Combination of imatinib and clotrimazole enhances cell growth inhibition in T47D breast cancer cells

Lactic acid metabolism: gynecological cancer's Achilles' heel

Lactic acid is significantly expressed in many cancers, including gynecological cancer, and has become a key regulator of the proliferation, development, metastasis and invasion of these cancers. In clinical and experimental studies, the level of lactic acid in gynecological cancer is closely related to metastasis and invasion, tumor recurrence and poor prognosis. Lactic acid can regulate the internal metabolic pathway of gynecological cancer cells and drive the autonomous role of non-cancer cells in gynecological cancer. In addition to being used as a source of energy metabolism by gynecological cancer cells, lactic acid can also be transported from cancer cells to neighboring cancer cells, stroma and vascular endothelial cells (ECs) to further guide metabolic reprogramming. Lactic acid is also involved in promoting inflammation and angiogenesis in gynecologic tumors. Therefore, we reviewed the mechanisms and recent advances in the production and transport of lactic acid in gynecological cancer. These advances and evidence suggest that targeted lactic acid metabolism is a promising cancer treatment.

Neurotoxicity of the antineoplastic drugs: "Doxorubicin" as an example

There is an increased prevalence of cancer, and chemotherapy is widely and routinely utilized to manage the majority of cancers; however, administration of chemotherapeutic drugs has faced limitations concerning the "off-target" cytotoxicity. Chemobrain and impairment of neurocognitive functions have been observed in a significant fraction of cancer patients or survivors and reduce their life quality; this could be ascribed to the ability of chemotherapeutic drugs to alter the structure and function of the brain. Doxorubicin (DOX), an FDA-approved chemotherapeutic drug with therapeutic effectiveness, is commonly used to treat several carcinomas clinically. DOX-triggered neurotoxicity is the most serious adverse reaction after DOX-induced cardiotoxicity which greatly limits its clinical application. DOX-induced neurotoxicity is a net of multiple mechanisms that have been verified in pre-clinical and clinical studies, such as oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial disruption, apoptosis, autophagy, disruption of neurotransmitters, and impairment of neurogenesis. There is a massive need for developing novel therapeutics for both cancer and DOX-associated neurotoxicity; therefore investigating the implicated mechanisms of DOX-induced chemobrain will reveal multi-targets for novel curative strategies. Recently, various neuroprotective mechanisms were employed to mitigate DOX-mediated neurotoxicity. For this purpose, therapeutic interventions using pharmacological compounds were developed to protect healthy "off-target" tissues from DOX-induced toxicity. In addition, nanoplatforms were used to enable target delivery of DOX; to prevent its deposition in non-cancerous tissues. The aim of the current review is to provide some reference value for the future management of DOX-induced neurotoxicity and to summarize the underlying mechanisms of DOX-mediated neurotoxicity and the potential therapeutic interventions.

Oxidative effects of the human antifungal drug clotrimazole on the eucaryotic model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Clotrimazole is a type of antifungal medication developed from azole compounds. It exhibits several biological actions linked to oxidative stress. This study focuses on the oxidative effects of clotrimazole on the eukaryotic model yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Our results showed that although initial nitric oxide levels were above control in clotrimazole exposed cells, they showed decreasing tendencies from the beginning of incubation and dropped below control at 125 µM from the 60th min. The highest superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide levels were 1.95- and 2.85-folds of controls at 125 µM after 15 and 60 min, respectively. Hydroxyl radical levels slightly increased throughout the incubation period in all concentrations and reached 1.3-fold of control, similarly at 110 and 125 µM in the 90th min. The highest level of reactive oxygen species was observed at 110 µM, 2.31-fold of control. Although NADH/NADPH oxidase activities showed similar tendencies for all conditions, the highest activities were found as 3.07- and 2.27-folds of control at 125 and 110 µM in the 15th and 30th min, respectively. The highest superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were 1.59- and 1.21-folds of controls at 110 µM clotrimazole in 30 and 90 min, respectively. While the drug generally induced glutathione-related enzyme activities, the ratios of glutathione to oxidized glutathione were above the control only at low concentrations of the drug. The levels of lipid peroxidation in all treated cells were significantly higher than the controls. The findings crucially demonstrate that this medicine can generate serious oxidative stress in organisms.

Emerging Therapeutic Options in Pancreatic Cancer Management

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a devastating disease with a 5-year survival rate of <8% [...].

Repurposing approved non-oncology drugs for cancer therapy: a comprehensive review of mechanisms, efficacy, and clinical prospects

Cancer poses a significant global health challenge, with predictions of increasing prevalence in the coming years due to limited prevention, late diagnosis, and inadequate success with current therapies. In addition, the high cost of new anti-cancer drugs creates barriers in meeting the medical needs of cancer patients, especially in developing countries. The lengthy and costly process of developing novel drugs further hinders drug discovery and clinical implementation. Therefore, there has been a growing interest in repurposing approved drugs for other diseases to address the urgent need for effective cancer treatments. The aim of this comprehensive review is to provide an overview of the potential of approved non-oncology drugs as therapeutic options for cancer treatment. These drugs come from various chemotherapeutic classes, including antimalarials, antibiotics, antivirals, anti-inflammatory drugs, and antifungals, and have demonstrated significant antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, immunomodulatory, and antimetastatic properties. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify relevant studies on the repurposing of approved non-oncology drugs for cancer therapy. Various electronic databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, were searched using appropriate keywords. Studies focusing on the therapeutic potential, mechanisms of action, efficacy, and clinical prospects of repurposed drugs in cancer treatment were included in the analysis. The review highlights the promising outcomes of repurposing approved non-oncology drugs for cancer therapy. Drugs belonging to different therapeutic classes have demonstrated notable antitumor effects, including inhibiting cell proliferation, promoting apoptosis, modulating the immune response, and suppressing metastasis. These findings suggest the potential of these repurposed drugs as effective therapeutic approaches in cancer treatment. Repurposing approved non-oncology drugs provides a promising strategy for addressing the urgent need for effective and accessible cancer treatments. The diverse classes of repurposed drugs, with their demonstrated antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, immunomodulatory, and antimetastatic properties, offer new avenues for cancer therapy. Further research and clinical trials are warranted to explore the full potential of these repurposed drugs and optimize their use in treating various cancer types. Repurposing approved drugs can significantly expedite the process of identifying effective treatments and improve patient outcomes in a cost-effective manner.

Imatinib facilitates gemcitabine sensitivity by targeting epigenetically activated PDGFC signaling in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a malignant tumor with poor prognosis. Gemcitabine-based chemotherapy has become one of the main modalities of its management. However, gemcitabine resistance frequently occurs, leading to failure of PDAC therapy. Platelet-derived growth factors (PDGFs) and their receptors play important roles in cancer progression and chemoresistance. We aimed to investigate the biological function and therapeutic significance of platelet-derived growth factor C (PDGFC) in drug-resistant PDAC. Our study showed that PDGFC was abnormally highly expressed in gemcitabine-resistant PDAC. Silencing PDGFC expression can enhance the therapeutic effect of gemcitabine on PDAC. Mechanistically, the transcription of PDGFC is mediated by H3K27 acetylation, and PDGFC promotes gemcitabine resistance by activating the PDGFR-PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. The PDGFR inhibitor imatinib inhibits the PDGFR pathway. Imatinib and gemcitabine have a synergistic effect on the treatment of PDAC, and imatinib can significantly enhance the anti-tumor effect of gemcitabine in a drug-resistant PDAC patient-derived xenograft model. In conclusion, PDGFC is a potential predictor of gemcitabine-resistant PDAC. Imatinib inhibits PDGFR activation to promote gemcitabine sensitivity in PDAC. Combined modality regimen of imatinib and gemcitabine is likely to translate into clinical trial for the treatment of PDGFC-associated gemcitabine-resistant patients.

Modulation of lactate-lysosome axis in dendritic cells by clotrimazole potentiates antitumor immunity

BACKGROUND

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a critical role in antitumor immunity, but the therapeutic efficacy of DC-mediated cancer vaccine remains low, partly due to unsustainable DC function in tumor antigen presentation. Thus, identifying drugs that could enhance DC-based antitumor immunity and uncovering the underlying mechanism may provide new therapeutic options for cancer immunotherapy.

METHODS

In vitro antigen presentation assay was used for DC-modulating drug screening. The function of DC and T cells was measured by flow cytometry, ELISA, or qPCR. B16, MC38, CT26 tumor models and C57BL/6, Balb/c, nude, and Batf3-/- mice were used to analyze the in vivo therapy efficacy and impact on tumor immune microenvironment by clotrimazole treatment.

RESULTS

By screening a group of small molecule inhibitors and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs, we identified that clotrimazole, an antifungal drug, could promote DC-mediated antigen presentation and enhance T cell response. Mechanistically, clotrimazole acted on hexokinase 2 to regulate lactate metabolic production and enhanced the lysosome pathway and Chop expression in DCs subsequently induced DC maturation and T cell activation. Importantly, in vivo clotrimazole administration induced intratumor immune infiltration and inhibited tumor growth depending on both DCs and CD8+ T cells and potentiated the antitumor efficacy of anti-PD1 antibody.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings showed that clotrimazole could trigger DC activation via the lactate-lysosome axis to promote antigen cross-presentation and could be used as a potential combination therapy approach to improving the therapeutic efficacy of anti-PD1 immunotherapy.

Protein aggregation and the evolution of stress resistance in clinical yeast

Protein aggregation, particularly in its prion-like form, has long been thought to be detrimental. However, recent studies have identified multiple instances where protein aggregation is important for normal physiological functions. Combining mass spectrometry and cell biological approaches, we developed a strategy for the identification of protein aggregates in cell lysates. We used this approach to characterize prion-based traits in pathogenic strains of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolated from immunocompromised human patients. The proteins that we found, including the metabolic enzyme Cdc19, the translation elongation factor Yef3 and the fibrillarin homologue Nop1, are known to assemble under certain physiological conditions. Yet, such assemblies have not been reported to be stable or heritable. Our data suggest that some proteins which aggregate in response to stress have the capacity to acquire diverse assembled states, certain ones of which can be propagated across generations in a form of protein-based epigenetics. This article is part of the theme issue 'How does epigenetics influence the course of evolution?'

Ca2+ Signaling as the Untact Mode during Signaling in Metastatic Breast Cancer

Metastatic features of breast cancer in the brain are considered a common pathology in female patients with late-stage breast cancer. Ca2+ signaling and the overexpression pattern of Ca2+ channels have been regarded as oncogenic markers of breast cancer. In other words, breast tumor development can be mediated by inhibiting Ca2+ channels. Although the therapeutic potential of inhibiting Ca2+ channels against breast cancer has been demonstrated, the relationship between breast cancer metastasis and Ca2+ channels is not yet understood. Thus, we focused on the metastatic features of breast cancer and summarized the basic mechanisms of Ca2+-related proteins and channels during the stages of metastatic breast cancer by evaluating Ca2+ signaling. In particular, we highlighted the metastasis of breast tumors to the brain. Thus, modulating Ca2+ channels with Ca2+ channel inhibitors and combined applications will advance treatment strategies for breast cancer metastasis to the brain.

Screening and identification of potential biomarkers and therapeutic drugs in melanoma via integrated bioinformatics analysis

Melanoma is a highly aggressive malignant skin tumor with a high rate of metastasis and mortality. In this study, a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis was used to clarify the hub genes and potential drugs. Download the GSE3189, GSE22301, and GSE35388 microarray datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), which contains a total of 33 normal samples and 67 melanoma samples. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) approach analyze DEGs based on the DAVID. Use STRING to construct protein-protein interaction network, and use MCODE and cytoHubba plug-ins in Cytoscape to perform module analysis and identified hub genes. Use Gene Expression Profile Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) to assess the prognosis of genes in tumors. Finally, use the Drug-Gene Interaction Database (DGIdb) to screen targeted drugs related to hub genes. A total of 140 overlapping DEGs were identified from the three microarray datasets, including 59 up-regulated DEGs and 81 down-regulated DEGs. GO enrichment analysis showed that these DEGs are mainly involved in the biological process such as positive regulation of gene expression, positive regulation of cell proliferation, positive regulation of MAP kinase activity, cell migration, and negative regulation of the apoptotic process. The cellular components are concentrated in the membrane, dendritic spine, the perinuclear region of cytoplasm, extracellular exosome, and membrane raft. Molecular functions include protein homodimerization activity, calmodulin-binding, transcription factor binding, protein binding, and cytoskeletal protein binding. KEGG pathway analysis shows that these DEGs are mainly related to protein digestion and absorption, PPAR signaling pathway, signaling pathways regulating stem cells' pluripotency, and Retinol metabolism. The 23 most closely related DEGs were identified from the PPI network and combined with the GEPIA prognostic analysis, CDH3, ESRP1, FGF2, GBP2, KCNN4, KIT, SEMA4D, and ZEB1 were selected as hub genes, which are considered to be associated with poor prognosis of melanoma closely related. Besides, ten related drugs that may have therapeutic effects on melanoma were also screened. These newly discovered genes and drugs provide new ideas for further research on melanoma.

Repurposing of drugs: An attractive pharmacological strategy for cancer therapeutics

Human malignancies are one of the major health-related issues though out the world and anticipated to rise in the future. The development of novel drugs/agents requires a huge amount of cost and time that represents a major challenge for drug discovery. In the last three decades, the number of FDA approved drugs has dropped down and this led to increasing interest in drug reposition or repurposing. The present review focuses on recent concepts and therapeutic opportunities for the utilization of antidiabetics, antibiotics, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antipsychotic, PDE inhibitors and estrogen receptor antagonist, Antabuse, antiparasitic and cardiovascular agents/drugs as an alternative approach against human malignancies. The repurposing of approved non-cancerous drugs is an effective strategy to develop new therapeutic options for the treatment of cancer patients at an affordable cost in clinics. In the current scenario, most of the countries throughout the globe are unable to meet the medical needs of cancer patients because of the high cost of the available cancerous drugs. Some of these drugs displayed potential anti-cancer activity in preclinic and clinical studies by regulating several key molecular mechanisms and oncogenic pathways in human malignancies. The emerging pieces of evidence indicate that repurposing of drugs is crucial to the faster and cheaper discovery of anti-cancerous drugs.

Targeting mitochondrial hexokinases increases efficacy of histone deacetylase inhibitors in solid tumor models

Hexokinase 1 and 2 have been shown to inhibit Bak- and Bax-mediated apoptosis, leading us to combine the histone deacetylase inhibitor romidepsin with clotrimazole or bifonazole, two compounds that reportedly decrease mitochondrial localization of hexokinases. Cancer cell lines derived from breast, kidney, lung, colon or ovarian cancers were treated with a short-term exposure to 25 ng/ml romidepsin combined with either clotrimazole or bifonazole. The combination of romidepsin with 25 µM clotrimazole or bifonazole resulted in increased annexin staining compared to cells treated with any of the drugs alone. Cell death was caspase-mediated, as the pan-caspase inhibitor Q-VD-OPh was found to inhibit apoptosis induced by the combination. A549 lung cancer cells or HCT-116 cells deficient in Bak and Bax were also resistant to apoptosis with the combination implicating the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. We found that a 24 h treatment with clotrimazole or bifonazole decreased total hexokinase 2 expression, resulting in a 76% or 60% decrease, respectively, of mitochondrial expression of hexokinase 2. Mitochondrial hexokinase 1 levels increased 2-fold or less. Our work suggests that the combination of a short-term romidepsin treatment with bifonazole or clotrimazole leads to increased apoptosis, most likely due to decreased mitochondrial expression of hexokinase 2.

In Vitro Study of Antitumor Effect of Antimicrobial Peptide Tachyplesin I in Combination with Cisplatin

We studied combined effect of β-hairpin antimicrobial peptide tachyplesin I and cytotoxic agent cisplatin on tumor and normal human cell lines. MTT assay and flow cytometry showed that tachyplesin I selectively sensitized cancer cells to cisplatin in specified concentration ratios. In vitro experiments demonstrated that combined use of tachyplesin I and cisplatin allows decreasing the effective dose of the cytostatic thus reducing nonspecific toxicity.

A structure- and chemical genomics-based approach for repositioning of drugs against VCP/p97 ATPase

Valosin-containing protein (VCP/p97) ATPase (a.k.a. Cdc48) is a key member of the ER-associated protein degradation (ERAD) pathway. ERAD and VCP/p97 have been implicated in a multitude of human diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Inhibition of VCP/p97 induces proteotoxic ER stress and cell death in cancer cells, making it an attractive target for cancer treatment. However, no drugs exist against this protein in the market. Repositioning of drugs towards new indications is an attractive alternative to the de novo drug development due to the potential for significantly shorter time to clinical translation. Here, we employed an integrative strategy for the repositioning of drugs as novel inhibitors of the VCP/p97 ATPase. We integrated structure-based virtual screening with the chemical genomics analysis of drug molecular signatures, and identified several candidate inhibitors of VCP/p97 ATPase. Importantly, experimental validation with cell-based and in vitro ATPase assays confirmed three (ebastine, astemizole and clotrimazole) out of seven tested candidates (~40% true hit rate) as direct inhibitors of VCP/p97 and ERAD. This study introduces an effective integrative strategy for drug repositioning, and identified new drugs against the VCP/p97/ERAD pathway in human diseases.

Sub-lethal effects and bioconcentration of the human pharmaceutical clotrimazole in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The aim of this study was to characterize biomarker responses, haematological profiles, structural changes and uptake in juvenile rainbow trout exposed to clotrimazole (CLO) at three concentrations (0.01 - [lowest environmentally relevant concentration], 1.0 [highest environmentally relevant concentration] and 10 μg L(-1)) in a semi-static system over a period of 42 days. Antioxidant defence enzymes, which responded to CLO exposure, changed the oxidative stress status of cells, but no differences were observed in lipid peroxidation. Clotrimazole triggered a biphasic response of CYP3A-like activity in liver microsomes, which may indicate a detoxification process in the liver. Histopathological alterations were most pronounced in kidneys and testes in the group exposed to 10 μg L(-1). Structural changes in the kidney included tubulonephrosis and hyaline droplet degeneration in the tubular epithelial cells. The relative proportions of germ cells in testes were changed: The number of spermatozoa was reduced, and the spermatogonia and spermatocytes were increased. The highest CLO concentration was detected in fish liver (3710 ng per gram wet tissue) and kidney (4280 ng per gram wet tissue). Depuration half-life was estimated to be 72, 159, and 682 h in liver, muscle, and kidney, respectively. Taken together, these results provide valuable toxicological data on the effects of CLO on aquatic non-target organisms, which could be useful for further understanding of the potential risks in the real aquatic environment.

Mutation distributions and clinical correlations of PIK3CA gene mutations in breast cancer

Breast cancer (BCa) is the most common cancer and the second cause of death among women. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway has a crucial role in the cellular processes such as cell survival, growth, division, and motility. Moreover, oncogenic mutations in the PI3K pathway generally involve the activation phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase-catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA) mutation which has been identified in numerous BCa subtypes. In this review, correlations between PIK3CA mutations and their clinicopathological parameters on BCa will be described. It is reported that PIK3CA mutations which have been localized mostly on exon 9 and 20 hot spots are detected 25-40 % in BCa. This relatively high frequency can offer an advantage for choosing the best treatment options for BCa. PIK3CA mutations may be used as biomarkers and have been major focus of drug development in cancer with the first clinical trials of PI3K pathway inhibitors currently in progress. Screening of PIK3CA gene mutations might be useful genetic tests for targeted therapeutics or diagnosis. Increasing data about PIK3CA mutations and its clinical correlations with BCa will help to introduce new clinical applications in the near future.

Structural simulation of adenosine phosphate via plumbagin and zoledronic acid competitively targets JNK/Erk to synergistically attenuate osteoclastogenesis in a breast cancer model

The treatment of breast cancer-induced osteolysis remains a challenge in clinical settings. Here, we explored the effect and mechanism of combined treatment with zoledronic acid (ZA) and plumbagin (PL), a widely investigated component derived from Plumbago zeylanica, against breast cancer-induced osteoclastogenesis. We found that the combined treatment with PL and ZA suppressed cell viability of precursor osteoclasts and synergistically inhibited MDA-MB-231-induced osteoclast formation (combination index=0.28) with the abrogation of recombinant mouse receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced activation of NF-κB/MAPK (nuclear factor-κB/mitogen-activated protein kinase) pathways. Molecular docking suggested a putative binding area within c-Jun N-terminal kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (JNK/Erk) protease active sites through the structural mimicking of adenosine phosphate (ANP) by the spatial combination of PL with ZA. A homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence assay further illustrated the direct competitiveness of the dual drugs against ANP docking to phosphorylated JNK/Erk, contributing to the inhibited downstream expression of c-Jun/c-Fos/NFATc-1 (nuclear factor of activated T cells, cytoplasmic, calcineurin-dependent 1). Then, in vivo testing demonstrated that the combined administration of PL and ZA attenuated breast cancer growth in the bone microenvironment. Additionally, these molecules prevented the destruction of proximal tibia, with significant reduction of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAcP)-positive osteoclast cells and potentiation of apoptotic cancer cells, to a greater extent when combined than when the drugs were applied independently. Altogether, the combination treatment with PL and ZA could significantly and synergistically suppress osteoclastogenesis and inhibit tumorigenesis both in vitro and in vivo by simulating the spatial structure of ANP to inhibit competitively phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (JNK/Erk).

Recent Advances in Targeting Tumor Energy Metabolism with Tumor Acidosis as a Biomarker of Drug Efficacy

Cancer cells employ a deregulated cellular metabolism to leverage survival and growth advantages. The unique tumor energy metabolism presents itself as a promising target for chemotherapy. A pool of tumor energy metabolism targeting agents has been developed after several decades of efforts. This review will cover glucose and fatty acid metabolism, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, HIF-1 and glutamine pathways in tumor energy metabolism, and how they are being exploited for treatments and therapies by promising pre-clinical or clinical drugs being developed or investigated. Additionally, acidification of the tumor extracellular microenvironment is hypothesized to be the result of active tumor metabolism. This implies that tumor extracellular pH (pHe) can be a biomarker for assessing the efficacy of therapies that target tumor metabolism. Several translational molecular imaging methods (PET, MRI) for interrogating tumor acidification and its suppression are discussed as well.