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Martin-Vega A, Cobb MH. Navigating the ERK1/2 MAPK Cascade. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1555. [PMID: 37892237 PMCID: PMC10605237 DOI: 10.3390/biom13101555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The RAS-ERK pathway is a fundamental signaling cascade crucial for many biological processes including proliferation, cell cycle control, growth, and survival; common across all cell types. Notably, ERK1/2 are implicated in specific processes in a context-dependent manner as in stem cells and pancreatic β-cells. Alterations in the different components of this cascade result in dysregulation of the effector kinases ERK1/2 which communicate with hundreds of substrates. Aberrant activation of the pathway contributes to a range of disorders, including cancer. This review provides an overview of the structure, activation, regulation, and mutational frequency of the different tiers of the cascade; with a particular focus on ERK1/2. We highlight the importance of scaffold proteins that contribute to kinase localization and coordinate interaction dynamics of the kinases with substrates, activators, and inhibitors. Additionally, we explore innovative therapeutic approaches emphasizing promising avenues in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Martin-Vega
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6001 Forest Park Rd., Dallas, TX 75390, USA;
| | - Melanie H. Cobb
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6001 Forest Park Rd., Dallas, TX 75390, USA;
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6001 Forest Park Rd., Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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2
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Ram T, Singh AK, Kumar A, Singh H, Pathak P, Grishina M, Khalilullah H, Jaremko M, Emwas AH, Verma A, Kumar P. MEK inhibitors in cancer treatment: structural insights, regulation, recent advances and future perspectives. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:1837-1857. [PMID: 37859720 PMCID: PMC10583825 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00145h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
MEK1/2 are critical components of the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK or MAPK signalling pathway that regulates a variety of cellular functions including proliferation, survival, and differentiation. In 1997, a lung cancer cell line was first found to have a MEK mutation (encoding MEK2P298L). MEK is involved in various human cancers such as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), spurious melanoma, and pancreatic, colorectal, basal, breast, and liver cancer. To date, 4 MEK inhibitors i.e., trametinib, cobimetinib, selumetinib, and binimetinib have been approved by the FDA and several are under clinical trials. In this review, we have highlighted structural insights into the MEK1/2 proteins, such as the αC-helix, catalytic loop, P-loop, F-helix, hydrophobic pocket, and DFG motif. We have also discussed current issues with all FDA-approved MEK inhibitors or drugs under clinical trials and combination therapies to improve the efficacy of clinical drugs. Finally, this study addressed recent developments on synthetic MEK inhibitors (from their discovery in 1997 to 2022), their unique properties, and their relevance to MEK mutant inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teja Ram
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab Ghudda Bathinda 151401 India
| | - Ankit Kumar Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab Ghudda Bathinda 151401 India
| | - Adarsh Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab Ghudda Bathinda 151401 India
| | - Harshwardhan Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab Ghudda Bathinda 151401 India
| | - Prateek Pathak
- Laboratory of Computational Modeling of Drugs, Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State University Chelyabinsk 454008 Russia
- Pharmaceutical Analysis and Quality Assurance and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, GITAM School of Pharmacy at "Hyderabad Campus", GITAM (Deemed to be University) India
| | - Maria Grishina
- Laboratory of Computational Modeling of Drugs, Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State University Chelyabinsk 454008 Russia
| | - Habibullah Khalilullah
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim University Unayzah 51911 Saudi Arabia
| | - Mariusz Jaremko
- Smart-Health Initiative (SHI) and Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal 23955-6900 Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdul-Hamid Emwas
- Core Labs, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal 23955-6900 Saudi Arabia
| | - Amita Verma
- Bioorganic and Med. Chem. Res., Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences Prayagraj 211007 India
| | - Pradeep Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab Ghudda Bathinda 151401 India
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Fan F, Ghosh S, Powell R, Roszik J, Park Y, Sobieski M, Sorokin A, Stephan C, Kopetz S, Ellis LM, Bhattacharya R. Combining MEK and SRC inhibitors for treatment of colorectal cancer demonstrate increased efficacy in vitro but not in vivo. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0281063. [PMID: 36952536 PMCID: PMC10035898 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. More than 50% of patients with mCRC harbor mutations of the oncogenic driver RAS (KRAS or NRAS). Because directly targeting most mutations of RAS is technically challenging, researchers have concentrated on targeting MEK, a downstream mediator of RAS. However, targeting MEK as single-agent therapy is ineffective in patients with mCRC. We hypothesize that combining a MEK inhibitor with other agents can enhance the efficacy of MEK targeting in mCRC. Unbiased high-throughput screening (HTS) was performed to identify drugs that enhance the efficacy of MEK inhibitors. HTS was performed with KRAS-mutated CRC cells using the MEK inhibitor trametinib as a "backbone" and two "clinically ready" compound libraries approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or in clinical trials. HTS demonstrated that the combination of the SRC inhibitor dasatinib and trametinib was synergistic in CRC cells in vitro (MTT and colony formation assays). Analysis of markers for cell proliferation and apoptosis using fluorescence-activated cell sorting, reverse-phase protein array, or Western blotting demonstrated decreased cell proliferation and increased cell death when targeting both SRC and MEK as compared to single agents in multiple CRC cell lines. However, combining dasatinib and trametinib in vivo at doses in mice equivalent to doses used in humans failed to significantly enhance the antitumor activity of trametinib when compared to that of trametinib alone. These results underscore the importance of performing careful preclinical in vivo validation studies using clinically relevant doses as a prerequisite for translating in vitro findings to the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Fan
- Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Susmita Ghosh
- Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Reid Powell
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jason Roszik
- Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Yongsun Park
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Mary Sobieski
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Alexey Sorokin
- Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Clifford Stephan
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Scott Kopetz
- Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Lee M Ellis
- Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Rajat Bhattacharya
- Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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In silico high throughput screening and in vitro validation of a novel Raf/Mek dual inhibitor against colorectal carcinoma. Biologia (Bratisl) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-022-01197-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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5
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Understanding autophagy role in cancer stem cell development. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:6741-6751. [PMID: 35277787 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07299-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subpopulation of immature cells located in the tumor mass. These cells are responsible for tumor development, proliferation, resistance and spreading. CSCs are characterized by three unique features: the ability to self-renew, differentiation and tumor formation. CSCs are similar to stem cells, but they differ in the malignant phenotype. CSCs become immortal and survive harsh environmental conditions such as hypoxia, starvation and oxidative stress. However, this harsh tumor microenvironment induces the activation of autophagy, which further increases the CSCs stemness profile, and all these features further increase tumorigenicity and metastasis capacity. Autophagy is induced by the extracellular and cellular microenvironment. Hypoxia is one of the most common factors that highly increases the activity of autophagy in CSCs. Therefore, hypoxia-induced autophagy and CSCs proliferation should be elucidated in order to find a novel cure to defeat cancer cells (CSCs and non-CSCs). The remaining challenges to close the gap between the laboratory bench and the development of therapies, to use autophagy against CSCs in patients, could be addressed by adopting a 3D platform to better-mimic the natural environment in which these cells reside. Ultimately allowing to obtain the blueprints for bioprocess scaling up and to develop the production pipeline for safe and cost-effective autophagy-based novel biologics.
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Siraj MA, Jacobs AT, Tan GT. Altersolanol B, a fungal tetrahydroanthraquinone, inhibits the proliferation of estrogen receptor-expressing (ER+) human breast adenocarcinoma by modulating PI3K/AKT, p38/ERK MAPK and associated signaling pathways. Chem Biol Interact 2022; 359:109916. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.109916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Tatli O, Dinler Doganay G. Recent Developments in Targeting RAS Downstream Effectors for RAS-Driven Cancer Therapy. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26247561. [PMID: 34946644 PMCID: PMC8703923 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26247561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant activity of oncogenic rat sarcoma virus (RAS) protein promotes tumor growth and progression. RAS-driven cancers comprise more than 30% of all human cancers and are refractory to frontline treatment strategies. Since direct targeting of RAS has proven challenging, efforts have been centered on the exploration of inhibitors for RAS downstream effector kinases. Two major RAS downstream signaling pathways, including the Raf/MEK/Erk cascade and the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, have become compelling targets for RAS-driven cancer therapy. However, the main drawback in the blockade of a single RAS effector is the multiple levels of crosstalk and compensatory mechanisms between these two pathways that contribute to drug resistance against monotherapies. A growing body of evidence reveals that the sequential or synergistic inhibition of multiple RAS effectors is a more convenient route for the efficacy of cancer therapy. Herein, we revisit the recent developments and discuss the most promising modalities targeting canonical RAS downstream effectors for the treatment of RAS-driven cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozge Tatli
- Department of Molecular Biology, Genetics-Biotechnology, Graduate School, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul 34469, Turkey;
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Istanbul 34720, Turkey
| | - Gizem Dinler Doganay
- Department of Molecular Biology, Genetics-Biotechnology, Graduate School, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul 34469, Turkey;
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul 34469, Turkey
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +90-2122-857-256
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8
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Recent developments in mitogen activated protein kinase inhibitors as potential anticancer agents. Bioorg Chem 2021; 114:105161. [PMID: 34328852 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.105161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) belongs to group of kinase that links the extracellular stimuli to intracellular response. The MAPK signalling pathway (RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK) involved in different pathological conditions like cancer, caused due to genetic or any other factor such as physical or environmental. Many studies have been conducted on the pathological view of MAPK cascade and its associated element like RAS, RAF, MEK, ERK or its isoforms, and still the research is going on particularly with respect to its activation, regulation and inhibition. The MAPK signalling pathway has become the area of research to identify new target for the management of cancer. A number of heterocyclics are key to fight with the cancer associated with these enzymes thus give some hope in the management of cancer by inhibiting MAPK cascade. In the present article, we have focussed on MAPK signalling pathway and role of different heterocyclic scaffolds bearing nitrogen, sulphur and oxygen and about their potential to block MAPK signalling pathway. The heterocyclics are gaining importance due to high potency and selectivity with less off-target effects against different targets involved in the MAPK signalling pathway. We have tried to cover recent advancements in the MAPK signalling pathway inhibitors with an aim to get better understanding of the mechanism of action of the compounds. Several compounds in the preclinical and clinical studies have been thoroughly dealt with. In addition to the synthetic compounds, a significant number of natural products containing heterocyclic moieties as MAPK signalling pathway inhibitors have been put together. The structure activity relationship along with docking studies have been discussed to apprehend the mechanistic studies of various compounds that will ultimately help to design and develop more MAPK signalling pathway inhibitors.
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Biological Evaluation of Oil-in-Water Microemulsions as Carriers of Benzothiophene Analogues for Dermal Applications. Biomimetics (Basel) 2021; 6:biomimetics6010010. [PMID: 33514031 PMCID: PMC7931112 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics6010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
During the last decade, many studies have been reported on the design and formulation of novel drug delivery systems proposed for dermal or transdermal administration. The efforts focus on the development of biocompatible nanodispersions that can be delivered to the skin and treat severe skin disorders, including cancer. In this context, oil-in-water (O/W) microemulsions have been developed to encapsulate and deliver lipophilic bioactive molecules for dermal application. An O/W biocompatible microemulsion composed of PBS buffer, Tween 80, and triacetin was assessed for its efficacy as a drug carrier of DPS-2, a lead compound, initially designed in-house to inhibit BRAFV600E oncogenic kinase. The system was evaluated through both in vitro and ex vivo approaches. The cytotoxic effect, in the presence and absence of DPS-2, was examined through the thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) cell proliferation assay using various cell lines. Further investigation through Western blotting revealed that cells died of necrosis. Porcine ear skin was used as a skin model to evaluate the degree of permeation of DPS-2 through skin and assess its retention. Through the ex vivo experiments, it was clarified that encapsulated DPS-2 was distributed within the full thickness of the stratum corneum (SC) and had a high affinity to hair follicles.
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Tiwari A, Iida M, Kosnopfel C, Abbariki M, Menegakis A, Fehrenbacher B, Maier J, Schaller M, Brucker SY, Wheeler DL, Harari PM, Rothbauer U, Schittek B, Zips D, Toulany M. Blocking Y-Box Binding Protein-1 through Simultaneous Targeting of PI3K and MAPK in Triple Negative Breast Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12102795. [PMID: 33003386 PMCID: PMC7601769 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12102795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is associated with the high rates of relapse and metastasis and poor survival. YB-1 is overexpressed in TNBC tumor tissues. In the present study, we demonstrated that S102 phosphorylation of YB-1 in TNBC cell lines depend on the mutation status of the components of the MAPK/ERK and PI3K/Akt pathways. Simultaneous targeting of MEK and PI3K was found to be the most effective approach to block YB-1 phosphorylation and to inhibit YB-1 dependent cell proliferation. YBX1 knockout was sufficient to block TNBC tumor growth. Abstract The multifunctional protein Y-box binding protein-1 (YB-1) regulates all the so far described cancer hallmarks including cell proliferation and survival. The MAPK/ERK and PI3K/Akt pathways are also the major pathways involved in cell growth, proliferation, and survival, and are the frequently hyperactivated pathways in human cancers. A gain of function mutation in KRAS mainly leads to the constitutive activation of the MAPK pathway, while the activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway occurs either through the loss of PTEN or a gain of function mutation of the catalytic subunit alpha of PI3K (PIK3CA). In this study, we investigated the underlying signaling pathway involved in YB-1 phosphorylation at serine 102 (S102) in KRAS(G13D)-mutated triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) MDA-MB-231 cells versus PIK3CA(H1047R)/PTEN(E307K) mutated TNBC MDA-MB-453 cells. Our data demonstrate that S102 phosphorylation of YB-1 in KRAS-mutated cells is mainly dependent on the MAPK/ERK pathway, while in PIK3CA/PTEN-mutated cells, YB-1 S102 phosphorylation is entirely dependent on the PI3K/Akt pathway. Independent of the individual dominant pathway regulating YB-1 phosphorylation, dual targeting of MEK and PI3K efficiently inhibited YB-1 phosphorylation and blocked cell proliferation. This represents functional crosstalk between the two pathways. Our data obtained from the experiments, applying pharmacological inhibitors and genetic approaches, shows that YB-1 is a key player in cell proliferation, clonogenic activity, and tumor growth of TNBC cells through the MAPK and PI3K pathways. Therefore, dual inhibition of these two pathways or single targeting of YB-1 may be an effective strategy to treat TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aadhya Tiwari
- Division of Radiobiology and Molecular Environmental Research, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany; (A.T.); (D.Z.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany;
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Tuebingen and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mari Iida
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705, USA; (M.I.); (M.A.); (D.L.W.); (P.M.H.)
| | - Corinna Kosnopfel
- Department of Dermatology, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany; (C.K.); (B.F.); (M.S.); (B.S.)
| | - Mahyar Abbariki
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705, USA; (M.I.); (M.A.); (D.L.W.); (P.M.H.)
| | - Apostolos Menegakis
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany;
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Tuebingen and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Birgit Fehrenbacher
- Department of Dermatology, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany; (C.K.); (B.F.); (M.S.); (B.S.)
| | - Julia Maier
- Natural and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Tuebingen, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany; (J.M.); (U.R.)
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Martin Schaller
- Department of Dermatology, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany; (C.K.); (B.F.); (M.S.); (B.S.)
| | - Sara Y. Brucker
- Department of Women’s Health, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany;
| | - Deric L. Wheeler
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705, USA; (M.I.); (M.A.); (D.L.W.); (P.M.H.)
| | - Paul M. Harari
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705, USA; (M.I.); (M.A.); (D.L.W.); (P.M.H.)
| | - Ulrich Rothbauer
- Natural and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Tuebingen, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany; (J.M.); (U.R.)
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Birgit Schittek
- Department of Dermatology, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany; (C.K.); (B.F.); (M.S.); (B.S.)
| | - Daniel Zips
- Division of Radiobiology and Molecular Environmental Research, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany; (A.T.); (D.Z.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany;
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Tuebingen and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mahmoud Toulany
- Division of Radiobiology and Molecular Environmental Research, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany; (A.T.); (D.Z.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany;
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Tuebingen and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-7071-29-85832
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Polini B, Carpi S, Doccini S, Citi V, Martelli A, Feola S, Santorelli FM, Cerullo V, Romanini A, Nieri P. Tumor Suppressor Role of hsa-miR-193a-3p and -5p in Cutaneous Melanoma. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E6183. [PMID: 32867069 PMCID: PMC7503447 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Remarkable deregulation of several microRNAs (miRNAs) is demonstrated in cutaneous melanoma. hsa-miR-193a-3p is reported to be under-expressed in tissues and in plasma of melanoma patients, but the role of both miR-193a arms in melanoma is not known yet. METHODS After observing the reduced levels of miR-193a arms in plasma exosomes of melanoma patients, the effects of hsa-miR-193a-3p and -5p transfection in cutaneous melanoma cell lines are investigated. RESULTS In melanoma cell lines A375, 501Mel, and MeWo, the ectopic over-expression of miR-193a arms significantly reduced cell viability as well as the expression of genes involved in proliferation (ERBB2, KRAS, PIK3R3, and MTOR) and apoptosis (MCL1 and NUSAP1). These functional features were accompanied by a significant downregulation of Akt and Erk pathways and a strong increase in the apoptotic process. Since in silico databases revealed TROY, an orphan member of the tumor necrosis receptor family, as a potential direct target of miR-193a-5p, this possibility was investigated using the luciferase assay and excluded by our results. CONCLUSIONS Our results underline a relevant role of miR-193a, both -3p and -5p, as tumor suppressors clarifying the intracellular mechanisms involved and suggesting that their ectopic over-expression could represent a novel treatment for cutaneous melanoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Polini
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (B.P.); (V.C.); (A.M.); (P.N.)
| | - Sara Carpi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (B.P.); (V.C.); (A.M.); (P.N.)
| | - Stefano Doccini
- Molecular Medicine for Neurodegenerative and Neuromuscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (S.D.); (F.M.S.)
| | - Valentina Citi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (B.P.); (V.C.); (A.M.); (P.N.)
| | - Alma Martelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (B.P.); (V.C.); (A.M.); (P.N.)
| | - Sara Feola
- Laboratory of ImmunoViroTherapy (IVTLab), Drug Research Program (DRP), Translation Immunology Program (TRIMM), iCAN Precision Cancer Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (S.F.); (V.C.)
| | - Filippo Maria Santorelli
- Molecular Medicine for Neurodegenerative and Neuromuscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (S.D.); (F.M.S.)
| | - Vincenzo Cerullo
- Laboratory of ImmunoViroTherapy (IVTLab), Drug Research Program (DRP), Translation Immunology Program (TRIMM), iCAN Precision Cancer Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (S.F.); (V.C.)
| | - Antonella Romanini
- Medical Oncology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, 56126 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Paola Nieri
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (B.P.); (V.C.); (A.M.); (P.N.)
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Abstract
Cancer, still in the limelight due to its dreadful nature, shows overexpression of multiple signaling macromolecules leading to failure of many chemotherapeutic agents and acquired resistance to chemotherapy. These factors highlight the significance of shifting toward targeted therapy in cancer research. Recently, ERKs (ERK1 and 2) have been established as a promising target for the management of various types of solid tumors, due to their aberrant involvement in cell growth and progression. Several ERKs inhibitors have reached clinical trials for the management of cancer and their derivatives are being continuously reported with noteworthy anticancer effect. This review highlights the recent reports on various chemical classes involved in the development of ERKs inhibitors along with their in vitro and in vivo activity and structure-activity relationship profile.
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Long R, Liu Z, Li J, Yu H. COL6A6 interacted with P4HA3 to suppress the growth and metastasis of pituitary adenoma via blocking PI3K-Akt pathway. Aging (Albany NY) 2019; 11:8845-8859. [PMID: 31627190 PMCID: PMC6834431 DOI: 10.18632/aging.102300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The role and mechanism of collagen type VI alpha 6 (COL6A6) on tumor growth and metastasis in pituitary adenoma (PA) was determined. COL6A6 was downregulated in PA tissues and cell lines, which was negatively associated with the expression of prolyl-4-hydroxylase alpha polypeptide III (P4HA3) in the progression of PA. Overexpression of COL6A6 significantly suppressed tumor growth and metastasis capacity in PA. In addition, P4HA3 worked as the upstream of the PI3K-Akt pathway to alleviate the antitumor activity of COL6A6 on the growth and metastasis of both AtT-20 and HP75 cells. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of COL6A6 on cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was reversed by P4HA3 overexpression or activation of the PI3K-Akt pathway induced by IGF-1 addition, which provided a new biomarker for clinical PA treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiqing Long
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650032, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhuohui Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650032, Yunnan, China
| | - Jinghui Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650032, Yunnan, China
| | - Hualin Yu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650032, Yunnan, China
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