MCCK1 enhances the anticancer effect of temozolomide in attenuating the invasion, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of glioblastoma cells in vitro and in vivo

The impact of MCCK1, an inhibitor of IKBKE kinase, on acute B lymphocyte leukemia cells

B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is a malignant blood disorder, particularly detrimental to children and adolescents, with recurrent or unresponsive cases contributing significantly to cancer-associated fatalities. IKBKE, associated with innate immunity, tumor promotion, and drug resistance, remains poorly understood in the context of B-ALL. Thus, this research aimed to explore the impact of the IKBKE inhibitor MCCK1 on B-ALL cells. The study encompassed diverse experiments, including clinical samples, in vitro and in vivo investigations. Quantitative real-time fluorescence PCR and protein blotting revealed heightened IKBKE mRNA and protein expression in B-ALL patients. Subsequent in vitro experiments with B-ALL cell lines demonstrated that MCCK1 treatment resulted in reduced cell viability and survival rates, with flow cytometry indicating cell cycle arrest. In vivo experiments using B-ALL mouse tumor models substantiated MCCK1's efficacy in impeding tumor proliferation. These findings collectively suggest that IKBKE, found to be elevated in B-ALL patients, may serve as a promising drug target, with MCCK1 demonstrating potential for inducing apoptosis in B-ALL cells both in vitro and in vivo.

Advances in IKBKE as a potential target for cancer therapy

IKBKE (inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase subunit epsilon), a member of the nonclassical IKK family, plays an important role in the regulation of inflammatory reactions, activation and proliferation of immune cells, and metabolic diseases. Recent studies have demonstrated that IKBKE plays a crucial regulatory role in malignant tumor development. In recent years, IKBKE, an important oncoprotein in several kinds of tumors, has been widely found to regulate a variety of cytokines and signaling pathways. IKBKE promotes the growth, proliferation, invasion, and drug resistance of various cancers. This paper makes a detailed review that focuses on the recent discoveries of IKBKE in the malignant tumors, and puts forward that IKBKE is becoming an important therapeutic target for clinical treatment, which has been more and more realized.

MCCK1 enhances the anticancer effect of temozolomide in attenuating the invasion, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of glioblastoma cells in vitro and in vivo

Chemotherapy with temozolomide (TMZ) is the traditional treatment for glioblastoma (GBM). Nevertheless, majority of GBM patients have recurrence from resistance to the chemotherapy. Herein, we examined combinational effects of MCCK1 (a specific and effective IKKε inhibitor) with TMZ in GBM U251MG and U-87MG cell lines as well as U251MG xenograft models to overcome the therapeutic limitation of chemotherapy for GBM. Although MCCK1 alone showed inhibitory effects on in vitro proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT of U251MG and U-87MG cells, combination of MCCK1 and TMZ showed enhanced inhibitory effects. In the U251MG GBM xenograft models, MCCK1 showed synergistic therapeutic effects in combination with TMZ to reduce tumor volumes significantly. These data indicated that MCCK1 could be a candidate sensitizer to potentiate therapeutic effects of conventional cytotoxic treatment for GBM.