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Pellegrino M, Ricci E, Ceraldi R, Nigro A, Bonofiglio D, Lanzino M, Morelli C. From HDAC to Voltage-Gated Ion Channels: What's Next? The Long Road of Antiepileptic Drugs Repositioning in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14184401. [PMID: 36139561 PMCID: PMC9497059 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14184401] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Although in the last decades the clinical outcome of cancer patients considerably improved, the major drawbacks still associated with chemotherapy are the unwanted side effects and the development of drug resistance. Therefore, a continuous effort in trying to discover new tumor markers, possibly of diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic value, is being made. This review is aimed at highlighting the anti-tumor activity that several antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) exert in breast, prostate and other types of cancers, mainly focusing on their ability to block the voltage-gated Na+ and Ca++ channels, as well as to inhibit the activity of histone deacetylases (HDACs), all well-documented tumor markers and/or molecular targets. The existence of additional AEDs molecular targets is highly suspected. Therefore, the repurposing of already available drugs as adjuvants in cancer treatment would have several advantages, such as reductions in dose-related toxicity CVs will be sent in a separate mail to the indicated address of combined treatments, lower production costs, and faster approval for clinical use. Abstract Cancer is a major health burden worldwide. Although the plethora of molecular targets identified in the last decades and the deriving developed treatments, which significantly improved patients’ outcome, the occurrence of resistance to therapies remains the major cause of relapse and mortality. Thus, efforts in identifying new markers to be exploited as molecular targets in cancer therapy are needed. This review will first give a glance on the diagnostic and therapeutic significance of histone deacetylase (HDAC) and voltage gated ion channels (VGICs) in cancer. Nevertheless, HDAC and VGICs have also been reported as molecular targets through which antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) seem to exert their anticancer activity. This should be claimed as a great advantage. Indeed, due to the slowness of drug approval procedures, the attempt to turn to off-label use of already approved medicines would be highly preferable. Therefore, an updated and accurate overview of both preclinical and clinical data of commonly prescribed AEDs (mainly valproic acid, lamotrigine, carbamazepine, phenytoin and gabapentin) in breast, prostate, brain and other cancers will follow. Finally, a glance at the emerging attempt to administer AEDs by means of opportunely designed drug delivery systems (DDSs), so to limit toxicity and improve bioavailability, is also given.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Marilena Lanzino
- Correspondence: (M.L.); (C.M.); Tel.: +39-0984-496206 (M.L.); +39-0984-496211 (C.M.)
| | - Catia Morelli
- Correspondence: (M.L.); (C.M.); Tel.: +39-0984-496206 (M.L.); +39-0984-496211 (C.M.)
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Mazzei R, Piacentini E, Nardi M, Poerio T, Bazzarelli F, Procopio A, Di Gioia ML, Rizza P, Ceraldi R, Morelli C, Giorno L, Pellegrino M. Production of Plant-Derived Oleuropein Aglycone by a Combined Membrane Process and Evaluation of Its Breast Anticancer Properties. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:908. [PMID: 33117773 PMCID: PMC7551858 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural products and herbal therapies represent a thriving field of research, but methods for the production of plant-derived compounds with a significative biological activity by synthetic methods are required. Conventional commercial production by chemical synthesis or solvent extraction is not yet sustainable and economical because toxic solvents are used, the process involves many steps, and there is generally a low amount of the product produced, which is often mixed with other or similar by-products. For this reason, alternative, sustainable, greener, and more efficient processes are required. Membrane processes are recognized worldwide as green technologies since they promote waste minimization, material diversity, efficient separation, energy saving, process intensification, and integration. This article describes the production, characterization, and utilization of bioactive compounds derived from renewable waste material (olive leaves) as drug candidates in breast cancer (BC) treatment. In particular, an integrated membrane process [composed by a membrane bioreactor (MBR) and a membrane emulsification (ME) system] was developed to produce a purified non-commercially available phytotherapic compound: the oleuropein aglycone (OLA). This method achieves a 93% conversion of the substrate (oleuropein) and enables the extraction of the compound of interest with 90% efficiency in sustainable conditions. The bioderived compound exercised pro-apoptotic and antiproliferative activities against MDA-MB-231 and Tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7 (MCF-7/TR) cells, suggesting it as a potential agent for the treatment of breast cancer including hormonal resistance therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalinda Mazzei
- Institute on Membrane Technology, National Research Council, ITM-CNR, Rende, Italy
| | - Emma Piacentini
- Institute on Membrane Technology, National Research Council, ITM-CNR, Rende, Italy
| | - Monica Nardi
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Teresa Poerio
- Institute on Membrane Technology, National Research Council, ITM-CNR, Rende, Italy
| | - Fabio Bazzarelli
- Institute on Membrane Technology, National Research Council, ITM-CNR, Rende, Italy
| | - Antonio Procopio
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Di Gioia
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Pietro Rizza
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Rosangela Ceraldi
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Catia Morelli
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Lidietta Giorno
- Institute on Membrane Technology, National Research Council, ITM-CNR, Rende, Italy
| | - Michele Pellegrino
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
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Pellegrino M, Rizza P, Nigro A, Ceraldi R, Ricci E, Perrotta I, Aquila S, Lanzino M, Andò S, Morelli C, Sisci D. FoxO3a Mediates the Inhibitory Effects of the Antiepileptic Drug Lamotrigine on Breast Cancer Growth. Mol Cancer Res 2018. [PMID: 29523760 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-17-0662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is a complex and heterogeneous disease, with distinct histologic features dictating the therapy. Although the clinical outcome of breast cancer patients has been considerably improved, the occurrence of resistance to common endocrine and chemotherapy treatments remains the major cause of relapse and mortality. Thus, efforts in identifying new molecules to be employed in breast cancer therapy are needed. As a "faster" alternative to reach this aim, we evaluated whether lamotrigine, a broadly used anticonvulsant, could be "repurposed" as an antitumoral drug in breast cancer. Our data show that lamotrigine inhibits the proliferation, the anchorage-dependent, and independent cell growth in breast cancer cells (BCC), including hormone-resistant cell models. These effects were associated with cell-cycle arrest and modulation of related proteins (cyclin D1, cyclin E, p27Kip1, and p21Waf1/Cip1), all target genes of FoxO3a, an ubiquitous transcription factor negatively regulated by AKT. Lamotrigine also increases the expression of another FoxO3a target, PTEN, which, in turn, downregulates the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, with consequent dephosphorylation, thus activation, of FoxO3a. Moreover, lamotrigine induces FoxO3a expression by increasing its transcription through FoxO3a recruitment on specific FHRE located on its own promoter, in an autoregulatory fashion. Finally, lamotrigine significantly reduced tumor growth in vivo, increasing FoxO3a expression.Implications: The anticonvulsant drug lamotrigine shows strong antiproliferative activity on breast cancer, both in vitro and in vivo Thus, drug repurposing could represent a valuable option for a molecularly targeted therapy in breast cancer patients. Mol Cancer Res; 16(6); 923-34. ©2018 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Pellegrino
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Cosenza, Italy.
| | - Pietro Rizza
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Cosenza, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Nigro
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Rosangela Ceraldi
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Elena Ricci
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Ida Perrotta
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences and Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis (CM2), Transmission Electron Microscopy Laboratory, University of Calabria, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Saveria Aquila
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Marilena Lanzino
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Andò
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Catia Morelli
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Diego Sisci
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Cosenza, Italy.
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