IOX-101 Reverses Drug Resistance Through Suppression of Akt/mTOR/NF-κB Signaling in Cancer Stem Cell-Like, Sphere-Forming NSCLC Cell

Glucose and oleic acid mediate cellular alterations in GLP-1-induced insulin-positive differentiating UCBMSCs

Coordinated effects of glucose and oleic acid on glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) mediated differentiation of insulin-positive differentiating umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells (dUCBMSCs) was studied using a co-culture of NCI-H716 (GLP-1+) and UCBMSCs (insulin+). The addition of 2.5 mM glucose increased the proliferation of NCI-H716 cells by 30% and induced transformation of UCBMSCs into insulin-secreting cells in 18 days as compared to 22 days in control cells. Oleic acid (25 μM) showed decrease in cell proliferation, autophagy, and apoptosis in NCI-H716 cells while no effect was observed in dUCBMSCs. Prolonged glucose and oleic acid resulted in apoptosis and cell cycle changes in dUCBMSCs after day 18 while higher concentrations resulted in cell death. Additionally, the expression of FAS and ACC mRNA was observed in NCI-H716 and dUCBMSCs post 24-hr addition of glucose and/or oleic acid. Absorption of oleic acid was high in NCI-H716 compared to dUCBMSCs. Taken together, optimal concentrations of glucose and oleic acid could be a key factor in stimulating intrinsic GLP-1, which in turn stimulates differentiating MSCs in a glucose-dependent manner. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The aim of this article was to study whether differentiating or differentiated MSCs after mobilization or post-transplant would require optimal glucose and oleic acid to naturally stimulate intrinsic GLP-1, or otherwise, the high or long-term overload of glucose or oleic acid could result in inhibition of differentiated cells resulting in failure of insulin secretion.

Impact of Cancer Stem Cells and Cancer Stem Cell-Driven Drug Resiliency in Lung Tumor: Options in Sight

Causing a high mortality rate worldwide, lung cancer remains an incurable malignancy resistant to conventional therapy. Despite the discovery of specific molecular targets and new treatment strategies, there remains a pressing need to develop more efficient therapy to further improve the management of this disease. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are considered the root of sustained tumor growth. This consensus corroborates the CSC model asserting that a distinct subpopulation of malignant cells within a tumor drives and maintains tumor progression with high heterogeneity. Besides being highly tumorigenic, CSCs are highly refractory to standard drugs; therefore, cancer treatment should be focused on eliminating these cells. Herein, we present the current knowledge of the existence of CSCs, CSC-associated mechanisms of chemoresistance, the ability of CSCs to evade immune surveillance, and potential CSC inhibitors in lung cancer, to provide a wider insight to drive a more efficient elimination of this pro-oncogenic and treatment-resistant cell fraction.

The Mangrove-Derived Diterpenoid Diaporthe B Inhibits the Stemness and Increases the Efficacy of Docetaxel in Prostate Cancer PC-3 Cells

The absolute configuration of diaporthe B, a pimarane diterpene isolated from the mangrove derived endophytic fungus Eutypella sp #3E, was determined by a single-crystal x-ray diffraction study. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of diaporthe B on docetaxel-resistant prostate cancer PC-3 cells. Results of our studies showed that docetaxel-resistant PC-3 cells had higher sphere-forming efficiency and an increase in adherence to collagen-coated culture plates. The protein levels of cancer stem cell (CSC)-related markers CD44, CD133, and ALDH1A1 were higher in the docetaxel-resistant PC-3 cells than in the parental cells. Treatment with diaporthe B dose-dependently inhibited the growth and induced apoptosis in the resistant cells. Moreover, diaporthe B treatment decreased the sphere-forming efficiency and the adherence to collagen-coated plates in docetaxel-resistant PC-3 cells. Diaporthe B also decreased the protein levels of CSC-related markers CD44, CD133, and ALDH1A1 in the resistant cells. In addition, a combination of diaporthe B and docetaxel had a more potent effect on growth inhibition and apoptosis in the resistant cells than either agent alone. Our studies suggest that diaporthe B inhibits the stemness of prostate cancer cells and may have therapeutic potential for enhancing the efficacy of docetaxel in docetaxel-resistant prostate cancer cells.

Effects of CD133 expression on chemotherapy and drug sensitivity of adenoid cystic carcinoma

The cellular resistance of tumors is a major obstacle for successful tumor therapy. Cluster of differentiation (CD)133 plays an important role in the regulation of drug resistance in gastric and colon cancers. However, its effect on chemotherapeutic sensitivity in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) has not been fully explored. The present study discussed the specific role of CD133 in ACC drug-resistant sensitive cells. KOA-1 cells were treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and pingyangmycin (PYM) to form drug-resistant cell lines. A Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to detect the cell survival rate. Cell invasion was measured using a Transwell assay. The expression levels of CD133 were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative (RT-q) PCR. The expression levels of drug-resistant mRNAs and proteins were detected by RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence analyses, respectively. The CD133 were inhibited by small interfering RNA technology. The survival rate and invasive ability of KOA-1 cells were increased following the induction of drug resistance. The expression levels of CD133, multidrug resistance protein (MDR)1 and multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP)1 were significantly increased in drug-resistant cell lines. Knockdown of CD133 expression in the resistant cell lines, KOA-1/5-FU and KOA-1/PYM, decreased the survival rate and invasive ability. The expression levels of MDR1 and MRP1 were also significantly decreased. Knockdown of CD133 expression in ACC drug-resistant cells could inhibit the viability and invasion of tumors and enhance the sensitivity of drug-resistant cells to chemotherapeutic drugs.

Structure activity evaluation and computational analysis identify potent, novel 3-benzylidene chroman-4-one analogs with anti-fungal, anti-oxidant, and anti-cancer activities

SIGNIFICANCE

3-Benzylidene chroman-4-ones share close homology with naturally occurring bioactive compounds.

OBJECTIVES

This study evaluated the antifungal, antioxidant, and anticancer activities of novel 3-benzylidene chromanone analogs with respect to their structure-activity relationships.

METHODS

Compounds 45e-64e were synthesized inhouse. Aspergillus niger (MTCC 1344) Aspergillus flavus and Botrytis cinerea were the fungal strains tested. Computational docking analysis was carried out for vanin-1, estrogen receptor (ER), and Akt proteins using Auto-dock vina. Free radical scavenging and total antioxidant capacity was analyzed using spectrophotometric methods. MCF-7 (breast cancer) cell line was used for anticancer assays. Flow cytometry was used to detect cell cycle and apoptosis.

RESULTS

Out of the twenty compounds screened, compounds 47e, 50e, 52e, 57e, and 61e that possessed either methoxy and ethoxy/methyl/isopropyl group exhibited very good activity against all fungi. Compounds possessing methoxy group alone showed moderate activity and compounds devoid of methoxy, and ethoxy groups did not show any activity. When computationally analyzed against target proteins for antioxidant properties, the compounds exhibited excellent binging efficacy to vanin-1 and ERs. These predictions were translated in the in vitro free-radical scavenging and antioxidant assays. The compounds exhibited anti-proliferative efficacy in breast cancer cell line, increased the sub-G₀/G₁ cell cycle populations and total apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. Additionally, the compounds also depicted excelling binging energy when computationally analyzed for Akt enzyme binding.

CONCLUSION

In summary, our study identified potential analogs of 3-benzylidene chroman-4-one molecules with excellent anti-fungal, anti-oxidant, and anticancer activities which demand further research for drug developments.

Targeting Drug Chemo-Resistance in Cancer Using Natural Products

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally. The development of drug resistance is the main contributor to cancer-related mortality. Cancer cells exploit multiple mechanisms to reduce the therapeutic effects of anticancer drugs, thereby causing chemotherapy failure. Natural products are accessible, inexpensive, and less toxic sources of chemotherapeutic agents. Additionally, they have multiple mechanisms of action to inhibit various targets involved in the development of drug resistance. In this review, we have summarized the basic research and clinical applications of natural products as possible inhibitors for drug resistance in cancer. The molecular targets and the mechanisms of action of each natural product are also explained. Diverse drug resistance biomarkers were sensitive to natural products. P-glycoprotein and breast cancer resistance protein can be targeted by a large number of natural products. On the other hand, protein kinase C and topoisomerases were less sensitive to most of the studied natural products. The studies discussed in this review will provide a solid ground for scientists to explore the possible use of natural products in combination anticancer therapies to overcome drug resistance by targeting multiple drug resistance mechanisms.

Cancer Stem Cells-Key Players in Tumor Relapse

Tumor relapse and treatment failure are unfortunately common events for cancer patients, thus often rendering cancer an uncurable disease. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subset of cancer cells endowed with tumor-initiating and self-renewal capacity, as well as with high adaptive abilities. Altogether, these features contribute to CSC survival after one or multiple therapeutic approaches, thus leading to treatment failure and tumor progression/relapse. Thus, elucidating the molecular mechanisms associated with stemness-driven resistance is crucial for the development of more effective drugs and durable responses. This review will highlight the mechanisms exploited by CSCs to overcome different therapeutic strategies, from chemo- and radiotherapies to targeted therapies and immunotherapies, shedding light on their plasticity as an insidious trait responsible for their adaptation/escape. Finally, novel CSC-specific approaches will be described, providing evidence of their preclinical and clinical applications.