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Zhang H, Gomika Udugamasooriya D. Optimization of a cell surface vimentin binding peptoid to extract antagonist effect on lung cancer cells. Bioorg Chem 2022; 129:106113. [PMID: 36108586 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.106113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Targeting cytoskeletal proteins that are uniquely translocated to cancer cell surface may provide an alternative path for conventional drug discovery. Vimentin is such a cell surface-translocated cytoskeletal protein (CSV) found in non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We previously reported the identification of CSV-binding peptoid, named JM3A. While JM3A had no antagonist effect, here we used multiple strategies to optimize the binding of JM3A on CSV and extract the antagonistic effect. We first performed minimum pharmacophore identification studies using alanine/sarcosine scans. These studies revealed that residues 1-4 and 8 (from the C-terminus) are not important and those residues 5-7 are important for JM3A binding to CSV. We then found that our previous N-terminal benzophenone (BP)-coupled JM3A (JM3A-BP), which was used for pull-down and target identification studies, displayed 3-fold binding enhancement. The molecular docking studies indicated that the BP moiety binds to a new binding pocket on the vimentin coil 2 fragment, and further studies using 12 benzophenone-like moieties indicated that at least two phenyl groups are needed to occupy this new binding site. Interestingly, the binding was improved when non-important and bulky residues at the 4th and 8th positions were replaced with methyl groups (JM3A-4,8-BP). We next dimerized JM3A-4,8-BP to enhance the binding via the "avidity effect," using a central lysine linker to develop JM3A-4,8-BPD1 (EC50 = 300 nM). This showed 27- and 63-fold-improvement in binding over JM3A-4,8-BP and JM3A monomers, respectively. JM3A4,8BPD1 also displayed binding comparable to vimentin antibody. Finally, we observed an antagonist effect on H1299 NSCLC cell proliferation and viability from this most improved dimeric JM3A-4,8BPD1, which was not shown by the monomeric versions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haowen Zhang
- Department of Pharmacological & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Houston, 4349 Martin Luther King Blvd, Health Building 2, Houston, TX 77204-5037, USA
| | - D Gomika Udugamasooriya
- Department of Pharmacological & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Houston, 4349 Martin Luther King Blvd, Health Building 2, Houston, TX 77204-5037, USA; Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1881 East Road, Houston, TX 77030-4009, USA.
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Lee-Theilen M, Fadini DD, Hadhoud JR, van Dongen F, Kroll G, Rolle U, Fiegel HC. Hepatoblastoma Cancer Stem Cells Express PD-L1, Reveal Plasticity and Can Emerge upon Chemotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14235825. [PMID: 36497307 PMCID: PMC9736435 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14235825] [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: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The biology of cancer stem cells (CSCs) of pediatric cancers, such as hepatoblastoma, is sparsely explored. This is mainly due to the very immature nature of these tumors, which complicates the distinction of CSCs from the other tumor cells. Previously, we identified a CSC population in hepatoblastoma cell lines expressing the CSC markers CD34 and CD90, cell surface Vimentin (csVimentin) and binding of OV-6. In this study, we detected the co-expression of the immune escape factor PD-L1 in the CSC population, whereas the other tumor cells remained negative. FACS data revealed that non-CSCs give rise to CSCs, reflecting plasticity of CSCs and non-CSCs in hepatoblastoma as seen in other tumors. When we treated cells with cisplatin and decitabine, a new CD34+/lowOV-6lowCD90+ population emerged that lacked csVimentin and PD-L1 expression. Expression analyses showed that this new CSC subset shared similar pluripotency and EMT features with the already-known CSCs. FACS results further revealed that this subset is also generated from non-CSCs. In conclusion, we showed that hepatoblastoma CSCs express PD-L1 and that the biology of hepatoblastoma CSCs is of a plastic nature. Chemotherapeutic treatment leads to another CSC subset, which is highly chemoresistant and could be responsible for a poor prognosis after postoperative chemotherapy.
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Wu Y, Shen S, Shi Y, Tian N, Zhou Y, Zhang X. Senolytics: Eliminating Senescent Cells and Alleviating Intervertebral Disc Degeneration. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:823945. [PMID: 35309994 PMCID: PMC8924288 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.823945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is the main cause of cervical and lumbar spondylosis. Over the past few years, the relevance between cellular senescence and IVDD has been widely studied, and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) produced by senescent cells is found to remodel extracellular matrix (ECM) metabolism and destruct homeostasis. Elimination of senescent cells by senolytics and suppression of SASP production by senomorphics/senostatics are effective strategies to alleviate degenerative diseases including IVDD. Here, we review the involvement of senescence in the process of IVDD; we also discuss the potential of senolytics on eliminating senescent disc cells and alleviating IVDD; finally, we provide a table listing senolytic drugs and small molecules, aiming to propose potential drugs for IVDD therapy in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhao Wu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- The Second School of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Shiwei Shen
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- The Second School of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yifeng Shi
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- The Second School of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Orthopaedics of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, China
| | - Naifeng Tian
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- The Second School of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Orthopaedics of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Naifeng Tian, ; Yifei Zhou, ; Xiaolei Zhang,
| | - Yifei Zhou
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- The Second School of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Orthopaedics of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Naifeng Tian, ; Yifei Zhou, ; Xiaolei Zhang,
| | - Xiaolei Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- The Second School of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Orthopaedics of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, China
- Chinese Orthopaedic Regenerative Medicine Society, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Naifeng Tian, ; Yifei Zhou, ; Xiaolei Zhang,
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