Cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1) polymorphisms are associated with clinical outcome of docetaxel in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients

Heme-thiolate monooxygenase cytochrome P450 1B1, an old dog with many new tricks

Cytochrome P450 CYP1B1 is a heme-thiolate monooxygenase traditionally recognized for its xenobiotic functions and extrahepatic expressions. Recent studies have suggested that CYP1B1 is also expressed in hepatic stellate cells, immune cells, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts within the tumor microenvironment, as well as tumor cells themselves. CYP1B1 is responsible for the metabolism of a wide range of substrates, including xenobiotics such as drugs, environmental chemicals, and endobiotics such as steroids, retinol, and fatty acids. Consequently, CYP1B1 and its associated exogenous and endogenous metabolites have been critically implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases. Understanding the mode of action of CYP1B1 in different pathophysiological conditions and developing pharmacological inhibitors that allow for systemic or cell type-specific modulation of CYP1B1 may pave the way for novel therapeutic opportunities. This review highlights the significant role of CYP1B1 in maintaining physiological homeostasis and provides a comprehensive discussion of recent advancements in our understanding of CYP1B1's involvement in the pathogenesis of diseases such as fibrosis, cancer, glaucoma, and metabolic disorders. Finally, the review emphasizes the therapeutic potential of targeting CYP1B1 for drug development, particularly in the treatment and prevention of cancers and liver fibrosis. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: CYP1B1 plays a critical role in various physiological processes. Dysregulation or genetic mutations of the gene encoding this enzyme can lead to health complications and may increase the risk of diseases such as cancer and liver fibrosis. In this review, we summarize recent preclinical and clinical evidence that underscores the potential of CYP1B1 as a therapeutic target.

A new insight into the aryl hydrocarbon receptor/cytochrome 450 signaling pathway in MG63, HOS, SAOS2, and U2OS cell lines

Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant tumor of bone, with rapid progressive growth, early distant metastases, and frequent recurrence after surgical treatment. Osteosarcoma is characterized by changes in the ratio and expression of different cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms that can affect the effectiveness of anticancer therapies. The inducible expression of CYP1 genes depends on the ligand-dependent functionality of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). In this study, we examined the AHR/CYP1 signaling pathway in four osteosarcoma cell lines (MG63, HOS, SAOS2, and U2OS) induced by the known AHR ligands: indirubin, indole-3-carbinol, and beta-naphthoflavone. Using qPCR and Western blot analysis, we explored the effects of these ligands on the expression of the CYP1 genes and studied the correlation between these responses and the changes in the mRNA and protein levels of AHR and the AHR nuclear translocator (ARNT) in these osteosarcoma cell lines. The results show that the AHR/CYP1 signaling pathway retains its function only in MG63 and HOS cells, and is impaired in SAOS2 and U2OS cells. Our data should be taken into account when recommending new strategies for the treatment of osteosarcoma and when evaluating new drugs against osteosarcoma in vitro.

Role of Genetic Polymorphisms in Drug-Metabolizing Enzyme-Mediated Toxicity and Pharmacokinetic Resistance to Anti-Cancer Agents: A Review on the Pharmacogenomics Aspect

The inter-individual differences in cancer susceptibility are somehow correlated with the genetic differences that are caused by the polymorphisms. These genetic variations in drug-metabolizing enzymes/drug-inactivating enzymes may negatively or positively affect the pharmacokinetic profile of chemotherapeutic agents that eventually lead to pharmacokinetic resistance and toxicity against anti-cancer drugs. For instance, the CYP1B1*3 allele is associated with CYP1B1 overexpression and consequent resistance to a variety of taxanes and platins, while 496T>G is associated with lower levels of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, which results in severe toxicities related to 5-fluorouracil. In this context, a pharmacogenomics approach can be applied to ascertain the role of the genetic make-up in a person's response to any drug. This approach collectively utilizes pharmacology and genomics to develop effective and safe medications that are devoid of resistance problems. In addition, recently reported genomics studies revealed the impact of many single nucleotide polymorphisms in tumors. These studies emphasized the importance of single nucleotide polymorphisms in drug-metabolizing enzymes on the effect of anti-tumor drugs. In this review, we discuss the pharmacogenomics aspect of polymorphisms in detail to provide an insight into the genetic manipulations in drug-metabolizing enzymes that are responsible for pharmacokinetic resistance or toxicity against well-known anti-cancer drugs. Special emphasis is placed on different deleterious single nucleotide polymorphisms and their effect on pharmacokinetic resistance. The information provided in this report may be beneficial to researchers, especially those who are working in the field of biotechnology and human genetics, in rationally manipulating the genetic information of patients with cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy to avoid the problem of pharmacokinetic resistance/toxicity associated with drug-metabolizing enzymes.

Genetic Association of CYP1B1 4326 C>G Polymorphism with Disease-Free Survival in TNBC Patients Undergoing TAC Chemotherapy Regimen

BACKGROUND

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) which is treated with taxane, adriamycin and cyclophosphamide (TAC) chemotherapy regimen show variation in treatment response. CYP1B1 4326 C>G polymorphism has been implicated in contributing to the differences in treatment response in various types of cancers.

AIM

The objective of the present study was to investigate whether this polymorphism modulate the risk of disease recurrence in TNBC patients undergoing TAC chemotherapy regimen.

METHODS

Blood samples of 76 immunohistochemistry confirmed TNBC patients were recruited. The genotyping of CYP1B1 4326 C>G polymorphism was carried out using PCR-RFLP technique. The genotype patterns were categorized into homozygous wildtype, heterozygous and homozygous variant. Kaplan-Meier analysis followed by Cox proportional hazard regression model were performed to evaluate the TNBC patients' recurrence risk.

RESULTS

Out of 76 TNBC patients, 25 (33.0%) showed disease recurrence after one-year evaluation. Kaplan Meier analysis showed that TNBC patients who are carriers of CYP1B1 4326 GG variant genotypes (37.0%) had a significantly lower probability of disease-free rates as compared to TNBC patients who are carriers of CYP1B1 4326 CC/CG genotypes (71.0%). Univariate and multivariate Cox analysis demonstrated that TNBC patients who carried CYP1B1 4326 GG variant genotype had a significantly higher risk of recurrence with HR: 2.50 and HR: 4.18 respectively, even after adjustment as compared to TNBC patients who were carriers of CYP1B1 4326 CC and CG genotypes.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrate the potential use of CYP1B1 4325 GG variant genotype as a candidate biomarker in predicting risk of recurrence in TNBC patients undergoing TAC chemotherapy regimen.

Investigating the influence of relevant pharmacogenetic variants on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of orally administered docetaxel combined with ritonavir

The anticancer drug docetaxel exhibits large interpatient pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic variability. In this study, we aimed to assess the functional significance of 14 polymorphisms in the CYP3A, CYP1B1, ABCB1, ABCC2, and SLCO1B3 genes for the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of oral docetaxel, co-administered with ritonavir. None of the tested CYP3A, ABCB1, ABCC2, and SLCO1B3 genotypes and diplotypes showed a significant relation with an altered bioavailability or clearance of either docetaxel or ritonavir. Similarly, no clear effect of CYP1B1 genotype on clinical outcomes was observed in a subgroup of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Our post hoc power analysis indicated that our pharmacogenetic-pharmacokinetic analysis was only powered for relatively high effect sizes, which were to be expected given the high interpatient variability. This makes it unlikely that future studies will explain the high observed interpatient variability in oral docetaxel pharmacokinetics as a result of any of these separate polymorphisms and diplotypes.

Inhibition of DNA Repair Pathways and Induction of ROS Are Potential Mechanisms of Action of the Small Molecule Inhibitor BOLD-100 in Breast Cancer

BOLD-100, a ruthenium-based complex, sodium trans-[tetrachloridobis (1H-indazole) ruthenate (III)] (also known as IT-139, NKP1339 or KP1339), is a novel small molecule drug that demonstrated a manageable safety profile at the maximum tolerated dose and modest antitumor activity in a phase I clinical trial. BOLD-100 has been reported to inhibit the upregulation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress sensing protein GRP78. However, response to BOLD-100 varies in different cancer models and the precise mechanism of action in high-response versus low-response cancer cells remains unclear. In vitro studies have indicated that BOLD-100 induces cytostatic rather than cytotoxic effects as a monotherapy. To understand BOLD-100-mediated signaling mechanism in breast cancer cells, we used estrogen receptor positive (ER+) MCF7 breast cancer cells to obtain gene-metabolite integrated models. At 100 μM, BOLD-100 significantly reduced cell proliferation and expression of genes involved in the DNA repair pathway. BOLD-100 also induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and phosphorylation of histone H2AX, gamma-H2AX (Ser139), suggesting disruption of proper DNA surveillance. In estrogen receptor negative (ER-) breast cancer cells, combination of BOLD-100 with a PARP inhibitor, olaparib, induced significant inhibition of cell growth and xenografts and increased gamma-H2AX. Thus, BOLD-100 is a novel DNA repair pathway targeting agent and can be used with other chemotherapies in ER- breast cancer.

Value of TTF-1 expression in non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer for assessing docetaxel monotherapy after chemotherapy failure

Docetaxel is one of the standard second/third-line treatments for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) following a failed response to prior cytotoxic chemotherapy. The predictive biomarker for the effectiveness of docetaxel therapy remains undetermined. However, thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) is known to be a good prognostic factor for a variety of chemotherapies. To investigate the association between TTF-1 expression and docetaxel monotherapy outcome, 82 patients with non-squamous NSCLC who received second/third-line docetaxel monotherapy were retrospectively screened. All backgrounds were well-balanced whether or not tumor TTF-1 was expressed, and the present clinical outcomes were similar to those reported by previous clinical studies. A better clinical outcome was indicated in TTF-1 positive compared with TTF-1 negative patients, with disease control rates of 69% vs. 42%, respectively (P=0.03) and median overall survival of 393 days vs. 221.5 days, respectively (P<0.01). Furthermore, progression free survival tended to be longer in TTF-1 positive compared with TTF-1 negative patients (median, 100 days vs. 67 days; P=0.09). Multivariate analysis revealed that TTF-1 positivity was a unique significant predictor for assessing overall survival after docetaxel monotherapy. TTF-1 positivity may be useful for predicting survival outcome in patients who received docetaxel monotherapy after failure of prior chemotherapy.

The ABCB1 3435C > T polymorphism influences docetaxel transportation in ovarian cancer

Objective

To investigate the effect of the ATP-binding cassette transporter superfamily B member 1 gene (ABCB1 ) 3435C > T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on docetaxel transportation in ovarian cancer cells.

Methods

ES-2 and SKOV3 cells were transfected with an ABCB1 3435C > T recombinant plasmid, and mRNA expression was detected by real-time PCR. The MTT assay was used to detect the toxicity of docetaxel. High-performance liquid chromatography determined the drug concentration in different cell models to evaluate intracellular accumulation, and a transmembrane resistance experiment was used to assess permeability and evaluate the effect of P-gp activity on drug transportation. A tumor-bearing mouse model was established to evaluate the effect of ABCB1 3435C > T on docetaxel resistance.

Results

P-gp was overexpressed in cells transfected with the ABCB1 3435C > T plasmid, leading to a significant increase in drug resistance to docetaxel. ABCB1 3435C/wild-type transfection significantly promoted the transport of docetaxel mediated by P-gp compared with ABCB1 3435T/mutant transfection.

Conclusion

P-gp encoded by the ABCB1 variant allele appears to be more efficient at transporting docetaxel compared with the wild-type allele. The ABCB1 3435C > T SNP dramatically affected the efflux ability of P-gp against docetaxel, and may influence P-gp expression and activity.

Pharmacogenetic variants and response to neoadjuvant single-agent doxorubicin or docetaxel: a study in locally advanced breast cancer patients participating in the NCT00123929 phase 2 randomized trial

OBJECTIVES

Taxanes and anthracyclines are widely used in the treatment of breast cancer, although the benefit is limited to a proportion of patients and predictive biomarkers for clinical outcome remain elusive.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We carried out a pharmacogenetic study in 181 patients with locally advanced breast cancer enrolled in a phase 2 randomized clinical trial (NCT00123929), where patients were randomly assigned to receive neoadjuvant single-agent docetaxel 100 mg/m(2) (n=84) or doxorubicin 75 mg/m(2) (n=97). We studied the association of 226 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 15 key drug biotransformation genes with neoadjuvant pathological tumor response residual cancer burden index to docetaxel and to doxorubicin.

RESULTS

We identified a significant association for rs162561, an intronic SNP located in the cytochrome P450 family 1 subfamily B member 1 (CYP1B1) gene, with tumor response in patients treated with single-agent docetaxel (dominant model: β=1.02, 95% confidence interval=0.49-1.55; P=1.77×10(-4)), and for rs717620, an SNP located in the promoter of the ATP-binding cassette subfamily C member 2 (ABCC2) gene, in patients treated with neoadjuvant doxorubicin (recessive model: β=1.67; 95% confidence interval=0.26-3.11; P=0.02).

CONCLUSION

We identified two polymorphisms in CYP1B1 and ABCC2 associated with tumor pathological response following docetaxel or doxorubicin neoadjuvant monotherapy, respectively. Although further validation is required, these variants could be potential predictive genetic markers for treatment outcome in breast cancer patients.

A genetic polymorphism in the CYP1B1 gene in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus: an Iranian Mashhad cohort study recruited over 10 years

Aim: Esophageal cancer is the eighth most common cancer globally and the seventh most common cause of cancer-related deaths in men. Recent studies have shown that CYP450, family 1, subfamily B, polypeptide 1, which plays a role in the metabolism of xenobiotics, is associated with several cancers. Therefore, in the present study we investigated the association between a genetic variant, CYP1B1-rs1056836 gene, with the clinical characteristics of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (ESCC). Method: In this study, 117 patients with ESCC and 208 healthy controls were recruited. DNA was extracted and genotyped using real-time PCR-based TaqMan. Kaplan–Meier curves were utilized to assess overall and progression-free survival. To evaluate the relationship between clinicopathological data, genotypic frequencies, disease prognosis and survival, Pearson's χ2 and t-test were used. Logistic regression was utilized to assess the association between the risk of ESCC and genotypes. Results: The genotypic frequency for GG, GC and CC were 58.6, 29.8 and 11.5%, respectively, in the healthy subjects and 51.8, 36.14 and 12% in the ESCC group. An association between the GG genotype and stage of ESCC was found. Also, statistically significant results were not found for this variation and risk of ESCC. Conclusion: Our findings suggest a relationship between the CYP1B1-rs1056836 genetic polymorphism and clinical features of ESCC, supporting further studies in larger populations in different ethnic groups, taking into account potentially important environmental factors such as diet.

LncRNAs are altered in lung squamous cell carcinoma and lung adenocarcinoma

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been implicated in pathogenesis of various cancers, including lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). We used cBioPortal to analyze lncRNA alteration frequencies and their ability to predict overall survival (OS) using 504 LUSC and 522 LUAD samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. In LUSC, 624 lncRNAs had alteration rates > 1% and 64 > 10%. In LUAD 625 lncRNAs had alteration rates > 1% and 36 > 10%. Among those, 620 lncRNAs had alteration frequencies > 1% in both LUSC and LUAD, while 22 were LUSC-specific and 23 were LUAD-specific. Twenty lncRNAs had alteration frequencies > 10% in both LUSC and LUAD, while 44 were LUSC-specific and 16 were LUAD specific. Genome ontology and pathway analyses produced similar results for LUSC and LUAD. Two lncRNAs (IGF2BP2-AS1 and DGCR5) correlated with better OS in LUSC, and three (MIR31HG, CDKN2A-AS1 and LINC01600) predicted poor OS in LUAD. Chip-seq and luciferase reporter assays identified potential IGF2BP2-AS1, DGCR5 and LINC01600 promoters and enhancers. This study presented lncRNA landscapes and revealed differentially expressed, highly altered lncRNAs in LUSC and LUAD. LncRNAs that act as oncogenes and lncRNA-regulating transcription factors provide novel targets for anti-lung cancer therapeutics.

Cytochrome P-450 Polymorphisms and Clinical Outcome in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is an increasing worldwide public health problem. Most patients with lung cancer have non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These patients are mainly treated with standard platinum-based chemotherapy. Poor response and great inter-individual variety in treatment response occurs among these patients. There is accumulating evidence to support the hypothesis that genetic polymorphisms alter the drug response and survival. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes metabolize antineoplastic drugs and are involved in drug resistance. Polymorphic CYPs have altered enzyme activities and thus they may influence the response to chemotherapy and survival in patients with lung cancer. In the current review, recent findings with respect to the role of mainly CYP1A1, CYP1B1, CYP2D6, CYP2E1 and CYP3A4 gene polymorphisms in response to chemotherapy and survival in patients with NSCLC have been provided, which could be useful for clinicians in the prognosis of these patients who are mainly treated with platinum-based chemotherapy.

Cell-penetrating peptide conjugates to enhance the antitumor effect of paclitaxel on drug-resistant lung cancer

To conquer the drug resistance of tumors and the poor solubility of paclitaxel (PTX), two PTX-cell-penetrating peptide conjugates (PTX-CPPs), PTX-TAT and PTX-LMWP, were synthesized and evaluated for the first time. Compared with free PTX, PTX-CPPs displayed significantly enhanced cellular uptake, elevated cell toxicity, increased cell apoptosis, and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) in both A549 and A549T cells. PTX-LMWP exhibited a stronger inhibitory effect than PTX-TAT in A549T cells. Analysis of cell-cycle distribution showed that PTX-LMWP influenced mitosis in drug-resistant A549T tumor cells via a different mechanism than PTX. PTX-CPPs were more efficient in inhibiting tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice than free PTX, which suggested their better in vivo antitumor efficacy. Hence, this study demonstrates that PTX-CPPs, particularly PTX-LMWP, have outstanding potential for inhibiting the growth of tumors and are a promising approach for treating lung cancer, especially drug-resistant lung cancer.

Metastatic Prostatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Successfully Treated with Docetaxel Chemotherapy: A Case Report

A 68-year-old man presented with gross hematuria. A papillary urethral tumor adjacent to the verumontanum was found by cystourethroscopy. Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was 3.246 ng/ml. A transurethral biopsy specimen was most suggestive of a primary urothelial carcinoma of the prostate, for which a radical cystoprostatectomy was performed. The final pathology was prostatic ductal adenocarcinoma with very focal acinar features (Gleason score 5 %plus; 4 = 9, pT3bN0M0). Local recurrence and pelvic bone metastases developed 17 months later, and his PSA rose to 10.806 ng/ml. He was treated with combined androgen blockade and radiation. Two years later, the lesion showed progressive growth. Treatment followed with docetaxel (70 mg/m(2) every 3 weeks) and prednisolone 5 mg twice daily. After 10 cycles of chemotherapy, all lesions disappeared and PSA decreased to <0.005 ng/ml. Three years after chemotherapy, he maintains a complete response without any additional treatments. Docetaxel chemotherapy can be an effective treatment for patients with recurrent prostatic ductal adenocarcinoma.