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Liu D, Wang H, Li X, Liu J, Zhang Y, Hu J. Small molecule inhibitors for cancer metabolism: promising prospects to be explored. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:8051-8076. [PMID: 37002510 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-022-04501-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abnormal metabolism is the main hallmark of cancer, and cancer metabolism plays an important role in tumorigenesis, metastasis, and drug resistance. Therefore, studying the changes of tumor metabolic pathways is beneficial to find targets for the treatment of cancer diseases. The success of metabolism-targeted chemotherapy suggests that cancer metabolism research will provide potential new targets for the treatment of malignant tumors. PURPOSE The aim of this study was to systemically review recent research findings on targeted inhibitors of tumor metabolism. In addition, we summarized new insights into tumor metabolic reprogramming and discussed how to guide the exploration of new strategies for cancer-targeted therapy. CONCLUSION Cancer cells have shown various altered metabolic pathways, providing sufficient fuel for their survival. The combination of these pathways is considered to be a more useful method for screening multilateral pathways. Better understanding of the clinical research progress of small molecule inhibitors of potential targets of tumor metabolism will help to explore more effective cancer treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - HongPing Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - XingXing Li
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - JiFang Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - YanLing Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Jing Hu
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China.
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Repurposing Vitamin C for Cancer Treatment: Focus on Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14112608. [PMID: 35681589 PMCID: PMC9179307 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14112608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complicated network, and several promising TME-targeted therapies, such as immunotherapy and targeted therapies, are now facing problems over low response rates and drug resistance. Vitamin C (VitC) has been extensively studied as a dietary nutrient and multi-targeted natural drug for fighting against tumor cells. The focus has been recently on its crucial functions in the TME. Here, we discuss the potential mechanisms of VitC in several specialized microenvironments, characterize the current status of its preclinical and clinical applications, and offer suggestions for future studies. This article is intended to provide basic researchers and clinicians with a detailed picture of VitC targeting the tumor microenvironment. Abstract Based on the enhanced knowledge on the tumor microenvironment (TME), a more comprehensive treatment landscape for targeting the TME has emerged. This microenvironment provides multiple therapeutic targets due to its diverse characteristics, leading to numerous TME-targeted strategies. With multifaced activities targeting tumors and the TME, vitamin C is renown as a promising candidate for combination therapy. In this review, we present new advances in how vitamin C reshapes the TME in the immune, hypoxic, metabolic, acidic, neurological, mechanical, and microbial dimensions. These findings will open new possibilities for multiple therapeutic avenues in the fight against cancer. We also review the available preclinical and clinical evidence of vitamin C combined with established therapies, highlighting vitamin C as an adjuvant that can be exploited for novel therapeutics. Finally, we discuss unresolved questions and directions that merit further investigation.
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Okuda K, Umemura A, Kataoka S, Yano K, Takahashi A, Okishio S, Taketani H, Seko Y, Nishikawa T, Yamaguchi K, Moriguchi M, Nakagawa H, Liu Y, Mitsumoto Y, Kanbara Y, Shima T, Okanoue T, Itoh Y. Enhanced Antitumor Effect in Liver Cancer by Amino Acid Depletion-Induced Oxidative Stress. Front Oncol 2021; 11:758549. [PMID: 34796113 PMCID: PMC8593418 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.758549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer. HCC cells consume large amounts of glutamine to survive, but can adapt to glutamine depletion in the presence of an exogenous asparagine. L-asparaginase (ASNase) converts glutamine and asparagine to glutamate and aspartate, respectively, and has been used to treat leukemia. Here we examined the effects of ASNase treatment on HCC cells and explored the potential impact of combining ASNase with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor lenvatinib (Len) for HCC treatment. Cell viability and death of HCC cell lines treated with either Len or ASNase alone or with Len and ASNase combined were determined. We assessed mRNA and protein expression levels of glutamine synthetase (GS) and asparagine synthetase (ASNS) by real-time quantitative PCR and immunoblotting. The antitumor effect of the combination therapy relative to Len or ASNase monotherapy was also evaluated in a xenograft tumor mouse model. ASNase treatment inhibited growth of SNU387 and SNU398 HCC cells, which have low GS and high ASNS expression levels, respectively, but did not clearly inhibit growth of the other cell lines. Len plus ASNase combination therapy synergistically inhibited proliferation and induced oxidative stress leading to cell death of some HCC cells lines. However, cell death of Huh7 cells, which express ASCT2, an important glutamine transporter for cancer cells, was not affected by the combination treatment. In a xenograft model, Len combined with ASNase significantly attenuated tumor development relative to mice treated with Len or ASNase alone. ASNase-mediated targeting of two amino acids, glutamine and asparagine, which are indispensable for HCC survival, induces oxidative stress and can be a novel cancer treatment option that exerts a synergistic effect when used in combination with Len.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiichiro Okuda
- Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Atsushi Umemura
- Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Seita Kataoka
- Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kota Yano
- Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Aya Takahashi
- Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shinya Okishio
- Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Taketani
- Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuya Seko
- Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Taichiro Nishikawa
- Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kanji Yamaguchi
- Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Michihisa Moriguchi
- Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hayato Nakagawa
- Department of Gastroenterology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yu Liu
- Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yasuhide Mitsumoto
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Saiseikai Suita Hospital, Suita, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Kanbara
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Saiseikai Suita Hospital, Suita, Japan
| | - Toshihide Shima
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Saiseikai Suita Hospital, Suita, Japan
| | - Takeshi Okanoue
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Saiseikai Suita Hospital, Suita, Japan
| | - Yoshito Itoh
- Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
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Bratchikov OI, Tyuzikov IA, Dubonos PA. Nutritional supplementation of the pharmacotherapy of prostate diseases. RESEARCH RESULTS IN PHARMACOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.3897/rrpharmacology.7.67465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Nutritional supplementation is an integral part of modern pharmacotherapeutic strategies for prostate diseases with different levels of evidence for specific nutrients.
Provitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin A (retinol) and prostate diseases. Their effects have not been sufficiently studied, and the available data are conflicting to recommend them as a nutritional supplement.
Vitamin E (tocopherol) and prostate diseases. Its effects have not been sufficiently studied, and the available data are conflicting to recommend it as a nutritional supplement.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and prostate diseases. Its effects have not been sufficiently studied, and the available data are conflicted to recommend it as a nutritional supplement.
Vitamin K and prostate diseases. Its effects have not been sufficiently studied, and the available data are conflicted to recommend it as a nutritional supplement.
Vitamin D and prostate diseases. The evidence base of the vitamin D prostatotropic effects has been accumulated, which allows us to consider its deficiency replacement as an effective nutritional supplement in prostate diseases.
Omega-3 PUFAs and prostate diseases. They have universal physiological effects; however, the evidence base for their recommendation as a nutritional supplement for prostate diseases is still insufficient.
Zinc and prostate diseases. Positive effects of zinc on the prostate gland are known for a fact and allow us to recommend it as a nutritional supplement for prostate diseases.
Selenium and prostate diseases. The reliably proven positive effects of selenium on the prostate gland allow us to recommend it as a nutritional supplement for prostate diseases.
Magnesium and prostate diseases. Its effects have not been sufficiently studied, and the available data are conflicting to recommend it as a nutritional supplement.
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