Topical application of valrubicin has a beneficial effect on developing skin tumors

Mouse models for actinic keratoses

Actinic keratoses (AKs) represent a premalignant skin condition due to chronic sun damage that dramatically increases in prevalence in the aging population. Currently, animal models of AKs utilize photocarcinogenesis, chemical carcinogens, or targeted gene modulation, and each method possesses unique strengths and weaknesses. Models using photodamage most comprehensively describe methods for preferentially selecting AK lesions, while replicating the pathogenesis of AKs with greater fidelity than models utilizing other carcinogenic methods. The following review of current murine models of AKs will aid in the selection of mouse models appropriate for future in vivo studies to test the efficacy of novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of AKs.

Repurposing existing drugs for the treatment of COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 infection: A review describing drug mechanisms of action

The outbreak of a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a major public health concern across the globe. SARS-CoV-2 is the seventh coronavirus that is known to cause human disease. As of September 2020, SARS-CoV-2 has been reported in 213 countries and more than 31 million cases have been confirmed, with an estimated mortality rate of ∼3%. Unfortunately, a drug or vaccine is yet to be discovered to treat COVID-19. Thus, repurposing of existing cancer drugs will be a novel approach in treating COVID-19 patients. These drugs target viral replication cycle, viral entry and translocation to the nucleus. Some can enhance innate antiviral immune response as well. Hence this review focuses on comprehensive list of 22 drugs that work against COVID-19 infection. These drugs include fingolimod, colchicine, N4-hydroxycytidine, remdesivir, methylprednisone, oseltamivir, icatibant, perphanizine, viracept, emetine, homoharringtonine, aloxistatin, ribavirin, valrubicin, famotidine, almitrine, amprenavir, hesperidin, biorobin, cromolyn sodium, and antibodies- tocilzumab and sarilumab. Also, we provide a list of 31 drugs that are predicted to function against SARS-CoV-2 infection. In summary, we provide succinct overview of various therapeutic modalities. Among these 53 drugs, based on various clinical trials and literature, remdesivir, nelfinavir, methylpredinosolone, colchicine, famotidine and emetine may be used for COVID-19. SIGNIFICANCE: It is of utmost important priority to develop novel therapies for COVID-19. Since the effect of SARS-CoV-2 is so severe, slowing the spread of diseases will help the health care system, especially the number of visits to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of any country. Several clinical trials are in works around the globe. Moreover, NCI developed a recent and robust response to COVID-19 pandemic. One of the NCI's goals is to screen cancer related drugs for identification of new therapies for COVID-19. https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/cancer-currents-blog/2020/covid-19-cancer-nci-response?cid=eb_govdel.

Identification of Potential Hub Genes and Therapeutic Drugs in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma by Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is closely linked to asbestos exposure and is an extremely aggressive tumor with poor prognosis.

OBJECTIVE

Our study aimed to elucidate hub genes and potential drugs in MPM by integrated bioinformatics analysis.

METHODS

GSE42977 was download from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database; the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with adj.p value <0.05 and |logFC| ≥2 were identified. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed by DAVID database. The STRING database was used to construct a protein-protein interaction network, and modules analysis and hub genes acquisition were performed by Cytoscape. The Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database was used to assess the impact of hub genes on the prognosis of MPM patients. The Drug-Gene Interaction database (DGIdb) was used to select the related drugs.

RESULTS

A total of 169 upregulated and 70 downregulated DEGs were identified. These DEGs are enriched in the pathway of extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and PPAR signaling pathway. Finally, 10 hub genes (CDC20, CDK1, UBE2C, TOP2A, CCNB2, NUSAP1, KIF20A, AURKA, CEP55, and ASPM) were identified, which are considered to be closely related to the poor prognosis of MPM. In addition, 119 related drugs that may have a therapeutic effect on MPM were filtered out.

CONCLUSION

These discovered genes and small-molecule drugs provide some new ideas for further research on MPM.

Exploring Valrubicin's Effect on Propionibacterium Acnes-Induced Skin Inflammation in Vitro and in Vivo

Acne is a common skin disease involving colonization with Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), hyperproliferation of the follicular epithelium and inflammatory events. Valrubicin is a second-generation anthracycline, non-toxic upon contact, and available in a topical formulation. Valrubicin’s predecessor doxorubicin possesses antibacterial effects and previously we demonstrated that valrubicin inhibits keratinocyte proliferation and skin inflammation suggesting beneficial topical treatment of acne with valrubicin. This study aims to investigate valrubicin’s possible use in acne treatment by testing valrubicin’s antibacterial effects against P. acnes and P. acnes-induced skin inflammation in vitro and in vivo. Valrubicin was demonstrated not to possess antibacterial effects against P. acnes. Additionally, valrubicin was demonstrated not to reduce mRNA and protein expression levels of the inflammatory markers interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in vitro in human keratinocytes co-cultured with P. acnes. Moreover, in vivo, valrubicin, applied both topically and intra-dermally, was not able to reduce signs of inflammation in mouse ears intra-dermally injected with P. acnes. Taken together, this study does not support beneficial antibacterial and anti inflammatory effects of topical valrubicin treatment of acne.

Prediction of cancer drugs by chemical-chemical interactions

Cancer, which is a leading cause of death worldwide, places a big burden on health-care system. In this study, an order-prediction model was built to predict a series of cancer drug indications based on chemical-chemical interactions. According to the confidence scores of their interactions, the order from the most likely cancer to the least one was obtained for each query drug. The 1(st) order prediction accuracy of the training dataset was 55.93%, evaluated by Jackknife test, while it was 55.56% and 59.09% on a validation test dataset and an independent test dataset, respectively. The proposed method outperformed a popular method based on molecular descriptors. Moreover, it was verified that some drugs were effective to the 'wrong' predicted indications, indicating that some 'wrong' drug indications were actually correct indications. Encouraged by the promising results, the method may become a useful tool to the prediction of drugs indications.

Topical valrubicin application reduces skin inflammation in murine models

BACKGROUND

Valrubicin is a cytostatic anthracycline analogue, lacking toxicity by skin and tissue contact, and represents a new drug with potential for topical treatment of psoriasis and nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC); the beneficial effects have been partly explained by its antiproliferative and proapoptotic characteristics.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effect of valrubicin on skin inflammation as inflammation also plays a key role in psoriasis and NMSC.

METHODS

The effect of topical valrubicin treatment on skin inflammation in vivo was addressed in skin inflammation mouse models, where 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate was used to induce irritant contact dermatitis. An acute and a chronic model were included, to investigate the effect of valrubicin in short-term inflammation and in more persistent inflammation. Inflammation-associated ear oedema was evaluated by measuring ear thickness, infiltration of neutrophil cells, and expression of inflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6.

RESULTS

Topical valrubicin treatment effectively reduced the inflammatory response in the acute and the chronic models.

CONCLUSIONS

The present data document an anti-inflammatory effect of valrubicin, and may suggest an interesting new role for valrubicin in other debilitating skin diseases in which inflammation is a significant factor.

Enhanced solubility and functionality of valrubicin (AD-32) against cancer cells upon encapsulation into biocompatible nanoparticles

Among numerous drug-delivery approaches, reconstituted high-density lipoprotein (rHDL) nanocarriers have proven particularly applicable for delivering highly hydrophobic drugs. In this study, we have investigated the enhancement of the therapeutic impact of valrubicin (AD-32), an antineoplastic agent that has been limited to intravesicular application against bladder cancer, despite the encouraging original preclinical data. Earlier studies validated the superior therapeutic efficacy of AD-32 over doxorubicin. In the present study, rHDL/AD-32 nanoparticles were formulated and characterized with regard to encapsulation efficiency, physicochemical properties, selective toxicity, and receptor-mediated uptake. The half maximal inhibitory concentration values (IC₅₀) for rHDL/AD-32 nanoparticles were 1.8 and 2.6 times lower than the free AD-32 for prostate (PC-3) and ovarian (SKOV-3) cancer cell lines, respectively, whereas nonmalignant cell lines demonstrated 5 and 1.48 times higher IC₅₀ doses with rHDL/AD-32 formulations. The data obtained demonstrated effective receptor- mediated uptake of AD-32 from the rHDL nanocarriers by PC-3 and SKOV-3 cancer cells via a targeted drug-delivery process. The rHDL/AD-32 formulation was stable for 6 months when stored at 4°C or at −20°C, as 92% of the AD-32 was retained in the nanoparticles. The findings from this study show that the rHDL/AD-32 formulation can overcome the solubility barriers of AD-32 and thus serve as an effective systemically administered chemotherapeutic agent.

Systematic in-vitro evaluation of the NCI/NIH Developmental Therapeutics Program Approved Oncology Drug Set for the identification of a candidate drug repertoire for MLL-rearranged leukemia

Despite significant progress made in the overall cure rate, the prognosis for relapsed and refractory malignancies in children remains extremely poor. Hence, there is an urgent need for studies that enable the timely selection of appropriate agents for Phase I clinical studies. The Pediatric Oncology Experimental Therapeutics Investigators’ Consortium (POETIC) is systematically evaluating libraries of known and novel compounds for activity against subsets of high-risk pediatric malignancies with defined molecular aberrations for future clinical development. In this report, we describe the in-vitro activity of a diverse panel of approved oncology drugs against MLL-rearranged pediatric leukemia cell lines. Agents in the Approved Oncology Drug Set II (National Cancer Institute/National Institutes of Health Developmental Therapeutics Program) were evaluated by in-vitro cytotoxicity assays in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia cell lines with MLL gene rearrangements. Validation studies were carried out with patient leukemia cells in culture. Comparative analysis for toxicity against nonmalignant cells was evaluated in normal bone marrow stromal cells and normal human lymphocytes. Results from this study show that 42 of the 89 agents tested have measurable cytotoxicity against leukemia cells, and among these, 12 were effective against all five MLL-rearranged cell lines (IC₅₀ [half maximal inhibitory concentration] < 1 μM). These 12 agents include cladribine, dactinomycin, daunorubicin, docetaxel, etoposide, gemcitabine, mitomycin C, mitoxantrone, teniposide, topotecan, triethylenemelamine, and vinblastine. We show that the Approved Oncology Drug Set II contains a number of agents with potent antileukemic activity in the tested cell lines. As approved drugs, these agents have been used in clinical settings for many years for other malignancies, thus their toxicity profile, pharmacokinetics, and other properties are readily available. Further evaluation of their use in future clinical trials for pediatric leukemia with MLL abnormalities should be considered.