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Farruggia G, Anconelli L, Galassi L, Voltattorni M, Rossi M, Lodeserto P, Blasi P, Orienti I. Nano-fenretinide demonstrates remarkable activity in acute promyeloid leukemia cells. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13737. [PMID: 38877119 PMCID: PMC11178801 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64629-w] [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: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is characterized by rearrangements of the retinoic acid receptor, RARα, which makes all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) highly effective in the treatment of this disease, inducing promyelocytes differentiation. Current therapy, based on ATRA in combination with arsenic trioxide, with or without chemotherapy, provides high rates of event-free survival and overall survival. However, a decline in the drug activity, due to increased ATRA metabolism and RARα mutations, is often observed over long-term treatments. Furthermore, dedifferentiation can occur providing relapse of the disease. In this study we evaluated fenretinide, a semisynthetic ATRA derivative, encapsulated in nanomicelles (nano-fenretinide) as an alternative treatment to ATRA in APL. Nano-fenretinide was prepared by fenretinide encapsulation in a self-assembling phospholipid mixture. Physico-chemical characterization was carried out by dinamic light scattering and spectrophotometry. The biological activity was evaluated by MTT assay, flow cytometry and confocal laser-scanning fluorescence microscopy. Nano-fenretinide induced apoptosis in acute promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL60) by an early increase of reactive oxygen species and a mitochondrial potential decrease. The fenretinide concentration that induced 90-100% decrease in cell viability was about 2.0 µM at 24 h, a concentration easily achievable in vivo when nano-fenretinide is administered by oral or intravenous route, as demonstrated in previous studies. Nano-fenretinide was effective, albeit at slightly higher concentrations, also in doxorubicin-resistant HL60 cells, while a comparison with TK6 lymphoblasts indicated a lack of toxicity on normal cells. The results indicate that nano-fenretinide can be considered an alternative therapy to ATRA in acute promyelocytic leukemia when decreased efficacy, resistance or recurrence of disease emerge after protracted treatments with ATRA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Farruggia
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via San Donato 19/2, 40127, Bologna, Italy
- Center for Applied Biomedical Research (CRBA), University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy
- National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems, Via Delle Medaglie d'Oro 305, 00136, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Anconelli
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via San Donato 19/2, 40127, Bologna, Italy
| | - Lucrezia Galassi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via San Donato 19/2, 40127, Bologna, Italy
- Center for Applied Biomedical Research (CRBA), University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Manuela Voltattorni
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via San Donato 19/2, 40127, Bologna, Italy
| | - Martina Rossi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via San Donato 19/2, 40127, Bologna, Italy
- Center for Applied Biomedical Research (CRBA), University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Pietro Lodeserto
- Section of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Blasi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via San Donato 19/2, 40127, Bologna, Italy.
- Center for Applied Biomedical Research (CRBA), University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Isabella Orienti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via San Donato 19/2, 40127, Bologna, Italy.
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Alfei S, Zuccari G. Attempts to Improve Lipophilic Drugs' Solubility and Bioavailability: A Focus on Fenretinide. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:579. [PMID: 38794242 PMCID: PMC11125266 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16050579] [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: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of numerous drugs is often arrested at clinical testing stages, due to their unfavorable biopharmaceutical characteristics. It is the case of fenretinide (4-HPR), a second-generation retinoid, that demonstrated promising in vitro cytotoxic activity against several cancer cell lines. Unfortunately, response rates in early clinical trials with 4-HPR did not confirm the in vitro findings, mainly due to the low bioavailability of the oral capsular formulation that was initially developed. Capsular 4-HPR provided variable and insufficient drug plasma levels attributable to the high hepatic first-pass effect and poor drug water solubility. To improve 4-HPR bioavailability, several approaches have been put forward and tested in preclinical and early-phase clinical trials, demonstrating generally improved plasma levels and minimal systemic toxicities, but also modest antitumor efficacy. The challenge is thus currently still far from being met. To redirect the diminished interest of pharmaceutical companies toward 4-HPR and promote its further clinical development, this manuscript reviewed the attempts made so far by researchers to enhance 4-HPR bioavailability. A comparison of the available data was performed, and future directions were proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvana Alfei
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, Viale Cembrano 4, 16148 Genoa, Italy;
| | - Guendalina Zuccari
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, 16132 Genoa, Italy
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3
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Goldfarb RB, Atala Pleshinger MJ, Yan DF, Adams DJ. Lipid-Restricted Culture Media Reveal Unexpected Cancer Cell Sensitivities. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:896-907. [PMID: 38506663 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00699] [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] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Cancer cell culture models frequently rely on fetal bovine serum as a source of protein and lipid factors that support cell survival and proliferation; however, serum-containing media imperfectly mimic the in vivo cancer environment. Recent studies suggest that typical serum-containing cell culture conditions can mask cancer dependencies, for example, on cholesterol biosynthesis enzymes, that exist in vivo and emerge when cells are cultured in media that provide more realistic levels of lipids. Here, we describe a high-throughput screen that identified fenretinide and ivermectin as small molecules whose cytotoxicity is greatly enhanced in lipid-restricted media formulations. The mechanism of action studies indicates that ivermectin-induced cell death involves oxidative stress, while fenretinide likely targets delta 4-desaturase, sphingolipid 1, a lipid desaturase necessary for ceramide synthesis, to induce cell death. Notably, both fenretinide and ivermectin have previously demonstrated in vivo anticancer efficacy despite their low cytotoxicity under typical cell culture conditions. These studies suggest ceramide synthesis as a targetable vulnerability of cancer cells cultured under lipid-restricted conditions and reveal a general screening strategy for identifying additional cancer dependencies masked by the superabundance of medium lipids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralston B Goldfarb
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
- Chemical Biology Program, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Matthew J Atala Pleshinger
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
- Chemical Biology Program, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - David F Yan
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
- Chemical Biology Program, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Drew J Adams
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
- Chemical Biology Program, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
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Feng F, Duan Q, Jiang X, Kao X, Zhang D. DendroX: multi-level multi-cluster selection in dendrograms. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:134. [PMID: 38308243 PMCID: PMC10835886 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10048-0] [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: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cluster heatmaps are widely used in biology and other fields to uncover clustering patterns in data matrices. Most cluster heatmap packages provide utility functions to divide the dendrograms at a certain level to obtain clusters, but it is often difficult to locate the appropriate cut in the dendrogram to obtain the clusters seen in the heatmap or computed by a statistical method. Multiple cuts are required if the clusters locate at different levels in the dendrogram. RESULTS We developed DendroX, a web app that provides interactive visualization of a dendrogram where users can divide the dendrogram at any level and in any number of clusters and pass the labels of the identified clusters for functional analysis. Helper functions are provided to extract linkage matrices from cluster heatmap objects in R or Python to serve as input to the app. A graphic user interface was also developed to help prepare input files for DendroX from data matrices stored in delimited text files. The app is scalable and has been tested on dendrograms with tens of thousands of leaf nodes. As a case study, we clustered the gene expression signatures of 297 bioactive chemical compounds in the LINCS L1000 dataset and visualized them in DendroX. Seventeen biologically meaningful clusters were identified based on the structure of the dendrogram and the expression patterns in the heatmap. We found that one of the clusters consisting of mostly naturally occurring compounds is not previously reported and has its members sharing broad anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. CONCLUSIONS DendroX solves the problem of matching visually and computationally determined clusters in a cluster heatmap and helps users navigate among different parts of a dendrogram. The identification of a cluster of naturally occurring compounds with shared bioactivities implicates a convergence of biological effects through divergent mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feiling Feng
- Department of Biliary Tract Surgery I, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiaonan Duan
- Department of Clinical and Translational Medicine, 3D Medicines Inc., Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoqing Jiang
- Department of Biliary Tract Surgery I, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoming Kao
- Research Institute of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Dadong Zhang
- Department of Clinical and Translational Medicine, 3D Medicines Inc., Shanghai, China.
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Potenza RL, Armida M, Popoli P. Can Some Anticancer Drugs Be Repurposed to Treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis? A Brief Narrative Review. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1751. [PMID: 38339026 PMCID: PMC10855887 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031751] [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: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare progressive motor neuron disease that, due to its high complexity, still lacks effective treatments. Development of a new drug is a highly costly and time-consuming process, and the repositioning of approved drugs can represent an efficient strategy to provide therapeutic opportunities. This is particularly true for rare diseases, which are characterised by small patient populations and therefore attract little commercial interest. Based on the overlap between the biological background of cancer and neurodegeneration, the repurposing of antineoplastic drugs for ALS has been suggested. The objective of this narrative review was to summarise the current experimental evidence on the use of approved anticancer drugs in ALS. Specifically, anticancer drugs belonging to different classes were found to act on mechanisms involved in the ALS pathogenesis, and some of them proved to exert beneficial effects in ALS models. However, additional studies are necessary to confirm the real therapeutic potential of anticancer drugs for repositioning in ALS treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Luisa Potenza
- National Centre for Drug Research and Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (M.A.); (P.P.)
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Fenizia S, Gaggini M, Vassalle C. The Sphingolipid-Signaling Pathway as a Modulator of Infection by SARS-CoV-2. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:7956-7973. [PMID: 37886946 PMCID: PMC10605018 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45100503] [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: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Ceramides and other related sphingolipids, important cellular components linked to metabolic homeostasis and cardiometabolic diseases, have been found to be involved in different steps of the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle. Hence, changes in their physiological levels are identified as predictors of COVID-19 severity and prognosis, as well as potential therapeutic targets. In this review, an overview of the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle is given, followed by a description of the sphingolipid metabolism and its role in viral infection, with a particular focus on those steps required to finalize the viral life cycle. Furthermore, the use and development of pharmaceutical strategies to target sphingolipids to prevent and treat severe and long-term symptoms of infectious diseases, particularly COVID-19, are reviewed herein. Finally, research perspectives and current challenges in this research field are highlighted. Although many aspects of sphingolipid metabolism are not fully known, this review aims to highlight how the discovery and use of molecules targeting sphingolipids with reliable and selective properties may offer new therapeutic alternatives to infectious and other diseases, including COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Fenizia
- Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica, Italian National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Melania Gaggini
- Fondazione CNR-Regione Toscana G. Monasterio, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Cristina Vassalle
- Fondazione CNR-Regione Toscana G. Monasterio, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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Wang W, Huang D, Yu Y, Qian H, Ma S. A Modular Approach for the Synthesis of Natural and Artificial Terpenoids. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202307626. [PMID: 37439109 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202307626] [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: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Many terpenoids with isoprene unit(s) demonstrating critical biological activities have been isolated and characterized. In this study, we have developed a robust chem-stamp strategy for the construction of the key isoprene unit, which consists of two steps: one-carbon extension of aldehydes to the alkenyl boronates by the boron-Wittig reaction and the rhodium-catalyzed reaction of alkenyl boronates with 2,3-allenols to yield enals. This chem-stamp could readily be applied repeatedly and separately, enabling the modular concise synthesis of many natural and pharmaceutically active terpenoids, including retinal, β-carotene, vitamin A, tretinoin, fenretinide, acitretin, ALRT1550, nigerapyrone C, peretinoin, and lycopene. Owing to the diversified availability of the starting materials, aldehydes and 2,3-allenols, creation of new non-natural terpenoids has been realized from four dimensions: the number of isoprene units, the side chain, and the two terminal groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyi Wang
- Research Center for Molecular Recognition and Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, 220 Handan Lu, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China
| | - Dongyu Huang
- Research Center for Molecular Recognition and Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, 220 Handan Lu, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China
| | - Yibo Yu
- Research Center for Molecular Recognition and Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, 220 Handan Lu, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China
| | - Hui Qian
- Research Center for Molecular Recognition and Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, 220 Handan Lu, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China
| | - Shengming Ma
- Research Center for Molecular Recognition and Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, 220 Handan Lu, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Lu, Shanghai, 200032, P. R. China
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Shen T, Wang H, Hu R, Lv Y. Developing neural network diagnostic models and potential drugs based on novel identified immune-related biomarkers for celiac disease. Hum Genomics 2023; 17:76. [PMID: 37587523 PMCID: PMC10433645 DOI: 10.1186/s40246-023-00526-z] [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: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND As one of the most common intestinal inflammatory diseases, celiac disease (CD) is typically characterized by an autoimmune disorder resulting from ingesting gluten proteins. Although the incidence and prevalence of CD have increased over time, the diagnostic methods and treatment options are still limited. Therefore, it is urgent to investigate the potential biomarkers and targeted drugs for CD. METHODS Gene expression data was downloaded from GEO datasets. Differential gene expression analysis was performed to identify the dysregulated immune-related genes. Multiple machine algorithms, including randomForest, SVM-RFE, and LASSO, were used to select the hub immune-related genes (HIGs). The immune-related genes score (IG score) and artificial neural network (ANN) were constructed based on HIGs. Potential drugs targeting HIGs were identified by using the Enrichr platform and molecular docking method. RESULTS We identified the dysregulated immune-related genes at a genome-wide level and demonstrated their roles in CD-related immune pathways. The hub genes (MR1, CCL25, and TNFSF13B) were further screened by integrating several machine algorithms. Meanwhile, the CD patients were divided into distinct subtypes with either high- or low-immunoactivity using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and consensus clustering. By constructing IG score based on HIGs, we found that patients with high IG score were mainly attributed to high-immunoactivity subgroups, which suggested a strong link between HIGs and immunoactivity of CD patients. In addition, the novel constructed ANN model showed the sound diagnostic ability of HIGs. Mechanistically, we validated that the HIGs play pivotal roles in regulating CD's immune and inflammatory state. Through targeting the HIGs, we also found potential drugs for anti-CD treatment by using the Enrichr platform and molecular docking method. CONCLUSIONS This study unveils the HIGs and elucidates the networks regulated by these genes in the context of CD. It underscores the pivotal significance of HIGs in accurately predicting the presence or absence of CD in patients. Consequently, this research offers promising prospects for the development of diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for CD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Shen
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Diseases, Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases, Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.
| | - Haiyang Wang
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Diseases, Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases, Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Rongkang Hu
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Diseases, Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases, Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Yanni Lv
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Diseases, Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases, Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
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Ferdousi F, Sasaki K, Fukumitsu S, Kuwata H, Nakajima M, Isoda H. A Descriptive Whole-Genome Transcriptomics Study in a Stem Cell-Based Tool Predicts Multiple Tissue-Specific Beneficial Potential and Molecular Targets of Carnosic Acid. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24098077. [PMID: 37175790 PMCID: PMC10179098 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098077] [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: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Carnosic acid (CA) is a phenolic diterpene widely distributed in herbal plants, rosemary and sage. Although its medicinal properties, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and neuroprotective effects, have been well-documented, its relevant biochemical processes and molecular targets have not been fully explored yet. In the present study, we conducted an untargeted whole-genome transcriptomics analysis to investigate CA-induced early biological and molecular events in human amniotic epithelial stem cells (hAESCs) with the aim of exploring its multiple tissue-specific functionalities and potential molecular targets. We found that seven days of CA treatment in hAESCs could induce mesoderm-lineage-specific differentiation. Tissue enrichment analysis revealed that CA significantly enriched lateral plate mesoderm-originated cardiovascular and adipose tissues. Further tissue-specific PPI analysis and kinase and transcription factor enrichment analyses identified potential upstream regulators and molecular targets of CA in a tissue-specific manner. Gene ontology enrichment analyses revealed the metabolic, antioxidant, and antifibrotic activities of CA. Altogether, our comprehensive whole-genome transcriptomics analyses offer a thorough understanding of the possible underlying molecular mechanism of CA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhana Ferdousi
- Alliance for Research on the Mediterranean and North Africa (ARENA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
| | - Kazunori Sasaki
- Alliance for Research on the Mediterranean and North Africa (ARENA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
- Open Innovation Laboratory for Food and Medicinal Resource Engineering (FoodMed-OIL), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-0821, Japan
| | - Satoshi Fukumitsu
- NIPPN Corporation, Tokyo 243-0041, Japan
- Tsukuba Life Science Innovation Program (T-LSI), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
| | | | - Mitsutoshi Nakajima
- Alliance for Research on the Mediterranean and North Africa (ARENA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
- Open Innovation Laboratory for Food and Medicinal Resource Engineering (FoodMed-OIL), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-0821, Japan
- MED R&D Corporation, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
| | - Hiroko Isoda
- Alliance for Research on the Mediterranean and North Africa (ARENA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
- Open Innovation Laboratory for Food and Medicinal Resource Engineering (FoodMed-OIL), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-0821, Japan
- Tsukuba Life Science Innovation Program (T-LSI), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
- MED R&D Corporation, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
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Naxitamab Activity in Neuroblastoma Cells Is Enhanced by Nanofenretinide and Nanospermidine. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15020648. [PMID: 36839972 PMCID: PMC9966923 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020648] [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: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma cells highly express the disialoganglioside GD2, a tumor-associated carbohydrate antigen, which is also expressed in neurons, skin melanocytes, and peripheral nerve fibers. Immunotherapy with monoclonal anti-GD2 antibodies has a proven efficacy in clinical trials and is included in the standard treatment for children with high-risk neuroblastoma. However, the strong neuro-toxicity associated with anti-GD2 antibodies administration has hindered, until now, the possibility for dose-escalation and protracted use, thus restraining their therapeutic potential. Strategies to increase the efficacy of anti-GD2 antibodies are actively sought, with the aim to enable chronic treatments that could eradicate minimal residual disease and subsequent relapses, often occurring after treatment. Here, we report that Nanofenretinide and Nanospermidine improved the expression of GD2 in neuroblastoma cells (CHP-134) and provided different effects in combination with the anti-GD2 antibody naxitamab. In particular, Nanofenretinide significantly increased the cytotoxic effect of naxitamab while Nanospermidine inhibited cell motility at extents proportional to naxitamab concentration. In neuroblastoma cells characterized by a low and heterogeneous basal expression of GD2, such as SH-SY5Y, which may represent the cell heterogeneity in tumors after chemotherapy, both Nanofenretinide and Nanospermidine increased GD2 expression in approximately 50% of cells, thus shifting the tumor population towards improved sensitivity to anti-GD2 antibodies.
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