Curcumin increases the sensitivity of K562/DOX cells to doxorubicin by targeting S100 calcium-binding protein A8 and P-glycoprotein

S100A8 is a prognostic signature and associated with immune response in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Background

S100A8, a calcium-binding protein belonging to the S100 family, is involved in immune responses and multiple tumor pathogens. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is one of the most common types of B-cell lymphoma and remains incurable in 40% of patients. However, the role of S100A8 and its regulation of the immune response in DLBCL remain unclear.

Methods

The differential expression of S100A8 was identified via the GEO and TCGA databases. The prognostic role of S100A8 in DLBCL was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier curve. The function enrichment of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was explored through GO, KEGG, GSEA, and PPI analysis. In our cohort, the expression of S100A8 was verified. Meanwhile, the biological function of S100A8 was applied after the inhibition of S100A8 in an in vitro experiment. The association between S100A8 and immune cell infiltration and treatment response in DLBCL was analyzed.

Results

S100A8 was significantly overexpressed and related to a poor prognosis in DLBCL patients. Function enrichment analysis revealed that DEGs were mainly enriched in the IL-17 signaling pathway. Our cohort also verified this point. In vitro experiments suggested that inhibition of S100A8 should promote cell apoptosis and suppress tumor growth. Single-cell RNA sequence analysis indicated that S100A8 might be associated with features of the tumor microenvironment (TME), and immune infiltration analyses discovered that S100A8 expression was involved in TME. In terms of drug screening, we predicted that many drugs were associated with preferable sensitivity.

Conclusion

Elevated S100A8 expression is associated with a poor prognosis and immune infiltration in DLBCL. Inhibition of S100A8 could promote cell apoptosis and suppress tumor growth. Meanwhile, S100A8 has the potential to be a promising immunotherapeutic target for patients with DLBCL.

Empowering the Battle: Bioenhancers as Allies Against Cancer Drug Resistance

BACKGROUND

Drug resistance has been a great hindrance in the path of counteracting diseases like cancer and is driven by drugs misuse and overuse. In terms of cancer, resistance has been developed due to cellular changes, altered growth activation pathways, increased expression of efflux proteins, and changes in the local physiology of cancer (blood supply, tissue hydrodynamics, increased mutation rate/epigenetics, tumor cell heterogeneity). One of the approaches to address these challenges is the use of bioenhancers, which can overcome drug resistance, thereby improving bioavailability (BA).

CONCLUSION

Bioenhancers when combined with drugs can elicit pharmacological activity. They are generally combined with therapeutic agents at low doses, which increase the BA or therapeutic activity of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). This review sheds light on the synthesis and classification of bio-enhancers. It also discusses different applications of bio-enhancers like piperine, ginger, quercetin, curcumin, etc. in the treatment of cancer. The review also presents some of the recent advancements in terms of nanocarriers for delivering API combined with bioenhancers.

Synergistic cytotoxicity effect of the combination of chitosan nanoencapsulated imatinib mesylate and quercetin in BCR-ABL positive K562 cells

Objectives

Intolerable side effects and resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs have encouraged scientists to develop new methods of drug combinations with fewer complications. This study aimed to investigate the synergistic effects of quercetin and imatinib encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles on cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and cell growth of the K562 cell line.

Materials and Methods

Imatinib and quercetin were encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles and their physical properties were determined using standard methods and SEM microscope images. BCR-ABL positive K562 cells were cultured in a cell culture medium, cytotoxicity of drugs was determined by MTT assay and the effects of nano drugs on apoptosis in cells were investigated by Annexin V-FITC staining. The expression level of genes associated with apoptosis in cells was measured by real-time PCR.

Results

The IC₅₀ for the combination of the nano drugs at 24 and 48 hr was 9.324 and 10.86 μg/ml, respectively. The data indicated that the encapsulated form of drugs induced apoptosis more effectively than the free form (P<0.05). Moreover, the synergistic effect of nano drugs in statistical analysis was proved (P=0.001). The combination of nano drugs resulted in the caspase 3, 8, and TP53 genes upregulation (P=0.001).

Conclusion

The results of the present study showed that the encapsulated form of imatinib and quercetin nano drugs with chitosan has more cytotoxicity than the free form of the drugs. In addition, the combination of imatinib and quercetin as a nano-drug complex has a synergistic effect on the induction of apoptosis in imatinib-resistant K562 cells.

Synthetic Pathways and the Therapeutic Potential of Quercetin and Curcumin

Polyphenols are considered popular ingredients in the pharmaceutical and medical fields due to their preventive and therapeutic properties. However, the potential effects and mechanisms of action of individual polyphenols remain largely unknown. Herein, we analyzed recent data on the synthetic pathways, features, and similarity of the properties of quercetin, as the most famous flavonoid, and curcumin, a representative of curcuminoids that despite their anti-oxidant activity, also have a pro-oxidant effect, depending on the concentration and the cellular environment. This review focuses on an analysis of their anti-cancer efficacy against various cancer cell lines via cell cycle arrest (regulation of p53/p21 and CDK/cyclins) and by triggering the mitochondrial intrinsic (Bcl-2/Bax/caspase 9) apoptotic pathway, as well as through the modulation of the signaling pathways (PI3K/Akt, Wnt/β-catenin, JAK/STAT, MAPK, p53, and NF-ĸB) and their influence on the non-coding RNAs involved in angiogenesis, invasion, migration, and metastasis. The therapeutic potential of quercetin and curcumin is discussed not only on the basis of their anti-cancer effects, but also with regard to their anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial actions.

Deregulated calcium signaling in blood cancer: Underlying mechanisms and therapeutic potential

Intracellular calcium signaling regulates diverse physiological and pathological processes. In solid tumors, changes to calcium channels and effectors via mutations or changes in expression affect all cancer hallmarks. Such changes often disrupt transport of calcium ions (Ca2+) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or mitochondria, impacting apoptosis. Evidence rapidly accumulates that this is similar in blood cancer. Principles of intracellular Ca2+ signaling are outlined in the introduction. We describe different Ca2+-toolkit components and summarize the unique relationship between extracellular Ca2+ in the endosteal niche and hematopoietic stem cells. The foundational data on Ca2+ homeostasis in red blood cells is discussed, with the demonstration of changes in red blood cell disorders. This leads to the role of Ca2+ in neoplastic erythropoiesis. Then we expand onto the neoplastic impact of deregulated plasma membrane Ca2+ channels, ER Ca2+ channels, Ca2+ pumps and exchangers, as well as Ca2+ sensor and effector proteins across all types of hematologic neoplasms. This includes an overview of genetic variants in the Ca2+-toolkit encoding genes in lymphoid and myeloid cancers as recorded in publically available cancer databases. The data we compiled demonstrate that multiple Ca2+ homeostatic mechanisms and Ca2+ responsive pathways are altered in hematologic cancers. Some of these alterations may have genetic basis but this requires further investigation. Most changes in the Ca2+-toolkit do not appear to define/associate with specific disease entities but may influence disease grade, prognosis, treatment response, and certain complications. Further elucidation of the underlying mechanisms may lead to novel treatments, with the aim to tailor drugs to different patterns of deregulation. To our knowledge this is the first review of its type in the published literature. We hope that the evidence we compiled increases awareness of the calcium signaling deregulation in hematologic neoplasms and triggers more clinical studies to help advance this field.

S100A8 inhibition in leukemic lymphoblasts induces sensitivity to chemotherapy and inhibition of disease relapse

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common malignancy in children and relapsed B-ALL is the leading cause of mortality in children with leukemia due to a lack of response to treatment. S100A8 is a low molecular weight calcium-binding intracellular protein that is expressed in certain cells, and its increased expression is seen in most tumors as well as in relapsed childhood B-ALL cases. The present study indicates the important role of S100A8 in improving viability and resistance to chemotherapy in relapsed B-ALL lymphoblasts. S100A8 levels were compared in B-ALL and relapsed B-ALL lymphoblasts that were sensitive and resistant to Vincristine, respectively. S100A8 was inhibited in the lymphoblasts of two patients by antisense locked nucleic acid (LNA) GapmeRs and the decreased expression of S100A8 was evaluated using quantitative real-time PCR and ELISA. Then, the S100A8 antisense LNA GapmeRs-transfected cells were treated with Vincristine and the expression levels of S100A8 mRNA and S100A8 protein were re-determined. At all of these stages, cell viability and LC50 were assessed by MTT assay. The results showed that S100A8 levels in relapsed B-ALL lymphoblasts were significantly higher than B-ALL lymphoblasts. Moreover, the increase in S100A8 expression was proportionate to the increase in Vincristine resistance in these cells. The S100A8 knockdown procedure using antisense LNA GapmeRs decreased the cell viability and increased vincristine sensitivity in lymphoblasts of two patients, and it also increased the sensitivity to chemotherapy in relapsed B-ALL lymphoblasts. According to the findings of the present study, S100A8 is effective in developing lymphoblast resistance to chemotherapy, and its enhanced expression may contribute to shifting B-ALL into the relapse phase of the illness. As a result, S100A8 may be a valuable target for managing and improving relapses B-ALL.

Improvements in Drug-Delivery Properties by Co-Encapsulating Curcumin in SN-38-Loaded Anticancer Polymeric Nanoparticles

SN-38 is an immensely potent anticancer agent although its use necessitates encapsulation to overcome issues of poor solubility and stability. Since SN-38 is a notoriously challenging drug to encapsulate, new avenues to increase encapsulation efficiency in polymer nanoparticles (PNPs) are needed. In this paper, we show that nanoprecipitation with curcumin (CUR) increases SN-38 encapsulation efficiencies in coloaded SN-38/CUR-PNPs based on poly(ε-caprolactone)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PCL-b-PEG) by up to a factor of 10. In addition, we find a dramatic decrease in PNP polydispersities, from 0.34 to 0.07, as the initial CUR-to-polymer ratio increases from 0 to 10, with only a modest increase in PNP size (from 40 to 55 nm). Compared to coloaded PNP formation using nanoprecipitation in the bulk or in a gas-liquid, a two-phase microfluidic reactor shows similar trends with respect to CUR content, although improvements in SN-38 encapsulation efficiencies both with and without CUR are found using the microfluidic method. Additional precipitation studies without copolymer suggest that CUR increases the dispersion of SN-38 in the solvent medium of micelle formation, which may contribute to the observed encapsulation enhancement. Cytotoxicity studies of unencapsulated SN-38/CUR mixtures show that addition of CUR does not significantly affect SN-38 potency against either U87 (glioblastoma) or A204 (rhabdomyosarcoma) cell lines. However, we find significant differences in the potencies of SN-38/CUR-PNP formulations depending on initial CUR amounts, with an optimized formulation showing subnanomolar cytotoxicity against A204 cells, significantly more potent than either free SN-38 or PNPs containing only SN-38.

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.

Pathogenic Roles of S100A8 and S100A9 Proteins in Acute Myeloid and Lymphoid Leukemia: Clinical and Therapeutic Impacts

Deregulations of the expression of the S100A8 and S100A9 genes and/or proteins, as well as changes in their plasma levels or their levels of secretion in the bone marrow microenvironment, are frequently observed in acute myeloblastic leukemias (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL). These deregulations impact the prognosis of patients through various mechanisms of cellular or extracellular regulation of the viability of leukemic cells. In particular, S100A8 and S100A9 in monomeric, homodimeric, or heterodimeric forms are able to modulate the survival and the sensitivity to chemotherapy of leukemic clones through their action on the regulation of intracellular calcium, on oxidative stress, on the activation of apoptosis, and thanks to their implications, on cell death regulation by autophagy and pyroptosis. Moreover, biologic effects of S100A8/9 via both TLR4 and RAGE on hematopoietic stem cells contribute to the selection and expansion of leukemic clones by excretion of proinflammatory cytokines and/or immune regulation. Hence, the therapeutic targeting of S100A8 and S100A9 appears to be a promising way to improve treatment efficiency in acute leukemias.

Nrf2 Signaling Pathway in Chemoprotection and Doxorubicin Resistance: Potential Application in Drug Discovery

Doxorubicin (DOX) is extensively applied in cancer therapy due to its efficacy in suppressing cancer progression and inducing apoptosis. After its discovery, this chemotherapeutic agent has been frequently used for cancer therapy, leading to chemoresistance. Due to dose-dependent toxicity, high concentrations of DOX cannot be administered to cancer patients. Therefore, experiments have been directed towards revealing underlying mechanisms responsible for DOX resistance and ameliorating its adverse effects. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling is activated to increase levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells to protect them against oxidative stress. It has been reported that Nrf2 activation is associated with drug resistance. In cells exposed to DOX, stimulation of Nrf2 signaling protects cells against cell death. Various upstream mediators regulate Nrf2 in DOX resistance. Strategies, both pharmacological and genetic interventions, have been applied for reversing DOX resistance. However, Nrf2 induction is of importance for alleviating side effects of DOX. Pharmacological agents with naturally occurring compounds as the most common have been used for inducing Nrf2 signaling in DOX amelioration. Furthermore, signaling networks in which Nrf2 is a key player for protection against DOX adverse effects have been revealed and are discussed in the current review.

Polychemotherapy with Curcumin and Doxorubicin via Biological Nanoplatforms: Enhancing Antitumor Activity

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a well-known chemotherapeutic agent extensively applied in the field of cancer therapy. However, similar to other chemotherapeutic agents such as cisplatin, paclitaxel, docetaxel, etoposide and oxaliplatin, cancer cells are able to obtain chemoresistance that limits DOX efficacy. In respect to dose-dependent side effect of DOX, enhancing its dosage is not recommended for effective cancer chemotherapy. Therefore, different strategies have been considered for reversing DOX resistance and diminishing its side effects. Phytochemical are potential candidates in this case due to their great pharmacological activities. Curcumin is a potential antitumor phytochemical isolated from Curcuma longa with capacity of suppressing cancer metastasis and proliferation and affecting molecular pathways. Experiments have demonstrated the potential of curcumin for inhibiting chemoresistance by downregulating oncogene pathways such as MMP-2, TGF-β, EMT, PI3K/Akt, NF-κB and AP-1. Furthermore, coadministration of curcumin and DOX potentiates apoptosis induction in cancer cells. In light of this, nanoplatforms have been employed for codelivery of curcumin and DOX. This results in promoting the bioavailability and internalization of the aforementioned active compounds in cancer cells and, consequently, enhancing their antitumor activity. Noteworthy, curcumin has been applied for reducing adverse effects of DOX on normal cells and tissues via reducing inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis. The current review highlights the anticancer mechanism, side effects and codelivery of curcumin and DOX via nanovehicles.

Curcumin induces chemosensitization to doxorubicin in Duke's type B coloadenocarcinoma cell line

Cancer cells require higher levels of ATP for their sustained growth, proliferation, and chemoresistance. Mitochondrial matrix protein, C1qbp is upregulated in colon cancer cell lines. It protects the mitochondria from oxidative stress, by inhibiting the Membrane Permeability Transition (MPT) pore and providing uninterrupted synthesis of ATP. This intracellular interaction of C1qbp could be involved in chemoresistance development. Natural chemosensitizing agent, curcumin has been used in the treatment of multiple cancers. In this current study, we elucidate the role of C1qbp during curcumin induced chemosensitization to doxorubicin resistant colon cancer cells. The possible interaction between C1qbp and curcumin was determined using bioinformatics tools-AutoDock, SYBYL, and PyMol. Intracellular doxorubicin accumulation by fluorimetry and dead cell count was carried out to determine development of chemoresistance. Effect of curcumin treatment and cytotoxicity was measured by MTT and lactate dehydrogenase release. Morphological analysis by phase contrast microscopy and colony forming ability by colonogenic assay were also performed. In addition, Cox-2 could mediate P-glycoprotein upregulation via phosphorylation of c-Jun. Thus, the gene level expression of P-glycoprotein and Cox-2 was also investigated using PCR. Through molecular docking we identified possible interaction between curcumin and C1qbp. We observed development of chemoresistance upon 6th day treatment. Concentration dependent alleviation of chemoresistance development by curcumin was confirmed and was found to reduce gene level expression of P-glycoprotein and Cox-2. Hence, curcumin could interact directly with C1qbp protein and this interaction could contribute to the chemosensiting effect to doxorubicin in colon cancer cells.