Synergistic effect of antimetabolic and chemotherapy drugs in triple-negative breast cancer

The triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype comprises approximately 15% of all breast cancers and is associated with poor long-term outcomes. Classical chemotherapy remains the standard of treatment, with toxicity and resistance being major limitations. TNBC is a high metabolic group, and antimetabolic drugs are effective in inhibiting TNBC cell growth. We analyzed the combined effect of chemotherapy and antimetabolic drug combinations in MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468 and HCC1143 human TNBC cell lines. Cells were treated with each drug or with drug combinations at a range of concentrations to establish the half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀). The dose-effects of each drug or drug combination were calculated, and the synergistic or antagonistic effects of drug combinations were defined. Chemotherapy and antimetabolic drugs exhibited growth inhibitory effects on TNBC cell lines. Antimetabolic drugs targeting the glycolysis pathway had a synergistic effect with chemotherapy drugs, and antiglycolysis drug combinations also had a synergistic effect. The use of these drug combinations could lead to new therapeutic strategies that reduce chemotherapy drug doses, decreasing their toxic effect, or that maintain the doses but enhance their efficacy by their synergistic effect with other drugs.

Metabolic Inhibitors as Antiparasitic Drugs: Pharmacological, Biochemical and Molecular Perspectives

BACKGROUND

Human diseases caused by the infectious parasites have been one of the major problems throughout the evolutionary journey. Protozoan and metazoan parasitic infections result in a large number of deaths, disabilities and socio-economic loss worldwide to date. Despite the best efforts for developing suitable antiparasitics, these infections take a massive toll on human health. The prevalence of emerging resistance to the existing drugs, lack of efficacy and toxic side effects are as added complications. Being enlisted under 'neglected' category, serious diseases like leishmaniasis, filariasis, trypanosomiasis etc. have failed to draw attention of the governments as well as the pharmaceutical companies. Thus, target specific as well as cost-convenient therapy needs to be employed for the treatment of these diseases and selective targeting of metabolic pathways appears to be the most promising mean.

METHODS

In this context, quality works have been explored for screening either anti-metabolic drugs or selective targets in different groups of parasites. Moreover, complete genome sequencing and metabolomic profiling have provided the initiatives to search for new lethal targets in parasites.

RESULTS

New metabolic targets are being reported from different organelles and other sub-cellular compartments of parasites such as mitochondrion, kinetoplast, apicoplast, glycosome, hydrogenosome, acidocalcisome, plasma membrane, cytoskeleton, etc. Herein, unique findings achieved in identifying new antimetabolic drugs or targets and studying their molecular mode of actions have been reviewed by incorporating existing and upcoming approaches.

CONCLUSION

Considering the alarming scenario of diseases caused by parasites globally, this paper provides a comprehensive review to the scientific community on the development of novel interventions based on metabolic targets to combat the challenges posed by parasites.