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Ahmed NM, Mohamed MS, Awad SM, Abd El-Hameed RH, El-tawab NAA, Gaballah MS, Said AM. Design, synthesis, molecular modelling and biological evaluation of novel 6-amino-5-cyano-2-thiopyrimidine derivatives as potent anticancer agents against leukemia and apoptotic inducers. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2024; 39:2304625. [PMID: 38348824 PMCID: PMC10866072 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2024.2304625] [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: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Herein, a novel series of 6-amino-5-cyano-2-thiopyrimidines and condensed pyrimidines analogues were prepared. All the synthesized compounds (1a-c, 2a-c, 3a-c, 4a-r and 5a-c) were evaluated for in vitro anticancer activity by the National Cancer Institute (NCI; MD, USA) against 60 cell lines. Compound 1c showed promising anticancer activity and was selected for the five-dose testing. Results demonstrated that compound 1c possessed broad spectrum anti-cancer activity against the nine cancerous subpanels tested with selectivity ratio ranging from 0.7 to 39 at the GI50 level with high selectivity towards leukaemia. Mechanistic studies showed that Compound 1c showed comparable activity to Duvelisib against PI3Kδ (IC50 = 0.0034 and 0.0025 μM, respectively) and arrested cell cycle at the S phase and displayed significant increase in the early and late apoptosis in HL60 and leukaemia SR cells. The necrosis percentage showed a significant increase from 1.13% to 3.41% in compound 1c treated HL60 cells as well as from 1.51% to 4.72% in compound 1c treated leukaemia SR cells. Also, compound 1c triggered apoptosis by activating caspase 3, Bax, P53 and suppressing Bcl2. Moreover, 1c revealed a good safety profile against human normal lung fibroblast cell line (WI-38 cells). Molecular analysis of Duvelisib and compound 1c in PI3K was performed. Finally, these results suggest that 2-thiopyrimidine derivative 1c might serve as a model for designing novel anticancer drugs in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naglaa M. Ahmed
- Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry Department, Helwan University, Ein-Helwan, Egypt
| | - Mosaad S. Mohamed
- Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry Department, Helwan University, Ein-Helwan, Egypt
| | - Samir M. Awad
- Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry Department, Helwan University, Ein-Helwan, Egypt
| | | | | | - Mohamed S. Gaballah
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Helwan University, Ein-Helwan, Egypt
| | - Ahmed M. Said
- Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry Department, Helwan University, Ein-Helwan, Egypt
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, USA
- Athenex Inc, Buffalo, NY, USA
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Mi L, Liu J, Zhang Y, Su A, Tang M, Xing Z, He T, Wei T, Li Z, Wu W. The EPRS-ATF4-COLI pathway axis is a potential target for anaplastic thyroid carcinoma therapy. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 129:155670. [PMID: 38704915 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is recognized as the most aggressive and malignant form of thyroid cancer, underscoring the critical need for effective therapeutic strategies to curb its progression and improve patient prognosis. Halofuginone (HF), a derivative of febrifugine, has displayed antitumor properties across various cancer types. However, there is a paucity of published research focused on the potential of HF to enhance the clinical efficacy of treating ATC. OBJECTIVE In this study, we thoroughly investigated the antitumor effects and mechanisms of HF in ATC, aiming to discover lead compounds for treating ATC and reveal novel therapeutic targets for ATC tumors. METHODS A series of assays, including CCK8, colony formation, tumor xenograft models, and ATC tumor organoid experiments, were conducted to evaluate the anticancer properties of HF both in vitro and in vivo. Techniques such as drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS), western blot, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry were employed to pinpoint HF target proteins within ATC. Furthermore, we harnessed the GEPIA and GEO databases and performed immunohistochemistry to validate the therapeutic potential of the glutamyl-prolyl-tRNA-synthetase (EPRS)- activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4)- type I collagen (COLI) pathway axis in the context of ATC. The study also incorporated RNA sequencing analysis, confocal imaging, and flow cytometry to delve into the molecular mechanisms of HF in ATC. RESULTS HF exhibited a substantial inhibitory impact on cell proliferation in vitro and on tumor growth in vivo. The DARTS results highlighted HF's influence on EPRS within ATC cells, triggering an amino acid starvation response (AASR) by suppressing EPRS expression, consequently leading to a reduction in COLI expression in ATC cells. The introduction of proline mitigated the effect of HF on ATF4 and COLI expression, indicating that the EPRS-ATF4-COLI pathway axis was a focal target of HF in ATC. Analysis of the expression levels of the EPRS, ATF4, and COLI proteins in thyroid tumors, along with an examination of the relationship between COLI expression and thyroid tumor stage, revealed that HF significantly inhibited the growth of ATC tumor organoids, demonstrating the therapeutic potential of targeting the EPRS-ATF4-COLI pathway axis in ATC. RNA sequencing analysis revealed significant differences in the pathways associated with metastasis and apoptosis between control and HF-treated cells. Transwell assays and flow cytometry experiments provided evidence of the capacity of HF to impede cell migration and induce apoptosis in ATC cells. Furthermore, HF hindered cell metastasis by suppressing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway, acting through the inhibition of FAK-AKT-NF-κB/Wnt-β-catenin signaling and restraining angiogenesis via the VEGF pathway. HF also promoted apoptosis through the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. CONCLUSION This study provided inaugural evidence suggesting that HF could emerge as a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of ATC. The EPRS-ATF4-COLI pathway axis stood out as a prospective biomarker and therapeutic target for ATC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Mi
- Division of Thyroid Surgery, Department of General Surgery and Laboratory of Thyroid and Parathyroid Disease, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Jiaye Liu
- Division of Thyroid Surgery, Department of General Surgery and Laboratory of Thyroid and Parathyroid Disease, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Yujie Zhang
- Division of Thyroid Surgery, Department of General Surgery and Laboratory of Thyroid and Parathyroid Disease, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Anping Su
- Division of Thyroid Surgery, Department of General Surgery and Laboratory of Thyroid and Parathyroid Disease, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Minghai Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Zhichao Xing
- Division of Thyroid Surgery, Department of General Surgery and Laboratory of Thyroid and Parathyroid Disease, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Ting He
- Division of Thyroid Surgery, Department of General Surgery and Laboratory of Thyroid and Parathyroid Disease, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Tao Wei
- Division of Thyroid Surgery, Department of General Surgery and Laboratory of Thyroid and Parathyroid Disease, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Zhihui Li
- Division of Thyroid Surgery, Department of General Surgery and Laboratory of Thyroid and Parathyroid Disease, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China.
| | - Wenshuang Wu
- Division of Thyroid Surgery, Department of General Surgery and Laboratory of Thyroid and Parathyroid Disease, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China.
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Guan M, Zhao H, Zhang Q, Li L, Wang X, Tang B. A novel anoikis-related signature predicts prognosis risk and treatment responsiveness in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2024; 24:439-457. [PMID: 38709202 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2024.2351465] [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: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although anoikis plays a role in cancer metastasis and aggressiveness, it has rarely been reported in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). METHODS We obtained RNA sequencing data and matched clinical data from the GEO database. An anoikis-related genes (ARGs)-based risk signature was developed in GSE10846 training cohort and validated in three other cohorts. Additionally, we predicted half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of drugs based on bioinformatics method and obtained the actual IC50 to some chemotherapy drugs via cytotoxicity assay. RESULTS The high-risk group, as determined by our signature, was associated with worse prognosis and an immunosuppressive environment in DLBCL. Meanwhile, the nomogram based on eight variables had more accurate ability in forecasting the prognosis than the international prognostic index in DLBCL. The prediction of IC50 indicated that DLBCL patients in the high-risk group were more sensitive to doxorubicin, IPA-3, lenalidomide, gemcitabine, and CEP.701, while patients in the low-risk group were sensitive to cisplatin and dasatinib. Consistent with the prediction, cytotoxicity assay suggested the higher sensitivity to doxorubicin and gemcitabine and the lower sensitivity to dasatinib in the high-risk group in DLBCL. CONCLUSION The ARG-based signature may provide a promising direction for prognosis prediction and treatment optimization for DLBCL patients.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/drug therapy
- Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/genetics
- Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/mortality
- Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/diagnosis
- Prognosis
- Anoikis/drug effects
- Gene Expression Profiling
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics
- Transcriptome
- Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Nomograms
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingze Guan
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Hua Zhao
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Li
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaobo Wang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Tang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
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Bintener T, Pacheco MP, Philippidou D, Margue C, Kishk A, Del Mistro G, Di Leo L, Moscardó Garcia M, Halder R, Sinkkonen L, De Zio D, Kreis S, Kulms D, Sauter T. Metabolic modelling-based in silico drug target prediction identifies six novel repurposable drugs for melanoma. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:468. [PMID: 37495601 PMCID: PMC10372000 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-05955-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Despite high initial response rates to targeted kinase inhibitors, the majority of patients suffering from metastatic melanoma present with high relapse rates, demanding for alternative therapeutic options. We have previously developed a drug repurposing workflow to identify metabolic drug targets that, if depleted, inhibit the growth of cancer cells without harming healthy tissues. In the current study, we have applied a refined version of the workflow to specifically predict both, common essential genes across various cancer types, and melanoma-specific essential genes that could potentially be used as drug targets for melanoma treatment. The in silico single gene deletion step was adapted to simulate the knock-out of all targets of a drug on an objective function such as growth or energy balance. Based on publicly available, and in-house, large-scale transcriptomic data metabolic models for melanoma were reconstructed enabling the prediction of 28 candidate drugs and estimating their respective efficacy. Twelve highly efficacious drugs with low half-maximal inhibitory concentration values for the treatment of other cancers, which are not yet approved for melanoma treatment, were used for in vitro validation using melanoma cell lines. Combination of the top 4 out of 6 promising candidate drugs with BRAF or MEK inhibitors, partially showed synergistic growth inhibition compared to individual BRAF/MEK inhibition. Hence, the repurposing of drugs may enable an increase in therapeutic options e.g., for non-responders or upon acquired resistance to conventional melanoma treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Bintener
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Maria Pires Pacheco
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Demetra Philippidou
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Christiane Margue
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Ali Kishk
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Greta Del Mistro
- Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, TU-Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumour Diseases, TU-Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Luca Di Leo
- Melanoma Research Team, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maria Moscardó Garcia
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Rashi Halder
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Lasse Sinkkonen
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Daniela De Zio
- Melanoma Research Team, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Stephanie Kreis
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Dagmar Kulms
- Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, TU-Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumour Diseases, TU-Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Thomas Sauter
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg.
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Xu L, Qin Y, Liu M, Jiao J, Tu D, Zhang M, Yan D, Song X, Sun C, Zhu F, Wang X, Sang W, Xu K. The Acetyltransferase KAT5 Inhibitor NU 9056 Promotes Apoptosis and Inhibits JAK2/STAT3 Pathway in Extranodal NK/T Cell Lymphoma. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2021; 22:1530-1540. [PMID: 34503423 DOI: 10.2174/1871520621666210908103306] [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: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma (ENKTL) is an aggressive malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) with a poor prognosis. Therefore, novel therapeutic biomarkers and agents must be identified for the same. KAT5 inhibitor, NU 9056, is a small molecule that can inhibit cellular proliferation; however, its role in ENKTL has not been studied. OBJECTIVE The present study investigated the effect of NU 9056 in ENKTL cells and explored the possible molecular mechanism for its antitumour effect. METHODS The role of NU 9056 in ENKTL cells was investigated through the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, flow cytometry, Western blot, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay. RESULTS NU 9056 inhibited ENKTL cell proliferation and induced G2/M phase arrest. NU 9056 also induced apoptosis by upregulating DR4, DR5, and caspase 8 expressions. Additionally, NU 9056 increased the expression of Bax, Bid, and cytochrome C and decreased the expression of Bcl-2, Mcl-1, and XIAP. Furthermore, NU 9056 activated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and inhibited the JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathway. The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway was also activated by NU 9056, and the ERK signalling pathway was suppressed in natural killer/T cell lymphoma cells. CONCLUSION NU 9056 inhibited cell proliferation, arrested cell cycle in the G2/M phase, and induced apoptosis through the stimulation of ER stress, thus inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathway and regulating MAPK pathways in ENKTL cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linyan Xu
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu. China
| | - Yuanyuan Qin
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu. China
| | - Mengdi Liu
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu. China
| | - Jun Jiao
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu. China
| | - Dongyun Tu
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu. China
| | - Meng Zhang
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu. China
| | - Dongmei Yan
- Department of Hematology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu. China
| | - Xuguang Song
- Department of Hematology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu. China
| | - Cai Sun
- Department of Hematology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu. China
| | - Feng Zhu
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu. China
| | - Xiangmin Wang
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu. China
| | - Wei Sang
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu. China
| | - Kailin Xu
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu. China
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Zhang J, Li C, Zhang L, Heng Y, Xu T, Zhang Y, Chen X, Hoffman RM, Jia L. Andrographolide Induces Noxa-Dependent Apoptosis by Transactivating ATF4 in Human Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:680589. [PMID: 33995110 PMCID: PMC8117100 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.680589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common pathological type of lung cancer with poor patient outcomes; therefore, developing novel therapeutic agents is critically needed. Andrographolide (AD), a major active component derived from the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Andrographis paniculate, is a potential antitumor drug, but the role of AD in lung adenocarcinoma remains poorly understood. In the present study, we demonstrated that AD inhibited the proliferation of broad-spectrum lung cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, we found that a high dose of AD induced Noxa-dependent apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma cells (A549 and H1299). Further studies revealed that Noxa was transcriptionally activated by activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) in AD-induced apoptosis. Knockdown of ATF4 by small interfering RNA (siRNA) significantly diminished the transactivation of Noxa as well as the apoptotic population induced by AD. These results of the present study indicated that AD induced apoptosis of human lung adenocarcinoma cells by activating the ATF4/Noxa axis and supporting the development of AD as a promising candidate for the new era of chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junqian Zhang
- Cancer Institute, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunjie Li
- Cancer Institute, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Cancer Institute, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongqing Heng
- Cancer Institute, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Tong Xu
- Cancer Institute, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yunjing Zhang
- Cancer Institute, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xihui Chen
- Cancer Institute, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Robert M Hoffman
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.,Anticancer Inc., San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Lijun Jia
- Cancer Institute, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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