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Benedusi M, Lee H, Lim Y, Valacchi G. Oxidative State in Cutaneous Melanoma Progression: A Question of Balance. Antioxidants (Basel) 2024; 13:1058. [PMID: 39334716 PMCID: PMC11428248 DOI: 10.3390/antiox13091058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2024] [Revised: 08/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are highly bioactive molecules involved not only in tissue physiology but also in the development of different human conditions, including premature aging, cardiovascular pathologies, neurological and neurodegenerative disorders, inflammatory diseases, and cancer. Among the different human tumors, cutaneous melanoma, the most aggressive and lethal form of skin cancer, is undoubtedly one of the most well-known "ROS-driven tumor", of which one of the main causes is represented by ultraviolet (UV) rays' exposure. Although the role of excessive ROS production in melanoma development in pro-tumorigenic cell fate is now well established, little is known about its contribution to the progression of the melanoma metastatic process. Increasing evidence suggests a dual role of ROS in melanoma progression: excessive ROS production may enhance cellular growth and promote therapeutic resistance, but at the same time, it can also have cytotoxic effects on cancer cells, inducing their apoptosis. In this context, the aim of the present work was to focus on the relationship between cell redox state and the signaling pathways directly involved in the metastatic processes. In addition, oxidative or antioxidant therapeutic strategies for metastatic melanoma were also reviewed and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mascia Benedusi
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Heaji Lee
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Yunsook Lim
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Giuseppe Valacchi
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
- Plants for Human Health Institute, NC Research Campus, NC State University, Kannapolis, NC 28081, USA
- Department of Environmental and Prevention Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
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Sahasrabudhe SA, Terluk MR, Kartha RV. N-acetylcysteine Pharmacology and Applications in Rare Diseases-Repurposing an Old Antioxidant. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1316. [PMID: 37507857 PMCID: PMC10376274 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12071316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a precursor of cysteine and, thereby, glutathione (GSH), acts as an antioxidant through a variety of mechanisms, including oxidant scavenging, GSH replenishment, antioxidant signaling, etc. Owing to the variety of proposed targets, NAC has a long history of use as a prescription product and in wide-ranging applications that are off-label as an over-the-counter (OTC) product. Despite its discovery in the early 1960s and its development for various indications, systematic clinical pharmacology explorations of NAC pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamic targets, drug interactions, and dose-ranging are sorely limited. Although there are anecdotal instances of NAC benefits in a variety of diseases, a comprehensive review of the use of NAC in rare diseases does not exist. In this review, we attempt to summarize the existing literature focused on NAC explorations in rare diseases targeting mitochondrial dysfunction along with the history of NAC usage, approved indications, mechanisms of action, safety, and PK characterization. Further, we introduce the research currently underway on other structural derivatives of NAC and acknowledge the continuum of efforts through pre-clinical and clinical research to facilitate further therapeutic development of NAC or its derivatives for rare diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhee A Sahasrabudhe
- Center for Orphan Drug Research, Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Rm 4-214, McGuire Translational Research Facility, 2001 6th St. SE, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Marcia R Terluk
- Center for Orphan Drug Research, Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Rm 4-214, McGuire Translational Research Facility, 2001 6th St. SE, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Reena V Kartha
- Center for Orphan Drug Research, Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Rm 4-214, McGuire Translational Research Facility, 2001 6th St. SE, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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Becker AL, Indra AK. Oxidative Stress in Melanoma: Beneficial Antioxidant and Pro-Oxidant Therapeutic Strategies. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15113038. [PMID: 37297001 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15113038] [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: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous melanoma ranks as the fifth most common cancer in the United States and represents one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer. While recent advances in systemic targeted therapies and immunotherapies have positively impacted melanoma survival, the survival rate of stage IV melanoma remains at a meager 32%. Unfortunately, tumor resistance can impede the effectiveness of these treatments. Oxidative stress is a pivotal player in all stages of melanoma progression, with a somewhat paradoxical function that promotes tumor initiation but hinders vertical growth and metastasis in later disease. As melanoma progresses, it employs adaptive mechanisms to lessen oxidative stress in the tumor environment. Redox metabolic rewiring has been implicated in acquired resistance to BRAF/MEK inhibitors. A promising approach to enhance the response to therapy involves boosting intracellular ROS production using active biomolecules or targeting enzymes that regulate oxidative stress. The complex interplay between oxidative stress, redox homeostasis, and melanomagenesis can also be leveraged in a preventive context. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of oxidative stress in melanoma, and how the antioxidant system may be manipulated in a therapeutic context for improved efficacy and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa L Becker
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University (OSU), Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
| | - Arup K Indra
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University (OSU), Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University (OSU), Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Linus Pauling Science Center, Oregon State University (OSU), Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Portland, OR 97239, USA
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Obrador E, Salvador-Palmer R, López-Blanch R, Oriol-Caballo M, Moreno-Murciano P, Estrela JM. Survival Mechanisms of Metastatic Melanoma Cells: The Link between Glucocorticoids and the Nrf2-Dependent Antioxidant Defense System. Cells 2023; 12:cells12030418. [PMID: 36766760 PMCID: PMC9913432 DOI: 10.3390/cells12030418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Circulating glucocorticoids increase during stress. Chronic stress, characterized by a sustained increase in serum levels of cortisol, has been associated in different cases with an increased risk of cancer and a worse prognosis. Glucocorticoids can promote gluconeogenesis, mobilization of amino acids, fat breakdown, and impair the body's immune response. Therefore, conditions that may favor cancer growth and the acquisition of radio- and chemo-resistance. We found that glucocorticoid receptor knockdown diminishes the antioxidant protection of murine B16-F10 (highly metastatic) melanoma cells, thus leading to a drastic decrease in their survival during interaction with the vascular endothelium. The BRAFV600E mutation is the most commonly observed in melanoma patients. Recent studies revealed that VMF/PLX40-32 (vemurafenib, a selective inhibitor of mutant BRAFV600E) increases mitochondrial respiration and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in BRAFV600E human melanoma cell lines. Early-stage cancer cells lacking Nrf2 generate high ROS levels and exhibit a senescence-like growth arrest. Thus, it is likely that a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist (RU486) could increase the efficacy of BRAF-related therapy in BRAFV600E-mutated melanoma. In fact, during early progression of skin melanoma metastases, RU486 and VMF induced metastases regression. However, treatment at an advanced stage of growth found resistance to RU486 and VMF. This resistance was mechanistically linked to overexpression of proteins of the Bcl-2 family (Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 in different human models). Moreover, melanoma resistance was decreased if AKT and NF-κB signaling pathways were blocked. These findings highlight mechanisms by which metastatic melanoma cells adapt to survive and could help in the development of most effective therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Obrador
- Cell Pathophysiology Unit (UFC), Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
- Scientia BioTech S.L., 46002 Valencia, Spain
- Correspondence: (E.O.); (J.M.E.); Tel.: +34-963864646 (J.M.E.)
| | - Rosario Salvador-Palmer
- Cell Pathophysiology Unit (UFC), Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Rafael López-Blanch
- Cell Pathophysiology Unit (UFC), Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
- Scientia BioTech S.L., 46002 Valencia, Spain
| | - María Oriol-Caballo
- Cell Pathophysiology Unit (UFC), Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
- Scientia BioTech S.L., 46002 Valencia, Spain
| | | | - José M. Estrela
- Cell Pathophysiology Unit (UFC), Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
- Scientia BioTech S.L., 46002 Valencia, Spain
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
- Correspondence: (E.O.); (J.M.E.); Tel.: +34-963864646 (J.M.E.)
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