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Wei J, Zhao X, Long F, Tian K, Wu L. Lianhua Qingwen exerts anti-liver cancer effects and synergistic efficacy with sorafenib through PI3K/AKT pathway: Integrating network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental validation. Gene 2024; 912:148383. [PMID: 38493972 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148383] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Liver cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies and sorafenib resistance is the main treatment obstacle for patients with advanced liver cancer. Developing drugs that sensitize liver cancer patients to sorafenib is of great importance. Lianhua Qingwen (LHQW), a sort of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) approved by the Chinese Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), is reported to exert synergistic effects with oseltamivir against Influenza virus. However, whether LHQW could exhibit anti-liver cancer effects and enhance the efficacy of sorafenib against liver cancer have not been reported. In the present study, the potential anti-liver cancer effects of LHQW and its synergistic effects with sorafenib were investigated via applying network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vitro experiments. An "ingredient-compound- target-liver cancer" network was constructed which included 12 ingredients, 164 compounds, and 402 targets. AKT1 was identified as the most hub gene and the PI3K/AKT pathway was revealed as the most enriched pathway. Subsequently, the molecular docking results showed that kaempferol, luteolin, and quercetin were screened as the top 3 compounds which showed the tightest binding to AKT1. Further, the in vitro experiments verified that LHQW significantly inhibited liver cancer cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. Western blot assays confirmed that LHQW could attenuate the PI3K/AKT pathway. Interestingly, LHQW showed a synergistic effect with sorafenib against liver cancer via reducing cell viability, inducing apoptosis, and down- regulating PI3K/AKT pathway. This study broadens the potential application of LHQW and provides insights for liver cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinrui Wei
- Guangxi Scientific Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530200, Guangxi, China
| | - Xuqi Zhao
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Special Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Guangxi University, Nanning, 7 Guangxi 530004, China
| | - Fuli Long
- Department of Hepatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530200, Guangxi, China
| | - Kunpeng Tian
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Special Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Guangxi University, Nanning, 7 Guangxi 530004, China; Pediatrics Research Institute of Hunan Province, Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha 410007, China.
| | - Lichuan Wu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Special Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Guangxi University, Nanning, 7 Guangxi 530004, China.
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Chen X, Zhu N, Wu Y, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Jin K, Zhou Z, Chen G, Wang J. Withaferin A, a natural thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR1) inhibitor, synergistically enhances the antitumor efficacy of sorafenib through ROS-mediated ER stress and DNA damage in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Phytomedicine 2024; 128:155317. [PMID: 38537439 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.155317] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sorafenib (Sora), a multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is widely recognized as a standard chemotherapy treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, drug resistance mechanisms hinder its anticancer efficacy. Derived from Withania somnifera, Withaferin A (WA) exhibits remarkable anti-tumor properties as a natural bioactive compound. This study aimed to examine the mechanisms that underlie the impacts of Sora and WA co-treatment on HCC. METHODS Cell proliferation was evaluated through colony formation and MTT assays. Flow cytometry was employed to determine cellular apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. The evaluation of apoptosis-related protein levels, DNA damage, and endoplasmic reticulum stress was conducte utilizing IHC staining and western blotting. Moreover, the caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK, ATF4 siRNA, ROS scavenger N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), and TrxR1 shRNA were used to elucidate the underlying signaling pathways. To validate the antitumor effects of Sora/WA co-treatment, in vivo experiments were ultimately executed using Huh7 xenografts. RESULTS Sora/WA co-treatment demonstrated significant synergistic antitumor impacts both in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, the enhanced antitumor impact of Sora by WA was achieved through the inhibition of TrxR1 activity, resulting in ROS accumulation. Moreover, ROS generation induced the activation of DNA damage and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathways, eventually triggering cellular apoptosis. Pre-treatment with the antioxidant NAC significantly inhibited ROS generation, ER stress, DNA damage, and apoptosis induced by Sora/WA co-treatment. Additionally, the inhibition of ATF4 by small interfering RNA (siRNA) attenuated Sora/WA co-treatment-induced apoptosis. In vivo, Sora/WA co-treatment significantly suppressed tumor growth in HCC xenograft models and decreased TrxR1 activity in tumor tissues. CONCLUSION Our study suggests that WA synergistically enhances the antitumor effect of Sora, offering promising implications for evolving treatment approaches for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Jiaojiang 318000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ning Zhu
- Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Taizhou University, Taizhou, Jiaojiang 318000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yajie Wu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Jiaojiang 318000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ye Zhang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Jiaojiang 318000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yuxuan Zhang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Jiaojiang 318000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Kaiwen Jin
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Jiaojiang 318000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhiyi Zhou
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Jiaojiang 318000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guang Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Jiaojiang 318000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiabing Wang
- Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Taizhou University, Taizhou, Jiaojiang 318000, Zhejiang, China.
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Kou XS, Li FF, Meng Y, Zhao JM, Liu SF, Zhang L. Multidisciplinary comprehensive treatment of massive hepatocellular carcinoma with hemorrhage: A case report and review of literature. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2024; 16:2225-2232. [DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v16.i5.2225] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a major contributor to cancer-related deaths, is particularly prevalent in Asia, largely due to hepatitis B virus infection. Its prognosis is generally poor. This case report contributes to the medical literature by detailing a unique approach in treating a large HCC through multidisciplinary collaboration, particularly in patients with massive HCC complicated by ruptured bleeding, a scenario not extensively documented previously.
CASE SUMMARY The patient presented with large HCC complicated by intratumoral bleeding. Treatment involved a multidisciplinary approach, providing individualized care. The strategy included drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization, sorafenib-targeted therapy, laparoscopic partial hepatectomy, and standardized sintilimab monoclonal antibody therapy. Six months after treatment, the patient achieved complete radiological remission, with significant symptom relief. Imaging studies showed no lesions or recurrence, and clinical assessments confirmed complete remission. This report is notable as possibly the first documented case of successfully treating such complex HCC conditions through integrated multidisciplinary efforts, offering new insights and a reference for future similar cases.
CONCLUSION This study demonstrated effective multidisciplinary treatment for massive HCC with intratumoral bleeding, providing insights for future similar cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian-Shuai Kou
- The First Clinical Medical College, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Fan-Fan Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Yun Meng
- Department of Surgery, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Jian-Ming Zhao
- The First Clinical Medical College, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Sheng-Fen Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Lan Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
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Li J, Li Y, Wang D, Liao R, Wu Z. PLAG1 interacts with GPX4 to conquer vulnerability to sorafenib induced ferroptosis through a PVT1/miR-195-5p axis-dependent manner in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:143. [PMID: 38745179 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-024-03061-4] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sorafenib is a standard first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), yet its effectiveness is often constrained. Emerging studies reveal that sorafenib triggers ferroptosis, an iron-dependent regulated cell death (RCD) mechanism characterized by lipid peroxidation. Our findings isolate the principal target responsible for ferroptosis in HCC cells and outline an approach to potentially augment sorafenib's therapeutic impact on HCC. METHODS We investigated the gene expression alterations following sgRNA-mediated knockdown induced by erastin and sorafenib in HCC cells using CRISPR screening-based bioinformatics analysis. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and the "GDCRNATools" package facilitated the correlation studies. We employed tissue microarrays and cDNA microarrays for validation. Ubiquitination assay, Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay, and dual-luciferase reporter assay were utilized to delineate the specific mechanisms underlying ferroptosis in HCC cells. RESULTS Our study has revealed that pleiomorphic adenoma gene 1 (PLAG1), a gene implicated in pleomorphic adenoma, confers resistance to ferroptosis in HCC cells treated with sorafenib. Sorafenib leads to the opposite trend of protein and mRNA levels of PLAG1, which is not caused by affecting the stability or ubiquitination of PLAG1 protein, but by the regulation of PLAG1 at the transcriptional level by its upstream competitive endogenous long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1). Data from 139 HCC patients showed a significant positive correlation between PLAG1 and GPX4 levels in tumor samples, and PLAG1 is instrumental in redox homeostasis by driving the expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), the enzyme that reduces lipid peroxides (LPOs), which further leads to ferroptosis inhibition. CONCLUSIONS Ferroptosis is a promising target for cancer therapy, especially for patients resistant to standard chemotherapy or immunotherapy. Our findings indicate that PLAG1 holds therapeutic promise and may enhance the efficacy of sorafenib in treating HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiarui Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Yilan Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Denghui Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Rui Liao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Zhongjun Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China.
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Ge Y, Xiao B, Zhao R, Li B, Yang S, He KF, Gu HJ, Zuo S. CARMIL1 regulates liver cancer cell proliferation by activating the ERK/mTOR pathway through the TRIM27/p53 axis. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 134:112139. [PMID: 38739978 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112139] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Capping protein regulatory factor and myosin 1 linker 1 is termed CARMIL1. CARMIL1 is involved in several physiological processes; it forms an actin filament network and plasma membrane-bound cellular projection tissues and positively regulates the cellular components and tissues. CARMIL1 exhibits important biological functions in cancer; nonetheless, these functions have not been completely explored. We aimed to investigate the novel functions of CARMIL1 in liver cancer, particularly in cell proliferation. The cell counting kit-8, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine, Component A experiments, and subcutaneous tumor formation model suggest that CARMIL1 is central to the proliferation of liver cancer cells both in vivo and in vitro. We extracted CARMIL1 samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas Program and analyzed its enrichment. CARMIL1 regulated the pathway activity by affecting the expression of star molecular proteins of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Moreover, it influenced the proliferation ability of liver cancer cells. Western blotting suggested that CARMIL1 downregulation could affect ERK and mTOR phosphorylation. Results of the co-immunoprecipitation demonstrated that CARMIL1 binds to tripartite motif (TRIM)27, which in turn binds to p53. Subsequently, CARMIL1 can regulate p53 stability and promote its degradation through TRIM27. Additionally, CARMIL1 inhibition enhanced the sensitivity of liver cancer cells to sorafenib. Tumor growth was significantly inhibited in the group treated with sorafenib and CARMIL1, compared with the group treated with CARMIL1 alone. Sorafenib is a first-line targeted chemotherapeutic drug for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment. It increases the long-term survival of hepatocellular carcinoma by 44%. In this study, downregulated CARMIL1 combined with sorafenib significantly reduced the tumor volume and weight of the mouse subcutaneous tumor model, indicating the potential possibility of combining CARMIL1 with sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma treatment. In summary, CARMIL1 promotes liver cancer cell proliferation by regulating the TRIM27/p53 axis and activating the ERK/mTOR pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhen Ge
- Department of Prdiatric Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, PR China
| | - Benli Xiao
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, PR China
| | - Rui Zhao
- Department of Liver Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, PR China
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Liver Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, PR China
| | - Sibo Yang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, PR China
| | - Kun Feng He
- Department of Prdiatric Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, PR China
| | - Hua Jian Gu
- Department of Prdiatric Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, PR China.
| | - Shi Zuo
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, PR China; Department of Liver Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, PR China; Precision Medicine Research Institute of Guizhou, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, PR China.
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Sun B, Chen L, Yu L, Zhang L, Sun T, Liu Y, Zheng C. Sorafenib plus TACE with or without camrelizumab for the treatment of intermediate and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Br J Radiol 2024:tqae087. [PMID: 38711192 DOI: 10.1093/bjr/tqae087] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To compare the efficacy and safety of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with sorafenib and camrelizumab or with sorafenib alone in patients with intermediate or advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS We retrospectively analyzed 78 patients with intermediate or advanced HCC who were treated at our centers between January 2018 and December 2021. 26 of them received sorafenib and camrelizumab plus TACE (the TACE + Sor + C group), while 52 received TACE and sorafenib (the TACE + Sor group). Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and adverse events (AEs) were evaluated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the factors affecting survival. RESULTS The mOS (22 vs. 10 months, P < 0.001) and mPFS (11 vs. 6 months, P = 0.008) of the TACE + Sor + C group were significantly higher than those of the TACE + Sor group. Multivariate analysis showed that compared with TACE + Sor + C, TACE + Sor increased the risk of all-cause mortality and tumor progression. For grade I and II adverse events (AEs), the incidence of skin capillary hyperplasia and hypothyroidism in the TACE + Sor + C group was significantly higher than that in the TACE + Sor group. For serious AEs (grade III or IV), there was no significant difference in any adverse reaction between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION Patients with intermediate or advanced HCC appeared to benefit more in terms of survival from TACE + Sor + C than from TACE + Sor, and the AEs were tolerable. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE 1.Subgroup analysis demonstrated TACE+ Sorafenib+ Camrelizumab could benefit HCC patients regardless of whether they had PVTT, BCLC B or C, or CHILD A or B;2.We reported the immunotherapy related adverse events (irAEs) occurred with a significant higher incidence in triple treatment, but all the adverse events are tolerable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Sun
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, 430022, China
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Lei Chen
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, 430022, China
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Lei Yu
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, 430022, China
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Lijie Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, 430022, China
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese, PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100039, China
| | - Tao Sun
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, 430022, China
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Yiming Liu
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, 430022, China
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Chuansheng Zheng
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, 430022, China
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
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Xu C, Gao X, Ren T, Geng H, Yang K, Huang Y, Zhang W, Hou S, Song A, Zhang Y, Zhao Q. The ADAM17 inhibitor ZLDI-8 sensitized hepatocellular carcinoma cells to sorafenib through Notch1-integrin β-talk. Pharmacol Res 2024; 203:107142. [PMID: 38522759 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107142] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
ZLDI-8 is an A disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain 17 (ADAM17) inhibitor that suppresses the shedding of Notch1 to the Notch1 intracellular domain (NICD). In previous studies, we found that ZLDI-8 was able to sensitize HCC to sorafenib, but the mechanism of action remains unclear. The sensitizing effects of ZLDI-8 were tested both in vitro and in vivo. EMT-related factors, sorafenib sensitivity-related proteins and ECM-related gene expression were assessed using immunohistochemistry, RTPCR and Western blotting. Knockdown assays were conducted to determine the relationship between the Notch and Integrin pathways. CoIP assays, nuclear and cytoplasmic fractionation and immunofluorescence colocalization were applied to explore the interaction between the Notch and Integrin pathways. Appropriate statistical analysis methods were used to assess the significance of the experimental results and to ensure the scientific validity and reliability of the experimental design. We found that ECM- and EMT-related proteins were downregulated after ZLDI-8 treatment (P<0.05). ZLDI-8 significantly downregulated Integrinβ1 and Integrinβ3 in HCC in vitro and in vivo (P<0.05), possibly through Foxc2-dependent regulation. Mechanistically, interfering with the expression of both Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) and the NICD may downregulate the expression of proteins targeted by sorafenib, thereby sensitizing cells to sorafenib. The retroregulation of Integrinβ by ILK may occur through the interaction between the NICD and ILK and may be the result of the translocation of the complexus. Our study indicates that blocking the Notch pathway may affect Integrinβ through crosstalk between the Notch1 and Integrinβ/ILK signaling pathways, thus providing a potential therapeutic strategy for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Xu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, No. 103, Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China; Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, No. 83, Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Xudong Gao
- Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, No. 83, Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Tianshu Ren
- Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, No. 83, Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Hefeng Geng
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, No. 103, Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China; Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, No. 83, Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Kaisi Yang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, No. 103, Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China; Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, No. 83, Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yaoguang Huang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, No. 103, Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Weige Zhang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, No. 103, Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Shanbo Hou
- Shandong Luoxin Pharmaceutical Group Stock Co., Ltd., No. 18, Huxi Rd., National New and High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Linyi, Shandong 276017, China
| | - Aigang Song
- Shandong Luoxin Pharmaceutical Group Stock Co., Ltd., No. 18, Huxi Rd., National New and High-tech Industrial Development Zone, Linyi, Shandong 276017, China
| | - Yingshi Zhang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, No. 103, Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China; Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, No. 83, Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China.
| | - Qingchun Zhao
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, No. 103, Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China; Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, No. 83, Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China.
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Alhudaithi SS, Abul Kalam M, Binobaid L, Ali R, Almutairi MM, Qamar W, Bin Hithlayn H, Almutairi A, Alshememry AK. Sorafenib and Piperine co-loaded PLGA nanoparticles: Development, characterization, and anti-cancer activity against hepatocellular carcinoma cell line. Saudi Pharm J 2024; 32:102064. [PMID: 38633710 PMCID: PMC11022100 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2024.102064] [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: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) exhibits high mortality rates in the advanced stage (>90 %). Sorafenib (SORA) is a targeted therapy approved for the treatment of advanced HCC; however, the reported response rate to such a therapeutic is suboptimal (<3%). Piperine (PIP) is an alkaloid demonstrated to exert a direct tumoricidal activity in HCC and improve the pharmacokinetic profiles of anticancer drugs including SORA. In this study, we developed a strategy to improve efficacy outcomes in HCC using PIP as an add-on treatment to support the first-line therapy SORA using biodegradable Poly (D, L-Lactide-co-glycolide, PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs). SORA and PIP (both exhibit low aqueous solubility) were co-loaded into PLGA NPs (PNPs) and stabilized with various concentrations of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The SORA and PIP-loaded PNPs (SP-PNPs) were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Release of these drugs from SP-PNPs was investigated in vitro at both physiological and acidic pH, and kinetic models were employed to assess the mechanism of drug release. The in vitro efficacy of SP-PNPs against HCC cells (HepG2) was also evaluated. FTIR and XRD analyses revealed that the drugs encapsulated in PNPs were in an amorphous state, with no observed chemical interactions among the drugs or excipients. Assessment of drug release in vitro at pH 5 and 7.4 showed that SORA and PIP loaded in PNPs with 0.5 % PVA were released in a sustained manner, unlike pure drugs, which exhibited relatively fast release. SP-PNPs with 0.5 % PVA were spherical, had an average size of 224 nm, and had a high encapsulation efficiency (SORA ∼ 82 %, PIP ∼ 79 %), as well as superior cytotoxicity compared to SORA monotherapy in vitro. These results suggest that combining PIP with SORA using PNPs may be an effective strategy for the treatment of HCC and may set the stage for a comprehensive in vivo study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this novel formulation using a murine HCC model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sulaiman S. Alhudaithi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohd Abul Kalam
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Lama Binobaid
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Raisuddin Ali
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed M. Almutairi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wajhul Qamar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hessa Bin Hithlayn
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Atheer Almutairi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah K. Alshememry
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
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Singh D, Khan MA, Mishra D, Goel A, Ansari MA, Akhtar K, Siddique HR. Apigenin enhances sorafenib anti-tumour efficacy in hepatocellular carcinoma. Transl Oncol 2024; 43:101920. [PMID: 38394865 PMCID: PMC10899070 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2024.101920] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The "one drug-one target" paradigm has various limitations affecting drug efficacy, such as resistance profiles and adverse effects. Combinational therapies help reduce unexpected off-target effects and accelerate therapeutic efficacy. Sorafenib- an FDA-approved drug for liver cancer, has multiple limitations. Therefore, it is recommended to identify an agent that increases its effectiveness and reduces toxicity. In this regard, Apigenin, a plant flavone, would be an excellent option to explore. METHODS We used in silico, in vitro, and animal models to explore our hypothesis. For the in vitro study, HepG2 and Huh7 cells were exposed to Apigenin (12-96 μM) and Sorafenib (1-10 μM). For the in vivo study, Diethylnitrosamine (DEN) (25 mg/kg) induced tumor-bearing animals were given Apigenin (50 mg/kg) or Sorafenib (10 mg/kg) alone and combined. Apigenin's bioavailability was checked by UPLC. Tumor nodules were studied macroscopically and by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Biochemical analysis, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and qRT-PCR were done. RESULTS The results revealed Apigenin's good bioavailability. In silico study showed binding affinity of both chemicals with p53, NANOG, ß-Catenin, c-MYC, and TLR4. We consistently observed a better therapeutic efficacy in combination than alone treatment. Combination treatment showed i) better cytotoxicity, apoptosis induction, and cell cycle arrest of tumor cells, ii) tumor growth reduction, iii) increased expression of p53 and decreased Cd10, Nanog, ß-Catenin, c-Myc, Afp, and Tlr4. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, Apigenin could enhance the therapeutic efficacy of Sorafenib against liver cancer and may be a promising therapeutic approach for treating HCC. However, further research is imperative to gain more in-depth mechanistic insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepti Singh
- Molecular Cancer Genetics & Translational Research Lab, Section of Genetics, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Mohammad Afsar Khan
- Molecular Cancer Genetics & Translational Research Lab, Section of Genetics, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Dhruv Mishra
- Department of Zoology, DAV College (PG), Maa Shakumbhari University, Muzaffarnagar-251001, India
| | - Aditya Goel
- Department of Biotechnology, SCLS, Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi 110062, India
| | - Mairaj Ahmed Ansari
- Department of Biotechnology, SCLS, Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi 110062, India
| | - Kafil Akhtar
- Department of Pathology, JN Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Hifzur R Siddique
- Molecular Cancer Genetics & Translational Research Lab, Section of Genetics, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India.
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10
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Zhang Y, Yao B, Guo Y, Huang S, Liu J, Zhang Y, Liang C, Huang J, Tang Y, Wang X. Sorafenib reduces the production of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids and leads to cardiac injury by inhibiting CYP2J in rats. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 223:116169. [PMID: 38548244 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116169] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Sorafenib, an important cancer drug in clinical practice, has caused heart problems such as hypertension, myocardial infarction, and thrombosis. Although some mechanisms of sorafenib-induced cardiotoxicity have been proposed, there is still more research needed to reach a well-established definition of the causes of cardiotoxicity of sorafenib. In this report, we demonstrate that sorafenib is a potent inhibitor of the CYP2J enzyme. Sorafenib significantly inhibited the production of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) in rat cardiac microsomes. The in vivo experimental results also showed that after the administration of sorafenib, the levels of 11,12-EET and 14,15-EET in rat plasma were significantly reduced, which was similar to the results of CYP2J gene knockout. Sorafenib decreased the levels of EETs, leading to abnormal expression of mitochondrial fusion and fission factors in heart tissue. In addition, the expression of mitochondrial energy metabolism factors (Pgc-1α, Pgc-1β, Ampk, and Sirt1) and cardiac mechanism factors (Scn5a and Prkag2) was significantly reduced, increasing the risk of arrhythmia and heart failure. Meanwhile, the increase in injury markers Anp, CK, and CK-MB further confirmed the cardiotoxicity of sorafenib. This study is of great significance for understanding the cardiotoxicity of sorafenib, and is also a model for studying the cardiotoxicity of other drugs that inhibit CYP2J activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfang Zhang
- Changning Maternity and Infant Health Hospital and School of Life Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bingyi Yao
- Changning Maternity and Infant Health Hospital and School of Life Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuanqing Guo
- Changning Maternity and Infant Health Hospital and School of Life Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shengbo Huang
- Changning Maternity and Infant Health Hospital and School of Life Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Changning Maternity and Infant Health Hospital and School of Life Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuanjin Zhang
- Changning Maternity and Infant Health Hospital and School of Life Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chenmeizi Liang
- Changning Maternity and Infant Health Hospital and School of Life Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Junze Huang
- Changning Maternity and Infant Health Hospital and School of Life Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Tang
- Changning Maternity and Infant Health Hospital and School of Life Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Changning Maternity and Infant Health Hospital and School of Life Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
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11
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Jing F, Shi Y, Jiang D, Li X, Sun J, Zhang X, Guo Q. Deciphering the role of non-coding RNAs involved in sorafenib resistance. Heliyon 2024; 10:e29374. [PMID: 38644890 PMCID: PMC11031791 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29374] [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: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Sorafenib is an important treatment strategy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Unfortunately, drug resistance has become a major obstacle in sorafenib application. In this study, whole transcriptome sequencing (WTS) was conducted to compare the paired differences between non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and mRNAs, in sorafenib-resistant and parental cells. The overlap of differentially expressed ncRNAs (DENs) between the SMMC7721/S and Huh7/S cells and their parental cells was determined. 2 upregulated and 3 downregulated lncRNAs, 2 upregulated and 1 downregulated circRNAs, as well as 10 upregulated and 2 downregulated miRNAs, in both SMMC7721/S and Huh7/S cells, attracted more attention. The target genes of these DENs were then identified as the overlaps between the differentially expressed mRNAs achieved using the WTS analysis and the predicted genes of DENs obtained using the "co-localization" or "co-expression," miRanda, and RNAhybrid analysis. Consequently, the potential regulatory network between overlapping DENs and their target genes in both SMMC7721/S and Huh7/S cells was explored. The "lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA" and "circRNA-miRNA-mRNA" networks were constructed based on the competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) theory using the Cytoscape software. In particular, lncRNA MED17-203-miRNA (miR-193a-5p, miR-197-3p, miR-27a-5p, miR-320b, miR-767-3p, miR-767-5p, miR-92a-3p, let-7c-5p)-mRNA," "circ_0002874-miR-27a-5p-mRNA" and "circ_0078607-miR-320b-mRNA" networks were first introduced in sorafenib-resistant HCC. Furthermore, these networks were most probably connected to the process of metabolic reprogramming, where the activation of the PPAR, HIF-1, Hippo, and TGF-β signaling pathways is governed. Alternatively, the network "circ_0002874-miR-27a-5p-mRNA" was also involved in the regulation of the activation of TGF-β signaling pathways, thus advancing Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). These findings provide a theoretical basis for exploring the mechanisms underlying sorafenib resistance mediated by metabolic reprogramming and EMT in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- FanJing Jing
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, PR China
| | - YunYan Shi
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, PR China
| | - Dong Jiang
- Navy Qingdao Special Service Rehabilitation Center, 266743, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, PR China
| | - Xiao Li
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, PR China
| | - JiaLin Sun
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, PR China
| | - XiaoLei Zhang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, PR China
| | - Qie Guo
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, PR China
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12
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Dong L, Luo L, Wang Z, Lian S, Wang M, Wu X, Fan J, Zeng Y, Li S, Lv S, Yang Y, Chen R, Shen E, Yang W, Li C, Wang K. Targeted degradation of NDUFS1 by agrimol B promotes mitochondrial ROS accumulation and cytotoxic autophagy arrest in hepatocellular carcinoma. Free Radic Biol Med 2024; 220:111-124. [PMID: 38697493 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2024.04.242] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a global public health problem with increased morbidity and mortality. Agrimol B, a natural polyphenol, has been proved to be a potential anticancer drug. Our recent report showed a favorable anticancer effect of agrimol B in HCC, however, the mechanism of action remains unclear. Here, we found agrimol B inhibits the growth and proliferation of HCC cells in vitro as well as in an HCC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model. Notably, agrimol B drives autophagy initiation and blocks autophagosome-lysosome fusion, resulting in autophagosome accumulation and autophagy arrest in HCC cells. Mechanistically, agrimol B downregulates the protein level of NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase core subunit S1 (NDUFS1) through caspase 3-mediated degradation, leading to mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) accumulation and autophagy arrest. NDUFS1 overexpression partially restores mROS overproduction, autophagosome accumulation, and growth inhibition induced by agrimol B, suggesting a cytotoxic role of agrimol B-induced autophagy arrest in HCC cells. Notably, agrimol B significantly enhances the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, our study uncovers the anticancer mechanism of agrimol B in HCC involving the regulation of oxidative stress and autophagy, and suggests agrimol B as a potential therapeutic drug for HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixia Dong
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Li Luo
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, PR China; Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Zihao Wang
- Colorectal Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 610041, PR China
| | - Shan Lian
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Mao Wang
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Xingyun Wu
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Jiawu Fan
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Yan Zeng
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Sijia Li
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Sinan Lv
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Yurong Yang
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Rong Chen
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Enhao Shen
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Wenyong Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Research Center, the Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, the Second Chengdu Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University, Chengdu, 610041, PR China.
| | - Changlong Li
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, PR China.
| | - Kui Wang
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, PR China.
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13
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Fadaly WAA, Nemr MTM, Kahk NM. Discovery of novel pyrazole based Urea/Thiourea derivatives as multiple targeting VEGFR-2, EGFR WT, EGFR T790M tyrosine kinases and COX-2 Inhibitors, with anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities. Bioorg Chem 2024; 147:107403. [PMID: 38691909 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107403] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
A novel series of pyrazole derivatives with urea/thiourea scaffolds 16a-l as hybrid sorafenib/erlotinib/celecoxib analogs was designed, synthesized and tested for its VEGFR-2, EGFRWT, EGFRT790M tyrosine kinases and COX-2, pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 inhibitory activities. All the tested compounds showed excellent COX-2 selectivity index in range of 18.04-47.87 compared to celecoxib (S.I. = 26.17) and TNF-α and IL-6 inhibitory activities (IC50 = 5.0-7.50, 6.23-8.93 respectively, compared to celecoxib IC50 = 8.40 and 8.50, respectively). Screening was carried out against 60 human cancer cell lines by National Cancer Institute (NCI), compounds 16a, 16c, 16d and 16 g were the most potent inhibitors with GI% ranges of 100 %, 99.63-87.02 %, 98.98-43.10 % and 98.68-23.62 % respectively, and with GI50 values of 1.76-15.50 µM, 1.60-5.38 µM, 1.68-7.39 µM and 1.81-11.0 µM respectively, in addition, of showing good safety profile against normal cell line (F180). Moreover, compounds 16a, 16c, 16d and 16 g had cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase with induced necrotic percentage compared to sorafenib of 2.06 %, 2.47 %, 1.57 %, 0.88 % and 1.83 % respectively. Amusingly, compounds 16a, 16c, 16d and 16 g inhibited VEGFR-2 with IC50 of 25 nM, 52 nM, 324 nM and 110 nM respectively, compared to sorafenib (IC50 = 85 nM), and had excellent EGFRWT and EGFRT790M kinase inhibitory activities (IC50 = 94 nM, 128 nM, 160 nM, 297 nM), (10 nM, 25 nM, 36 nM and 48 nM) respectively, compared to both erlotinib and osimertinib (IC50 = 114 nM, 56 nM) and (70 nM, 37 nM) respectively and showed (EGFRwt/EGFRT790M S.I.) of (range: 4.44-9.40) compared to erlotinib (2.03) and osmertinib (1.89).
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Affiliation(s)
- Wael A A Fadaly
- Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62514, Egypt
| | - Mohamed T M Nemr
- Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr El-Eini street 11562, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Nesma M Kahk
- Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62514, Egypt
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14
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Wang Q, Cheng N, Wang W, Bao Y. Synergistic Action of Benzyl Isothiocyanate and Sorafenib in a Nanoparticle Delivery System for Enhanced Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treatment. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1695. [PMID: 38730647 PMCID: PMC11083210 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16091695] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) presents a therapeutic challenge due to its complex pathology and limited treatment options. Addressing this challenge, our study focuses on the effectiveness of combination therapy, which has recently become a critical strategy in cancer treatment, improving therapeutic outcomes and combating drug resistance and metastasis. We explored a novel combination therapy employing Benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) and Sorafenib (SOR) and their nanoformulation, aiming to enhance therapeutic outcomes against TNBC. Through a series of in vitro assays, we assessed the cytotoxic effects of BITC and SOR, both free and encapsulated. The BITC-SOR-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized using an amphiphilic copolymer, which demonstrated a uniform spherical morphology and favorable size distribution. The encapsulation efficiencies, as well as the sustained release profiles at varied pH levels, were quantified, revealing distinct kinetics that were well-modeled by the Korsmeyer-Peppas equation. The NP delivery system showed a marked dose-dependent cytotoxicity towards TNBC cells, with an IC50 of 7.8 μM for MDA-MB-231 cells, indicating improved efficacy over free drugs, while exhibiting minimal toxicity toward normal breast cells. Furthermore, the NPs significantly inhibited cell migration and invasion in TNBC models, surpassing the effects of free drugs. These findings underscore the potential of BITC-SOR-NPs as a promising therapeutic approach for TNBC, offering targeted delivery while minimizing systemic toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wang
- Correspondence: (Q.W.); (Y.B.)
| | | | | | - Yongping Bao
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK
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15
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Said YA, Hammad SF, Halim MI, El-Moneim AA, Osman A. Assessment of the therapeutic potential of a novel phosphoramidate acyclic nucleoside on induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rat model. Life Sci 2024:122669. [PMID: 38677390 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2024.122669] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
AIMS Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is renowned as a deadly primary cancer of hepatic origin. Sorafenib is the drug-of-choice for targeted treatment of unresectable end-stage HCC. Unfortunately, great proportion of HCC patients showed intolerance or unresponsiveness to treatment. This study assesses potency of novel ProTide; SH-PAN-19 against N-Nitrosodiethylamine (DEN)-induced HCC in male Wistar rats, compared to Sorafenib. MAIN METHODS Structural entity of the synthesized compound was substantiated via FT-IR, UV-Vis, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopic analysis. In vitro, SH-PAN-19 cytotoxicity was tested against 3 human cell lines; hepatocellular carcinoma; HepG-2, colorectal carcinoma; HCT-116 and normal fibroblasts; MRC-5. In vivo, therapeutic efficacy of SH-PAN-19 (300 mg/kg b.w./day) against HCC could be revealed and compared to that of Sorafenib (15 mg/kg b.w./day) by evaluating the morphometric, biochemical, histopathological, immunohistochemical and molecular key markers. KEY FINDINGS SH-PAN-19 was relatively safe toward MRC-5 cells (IC50 = 307.6 μg/mL), highly cytotoxic to HepG-2 cells (IC50 = 24.9 μg/mL) and prominently hepato-selective (TSI = 12.35). Oral LD50 of SH-PAN-19 was >3000 mg/kg b.w. DEN-injected rats suffered hepatomegaly, oxidative stress, elevated liver enzymes, hypoalbuminemia, bilirubinemia and skyrocketed AFP plasma titre. SH-PAN-19 alleviated the DEN-induced alterations in apoptotic, angiogenic and inflammatory markers. SH-PAN-19 produced a 2.5-folds increase in Caspase-9 and downregulated VEGFR-2, IL-6, TNF-α, TGFβ-1, MMP-9 and CcnD-1 to levels comparable to that elicited by Sorafenib. SH-PAN-19 resulted in near-complete pathological response versus partial response achieved by Sorafenib. SIGNIFICANCE This research illustrated that SH-PAN-19 is a promising chemotherapeutic agent capable of restoring cellular plasticity and could stop HCC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youssef A Said
- Biotechnology Program, Basic and Applied Sciences Institute, Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST), 21934 New Borg El-Arab City, Alexandria, Egypt; Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, 11566 Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Sherif F Hammad
- Medicinal Chemistry Department, PharmD Program, Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST), 21934 New Borg El-Arab City, Alexandria, Egypt; Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University, 11795 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mariam I Halim
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, 11566 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Abd El-Moneim
- Graphene Center of Excellence, Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST), 21934 New Borg El-Arab City, Alexandria, Egypt; Physical Chemistry Department, National Research Centre (NRC), 12622 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Osman
- Biotechnology Program, Basic and Applied Sciences Institute, Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST), 21934 New Borg El-Arab City, Alexandria, Egypt; Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, 11566 Cairo, Egypt
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16
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Heydarnia E, Sepasi A, Asefi N, Khakshournia S, Mohammadnejad J. The effects of metformin and PCL- sorafenib nanoparticle co-treatment on MCF-7 cell culture model of breast cancer. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 2024:10.1007/s00210-024-03049-z. [PMID: 38656346 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-024-03049-z] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Despite breakthrough therapeutics in breast cancer, it is one of the main causes of mortality among women worldwide. Thus, drug therapies for treating breast cancer have recently been developed by scientists. Metformin and sorafenib are well-known therapeutics in breast cancer. In the present study, we combined sorafenib and PCL-sorafenib with metformin to improve drug absorption and promote therapeutic efficiency. The MCF-7 cells were treated with metformin, sorafenib, or PCL-sorafenib. The growth inhibitory effect of these drugs and cell viability were assessed using MTT and flow cytometry assays, respectively. The expression of targeted genes involved in cell proliferation, signaling, and the cell cycle was measured by real-time PCR. The results showed that MCF-7 cells treated with metformin/sorafenib and PCL-sorafenib/metformin co-treatment contributed to 50% viability compared to the untreated group. Moreover, PI and Annexin V staining tests showed that the cell viability for metformin/sorafenib and PCL-sorafenib/metformin was 38% and 17%, respectively. Furthermore, sorafenib/metformin and PCL-sorafenib/metformin lead to p53 gene expression increase by which they can increase ROS, thereby decreasing GPX4 gene expression. In addition, they affected the expression of BCL2 and BAX genes and altered the cell cycle. Together, the combination of PCL-sorafenib/metformin and sorafenib/metformin increased sorafenib absorption at lower doses and also led to apoptosis and oxidative stress increases in MCF-7 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emad Heydarnia
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Aref Sepasi
- Department of Medical Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Genetics, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nika Asefi
- Department of Genetics, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sara Khakshournia
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Javad Mohammadnejad
- Department of Life Science Engineering, Faculty of New Science and Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran, 14395-1561, Iran.
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Zhang X, Wang W, Mo S, Sun X. DEAD-Box Helicase 17 circRNA (circDDX17) Reduces Sorafenib Resistance and Tumorigenesis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Dig Dis Sci 2024:10.1007/s10620-024-08401-0. [PMID: 38653946 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-024-08401-0] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver malignancy. Despite significant progress in HCC treatment, resistance to chemotherapy and tumor metastasis are the main reasons for the unsatisfactory prognosis of HCC. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been extensively documented to play a role in the development of various types of cancer. AIMS Here, we investigated the role of DEAD-box helicase 17 circRNA (circDDX17) in HCC and its underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS Our research employed various techniques including reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry, dual luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), and western blot analysis. Additionally, we conducted a tumor xenograft assay to investigate the in vivo function of circDDX17. RESULTS Firstly, the expression of circDDX17 was downregulated in HCC tissues and cells. Through functional experiments, it was observed that the overexpression of circDDX17 enhanced the sensitivity of sorafenib, promoted apoptosis, and inhibited the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro. Additionally, in vivo studies revealed that circDDX17 reduced tumor growth and increased sorafenib sensitivity. Mechanically, circDDX17 competitively combined miR-21-5p to suppress PTEN expression and activate the PI3K/AKT pathway. Furthermore, our rescue assays demonstrated that circDDX17 act as a tumor suppressor by blocking sorafenib resistance and tumorigenesis, while the inhibitory effect caused by circDDX17 upregulation was neutralized when miR-21-5p was overexpressed, PTEN was silenced, or the PI3K/AKT pathway was activated. CONCLUSION Our findings firstly confirmed that circDDX17 suppressed sorafenib resistance and HCC progression by regulating miR-21-5p/PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway, which may provide novel biomarkers for the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochuan Zhang
- Department of Emergency Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Wenyu Wang
- Medical Insurance Office, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Shanshan Mo
- Department of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang Sailors General Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Xueying Sun
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, No. 23 Post Street, Nangang District, Harbin, 150001, China.
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Li Y, Yan J, Sun H, Liang Y, Zhao Q, Yu S, Zhang Y. Ferroptosis inhibitor alleviates sorafenib-induced cardiotoxicity by attenuating KLF11-mediated FSP1-dependent ferroptosis. Int J Biol Sci 2024; 20:2622-2639. [PMID: 38725840 PMCID: PMC11077382 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.86479] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Sorafenib is a standard first-line drug for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, but the serious cardiotoxic effects restrict its therapeutic applicability. Here, we show that iron-dependent ferroptosis plays a vital role in sorafenib-induced cardiotoxicity. Remarkably, our in vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that ferroptosis inhibitor application neutralized sorafenib-induced heart injury. By analyzing transcriptome profiles of adult human sorafenib-treated cardiomyocytes, we found that Krüppel-like transcription factor 11 (KLF11) expression significantly increased after sorafenib stimulation. Mechanistically, KLF11 promoted ferroptosis by suppressing transcription of ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP1), a seminal breakthrough due to its ferroptosis-repressing properties. Moreover, FSP1 knockdown showed equivalent results to glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) knockdown, and FSP1 overexpression counteracted GPX4 inhibition-induced ferroptosis to a substantial extent. Cardiac-specific overexpression of FSP1 and silencing KLF11 by an adeno-associated virus serotype 9 markedly improved cardiac dysfunction in sorafenib-treated mice. In summary, FSP1-mediated ferroptosis is a crucial mechanism for sorafenib-provoked cardiotoxicity, and targeting ferroptosis may be a promising therapeutic strategy for alleviating sorafenib-induced cardiac damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilan Li
- Department of Cardiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
- Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Ministry of Education, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
| | - Jingru Yan
- Department of Cardiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
- Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Ministry of Education, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
| | - Heng Sun
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
- Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Yating Liang
- Department of Cardiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
- Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Ministry of Education, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
| | - Qianqian Zhao
- Department of Cardiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
- Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Ministry of Education, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
| | - Shan Yu
- Department of Pathology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
| | - Yao Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
- Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Ministry of Education, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
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Zeng D, Yu C, Chen S, Zou L, Chen J, Xu L. Assessment of disease control rate and safety of sorafenib in targeted therapy for advanced liver cancer. World J Surg Oncol 2024; 22:93. [PMID: 38605359 PMCID: PMC11010384 DOI: 10.1186/s12957-024-03364-y] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The clinical efficacy and safety of sorafenib in patients with advanced liver cancer (ALC) were evaluated based on transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). METHODS 92 patients with ALC admitted to our hospital from May 2020 to August 2022 were randomly rolled into a control (Ctrl) group and an observation (Obs) group, with 46 patients in each. Patients in the Ctrl group received TACE treatment, while those in the Obs group received sorafenib molecular targeted therapy (SMTT) on the basis of the treatment strategy in the Ctrl group (400 mg/dose, twice daily, followed by a 4-week follow-up observation). Clinical efficacy, disease control rate (DCR), survival time (ST), immune indicators (CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+), and adverse reactions (ARs) (including mild fatigue, liver pain, hand-foot syndrome (HFS), diarrhea, and fever) were compared for patients in different groups after different treatments. RESULTS the DCR in the Obs group (90%) was greatly higher to that in the Ctrl group (78%), showing an obvious difference (P < 0.05). The median ST in the Obs group was obviously longer and the median disease progression time (DPT) was shorter, exhibiting great differences with those in the Ctrl group (P < 0.05). Moreover, no great difference was observed in laboratory indicators between patients in various groups (P > 0.05). After treatment, the Obs group exhibited better levels in all indicators. Furthermore, the incidence of ARs in the Obs group was lower and exhibited a sharp difference with that in the Ctrl group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION SMTT had demonstrated good efficacy in patients with ALC, improving the DCR, enhancing the immune response of the body, and reducing the incidence of ARs, thereby promoting the disease outcome. Therefore, it was a treatment method worthy of promotion and application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daolin Zeng
- Minimally Invasive Intervention Department, Ganzhou People's Hospital, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, China
| | - Chunlin Yu
- Minimally Invasive Intervention Department, Ganzhou People's Hospital, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, 341000, China
| | - Shiyao Chen
- Jiangxi Institute of Applied Science and Technology, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330012, China
| | - Long Zou
- Hepatobiliary Surgery Department, Jiangxi Province Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330029, China
| | - Junjun Chen
- Key Laboratory of Personalized Diagnosis and Treatment of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, National Health Commission (NHC), Jiangxi Cancer Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330029, China
| | - Linlong Xu
- Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Jiujiang First People's Hospital, 48 Taling South Road Jiujiang, Jiujiang, Jiangxi, 332000, China.
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Rodrigo MAM, Michalkova H, Jimenez AMJ, Petrlak F, Do T, Sivak L, Haddad Y, Kubickova P, de Los Rios V, Casal JI, Serrano-Macia M, Delgado TC, Boix L, Bruix J, Martinez Chantar ML, Adam V, Heger Z. Metallothionein-3 is a multifunctional driver that modulates the development of sorafenib-resistant phenotype in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Biomark Res 2024; 12:38. [PMID: 38594765 PMCID: PMC11003176 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-024-00584-y] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Metallothionein-3 (hMT3) is a structurally unique member of the metallothioneins family of low-mass cysteine-rich proteins. hMT3 has poorly characterized functions, and its importance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells has not yet been elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the molecular mechanisms driven by hMT3 with a special emphasis on susceptibility to sorafenib. METHODS Intrinsically sorafenib-resistant (BCLC-3) and sensitive (Huh7) cells with or without up-regulated hMT3 were examined using cDNA microarray and methods aimed at mitochondrial flux, oxidative status, cell death, and cell cycle. In addition, in ovo/ex ovo chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assays were conducted to determine a role of hMT3 in resistance to sorafenib and associated cancer hallmarks, such as angiogenesis and metastastic spread. Molecular aspects of hMT3-mediated induction of sorafenib-resistant phenotype were delineated using mass-spectrometry-based proteomics. RESULTS The phenotype of sensitive HCC cells can be remodeled into sorafenib-resistant one via up-regulation of hMT3. hMT3 has a profound effect on mitochondrial respiration, glycolysis, and redox homeostasis. Proteomic analyses revealed a number of hMT3-affected biological pathways, including exocytosis, glycolysis, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and cellular stress, which drive resistance to sorafenib. CONCLUSIONS hMT3 acts as a multifunctional driver capable of inducing sorafenib-resistant phenotype of HCC cells. Our data suggest that hMT3 and related pathways could serve as possible druggable targets to improve therapeutic outcomes in patients with sorafenib-resistant HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Angel Merlos Rodrigo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, CZ-613 00, Czech Republic.
| | - Hana Michalkova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, CZ-613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Ana Maria Jimenez Jimenez
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, CZ-613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Frantisek Petrlak
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, CZ-613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Do
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, CZ-613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Ladislav Sivak
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, CZ-613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Yazan Haddad
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, CZ-613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Kubickova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, CZ-613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Vivian de Los Rios
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Proteomic Facility, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB-CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Madrid, 280 40, Spain
| | - J Ignacio Casal
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Proteomic Facility, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB-CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Madrid, 280 40, Spain
| | - Marina Serrano-Macia
- Liver Disease Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building 801A, Derio, 48160, Spain
| | - Teresa C Delgado
- Liver Disease Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building 801A, Derio, 48160, Spain
| | - Loreto Boix
- Barcelona-Clínic Liver Cancer Group, Liver Unit, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Bruix
- Barcelona-Clínic Liver Cancer Group, Liver Unit, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria L Martinez Chantar
- Liver Disease Laboratory, Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Building 801A, Derio, 48160, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Vojtech Adam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, CZ-613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Zbynek Heger
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno, CZ-613 00, Czech Republic.
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Chan YT, Wu J, Lu Y, Li Q, Feng Z, Xu L, Yuan H, Xing T, Zhang C, Tan HY, Feng Y, Wang N. Loss of lncRNA LINC01056 leads to sorafenib resistance in HCC. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:74. [PMID: 38582885 PMCID: PMC10998324 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01988-y] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Sorafenib is a major nonsurgical option for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, its clinical efficacy is largely undermined by the acquisition of resistance. The aim of this study was to identify the key lncRNA involved in the regulation of the sorafenib response in HCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS A clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) single-guide RNA (sgRNA) synergistic activation mediator (SAM)-pooled lncRNA library was applied to screen for the key lncRNA regulated by sorafenib treatment. The role of the identified lncRNA in mediating the sorafenib response in HCC was examined in vitro and in vivo. The underlying mechanism was delineated by proteomic analysis. The clinical significance of the expression of the identified lncRNA was evaluated by multiplex immunostaining on a human HCC microtissue array. RESULTS CRISPR/Cas9 lncRNA library screening revealed that Linc01056 was among the most downregulated lncRNAs in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells. Knockdown of Linc01056 reduced the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib, suppressing apoptosis in vitro and promoting tumour growth in mice in vivo. Proteomic analysis revealed that Linc01056 knockdown in sorafenib-treated HCC cells induced genes related to fatty acid oxidation (FAO) while repressing glycolysis-associated genes, leading to a metabolic switch favouring higher intracellular energy production. FAO inhibition in HCC cells with Linc01056 knockdown significantly restored sensitivity to sorafenib. Mechanistically, we determined that PPARα is the critical molecule governing the metabolic switch upon Linc01056 knockdown in HCC cells and indeed, PPARα inhibition restored the sorafenib response in HCC cells in vitro and HCC tumours in vivo. Clinically, Linc01056 expression predicted optimal overall and progression-free survival outcomes in HCC patients and predicted a better sorafenib response. Linc01056 expression indicated a low FAO level in HCC. CONCLUSION Our study identified Linc01056 as a critical epigenetic regulator and potential therapeutic target in the regulation of the sorafenib response in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yau-Tuen Chan
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Junyu Wu
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Yuanjun Lu
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Qiucheng Li
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Zixin Feng
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Lin Xu
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Hongchao Yuan
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Tingyuan Xing
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Cheng Zhang
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Hor-Yue Tan
- Centre for Chinese Medicine New Drug Development, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
| | - Yibin Feng
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Ning Wang
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong.
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Vanli S, Kurtoglu F, Alan BS, Akcakavak G, Ozdemir O. Investigation of the effects of Theranekron and Sorafenib treatments on carcinogenesis, apoptosis and biochemical profile in hepatocellular carcinoma in rats. Toxicol Mech Methods 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38577837 DOI: 10.1080/15376516.2024.2332909] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effects of Tarantula cubensis alcohol extract (TCAE, Theranekron) and Sorafenib (S) treatments on carcinogenesis, apoptosis and biochemical profile of rats with experimentally induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the presented study, 58 male rats were divided into 7 groups; Negative Control (NC, n = 6), NC + TCAE (NCT, n = 6), NC + Sorafenib (NCS, n = 6), Positive Control (PC, n = 10), Positive Control + TCAE (PCT, n = 10), Positive Control + Sorafenib (PCS, n = 10), Positive Control + TCAE + Sorafenib (PCTS, n = 10). The active ingredients Diethylnitrosamine (DEN, 120 mg/kg, single dose) and Nitrosomorpholine (NMOR, 50 ppm, 21 weeks orally) were used to induce HCC in rats. At the end of the experiment, the animals were euthanized under appropriate conditions and samples were collected for biochemical and pathological investigations. In the PC group, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) levels were higher (p < 0.001) and urea levels were lower (p < 0.001) compared to all other groups. Treatment groups reorganized the relevant markers (ALT, AST, GGT, and urea). A significant increase was detected in Caspase-10, Caspase-3 and Granzyme-B (GrzB) (p < 0.001) in blood and Caspase-10 and GrzB (p < 0.05) in liver tissue in PCT, PCS and PCTS groups compared to the PC group. Histopathological examination revealed that the PC group showed cancer morphology, and the treatment groups caused a decrease in tumor incidence and size. Our current findings suggest that the mechanism of action of TCAE in HCC is through the NKs/CTLs-GrzB-Casp10-Casp3 signaling pathway and can be used in combination with chemotherapy drugs for the development of future drug designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serdar Vanli
- Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ilgin District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, Konya, Turkey
| | - Firuze Kurtoglu
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
| | - Beyza S Alan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
| | - Gokhan Akcakavak
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Yozgat Bozok University, Yozgat, Turkey
| | - Ozgur Ozdemir
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
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Chen P, Wang J, Yao Y, Qu Y, Ji M, Hou P. Targeting DUSP5 suppresses malignant phenotypes of BRAF-mutant thyroid cancer cells and improves their response to sorafenib. Endocrine 2024:10.1007/s12020-024-03801-8. [PMID: 38564084 DOI: 10.1007/s12020-024-03801-8] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The role of dual-specificity phosphatase-5 (DUSP5) in BRAF-mutant thyroid cancers remains unclear. The aims of this study are to investigate the role of DUSP5 in BRAF-mutant thyroid cancer cells, explore its value in the diagnosis and evaluate therapeutic potential of targeting DUSP5 combined with sorafenib for BRAF-mutant thyroid cancer patients. METHODS The role of DUSP5 in thyroid cancer cells was determined by a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments. Underlying mechanisms were explored by western blotting analysis. The diagnostic value of combination detection of DUSP5 expression and BRAFV600E mutation was evaluated using ROC curve. RESULTS Knocking down DUSP5 in BRAF-mutant thyroid cancer cells significantly inhibited colony formation, cell migration and invasion, meanwhile, induced cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis. Moreover, inhibition of DUSP5 improved the anti-tumor efficacy of sorafenib both in vitro and in vivo. Besides, combination detection of DUSP5 expression and BRAFV600E mutation showed much more accuracy in preoperative diagnosis of thyroid cancer. CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrate an oncogenic role of DUSP5 in BRAF-mutant thyroid cancer cells, and combined analysis of its expression and BRAFV600E mutation can accurately diagnose thyroid cancer. In addition, inhibition of DUSP5 improves the response of BRAF-mutant thyroid cancer cells to sorafenib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu Chen
- Department of Endocrinology and Key Laboratory for Tumor Precision Medicine of Shaanxi Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, PR China
| | - Jianling Wang
- Department of Endocrinology and Key Laboratory for Tumor Precision Medicine of Shaanxi Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, PR China
| | - Yao Yao
- Department of Endocrinology and Key Laboratory for Tumor Precision Medicine of Shaanxi Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, PR China
| | - Yiping Qu
- Department of Endocrinology and Key Laboratory for Tumor Precision Medicine of Shaanxi Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, PR China
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, PR China
| | - Meiju Ji
- Center for Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, PR China
| | - Peng Hou
- Department of Endocrinology and Key Laboratory for Tumor Precision Medicine of Shaanxi Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, PR China.
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Dong R, Wang T, Dong W, Zhu H, Liu Q, Liang H, Chen X, Zhang B, Zhang X. Inhibition of PTPRE suppresses tumor progression and improves sorafenib response in hepatocellular carcinoma. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 173:116366. [PMID: 38458013 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116366] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor prognosis, and the efficacy of current therapeutic strategies is extremely limited in advanced diseases. Our previous study reported that protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor epsilon (PTPRE) is a promoting factor in HCC progression. In this study, our objective was to evaluate the treatment effect of PTPRE inhibitors in different HCC preclinical models. Our results indicated that the PTPRE inhibitory compound 63 (Cpd-63) inhibited tumor cell proliferation, migration, and HCC organoid growth. Mechanism research revealed that Cpd-63 could inhibit the expression of MYC and MYC targets by inhibiting the activation of SRC. Additionally, we found that Cpd-63 could improve the response of sorafenib in HCC cells. In conclusion, we demonstrated that the PTPRE inhibitors represented a potential therapeutic agent for HCC management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renshun Dong
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Hubei Province for the Clinical Medicine Research Center of Hepatic Surgery, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Tianci Wang
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Hubei Province for the Clinical Medicine Research Center of Hepatic Surgery, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Wei Dong
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Hubei Province for the Clinical Medicine Research Center of Hepatic Surgery, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - He Zhu
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Hubei Province for the Clinical Medicine Research Center of Hepatic Surgery, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Qiumeng Liu
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Hubei Province for the Clinical Medicine Research Center of Hepatic Surgery, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Huifang Liang
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Hubei Province for the Clinical Medicine Research Center of Hepatic Surgery, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Xiaoping Chen
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Hubei Province for the Clinical Medicine Research Center of Hepatic Surgery, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
| | - Bixiang Zhang
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Hubei Province for the Clinical Medicine Research Center of Hepatic Surgery, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
| | - Xuewu Zhang
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Hubei Province for the Clinical Medicine Research Center of Hepatic Surgery, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
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Ferreira IC, Torrejón E, Abecasis B, Alexandre BM, Gomes RA, Verslype C, van Pelt J, Barbas A, Simão D, Bandeiras TM, Bortoluzzi A, Rebelo SP. Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2): A novel sorafenib target in hepatocellular carcinoma unraveled by the proteome-wide cellular thermal shift assay. SLAS Discov 2024; 29:100154. [PMID: 38521503 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2024.100154] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Sorafenib is a multikinase inhibitor indicated for first-line treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite its widespread use in the clinic, the existing knowledge of sorafenib mode-of-action remains incomplete. To build upon the current understanding, we used the Cellular Thermal Shift Assay (CETSA) coupled to Mass Spectrometry (CETSA-MS) to monitor compound binding to its target proteins in the cellular context on a proteome-wide scale. Among the potential sorafenib targets, we identified aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), an enzyme that plays a major role in alcohol metabolism. We validated the interaction of sorafenib with ALDH2 by orthogonal methods using pure recombinant protein, proving that this interaction is not mediated by other cellular components. Moreover, we showed that sorafenib inhibits ALDH2 activity, supporting a functional role for this interaction. Finally, we were able to demonstrate that both ALDH2 protein expression and activity were reduced in sorafenib-resistant cells compared to the parental cell line. Overall, our study allowed the identification of ALDH2 as a novel sorafenib target and sheds light on its potential role in both hepatocellular carcinoma and sorafenib resistance condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inês C Ferreira
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Estefania Torrejón
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; ITQB, ITQB-NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Bernardo Abecasis
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Bruno M Alexandre
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; ITQB, ITQB-NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ricardo A Gomes
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; ITQB, ITQB-NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Chris Verslype
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jos van Pelt
- Department of Oncology, Laboratory of Clinical Digestive Oncology, KU, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ana Barbas
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; Bayer Portugal, Carnaxide, Portugal
| | - Daniel Simão
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Tiago M Bandeiras
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; ITQB, ITQB-NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Alessio Bortoluzzi
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; ITQB, ITQB-NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal.
| | - Sofia P Rebelo
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal.
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Chen Y, Jiang Z, Yan Z, Liu J, Lai Y, Li L, Lin X, Lin J. A codelivery system loaded with PDL1-siRNA and sorafenib enhances the therapeutic effect of sorafenib on hepatocellular carcinoma via TAT-poly-SS-lysine modified chitosan. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 263:130162. [PMID: 38365149 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130162] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Sorafenib (SF) is a first-line drug for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in clinical practice. However, acquired drug resistance tremendously limits the clinical efficacy of sorafenib in treating HCC, which has attracted great attention. PDL1 plays a crucial role in the drug resistance of HCC. Here, a codelivery system based on poly-SS-lysine modified chitosan (TAT-C-SS-P) was established and was applied to deliver sorafenib and PDL1-siRNA for synergetic HCC therapy. The successful synthesis of TAT-C-SS-P was confirmed by 1H NMR. Additionally, sorafenib and PDL1-siRNA were successfully transported into the cells as the decreased expression of VEGF and PD-L1 by administrated with TAT-C-SS-P@SF@ PDL1-siRNA. Simultaneously, the expression of pro-apoptosis proteins cyt-c and Bax was prominently augmented, whereas the expression of anti-apoptosis protein Bcl-2 was decreased. The reduced expression of PDL1 resulted in the downregulation of P-GP and MRP1, which contributed to more sorafenib aggregation in tumor cells. Moreover, TAT-C-SS-P@PDL1-siRNA@SF efficiently promotes apoptosis of HepG2-SI cells, as the apoptosis rate rised to 73 %. A sorafenib-insensitive model was established to evaluate in vivo antitumor effect of TAT-C-SS-P@PDL1-siRNA@SF. TAT-C-SS-P@PDL1-siRNA@SF showed a tumor inhibition rate of 90.2 ± 3.5 % and no significant decrease in body weight. Taken together, our study provided compelling evidence that TAT-C-SS-P@PDL1-siRNA@SF has great potential application in the treatment of HCC clinically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Chen
- Dongguan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine and New Pharmaceutical Development, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Zhonghao Jiang
- Dongguan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine and New Pharmaceutical Development, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Zhuo Yan
- Dongguan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine and New Pharmaceutical Development, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Jierong Liu
- Dongguan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine and New Pharmaceutical Development, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Yilin Lai
- Dongguan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine and New Pharmaceutical Development, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Li Li
- Dongguan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine and New Pharmaceutical Development, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China.
| | - Xiao Lin
- Dongguan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine and New Pharmaceutical Development, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China.
| | - Jiantao Lin
- Dongguan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine and New Pharmaceutical Development, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China.
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Öcal O, Kimm MA, Hoang TPT, Pech M, Öcal E, Ben Khaled N, Sangro B, Ricke J, Seidensticker M, Wildgruber M. Predictive value of platelet-to-lymphocyte and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in HCC treated with sorafenib and radioembolization. JHEP Rep 2024; 6:100995. [PMID: 38440069 PMCID: PMC10909776 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2023.100995] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background & Aims Herein we used data derived from the SORAMIC trial to explore the predictive value of systemic inflammatory markers (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio [NLR] and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio [PLR]) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with sorafenib monotherapy or the combination of selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT)/sorafenib. Methods Patients randomized to sorafenib monotherapy or SIRT/sorafenib within the per-protocol population of the SORAMIC trial were evaluated in this exploratory post hoc analysis. The median baseline values of NLR and PLR were used as cut-off values to describe subgroups. Kaplan-Meier curves with log-rank tests were used to evaluate median survival in the sorafenib and SIRT/sorafenib arms in each subgroup. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was applied to eliminate the effect of confounding factors. Results A total of 275 patients with a median overall survival of 12.4 months were included in this analysis. The median NLR value of the cohort was 2.77 and the median PLR was 26.5. There was no significant difference in overall survival between the sorafenib and SIRT/sorafenib arms in patients with low NLR (p = 0.72) and PLR (p = 0.35) values. In patients with high NLR values, there was no statistically significant difference in median overall survival between SIRT/sorafenib and sorafenib cohorts (12.1 vs. 9.2 months, p = 0.21). In patients with high PLR values, overall survival in the SIRT/sorafenib arm was significantly longer than in the sorafenib arm (15.9 vs. 11.0 months, p = 0.029). This significant difference was preserved in the multivariable analysis (SIRT/sorafenib arm: hazard ratio 0.65, 95% CI 0.44-0.96, p = 0.03) incorporating age, Child-Pugh grade, and alpha-fetoprotein levels. Conclusions PLR is a potential predictive factor of benefit from additional SIRT in patients with HCC receiving sorafenib therapy. The potential predictive value of PLR should be further evaluated in future trials. Impact and implications Systemic therapies are the mainstay of treatment in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma at advanced stages. However, not all patients respond well to these treatments. In our analysis, using blood test parameters showing systemic inflammation status, we were able to identify patients who would benefit more from combined treatment with a locoregional treatment of radioembolization (or selective internal radiation therapy).
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Affiliation(s)
- Osman Öcal
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Maciej Pech
- Departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Elif Öcal
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Najib Ben Khaled
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Bruno Sangro
- Liver Unit, Clínica Universidad de Navarra and CIBEREHD, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Jens Ricke
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Max Seidensticker
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Moritz Wildgruber
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
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Cheng T, Zhou C, Bian S, Sobeck K, Liu Y. Coordinated activation of DNMT3a and TET2 in cancer stem cell-like cells initiates and sustains drug resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Cell Int 2024; 24:110. [PMID: 38528605 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-024-03288-3] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Resistance to targeted therapies represents a significant hurdle to successfully treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While epigenetic abnormalities are critical determinants of HCC relapse and therapeutic resistance, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We aimed to address whether and how dysregulated epigenetic regulators have regulatory and functional communications in establishing and maintaining drug resistance. METHODS HCC-resistant cells were characterized by CCK-8, IncuCyte Live-Cell analysis, flow cytometry and wound-healing assays. Target expression was assessed by qPCR and Western blotting. Global and promoter DNA methylation was measured by dotblotting, methylated-DNA immunoprecipitation and enzymatic digestion. Protein interaction and promoter binding of DNMT3a-TET2 were investigated by co-immunoprecipitation, ChIP-qPCR. The regulatory and functional roles of DNMT3a and TET2 were studied by lentivirus infection and puromycin selection. The association of DNMT and TET expression with drug response and survival of HCC patients was assessed by public datasets, spearman correlation coefficients and online tools. RESULTS We identified the coordination of DNMT3a and TET2 as an actionable mechanism of drug resistance in HCC. The faster growth and migration of resistant HCC cells were attributed to DNMT3a and TET2 upregulation followed by increased 5mC and 5hmC production. HCC patients with higher DNMT3a and TET2 had a shorter survival time with a less favorable response to sorafenib therapy than those with lower expression. Cancer stem cell-like cells (CSCs) displayed DNMT3a and TET2 overexpression, which were insensitive to sorafenib. Either genetic or pharmacological suppression of DNMT3a or/and TET2 impaired resistant cell growth and oncosphere formation, and restored sorafenib sensitivity. Mechanistically, DNMT3a did not establish a regulatory circuit with TET2, but formed a complex with TET2 and HDAC2. This complex bound the promoters of oncogenes (i.e., CDK1, CCNA2, RASEF), and upregulated them without involving promoter DNA methylation. In contrast, DNMT3a-TET2 crosstalk silences tumor suppressors (i.e., P15, SOCS2) through a corepressor complex with HDAC2 along with increased promoter DNA methylation. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate that DNMT3a and TET2 act coordinately to regulate HCC cell fate in DNA methylation-dependent and -independent manners, representing strong predictors for drug resistance and poor prognosis, and thus are promising therapeutic targets for refractory HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Cheng
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, P.R. China
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN, 55912, USA
| | - Changli Zhou
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN, 55912, USA
- MetroHealth Research Institute, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44109, USA
| | - Sicheng Bian
- MetroHealth Research Institute, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44109, USA
| | - Kelsey Sobeck
- The Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Yahui Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, P.R. China.
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Yang LM, Wang HJ, Li SL, Gan GH, Deng WW, Chang YS, Zhang LF. Efficacy of radiofrequency ablation combined with sorafenib for treating liver cancer complicated with portal hypertension and prognostic factors. World J Gastroenterol 2024; 30:1533-1544. [PMID: 38617449 PMCID: PMC11008421 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i11.1533] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with liver cancer complicated by portal hypertension present complex challenges in treatment. AIM To evaluate the efficacy of radiofrequency ablation in combination with sorafenib for improving liver function and its impact on the prognosis of patients with this condition. METHODS Data from 100 patients with liver cancer complicated with portal hypertension from May 2014 to March 2019 were analyzed and divided into a study group (n = 50) and a control group (n = 50) according to the treatment regimen. The research group received radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in combination with sorafenib, and the control group only received RFA. The short-term efficacy of both the research and control groups was observed. Liver function and portal hypertension were compared before and after treatment. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), glypican-3 (GPC-3), and AFP-L3 levels were compared between the two groups prior to and after treatment. The occurrence of adverse reactions in both groups was observed. The 3-year survival rate was compared between the two groups. Basic data were compared between the survival and non-surviving groups. To identify the independent risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with liver cancer complicated by portal hypertension, multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed. RESULTS When comparing the two groups, the research group's total effective rate (82.00%) was significantly greater than that of the control group (56.00%; P < 0.05). Following treatment, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels increased, and portal vein pressure decreased in both groups. The degree of improvement for every index was substantially greater in the research group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Following treatment, the AFP, GPC-3, and AFP-L3 levels in both groups decreased, with the research group having significantly lower levels than the control group (P < 0.05). The incidence of diarrhea, rash, nausea and vomiting, and fatigue in the research group was significantly greater than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates of the research group (94.00%, 84.00%, and 72.00%, respectively) were significantly greater than those of the control group (80.00%, 64.00%, and 40.00%, respectively; P < 0.05). Significant differences were observed between the survival group and the non-surviving group in terms of Child-Pugh grade, history of hepatitis, number of tumors, tumor size, use of sorafenib, stage of liver cancer, histological differentiation, history of splenectomy and other basic data (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that high Child-Pugh grade, tumor size (6-10 cm), history of hepatitis, no use of sorafenib, liver cancer stage IIIC, and previous splenectomy were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with liver cancer complicated with portal hypertension (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Patients suffering from liver cancer complicated by portal hypertension benefit from the combination of RFA and sorafenib therapy because it effectively restores liver function and increases survival rates. The prognosis of patients suffering from liver cancer complicated by portal hypertension is strongly associated with factors such as high Child-Pugh grade, tumor size (6-10 cm), history of hepatitis, lack of sorafenib use, liver cancer at stage IIIC, and prior splenectomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Min Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China
| | - Hong-Juan Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China
| | - Shan-Lin Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhoukou Central Hospital of Henan Province, Zhoukou 466000, Henan Province, China
| | - Guan-Hua Gan
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China
| | - Wen-Wen Deng
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China
| | - Yong-Sheng Chang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College, Xinxiang 453000, Henan Province, China
| | - Lian-Feng Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China
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Shih MS, Suk FM, Chiu WC, Lee CY, Hsu FY, Liao YJ. Long-term di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate exposure reduces sorafenib treatment efficacy by enhancing mesenchymal transition in hepatocellular carcinoma. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2024; 273:116161. [PMID: 38430581 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116161] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/04/2024]
Abstract
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a worldwide common plasticizer. Nevertheless, DEHP is easily leached out to the environment due to the lack of covalent bonds with plastic. High dose of DEHP exposure is often observed in hemodialysis patients because of the continual usage of plastic medical devices. Although the liver is the major organ that catabolizes DEHP, the impact of long-term DEHP exposure on the sensitivity of liver cancer to chemotherapy remains unclear. In this study, we established long-term DEHP-exposed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and two NOD/SCID mice models to investigate the effects and the underlying mechanisms of long-term DEHP exposure on chemosensitivity of HCC. The results showed long-term DEHP exposure potentially increased epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HCC cells. Next generation sequencing showed that long-term DEHP exposure increased cell adhesion/migratory related genes expression and blunted sorafenib treatment induced genes alterations. Long-term exposure to DEHP reduced the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib-induced anti-migratory effect by enhancing the EMT transcription factors (slug, twist, and ZEB1) and mesenchymal protein (vimentin) expression. In NOD/SCID mice model, we showed that long-term DEHP-exposed HCC cells exhibited higher growth rate. Regarding the anti-HCC effects of sorafenib, subcutaneous HuH7 tumor grew slowly in sorafenib-treated mice. Nonetheless, the anti-tumor growth effect of sorafenib was not observed in long-term DEHP-exposed mice. Higher mesenchymal markers and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression were found in sorafenib-treated long-term DEHP-exposed mice. In conclusion, long-term DEHP exposure promoted migratory activity in HCC cells and decreased sorafenib sensitivity in tumor-bearing mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Syuan Shih
- School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Shuang-Ho Campus, Taipei 235, Taiwan
| | - Fat-Moon Suk
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 116, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Wan-Chun Chiu
- School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; Research Center of Geriatric Nutrition, College of Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110Taiwan; Department of Nutrition, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 116, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Ya Lee
- School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Shuang-Ho Campus, Taipei 235, Taiwan
| | - Fang-Yu Hsu
- School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Shuang-Ho Campus, Taipei 235, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Jen Liao
- School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Shuang-Ho Campus, Taipei 235, Taiwan; TMU Research Center for Digestive Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan.
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Guo R, Lu F, Lin J, Fu C, Liu M, Yang S. Multi-b-value DWI to evaluate the synergistic antiproliferation and anti-heterogeneity effects of bufalin plus sorafenib in an orthotopic HCC model. Eur Radiol Exp 2024; 8:43. [PMID: 38467904 PMCID: PMC10928042 DOI: 10.1186/s41747-024-00448-y] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multi-b-value diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with different postprocessing models allows for evaluating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) proliferation, spatial heterogeneity, and feasibility of treatment strategies. We assessed synergistic effects of bufalin+sorafenib in orthotopic HCC-LM3 xenograft nude mice by using intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM), diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), a stretched exponential model (SEM), and a fractional-order calculus (FROC) model. METHODS Twenty-four orthotopic HCC-LM3 xenograft mice were divided into bufalin+sorafenib, bufalin, sorafenib treatment groups, and a control group. Multi-b-value DWI was performed using a 3-T scanner after 3 weeks' treatment to obtain true diffusion coefficient Dt, pseudo-diffusion coefficient Dp, perfusion fraction f, mean diffusivity (MD), mean kurtosis (MK), distributed diffusion coefficient (DDC), heterogeneity index α, diffusion coefficient D, fractional order parameter β, and microstructural quantity μ. Necrotic fraction (NF), standard deviation (SD) of hematoxylin-eosin staining, and microvessel density (MVD) of anti-CD31 staining were evaluated. Correlations of DWI parameters with histopathological results were analyzed, and measurements were compared among four groups. RESULTS In the final 22 mice, f positively correlated with MVD (r = 0.679, p = 0.001). Significantly good correlations of MK (r = 0.677), α (r = -0.696), and β (r= -0.639) with SD were observed (all p < 0.010). f, MK, MVD, and SD were much lower, while MD, α, β, and NF were higher in bufalin plus sorafenib group than control group (all p < 0.050). CONCLUSION Evaluated by IVIM, DKI, SEM, and FROC, bufalin+sorafenib was found to inhibit tumor proliferation and angiogenesis and reduce spatial heterogeneity in HCC-LM3 models. RELEVANCE STATEMENT Multi-b-value DWI provides potential metrics for evaluating the efficacy of treatment in HCC. KEY POINTS • Bufalin plus sorafenib combination may increase the effectiveness of HCC therapy. • Multi-b-value DWI depicted HCC proliferation, angiogenesis, and spatial heterogeneity. • Multi-b-value DWI may be a noninvasive method to assess HCC therapeutic efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Guo
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 274 Middle Zhi-jiang Road, Shanghai, 200071, People's Republic of China
| | - Fang Lu
- Department of Radiology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiang Lin
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Caixia Fu
- MR Application Development, Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd, Shenzhen, 518057, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengxiao Liu
- MR scientific Marketing, Diagnostic Imaging, Siemens Healthineers Ltd, Shanghai, 201318, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuohui Yang
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 274 Middle Zhi-jiang Road, Shanghai, 200071, People's Republic of China.
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Chan HY, Ramasamy TS, Chung FFL, Teow SY. Role of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) in regulation of autophagy and nuclear factor-kappa Beta (NF-ĸβ) pathways in sorafenib-resistant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Cell Biochem Biophys 2024:10.1007/s12013-024-01247-3. [PMID: 38466472 DOI: 10.1007/s12013-024-01247-3] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major global health problem with high incidence and mortality. Diagnosis of HCC at late stages and tumour heterogeneity in patients with different genetic profiles are known factors that complicate the disease treatment. HCC therapy becomes even more challenging in patients with drug resistance such as resistance to sorafenib, which is a common drug used in HCC patients. Sorafenib resistance can further aggravate HCC by regulating various oncogenic pathways such as autophagy and nuclear factor-kappa Beta (NF-ĸβ) signalling. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), is a nicotinamide adenosine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent histone deacetylases that regulates various metabolic and oncogenic events such as cell survival, apoptosis, autophagy, tumourigenesis, metastasis and drug resistance in various cancers, but its role in HCC, particularly in sorafenib resistance is underexplored. In this study, we generated sorafenib-resistant HepG2 and Huh-7 liver cancer cell models to investigate the role of SIRT1 and its effect on autophagy and nuclear factor-kappa Beta (NF-ĸβ) signalling pathways. Western blot analysis showed increased SIRT1, altered autophagy pathway and activated NF-ĸβ signalling in sorafenib-resistant cells. SIRT1-silenced HCC cells demonstrated down-regulated autophagy in both parental and chemoresistant cells. This may occur through the deacetylation of key autophagy molecules such as FOXO3, beclin 1, ATGs and LC3 by SIRT1, highlighting the role of SIRT1 in autophagy induction. Silencing of SIRT1 also resulted in activated NF-ĸβ signalling. This is because SIRT1 failed to deacetylate p65 subunit of NF-κB, translocate the NF-κB from nucleus to cytoplasm, and suppress NF-κB activity due to the silencing. Hence, the NF-κB transcriptional activity was restored. These findings summarize the role of SIRT1 in autophagy/NF-ĸβ regulatory axis, with a similar trend observed in both parental and sorafenib-resistant cells. The present work promotes a better understanding of the role of SIRT1 in autophagy and NF-ĸβ signalling in HCC and sorafenib-resistant HCC. As some key proteins in these pathways are potential therapeutic targets, a better understanding of SIRT1/autophagy/NF-ĸβ axis could further improve the therapeutic strategies against HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Yin Chan
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Jalan Universiti, 47500 Subang Jaya, Bandar, Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Thamil Selvee Ramasamy
- Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Felicia Fei-Lei Chung
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Jalan Universiti, 47500 Subang Jaya, Bandar, Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Sin-Yeang Teow
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Mathematics and Technology, Wenzhou-Kean University, 88 Daxue Road, Ouhai, Wenzhou, 325060, Zhejiang Provinve, China.
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Lab for Applied Biomedical and Biopharmaceutical Informatics, Ouhai, Wenzhou, 325060, Zhejiang Province, China.
- Zhejiang Bioinformatics International Science and Technology Cooperation Center, Ouhai, Wenzhou, 325060, Zhejiang Province, China.
- Dorothy and George Hennings College of Science, Mathematics and Technology, Kean University, 1000 Morries Ave, Union, NJ, 07083, USA.
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Che F, Wei Y, Xu Q, Li Q, Zhang T, Wang LY, Li M, Yuan F, Song B. Noninvasive identification of SOX9 status using radiomics signatures may help construct personalized treatment strategy in hepatocellular carcinoma. Abdom Radiol (NY) 2024:10.1007/s00261-024-04190-2. [PMID: 38446180 DOI: 10.1007/s00261-024-04190-2] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To develop and validate a radiomics-based model for predicting SOX9-positive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using preoperative contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) images. METHODS From January 2013 to April 2017, patients with histologically proven HCC who received systemic sorafenib treatment after curative resection were retrospectively enrolled. Radiomic features were extracted from portal venous phase CT images and selected to build a radiomics score using logistic regression analysis. The factors associated with SOX9 expression were selected and combined by univariate and multivariate analyses to establish clinico-liver imaging (CL) model and clinico-liver imaging-radiomics (CLR) model. Diagnostic performance was measured by area under curve (AUC). Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were compared using Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS A total of 108 patients (training cohort: n = 80; validation cohort: n = 28) were enrolled. Multivariate analyses revealed that the albumin-bilirubin grade and tumor size were significant independent factors for predicting SOX9-positive HCCs and were included in the CL model. The CLR model integrating the radiomics score with albumin-bilirubin grade and tumor size showed better discriminative performance than the CL model with AUCs of 0.912 and 0.790 in the training and validation cohorts. Survival curves for RFS and OS showed that SOX9 expression was closely related to the prognosis of HCC patients. RFS and OS rates were significantly lower in patients with SOX9-positive than SOX9-negative (51.02% vs. 75.00% at 1-year RFS rates; 76.92% vs. 94.94% at 2-year OS rates). CONCLUSION Radiomics signatures may serve as noninvasive predictors for SOX9 status evaluation in patients with HCC and may aid in constructing individualized treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Che
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No 37, Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yi Wei
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No 37, Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Qing Xu
- Institute of Clinical Pathology, Key Laboratory of Transplant Engineering and Immunology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No 37, Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No 37, Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Li-Ye Wang
- Department of Research and Development, Shanghai United Imaging Intelligence Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Man Li
- Department of Research and Development, Shanghai United Imaging Intelligence Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Fang Yuan
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No 37, Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
| | - Bin Song
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No 37, Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
- Department of Radiology, Sanya People's Hospital, Sanya, Hainan, China.
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Zaafar D, Khalil HMA, Elkhouly GE, Sedeky AS, Ahmed YH, Khalil MG, Abo-Zeid Y. Preparation and characterization of Sorafenib nano-emulsion: impact on pharmacokinetics and toxicity; an in vitro and in vivo study. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2024:10.1007/s13346-024-01530-z. [PMID: 38430357 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-024-01530-z] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks as the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Current treatment strategies include surgical resection, liver transplantation, liver-directed therapy, and systemic therapy. Sorafenib (Sor) is the first systemic drug authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for HCC treatment. Nevertheless, the conventional oral administration of Sor presents several limitations: poor solubility, low bioavailability, drug resistance development, and off-target tissue accumulation, leading to numerous adverse effects. Nano-emulsion, a nano-delivery system, is a viable carrier for poorly water-soluble drugs. It aims to enhance drug bioavailability, target organ accumulation, and reduce off-target tissue exposure, thus improving therapeutic outcomes while minimizing side effects. This study formulated Sor nano-emulsion (Sor NanoEm) using the homogenization technique. The resultant nano-emulsion was characterized by particle size (121.75 ± 12 nm), polydispersity index (PDI; 0.310), zeta potential (-12.33 ± 1.34 mV), viscosity (34,776 ± 3276 CPs), and pH (4.38 ± 0.3). Transmission Electron Microscopy exhibited spherical nano-droplets with no aggregation signs indicating stability. Furthermore, the encapsulation of Sor within the nano-emulsion sustained its release, potentially reducing the frequency of therapeutic doses. Cytotoxicity assessments on the HepG2 cell line revealed that Sor NanoEm had a significantly (P < 0.05) more potent cytotoxic effect compared to Sor suspension. Subsequent tests highlighted superior pharmacokinetic parameters and reduced dosage requirements of Sor NanoEm in mice. It exhibited an enhanced safety profile, particularly in behavior, brain, and liver, compared to its suspended form. These findings underscore the enhanced pharmacological and toxicological attributes of Sor Nano-emulsion, suggesting its potential utility in HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalia Zaafar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Modern University for Technology and Information, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Heba M A Khalil
- Department of Veterinary Hygiene and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, 12211, Egypt
| | - Gehad E Elkhouly
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University, Cairo, 11795, Egypt
- Helwan Nanotechnology Center, Helwan University, Cairo, 11792, Egypt
| | - Abanoub Selim Sedeky
- Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK), University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Nanomedicine Lab, Center of Materials Science (CMS), Zewail City of Science and Technology, 6Th of October, 12578, Giza, Egypt
| | - Yasmine H Ahmed
- Department of Cytology and Histology, Veterinary Medicine Faculty, Cairo University, Giza, 12211, Egypt
| | - Mona G Khalil
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Modern University for Technology and Information, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Yasmin Abo-Zeid
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University, Cairo, 11795, Egypt
- Helwan Nanotechnology Center, Helwan University, Cairo, 11792, Egypt
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Khalil HH, El-Sheshtawy MM, Khattab SN, Abu-Serie MM, Shehat MG, Teleb M, Haiba NS. Chemosensitization of non-small cell lung cancer to sorafenib via non-hydroxamate s-triazinedione-based MMP-9/10 inhibitors. Bioorg Chem 2024; 144:107155. [PMID: 38306827 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107155] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) continues to be a leading cause of cancer death. Its fatality is associated with angiogenesis and metastasis. While VEGFR inhibitors are expected to be the central pillar for halting lung cancer, several clinical reports declared their subpar activities as monotherapy. These results directed combination studies of VEGFR inhibitors, especially sorafenib (Nexavar®), with various chemotherapeutic agents. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitors are seldom utilized in such combinations despite the expected complementary therapeutic outcome. This could be attributed to the clinical unsuitability of MMP inhibitors from the hydroxamate family. Herein, we report new non-hydroxamate s-triazinedione-based inhibitors of MMP-9 (6b; IC50 = 0.112 μM), and MMP-10 (6e; IC50 = 0.076 μM) surpassing the hydroxamate inhibitor NNGH for chemosensitization of NSCLC to sorafenib. MMPs inhibition profiling of the hits revealed MMP-9 over -2 and MMP-10 over -13 selectivity. 6b and 6e were potent (IC50 = 0.139 and 0.136 µM), safe (SI up to 6.77) and superior to sorafenib (IC50 = 0.506 µM, SI = 6.27) against A549 cells. When combined with sorafenib, the studied MMP inhibitors enhanced its cytotoxic efficacy up to 26 folds as confirmed by CI and DRI values for 6b (CI = 0.160 and DRI = 22.175) and 6e (CI = 0.096 and DRI = 29.060). 6b and 6e exerted anti-invasive activities in A549 cells as single agents (22.66 and 39.67 %) and in sorafenib combinations (29.96 and 91.83 %) compared to untreated control. Both compounds downregulated VEGF in A549 cells by approximately 70 % when combined with sorafenib, highlighting enhanced anti-angiogenic activities. Collectively, combinations of 6b and 6e with sorafenib demonstrated synergistic NSCLC cytotoxicity with pronounced anti-invasive and anti-angiogenic activities introducing a promising start point for preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hosam H Khalil
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21321, Egypt
| | - Mohamed M El-Sheshtawy
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21321, Egypt
| | - Sherine N Khattab
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21321, Egypt.
| | - Marwa M Abu-Serie
- Medical Biotechnology Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Egypt
| | - Michael G Shehat
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, 21521 Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Teleb
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, 21521 Alexandria, Egypt; Cancer Nanotechnology Research Laboratory (CNRL), Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, 21521 Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Nesreen S Haiba
- Department of Physics and Chemistry, Faculty of Education, Alexandria University, Egypt
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Zheng LY, Da YX, Luo X, Zhang X, Sun ZJ, Dong DL. Sorafenib extends the lifespan of C. elegans through mitochondrial uncoupling mechanism. Free Radic Biol Med 2024; 214:101-113. [PMID: 38360276 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2024.02.008] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Sorafenib is a targeted anticancer drug in clinic. Low-dose sorafenib has been reported to activate AMPK through inducing mitochondrial uncoupling without detectable toxicities. AMPK activation has been the approach for extending lifespan, therefore, we investigated the effect of sorafenib on lifespan and physical activity of C. elegans and the underlying mechanisms. In the present study, we found that the effect of sorafenib on C. elegans lifespan was typically hermetic. Sorafenib treatment at higher concentrations (100 μM) was toxic but at lower concentrations (1, 2.5, 5 μM) was beneficial to C. elegans. Sorafenib (1 μM) treatment for whole-life period extended C. elegans lifespan and improved C. elegans physical activity as manifested by increasing pharyngeal pumping and body movement, preserving intestinal barrier integrity, muscle fibers organization and mitochondrial morphology. In addition, sorafenib (1 μM) treatment enhanced C. elegans stress resistance. Sorafenib activated AMPK through inducing mitochondrial uncoupling in C. elegans. Sorafenib treatment activated DAF-16, SKN-1, and increased SOD-3, HSP-16.2, GST-4 expression in C. elegans. Sorafenib treatment induced AMPK-dependent autophagy in C. elegans. We conclude that low-dose sorafenib protects C. elegans against aging through activating AMPK/DAF-16 dependent anti-oxidant pathways and stimulating autophagy responses. Low-dose sorafenib could be a strategy for treating aging and aging-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu-Yao Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan-Xin Da
- Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiu Luo
- Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Jie Sun
- Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
| | - De-Li Dong
- Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
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Pal S, Kabeer SW, Sharma S, Tikoo K. l-Methionine potentiates anticancer activity of Sorafenib by epigenetically altering DUSP3/ERK pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 2024; 38:e23663. [PMID: 38367245 DOI: 10.1002/jbt.23663] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cancer-related cause of death worldwide. Although Sorafenib is the standard systemic therapy for treating HCC, but it develops resistance very quickly, leading to poor prognosis. The current study was planned to explore the effect of l-methionine on the anticancer activity of Sorafenib in HCC. Ten millimolar of l-methionine treatment significantly reduced the IC50 of Sorafenib from 5.513 ± 0.171 to 0.8095 ± 0.0465 µM in HepG2 cell line. It also resulted in concomitant increase in oxidative stress and deactivation of ERK/AMPK/AKT pathway. Additionally, it also resulted in the increased expression of dual specificity phosphatase 3 (DUSP3). In a rat model of sorafenib-resistant HCC induced by diethylnitrosamine (DEN) (100 mg/L/day) and Sorafenib (10 mg/kg), l-methionine (300 and 500 mg/kg/day) supplementation overcame the drug resistance, as indicated by the reduced formation of surface tumor nodules, prevention of cellular hypertrophy, hyperplasia and inflammation, and improved animal survival. Furthermore, l-methionine in combination with Sorafenib also inhibited AMPK/AKT and ERK pathway. At chromatin level, l-methionine supplementation prevented global methylation of H3K27me3, an inactivation mark, and demethylation of H3K36me2, an activation mark. Interestingly, our findings suggest that inhibition of the ERK pathway via increased activity of DUSP3 is epigenetically regulated. Besides, chromatin immunoprecipitation data exhibited augmented H3K36me2 (an activation mark) levels on the DUSP3 promoter region. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to report that l-methionine supplementation improves the chemosensitivity in Sorafenib-resistant HCC via modulating the epigenetic landscape and can be a potential therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swagata Pal
- Laboratory of Epigenetics and Diseases, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar (Mohali), Punjab, India
| | - Shaheen Wasil Kabeer
- Laboratory of Epigenetics and Diseases, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar (Mohali), Punjab, India
| | - Shivam Sharma
- Laboratory of Epigenetics and Diseases, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar (Mohali), Punjab, India
| | - Kulbhushan Tikoo
- Laboratory of Epigenetics and Diseases, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar (Mohali), Punjab, India
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Pei YX, Su CG, Liao Z, Li WW, Wang ZX, Liu JL. Comparative effectiveness of several adjuvant therapies after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma patients with microvascular invasion. World J Gastrointest Surg 2024; 16:554-570. [PMID: 38463369 PMCID: PMC10921205 DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.v16.i2.554] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND For resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), radical hepatectomy is commonly used as a curative treatment. However, postoperative recurrence significantly diminishes the overall survival (OS) of HCC patients, especially with microvascular invasion (MVI) as an independent high-risk factor for recurrence. While some studies suggest that postoperative adjuvant therapy may decrease the risk of recurrence following liver resection in HCC patients, the specific role of adjuvant therapies in those with MVI remains unclear. AIM To conduct a network meta-analysis (NMA) to evaluate the efficacy of various adjuvant therapies and determine the optimal adjuvant regimen. METHODS A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science until April 6, 2023. Studies comparing different adjuvant therapies or comparing adjuvant therapy with hepatectomy alone were included. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals were used to combine data on recurrence free survival and OS in both pairwise meta-analyses and NMA. RESULTS Fourteen eligible trials (2268 patients) reporting five different therapies were included. In terms of reducing the risk of recurrence, radiotherapy (RT) [HR = 0.34 (0.23, 0.5); surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) = 97.7%] was found to be the most effective adjuvant therapy, followed by hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy [HR = 0.52 (0.35, 0.76); SUCRA = 65.1%]. Regarding OS improvement, RT [HR: 0.35 (0.2, 0.61); SUCRA = 93.1%] demonstrated the highest effectiveness, followed by sorafenib [HR = 0.48 (0.32, 0.69); SUCRA = 70.9%]. CONCLUSION Adjuvant therapy following hepatectomy may reduce the risk of recurrence and provide a survival benefit for HCC patients with MVI. RT appears to be the most effective adjuvant regimen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin-Xuan Pei
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde 067000, Hebei Province, China
| | - Chen-Guang Su
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde 067000, Hebei Province, China
| | - Zheng Liao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde 067000, Hebei Province, China
| | - Wei-Wei Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde 067000, Hebei Province, China
| | - Zi-Xiang Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde 067000, Hebei Province, China
| | - Jin-Long Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde 067000, Hebei Province, China
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Da X, Cao B, Mo J, Xiang Y, Hu H, Qiu C, Zhang C, Lv B, Zhang H, He C, Yang Y. Inhibition of growth of hepatocellular carcinoma by co-delivery of anti-PD-1 antibody and sorafenib using biomimetic nano-platelets. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:273. [PMID: 38409035 PMCID: PMC10898182 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12006-1] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traditional nanodrug delivery systems have some limitations, such as eliciting immune responses and inaccuracy in targeting tumor microenvironments. MATERIALS AND METHODS Targeted drugs (Sorafenib, Sora) nanometers (hollow mesoporous silicon, HMSN) were designed, and then coated with platelet membranes to form aPD-1-PLTM-HMSNs@Sora to enhance the precision of drug delivery systems to the tumor microenvironment, so that more effective immunotherapy was achieved. RESULTS These biomimetic nanoparticles were validated to have the same abilities as platelet membranes (PLTM), including evading the immune system. The successful coating of HMSNs@Sora with PLTM was corroborated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), western blot and confocal laser microscopy. The affinity of aPD-1-PLTM-HMSNs@Sora to tumor cells was stronger than that of HMSNs@Sora. After drug-loaded particles were intravenously injected into hepatocellular carcinoma model mice, they were demonstrated to not only directly activate toxic T cells, but also increase the triggering release of Sora. The combination of targeted therapy and immunotherapy was found to be of gratifying antineoplastic function on inhibiting primary tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS The aPD-1-PLTM-HMSNs@Sora nanocarriers that co-delivery of aPD-1 and Sorafenib integrates unique biomimetic properties and excellent targeting performance, and provides a neoteric idea for drug delivery of personalized therapy for primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanbo Da
- Center of Gallbladder Disease, Shanghai East Hospital, Institute of Gallstone Disease, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 200092, Shanghai, China
| | - Bangping Cao
- School and Hospital of Stomatology, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Tooth Restoration and Regeneration, Tongji University, 200072, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiantao Mo
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, 710061, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yukai Xiang
- Center of Gallbladder Disease, Shanghai East Hospital, Institute of Gallstone Disease, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 200092, Shanghai, China
| | - Hai Hu
- Center of Gallbladder Disease, Shanghai East Hospital, Institute of Gallstone Disease, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 200092, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen Qiu
- Center of Gallbladder Disease, Shanghai East Hospital, Institute of Gallstone Disease, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 200092, Shanghai, China
| | - Cheng Zhang
- Center of Gallbladder Disease, Shanghai East Hospital, Institute of Gallstone Disease, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 200092, Shanghai, China
| | - Beining Lv
- Center of Gallbladder Disease, Shanghai East Hospital, Institute of Gallstone Disease, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 200092, Shanghai, China
| | - Honglei Zhang
- Center of Gallbladder Disease, Shanghai East Hospital, Institute of Gallstone Disease, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 200092, Shanghai, China
| | - Chuanqi He
- Center of Gallbladder Disease, Shanghai East Hospital, Institute of Gallstone Disease, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 200092, Shanghai, China
| | - Yulong Yang
- Center of Gallbladder Disease, Shanghai East Hospital, Institute of Gallstone Disease, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 200092, Shanghai, China.
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Chen HC, Kuo CY, Chang Y, Tsai DL, Lee MH, Lee JY, Lee HM, Su YC. 5-Methoxytryptophan enhances the sensitivity of sorafenib on the inhibition of proliferation and metastasis for lung cancer cells. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:248. [PMID: 38388902 PMCID: PMC10885375 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-11986-4] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and effective therapies are limited. Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide with limited effective therapy. Sorafenib is a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor frequently used to treat numerous types of malignant tumors. However, it has been demonstrated that sorafenib showed moderate antitumor activity and is associated with several side effects in lung cancer, which restricted its clinical application. This study aimed to examine the antitumor effect of the combination treatment of sorafenib and 5-methoxytryptophan (5-MTP) on cell growth and metastasis of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells. METHOD The anticancer effect of the combination treatment of sorafenib and 5-MTP was determined through cytotoxicity assay and colony forming assays. The mechanism was elucidated using flow cytometry and western blotting. Wound healing and Transwell assays were conducted to evaluate the impact of the combination treatment on migration and invasion abilities. An in vivo model was employed to analyze the effect of the combination treatment on the tumorigenic ability of LLC cells. RESULT Our results demonstrated that the sorafenib and 5-MTP combination synergistically reduced viability and proliferation compared to sorafenib or 5-MTP treatment alone. Reduction of cyclin D1 expression was observed in the sorafenib alone or combination treatments, leading to cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, the sorafenib-5-MTP combination significantly increased the inhibitory effect on migration and invasion of LLC cells compared to the single treatments. The combination also significantly downregulated vimentin and MMP9 levels, contributing to the inhibition of metastasis. The reduction of phosphorylated Akt and STAT3 expression may further contribute to the inhibitory effect on proliferation and metastasis. In vivo, the sorafenib-5-MTP combination further reduced tumor growth and metastasis compared to the treatment of sorafenib alone. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, our data indicate that 5-MTP sensitizes the antitumor activity of sorafenib in LLC cells in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that sorafenib-5-MTP has the potential to serve as a therapeutic option for patients with lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huang-Chi Chen
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Siaogang Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Yu Kuo
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Siaogang Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yu Chang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine for International Students, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Dong-Lin Tsai
- Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Division of Chest Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Hsuan Lee
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Jui-Ying Lee
- Division of Chest Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Ming Lee
- Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, E-Da Cancer Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chieh Su
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
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Stefanini B, Bucci L, Santi V, Reggidori N, Lani L, Granito A, Pelizzaro F, Cabibbo G, Di Marco M, Ghittoni G, Campani C, Svegliati-Baroni G, Foschi FG, Giannini EG, Biasini E, Saitta C, Magalotti D, Sangiovanni A, Guarino M, Gasbarrini A, Rapaccini GL, Masotto A, Sacco R, Vidili G, Mega A, Azzaroli F, Nardone G, Brandi G, Sabbioni S, Vitale A, Trevisani F. Sorafenib and Metronomic Capecitabine in Child-Pugh B patients with advanced HCC: A real-life comparison with best supportive care. Dig Liver Dis 2024:S1590-8658(24)00242-1. [PMID: 38341377 DOI: 10.1016/j.dld.2024.01.199] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The efficacy of systemic therapy for unresectable advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC) has not been proven in patients with Child-Pugh (C-P) B cirrhosis. Nevertheless, in real-world these patients are treated both with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and with metronomic capecitabine (MC). This study aimed to compare sorafenib and MC outcomes versus best supportive care (BSC) in C-P B patients. METHOD Between 2008 and 2020, among 774 C-P B patients with aHCC not amenable/responsive to locoregional treatments, 410 underwent sorafenib, 62 MC, and 302 BSC. The propensity score matching method was used to correct the baseline unbalanced prognostic factors. RESULTS In the unmatched population, median OS was 9.7 months in patients treated with sorafenib, 8.0 with MC, and 3.9 months with BSC. In sorafenib vs. BSC-matched patients (135 couples), median OS was 7.3 (4.9-9.6) vs. 3.9 (2.6-5.2) months (p<0.001). ECOG-Performance Status, tumor size, macrovascular invasion, AFP, treatment-naive, and sorafenib were independent predictors of survival. In MC vs. BSC-matched patients (40 couples), median OS was 9.0 (0.2-17.8) vs.3.0 (2.2-3.8) months (p<0.001). Median OS did not differ (p = 0.283) in sorafenib vs. MC-matched patients (55 couples). CONCLUSION C-P B patients with aHCC undergoing BSC have poor survival. Both Sorafenib and MC treatment improve their prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Stefanini
- Unit of Semeiotics, Liver and Alcohol-related diseases, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Laura Bucci
- Unit of Semeiotics, Liver and Alcohol-related diseases, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Valentina Santi
- Unit of Semeiotics, Liver and Alcohol-related diseases, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Nicola Reggidori
- Unit of Semeiotics, Liver and Alcohol-related diseases, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Lani
- Unit of Semeiotics, Liver and Alcohol-related diseases, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandro Granito
- Division of Internal Medicine, Hepatobiliary Diseases and Immunoallergology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Filippo Pelizzaro
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Cabibbo
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother & Child Care, Internal Medicine & Medical Specialties, PROMISE, Gastroenterology & Hepatology Unit, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | | | | | - Claudia Campani
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Internal Medicine and Hepatology Unit, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | | | - Edoardo G Giannini
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Gastroenterology Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Biasini
- Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Carlo Saitta
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Clinical and Molecular Hepatology Unit, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Donatella Magalotti
- Division of Internal Medicine, Neurovascular and Hepatometabolic Diseases, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Angelo Sangiovanni
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale maggiore Policlinico and C.R.C. "A.M. & A. Migliavacca Center for Liver Disease", Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Guarino
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Diseases of the Liver and Biliary System Unit, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Gasbarrini
- Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome
| | | | - Alberto Masotto
- Gastroenterology Unit, Ospedale Sacro Cuore Don Calabria, Negrar, Italy
| | - Rodolfo Sacco
- Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy Unit, Foggia University Hospital, Foggia, Italy
| | - Gianpaolo Vidili
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, Clinica Medica Unit, University of Sassari, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Andrea Mega
- Gastroenterology Unit, Bolzano Regional Hospital, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Francesco Azzaroli
- Gastroenterology Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Gerardo Nardone
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Hepato-Gastroenterology Unit, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Brandi
- Unit of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Simone Sabbioni
- Unit of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandro Vitale
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Franco Trevisani
- Unit of Semeiotics, Liver and Alcohol-related diseases, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Unit of Semeiotics, Liver and Alcohol-related diseases, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
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Theerawatanasirikul S, Lueangaramkul V, Semkum P, Lekcharoensuk P. Antiviral mechanisms of sorafenib against foot-and-mouth disease virus via c-RAF and AKT/PI3K pathways. Vet Res Commun 2024; 48:329-343. [PMID: 37697209 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-023-10211-0] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is a highly contagious pathogen that poses a significant threat to the global livestock industry. However, specific antiviral treatments against FMDV are currently unavailable. This study aimed to evaluate the antiviral activity of anticancer drugs, including kinase and non-kinase inhibitors against FMDV replication in BHK-21 cells. Sorafenib, a multi-kinase inhibitor, demonstrated a significant dose-dependent reduction in FMDV replication. It exhibited a half maximal effective concentration (EC50) value of 2.46 µM at the pre-viral entry stage and 2.03 µM at the post-viral entry stage. Further intracellular assays revealed that sorafenib effectively decreased 3Dpol activity with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 155 nM, while not affecting 3Cpro function. The study indicates that sorafenib influences host protein pathways during FMDV infection, primarily by potentiating the c-RAF canonical pathway and AKT/PI3K pathway. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated specific binding of sorafenib to the active site of FMDV 3Dpol, interacting with crucial catalytic residues, including D245, D338, S298, and N307. Additionally, sorafenib exhibited significant binding affinity to the active site motifs of cellular kinases, namely c-RAF, AKT, and PI3K, which play critical roles in the viral life cycle. The findings suggest that sorafenib holds promise as a therapeutic agent against FMDV infection. Its mechanism of action may involve inhibiting FMDV replication by reducing 3Dpol activity and regulating cellular kinases. This study provides insights for the development of novel therapeutic strategies to combat FMDV infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirin Theerawatanasirikul
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
| | - Varanya Lueangaramkul
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Ploypailin Semkum
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Center of Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Porntippa Lekcharoensuk
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
- Center of Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
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Mangla A, Agarwal N, Schwartz G. Desmoid Tumors: Current Perspective and Treatment. Curr Treat Options Oncol 2024; 25:161-175. [PMID: 38270798 PMCID: PMC10873447 DOI: 10.1007/s11864-024-01177-5] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
OPINION STATEMENT Desmoid tumors are rare tumors with a tendency to infiltrate locally. The lack of a standard treatment approach makes choosing the most appropriate treatment for patients challenging. Most experts recommend watchful observation for asymptomatic patients as spontaneous regression of tumor is observed in up to 20% of patients. Upfront resection of the desmoid tumor has fallen out of favor due to high morbidity and high relapse rates associated with the tumor. Systemic therapy has evolved over several decades. Where chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were used over the last several decades, tyrosine kinase inhibitors came to the forefront within the last decade. Most recently, gamma-secretase inhibitors have shown significant clinical benefit in patients with desmoid tumors, bringing forth an entirely new mechanistic approach. Several Wnt pathway inhibitors are also under development. Invasive approaches like cryoablation have also shown clinical benefit in patients with extra-abdominal desmoid tumors in recent years. The recent approval of nirogacestat has ushered in a new era of treatment for patients diagnosed with desmoid tumors. Several new molecules are expected to be approved over the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Mangla
- University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Lakeside Suite#1200, Room 1243, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
| | - Nikki Agarwal
- Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospitals, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Gary Schwartz
- University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Lakeside Suite#1200, Room 1243, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
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Pinto TAM, Saito HPA, Nourani CL, Ataide EC, Boin IFSF, Lourenco GJ, Lima CSP. Clinicopathological Aspects and Inflammation-Immune Markers in Alcohol and/or Hepatitis C Virus-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Treated With Sorafenib. Gastroenterology Res 2024; 17:23-31. [PMID: 38463146 PMCID: PMC10923249 DOI: 10.14740/gr1689] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Tyrosine kinase inhibitors have been used to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the outcomes of patients under treatment vary. Since the roles of clinicopathological aspects and markers of chronic inflammation/immune homeostasis in the outcome of HCC patients treated with sorafenib are still unclear, these were the aims of this study. Methods Patients with alcohol-induced and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced HCC (n = 182) uniformly treated with sorafenib were included in the study. Baseline clinicopathological aspects of patients were computed from the medical records. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) were obtained from the hematological exam performed before the administration of sorafenib. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier probabilities, log-rank test, and univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard ratio (HR) analyses. Results In multivariate analysis, alpha-foetoprotein (AFP) level and Child-Pugh score were predictors of OS. Patients with AFP levels higher than 157 ng/mL and Child-Pugh B or C had 1.40 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03 - 1.91, P = 0.03) and 1.64 (95% CI: 1.07 - 2.52, P = 0.02) more chances of evolving to death than the remaining patients, respectively. NLR, PLR, LMR, SIRI, and SII did not alter the OS of HCC patients. Conclusions AFP level and Child-Pugh score act as independent prognostic factors in patients with alcohol and/or HCV-induced HCC treated with sorafenib, but markers of chronic inflammation/immune homeostasis seem not to alter the outcome of patients with HCC induced by alcohol and/or HCV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Alexandre Martins Pinto
- Clinical Oncology Service, Department of Anesthesiology, Oncology, and Radiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Helena Paes Almeida Saito
- Clinical Oncology Service, Department of Anesthesiology, Oncology, and Radiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carolina Lopes Nourani
- Clinical Oncology Service, Department of Anesthesiology, Oncology, and Radiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Elaine Cristina Ataide
- Department of Surgery, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Gustavo Jacob Lourenco
- Laboratory of Cancer Genetics; School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carmen Silvia Passos Lima
- Clinical Oncology Service, Department of Anesthesiology, Oncology, and Radiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Cancer Genetics; School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Tong LW, Le JQ, Song XH, Li CL, Yu SJ, Lin YQ, Tu YF, Shao JW. Synergistic anti-tumor effect of dual drug co-assembled nanoparticles based on ursolic acid and sorafenib. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2024; 234:113724. [PMID: 38183870 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2023.113724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
Both ursolic acid (UA) and sorafenib (Sora) have been generally utilized in cancer treatment, and the combination of the two has also shown a good anti-tumor effect. However, single-agent therapy for Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has the disadvantages of multi-drug resistance, poor water solubility and low bioavailability, and the application of traditional nanocarrier materials is limited due to their low drug loading and low carrier-related toxicity. Therefore, we prepared US NPs with different proportions of UA and Sora by solvent exchange method for achieving synergistic HCC therapy. US NPs had suitable particle size, good dispersibility and storage stability, which synergistically inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells, SMMC7721 cells and H22 cells. In addition, we also proved that US NPs were able to suppress the migration of HepG2 cells and SMMC7721 cells and reduce the adhesion ability and colony formation ability of these cells. According to the results, US NPs could degrade the membrane potential of mitochondrial, participate in cell apoptosis, and synergistically induce autophagy. Collectively, the carrier-free US NPs provide new strategies for HCC treatment and new ideas for the development of novel nano-drug delivery systems containing UA and Sora.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Wu Tong
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Jing-Qing Le
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Xun-Huan Song
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Cheng-Lei Li
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Shi-Jing Yu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Ying-Qi Lin
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Yi-Fan Tu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Jing-Wei Shao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China.
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Wang J, Su Q, Chen K, Wu Q, Ren J, Tang W, Hu Y, Zhu Z, Cheng C, Tu K, He H, Zhang Y. Pyrimethamine upregulates BNIP3 to interfere SNARE-mediated autophagosome-lysosomal fusion in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Pharm Anal 2024; 14:211-224. [PMID: 38464783 PMCID: PMC10921246 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpha.2023.05.014] [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: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common tumor types and remains a major clinical challenge. Increasing evidence has revealed that mitophagy inhibitors can enhance the effect of chemotherapy on HCC. However, few mitophagy inhibitors have been approved for clinical use in humans. Pyrimethamine (Pyr) is used to treat infections caused by protozoan parasites. Recent studies have reported that Pyr may be beneficial in the treatment of various tumors. However, its mechanism of action is still not clearly defined. Here, we found that blocking mitophagy sensitized cells to Pyr-induced apoptosis. Mechanistically, Pyr potently induced the accumulation of autophagosomes by inhibiting autophagosome-lysosome fusion in human HCC cells. In vitro and in vivo studies revealed that Pyr blocked autophagosome-lysosome fusion by upregulating BNIP3 to inhibit synaptosomal-associated protein 29 (SNAP29)-vesicle-associated membrane protein 8 (VAMP8) interaction. Moreover, Pyr acted synergistically with sorafenib (Sora) to induce apoptosis and inhibit HCC proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Pyr enhances the sensitivity of HCC cells to Sora, a common chemotherapeutic, by inhibiting mitophagy. Thus, these results provide new insights into the mechanism of action of Pyr and imply that Pyr could potentially be further developed as a novel mitophagy inhibitor. Notably, Pyr and Sora combination therapy could be a promising treatment for malignant HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Qi Su
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Kun Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Qing Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Jiayan Ren
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Wenjuan Tang
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Yu Hu
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Zeren Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Cheng Cheng
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Kaihui Tu
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Huaizhen He
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Yanmin Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
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Emiloju OE, Yin J, Koubek E, Reid JM, Borad MJ, Lou Y, Seetharam M, Edelman MJ, Sausville EA, Jiang Y, Kaseb AO, Posey JA, Davis SL, Gores GJ, Roberts LR, Takebe N, Schwartz GK, Hendrickson AEW, Kaufmann SH, Adjei AA, Hubbard JM, Costello BA. Phase 1 trial of navitoclax and sorafenib in patients with relapsed or refractory solid tumors with hepatocellular carcinoma expansion cohort. Invest New Drugs 2024; 42:127-135. [PMID: 38270822 DOI: 10.1007/s10637-024-01420-8] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Navitoclax (ABT-263) is an oral BCL2 homology-3 mimetic that binds with high affinity to pro-survival BCL2 proteins, resulting in apoptosis. Sorafenib, an oral multi kinase inhibitor also promotes apoptosis and inhibits tumor angiogenesis. The efficacy of either agent alone is limited; however, preclinical studies demonstrate synergy with the combination of navitoclax and sorafenib. In this phase 1 study, we evaluated the combination of navitoclax and sorafenib in a dose escalation cohort of patients with refractory solid tumors, with an expansion cohort in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was determined using the continual reassessment method. Navitoclax and sorafenib were administered continuously on days 1 through 21 of 21-day cycles. Ten patients were enrolled in the dose escalation cohort and 15 HCC patients were enrolled in the expansion cohort. Two dose levels were tested, and the MTD was navitoclax 150 mg daily plus sorafenib 400 mg twice daily. Among all patients, the most common grade 3 toxicity was thrombocytopenia (5 patients, 20%): there were no grade 4 or 5 toxicities. Patients received a median of 2 cycles (range 1-36 cycles) and all patients were off study treatment at data cut off. Six patients in the expansion cohort had stable disease, and there were no partial or complete responses. Drug-drug interaction between navitoclax and sorafenib was not observed. The combination of navitoclax and sorafenib did not increase induction of apoptosis compared with navitoclax alone. Navitoclax plus sorafenib is tolerable but showed limited efficacy in the HCC expansion cohort. These findings do not support further development of this combination for the treatment of advanced HCC. This phase I trial was conducted under ClinicalTrials.gov registry number NCT01364051.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwadunni E Emiloju
- Division of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Jun Yin
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Emily Koubek
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (MPET), Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Joel M Reid
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (MPET), Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Mitesh J Borad
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Mayo Clinic, 5881 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, AZ, 85054, USA
| | - Yanyan Lou
- Department of Hematology & Oncology, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Mahesh Seetharam
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Mayo Clinic, 5881 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, AZ, 85054, USA
| | - Martin J Edelman
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19111, USA
| | - Edward A Sausville
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 22 S. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Yixing Jiang
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 22 S. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Ahmed O Kaseb
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - James A Posey
- Department of Medical Oncology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - Sarah L Davis
- University of Colorado Cancer Center - Anschutz Medical Campus, 1665 Aurora Ct, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Gregory J Gores
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Lewis R Roberts
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Naoko Takebe
- Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (DCTD), National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Gary K Schwartz
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | | | - Scott H Kaufmann
- Division of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (MPET), Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Alex A Adjei
- Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA
| | - Joleen M Hubbard
- Division of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Brian A Costello
- Division of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
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Li J, Zhu C, Zhang Z, Zheng X, Wang C, Zhang H. Paeoniflorin increases the anti-tumor efficacy of sorafenib in tumor-bearing mice with liver cancer via suppressing the NF-κb/PD-l1 axis. Heliyon 2024; 10:e24461. [PMID: 38312647 PMCID: PMC10835185 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24461] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Sorafenib (Sor) represents a first-line therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, its efficacy is constrained by secondary failure, which limits its clinical use. Recent studies have indicated that the suppression of Programmed cell death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) may potentiate Sor's anti-liver cancer effects; furthermore, PD-L1 expression is known to be regulated by NF-κB. Previous research has demonstrated that paeoniflorin (PF) downregulates the NF-κB axis, nevertheless, current research has not yet determined whether PF can synergistically enhance the efficacy of Sor against HCC by modulating the NF-κB/PD-L1 pathway. Methods The study employed a H22 hepatoma-bearing mouse model, which was treated with PF, Sor, and their combination over a period of 12 days. The impact of PF and Sor on tumor growth, proliferation, apoptosis, T-cell subsets, IL-2 and IFN-γ production, and NF-κB and PD-L1 expression was assessed. Moreover, Splenic lymphocyte from normal mice and tumor cells from model mice were co-cultured in vitro, and the tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity was analyzed. In the final phase of the study, Huh-7 cells were stimulated with PF in combination with an NF-κB activator or inhibitor, and the subsequent production of NF-κB and PD-L1 was investigated. Results PF and Sor exhibit a synergistic anti-tumor effect, compared to the use of Sor alone, the combined use of PF and Sor significantly increased the number of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in tumor tissue, markedly enhanced the cytotoxic activity of tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes, and reversed the depletion of interleukin-2 and the increase in PD-L1 expression following Sor intervention. This combination also further reduced the level of IFN-γ in peripheral blood and the expression of NF-κB and PD-L1 in tumor tissue. Additionally, in vitro experiments confirmed that PF reduces the expression of PD-L1 in Huh-7 liver cancer cells by inhibiting NF-κB. Conclusions PF plays a synergistic role of Sor inhibiting HCC progression by regulating the NF-κB/PD-L1 pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfei Li
- Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine and Cancer (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310022, China
| | - Chenghui Zhu
- Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui, 241000, China
| | - Zengyu Zhang
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University No. 548, Binwen Road, Binjiang District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310053, China
| | - Xiaorong Zheng
- Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine and Cancer (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310022, China
| | - Chunlei Wang
- Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine and Cancer (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310022, China
| | - Hongyan Zhang
- Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine and Cancer (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310022, China
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Pan M, Luo M, Liu L, Chen Y, Cheng Z, Wang K, Huang L, Tang N, Qiu J, Huang A, Xia J. EGR1 suppresses HCC growth and aerobic glycolysis by transcriptionally downregulating PFKL. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:35. [PMID: 38287371 PMCID: PMC10823730 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-024-02957-5] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is a matter of great global public health importance; however, its current therapeutic effectiveness is deemed inadequate, and the range of therapeutic targets is limited. The aim of this study was to identify early growth response 1 (EGR1) as a transcription factor target in HCC and to explore its role and assess the potential of gene therapy utilizing EGR1 for the management of HCC. METHODS In this study, both in vitro and in vivo assays were employed to examine the impact of EGR1 on the growth of HCC. The mouse HCC model and human organoid assay were utilized to assess the potential of EGR1 as a gene therapy for HCC. Additionally, the molecular mechanism underlying the regulation of gene expression and the suppression of HCC growth by EGR1 was investigated. RESULTS The results of our investigation revealed a notable decrease in the expression of EGR1 in HCC. The decrease in EGR1 expression promoted the multiplication of HCC cells and the growth of xenografted tumors. On the other hand, the excessive expression of EGR1 hindered the proliferation of HCC cells and repressed the development of xenografted tumors. Furthermore, the efficacy of EGR1 gene therapy was validated using in vivo mouse HCC models and in vitro human hepatoma organoid models, thereby providing additional substantiation for the anti-cancer role of EGR1 in HCC. The mechanistic analysis demonstrated that EGR1 interacted with the promoter region of phosphofructokinase-1, liver type (PFKL), leading to the repression of PFKL gene expression and consequent inhibition of PFKL-mediated aerobic glycolysis. Moreover, the sensitivity of HCC cells and xenografted tumors to sorafenib was found to be increased by EGR1. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that EGR1 possesses therapeutic potential as a tumor suppressor gene in HCC, and that EGR1 gene therapy may offer benefits for HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingang Pan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Muyu Luo
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Lele Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Yunmeng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Ziyi Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Luyi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Ni Tang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Jianguo Qiu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
| | - Ailong Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
| | - Jie Xia
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
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Yang HJ, Ye B, Liao JX, Lei L, Chen K. Sorafenib plus transarterial chemoembolization vs sorafenib alone for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis. World J Hepatol 2024; 16:91-102. [PMID: 38313249 PMCID: PMC10835483 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v16.i1.91] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although the past decade has seen remarkable advances in treatment options for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the dismal overall prognosis still envelops HCC patients. Several comparative trials have been conducted to study whether transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) could improve clinical outcomes in patients receiving sorafenib for advanced HCC; however, the findings have been inconsistent. AIM To study the potential synergies and safety of sorafenib plus TACE vs sorafenib alone for treating advanced HCC, by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS This study was conducted following the PRISMA statement. A systematic literature search was conducted using the Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. Data included in the present work were collected from patients diagnosed with advanced HCC receiving sorafenib plus TACE or sorafenib alone. Data synthesis and meta-analysis were conducted using Review Manager software. RESULTS The present study included 2780 patients from five comparative clinical trials (1 was randomized control trial and 4 were retrospective studies). It was found that patients receiving sorafenib plus TACE had better prognoses in terms of overall survival (OS), with a combined hazard ratio (HR) of 0.65 [95% confidence interval (95%CI): 0.46-0.93, P = 0.02, n = 2780]. Consistently, progression free survival (PFS) and time to progression (TTP) differed significantly between the sorafenib plus TACE arm and sorafenib arm (PFS: HR = 0.62, 95%CI: 0.40-0.96, P = 0.03, n = 443; TTP: HR = 0.73, 95%CI: 0.64-0.83, P < 0.00001, n = 2451). Disease control rate (DCR) was also significantly increased by combination therapy (risk ratio = 1.36, 95%CI: 1.02-1.81, P = 0.04, n = 641). Regarding safety, the incidence of any adverse event (AE) was increased due to the addition of TACE; however, no significant difference was found in grade ≥ 3 AEs. CONCLUSION The combination of sorafenib with TACE has superior efficacy to sorafenib monotherapy, as evidenced by prolonged OS, PFS, and TTP, as well as increased DCR. Additional high-quality trials are essential to further validate the clinical benefit of this combination in the treatment of advanced HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Jie Yang
- Department of Radiology, The Sixth People's Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Bin Ye
- Department of Oncology, The Sixth People's Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Jia-Xu Liao
- Department of Radiology, The Sixth People's Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Lei Lei
- Department of Oncology, The Sixth People's Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Kai Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Taizhou People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou 225300, Jiangsu Province, China.
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