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Bashi M, Madanchi H, Yousefi B. Investigation of cytotoxic effect and action mechanism of a synthetic peptide derivative of rabbit cathelicidin against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13497. [PMID: 38866982 PMCID: PMC11169400 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64400-1] [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] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have sparked significant interest as potential anti-cancer agents, thereby becoming a focal point in pursuing novel cancer-fighting strategies. These peptides possess distinctive properties, underscoring the importance of developing more potent and selectively targeted versions with diverse mechanisms of action against human cancer cells. Such advancements would offer notable advantages compared to existing cancer therapies. This research aimed to examine the toxicity and selectivity of the nrCap18 peptide in both cancer and normal cell lines. Furthermore, the rate of cellular death was assessed using apoptosis and acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) double staining at three distinct incubation times. Additionally, the impact of this peptide on the cancer cell cycle and migration was evaluated, and ultimately, the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) genes was investigated. The results obtained from the study demonstrated significant toxicity and selectivity in cancer cells compared to normal cells. Moreover, a strong progressive increase in cell death was observed over time. Furthermore, the peptide exhibited the ability to halt the progression of cancer cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle and impede their migration by suppressing the expression of CDK4/6 genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzieh Bashi
- Department of Immunology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Hamid Madanchi
- Nervous System Stem Cells Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, 35131-38111, Iran.
- Drug Design and Bioinformatics Unit, Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, 13198, Iran.
| | - Bahman Yousefi
- Department of Immunology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
- Cancer Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
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Panjeta A, Kaur K, Sharma R, Verma I, Preet S. Human Intestinal Defensin 5 Ameliorates the Sensitization of Colonic Cancer Cells to 5-Fluorouracil. Arch Med Res 2024; 55:102966. [PMID: 38330831 DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2024.102966] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM The increasing dilemma of multidrug-resistant cancer cells in response to currently available chemotherapeutic drugs and their associated side effect(s), calls for the investigation of alternative anticancer advances and molecules. Therefore, the present study aimed to elucidate the combinatorial potential against colon cancer of human defensin 5 in combination with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and against 5-FU resistant colon tumor cells. METHODS The in vivo combinatorial potential of HD-5 with 5-FU was elucidated in terms of tumor morphometrics, apoptosis assay, surface morphology histology of the colon(s), and transcriptional alterations. Changes in membrane dynamics with mucin expression were evaluated by fluorescence microscopy and histochemistry. The in vitro activity of the peptide/drug conjunction was explored by phase contrast microscopy, MTT, LDH assay, and AO/EtBr staining. Chemoresistance to 5-FU was determined by phase contrast microscopy, MTT assay, annexin V-FITC/PI flow cytometry, and MDR-1, Bak, and Bax expression. RESULTS In vivo decreases in tumor parameters, with a marked increase in apoptosis and neutrophil infiltrations indicated restoration of normal architecture with improved mucin content in the treated colons. This happened with substantial changes in key molecular markers of the intrinsic apoptotic cascade. Membrane dynamics revealed that peptides and chemotherapeutic drugs could bind to cancerous cells by taking advantage of altered levels of membrane fluidity. CONCLUSION Peptide treatment of drug-resistant Caco-2 cells promotes enhanced 5-FU uptake, in contrast to when cells were treated with 5-FU alone. Hence, HD-5 as an adjunct to 5-FU, exhibited strong cancer cell killing even against 5-FU-resistant tumorigenic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anshul Panjeta
- Department of Biophysics, BMS Block II, South Campus, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Khushpreet Kaur
- Department of Biochemistry, Research Block-A, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Rinkle Sharma
- Department of Biochemistry, Research Block-A, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Indu Verma
- Department of Biochemistry, Research Block-A, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Simran Preet
- Department of Biophysics, BMS Block II, South Campus, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.
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Liu Q, Wang L, He D, Wu Y, Liu X, Yang Y, Chen Z, Dong Z, Luo Y, Song Y. Application Value of Antimicrobial Peptides in Gastrointestinal Tumors. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16718. [PMID: 38069041 PMCID: PMC10706433 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal cancer is a common clinical malignant tumor disease that seriously endangers human health and lacks effective treatment methods. As part of the innate immune defense of many organisms, antimicrobial peptides not only have broad-spectrum antibacterial activity but also can specifically kill tumor cells. The positive charge of antimicrobial peptides under neutral conditions determines their high selectivity to tumor cells. In addition, antimicrobial peptides also have unique anticancer mechanisms, such as inducing apoptosis, autophagy, cell cycle arrest, membrane destruction, and inhibition of metastasis, which highlights the low drug resistance and high specificity of antimicrobial peptides. In this review, we summarize the related studies on antimicrobial peptides in the treatment of digestive tract tumors, mainly oral cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer. This paper describes the therapeutic advantages of antimicrobial peptides due to their unique anticancer mechanisms. The length, net charge, and secondary structure of antimicrobial peptides can be modified by design or modification to further enhance their anticancer effects. In summary, as an emerging cancer treatment drug, antimicrobial peptides need to be further studied to realize their application in gastrointestinal cancer diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Liu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Lei Wang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Dongxia He
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Yuewei Wu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Xian Liu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Yahan Yang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Zhizhi Chen
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Zhan Dong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Ying Luo
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Yuzhu Song
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
- Medical College, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
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Răileanu M, Bacalum M. Cancer Wars: Revenge of the AMPs (Antimicrobial Peptides), a New Strategy against Colorectal Cancer. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:459. [PMID: 37505728 PMCID: PMC10467133 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15070459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a multifaceted health issue that affects people globally and it is considered one of the leading causes of death with a high percentage of victims worldwide. In recent years, research studies have uncovered great advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment. But, there are still major drawbacks of the conventional therapies used including severe side effects, toxicity, and drug resistance. That is why it is critical to develop new drugs with advantages like low cytotoxicity and no treatment resistance to the cancer cells. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have recently attracted attention as a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of various cancers, targeting tumor cells with less toxicity to normal tissues. The aim of the study was to discover alternate treatments that do not lead to cancer resistance and have fewer side effects. Here, we report the effects induced by several AMPs, Melittin, Cecropin A, and a Cecropin A-Melittin hybrid, against two human colorectal cancer-derived spheroids. To study the effects of the peptides, cell viability was investigated using MTT, LDH, and ATP assays. Furthermore, cellular senescence and cell cycle were investigated. We found that using different concentrations of these peptides affected the spheroids, their structure being highly compromised by reducing cell viability, and the increase in ATP and LDH levels. Also, the cells are arrested in the G2/M phase leading to an increase in senescent cells. We show that Melittin and the hybrid are most effective against the 3D colorectal cancer cells compared to Cecropin A.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mihaela Bacalum
- Department of Life and Environmental Physics, Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 30 Reactorului Street, RO-077125 Magurele, Romania;
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Agena R, Cortés-Sánchez ADJ, Hernández-Sánchez H, Álvarez-Salas LM, Martínez-Rodríguez OP, García VHR, Jaramillo Flores ME. Pro-Apoptotic Activity and Cell Cycle Arrest of Caulerpa sertularioides against SKLU-1 Cancer Cell in 2D and 3D Cultures. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28114361. [PMID: 37298837 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28114361] [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: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a disease with the highest mortality and morbidity rate worldwide. First-line drugs induce several side effects that drastically reduce the quality of life of people with this disease. Finding molecules to prevent it or generate less aggressiveness or no side effects is significant to counteract this problem. Therefore, this work searched for bioactive compounds of marine macroalgae as an alternative treatment. An 80% ethanol extract of dried Caulerpa sertularioides (CSE) was analyzed by HPLS-MS to identify the chemical components. CSE was utilized through a comparative 2D versus 3D culture model. Cisplatin (Cis) was used as a standard drug. The effects on cell viability, apoptosis, cell cycle, and tumor invasion were evaluated. The IC50 of CSE for the 2D model was 80.28 μg/mL versus 530 μg/mL for the 3D model after 24 h of treatment exposure. These results confirmed that the 3D model is more resistant to treatments and complex than the 2D model. CSE generated a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, induced apoptosis by extrinsic and intrinsic pathways, upregulated caspases-3 and -7, and significantly decreased tumor invasion of a 3D SKLU-1 lung adenocarcinoma cell line. CSE generates biochemical and morphological changes in the plasma membrane and causes cell cycle arrest at the S and G2/M phases. These findings conclude that C. sertularioides is a potential candidate for alternative treatment against lung cancer. This work reinforced the use of complex models for drug screening and suggested using CSE's primary component, caulerpin, to determine its effect and mechanism of action on SKLU-1 in the future. A multi-approach with molecular and histological analysis and combination with first-line drugs must be included.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosette Agena
- Ingeniería Bioquímica-Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas (ENCB)-Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México 07738, Mexico
| | | | - Humberto Hernández-Sánchez
- Ingeniería Bioquímica-Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas (ENCB)-Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México 07738, Mexico
| | - Luis Marat Álvarez-Salas
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV), Ciudad de México 07360, Mexico
| | - Oswaldo Pablo Martínez-Rodríguez
- Ingeniería Bioquímica-Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas (ENCB)-Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México 07738, Mexico
| | - Víctor Hugo Rosales García
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV), Ciudad de México 07360, Mexico
| | - María Eugenia Jaramillo Flores
- Ingeniería Bioquímica-Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas (ENCB)-Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México 07738, Mexico
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Martínez-Villaluenga C, Hernández-Ledesma B. Peptides for Health Benefits 2020. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23126699. [PMID: 35743143 PMCID: PMC9223426 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Blanca Hernández-Ledesma
- Institute of Food Science Research (CIAL, CSIC-UAM, CEI UAM + CSIC), Nicolás Cabrera 9, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence:
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Jafari A, Babajani A, Sarrami Forooshani R, Yazdani M, Rezaei-Tavirani M. Clinical Applications and Anticancer Effects of Antimicrobial Peptides: From Bench to Bedside. Front Oncol 2022; 12:819563. [PMID: 35280755 PMCID: PMC8904739 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.819563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a multifaceted global health issue and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In recent years, medical science has achieved great advances in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Despite the numerous advantages of conventional cancer therapies, there are major drawbacks including severe side effects, toxicities, and drug resistance. Therefore, the urgency of developing new drugs with low cytotoxicity and treatment resistance is increasing. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted attention as a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of various cancers, targeting tumor cells with less toxicity to normal tissues. In this review, we present the structure, biological function, and underlying mechanisms of AMPs. The recent experimental studies and clinical trials on anticancer peptides in different cancer types as well as the challenges of their clinical application have also been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameneh Jafari
- Student Research Committee, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP) Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Tehran, Iran
| | - Amirhesam Babajani
- School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ramin Sarrami Forooshani
- Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP) Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohsen Yazdani
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Drug Design, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mostafa Rezaei-Tavirani
- Proteomics Research Center, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Răileanu M, Lonetti B, Serpentini CL, Goudounèche D, Gibot L, Bacalum M. Encapsulation of a cationic antimicrobial peptide into self-assembled polyion complex nano-objects enhances its antitumor properties. J Mol Struct 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2021.131482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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