meijuan Chen
- School of Medicine and Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
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9
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Kim SK, Goughnour PC, Lee EJ, Kim MH, Chae HJ, Yun GY, Kim YR, Choi JW. Identification of drug combinations on the basis of machine learning to maximize anti-aging effects. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0246106. [PMID: 33507975 PMCID: PMC7843016 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is a multifactorial process that involves numerous genetic changes, so identifying anti-aging agents is quite challenging. Age-associated genetic factors must be better understood to search appropriately for anti-aging agents. We utilized an aging-related gene expression pattern-trained machine learning system that can implement reversible changes in aging by linking combinatory drugs. In silico gene expression pattern-based drug repositioning strategies, such as connectivity map, have been developed as a method for unique drug discovery. However, these strategies have limitations such as lists that differ for input and drug-inducing genes or constraints to compare experimental cell lines to target diseases. To address this issue and improve the prediction success rate, we modified the original version of expression profiles with a stepwise-filtered method. We utilized a machine learning system called deep-neural network (DNN). Here we report that combinational drug pairs using differential expressed genes (DEG) had a more enhanced anti-aging effect compared with single independent treatments on leukemia cells. This study shows potential drug combinations to retard the effects of aging with higher efficacy using innovative machine learning techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun Kyung Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Eui Jin Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Myeong Hyun Kim
- Center for Research and Development, Oncocross Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee Jin Chae
- Center for Research and Development, Oncocross Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Gwang Yeul Yun
- Center for Research and Development, Oncocross Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yi Rang Kim
- Center for Research and Development, Oncocross Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Yuseong Sun Hospital, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail: (YRK); (JWC)
| | - Jin Woo Choi
- College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Life and Nano-pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail: (YRK); (JWC)
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10
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Venkatraman S, Meller J, Hongeng S, Tohtong R, Chutipongtanate S. Transcriptional Regulation of Cancer Immune Checkpoints: Emerging Strategies for Immunotherapy. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:E735. [PMID: 33291616 PMCID: PMC7761936 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8040735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of immune evasion has gained a well-deserved eminence in cancer research by successfully developing a new class of therapeutics, immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as pembrolizumab and nivolumab, anti-PD-1 antibodies. By aiming at the immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), these new therapeutics have advanced cancer treatment with notable increases in overall survival and tumor remission. However, recent reports reveal that 40-60% of patients fail to benefit from ICB therapy due to acquired resistance or tumor relapse. This resistance may stem from increased expression of co-inhibitory immune checkpoints or alterations in the tumor microenvironment that promotes immune suppression. Because these mechanisms are poorly elucidated, the transcription factors that regulate immune checkpoints, known as "master regulators", have garnered interest. These include AP-1, IRF-1, MYC, and STAT3, which are known to regulate PD/PD-L1 and CTLA-4. Identifying these and other potential master regulators as putative therapeutic targets or biomarkers can be facilitated by mining cancer literature, public datasets, and cancer genomics resources. In this review, we describe recent advances in master regulator identification and characterization of the mechanisms underlying immune checkpoints regulation, and discuss how these master regulators of immune checkpoint molecular expression can be targeted as a form of auxiliary therapeutic strategy to complement traditional immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simran Venkatraman
- Graduate Program in Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Science Joint Program Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Faculty of Dentistry, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
| | - Jarek Meller
- Departments of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA;
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Suradej Hongeng
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
| | - Rutaiwan Tohtong
- Graduate Program in Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Science Joint Program Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Faculty of Dentistry, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Somchai Chutipongtanate
- Pediatric Translational Research Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
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11
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Parkinson's Disease Master Regulators on Substantia Nigra and Frontal Cortex and Their Use for Drug Repositioning. Mol Neurobiol 2020; 58:1517-1534. [PMID: 33211252 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-02203-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is among the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases. Available evidences support the view of PD as a complex disease, being the outcome of interactions between genetic and environmental factors. In face of diagnosis and therapy challenges, and the elusive PD etiology, the use of alternative methodological approaches for the elucidation of the disease pathophysiological mechanisms and proposal of novel potential therapeutic interventions has become increasingly necessary. In the present study, we first reconstructed the transcriptional regulatory networks (TN), centered on transcription factors (TF), of two brain regions affected in PD, the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and the frontal cortex (FCtx). Then, we used case-control studies data from these regions to identify TFs working as master regulators (MR) of the disease, based on region-specific TNs. Twenty-nine regulatory units enriched with differentially expressed genes were identified for the SNc, and twenty for the FCtx, all of which were considered MR candidates for PD. Three consensus MR candidates were found for SNc and FCtx, namely ATF2, SLC30A9, and ZFP69B. In order to search for novel potential therapeutic interventions, we used these consensus MR candidate signatures as input to the Connectivity Map (CMap), a computational drug repositioning webtool. This analysis resulted in the identification of four drugs that reverse the expression pattern of all three MR consensus simultaneously, benperidol, harmaline, tubocurarine chloride, and vorinostat, thus suggested as novel potential PD therapeutic interventions.
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Chinn AM, Insel PA. Cyclic AMP in dendritic cells: A novel potential target for disease-modifying agents in asthma and other allergic disorders. Br J Pharmacol 2020; 177:3363-3377. [PMID: 32372523 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Allergic diseases are immune disorders that are a global health problem, affecting a large portion of the world's population. Allergic asthma is a heterogeneous disease that alters the biology of the airway. A substantial portion of patients with asthma do not respond to conventional therapies; thus, new and effective therapeutics are needed. Dendritic cells (DCs), antigen presenting cells that regulate helper T cell differentiation, are key drivers of allergic inflammation but are not the target of current therapies. Here we review the role of dendritic cells in allergic conditions and propose a disease-modifying strategy for treating allergic asthma: cAMP-mediated inhibition of dendritic cells to blunt allergic inflammation. This approach contrasts with current treatments that focus on treating clinical manifestations of airway inflammation. Disease-modifying agents that target cAMP and its signalling pathway in dendritic cells may provide a novel means to treat asthma and other allergic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Chinn
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Paul A Insel
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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Kourou K, Rigas G, Papaloukas C, Mitsis M, Fotiadis DI. Cancer classification from time series microarray data through regulatory Dynamic Bayesian Networks. Comput Biol Med 2019; 116:103577. [PMID: 32001012 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2019.103577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Genomic profiling of cancer studies has generated comprehensive gene expression patterns for diverse phenotypes. Computational methods which employ transcriptomics datasets have been proposed to model gene expression data. Dynamic Bayesian Networks (DBNs) have been used for modeling time series datasets and for the inference of regulatory networks. Furthermore, cancer classification through DBN-based approaches could reveal the importance of exploiting knowledge from statistically significant genes and key regulatory molecules. Although microarray datasets have been employed extensively by several classification methods for decision making, the use of new knowledge from the pathway level has not been addressed adequately in the literature in terms of DBNs for cancer classification. In the present study, we identify the genes that act as regulators and mediate the activity of transcription factors that have been found in all promoters of our differentially expressed gene sets. These features serve as potential priors for distinguishing tumor from normal samples using a DBN-based classification approach. We employed three microarray datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) public functional repository and performed differential expression analysis. Promoter and pathway analysis of the identified genes revealed the key regulators which influence the transcription mechanisms of these genes. We applied the DBN algorithm on selected genes and identified the features that can accurately classify the samples into tumors and controls. Both accuracy and Area Under the Curve (AUC) were high for the gene sets comprising of the differentially expressed genes along with their master regulators (accuracy: 70.8%-98.5%; AUC: 0.562-0.985).
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantina Kourou
- Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, GR 45110, Greece; Dept. of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, GR, 45110, Greece
| | - George Rigas
- Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, GR 45110, Greece
| | - Costas Papaloukas
- Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, GR 45110, Greece; Dept. of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, GR, 45110, Greece
| | - Michalis Mitsis
- Dept. of Surgery and Cancer Biobank Center, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ioannina, 45110, Ioannina, GR 45110, Greece
| | - Dimitrios I Fotiadis
- Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, GR 45110, Greece; Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Dept. of Biomedical Research, GR 45110, Greece.
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De Bastiani MA, Klamt F. Integrated transcriptomics reveals master regulators of lung adenocarcinoma and novel repositioning of drug candidates. Cancer Med 2019; 8:6717-6729. [PMID: 31503425 PMCID: PMC6825976 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.2493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lung adenocarcinoma is the major cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. Given this, the importance of research on its pathophysiology and therapy remains a key health issue. To assist in this endeavor, recent oncology studies are adopting Systems Biology approaches and bioinformatics to analyze and understand omics data, bringing new insights about this disease and its treatment. METHODS We used reverse engineering of transcriptomic data to reconstruct nontumorous lung reference networks, focusing on transcription factors (TFs) and their inferred target genes, referred as regulatory units or regulons. Afterwards, we used 13 case-control studies to identify TFs acting as master regulators of the disease and their regulatory units. Furthermore, the inferred activation patterns of regulons were used to evaluate patient survival and search drug candidates for repositioning. RESULTS The regulatory units under the influence of ATOH8, DACH1, EPAS1, ETV5, FOXA2, FOXM1, HOXA4, SMAD6, and UHRF1 transcription factors were consistently associated with the pathological phenotype, suggesting that they may be master regulators of lung adenocarcinoma. We also observed that the inferred activity of FOXA2, FOXM1, and UHRF1 was significantly associated with risk of death in patients. Finally, we obtained deptropine, promazine, valproic acid, azacyclonol, methotrexate, and ChemBridge ID compound 5109870 as potential candidates to revert the molecular profile leading to decreased survival. CONCLUSION Using an integrated transcriptomics approach, we identified master regulator candidates involved with the development and prognostic of lung adenocarcinoma, as well as potential drugs for repurposing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Antônio De Bastiani
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Fábio Klamt
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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