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Champion JD, Dodd KM, Lam HC, Alzahrani MAM, Seifan S, Rad E, Scourfield DO, Fishel ML, Calver BL, Ager A, Henske EP, Davies DM, Kelley MR, Tee AR. Drug Inhibition of Redox Factor-1 Restores Hypoxia-Driven Changes in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex 2 Deficient Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:6195. [PMID: 36551683 PMCID: PMC9776744 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14246195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapies with the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) inhibitors are not fully curative for tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) patients. Here, we propose that some mTORC1-independent disease facets of TSC involve signaling through redox factor-1 (Ref-1). Ref-1 possesses a redox signaling activity that stimulates the transcriptional activity of STAT3, NF-kB, and HIF-1α, which are involved in inflammation, proliferation, angiogenesis, and hypoxia, respectively. Here, we demonstrate that redox signaling through Ref-1 contributes to metabolic transformation and tumor growth in TSC cell model systems. In TSC2-deficient cells, the clinically viable Ref-1 inhibitor APX3330 was effective at blocking the hyperactivity of STAT3, NF-kB, and HIF-1α. While Ref-1 inhibitors do not inhibit mTORC1, they potently block cell invasion and vasculature mimicry. Of interest, we show that cell invasion and vasculature mimicry linked to Ref-1 redox signaling are not blocked by mTORC1 inhibitors. Metabolic profiling revealed that Ref-1 inhibitors alter metabolites associated with the glutathione antioxidant pathway as well as metabolites that are heavily dysregulated in TSC2-deficient cells involved in redox homeostasis. Therefore, this work presents Ref-1 and associated redox-regulated transcription factors such as STAT3, NF-kB, and HIF-1α as potential therapeutic targets to treat TSC, where targeting these components would likely have additional benefits compared to using mTORC1 inhibitors alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse D. Champion
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Kayleigh M. Dodd
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Hilaire C. Lam
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Sara Seifan
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Ellie Rad
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | | | - Melissa L. Fishel
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Brian L. Calver
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Ann Ager
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Elizabeth P. Henske
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David Mark Davies
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
- Department of Oncology, South West Wales Cancer Centre, Singleton Hospital, Swansea SA2 8QA, UK
| | - Mark R. Kelley
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Andrew R. Tee
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
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