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Kageler L, Aquilanti E. Discovery of telomerase inhibitors: existing strategies and emerging innovations. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:1957-1968. [PMID: 39194999 DOI: 10.1042/bst20230264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 08/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
Telomerase, crucial for maintaining telomere length, is an attractive target for cancer therapy due to its role in cellular immortality. Despite three decades of research efforts, no small-molecule telomerase inhibitors have been clinically approved, highlighting the extensive challenges in developing effective telomerase-based therapeutics. This review examines conventional and emerging methods to measure telomerase activity and discusses existing inhibitors, including oligonucleotides and small molecules. Furthermore, this review highlights recent breakthroughs in structural studies of telomerase using cryo-electron microscopy, which can facilitate improved structure-based drug design. Altogether, advancements in structural methodologies and high-throughput screening offer promising prospects for telomerase-based cancer therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Kageler
- Stem Cell Program and Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, U.S.A
| | - Elisa Aquilanti
- Division of Neuro Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, U.S.A
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, U.S.A
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, U.S.A
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2
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Zhao X, Luo D, Liu T, Zhang H, Xie Y, Kong W. BIBR1532 Affects Endometrial Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion in Endometriosis via Telomerase Inhibition and MAPK Signaling. Gynecol Obstet Invest 2023; 88:226-239. [PMID: 37429261 DOI: 10.1159/000530460] [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: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The effect of telomerase inhibitor BIBR1532 on endometriotic cells was investigated to explore the inhibitory effect of targeting telomerase on endometriosis. DESIGN In vitro primary cell culture study. Participants/Materials: Primary endometrial cells derived from eutopic and ectopic endometrium in patients with endometriosis. SETTING The study was conducted in the university hospital. METHODS Paired eutopic and ectopic endometrial cells were collected from 6 patients from January 2018 to July 2021. A TRAP assay was performed to detect the telomerase activity of the cells. MTT, cell cycle, apoptosis, migration, and invasion assays were performed to study the inhibitory effect of BIBR1532. Enrichment analysis was performed to identify the key pathways involved in endometriosis progression and telomerase action. Then, Western blotting was used to investigate the expression of related proteins. RESULTS BIBR1532 treatment significantly inhibited the growth of eutopic and ectopic endometrial cells, with apoptosis and cell cycle signaling involved. Migration and invasion, important characteristics for the establishment of ectopic lesions, were also inhibited by BIBR1532. The MAPK signaling cascade, related to telomerase and endometriosis, was decreased in eutopic and ectopic endometrial stromal cells with the treatment of BIBR1532. LIMITATIONS The severe side effects of telomerase inhibitors might be the main obstacle to clinical application, so it is necessary to find better drug delivery methods in vivo. CONCLUSIONS The telomerase inhibitor BIBR1532 affects endometrial cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoling Zhao
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Dan Luo
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Tingting Liu
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - He Zhang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yunkai Xie
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Weimin Kong
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
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3
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Turkmen E, Sogutlu F, Erdogan M, Biray Avci C. Evaluation of the anticancer effect of telomerase inhibitor BIBR1532 in anaplastic thyroid cancer in terms of apoptosis, migration and cell cycle. Med Oncol 2023; 40:196. [PMID: 37284891 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-023-02063-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) represents the type with the worst prognosis among thyroid cancers. In ATC with a highly invasive phenotype, selective targeting of TERT with BIBR1532 may be a goal-driven approach to preserving healthy tissues. In present study, it was aimed to investigate the effects of treatment of SW1736 cells with BIBR1532 on apoptosis, cell cycle progression, and migration. The apoptotic effect of BIBR1532 on SW1736 cells was examined using the Annexin V method, the cytostatic effect using cell cycle test, migration properties using wound healing assay. Gene expression differences were determined by real-time qRT-PCR and differences in protein level by ELISA test. BIBR1532-treated SW1736 cells had 3.1-fold increase in apoptosis compared to their untreated counterpart. There was 58.1% arrest in the G0/G1 phase and 27.6% arrest in the S phase of the cell cycle in untreated group, treatment with BIBR1532 increased cell population in G0/G1 phase to 80.9% and decreased in S phase to 7.1%. Treatment with the TERT inhibitor resulted in a 50.8% decrease in cell migration compared to the untreated group. After BIBR1532 treatment of SW1736 cells, upregulation of BAD, BAX, CASP8, CYCS, TNFSF10, CDKN2A genes, and downregulation of BCL2L11, XIAP, CCND2 genes were detected. BIBR1532 treatment resulted in an increase in BAX and p16 proteins, and a decrease in concentration of BCL-2 protein compared to untreated group. Targeting TERT with BIBR1532 as a mono drug or using of BIBR1532 at "priming stage" prior to chemotherapy treatment in ATC may present a novel and promising treatment strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ecem Turkmen
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Fatma Sogutlu
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Erdogan
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Cigir Biray Avci
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey.
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Amin A, Morello M, Petrara MR, Rizzo B, Argenton F, De Rossi A, Giunco S. Short-Term TERT Inhibition Impairs Cellular Proliferation via a Telomere Length-Independent Mechanism and Can Be Exploited as a Potential Anticancer Approach. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:2673. [PMID: 37345011 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15102673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), the catalytic component of telomerase, may also contribute to carcinogenesis via telomere-length independent mechanisms. Our previous in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that short-term telomerase inhibition by BIBR1532 impairs cell proliferation without affecting telomere length. Here, we show that the impaired cell cycle progression following short-term TERT inhibition by BIBR1532 in in vitro models of B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders, i.e., Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-immortalized lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs), and B-cell malignancies, i.e., Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cell lines, is characterized by a significant reduction in NF-κB p65 nuclear levels leading to the downregulation of its target gene MYC. MYC downregulation was associated with increased expression and nuclear localization of P21, thus promoting its cell cycle inhibitory function. Consistently, treatment with BIBR1532 in wild-type zebrafish embryos significantly decreased Myc and increased p21 expression. The combination of BIBR1532 with antineoplastic drugs (cyclophosphamide or fludarabine) significantly reduced xenografted cells' proliferation rate compared to monotherapy in the zebrafish xenograft model. Overall, these findings indicate that short-term inhibition of TERT impairs cell growth through the downregulation of MYC via NF-κB signalling and supports the use of TERT inhibitors in combination with antineoplastic drugs as an efficient anticancer strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aamir Amin
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Section of Oncology and Immunology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Marzia Morello
- Immunology and Diagnostic Molecular Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Maria Raffaella Petrara
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Section of Oncology and Immunology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Beatrice Rizzo
- Immunology and Diagnostic Molecular Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | | | - Anita De Rossi
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Section of Oncology and Immunology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
- Immunology and Diagnostic Molecular Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Giunco
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Section of Oncology and Immunology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
- Immunology and Diagnostic Molecular Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, 35128 Padova, Italy
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Mazloumi Z, Rafat A, Dizaji Asl K, Nozad Charoudeh H. A combination of telomerase inhibition and NK cell therapy increased breast cancer cell line apoptosis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 640:50-55. [PMID: 36502631 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.11.090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast tumor with the highest breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) content and resistance to conventional treatment. Due to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and immunogenicity of breast cancer cells, the use of immune cells, especially natural killer cells (NK) in the treatment of solid tumors, including breast cancer, has been unsatisfactory. Therefore, identifying novel therapies is requisite for breast cancer treatment. Furthermore, the combination of cancer therapies is an effective strategy to improve therapeutic effectiveness. In this study, we inhibited telomerase (hTERT) with BIBR1532, in stimulating NK cell cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells. The MDA-MB-231 cell line was cured with IC50 level of BIBR1532 for 24 h. Afterward, cells were washed with PBS and were co-cultured with peripheral blood NK cell for 5h. Finally, we assessed the impact of telomerase inhibition on the cytotoxicity of NK cells and apoptosis of breast cancer. Also, the expression of hTERT and apoptotic-related genes were evaluated. The data revealed that inhibition of telomerase increases NK cell cytotoxicity against breast cancer. Furthermore, telomerase inhibition and NK cell synergistically enhanced cell death in breast cancer cells by suppressing hTERT, upregulation of bax, and bad expression. In conclusion, telomerase suppression makes breast cancer cells more sensitive to NK cell therapy. Consequently, the combination of telomerase inhibition and NK cells can be useful in the treatment of breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeinab Mazloumi
- Department of Applied Cell Sciences, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ali Rafat
- Anatomical Sciences Research Center, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Khadijeh Dizaji Asl
- Department of Histopathology and Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran
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Gao J, Pickett HA. Targeting telomeres: advances in telomere maintenance mechanism-specific cancer therapies. Nat Rev Cancer 2022; 22:515-532. [PMID: 35790854 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-022-00490-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cancer cells establish replicative immortality by activating a telomere-maintenance mechanism (TMM), be it telomerase or the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway. Targeting telomere maintenance represents an intriguing opportunity to treat the vast majority of all cancer types. Whilst telomerase inhibitors have historically been heralded as promising anticancer agents, the reality has been more challenging, and there are currently no therapeutic options for cancer types that use ALT despite their aggressive nature and poor prognosis. In this Review, we discuss the mechanistic differences between telomere maintenance by telomerase and ALT, the current methods used to detect each mechanism, the utility of these tests for clinical diagnosis, and recent developments in the therapeutic strategies being employed to target both telomerase and ALT. We present notable developments in repurposing established therapeutic agents and new avenues that are emerging to target cancer types according to which TMM they employ. These opportunities extend beyond inhibition of telomere maintenance, by finding and exploiting inherent weaknesses in the telomeres themselves to trigger rapid cellular effects that lead to cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jixuan Gao
- Telomere Length Regulation Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Hilda A Pickett
- Telomere Length Regulation Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
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Yuan M, Eberhart CG, Pratilas CA, Blakeley JO, Davis C, Stojanova M, Reilly K, Meeker AK, Heaphy CM, Rodriguez FJ. Therapeutic Vulnerability to ATR Inhibition in Concurrent NF1 and ATRX-Deficient/ALT-Positive High-Grade Solid Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14123015. [PMID: 35740680 PMCID: PMC9221513 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14123015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Tumors of the brain and nerves develop frequently in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1. Many are benign growths, such as pilocytic astrocytomas in the brain and neurofibromas in the nerves. However, in some patients, the tumors become malignant and may cause local damage, disseminate to distant sites and result in death. We studied changes in the levels of chromatin proteins and changes in telomeres, in cells obtained from mouse gliomas that are deficient in neurofibromin as well as excess brain and nerve tumor tissue from patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 or sporadic tumors lacking neurofibromin expression. A decrease in the levels of these proteins in experimental cell lines resulted in susceptibility to a class of specific drugs knowns as ATR inhibitors, which may represent a specific vulnerability of these tumor subgroups. We expect our data to provide the required rationale for the development of more accurate animal models to study neurofibromatosis, as well as specific molecularly based drugs for treatment as alternatives to the current, often devastating approaches of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Abstract Subsets of Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1)-associated solid tumors have been shown to display high frequencies of ATRX mutations and the presence of alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). We studied the phenotype of combined NF1 and ATRX deficiency in malignant solid tumors. Cell lines derived from NF1-deficient sporadic glioblastomas (U251, SF188), an NF1-associated ATRX mutant glioblastoma cell line (JHH-NF1-GBM1), an NF1-derived sarcoma cell line (JHH-CRC65), and two NF1-deficient MPNST cell lines (ST88-14, NF90.8) were utilized. Cancer cells were treated with ATR inhibitors, with or without a MEK inhibitor or temozolomide. In contrast to the glioma cell line SF188, combined ATRX knockout (KO) and TERC KO led to ALT-like properties and sensitized U251 glioma cells to ATR inhibition in vitro and in vivo. In addition, ATR inhibitors sensitized U251 cells to temozolomide, but not MEK inhibition, irrespective of ATRX level manipulation; whereas, the JHH-NF1-GBM1 cell line demonstrated sensitivity to ATR inhibition, but not temozolomide. Similar effects were noted using the MPNST cell line NF90.8 after combined ATRX knockdown and TERC KO; however, not in ST88-14. Taken together, our study supports the feasibility of targeting the ATR pathway in subsets of NF1-deficient and associated tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Yuan
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (M.Y.); (C.G.E.); (C.D.); (A.K.M.)
| | - Charles G. Eberhart
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (M.Y.); (C.G.E.); (C.D.); (A.K.M.)
| | - Christine A. Pratilas
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (C.A.P.); (J.O.B.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Jaishri O. Blakeley
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (C.A.P.); (J.O.B.)
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Christine Davis
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (M.Y.); (C.G.E.); (C.D.); (A.K.M.)
| | - Marija Stojanova
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
| | | | - Alan K. Meeker
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (M.Y.); (C.G.E.); (C.D.); (A.K.M.)
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (C.A.P.); (J.O.B.)
| | - Christopher M. Heaphy
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (M.Y.); (C.G.E.); (C.D.); (A.K.M.)
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (C.A.P.); (J.O.B.)
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Correspondence: (C.M.H.); (F.J.R.)
| | - Fausto J. Rodriguez
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (M.Y.); (C.G.E.); (C.D.); (A.K.M.)
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; (C.A.P.); (J.O.B.)
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), 10833 Le Conte Avenue, CHS Bldg., Suite 18-170B, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Correspondence: (C.M.H.); (F.J.R.)
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Han H, He C, Chen X, Luo Y, Yang M, Wen Z, Hu J, Lin F, Han M, Yin T, Yang R, Lin H, Qi J, Yang Y. Shikonin N-benzyl matrinic acid ester derivatives as novel telomerase inhibitors with potent activity against lung cancer cell lines. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2021; 57:128503. [PMID: 34922028 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2021.128503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In this study, a series of novel shikonin N-benzyl matrinic acid ester derivatives (PMMB-299-PMMB-310) were synthesized and tested for their ability to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells. Compared with shikonin and matrine, some of the ester derivatives were found to exhibit better anti-proliferative activity against seven different cancer cell lines, with less cytotoxicity toward non-cancerous cells. The strongest anti-proliferative activity was exhibited by PMMB-302, which had an IC50 value of 2.71 μM against A549 cells. The compound caused cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase and induced apoptosis. Effects on the expression of apoptosis-related molecules such as Bcl2, Bcl-XL, caspase-3, caspase-9 and FADD suggested that PMMB-302 has tumor suppressive roles in lung cancer cells. In addition, PMMB-302 inhibited expression of telomerase core proteins, dyskerin and NHP2, and telomerase reverse transcriptase RNA. Moreover, molecular docking of PMMB-302 was subsequently conducted to determine the probable binding mode with telomerase. Taken together, the results indicate that PMMB-302 acts as a tumor suppressor in lung cancer cells by negatively regulating telomerase expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongwei Han
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Cong He
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xingyu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yuelin Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Minkai Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zhongling Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jiabao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Faxiang Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Mi Han
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Tongming Yin
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Rongwu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Hongyan Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
| | - Jinliang Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
| | - Yonghua Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
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Combination of resveratrol and BIBR1532 inhibits proliferation of colon cancer cells by repressing expression of LncRNAs. Med Oncol 2021; 39:12. [PMID: 34779924 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-021-01611-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. The development of tumor drug resistance is observed in the treatment of CRC. Combinations of anticancer agents are attracting considerable interest in order to overcome drug resistance in CRC. This study aims to investigate the effect of resveratrol and BIBR1532, either alone or in combination, on the cell viability as well as on expression of long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) for HT-29 colon adenocarcinoma cells. The cytotoxic effects of resveratrol and BIBR1532 on HT-29 cells were determined using WST-1 test. Flow cytometry was used to determine apoptotic cell death after treatments. Real-Time PCR was used to identify expression of LncRNAs after treatments. LncExpDB and GEPIA2 were used to evaluate expression profiles of LncRNAs, whose expression levels were decreased in HT-29 cells after treatments, in normal tissues and colon adenocarcinoma tumors. IC50 concentrations of BIBR1532 and resveratrol were found to be 50.81 μM at 48 h and 86.23 μM at 72 h, respectively. Combination index value was 1.07617. BIBR1532, resveratrol, or their combination reduced the cell viability of HT-29 cells. CCAT1, CRNDE, HOTAIR, PCAT1, PVT1, SNHG16 were down-regulated after treatments. In silico analysis revealed that LncRNAs whose expression levels were decreased after treatments were associated with CRC. Resveratrol, BIBR1532, or their combination may have anti-proliferative effect on colorectal cancer cells through repressing expression of LncRNAs that are involved in progression of CRC.
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Romaniuk-Drapała A, Totoń E, Konieczna N, Machnik M, Barczak W, Kowal D, Kopczyński P, Kaczmarek M, Rubiś B. hTERT Downregulation Attenuates Resistance to DOX, Impairs FAK-Mediated Adhesion, and Leads to Autophagy Induction in Breast Cancer Cells. Cells 2021; 10:cells10040867. [PMID: 33920284 PMCID: PMC8068966 DOI: 10.3390/cells10040867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomerase is known to contribute to telomere maintenance and to provide cancer cell immortality. However, numerous reports are showing that the function of the enzyme goes far beyond chromosome ends. The study aimed to explore how telomerase downregulation in MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells affects their ability to survive. Consequently, sensitivity to drug resistance, proliferation, and adhesion were assessed. The lentiviral-mediated human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) downregulation efficiency was performed at gene expression and protein level using qPCR and Western blot, respectively. Telomerase activity was evaluated using the Telomeric Repeat Amplification Protocol (TRAP) assay. The study revealed that hTERT downregulation led to an increased sensitivity of breast cancer cells to doxorubicin which was demonstrated in MTT and clonogenic assays. During a long-term doubling time assessment, a decreased population doubling level was observed. Interestingly, it did not dramatically affect cell cycle distribution. hTERT downregulation was accompanied by an alteration in β1-integrin- and by focal adhesion kinase (FAK)-driven pathways together with the reduction of target proteins phosphorylation, i.e., paxillin and c-Src. Additionally, autophagy activation was observed in MDA-MB-231 cells manifested by alternations in Atg5, Beclin 1, LC3II/I ratio, and p62. These results provide new evidence supporting the possible therapeutic potential of telomerase downregulation leading to induction of autophagy and cancer cells elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Romaniuk-Drapała
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 49 Przybyszewskiego St., 60-355 Poznań, Poland; (A.R.-D.); (E.T.); (N.K.); (D.K.)
| | - Ewa Totoń
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 49 Przybyszewskiego St., 60-355 Poznań, Poland; (A.R.-D.); (E.T.); (N.K.); (D.K.)
| | - Natalia Konieczna
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 49 Przybyszewskiego St., 60-355 Poznań, Poland; (A.R.-D.); (E.T.); (N.K.); (D.K.)
| | - Marta Machnik
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznan, Poland;
| | - Wojciech Barczak
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, The Greater Poland Cancer Centre, 61-866 Poznan, Poland;
| | - Dagmar Kowal
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 49 Przybyszewskiego St., 60-355 Poznań, Poland; (A.R.-D.); (E.T.); (N.K.); (D.K.)
| | - Przemysław Kopczyński
- Centre for Orthodontic Mini-Implants at the Department and Clinic of Maxillofacial Orthopedics and Orthodontics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-812 Poznan, Poland;
| | - Mariusz Kaczmarek
- Department of Immunology, Chair of Clinical Immunology, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, 5D Rokietnicka St., 60-806 Poznań, Poland;
| | - Błażej Rubiś
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 49 Przybyszewskiego St., 60-355 Poznań, Poland; (A.R.-D.); (E.T.); (N.K.); (D.K.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-61-869-14-27
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11
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Ogino LL, Lamback EB, Guterres A, de Azeredo Lima CH, Henriques DG, Barbosa MA, Silva DA, da Silva Camacho AH, Chimelli L, Kasuki L, Gadelha MR. Telomerase expression in clinically non-functioning pituitary adenomas. Endocrine 2021; 72:208-215. [PMID: 33090306 DOI: 10.1007/s12020-020-02524-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPA) are benign tumors, however, some are agressive. We aimed to assess if human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is present in NFPA and if it can be used as a marker of aggressiveness and proliferation. METHODS Consecutive patients operated for NFPA whose fresh frozen tumors were available were included. We analyzed tumor's aggressiveness (based on radiological progression) and proliferation (based on Ki-67), as well as hTERT mRNA by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). RESULTS We included 109 samples from 86 patients followed for a median period of 60 months (5-120 months). Aggressive tumors were present in 66% cases and proliferative tumors in 47.7%. Seven (6.4%) samples expressed hTERT: 3 (42.8%) had aggressive and proliferative tumors, 2 (28.6%) only exhibited aggressiveness and the remaining 2 (28.6%) only proliferation. From the aggressive and proliferative tumors, 14% and 16%, respectively, expressed hTERT. From the non-aggressive and non-proliferative tumors, 9% and 6%, respectively, expressed hTERT. CONCLUSION hTERT expression is present in a minority of NFPA and does not seem to be related to aggressiveness or proliferation in NFPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liana Lumi Ogino
- Neuropathology and Molecular Genetics Laboratory - Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Elisa Baranski Lamback
- Neuroendocrinology Research Center/ Endocrinology Division - Medical School and Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Alexandro Guterres
- Neuropathology and Molecular Genetics Laboratory - Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Daniel Gomes Henriques
- Neuroendocrinology Research Center/ Endocrinology Division - Medical School and Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Débora Aparecida Silva
- Neuropathology and Molecular Genetics Laboratory - Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Aline Helen da Silva Camacho
- Neuropathology and Molecular Genetics Laboratory - Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Pathology Division - Instituto Nacional do Câncer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leila Chimelli
- Neuropathology and Molecular Genetics Laboratory - Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leandro Kasuki
- Neuroendocrinology Research Center/ Endocrinology Division - Medical School and Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Neuroendocrinology Division - Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Endocrinology Division - Hospital Federal de Bonsucesso, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mônica R Gadelha
- Neuropathology and Molecular Genetics Laboratory - Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Neuroendocrinology Research Center/ Endocrinology Division - Medical School and Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Neuroendocrinology Division - Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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12
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Altamura G, Degli Uberti B, Galiero G, De Luca G, Power K, Licenziato L, Maiolino P, Borzacchiello G. The Small Molecule BIBR1532 Exerts Potential Anti-cancer Activities in Preclinical Models of Feline Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Through Inhibition of Telomerase Activity and Down-Regulation of TERT. Front Vet Sci 2021; 7:620776. [PMID: 33553285 PMCID: PMC7855307 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.620776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and telomerase activity (TA) is a main feature of cancer, contributing to cell immortalization by causing telomeres dysfunction. BIBR1532 is a potent telomerase inhibitor that showed potential anti-tumor activities in several types of cancer, by triggering replicative senescence and apoptosis. In a previous work, we detected, for the first time, TERT expression and TA in preclinical models of feline oral squamous cell carcinoma (FOSCC); therefore, we aimed at extending our investigation by testing the effects of treatment with BIBR1532, in order to explore the role of telomerase in this tumor and foreshadow the possibility of it being considered as a future therapeutic target. In the present study, treatment of FOSCC cell lines SCCF1, SCCF2, and SCCF3 with BIBR1532 resulted in successful inhibition of TA, with subsequent cell growth stoppage and decrease in cell viability. Molecular data showed that up-regulation of cell cycle inhibitor p21, unbalancing of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and down-regulation of survival gene Survivin were mostly involved in the observed cellular events. Moreover, BIBR1532 diminished the expression of TERT and its transcriptional activator cMyc, resulting in the down-regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), phospho-ERK/ERK ratio, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-1/-2 and−9, likely as a consequence of an impairment of TERT extra-telomeric functions. Taken together, our data suggest that BIBR1532 exerts multiple anti-cancer activities in FOSCC by inhibiting telomerase pathway and interfering with signaling routes involved in cell proliferation, cell survival, and invasion, paving the way for future translational studies aimed at evaluating its possible employment in the treatment of this severe tumor of cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gennaro Altamura
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Giorgio Galiero
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanna De Luca
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Naples, Italy
| | - Karen Power
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Luca Licenziato
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Paola Maiolino
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Borzacchiello
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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13
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Telomerase reverse transcriptase downregulation by RNA interference modulates endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial energy production. Mol Biol Rep 2020; 47:7735-7743. [PMID: 32959195 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-020-05848-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Telomerase is a cancer promoting ribonucleoprotein complex and is a potential therapeutic target for cancer. In this study, the effects of telomerase downregulation on the whole cell proteome were investigated. Understanding how the effect of downregulation on the whole proteome profile will generate a greater understanding of the possible roles played by telomerase in cancer. Downregulation was achieved by RNA interference (RNAi), targeting the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) subunits of telomerase. Transfection of TERT siRNA downregulates TERT gene expression and induced downregulation of telomerase activity. Investigation of the effect of silencing TERT in telomerase was further validated through proteomic analysis by performing 2-dimension electrophoresis (2DE) coupled with MALDI-TOF/TOF. 12 protein spots in HeLa cells were reported to be significantly differentially expressed with 11 of them were upregulated and 1 downregulated. Through STRING analysis, differentially expressed proteins demonstrated strong associations with endoplasmic reticulum stress marker and mitochondrial energy production marker. In conclusions, the result exhibited novel integrated proteomic response involving endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial energy production in response to the TERT downregulation in cervical cancer cells.
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14
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Arsenic trioxide and BIBR1532 synergistically inhibit breast cancer cell proliferation through attenuation of NF-κB signaling pathway. Life Sci 2020; 257:118060. [PMID: 32645343 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Despite the remarkable anti-proliferative effects of Arsenic trioxide (ATO) in breast cancer cells, the requirement of high, toxic concentrations to induce apoptosis may cause serious side effects in patients. In the present study, we aimed to use BIBR1532, an hTERT inhibitor, in combination with ATO to sensitize MCF7 and MDA-231 cells to lower concentrations of ATO. MAIN METHODS Breast cancer cell lines MCF7 and MDA-231 were cultured and treated with different doses of ATO and BIBR1532 for 48 h and its effects on cell survival and proliferation were analyzed by MTT, crystal violet staining, colony formation assay, cell cycle, AnnexinV/PI and Real-time PCR tests. KEY FINDINGS ATO and BIBR1532 synergistically inhibited proliferation and colony-forming ability of breast cancer cells. Besides, BIBR1532 augmented ATO-induced cytotoxic effects via triggering G1 cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis coupled with the down-regulation of NF-κB target genes that were involved in cell cycle progression (e.g. CCND1 and CDK6) and prevention of apoptosis such as Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, c-IAP2, and Survivin Respectively. Moreover, ATO-BIBR1532 significantly reduced the mRNA expression level of RELA, NFKB1, and several validated target genes of the NF-κB signaling pathway including NFKBIA, VEGFC, c-Myc, and hTERT. SIGNIFICANCE The combination of ATO and BIBR1532 synergistically induced its anti-proliferative effect in breast cancer cells by targeting the two key cancer-related pathways, hTERT and NF-κB, and disrupting their feed-forward loop at the same time which result in the reduction of NF-κB transcriptional activity and subsequent down-regulation of its target genes.
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15
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Wu L, Fidan K, Um JY, Ahn KS. Telomerase: Key regulator of inflammation and cancer. Pharmacol Res 2020; 155:104726. [PMID: 32109579 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The telomerase holoenzyme, which has a highly conserved role in maintaining telomere length, has long been regarded as a high-profile target in cancer therapy due to the high dependency of the majority of cancer cells on constitutive and elevated telomerase activity for sustained proliferation and immortality. In this review, we present the salient findings in the telomerase field with special focus on the association of telomerase with inflammation and cancer. The elucidation of extra-telomeric roles of telomerase in inflammation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and cancer development further complicated the design of anti-telomerase therapy. Of note, the discovery of the unique mechanism that underlies reactivation of the dormant telomerase reverse transcriptase TERT promoter in somatic cells not only enhanced our understanding of the critical role of TERT in carcinogenesis but also opens up new intervention ideas that enable the differential targeting of cancer cells only. Despite significant effort invested in developing telomerase-targeted therapeutics, devising efficacious cancer-specific telomerase/TERT inhibitors remains an uphill task. The latest discoveries of the telomere-independent functionalities of telomerase in inflammation and cancer can help illuminate the path of developing specific anti-telomerase/TERT therapeutics against cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lele Wu
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Kerem Fidan
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), Singapore 138673, Singapore; Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - Jae-Young Um
- College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, #47, Kyungheedae-gil, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang Seok Ahn
- College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, #47, Kyungheedae-gil, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea.
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16
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Zhou K, Liu J, Xiong X, Cheng M, Hu X, Narva S, Zhao X, Wu Y, Zhang W. Design, synthesis of 4,5-diazafluorene derivatives and their anticancer activity via targeting telomeric DNA G-quadruplex. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 178:484-499. [PMID: 31202994 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 06/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
In our work, 19 novel 4,5-diazafluorene derivatives (11a-d, 12a-d, 13a-d, 14a-c, 15c, 16a-c) bearing a 1,3-disubstituted pyrazol/thioxothiazolidinone or thioxothiazolidinone-oxadiazole moieties were designed, synthesized, preliminarily explored for their antitumor activities and in vitro mechanism. All compounds showed different values of antiproliferative activity against A549, AGS, HepG2 and MCF-7 cell lines through CCK-8. Especially, the compound 14c exhibited the strongest activity and best selectivity against A549 cells with an IC50 1.13 μM and an SI value of 7.01 relative to MRC-5 cells, which was better than cisplatin (SI = 1.80) as a positive control. Experimental results at extracellular level demonstrated that compounds 14a-c could strongly interact with the G-quadruplex(es) formed in a 26 nt telomeric G-rich DNA, in particular, the 14c exhibits quite strong binding affinity with an association equilibrium constant (KA) of 7.04(±0.16) × 107 M-1 and more than 1000-fold specificity to G4-DNA over ds-DNA and Mut-DNA at the compound/G4-DNA ratio of 1:1. Further trap assay ascertained that compounds 14a-c owned strong inhibitory ability of telomerase activity in A549 cells, suggesting that these compounds have great possibility to target telomeric G-quadruplexes and consequently indirectly inhibit the telomerase activity. In addition, it is worthy of note that the remarkable inhibitory effects of 14a-c on the mobility of tested cancer cells were observed by wound healing assays. Furthermore, molecular docking and UV-Vis spectral results unclose the rationale for the interaction of compounds with such G-quadruplex(es). These results indicate that the growth and metastasis inhibition of cancer cells mediated by these 4,5-diazafluorene derivatives possibly result from their interaction with telomeric G-quadruplexes, suggesting that 4,5-diazafluorene derivatives, especially 14c, possess potential as anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Zhou
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Jiachun Liu
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Xuqiong Xiong
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Mei Cheng
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Xiaolin Hu
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Suresh Narva
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Xiaoyin Zhao
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Yanling Wu
- Lab of Molecular Immunology, Virus Inspection Department, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, 310051, China.
| | - Wen Zhang
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China.
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17
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Doğan F, Özateş NP, Bağca BG, Abbaszadeh Z, Söğütlü F, Gasımlı R, Gündüz C, Biray Avcı Ç. Investigation of the effect of telomerase inhibitor BIBR1532 on breast cancer and breast cancer stem cells. J Cell Biochem 2019; 120:1282-1293. [PMID: 30368861 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.27089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
It is emphasized that cancer stem cells (CSCs) forming the subpopulation of tumour cells are responsible for tumour growth, metastasis, and cancer drug resistance. Inadequate response to conventional therapy in breast cancer leads researchers to find new treatment methods and literature surveys that support CSC studies. A selective anticancer agent BIBR1532 inhibits the telomerase enzyme. Many of the chemotherapeutic drugs used in clinical trials have harmful effects, but the advantage of telomerase-based inhibitors is that they are less toxic to healthy tissues. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/serine/threonine kinase (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is common in breast cancer, and the interaction between the mTOR pathway and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is essential for the survival of cancer cells. In our study, we treated MCF-7, breast cancer stem cell (BCSC) and normal breast epithelial cell MCF10A with the BIBR1532 inhibitor. The IC 50 doses for the 48th hour of BIBR1532 treatment were detected as 34.59 μM in MCF-7, 29.91 μM in BCSCs, and 29.07 μM in MCF10A. It has been observed that this agent induces apoptosis in the BCSC and MCF-7 cell lines. According to the results of cell cycle analysis, G 2 /M phase accumulation was observed in BCSC and MCF-7 cell lines. It has also been shown that BIBR1532 suppresses telomerase activity in BCSC and MCF-7. The effect of BIBR1532 on the mTOR signalling pathway has been investigated for the first time in this study. It is thought that the telomerase inhibitor may bring a new approach to the treatment and it may be useful in the treatment of CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatma Doğan
- Department of Medical Biology, Ege University Medical School, Bornova, Turkey
| | | | - Bakiye Göker Bağca
- Department of Medical Biology, Ege University Medical School, Bornova, Turkey
| | - Zeka Abbaszadeh
- Department of Medical Biology, Ege University Medical School, Bornova, Turkey
| | - Fatma Söğütlü
- Department of Medical Biology, Ege University Medical School, Bornova, Turkey
| | - Röya Gasımlı
- Department of Medical Biology, Ege University Medical School, Bornova, Turkey
| | - Cumhur Gündüz
- Department of Medical Biology, Ege University Medical School, Bornova, Turkey
| | - Çığır Biray Avcı
- Department of Medical Biology, Ege University Medical School, Bornova, Turkey
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Pourbagheri-Sigaroodi A, Bashash D, Safaroghli-Azar A, Farshi-Paraasghari M, Momeny M, Mansoor FN, Ghaffari SH. Contributory role of microRNAs in anti-cancer effects of small molecule inhibitor of telomerase (BIBR1532) on acute promyelocytic leukemia cell line. Eur J Pharmacol 2019; 846:49-62. [PMID: 30658112 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2019.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Revised: 01/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Telomerase-mediated immortalization and proliferation of tumor cells is a promising anti-cancer treatment strategy and development of potent telomerase inhibitors is believed to open new window of treatments in human malignancies. In the present study, we found that BIBR1532, a small molecule inhibitor of human telomerase, exerted cytotoxic effects on a panel of human cancer cells spanning from solid tumors to hematologic malignancies; however, as compared with solid tumors, leukemic cells were more sensitive to this inhibitor. This was independent of molecular status of p53 in the leukemic cells. The results of a miRNA PCR array revealed that BIBR1532-induced cytotoxic effects in NB4, the most sensitive cell line, was coupled with alteration in a substantial number of cancer-related miRNAs. Interestingly, most of these miRNAs were found to act as tumor suppressors with validated targets in cell cycle or nuclear factor (NF)-κB-mediated apoptosis. In accordance with a bioinformatics analysis, our experimental studies showed that BIBR1532-induced apoptosis is mediated, at least partly, by inhibition of NF-κB. Moreover, we found that the alteration in the expression of miRNAs was coupled with the alteration in the cell cycle progression. To sum up with, a straightforward interpretation of our results is that telomerase inhibition using BIBR1532 not only induced CDKN1A-mediated G1 arrest in NB4, but also resulted in a caspase-3-dependent apoptotic cell death mostly through suppression of NF-κB axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atieh Pourbagheri-Sigaroodi
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Sciences and Technology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University (IAUPS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Davood Bashash
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Ava Safaroghli-Azar
- Student Research Committee, Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masoumeh Farshi-Paraasghari
- Student Research Committee, Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Majid Momeny
- Turku Centre for Biotechnology, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Fahimeh Nemati Mansoor
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Sciences and Technology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University (IAUPS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed H Ghaffari
- Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Down regulation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) expression by BIBR1532 in human glioblastoma LN18 cells. Cytotechnology 2018; 70:1143-1154. [PMID: 29546682 DOI: 10.1007/s10616-018-0205-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased telomerase activity can be blocked by targeting the hTERT activity at both RNA and catalytic subunits. Various inhibitors had been used to regulate hTERT activity in glioblastoma cell lines and showed promising results. The present study hypothesized that the telomerase specific inhibitor BIBR1532 can effectively down-regulate the telomerase activity in LN18 glioblastoma cell line. LN18 glioblastoma cell line was treated with various concentrations of BIBR1532 at different time intervals. MTT assay was performed to determine cell viability after BIBR1532 treatment. hTERT mRNA and protein expression were determined by qRT-PCR and western blotting, respectively. Flow cytometry and TRAP assay was performed to detect the rate of apoptosis and telomerase activity in treated and control samples. One-way ANOVA was performed to compare the mean values of variables in control and BIBR1532 treated groups. LN18 cells showed a significant dose dependent cytotoxic effect after treatment with BIBR1532. hTERT mRNA expression in cells treated with 25, 100 and 200 μM BIBR1532 treated groups was decreased ~ 21, ~ 61.2, and ~ 77%, respectively (p < 0.05). We also observed that, BIBR1532 treatment reduced the expression of hTERT protein in LN18 cells in a dose dependent manner. The Flow cytometry data showed that, the drug induced significant increase in the total percentage of apoptotic cells with 200 μM concentration of BIBR1532 at all time points. BIBR1532 exhibited potent inhibition of telomerase activity in a dose-dependent manner in LN18 cells. BIBR1532 could induce apoptosis in LN18 cells through the downregulation of telomerase activity at transcriptional and translational level. We conclude that BIBR1532 may be a therapeutic agent to suppress telomerase activity, however, further efforts are necessary in order to explore this therapeutic strategy.
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20
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Clinical Relevance of NGAL/MMP-9 Pathway in Patients with Endometrial Cancer. DISEASE MARKERS 2017; 2017:6589262. [PMID: 29089666 PMCID: PMC5635290 DOI: 10.1155/2017/6589262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2017] [Revised: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The objectives of the study were to assess the relationship between the serum levels of MMP-9 and NGAL and the clinical staging and histopathological grade of the tumor. Lipocalin-2/NGAL and MMP-9 concentrations were quantified in serum by multiplex fluorescent bead-based immunoassays (Luminex Corporation, Austin, TX, USA). The AUC values for NGAL and MMP-9 were 0.9 and 0.78, respectively. The diagnostic potential of NGAL and MMP-9 in differentiating high-stage (FIGO III and IV) and low-stage (FIGO I and II) cancer and predicting the cell differentiation grade (G1 versus G3) on the basis of the analyses of AUC values was determined to be 0.91 and 0.79 for NGAL and 0.82 and 0.84 for MMP-9, respectively. Multifactorial logistic regression analysis in the final method revealed that NGAL and MMP-9 variables were independent of the endometrial cancer risk. OR values for NGAL and MMP-9 were 1.23 (95% CI 1.421-3.27; p = 0.034) and 1.09 (95% CI: 1.38-4.12; p = 0.026), respectively. The NGAL/MMP-9 complex may be useful in the assessment of tumor stage before surgical treatment.
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Wu Y, Bian C, Zhen C, Liu L, Lin Z, Nisar MF, Wang M, Bartsch JW, Huang E, Ji P, Yang L, Yu Y, Yang J, Jiang X, Zhong JL. Telomerase reverse transcriptase mediates EMT through NF-κB signaling in tongue squamous cell carcinoma. Oncotarget 2017; 8:85492-85503. [PMID: 29156735 PMCID: PMC5689625 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.20888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Locoregional lymph nodes metastasis in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma represents one of important and common prognostic factors for poor clinical outcome. The human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (hTERT) is one of key players in cancer metastasis and stemness, but its exact function in tongue squamous cell carcinoma remains unknown. Here, we aim to understand the role of hTERT by utilizing the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system to deplete hTERT in the SCC-15 cell line. Functional comparison of SCC-15 control and knockout cells (hTERT−/−) showed that loss of hTERT suppressed cell proliferation and migration/invasion. Furthermore, hTERT depletion significantly decreased tumorigenesis, including alterations in cellular morphology that areindicative for epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Mechanistically we demonstrated that the hTERT knockout attenuates NF-κB signaling via a negative feedback regulation in tumorprogression. From these results we propose a novel molecular mechanism of hTERT to promote SCC-15 invasion and metastasis via NF-κB activation. We conclude that targeting hTERT may represent a new therapeutic strategy to improve therapy and survival of tongue squamous cell carcinoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wu
- Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of High Education, Chongqing, 401147, China.,The Base of "111 Project" for Biomechanics and Tissue Repair Engineering, Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering college, Life Science College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Chunxiang Bian
- Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of High Education, Chongqing, 401147, China.,The Base of "111 Project" for Biomechanics and Tissue Repair Engineering, Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering college, Life Science College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Chunlin Zhen
- Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of High Education, Chongqing, 401147, China.,The Base of "111 Project" for Biomechanics and Tissue Repair Engineering, Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering college, Life Science College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Liu Liu
- The Base of "111 Project" for Biomechanics and Tissue Repair Engineering, Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering college, Life Science College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Zhenghong Lin
- The Base of "111 Project" for Biomechanics and Tissue Repair Engineering, Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering college, Life Science College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Muhammad Farrukh Nisar
- The Base of "111 Project" for Biomechanics and Tissue Repair Engineering, Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering college, Life Science College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Mei Wang
- The Base of "111 Project" for Biomechanics and Tissue Repair Engineering, Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering college, Life Science College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Jörg W Bartsch
- Department of Neurosurgery, Phillips-University Marburg, Baldingerstr, Marburg 35033, Germany
| | - Enyi Huang
- Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of High Education, Chongqing, 401147, China
| | - Ping Ji
- Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of High Education, Chongqing, 401147, China
| | - Li Yang
- The Base of "111 Project" for Biomechanics and Tissue Repair Engineering, Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering college, Life Science College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Yanhong Yu
- Department of Urology, First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, China
| | - Junfeng Yang
- Department of Urology, First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, China
| | - Xuemei Jiang
- The Base of "111 Project" for Biomechanics and Tissue Repair Engineering, Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering college, Life Science College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Julia Li Zhong
- The Base of "111 Project" for Biomechanics and Tissue Repair Engineering, Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Bioengineering college, Life Science College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
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22
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Han J, Wysham WZ, Zhong Y, Guo H, Zhang L, Malloy KM, Dickens HK, Huh G, Lee D, Makowski L, Zhou C, Bae-Jump VL. Increased efficacy of metformin corresponds to differential metabolic effects in the ovarian tumors from obese versus lean mice. Oncotarget 2017; 8:110965-110982. [PMID: 29340030 PMCID: PMC5762298 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.20754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity is a significant risk factor for ovarian cancer (OC) and associated with worse outcomes for this disease. We assessed the anti-tumorigenic effects of metformin in human OC cell lines and a genetically engineered mouse model of high grade serous OC under obese and lean conditions. Metformin potently inhibited growth in a dose-dependent manner in all four human OC cell lines through AMPK/mTOR pathways. Treatment with metformin resulted in G1 arrest, induction of apoptosis, reduction of invasion and decreased hTERT expression. In the K18-gT121+/-; p53fl/fl; Brca1fl/fl (KpB) mouse model, metformin inhibited tumor growth in both lean and obese mice. However, in the obese mice, metformin decreased tumor growth by 60%, whereas tumor growth was only decreased by 32% in the lean mice (p=0.003) compared to vehicle-treated mice. The ovarian tumors from obese mice had evidence of impaired mitochondrial complex 2 function and energy supplied by omega fatty acid oxidation rather than glycolysis as compared to lean mice, as assessed by metabolomic profiling. The improved efficacy of metformin in obesity corresponded with inhibition of mitochondrial complex 1 and fatty acid oxidation, and stimulation of glycolysis in only the OCs of obese versus lean mice. In conclusion, metformin had anti-tumorigenic effects in OC cell lines and the KpB OC pre-clinical mouse model, with increased efficacy in obese versus lean mice. Detected metabolic changes may underlie why ovarian tumors in obese mice have heightened susceptibility to metformin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianjun Han
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Postdoctoral Mobile Station of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, P.R. China.,Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Weiya Z Wysham
- Legacy Medical Group, Gynecologic Oncology, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Yan Zhong
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Linyi Cancer Hospital, Linyi, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Hui Guo
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital & Institute, Jinan, P.R. China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital & Institute, Jinan, P.R. China
| | - Kim M Malloy
- Virginia Tech/Carilion Clinic, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Hallum K Dickens
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Gene Huh
- Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | | | - Liza Makowski
- Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Chunxiao Zhou
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Victoria L Bae-Jump
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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23
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Bai L, Wang H, Wang AH, Zhang LY, Bai J. MicroRNA-532 and microRNA-3064 inhibit cell proliferation and invasion by acting as direct regulators of human telomerase reverse transcriptase in ovarian cancer. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0173912. [PMID: 28291810 PMCID: PMC5349679 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2016] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) plays a crucial role in ovarian cancer (OC) progression. However, the mechanisms underlying hTERT upregulation in OC, and the specific microRNAs (miRNAs) involved in the regulation of hTERT in OC cells, remains unclear. We performed a bioinformatics search to identify potential miRNAs that bind to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) region of the hTERT mRNA. We examined the expression levels of miR-532/miR-3064 in OC tissues and normal ovarian tissues, and analyzed the correlation between miRNA expression and OC patient outcomes. The impacts of miR-532/miR-3064 on hTERT expression were evaluated by western blot analysis and hTERT 3'-UTR reporter assays. We investigated the effects of miR-532/miR-3064 on proliferation and invasion in OC cells. We found that miR-532 and miR-3064 are down-regulated in OC specimens. We observed a significant association between reduced miR-532/miR-3064 expression and poorer survival of patients with OC. We confirmed that in OC cells, these two miRNAs downregulate hTERT levels by directly targeting its 3'-UTR region, and inhibited proliferation, EMT and invasion of OC cells. In addition, the overexpression of the hTERT cDNA lacking the 3'-UTR partially restored miR-532/miR-3064-inhibited OC cell proliferation and invasion. The silencing of hTERT by siRNA oligonucleotides abolished these malignant features, and phenocopied the effects of miR-532/miR-3064 overexpression. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-532/miR-3064 inhibits the growth of OC cells in vivo. Our findings demonstrate a miR-532/miR-3064-mediated mechanism responsible for hTERT upregulation in OC cells, and reveal a possibility of targeting miR-532/miR-3064 for future treatment of OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Bai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First People's Hospital of Shangqiu, Shangqiu, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First People's Hospital of Shangqiu, Shangqiu, China
| | - Ai-Hua Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First People's Hospital of Shangqiu, Shangqiu, China
| | - Luo-Ying Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First People's Hospital of Shangqiu, Shangqiu, China
| | - Jie Bai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First People's Hospital of Shangqiu, Shangqiu, China
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24
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Im E, Yoon JB, Lee HW, Chung KC. Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (hTERT) Positively Regulates 26S Proteasome Activity. J Cell Physiol 2017; 232:2083-2093. [PMID: 27648923 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.25607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is the catalytic subunit of telomerase, an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase that elongates telomeric DNA. hTERT displays several extra-telomeric functions that are independent of its telomere-regulatory function, including tumor progression, and neuronal cell death regulation. In this study, we evaluated these additional hTERT non-telomeric functions. We determined that hTERT interacts with several 19S and 20S proteasome subunits. The 19S regulatory particle and 20S core particle are part of 26S proteasome complex, which plays a central role in ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis. In addition, hTERT positively regulated 26S proteasome activity independent of its enzymatic activity. Moreover, hTERT enhanced subunit interactions, which may underlie hTERT's ability of hTERT to stimulate the 26S proteasome. Furthermore, hTERT displayed cytoprotective effect against ER stress via the activation of 26S proteasome in acute myeloid leukemia cells. Our data suggest that hTERT acts as a novel chaperone to promote 26S proteasome assembly and maintenance. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 2083-2093, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunju Im
- Department of Systems Biology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jong Bok Yoon
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Han-Woong Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kwang Chul Chung
- Department of Systems Biology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
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25
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Concomitant underexpression of TGFBR2 and overexpression of hTERT are associated with poor prognosis in cervical cancer. Sci Rep 2017; 7:41670. [PMID: 28195144 PMCID: PMC5307321 DOI: 10.1038/srep41670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 12/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is highly expressed in a variety of tumors. The transforming growth factor beta receptor type II (TGFBR2) is a downstream protein of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) which suppresses telomerase activity. However, the relevance of survival to the expression of TGFBR2, hTERT or TGFBR2/hTERT has not been previously investigated in cervical cancer tissues. Our study showed that patients with low level of TGFBR2 were associated with poor prognosis (HR = 1.704, P = 0.021), but no significant relevance between hTERT expression and survival (HR = 1.390, P = 0.181). However, a combination of low level of TGFBR2 and high level of hTERT was associated with a worse survival (HR = 1.892, P = 0.020), which had higher impact of hazard ratio (HR) on the overall survival (OS) than the low TGFBR2 expression alone. Knockdown of TGFBR2 expression by shRNA in Hela cells increased cell proliferation, cell invasion, G1/S transition and telomere homeostasis but decreased cell apoptosis. Overexpressing TGFBR2 and inhibiting hTERT suppressed Hela cell growth. These results would lead us to further explore whether a phenotype of TGFBR2low/hTERThigh could be considered as a predictor of poor prognosis, and whether simultaneous use of TGFBR2 agonist and hTERT inhibitor could be developed as a therapeutic strategy.
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26
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Bashash D, Zareii M, Safaroghli-Azar A, Omrani MD, Ghaffari SH. Inhibition of telomerase using BIBR1532 enhances doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 22:330-340. [PMID: 28054503 DOI: 10.1080/10245332.2016.1275426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Interest into targeting telomerase in cancer has increased by the recent disclosure that elevated telomerase activity is associated with disease recurrence and poor outcome in cancers. In addition, cellular acquisition of unlimited replicative potential, which is closely related to the maintenance of telomeres mostly via the reactivation of telomerase, has been shown to confer loss of sensitivity to a wide range of anti-neoplastic agents. METHODS To evaluate whether telomerase inhibition using non-nucleosidic inhibitor of telomerase BIBR1532 could enhance cytotoxic effect of doxorubicin in acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Nalm-6 pre-B ALL cells were subjected to combination treatment and subsequent cell viability, growth kinetics, caspase-3 activity, and transcriptional alteration of p73, p21, FOXO3a, c-Myc, hTERT, and other apoptosis-related target genes were investigated. RESULTS Combination of BIBR1532 with doxorubicin produced a synergistic anticancer effect probably through induction of p73. Transcription factor p73 not only suppressed the proliferative capacity of the cells through induction of p21-mediated G1 arrest, but also down-regulated the mRNA level of hTERT and c-Myc. Our results also report that BIBR1532 induced a caspase-dependent apoptosis, at least partially, through heightened ROS levels, and noteworthy enhanced the pro-oxidant property of doxorubicin. In harmony, transcriptional repression of survivin could be a probable underlying mechanism for the induction of apoptosis through shifting the ratio of death promoters to death repressors via alteration of Bax and Bcl2 expression. CONCLUSIONS Overall, it seems that combination of BIBR1532 and doxorubicin could be a novel therapeutic strategy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia that may be clinically accessible in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davood Bashash
- a Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - Mohadeseh Zareii
- a Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - Ava Safaroghli-Azar
- a Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - Mir Davood Omrani
- b Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - Seyed H Ghaffari
- c Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center , Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
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27
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Telomere Transcripts Target Telomerase in Human Cancer Cells. Genes (Basel) 2016; 7:genes7080046. [PMID: 27537914 PMCID: PMC4999834 DOI: 10.3390/genes7080046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Revised: 07/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Long non-coding transcripts from telomeres, called telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA), were identified as blocking telomerase activity (TA), a telomere maintenance mechanism (TMM), in tumors. We expressed recombinant TERRA transcripts in tumor cell lines with TA and with alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) to study effects on TMM and cell growth. Adeno- and lentivirus constructs (AV and LV) were established for transient and stable expression of approximately 130 units of telomere hexanucleotide repeats under control of cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human RNase P RNA H1 (hH1) promoters with and without polyadenylation, respectively. Six human tumor cell lines either using telomerase or ALT were infected and analyzed for TA levels. Pre-infection cells using telomerase had 1%-3% of the TERRA expression levels of ALT cells. AV and LV expression of recombinant TERRA in telomerase positive cells showed a 1.3-2.6 fold increase in TERRA levels, and a decrease in TA of 25%-58%. Dominant-negative or small hairpin RNA (shRNA) viral expression against human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) results in senescence, not induced by TERRA expression. Population doubling time, cell viability and TL (telomere length) were not impacted by ectopic TERRA expression. Clonal growth was reduced by TERRA expression in TA but not ALT cell lines. ALT cells were not affected by treatments applied. Established cell models and tools may be used to better understand the role of TERRA in the cell, especially for targeting telomerase.
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