Identification and biological evaluation of fused tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives as Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibitors to suppress colorectal cancer

Automatic target-seeking nanoparticle inhibiting orthotopic drug-resistant colon cancer and liver metastases via regulating cancer cell adhesion and proliferation

Galectin-3 (Gal-3) plays an important role in adhesion and proliferation of cancer cells. The level of Gal-3 in blood and the expression of Gal-3 in colon cancer tissue are significantly increased in patient with colon cancer. The elevated Gal-3 promotes the migration and drug resistance of colon cancer. Therefore, Gal-3 is a promising target to inhibit the growth and metastases of cancer cells. Besides, integrin αvβ3, a receptor of Gal-3, is highly expressed in colon cancer cell and blood vessel in colon cancer tissue. In this paper, an automatic target-seeking nanoparticle (SP@MCaP) contained siGal-3 and paris saponin VII (PSVII) was prepared. In vivo, by automatically capturing Gal-3 in the blood circulation, SP@MCaP actively recognized cancer tissue vessel and drug-resistant colon cancer cells with elevated integrin αvβ3 expression, resulting in specifical accumulation in orthotopic drug-resistant colon cancer tissue. SP@MCaP diminished Gal-3 level in serum and orthotopic drug-resistant colon cancer tissue, and then suppressed the proliferation of drug-resistant colon cancer cells. Importantly, SP@MCaP reconstructed the adhesion of drug-resistant colon cancer cells and reversed the immunosuppressive microenvironment in orthotopic drug-resistant colon cancer tissue and liver tissue. Finally, under the synergistic effect of siGal-3 and PSVII, SP@MCaP successfully inhibited the growth of orthotopic drug-resistant colon cancer and its liver metastases. In a word, this paper explored a novel concept of the active co-delivery of siGal-3 and PSVII by modification of nanoparticle, which holds promise for targeted therapy in orthotopic drug-resistant colon cancer and its liver metastases.

Benzbromarone interferes with the interaction between Hsp90 and Aha1 by interacting with both of them

Aha1 is one of the well-known co-chaperones of Hsp90. However, the action mode of Aha1 has not been fully elucidated yet, and the binding mode of Aha1's C-terminal domain (Aha1-CTD) to Hsp90 is still under discussion. Meanwhile, since both Hsp90 and Aha1 contribute to tumorigenesis through controlling the homeostasis of onco-proteins, Hsp90-Aha1 system might serve as a target for anti-tumor drug development. A few of active compounds towards Hsp90-Aha1 system have been reported during the past years, but no compound binding pocket in Aha1 was pictured yet. Here in this manuscript, by using the discovered dual-modulator Benzbromarone as the probe, the pocket in Aha1 responsible for compound recognition is defined. Interestingly, as shown by the cryo-EM structures of Hsp90:Aha1 system, it is the same pocket that is involved in the in vitro interaction between Aha1-CTD and Hsp90-MD. Besides, Benzbromarone's binding to Hsp90-NTD also exhibits unique structural features. Not surprisingly, due to the interference with the Hsp90 machinery, Benzbromarone could down-regulate the ATPase activity of the chaperone. Finally, according to the cellular-based experimental data, Benzbromarone has been shown to exhibit cytotoxicity against multiple cancer cell types, at least in part, through its modulation of the Hsp90 system.

An insight into the in vivo antitumor therapeutic potential of indole-(fused) pyri(mi)dine hybrids

Cancer can invade and destroy any part of the body, representing a grand social, public health, and economic challenge. Chemotherapy plays a crucial role in cancer treatment, and in recent decades, hundreds of anticancer chemotherapeutics have been introduced. Nevertheless, multidrug resistance and side effects are the main obstacles to successful cancer therapy, highlighting the pressing requirement for the development of new chemotherapeutics to address the above issues. Indole hybrids not only have the potential to surmount drug resistance and adverse effects caused by individual components but also can enhance efficacy and improve pharmacokinetic characteristics since hybrid molecules can concurrently regulate multiple targets within cancer cells. Moreover, numerous indole hybrids exemplified by mobocertinib (indole-pyrimidine hybrid) and osimertinib (indole-quinazoline hybrid) have already been utilized in clinical cancer treatment. Therefore, indole hybrids have emerged as valuable scaffolds for the treatment and eradication of cancer. This review aims to elucidate the current landscape of indole-(fused) pyri(mi)dine hybrids, including indole-quinolines/quinolinones, indole-pyridines, indole-pyrimidines, and indole-fused pyrimidines, with in vivo antitumor therapeutic potential, offering effective candidates for in-depth preclinical evaluations, encompassing articles published from 2021 onward.

HKDC1 promotes colorectal cancer progression by regulating RCOR1 expression to activate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, enhancing proliferation, migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition

HKDC1 (hexokinase domain containing 1) is recognized as an oncogene in various cancers, yet its role in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. This study aims to explore HKDC1 expression in CRC and its effects on tumor growth, migration, glycolysis, and EMT, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms. Using TIMER2.0 and TCGA databases, we analyzed HKDC1 expression across multiple cancers and evaluated its prognostic value via Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. HKDC1 expression in CRC tissues was validated through western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and qRT-PCR, and its correlation with patient prognosis was assessed. Functional experiments involving HKDC1 knockdown and overexpression were performed to examine their impact on CRC cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and the cell cycle. Coimmunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, and mass spectrometry identified HKDC1's interaction with RCOR1, demonstrating its regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway to promote CRC progression. High HKDC1 expression in CRC tissues correlated with poor patient prognosis. Knockdown of HKDC1 significantly reduced cell proliferation and migration, induced G1 phase arrest, and promoted apoptosis, whereas HKDC1 overexpression had the opposite effects. Additionally, HKDC1 promoted EMT and glycolysis through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. In vivo, HKDC1 knockdown inhibited tumor growth, while overexpression accelerated tumor progression. This study is the first to demonstrate that HKDC1 enhances CRC proliferation, migration, glycolysis, and EMT by modulating RCOR1 and activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. These findings suggest that HKDC1 could serve as a potential therapeutic target and prognostic marker for CRC, offering new insights for personalized treatment strategies.

Preclinical Evaluation of HSP90 Noninvasive Imaging in Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis

Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is a powerful molecular chaperone responsible for the stability and integrity of various client proteins, including various transcription factors, kinases, and steroid hormone proteins, among others. Overexpression of HSP90 is closely related to cancer, immune diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. However, there are few effective fluorescent probes for HSP90. Therefore, we synthesized a near-infrared fluorescent probe YQHSI-MPA-1 targeting HSP90. The probe was later structurally modified to improve the targeting specificity and accuracy in vivo as YQHSI-MPA-2. Furthermore, the application values of YQHSI-MPA-2 in situ CRC, AOM-DSS-induced CRC, and various metastasis models were evaluated. The results showed that YQHSI-MPA-2 had excellent specificity and high tumor contrast. In conclusion, YQHSI-MPA-2 is an ideal tool for tumor detection and surgical navigation.