Knockdown of the Inhibitor of Apoptosis BRUCE Sensitizes Resistant Breast Cancer Cells to Chemotherapeutic Agents

BRUCE liver-deficiency potentiates MASLD/MASH in PTEN liver-deficient background by impairment of mitochondrial metabolism in hepatocytes and activation of STAT3 signaling in hepatic stellate cells

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is currently the most common liver disease, affecting up to 25% of people worldwide, featuring excessive fat accumulation in hepatocytes. Its advanced form, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), is a serious disease with hepatic inflammation and fibrosis, increasing the need for liver transplants. However, the pathogenic mechanism of MASLD and MASH is not fully understood. We reported that BRUCE ( BIRC6) is a liver cancer suppressor and is downregulated in MASLD/MASH patient liver specimens, though the functional role of BRUCE in MASLD/MASH remains to be elucidated. To this end, we generated liver-specific double KO (DKO) mice of BRUCE and PTEN, a major tumor suppressor and MASLD/MASH suppressor. By comparing liver histopathology among 2-3-month-old mice, there were no signs of MASLD or MASH in BRUCE liver-KO mice and only onset of steatosis in PTEN liver-KO mice. Interestingly, DKO mice had developed robust hepatic steatosis with inflammation and fibrosis. Further analysis of mitochondrial function with primary hepatocytes found moderate reduction of mitochondrial respiration, ATP production and fatty acid oxidation in BRUCE KO and the greatest reduction in DKO hepatocytes. Moreover, aberrant activation of pro-fibrotic STAT3 signaling was found in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in DKO mice which was prevented by administered STAT3-specific inhibitor (TTI-101). Collectively, the data demonstrates by maintaining mitochondrial metabolism BRUCE works in concert with PTEN to suppress the pro-fibrogenic STAT3 activation in HSCs and consequentially prevent MASLD/MASH. The findings highlight BRUCE being a new co-suppressor of MASLD/MASH.

A Ubiquitination Cascade Regulating the Integrated Stress Response and Survival in Carcinomas

Systematic identification of signaling pathways required for the fitness of cancer cells will facilitate the development of new cancer therapies. We used gene essentiality measurements in 1,086 cancer cell lines to identify selective coessentiality modules and found that a ubiquitin ligase complex composed of UBA6, BIRC6, KCMF1, and UBR4 is required for the survival of a subset of epithelial tumors that exhibit a high degree of aneuploidy. Suppressing BIRC6 in cell lines that are dependent on this complex led to a substantial reduction in cell fitness in vitro and potent tumor regression in vivo. Mechanistically, BIRC6 suppression resulted in selective activation of the integrated stress response (ISR) by stabilization of the heme-regulated inhibitor, a direct ubiquitination target of the UBA6/BIRC6/KCMF1/UBR4 complex. These observations uncover a novel ubiquitination cascade that regulates ISR and highlight the potential of ISR activation as a new therapeutic strategy.

SIGNIFICANCE

We describe the identification of a heretofore unrecognized ubiquitin ligase complex that prevents the aberrant activation of the ISR in a subset of cancer cells. This provides a novel insight on the regulation of ISR and exposes a therapeutic opportunity to selectively eliminate these cancer cells. See related commentary Leli and Koumenis, p. 535. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 517.

Mechanisms of Drug Resistance in Ovarian Cancer and Associated Gene Targets

In the United States, over 100,000 women are diagnosed with a gynecologic malignancy every year, with ovarian cancer being the most lethal. One of the hallmark characteristics of ovarian cancer is the development of resistance to chemotherapeutics. While the exact mechanisms of chemoresistance are poorly understood, it is known that changes at the cellular and molecular level make chemoresistance challenging to treat. Improved therapeutic options are needed to target these changes at the molecular level. Using a precision medicine approach, such as gene therapy, genes can be specifically exploited to resensitize tumors to therapeutics. This review highlights traditional and novel gene targets that can be used to develop new and improved targeted therapies, from drug efflux proteins to ovarian cancer stem cells. The review also addresses the clinical relevance and landscape of the discussed gene targets.

Evaluation of N-aryl-β-alanine derivatives as anticancer agents in triple-negative breast cancer and glioblastoma in vitro models

Synthesis of β-amino acid derivatives containing hydrazone and azole moieties is described. For this purpose, the appropriate hydrazide was treated with aromatic aldehydes, ketones and phenyl iso(thio)cyanates to obtain the desired outcome. The synthesized target compounds were evaluated for their anticancer properties. The assay displayed 3,3'-((2,6-diethylphenyl)azanediyl)bis(N'-(benzylidene)propanehydrazide) to possess the convincing anticancer effect against triple-negative breast cancer cells in vitro. To further study the anticancer properties of compounds containing a hydrazone moiety in breast cancer, series of previously and newly prepared dihydrazones were investigated. It was determined that derivatives with the bis(N'-(4-bromobenzylidene) fragment in the structure are exclusively cytotoxic to cancer cells. The most active compounds against both cell lines were those containing electron withdrawing 4-BrPh or 4-ClPh moieties, together with either chlorine, bromine or iodine groups in para position of phenyl ring. Selected two representative compounds showed migrastatic activity in MDA-MB-231 cell line, where both of them reduced the growth of breast cancer and glioblastoma cell 3D cultures and inhibited cell colony formation. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antioxidant and Anticancer Activity of Novel Derivatives of 3-[(4-Methoxyphenyl)amino]propane-hydrazide

Series of novel 3-[(4-methoxyphenyl)amino]propanehydrazide derivatives bearing semicarbazide, thiosemicarbazide, thiadiazole, triazolone, triazolethione, thiophenyltriazole, furan, thiophene, naphthalene, pyrrole, isoindoline-1,3-dione, oxindole, etc. moieties were synthesized and their molecular structures were confirmed by IR, ¹H-, ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry data. The antioxidant activity of the synthesized compounds was screened by DPPH radical scavenging method. The antioxidant activity of N-(1,3-dioxoisoindolin-2-yl)-3-((4-methoxyphenyl)amino)propanamide and 3-((4-methoxyphenyl)amino)-N’-(1-(naphthalen-1-yl)-ethylidene)propanehydrazide has been tested to be ca. 1.4 times higher than that of a well-known antioxidant ascorbic acid. Anticancer activity was tested by MTT assay against human glioblastoma U-87 and triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cell lines. In general, the tested compounds were more cytotoxic against U-87 than MDA-MB-231 cell line. 1-(4-Fluorophenyl)-2-((5-(2-((4-methoxyphenyl)amino)ethyl)-4-phenyl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thio)ethanone has been identified as the most active compound against the glioblastoma U-87 cell line.

Silencing CDR1as enhances the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to drug resistance by acting as a miR-7 sponge to down-regulate REGγ

In our study, we aimed to investigate the role of CDR1as during competitive inhibition of miR‐7 in the regulation of cisplatin chemosensitivity in breast cancer via regulating REGγ. RT‐qPCR was applied to detect the expression of CDR1as and miR‐7 in breast cancer tissues, breast cancer cell lines and corresponding drug‐resistant cell lines. The correlation between CDR1as and miR‐7 and between miR‐7 and REGγ was evaluated. MCF‐7‐R and MDA‐MB‐231‐R cells were selected followed by transfection of a series of mimics, inhibitors or siRNA. The effect of CDR1as on the half maximal inhibitor concentration (IC50), cisplatin sensitivity and cell apoptosis was also analysed. Furthermore, a subcutaneous xenograft nude mouse model was established to further confirm the effect of CDR1as on the chemosensitivity of breast cancer to cisplatin in vivo. Immunohistochemical staining was conducted to test the Ki‐67 expression in nude mice. A positive correlation was found between the drug resistance and CDR1as expression in breast cancer. CDR1as could increase the resistance of breast cancer cells to cisplatin. miR‐7 expression was low, while REGγ was highly expressed in MCF‐7‐R and MDA‐MB‐231‐R cells. CDR1as competitively inhibited miR‐7 and up‐regulated REGγ. Overexpression of miR‐7 could reverse the enhanced sensitivity of silenced CDR1as to drug‐resistant breast cancer cells. Additionally, in vivo experiments demonstrated that CDR1as mediated breast cancer occurrence and its sensitivity to cisplatin. Silencing CDR1as decreased Ki‐67 expression. Silencing CDR1as may inhibit the expression of REGγ by removing the competitive inhibitory effect on miR‐7 and thus enhancing the sensitivity of drug‐resistant breast cancer cells.

Loss of BRUCE reduces cellular energy level and induces autophagy by driving activation of the AMPK-ULK1 autophagic initiating axis

Autophagy is an intracellular catabolic system. It delivers cellular components to lysosomes for degradation and supplies nutrients that promote cell survival under stress conditions. Although much is known regarding starvation-induced autophagy, the regulation of autophagy by cellular energy level is less clear. BRUCE is an ubiquitin conjugase and ligase with multi-functionality. It has been reported that depletion of BRUCE inhibits starvation-induced autophagy by blockage of the fusion step. Herein we report a new function for BRUCE in the dual regulation of autophagy and cellular energy. Depletion of BRUCE alone (without starvation) in human osteosarcoma U2OS cells elevated autophagic activity as indicted by the increased LC3B-II protein and its autophagic puncta as well as further increase of both by chloroquine treatment. Such elevation results from enhanced induction of autophagy since the numbers of both autophagosomes and autolysosomes were increased, and recruitment of ATG16L onto the initiating membrane structure phagophores was increased. This concept is further supported by elevated lysosomal enzyme activities. In contrast to starvation-induced autophagy, BRUCE depletion did not block fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes as indicated by increased lysosomal cleavage of the GFP-LC3 fusion protein. Mechanistically, BRUCE depletion lowered the cellular energy level as indicated by both a higher ratio of AMP/ATP and the subsequent activation of the cellular energy sensor AMPK (pThr-172). The lower energy status co-occurred with AMPK-specific phosphorylation and activation of the autophagy initiating kinase ULK1 (pSer-555). Interestingly, the higher autophagic activity by BRUCE depletion is coupled with enhanced cisplatin resistance in human ovarian cancer PEO4 cells. Taken together, BRUCE depletion promotes induction of autophagy by lowering cellular energy and activating the AMPK-ULK1-autophagy axis, which could contribute to ovarian cancer chemo-resistance. This study establishes a BRUCE-AMPK-ULK1 axis in the regulation of energy metabolism and autophagy, as well as provides insights into cancer chemo-resistance.

Chemoresistance is associated with overexpression of HAX-1, inhibition of which resensitizes drug-resistant breast cancer cells to chemotherapy

Acquired resistance to standard chemotherapy is the common and critical limitation for cancer therapy. Hematopoietic cell-specific protein 1-associated protein X-1 (HAX-1) has been reported to be upregulated in numerous cancers. However, the role of HAX-1 in oncotherapy remains unclear. In this study, we established MDA-MB-231 cell lines which were resistant to cisplatin (MDA-MB-231/CR) or doxorubicin (MDA-MB-231/DR) to study the chemoresistance in breast cancer. As a result, the HAX-1 which is an apoptosis-associated protein was observed to be overexpressed in both MDA-MB-231/CR and MDA-MB-231/DR compared with the routine MDA-MB-231 cells. Moreover, knockdown of HAX-1 via RNA interference decreased IC50 level of cisplatin by 70.91% in MDA-MB-231/CR cells, and the IC50 level of doxorubicin was decreased by 76.46% in MDA-MB-231/DR cells when the HAX-1 was downregulated. Additionally, we found that the knockdown of HAX-1 induced the release of cytochrome C from mitochondria, resulting in the activation of caspases. Taken together, our study indicates that the overexpression of HAX-1 is essential in the development of chemoresistance in breast cancer. Furthermore, we identify that HAX-1 may become the target for cancer therapy.

Creating chemotherapeutic-resistant breast cancer cell lines: advances and future perspectives

The development of resistance remains the most significant impediment to generating effective treatments for cancer. In the modern age of personalized medicine, it is of critical importance to understand the principles of both innate and acquired resistance to achieve the most effective therapeutic outcomes. Significant differences exist between cancer cells that exhibit innate resistance verses those that acquire resistance over time. Studying the acquisition of resistance is essential to obtaining a complete understanding of how treatments contribute to disease recurrence and progression. This review will evaluate the current understanding of chemotherapeutic resistance and its role in personalized medicine. This review will also explore how generating resistant cells in culture is essential to the development of improved cancer therapeutics.