Inhibitors of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway in Prostate Cancer Chemoprevention and Intervention

Inhibition of Prostate Cancer Cell Survival and Proliferation by Carnosic Acid Is Associated with Inhibition of Akt and Activation of AMPK Signaling

Prostate cancer, accounting for 375,304 deaths in 2020, is the second most prevalent cancer in men worldwide. While many treatments exist for prostate cancer, novel therapeutic agents with higher efficacy are needed to target aggressive and hormone-resistant forms of prostate cancer, while sparing healthy cells. Plant-derived chemotherapy drugs such as docetaxel and paclitaxel have been established to treat cancers including prostate cancer. Carnosic acid (CA), a phenolic diterpene found in the herb rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) has been shown to have anticancer properties but its effects in prostate cancer and its mechanisms of action have not been examined. CA dose-dependently inhibited PC-3 and LNCaP prostate cancer cell survival and proliferation (IC50: 64, 21 µM, respectively). Furthermore, CA decreased phosphorylation/activation of Akt, mTOR, and p70 S6K. A notable increase in phosphorylation/activation of AMP-activated kinase (AMPK), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and its upstream regulator sestrin-2 was seen with CA treatment. Our data indicate that CA inhibits AKT-mTORC1-p70S6K and activates Sestrin-2-AMPK signaling leading to a decrease in survival and proliferation. The use of inhibitors and small RNA interference (siRNA) approaches should be employed, in future studies, to elucidate the mechanisms involved in carnosic acid's inhibitory effects of prostate cancer.

Ultrasound image-guided cancer gene therapy using iRGD dual-targeted magnetic cationic microbubbles

The gene therapy attracted more and more attention for the tumor therapy. To obtain a safe gene therapy system, the new gene vectors beyond the virus were developed for a high gene therapy efficiency. The ultrasound mediated gene therapy was safer and the plasmid DNA could be delivered by the microbubbles and combined with the ultrasound to increase the gene transfection efficiency. In this work, the cationic microbubbles decorated with Cyclo(Cys-Arg-Gly-Asp-Lys-Gly-Pro-AspCys) (iRGD peptides) and magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (MBiM) was designed for targeted ultrasound contrast imaging guided gene therapy of tumors. The ultrasound image intensity was dramatically enhanced at the tumor site that received MBiM with the magnet applied, compared to those administrated the non-targeted microbubbles (MBb) or the microbubbles with only one target material on the surface (MBM and MBbi). The pGPU6/GFP/Neo-shAKT2 was used as a sample gene, which down regulate the AKT2 protein expression for the cancer therapy. It illustrated that MBiM/AKT2 had the highest gene transfection efficiency in the studied microbubbles mediated by the ultrasound, leading to the AKT2 protein expression downregulation and the strongest tumor killing effect in vitro and in vivo. In summary, a novel and biocompatible gene delivery platform via MBiM with both the endogenous and external targeting effects for breast cancer theranostics was developed.

TLR/mTOR inflammatory signaling pathway: novel insight for the treatment of schizophrenia

The Toll-like receptor (TLR)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is involved in the intracellular regulation of protein synthesis, specifically the ones that mediate neuronal morphology and facilitate synaptic plasticity. The activity of TLR/mTOR signaling has been disrupted, leading to neurodevelopment and deficient synaptic plasticity, which are the main symptoms of schizophrenia. The TLR receptor activates the mTOR signaling pathway and increases the elevation of inflammatory cytokines. Interleukin (IL)-6 is the most commonly altered cytokine, while IL-1, tumor necrosis factor, and interferon (IFN) also lead to SCZ. Anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative agents such as celecoxib, aspirin, minocycline, and omega-3 fatty acids have shown efficiency against SCZ. As a result, inhibition of the inflammatory process could be suggested for the treatment of SCZ. So mTOR/TLR blockers represent the treatment of SCZ due to their inflammatory consequences. The objective of the present work was to find a novel anti-inflammatory agent that may block the mTOR/TLR inflammatory signaling pathways and might pave the way for the treatment of neuroinflammatory SCZ. Data were collected from experimental and clinical studies published in English between 1998 and October 2022 from Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane library.

The role of autophagy in prostate cancer and prostatic diseases: a new therapeutic strategy

BACKGROUND

Autophagy is a well-conserved catabolic process that plays a key role in cell homeostasis. In the prostate, defective autophagy has been implicated in the genesis and progression of several pathological conditions.

AIM

The present review explored the autophagy pathway in prostate-related dysfunctions, focusing on prostate cancer (PCa), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatitis.

RESULTS

Impaired autophagy activity has been shown in animal models of BPH and prostatitis. Moreover, autophagy activation by specific and non-specific drugs improved both conditions in pre-clinical studies. Conversely, the efficacy of autophagy inducers in PCa remains controversial, depending on intrinsic PCa characteristics and stage of progression. Intriguingly, autophagy inhibitors have shown beneficial effects in PCa suppression or even to overcome chemotherapy resistance. However, there are still open questions regarding the upstream mechanisms by which autophagy is deregulated in the prostate and the exact role of autophagy in PCa. The lack of specificity and increased toxicity associated with the currently autophagy inhibitors limits its use clinically, reflecting in reduced number of clinical data.

CONCLUSION

New therapeutic strategies to treat prostatic diseases involving new autophagy modulators, combination therapy and new drug formulations should be explored. Understanding the autophagy signaling in each prostatic disease is crucial to determine the best pharmacological approach.

Magnolol and 5-fluorouracil synergy inhibition of metastasis of cervical cancer cells by targeting PI3K/AKT/mTOR and EMT pathways

Objective

This study is designed to investigate the mode of action of the synergistic effect of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and magnolol against cervical cancer.

Methods

Network pharmacological approach was applied to predict the molecular mechanism of 5-FU combined with magnolol against cervical cancer. CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, immunofluorescence staining, adhesion assay, wound healing mobility assay, cell migration and invasion assay and Western blot analysis were conducted to validate the results of in silico study.

Results

Phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway was identified as the key pathway in silico study. The experimental results showed that 5-FU combined with magnolol strongly inhibited cervical cancer cell proliferation, induced the morphological change of HeLa cells by down-regulating the expression of α-actinin, tensin-2 and vinculin. Moreover, magnolol enhanced inhibitory effect of 5-FU on the cell adhesion, migration and invasion. The phosphorylation of AKT and PI3K and the expression of mTOR were strongly inhibited by the combination of 5-FU and magnolol. Moreover, the expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin was upregulated and the expression of Snail, Slug and vimentin was down-regulated by the 5-FU together with magnolol.

Conclusion

Taken together, this study suggests that 5-FU combined with magnolol exerts a synergistic anti-cervical cancer effect by regulating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) signaling pathways.

Experimental Verification of Erchen Decoction Plus Huiyanzhuyu Decoction in the Treatment of Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Based on Network Pharmacology

BACKGROUND

The prescription of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) consists of multiple herbs that exhibit synergistic effects due to the presence of multiple components targeting various pathways. In clinical practice, the combination of Erchen decoction and Huiyanzhuyu decoction (EHD) has shown promising outcomes in treating patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). However, the underlying mechanism by which EHD exerts its therapeutic effects in LSCC remains unknown.

METHODS

Online databases were utilized for the analysis and prediction of the active constituents, targets, and key pathways associated with EHD in the treatment of LSCC. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of common targets was constructed and visualized using Cytoscape 3.8.1 software. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to investigate the functional roles of core targets within the PPI network. Protein clustering was conducted utilizing the MCODE plug-in. The obtained results highlight the principal targets and pathways involved. Subsequently, clinical samples were collected to validate alterations in the levels of these main targets through Western blotting (WB) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Furthermore, both in vivo and in vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the therapeutic effects of EHD on healing LSCC and elucidate its underlying mechanism. Additionally, to ensure experimental reliability and reproducibility, quality control measures utilizing HPLC were implemented for EHD herbal medicine.

RESULTS

The retrieval and analysis of databases in EHD medicine and LSCC disease yielded a total of 116 overlapping targets. The MCODE plug-in methods were utilized to acquire 8 distinct protein clusters through protein clustering. The findings indicated that both the first and second clusters exhibited a size greater than 6 scores, with key genes PI3K and ErbB occupying central positions, while the third and fourth clusters were associated with proteins in the PI3K, STAT3, and Foxo pathways. GO functional analysis reported that these targets had associations mainly with the pathway of p53 mediated DNA damage and negative regulation of cell cycle in terms of biological function; the death-induced signaling complex in terms of cell function; transcription factor binding and protein kinase activity in terms of molecular function. The KEGG enrichment analysis demonstrated that these targets were correlated with several signaling pathways, including PI3K-Akt, FoxO, and ErbB2 signaling pathway. On one hand, we observed higher levels of key genes such as P-STAT3, P-PDK1, P-Akt, PI3K, and ErbB2 in LSCC tumor tissues compared to adjacent tissues. Conversely, FOXO3a expression was lower in LSCC tumor tissues. On the other hand, the key genes mentioned above were also highly expressed in both LSCC xenograft nude mice tumors and LSCC cell lines, while FOXO3a was underexpressed. In LSCC xenograft nude mice models, EHD treatment resulted in downregulation of P-STAT3, P-PDK1, PI3K, P-AKT, and ErbB2 protein levels but upregulated FOXO3a protein level. EHD also affected the levels of P-STAT3, P-PDK1, PI3K, P-AKT, FOXO3a, and ErbB2 proteins in vitro: it inhibited P-STAT3, P-AKT, and ErbB2, while promoting FOXO3a; however, it had no effect on PDK1 protein. In addition, HPLC identified twelve compounds accounting for more than 30% within EHD. The findings from this study can serve as valuable guidance for future experimental investigations.

CONCLUSION

The possible mechanism of EHD medicine action on LSCC disease is speculated to be closely associated with the ErbB2/PI3K/AKT/FOXO3a signaling pathway.

Concurrent Targeting of HDAC and PI3K to Overcome Phenotypic Heterogeneity of Castration-resistant and Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancers

Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) consists of multiple phenotypic subtypes including androgen receptor (AR)-active prostate cancer (ARPC) and neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC). Tumor cells with these phenotypes can coexist between metastases within a patient and within an individual tumor. Treatments that are effective across CRPC subtypes are currently lacking. Histone deacetylation is crucial for the regulation of chromatin structure and maintenance of cancer cell state and activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling cascade is a tumor growth-promoting pathway. We therefore investigated combined targeting of histone deacetylase (HDAC) and PI3K using a rationally designed dual inhibitor, fimepinostat, in CRPC subtypes in vitro and in vivo. Dual HDAC1/2 and PI3K/AKT pathway inhibition by fimepinostat led to robust tumor growth inhibition in both ARPC and NEPC models including cell line- and patient-derived xenografts. HDAC1/2 inhibition combined with PI3K/AKT inhibition was more effective than targeting each pathway alone, producing growth inhibitory effects through cell-cycle inhibition and apoptosis. Molecular profiling revealed on-target effects of combined HDAC1/2 and PI3K/AKT inhibition independent of tumor phenotype. Fimepinostat therapy was also associated with the suppression of lineage transcription factors including AR in ARPC and Achaete-scute homolog 1 (ASCL1) in NEPC. Together, these results indicate that fimepinostat represents a novel therapeutic that may be effective against both ARPC and NEPC through CRPC subtype-dependent and -independent mechanisms.

SIGNIFICANCE

CRPC is a heterogeneous disease constituting multiple phenotypic subtypes that often co-occur within tumors or across metastases in patients. Existing targeted therapies for CRPC do not take this into account. Here we show that fimepinostat, a dual HDAC1/2 and PI3K/AKT inhibitor investigated clinically in other cancer types but not prostate cancer, may overcome this heterogeneity by effectively inhibiting both ARPC and NEPC subtypes of CRPC.

Safety and Toxicology Study of Hu7691, a Novel AKT Inhibitor, following Oral Administration in Rats

Hu7691 represents a novel Pan-Akt kinase inhibitor, demonstrating excellent selectivity towards non-AGC kinase families and pronounced inhibitory effects on the proliferation of multiple tumor cell lines. However, there is currently a notable absence of in vivo toxicological research evidence concerning Hu7691. This study represents the first investigation into the 14-day repeated-dose toxicity of Hu7691 in male and female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. Male rats were administered daily doses of 12.5, 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg/day, while female rats received doses of 12.5, 25, 50, and 75 mg/kg/day for 14 consecutive days. Hematological assessments, organ weights, and histopathological examinations revealed corresponding alterations, suggesting potential target organs for toxicity including the spleen, thymus, and gastrointestinal tract. It is worth noting that the test substance may also impact the liver, kidneys, heart, and ovaries. The No Observed Effect Level (NOAEL) was determined to be no greater than 12.5 mg/kg/day. Based on the observed gender-related toxicity differences in preliminary trials, it is recommended that the high dose reference dose for male animals in formal experiments should not be less than 100 mg/kg/day, while for female animals, it should be less than 50 mg/kg/day.

Estradiol cypionate inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis of gastric cancer by regulating AKT ubiquitination

Gastric cancer is a common gastrointestinal malignancy worldwide, with a high mortality rate and poor prognosis. Multidrug resistance remains a major obstacle to successful treatment for patients. Hence, it is of great significance to develop novel therapies to potentiate the anti-tumor effect. In this study, we have investigated the effect of estradiol cypionate (ECP) on gastric cancer in vitro and vivo. Our data show that ECP inhibited the proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and caused G1/S phase arrest of gastric cancer cells. The mechanism by which ECP promoted apoptosis of gastric cancer cells was related to the downregulation of AKT protein expression caused by the increased ubiquitination modification levels of AKT, which finally inhibited the over-activation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway. In vivo tumorigenesis experiments showed that ECP significantly inhibited the growth of gastric cancer cells, showing promise for clinical application. The above findings indicate that ECP inhibited the growth of gastric cancer and induced apoptosis through the PI3K /Akt/mTOR pathway. In summary, the efficacy showed in our data suggests that ECP is a promising anti-tumor compound for gastric cancer.

FNBP1 Facilitates Cervical Cancer Cell Survival by the Constitutive Activation of FAK/PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling

Cervical cancer is the most prevalent gynecological tumor among women worldwide. Although the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer have been declining thanks to the wide-scale implementation of cytological screening, it remains a major challenge in clinical treatment. High viability is one of the leading causes of the chemotherapeutic resistance in cervical cancers. Formin-binding protein 1 (FNBP1) could stimulate F-actin polymerization beneath the curved plasma membrane in the cell migration and endocytosis, which had previously been well defined. Here, FNBP1 was also demonstrated to play a crucial role in cervical cancer cell survival, and the knockdown of which could result in the attenuation of FAK/PI3K/AKT signaling followed by significant apoptotic accumulation and proliferative inhibition. In addition, the epidermal growth factor (hrEGF) abrogated all the biological effects mediated by the silencing of FNBP1 except for the cell adhesion decrease. These findings indicated that FNBP1 plays a key role in maintaining the activity of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) by promoting cell adhesion. The activated FAK positively regulated downstream PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling, which is responsible for cell survival. Promisingly, FNBP1 might be a potential target against cervical cancer in combination therapy.

LINC01088/miR-22/CDC6 Axis Regulates Prostate Cancer Progression by Activating the PI3K/AKT Pathway

Background

Prostate cancer (PCa) harms the male reproductive system, and lncRNA may play an important role in it. Here, we report that the LINC01088/microRNA- (miRNA/miR-) 22/cell division cycle 6 (CDC6) axis regulated through the phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases- (PI3K-) protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway controls the development of PCa.

Methods

lncRNA/miRNA/mRNA associated with PCa was downloaded and analyzed by Gene Expression Omnibus. The expression and correlation of LINC01088/miR-22/CDC6 in PCa were analyzed and verified by RT-qPCR. Dual-luciferase was used to analyze the binding between miR-22 and LINC01088 or CDC6. Cell Counting Kit-8 and Transwell were used to analyze the effects of LINC01088/miR-22/CDC6 interactions on PCa cell viability or migration/invasion ability. Localization of LINC01088 in cells was analyzed by nuclear cytoplasmic separation. The effect of LINC01088/miR-22/CDC6 interaction on downstream PI3K/AKT signaling was analyzed by Western blot.

Results

LINC01088 or CDC6 was upregulated in prostate tumor tissues or cells, whereas miR-22 was downregulated, miR-22 directly targets both LINC01088 and CDC6. si-LINC01088 inhibits the PCa process by suppressing the PI3K/AKT pathway. CDC6 reverses si-linc01088-mediated cell growth inhibition and reduction of PI3K and AKT protein levels.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that the LINC01088/miR-22/CDC6 axis functions in PCa progression and provide a promising diagnostic and therapeutic target.

Current and Future Cancer Chemoprevention Strategies

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020 and ranking as the second-leading cause of death in economically developed countries [...].

Mechanisms of Prostate Cancer Cells Survival and Their Therapeutic Targeting

Prostate cancer (PCa) is today the second most common cancer in the world, with almost 400,000 deaths annually. Multiple factors are involved in the etiology of PCa, such as older age, genetic mutations, ethnicity, diet, or inflammation. Modern treatment of PCa involves radical surgical treatment or radiation therapy in the stages when the tumor is limited to the prostate. When metastases develop, the standard procedure is androgen deprivation therapy, which aims to reduce the level of circulating testosterone, which is achieved by surgical or medical castration. However, when the level of testosterone decreases to the castration level, the tumor cells adapt to the new conditions through different mechanisms, which enable their unhindered growth and survival, despite the therapy. New knowledge about the biology of the so-called of castration-resistant PCa and the way it adapts to therapy will enable the development of new drugs, whose goal is to prolong the survival of patients with this stage of the disease, which will be discussed in this review.

Statins block mammalian target of rapamycin pathway: a possible novel therapeutic strategy for inflammatory, malignant and neurodegenerative diseases

Inflammation plays a critical role in several diseases such as cancer, gastric, heart and nervous system diseases. Data suggest that the activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in epithelial cells leads to inflammation. Statins, the inhibitors of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA), seem to be able to inhibit the mTOR. Statins are considered to have favorable effects on inflammatory diseases by reducing the complications caused by inflammation and by regulating the inflammatory process and cytokines secretion. This critical review collected data on this topic from clinical, in vivo and in vitro studies published between 1998 and June 2022 in English from databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Cochrane libraries.

Addressing the Reciprocal Crosstalk between the AR and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathways for Prostate Cancer Treatment

The reduction in androgen synthesis and the blockade of the androgen receptor (AR) function by chemical castration and AR signaling inhibitors represent the main treatment lines for the initial stages of prostate cancer. Unfortunately, resistance mechanisms ultimately develop due to alterations in the AR pathway, such as gene amplification or mutations, and also the emergence of alternative pathways that render the tumor less or, more rarely, completely independent of androgen activation. An essential oncogenic axis activated in prostate cancer is the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, as evidenced by the frequent alterations of the negative regulator phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and by the activating mutations in PI3K subunits. Additionally, crosstalk and reciprocal feedback loops between androgen signaling and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling cascade that activate pro-survival signals and play an essential role in disease recurrence and progression have been evidenced. Inhibitors addressing different players of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway have been evaluated in the clinic. Only a limited benefit has been reported in prostate cancer up to now due to the associated side effects, so novel combination approaches and biomarkers predictive of patient response are urgently needed. Here, we reviewed recent data on the crosstalk between AR signaling and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, the selective inhibitors identified, and the most advanced clinical studies, with a focus on combination treatments. A deeper understanding of the complex molecular mechanisms involved in disease progression and treatment resistance is essential to further guide therapeutic approaches with improved outcomes.

PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway-derived risk score exhibits correlation with immune infiltration in uveal melanoma patients

Uveal melanoma (UVM) is a rare but highly aggressive intraocular tumor with a poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. Recent studies have implicated the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in the pathogenesis and progression of UVM. Here, we aimed to explore the potential mechanism of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway-related genes (PRGs) in UVM and develop a novel prognostic-related risk model. Using unsupervised clustering on 14 PRGs profiles, we identified three distinct subtypes with varying immune characteristics. Subtype A demonstrated the worst overall survival and showed higher expression of human leukocyte antigen, immune checkpoints, and immune cell infiltration. Further enrichment analysis revealed that subtype A mainly functioned in inflammatory response, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Differential analysis between different subtypes identified 56 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with the major enrichment pathway of these DEGs associated with PI3K/AKT/mTOR. Based on these DEGs, we developed a consensus machine learning-derived signature (RSF model) that exhibited the best power for predicting prognosis among 76 algorithm combinations. The novel signature demonstrated excellent robustness and predictive ability for the overall survival of patients. Moreover, we observed that patients classified by risk scores had distinguishable immune status and mutation. In conclusion, our study identified a consensus machine learning-derived signature as a potential biomarker for prognostic prediction in UVM patients. Our findings suggest that this signature is correlated with tumor immune infiltration and may serve as a valuable tool for personalized therapy in the clinical setting.

The roles of metabolic profiles and intracellular signaling pathways of tumor microenvironment cells in angiogenesis of solid tumors

Innate and adaptive immune cells patrol and survey throughout the human body and sometimes reside in the tumor microenvironment (TME) with a variety of cell types and nutrients that may differ from those in which they developed. The metabolic pathways and metabolites of immune cells are rooted in cell physiology, and not only provide nutrients and energy for cell growth and survival but also influencing cell differentiation and effector functions. Nowadays, there is a growing awareness that metabolic processes occurring in cancer cells can affect immune cell function and lead to tumor immune evasion and angiogenesis. In order to safely treat cancer patients and prevent immune checkpoint blockade-induced toxicities and autoimmunity, we suggest using anti-angiogenic drugs solely or combined with Immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) to boost the safety and effectiveness of cancer therapy. As a consequence, there is significant and escalating attention to discovering techniques that target metabolism as a new method of cancer therapy. In this review, a summary of immune-metabolic processes and their potential role in the stimulation of intracellular signaling in TME cells that lead to tumor angiogenesis, and therapeutic applications is provided. Video abstract.

A New Therapeutic Trend: Natural Medicine for Ameliorating Ischemic Stroke via PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway

Ischemic stroke (IS) is an acute cerebrovascular disease caused by sudden arterial occlusion, which is characterized by a high morbidity, mortality, and disability rate. It is one of the most important causes of nervous system morbidity and mortality in the world. In recent years, the search for new medicine for the treatment of IS has become an attractive research focus. Due to the extremely limited time window of traditional medicine treatment, some side effects may occur, and accompanied by the occurrence of adverse reactions, the frequency of exploration with natural medicine is significantly increased. Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/Protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway is a classical pathway for cell metabolism, growth, apoptosis, and other physiological activities. There is considerable research on medicine that treats various diseases through this pathway. This review focuses on how natural medicines (including herbs and insects) regulate important pathophysiological processes such as inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autophagy through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and the role it plays in improving IS. We found that many kinds of herbal medicine and insect medicine can alleviate the damage caused by IS through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Moreover, the prescription after their combination can also achieve certain results. Therefore, this review provides a new candidate category for medicine development in the treatment of IS.

Integrated plasma pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology to explore the mechanism of Gerberae Piloselloidis Herba in treatment of allergic asthma

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Gerberae Piloselloidis Herba (GPH), a commonly used traditional medicine in China, is derived from Gerbera piloselloides (Linn.) Cass. It is featured by its special bioactivities as antitussive, expectorant, anti-asthma, anti-bacterial, anti-tumor, uterine analgesia, and immunity-enhancing. With a long history of medication in ethnic minority areas in China, it is often used as an effective treatment for cough and sore throat as well as allergic asthma. Although our previous investigation also has discovered GPH performed effective treatment on allergic asthma, its underlying mechanism remains unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This research aims to reveal the pharmacological mechanism of GPH in the treatment for allergic asthma through combination of plasma pharmacology and network pharmacology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Firstly, the components of GPH in blood samples were identified using UHPLC- Q-Orbitrap HRMS. An interaction network of "compound-target-disease" was constructed based on the compounds confirmed in blood and on their corresponding targets of allergic asthma acquired from disease gene databases, predicting the possible biological targets and potential signal pathways of GPH with the network pharmacology analysis. Then, a molecular docking between the blood ingredients and the core targets was carried out using the Autodock Vina software. Subsequently, after establishing a mouse model with allergic asthma induced by ovalbumin (OVA), the effect of GPH on allergic asthma was evaluated by analyzing a series of indicators including behavior, lung pathological changes, inflammatory factors in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Finally, the key pathway and targets predicted by network pharmacology and molecular docking were further verified using Western blot analysis.

RESULTS

Eleven chemical constituents (such as arbutin, neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, etc.) were identified through the analysis of plasma samples, on which basis a total of 142 genes intersecting GPH and allergic asthma were collected by network pharmacology. After performing enrichment analysis of these genes in gene ontology (GO) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG), it was found that arbutin-related targets mainly focused on phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signal pathway, while luteolin and marmesin -related targets tended to locate at Interleukin-17 (IL-17) signal pathway. Meanwhile, the findings of molecular docking suggested that such components as arbutin, luteolin and marmesin entering into blood had good binding with the core targets related to PI3K/Akt and IL-17 pathways. In addition, GPH improved the OVA-induced asthma symptoms, the alveolar septa thickening and the infiltration of inflammatory cell around bronchi and bronchioles as well as reduced the levels of IgE, IL-8 and TNF-α in serum or BALF. Furthermore, GPH could inhibit the phosphorylation level of Akt and the expression of PI3K, an efficacy supported by the findings by way of Western blot which suggests that GPH in the treatment of allergic asthma was linked to PI3K/Akt signal pathway.

CONCLUSION

In this study, a comprehensive strategy to combine the UPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS with network pharmacology was employed to clarify the mechanism of GPH against allergic asthma, a finding where GPH may inhibit PI3K/Akt signal pathway to protect mice from OVA-induced allergic asthma. This study provides a deeper understanding of the pharmacological mechanism of GPH in treatment of asthma, offering a scientific reference for further research and clinical application of GPH in terms of allergic asthma.

A β-Cyclodextrin-Based Nanoparticle with Very High Transfection Efficiency Unveils siRNA-Activated TLR3 Responses in Human Prostate Cancer Cells

Synthetic double-stranded small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) mimic interference RNAs (RNAi) and can bind target mRNAs with a high degree of specificity, leading to selective knockdown of the proteins they encode. However, siRNAs are very labile and must be both protected and transported by nanoparticles to be efficiently delivered into cells. In this work, we used a Janus-type polycationic amphiphilic β-cyclodextrin derivative to efficiently transfect siRNAs targeting mRNAs encoding mitogen-activated protein kinase (p42-MAPK) or Ras homolog enriched in brain (Rheb) into different cancer cell lines as well as astrocytes. We took advantage of this high transfection efficiency to simultaneously knock down p42-MAPK and Rheb to boost docetaxel (DTX)-mediated toxicity in two human prostate cancer cell lines (LNCaP and PC3). We found that double knockdown of p42-MAPK and Rheb increased DTX-toxicity in LNCaP but not in PC3 cells. However, we also observed the same effect when scramble siRNA was used, therefore pointing to an off-target effect. Indeed, we found that the siRNA we used in this work induced toll-like receptor 3 activation, leading to β-interferon production and caspase activation. We believe that this mechanism could be very useful as a general strategy to elicit an immune response against prostate cancer cells.

Downregulation of miR-99b-5p and Upregulation of Nuclear mTOR Cooperatively Promotes the Tumor Aggressiveness and Drug Resistance in African American Prostate Cancer

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) regulates various fundamental cellular events including cell proliferation, protein synthesis, metabolism, apoptosis, and autophagy. Tumor suppressive miR-99b-5p has been implicated in regulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in a variety of types of cancer. Our previous study suggested the reciprocal miR-99b-5p/MTOR (downregulated/upregulated) pairing as a key microRNA-mRNA regulatory component involved in the prostate cancer (PCa) disparities. In this study, we further validated the expression profiles of mTOR and miR-99b-5p in the PCa, colon, breast, and lung cancer specimens and cell lines. The immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence, Western blot, and RT-qPCR assays have confirmed that mTOR is upregulated while miR-99b-5p is downregulated in different patient cohorts and a panel of cancer cell lines. Intriguingly, elevated nuclear mTOR expression was observed in African American PCa and other advanced cancers. Transfection of the miR-99b-5p mimic resulted in a significant reduction in nuclear mTOR and androgen receptor (AR), while a slight/moderate to no decrease in cytoplasmic mTOR and AR in PCa and other cancer cells, suggesting that miR-99b-5p inhibits mTOR and AR expression and their nuclear translocation. Moreover, overexpression of miR-99b-5p targets/inhibits AR-mTOR axis, subsequently initiating cell apoptosis and sensitizing docetaxel-induced cytotoxicity in various cancers. In conclusion, our data suggest that reciprocal miR-99b-5p/nuclear mTOR pairing may be a more precise diagnostic/prognostic biomarker for aggressive PCa, than miR-99b-5p/MTOR pairing or mTOR alone. Targeting the AR-mTOR axis using miR-99b-5p has also been suggested as a novel therapeutic strategy to induce apoptosis and overcome chemoresistance in aggressive PCa.

The PI3K/AKT Pathway-The Potential Key Mechanisms of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Stroke

Stroke is associated with a high disability and fatality rate, and adversely affects the quality of life of patients and their families. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been used effectively in the treatment of stroke for more than 2000 years in China and surrounding countries and regions, and over the years, this field has gleaned extensive clinical treatment experience. The Phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway is important for regulation of cell migration, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, and plays a vital role in vascularization and oxidative stress in stroke. Current Western medicine treatment protocols for stroke include mainly pharmacologic or mechanical thrombectomy to restore blood flow. This review collates recent advances in the past 5 years in the TCM treatment of stroke involving the PI3K/AKT pathway. TCM treatment significantly reduces neuronal damage, inhibits cell apoptosis, and delays progression of stroke via various PI3K/AKT-mediated downstream pathways. In the future, TCM can provide new perspectives and directions for exploring the key factors, and effective activators or inhibitors that affect occurrence and progression of stroke, thereby facilitating treatment.

Structural Insights from Molecular Modeling of Isoindolin-1-One Derivatives as PI3Kγ Inhibitors against Gastric Carcinoma

The upregulation of phosphoinositol-3-kinase γ (PI3Kγ) is deemed to be positively correlated with tumor-associated-macrophage (TAM)-mediated gastric carcinoma (GC). PI3Kγ suppresses tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) through activation of the AKT/mTOR pathway, which promotes the immunosuppressant phenotype of TAM. Unlike α and β isoforms, δ and γ isoforms are primarily distributed in leucocytes and macrophages. Dual inhibitors against PI3Kδ and PI3Kγ have been proven to have merits in targeting solid tumors. Furthermore, it has been found that PI3Kδ is activated by cytokines, while PI3Kγ is activated by G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). This facilitates determining the functional difference between these two isoforms. For this goal, selective inhibitors would be immensely helpful. In the current manuscript, we conducted various molecular modeling studies with a series of isoindolin-1-one derivatives as potent PI3Kγ inhibitors by combining molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD), molecular mechanics, Poisson–Boltzmann/generalized Born surface area (MM-PB/GBSA) binding free energy calculation, and three-dimensional structure–activity relationship (3D-QSAR) study. To evaluate the selectivity of γ isoform over δ, the molecular modeling studies of idelalisib analogs reported as PI3Kδ inhibitors were also investigated. The contour polyhedrons were generated from the comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity index analysis (CoMSIA) around the ligand-bound active site for both isoforms, which could emphasize plausible explanations for the physicochemical factors that affect selective ligand recognition. The binding modalities of the two isoforms using CoMFA and MD models were compared, which suggested some key differences in the molecular interactions with the ligands and could be summarized as three subsites (one affinity subsite near the C-helix and DFG and two hydrophobic subsites). In the context of the structure–activity relationship (SAR), several new compounds were designed using a fragment-substitution strategy with the aim of selectively targeting PI3Kγ. The pIC50 values of the designed compounds were predicted by the 3D-QSAR models, followed by the MM-PB/GBSA binding energy estimation. The overall findings suggest that the designed compounds have the potential to be used as PI3Kγ inhibitors with a higher binding affinity and selectivity.

Molecular mechanisms and genetic alterations in prostate cancer: From diagnosis to targeted therapy

Prostate cancer remains one of the most lethal malignancies among men worldwide. Although the primary tumor can be successfully managed by surgery and radiotherapy, advanced metastatic carcinoma requires better therapeutic approaches. In this context, a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie the initiation and progression of this disease is urgently needed, leading to the identification of new diagnostic/prognostic markers and the development of more effective treatments. Herein, the current state of knowledge of prostate cancer genetic alterations is discussed, with a focus on their potential in tumor detection and staging as well as in the screening of novel therapeutics.

Targeting PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway by Different Flavonoids: A Cancer Chemopreventive Approach

Cancer is, globally, one of the main causes of death. Even though various therapies are available, they are still painful because of their adverse side effects. Available treatments frequently fail due to unpromising responses, resistance to classical anticancer drugs, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and low accessibility to tumor tissues. Developing novel strategies to minimize adverse side effects, improve chemotherapy sensitivity, and control cancer progression is needed. Many studies have suggested small dietary molecules as complementary treatments for cancer patients. Different components of herbal/edible plants, known as flavonoids, have recently garnered attention due to their broad biological properties (e.g., antioxidant, antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, anticancer, hepatoprotective, and cardioprotective). These flavonoids have shown anticancer activity by affecting different signaling cascades. This article summarizes the key progress made in this area and discusses the role of flavonoids by specifically inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in various cancers.

HAX1 maintains the glioma progression in hypoxia through promoting mitochondrial fission

HCLS1‐associated protein X‐1 (HAX1), an anti‐apoptotic molecular, overexpresses in glioma. However, the role of HAX1 in glioma cell surviving in hypoxic environment remains unclear. Western blotting, qRT‐PCR, Transwell assay, TUNEL assay, wounding healing assay, clone formation, tumour xenograft model and immunohistochemical staining were used to investigate the role of HAX1 in glioma. HAX1 regulated by HIF‐1α was increased in glioma cells cultured in hypoxia. Silencing of HAX1 could cause an increased apoptosis of glioma cells cultured in hypoxia. Silencing of HAX1 also decreased the proliferation, migration and invasion of glioma cells cultured in hypoxia. Increased mitochondrial fission could prevent glioma cells from the damage induced by HAX1 knockdown in hypoxia. Furthermore, HAX1 was found to regulate glioma cells through phosphorylated AKT/Drp signal pathway. In conclusion, our study suggested that HAX1 promoted survival of glioma cells in hypoxic environment via AKT/Drp signal pathway. Our study also provided a potential therapeutic target for glioma.

Transcriptome analysis to reveal the mechanism of the effect of Echinops latifolius polysaccharide B on palmitate-induced insulin-resistant

Hepatic insulin resistance is a crucial pathological process in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) associated with visceral adiposity and metabolic disorders. Echinops latifolius polysaccharide B (ETPB), a polysaccharide extracted from Echinops latifolius Tausch, increases insulin sensitivity in the high-fat diet-fed and STZ induced SD rat model and even prevented hepatic metabolic disorders. However, the mechanism by which ETPB improves carbohydrate and lipid metabolisms in the liver with insulin resistance remains largely unknown. In the present work, an lnsulin resistance cell model (IR-HepG2) was established. Glucose consumption, glycogen content, triglycerides (TG), and free fatty acids (FFAs) levels were detected. The result revealed that the intervention of ETPB significantly increased glucose consumption and glycogen synthesis and reduced FFAs and TG production in IR-HepG2 cells. Further, we also employed RNA-seq to identify differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) and mRNAs (DEGs) with a fold change of ≥ 1.5 and p-value of <0.05. Finally, we identified 1028, 682, 382, 1614, 519 and 825 DEGs, and 71, 113, 94, 68, 52 and 38 DEMs in different comparisons, respectively. Based on a short time-series expression miner (STEM) analysis, six profiles were chosen for further analysis. Seventeen insulin resistance-associated dynamic DEGs were identified during ETPB stimulation. Based on these dynamic DEGs, the related miRNAs were acquired from DEMs, and an integrated miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was subsequently constructed. Besides, some DEGs and DEMs were validated using qPCR. This study provides transcriptomic evidence of the molecular mechanism involved in HepG2 insulin resistance, leading to the discovery of miRNA-based target therapies for ETPB.

Genome Scale Modeling to Study the Metabolic Competition between Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment

The tumor's physiology emerges from the dynamic interplay of numerous cell types, such as cancer cells, immune cells and stromal cells, within the tumor microenvironment. Immune and cancer cells compete for nutrients within the tumor microenvironment, leading to a metabolic battle between these cell populations. Tumor cells can reprogram their metabolism to meet the high demand of building blocks and ATP for proliferation, and to gain an advantage over the action of immune cells. The study of the metabolic reprogramming mechanisms underlying cancer requires the quantification of metabolic fluxes which can be estimated at the genome-scale with constraint-based or kinetic modeling. Constraint-based models use a set of linear constraints to simulate steady-state metabolic fluxes, whereas kinetic models can simulate both the transient behavior and steady-state values of cellular fluxes and concentrations. The integration of cell- or tissue-specific data enables the construction of context-specific models that reflect cell-type- or tissue-specific metabolic properties. While the available modeling frameworks enable limited modeling of the metabolic crosstalk between tumor and immune cells in the tumor stroma, future developments will likely involve new hybrid kinetic/stoichiometric formulations.