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Li X, Zheng C, Liu Y, Sun H, Qian Y, Fan H. Co-overexpression of BRD4 and CDK7 promotes cell proliferation and predicts poor prognosis in HCC. Heliyon 2024; 10:e24389. [PMID: 38293462 PMCID: PMC10826729 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Aberrant expression of critical components of the trans-acting super-enhancers (SE) complex contributes to the continuous and robust transcription of oncogenes in human cancers. Small-molecule inhibitors targeting core-transcriptional components such as transcriptional bromodomain protein 4 (BRD4) and cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) have been developed and are currently undergoing preclinical and clinical testing in several malignant cancers. By analysis of TCGA data and clinical specimens, we demonstrated that BRD4 and CDK7 were frequently overexpressed in human HCCs and were associated with the poor prognosis. Shorter survival and poorly differentiated histology were linked to high BRD4 or CDK7 expression levels. Interestingly, co-overexpression of BRD4 and CDK7 was a more unfavorable prognostic factor in HCC. Treatment with JQ1 or THZ1 alone exhibited an inhibitory impact on the proliferation of HCC cells, while JQ1 synergized with THZ1 showed a more pronounced suppression. Concurrently, a combined JQ1 and THZ1 treatment abolished the transcription of oncogenes ETV4, MYC, NFE2L2. Our study suggested that BRD4 and CDK7 coupled can be a valuable biomarker in HCC diagnosis and the combination of JQ1 and THZ1 can be a promising therapeutic treatment against HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxiu Li
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chuqian Zheng
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue Liu
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hui Sun
- School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yanyan Qian
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hong Fan
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
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Liu F, Liao Z, Zhang Z. MYC in liver cancer: mechanisms and targeted therapy opportunities. Oncogene 2023; 42:3303-3318. [PMID: 37833558 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02861-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
MYC, a major oncogenic transcription factor, regulates target genes involved in various pathways such as cell proliferation, metabolism and immune evasion, playing a critical role in the tumor initiation and development in multiple types of cancer. In liver cancer, MYC and its signaling pathways undergo significant changes, exerting a profound impact on liver cancer progression, including tumor proliferation, metastasis, dedifferentiation, metabolism, immune microenvironment, and resistance to comprehensive therapies. This makes MYC an appealing target, despite it being previously considered an undruggable protein. In this review, we discuss the role and mechanisms of MYC in liver physiology, chronic liver diseases, hepatocarcinogenesis, and liver cancer progression, providing a theoretical basis for targeting MYC as an ideal therapeutic target for liver cancer. We also summarize and prospect the strategies for targeting MYC, including direct and indirect approaches to abolish the oncogenic function of MYC in liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Furong Liu
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhibin Liao
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhanguo Zhang
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China.
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China.
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education; NHC Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China.
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Zhu S, Wu Y, Song B, Yi M, Yan Y, Mei Q, Wu K. Recent advances in targeted strategies for triple-negative breast cancer. J Hematol Oncol 2023; 16:100. [PMID: 37641116 PMCID: PMC10464091 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-023-01497-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a highly aggressive subtype of breast cancer, negatively expresses estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Although chemotherapy is the main form of treatment for patients with TNBC, the effectiveness of chemotherapy for TNBC is still limited. The search for more effective therapies is urgent. Multiple targeted therapeutic strategies have emerged according to the specific molecules and signaling pathways expressed in TNBC. These include PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors, epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors, Notch inhibitors, poly ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors, and antibody-drug conjugates. Moreover, immune checkpoint inhibitors, for example, pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, and durvalumab, are widely explored in the clinic. We summarize recent advances in targeted therapy and immunotherapy in TNBC, with the aim of serving as a reference for the development of individualized treatment of patients with TNBC in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuangli Zhu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Yuze Wu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Bin Song
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, China
| | - Ming Yi
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, China
| | - Yuheng Yan
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Qi Mei
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, China.
- Cancer Center, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| | - Kongming Wu
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, China.
- Cancer Center, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
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Pan Z, Zhao Y, Wang X, Xie X, Liu M, Zhang K, Wang L, Bai D, Foster LJ, Shu R, He G. Targeting bromodomain-containing proteins: research advances of drug discovery. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2023; 4:13. [PMID: 37142850 PMCID: PMC10159834 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-023-00127-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Bromodomain (BD) is an evolutionarily conserved protein module found in 46 different BD-containing proteins (BCPs). BD acts as a specific reader for acetylated lysine residues (KAc) and serves an essential role in transcriptional regulation, chromatin remodeling, DNA damage repair, and cell proliferation. On the other hand, BCPs have been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases, including cancers, inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, and viral infections. Over the past decade, researchers have brought new therapeutic strategies to relevant diseases by inhibiting the activity or downregulating the expression of BCPs to interfere with the transcription of pathogenic genes. An increasing number of potent inhibitors and degraders of BCPs have been developed, some of which are already in clinical trials. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive review of recent advances in the study of drugs that inhibit or down-regulate BCPs, focusing on the development history, molecular structure, biological activity, interaction with BCPs and therapeutic potentials of these drugs. In addition, we discuss current challenges, issues to be addressed and future research directions for the development of BCPs inhibitors. Lessons learned from the successful or unsuccessful development experiences of these inhibitors or degraders will facilitate the further development of efficient, selective and less toxic inhibitors of BCPs and eventually achieve drug application in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoping Pan
- Department of Dermatology & Venerology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
- Laboratory of Dermatology, Clinical Institute of Inflammation and Immunology (CIII), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yuxi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, Department of Orthodontics and Pediatrics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiaoyun Wang
- Department of Dermatology & Venerology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
- Laboratory of Dermatology, Clinical Institute of Inflammation and Immunology (CIII), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xin Xie
- College of Medical Technology and School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Mingxia Liu
- Department of Dermatology & Venerology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Kaiyao Zhang
- Department of Dermatology & Venerology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Lian Wang
- Department of Dermatology & Venerology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Ding Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, Department of Orthodontics and Pediatrics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Leonard J Foster
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Rui Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, Department of Orthodontics and Pediatrics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Gu He
- Department of Dermatology & Venerology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China.
- Laboratory of Dermatology, Clinical Institute of Inflammation and Immunology (CIII), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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Fan Y, Luo F, Su M, Li Q, Zhong T, Xiong L, Li M, Yuan M, Wang D. Structure optimization, synthesis, and biological evaluation of 6-(2-amino-1H-benzo[d]imidazole-6-yl)-quinazolin-4(3H)-one derivatives as potential multi-targeted anticancer agents via Aurora A/ PI3K/BRD4 inhibition. Bioorg Chem 2023; 132:106352. [PMID: 36682147 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Aurora A (Aurora kinase A), a critical regulator of cell mitosis, is frequently overexpressed in many malignant cancers, and has been considered as a promising drug target for cancer therapy. Likewise, Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase alpha (PI3Kα) is also regarded as one of the most important targets in cancer therapy by mediating the cell growth and angiogenesis of various human cancers. In addition, Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) modulates oncogene expressions of Myc, Aurora kinase and various RTKs. Recently, accumulating evidences indicated that hyperactivated or abnormally expressed Aurora A, PI3Kα or BRD4 are closely associated with drug resistance and poor prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Hence, simultaneous inhibition of Aurora A, PI3Kα, and BRD4 is expected to be a new strategy for NSCLC therapy. In this study, we performed further structure optimization of 6-(2-amino-1H-benzo[d]imidazole-6-yl)-quinazolin-4(3H) -one based on previous study to obtain a series of derivatives for discovering potential Aurora A, PI3Kα and BRD4 multi-targeted inhibitors. MTT assay showed that most of the newly synthesized compounds exhibited an evident anticancer activity against the NSCLC cells. Among them, the IC50 values of the most potent compound 9a were 0.83, 0.26 and 1.02 μM against A549, HCC827 and H1975 cells, respectively. In addition, 9a markedly inhibited the Aurora A and PI3Kα kinase activities with IC50 values of 10.19 nM and 13.12 nM. Compound 9a induced G2/M phase arrests and apoptosis of HCC827 cells by simultaneous inhibition of Aurora A/PI3K/ BRD4 signaling pathways. Collectively, our studies suggested that 9a might be a potential multi-targeted inhibitor for NSCLC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhua Fan
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China; The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Fang Luo
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China; The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550014, China.
| | - Mingzhi Su
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China; The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Qing Li
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China; The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Ting Zhong
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China; The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Liang Xiong
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China; The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Mei Li
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China; The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Meitao Yuan
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China; The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Daoping Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China; The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550014, China
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Jiang Z, Dai C. Potential Treatment Strategies for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Sensitization to Sorafenib. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2023; 10:257-266. [PMID: 36815094 PMCID: PMC9939808 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s396231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer is highly malignant, has a low sensitivity to chemotherapy, and is associated with poor patient prognosis. The last 3 years have seen the emergence of promising targeted therapies for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). For over 10 years, before the discovery of lenvatinib, sorafenib was only first-line therapeutic agent available for the treatment of advanced HCC. However, several clinical studies have shown that a considerable proportion liver cancer patients are insensitive to sorafenib. Very few patients actually substantially benefit from treatment with sorafenib, and the overall efficacy of the drug has not been satisfactory; therefore, sorafenib has attracted considerable research attention. This study, which is based on previous studies and reports, reviews the potential mechanisms underlying sorafenib resistance and summarizes combination therapies and potential drugs that can be used to sensitize HCC cells to sorafenib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhonghao Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chaoliu Dai
- Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China,Correspondence: Chaoliu Dai, Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China, Email
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Yang Z, Liu Y, Cheng Q, Chen T. Targeting super enhancers for liver disease: a review. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14780. [PMID: 36726725 PMCID: PMC9885865 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Super enhancers (SEs) refer to the ultralong regions of a gene accompanied by multiple transcription factors and cofactors and strongly drive the expression of cell-type-related genes. Recent studies have demonstrated that SEs play crucial roles in regulating gene expression related to cell cycle progression and transcription. Aberrant activation of SEs is closely related to the occurrence and development of liver disease. Liver disease, especially liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), constitutes a major class of diseases that seriously endanger human health. Currently, therapeutic strategies targeting SEs can dramatically prevent disease progression and improve the prognosis of animal models. The associated new approaches to the treatment of related liver disease are relatively new and need systematic elaboration. Objectives In this review, we elaborate on the features of SEs and discuss their function in liver disease. Additionally, we review their application prospects in clinical practice in the future. The article would be of interest to hepatologists, molecular biologists, clinicians, and all those concerned with targeted therapy and prognosis of liver disease. Methodology We searched three bibliographic databases (Web of Science Core Collection, Embase, PubMed) from 01/1981 to 06/2022 for peer-reviewed scientific publications focused on (1) gene treatment of liver disease; (2) current status of SE research; and (3) targeting SEs for liver disease. We included English language original studies only. Results The number of published studies considering the role of enhancers in liver disease is considerable. Since SEs were just defined in 2013, the corresponding data on SEs are scarce: approximately 50 papers found in bibliographic databases on the correlation between enhancers (or SEs) and liver disease. Remarkably, half of these papers were published in the past three years, indicating the growing interest of the scientific community in this issue. Studies have shown that treatments targeting components of SEs can improve outcomes in liver disease in animal and clinical trials. Conclusions The treatment of liver disease is facing a bottleneck, and new treatments are needed. Therapeutic regimens targeting SEs have an important role in the treatment of liver disease. However, given the off-target effect of gene therapy and the lack of clinical trials, the available experimental data are still fragmented and controversial.
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Bartolucci D, Montemurro L, Raieli S, Lampis S, Pession A, Hrelia P, Tonelli R. MYCN Impact on High-Risk Neuroblastoma: From Diagnosis and Prognosis to Targeted Treatment. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14184421. [PMID: 36139583 PMCID: PMC9496712 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14184421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Neuroblastoma is one of the most diffuse and the deadliest cancer in children. While many advances have been made in the last few decades to improve patients’ outcome, high-risk neuroblastoma (HR-NB) still shows a very aggressive pattern of development and poor prognosis, with only a 50% chance of 5-year survival. Moreover, while many factors contribute to defining the high-risk condition, MYCN status is well established as the major element in pathology disclosure. The aim of this review is to describe the current knowledge in the diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic approaches of HR-NB, particularly in relation to MYCN. The review highlights how MYCN influences the HR-NB scenario and the new therapeutic approaches that are currently proposed to target it, in consideration of MYCN as a highly relevant target for HR-NB patient management. Abstract Among childhood cancers, neuroblastoma is the most diffuse solid tumor and the deadliest in children. While to date, the pathology has become progressively manageable with a significant increase in 5-year survival for its less aggressive form, high-risk neuroblastoma (HR-NB) remains a major issue with poor outcome and little survivability of patients. The staging system has also been improved to better fit patient needs and to administer therapies in a more focused manner in consideration of pathology features. New and improved therapies have been developed; nevertheless, low efficacy and high toxicity remain a staple feature of current high-risk neuroblastoma treatment. For this reason, more specific procedures are required, and new therapeutic targets are also needed for a precise medicine approach. In this scenario, MYCN is certainly one of the most interesting targets. Indeed, MYCN is one of the most relevant hallmarks of HR-NB, and many studies has been carried out in recent years to discover potent and specific inhibitors to block its activities and any related oncogenic function. N-Myc protein has been considered an undruggable target for a long time. Thus, many new indirect and direct approaches have been discovered and preclinically evaluated for the interaction with MYCN and its pathways; a few of the most promising approaches are nearing clinical application for the investigation in HR-NB.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luca Montemurro
- Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Unit, IRCCS, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | | | | | - Andrea Pession
- Pediatric Unit, IRCCS, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Patrizia Hrelia
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Roberto Tonelli
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
- Correspondence:
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Targeted Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Old and New Opportunities. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14164028. [PMID: 36011021 PMCID: PMC9406380 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14164028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent primitive cancer of the liver, accounting for 90% of all recorded cases. HCC is the third most common cause of cancer-related death, with a 5-year survival rate of just 3%. In terms of the advanced stages, systemic treatments have allowed patients to achieve clinical benefits, although the prognosis remains very poor. In the past few decades, new molecular targeted therapies have been developed and clinically evaluated with interesting results. However, on the basis of the poor prognoses and the meager benefits deriving from the available systemic therapies, research into new treatments is extremely necessary. In this review, we focus on the available systemic therapies for advanced HCC, with a look toward the future. Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent primitive cancer of the liver, accounting for 90% of all recorded cases. HCC is the third most common cause of cancer-related death, with a 5-year survival rate of just 3%. In the advanced stages, systemic treatments allow doctors to obtain clinical benefits, although the prognosis remains very poor. In the past few decades, new molecular targeted therapies against receptor tyrosine kinases have been developed and clinically evaluated. Sorafenib was the first oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) approved for the treatment of advanced HCC in 2007. Subsequently, other TKIs, including Cabozantinib, Regorafenib, Lenvatinib, and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitors such as Ramucirumab and VEGF inhibitors such as Bevacizumab have been approved as first- or second-line treatments. More recently, the combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors and VEGF inhibitors (Atezolizumab plus Bevacizumab) have been analyzed and approved for the treatment of advanced HCC. On the basis of the poor prognoses and the meager benefits deriving from the available systemic therapies, research into new treatments is extremely necessary. In this review, we focus on the available systemic therapies for advanced HCC, with a look toward the future.
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Yu B, Zhou S, Long D, Ning Y, Yao H, Zhou E, Wang Y. DDX55 promotes HCC progression via interacting with BRD4 and participating in exosome-mediated cell-cell communication. Cancer Sci 2022; 113:3002-3017. [PMID: 35514200 PMCID: PMC9459289 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The involvement of DEAD‐box helicase 55 (DDX55) in oncogenesis has been suggested, but its biological role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. The present study verified the upregulation of DDX55 in HCC tissues compared with non‐tumor controls. DDX55 displayed the highest prognostic values among the DEAD‐box protein family for recurrence‐free survival and overall survival of HCC patients. In addition, the effects of DDX55 in the promotion of HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were determined ex vivo and in vivo. Mechanistically, we revealed that DDX55 could interact with BRD4 to form a transcriptional regulatory complex that positively regulated PIK3CA transcription. Following that, β‐catenin signaling was activated in a PI3K/Akt/GSK‐3β dependent manner, thus inducing cell cycle progression and epithelial–mesenchymal transition. Intriguingly, both DDX55 mRNA and protein were identified in the exosomes derived from HCC cells. Exosomal DDX55 was implicated in intercellular communication between HCC cells with high or low DDX55 levels and between HCC cells and endothelial cells, thereby promoting the malignant phenotype of HCC cells and angiogenesis. In conclusion, DDX55 may be a valuable prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Yu
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Transplant Center of Wuhan University, National Quality Control Center for Donated Organ Procurement, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Hubei Clinical Research Center for Natural Polymer Biological Liver, Engineering Center of Natural Polymer-based Medical Materials, Hubei, Wuhan, China
| | - Shujun Zhou
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Transplant Center of Wuhan University, National Quality Control Center for Donated Organ Procurement, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Hubei Clinical Research Center for Natural Polymer Biological Liver, Engineering Center of Natural Polymer-based Medical Materials, Hubei, Wuhan, China
| | - Dakun Long
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Transplant Center of Wuhan University, National Quality Control Center for Donated Organ Procurement, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Hubei Clinical Research Center for Natural Polymer Biological Liver, Engineering Center of Natural Polymer-based Medical Materials, Hubei, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuxiang Ning
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Transplant Center of Wuhan University, National Quality Control Center for Donated Organ Procurement, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Hubei Clinical Research Center for Natural Polymer Biological Liver, Engineering Center of Natural Polymer-based Medical Materials, Hubei, Wuhan, China
| | - Hanlin Yao
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Transplant Center of Wuhan University, National Quality Control Center for Donated Organ Procurement, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Hubei Clinical Research Center for Natural Polymer Biological Liver, Engineering Center of Natural Polymer-based Medical Materials, Hubei, Wuhan, China
| | - Encheng Zhou
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Transplant Center of Wuhan University, National Quality Control Center for Donated Organ Procurement, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Hubei Clinical Research Center for Natural Polymer Biological Liver, Engineering Center of Natural Polymer-based Medical Materials, Hubei, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanfeng Wang
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Transplant Center of Wuhan University, National Quality Control Center for Donated Organ Procurement, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Hubei Clinical Research Center for Natural Polymer Biological Liver, Engineering Center of Natural Polymer-based Medical Materials, Hubei, Wuhan, China
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11
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Fan Y, Xue H, Zheng H. Systemic Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current Updates and Outlook. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2022; 9:233-263. [PMID: 35388357 PMCID: PMC8977221 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s358082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has emerged the culprit of cancer-related mortality worldwide with its dismal prognosis climbing. In recent years, ground-breaking progress has been made in systemic therapy for HCC. Targeted therapy based on specific signaling molecules, including sorafenib, lenvatinib, regorafenib, cabozantinib, and ramucirumab, has been widely used for advanced HCC (aHCC). Immunotherapies such as pembrolizumab and nivolumab greatly improve the survival of aHCC patients. More recently, synergistic combination therapy has boosted first-line (atezolizumab in combination with bevacizumab) and second-line (ipilimumab in combination with nivolumab) therapeutic modalities for aHCC. This review aims to summarize recent updates of systemic therapy relying on the biological mechanisms of HCC, particularly highlighting the approved agents for aHCC. Adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy, as well as a combination with locoregional therapies (LRTs), are also discussed. Additionally, we describe the promising effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as systemic therapy on HCC. In this setting, the challenges and future directions of systemic therapy for HCC are also explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinjie Fan
- College of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110847, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Oncology and Experimental Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hang Xue
- Department of Oncology and Experimental Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Huachuan Zheng
- Department of Oncology and Experimental Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Huachuan Zheng, Department of Oncology and Experimental Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-0314-2279458, Fax +86-0314-2279458, Email
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12
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Chen L, Liu Z, Li X. Recent Advances in Dual BRD4-Kinase Inhibitors Base on Polypharmacology. ChemMedChem 2022; 17:e202100731. [PMID: 35146935 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202100731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic reader BRD4 is involved in chromatin remodeling and transcriptional regulation, making it a promising therapeutic target. However, during the past decades, the results of many BRD4 inhibitors that have entered clinical trials were, in the main, unsatisfactory, due to some therapeutic limitations such as off-target effects and drug resistance. Combining a BRD4 inhibitor with another drug was expected to be an ideal option to overcome these "bottlenecks" and achieve improved therapeutic outcomes. However, combination therapy might trigger toxicity caused by drug-drug interaction, complex pharmacokinetic and additive effects. Recently, the application of dual-target drugs targeting BRD4 and other kinases has emerged to be an attractive approach to remedy defects of a single BRD4 inhibitor. Herein, this review focuses on recent advances in the discovery of dual BRD4-kinase inhibitors, with emphasis on their co-crystal structures and structure-activity relationships (SARs), as well as perspective prospects in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Chen
- Shandong University Cheeloo College of Medicine, Medicinal chemistry, West Wenhua Road 44, 250012, Jinnan, CHINA
| | - Zhaopeng Liu
- Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong Un, No.44 WhenHua XiLu, 250012, Jinan, CHINA
| | - Xun Li
- Shandong First Medical University, Institute of Materia Medica, CHINA
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13
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Sun HY, Du ST, Li YY, Deng GT, Zeng FR. Bromodomain and extra-terminal inhibitors emerge as potential therapeutic avenues for gastrointestinal cancers. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2022; 14:75-89. [PMID: 35116104 PMCID: PMC8790409 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v14.i1.75] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, including colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, liver cancer and gastric cancer, are severe social burdens due to high incidence and mortality rates. Bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) proteins are epigenetic readers consisting of four conserved members (BRD2, BRD3, BRD4 and BRDT). BET family perform pivotal roles in tumorigenesis through transcriptional regulation, thereby emerging as potential therapeutic targets. BET inhibitors, disrupting the interaction between BET proteins and acetylated lysines, have been reported to suppress tumor initiation and progression in most of GI cancers. In this review, we will demonstrate how BET proteins participate in the GI cancers progression and highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting BET proteins for GI cancers treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Yan Sun
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
- Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
| | - Song-Tao Du
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
- Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
- Department of Colorectal Surgical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150081, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Ya-Yun Li
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
- Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
| | - Guang-Tong Deng
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
- Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
| | - Fu-Rong Zeng
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
- Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
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14
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Akawa OB, Subair TI, Omolabi KF, Okunlola FO, Soliman MES. Mechanistic Insights into the Selective Dual BET and PLK1 Inhibitory Activity of a Novel Benzamide Compound in Castration-Resistant Prostrate Cancer. Chem Biodivers 2021; 18:e2100519. [PMID: 34729902 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202100519] [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: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Though multifactorial, BET and PLK1 proteins have been found to be key players in the oncogenic process leading to castration-resistant prostate cancer through regulation of AR and MYC-mediated transcription. Hence, dual inhibition of these proteins appears to be an auspicious approach for CRPC therapy. WNY0824 has been reported to exhibit nanomolar range inhibition as well as significant anti-proliferative activity on AR-positive CRPC cells in vitro. However, structural, and mechanistic events associated with its dual inhibitory and anti-proliferative mechanisms remain unclear. Utilizing integrative computer-assisted atomistic techniques, analyses revealed that the dual-inhibitory activity of WNY0824 against BRD4 and PLK1 proteins is mediated by conserved residues present in the binding cavities of both proteins which are shown to elicit various strong intermolecular interactions and thus favour binding affinity. Also, binding orientation of the ligand at the protein binding cavities allowed for important hydrophobic interactions which resulted in high binding free energy of -42.50 kcal/mol and -51.64 kcal/mol towards BRD4 and PLK1, respectively. While van der Waals interactions are very important to ligand binding in BRD4-WNY complex, electrostatic interactions are pertinent to PLK1-WNY complex. Intriguingly, WNY0824 triggered conformational alterations in both proteins through increased structural instability, decreased structural compactness and mitigation in exposure of residues to solvent surface area. Consequently, critical interactions peculiar to the oncogenic activities of BRD4 and PLK1 were inhibited, a phenomenon that results in an antagonism of CRPC progression. The mechanistic insights presented in this report would further assist in the structure-based design of improved inhibitors useful in CRPC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwole B Akawa
- Molecular Bio-computation and Drug Design Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, 4001, South Africa
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, 360001, Nigeria
| | - Temitayo I Subair
- Molecular Bio-computation and Drug Design Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, 4001, South Africa
| | - Kehinde F Omolabi
- Molecular Bio-computation and Drug Design Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, 4001, South Africa
| | - Felix O Okunlola
- Molecular Bio-computation and Drug Design Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, 4001, South Africa
| | - Mahmoud E S Soliman
- Molecular Bio-computation and Drug Design Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, 4001, South Africa
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15
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Gao M, Deng C, Dang F. Synergistic antitumor effect of resveratrol and sorafenib on hepatocellular carcinoma through PKA/AMPK/eEF2K pathway. Food Nutr Res 2021; 65:3602. [PMID: 34776832 PMCID: PMC8559449 DOI: 10.29219/fnr.v65.3602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Although sorafenib (Sor) is the only effective drug for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), its therapeutic potential to date is mainly limited to the low tumor response. This study was designed to explore whether resveratrol (Res) could potentiate the anticancerous activity of Sor. We used HepG2 and Huh7 HCC cell lines and BALB/c nude mice for in vitro and in vivo studies, respectively. The cultured cell lines and tumor induction in the mice were treated with different concentrations of Res and Sor alone, and the combination of Res and Sor to observe the antitumor effects. Significant inhibitory effects were observed in the combined treatment of Res and Sor compared to Res and Sor alone treatments both in vitro and in vivo as demonstrated by significantly high number of S phase cells and apoptotic cells. Moreover, these findings were accompanied by the reduction of CDK2, CDC25A, PKA, p-AMPK, and eEF2K protein levels and the increment of cyclin A, cleavage caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 protein levels. The combinational treatment exhibited more significant anticancerous effect than the Res and Sor alone treatments in mice-bearing HepG2 xenograft. Overall, our results suggest that PKA/AMPK/eEF2K pathway is involved in the synergistic anticancerous activity of Res and Sor combination treatment in HCC cells. Thus, Res and Sor combination therapy may be promising in increasing the tumor response of Sor in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meili Gao
- Department of Biological Science and Engineering, The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Chun Deng
- Department of Biological Science and Engineering, The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Fan Dang
- Department of Biological Science and Engineering, The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
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16
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Liu F, Zhu XT, Li Y, Wang CJ, Fu JL, Hui J, Xiao Y, Liu L, Yan R, Li XF, Liu Y. Magnesium demethylcantharidate inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma cell invasion and metastasis via activation transcription factor FOXO1. Eur J Pharmacol 2021; 911:174558. [PMID: 34634308 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.174558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world, develops rapidly and has a high mortality rate. Relapsed metastasis is the most important factor affecting prognosis and is also the main cause of death for patients with HCC. Cantharidin is a kind of folk medicine for malignant tumors in China. Because of its cytotoxicity, the application of cantharidin is very limited. Magnesium demethylcantharidate (MDC) is a derivative of cantharidin independently developed by our laboratory. Our results show that MDC has anticancer activity and exhibited lower toxicity than cantharidin. However, whether MDC affects the invasion and metastasis of HCC cells and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain obscure. Transwell and Matrigel assays showed that MDC could effectively inhibit the invasion and metastasis of the HCC cell lines SMMC-7721 and SK-Hep1 in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, MDC significantly inhibited the expression of invasion and metastasis related proteins MMP-2 and MMP-9. In addition, our study found that MDC inhibited the invasion and metastasis of HCC cell lines SMMC-7721 and SK-Hep1 by activating transcription factor FOXO1. Interestingly, the combination of MDC and sorafenib significantly inhibited the invasion and metastasis of HCC cell lines SMMC-7721 and SK-Hep1 compared with the single drug treatment via the activated transcription factor FOXO1. Our work revealed that MDC obviously inhibited the invasion and metastasis of HCC cells, and suggested that MDC could be a potential candidate molecule against the invasion and metastasis of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Liu
- College of Basic Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, 563000, China
| | - Xin-Ting Zhu
- College of Basic Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, 563000, China; Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China
| | - Yi Li
- College of Basic Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, 563000, China
| | - Chen-Jing Wang
- College of Basic Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, 563000, China
| | - Jia-Li Fu
- College of Basic Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, 563000, China
| | - Jing Hui
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China; Life Sciences Institute, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China
| | - Yi Xiao
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China; Life Sciences Institute, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China
| | - Liu Liu
- College of Basic Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, 563000, China
| | - Rong Yan
- College of Basic Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, 563000, China
| | - Xiao-Fei Li
- College of Basic Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, 563000, China
| | - Yun Liu
- College of Basic Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, 563000, China; Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China; Life Sciences Institute, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China.
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17
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Xie Y, Liu C, Zhou S, Wang Q, Tang X. Lupeol-Loaded Nanoparticles Enhance the Radiosensitivity of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Inhibiting the Hyperactivation in Raf/Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase and Phospatidylinositol-3 Kinase/mTOR Pathways. J Biomed Nanotechnol 2021; 17:2247-2258. [PMID: 34906285 DOI: 10.1166/jbn.2021.3194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Radioresistance limits the effectiveness of radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. Raf and PI3K signaling cascades promote the formation of radioresistance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Lupeol has anticancer activity despite itspoor solubility in water and is toxic effect on normal tissue. In this study, nanoparticles (lupeol-NPs) were constructed using PEG-PLGA diblock copolymer vector, and results revealed that Lupeol-NPs reversed the radioresistance of hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting cellular proliferation and cell-cycle progression and promoting cellular apoptosis through blocking Raf/MAPK and PI3K/Akt signal transduction in radioresistant Huh-7R cells. In vivo, Lupeol-NPs combined with radiotherapy inhibited the growth of radioresistant hepatocellular carcinoma in a xenogenic nude mouse model. Ki-67 proliferation index decreased significantly (p < 0.05). We conclude that Lupeol-NPs can increase the sensitivity of radioresistant hepatocellular carcinoma to radiotherapy through inhibiting the Raf and PI3K signal cascades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinghai Xie
- Clinical Laboratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui University of Science & Technology, Huainan, 232001, China
| | - Changwei Liu
- Clinical Laboratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui University of Science & Technology, Huainan, 232001, China
| | - Shuping Zhou
- Clinical Laboratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui University of Science & Technology, Huainan, 232001, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Clinical Laboratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui University of Science & Technology, Huainan, 232001, China
| | - Xiaolong Tang
- Clinical Laboratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui University of Science & Technology, Huainan, 232001, China
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18
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Feng L, Wang G, Chen Y, He G, Liu B, Liu J, Chiang CM, Ouyang L. Dual-target inhibitors of bromodomain and extra-terminal proteins in cancer: A review from medicinal chemistry perspectives. Med Res Rev 2021; 42:710-743. [PMID: 34633088 DOI: 10.1002/med.21859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4), as the most studied member of the bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) family, is a chromatin reader protein interpreting epigenetic codes through binding to acetylated histones and non-histone proteins, thereby regulating diverse cellular processes including cell cycle, cell differentiation, and cell proliferation. As a promising drug target, BRD4 function is closely related to cancer, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and liver fibrosis. Currently, clinical resistance to BET inhibitors has limited their applications but synergistic antitumor effects have been observed when used in combination with other tumor inhibitors targeting additional cellular components such as PLK1, HDAC, CDK, and PARP1. Therefore, designing dual-target inhibitors of BET bromodomains is a rational strategy in cancer treatment to increase potency and reduce drug resistance. This review summarizes the protein structures and biological functions of BRD4 and discusses recent advances of dual BET inhibitors from a medicinal chemistry perspective. We also discuss the current design and discovery strategies for dual BET inhibitors, providing insight into potential discovery of additional dual-target BET inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Guan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
| | - Gu He
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jie Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Cheng-Ming Chiang
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Liang Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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19
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Jin W, Tan H, Wu J, He G, Liu B. Dual-target inhibitors of bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) in cancer therapy: Current situation and future directions. Drug Discov Today 2021; 27:246-256. [PMID: 34438075 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) is emerging as a therapeutic target that acts synergistically with other targets of small-molecule drugs in cancer. Therefore, the discovery of potential new dual-target inhibitors of BRD4 may be a promising strategy for cancer therapy. In this review, we highlight a series of strategies to design therapeutic dual-target inhibitors of BRD4 that focus on the synergistic functions of this protein. Drug combinations that exploit synthetic lethality, protein-protein interactions, functional complementarity, and blocking of resistance mechanisms could ultimately overcome the barriers inherent to the development of BRD4 inhibitors as future cancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenke Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Huidan Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Junhao Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Gu He
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Bo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
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20
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Gnocchi D, Castellaneta F, Cesari G, Fiore G, Sabbà C, Mazzocca A. Treatment of liver cancer cells with ethyl acetate extract of Crithmum maritimum permits reducing sorafenib dose and toxicity maintaining its efficacy. J Pharm Pharmacol 2021; 73:1369-1376. [PMID: 34014301 DOI: 10.1093/jpp/rgab070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent tumours worldwide and available drugs are inadequate for therapeutic results and tolerability. Hence, novel effective therapeutic tools with fewer side effects are of paramount importance. We have previously shown that Crithmum maritimum ethyl acetate extract exerts a cytostatic effect in HCC cells. Here, we tested whether C. maritimum ethyl acetate extract in combination with half sorafenib IC50 dose ameliorated efficacy and toxicity of sorafenib in inhibiting liver cancer cell growth. Moreover, we investigated the mechanisms involved. METHODS Two HCC cell lines (Huh7 and HepG2) were treated with C. maritimum ethyl acetate extract and half IC50 sorafenib dose usually employed in vitro. Then, cell proliferation, growth kinetics and cell toxicity were analysed together with an investigation of the cellular mechanisms involved, focusing on cell cycle regulation and apoptosis. KEY FINDINGS Results show that combined treatment with C. maritimum ethyl acetate extract and half IC50 sorafenib dose decreased cell proliferation comparably to full-dose sorafenib without increasing cell toxicity as confirmed by the effect on cell cycle regulation and apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS These results provide scientific support for the possibility of an effective integrative therapeutic approach for HCC with fewer side effects on patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Gnocchi
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari School of Medicine, Bari, Italy
| | - Francesca Castellaneta
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari School of Medicine, Bari, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Cesari
- International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies - CHIEAM, Valenzano (BA), Italy
| | - Giorgio Fiore
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari School of Medicine, Bari, Italy
| | - Carlo Sabbà
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari School of Medicine, Bari, Italy
| | - Antonio Mazzocca
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari School of Medicine, Bari, Italy
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21
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Zhang S, Chen Y, Tian C, He Y, Tian Z, Wan Y, Liu T. Dual-target Inhibitors Based on BRD4: Novel Therapeutic Approaches for Cancer. Curr Med Chem 2021; 28:1775-1795. [PMID: 32520674 DOI: 10.2174/0929867327666200610174453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Currently, cancer continues being a dramatically increasing and serious threat to public health. Although many anti-tumor agents have been developed in recent years, the survival rate of patients is not satisfactory. The poor prognosis of cancer patients is closely related to the occurrence of drug resistance. Therefore, it is urgent to develop new strategies for cancer treatment. Multi-target therapies aim to have additive or synergistic effects and reduce the potential for the development of resistance by integrating different pharmacophores into a single drug molecule. Given the fact that majority of diseases are multifactorial in nature, multi-target therapies are being exploited with increasing intensity, which has brought improved outcomes in disease models and obtained several compounds that have entered clinical trials. Thus, it is potential to utilize this strategy for the treatment of BRD4 related cancers. This review focuses on the recent research advances of dual-target inhibitors based on BRD4 in the aspect of anti-tumor. METHODS We have searched the recent literatures about BRD4 inhibitors from the online resources and databases, such as pubmed, elsevier and google scholar. RESULTS In the recent years, many efforts have been taken to develop dual-target inhibitors based on BRD4 as anti-cancer agents, such as HDAC/BRD4 dual inhibitors, PLK1/BRD4 dual inhibitors and PI3K/BRD4 dual inhibitors and so on. Most compounds display good anti-tumor activities. CONCLUSION Developing new anti-cancer agents with new scaffolds and high efficiency is a big challenge for researchers. Dual-target inhibitors based on BRD4 are a class of important bioactive compounds. Making structural modifications on the active dual-target inhibitors according to the corresponding structure-activity relationships is of benefit to obtain more potent anti-cancer leads or clinical drugs. This review will be useful for further development of new dual-target inhibitors based on BRD4 as anti-cancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sitao Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian 271000, Shandong, China
| | - Yanzhao Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian 271000, Shandong, China
| | - Chengsen Tian
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qilu Normal University, Jinan, Shandong 250200, China
| | - Yujing He
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian 271000, Shandong, China
| | - Zeru Tian
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Yichao Wan
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical Organic Chemistry and Functional Molecule, Ministry of Education, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Controllable Preparation and Functional Application of Fine Polymers, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, China
| | - Tingting Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian 271000, Shandong, China
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22
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Luo XY, Wu KM, He XX. Advances in drug development for hepatocellular carcinoma: clinical trials and potential therapeutic targets. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2021; 40:172. [PMID: 34006331 PMCID: PMC8130401 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-01968-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Although hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest health burdens worldwide, few drugs are available for its clinical treatment. However, in recent years, major breakthroughs have been made in the development of new drugs due to intensive fundamental research and numerous clinical trials in HCC. Traditional systemic therapy schemes and emerging immunotherapy strategies have both advanced. Between 2017 and 2020, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a variety of drugs for the treatment of HCC, including multikinase inhibitors (regorafenib, lenvatinib, cabozantinib, and ramucirumab), immune checkpoint inhibitors (nivolumab and pembrolizumab), and bevacizumab combined with atezolizumab. Currently, there are more than 1000 ongoing clinical trials involving HCC, which represents a vibrant atmosphere in the HCC drug research and development field. Additionally, traditional Chinese medicine approaches are being gradually optimized. This review summarizes FDA-approved agents for HCC, elucidates promising agents evaluated in clinical phase I/II/III trials and identifies emerging targets for HCC treatment. In addition, we introduce the development of HCC drugs in China. Finally, we discuss potential problems in HCC drug therapy and possible future solutions and indicate future directions for the development of drugs for HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Yuan Luo
- Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Kong-Ming Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Xing-Xing He
- Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
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23
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Augmented Antitumor Activity for Novel Dual PI3K/BDR4 Inhibitors, SF2523 and SF1126 in Ewing Sarcoma. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2021; 43:e304-e311. [PMID: 33480647 DOI: 10.1097/mph.0000000000002054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (ES) is the second most common pediatric bone cancer. Despite recent advances in the treatment, patients with metastatic tumors have dismal prognosis and hence novel therapies are urgently needed to combat this cancer. A recent study has shown that phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K) inhibitors can synergistically increase sensitivity to bromodomain and extraterminal domain inhibitors in ES cells and therefore combined inhibition of PI3K and bromodomain and extraterminal domain bromodomain proteins might provide benefit in this cancer. Herein, we have investigated the efficacy of dual PI3K/BRD4 inhibitors, SF2523 and SF1126, for their antitumor activity in ES cell lines. The effect of SF1126 and SF2523 on cell viability and PI3K signaling was assessed on a panel of human ES cell lines. To evaluate the antitumor activity of SF1126, A673 cells were injected intrafemorally into RAG-2-/- mice and treated with 50 mg/kg SF1126 6 days per week, for 30 days. Both SF1126 and SF2523 decreased cell survival and inhibited phosphorylation of AKT in human ES cell lines. In vivo, SF1126 showed a significant reduction in tumor volume. These results suggest that dual PI3K/BRD4 inhibitor, SF1126, has antitumor activity in ES models.
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24
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Yang X, Liu J, Liang Q, Sun G. Valproic acid reverses sorafenib resistance through inhibiting activated Notch/Akt signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma. Fundam Clin Pharmacol 2020; 35:690-699. [PMID: 33015852 DOI: 10.1111/fcp.12608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common lethal human malignancies worldwide. Sorafenib is the first-line drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for HCC. However, the acquired resistance to sorafenib reduces its beneficial effects and limits clinical use. In this study, we established a sorafenib-resistant HCC cell line HepG2-SR by low-concentration gradient induction. Compared with the parental cell HepG2, the proliferation and anti-apoptosis were increased in drug-resistant cell HepG2-SR. Thorough comparisons of the molecular changes between parental HepG2 and sorafenib-resistant HepG2-SR cells indicated that the Notch signaling pathway and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway were associated with sorafenib resistance mechanisms. Notch1 and Akt were upregulated in sorafenib-resistant cells. However, we surprisingly found that valproic acid (VPA) combined with sorafenib could enhance the sensitivity of drug-resistant cells and reverse the increased levels of Notch1 and Akt in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells. Moreover, Akt inhibitor could suppress Notch1 expression, whereas the level of Akt phosphorylation decreased along with increasing dose of Notch inhibitor. Besides, we found that knockdown of Akt resulted in Notch1 reduction, whereas Notch1 reduction also led to a significant reduction in the phosphorylation of Akt. Collectively, our results indicated that Notch1 and Akt might play vital roles in sorafenib resistance in HCC cells and VPA might overcome the drug resistance to enhance the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib through suppressing Notch/Akt signaling pathway. VPA combined with sorafenib may provide a potential targeting therapeutic regimen for clinically to solve the problem of sorafenib resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Qing Liang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Guangchun Sun
- Department of Pharmacy, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240, China
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25
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Xiao Y, Gong Q, Wang W, Liu F, Kong Q, Pan F, Zhang X, Yu C, Hu S, Fan F, Li S, Liu Y. The combination of Biochanin A and SB590885 potentiates the inhibition of tumour progression in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Cell Int 2020; 20:371. [PMID: 32774165 PMCID: PMC7405455 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-020-01463-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most aggressive and frequently diagnosed malignancy of the liver. Despite aggressive therapy, life expectancy of many patients in these cases is extended by only a few months. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a particularly poor prognosis and would greatly benefit from more effective therapies. Methods The CCK-8 assay and colony formation assays were used to test the cell proliferation and viability. The effects of combination Biochanin A and SB590885 on apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of HCC cells were analysed by flow cytometry. The expression of ERK MAPK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling as well as apoptosis and cell cycle-related proteins in HCC cells were tested by western blotting. The HCC cell xenograft model was established to test the tumor proliferation. Serum and plasma were tested for liver and kidney safety markers (ALP, ALT, AST, total bilirubin, creatinine, urea nitrogen) by using SpectraMax i3X. Results The combination of natural product Biochanin A with the BRAF inhibitor SB590885 synergistically suppressed proliferation, and promoted cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in vitro. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the combination of Biochanin A and SB590885 led to increased impairment of proliferation and HCC tumour inhibition through disrupting of the ERK MAPK and the PI3K/AKT pathways in vitro. The volumes tumors and the weights of tumours were significantly reduced by the combination treatment compared to the control or single treatments in vivo. In addition, we found that there was no significant hepatorenal toxicity with the drug combination, as indicated by the hepatorenal toxicity test. Conclusion The results identify an effective combination therapy for the most aggressive form of HCC and provide the possibility of therapeutic improvement for patients with advanced HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Xiao
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 West Xuefu Road, Xinpu District, Zunyi, 563000 China.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 West Xuefu Road, Xinpu District, Zunyi, 563000 China.,Research Center for Medicine & Biology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000 China
| | - Qiang Gong
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 West Xuefu Road, Xinpu District, Zunyi, 563000 China.,Research Center for Medicine & Biology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000 China
| | - Wenhong Wang
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 West Xuefu Road, Xinpu District, Zunyi, 563000 China.,Research Center for Medicine & Biology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000 China
| | - Fang Liu
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 West Xuefu Road, Xinpu District, Zunyi, 563000 China
| | - Qinghong Kong
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 West Xuefu Road, Xinpu District, Zunyi, 563000 China.,Research Center for Medicine & Biology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000 China
| | - Feng Pan
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 West Xuefu Road, Xinpu District, Zunyi, 563000 China.,Research Center for Medicine & Biology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000 China
| | - Xiaoke Zhang
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 West Xuefu Road, Xinpu District, Zunyi, 563000 China.,Research Center for Medicine & Biology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000 China
| | - Changyan Yu
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 West Xuefu Road, Xinpu District, Zunyi, 563000 China.,Research Center for Medicine & Biology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000 China
| | - Shanshan Hu
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 West Xuefu Road, Xinpu District, Zunyi, 563000 China.,Good Clinical Practice Center, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000 China
| | - Fang Fan
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 West Xuefu Road, Xinpu District, Zunyi, 563000 China.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 West Xuefu Road, Xinpu District, Zunyi, 563000 China
| | - Sanhua Li
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 West Xuefu Road, Xinpu District, Zunyi, 563000 China.,Research Center for Medicine & Biology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000 China
| | - Yun Liu
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 West Xuefu Road, Xinpu District, Zunyi, 563000 China.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 West Xuefu Road, Xinpu District, Zunyi, 563000 China.,Research Center for Medicine & Biology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000 China
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26
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Mobasheri T, Rayzan E, Shabani M, Hosseini M, Mahmoodi Chalbatani G, Rezaei N. Neuroblastoma-targeted nanoparticles and novel nanotechnology-based treatment methods. J Cell Physiol 2020; 236:1751-1775. [PMID: 32735058 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is a complicated pediatric tumor, originating from the neural crest, which is the most prevalent in adrenal glands, but may rarely be seen in some other tissues as well. Studies are focused on developing new strategies through novel chemo- and immuno-therapeutic drug targets. Different types of oncogenes such as MYCN, tumor suppressor genes such as p53, and some structural genes such as vascular endothelial growth factor are considered as targets for neuroblastoma therapy. The individual expression patterns in NB cells make them appropriate for this purpose. The combined effect of nano-drug delivery systems and specific drug targets will result in lower systemic side effects, prolonged therapeutic effects, and improvements in the pharmacokinetic properties of the drugs. Some of these novel drug delivery systems with a focus on liposomes as carriers are also discussed. In this review, genes and protein products that are beneficial as drug targets in the treatment of neuroblastoma have been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taranom Mobasheri
- International Hematology/Oncology of Pediatrics Experts (IHOPE), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.,School of Pharmacy, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Elham Rayzan
- International Hematology/Oncology of Pediatrics Experts (IHOPE), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.,Research Center for Immunodeficiencies (RCID), Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahsima Shabani
- Research Center for Immunodeficiencies (RCID), Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,International Hematology/Oncology of Pediatrics Experts (IHOPE), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Mina Hosseini
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Nima Rezaei
- Research Center for Immunodeficiencies (RCID), Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
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27
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Joshi S. Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment in Neuroblastoma: Recent Advances and Future Directions. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2057. [PMID: 32722460 PMCID: PMC7465822 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common pediatric tumor malignancy that originates from the neural crest and accounts for more than 15% of all the childhood deaths from cancer. The neuroblastoma cancer research has long been focused on the role of MYCN oncogene amplification and the contribution of other genetic alterations in the progression of this malignancy. However, it is now widely accepted that, not only tumor cells, but the components of tumor microenvironment (TME), including extracellular matrix, stromal cells and immune cells, also contribute to tumor progression in neuroblastoma. The complexity of different components of tumor stroma and their resemblance with surrounding normal tissues pose huge challenges for therapies targeting tumor microenvironment in NB. Hence, the detailed understanding of the composition of the TME of NB is crucial to improve existing and future potential immunotherapeutic approaches against this childhood cancer. In this review article, I will discuss different components of the TME of NB and the recent advances in the strategies, which are used to target the tumor microenvironment in neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shweta Joshi
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0815, USA
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28
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Gong J, Chuang J, Cho M, Toomey K, Hendifar A, Li D. Molecular Targets, Pathways, and Therapeutic Implications for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21155232. [PMID: 32718047 PMCID: PMC7432744 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents one of the leading causes of cancer mortality worldwide. While significant advances have been made for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in the past few years, the prognosis remains poor and effective biomarkers to guide selection of therapies remain noticeably absent. However, several targeted therapies have been approved in the past few years that have improved the outlook for this disease. In this review, we will highlight the recent therapies approved for the treatment of advanced HCC and discuss promising therapeutic options, targets, and pathways for drug development and consideration for future clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Gong
- Department of Gastrointestinal Malignancies, Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA;
| | - Jeremy Chuang
- Department of Medical Oncology, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA;
| | - May Cho
- Department of Internal Medicine, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; (M.C.); (K.T.)
| | - Kyra Toomey
- Department of Internal Medicine, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; (M.C.); (K.T.)
| | - Andrew Hendifar
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA;
| | - Daneng Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA;
- Correspondence:
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29
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Fan G, Wei X, Xu X. Is the era of sorafenib over? A review of the literature. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2020; 12:1758835920927602. [PMID: 32518599 PMCID: PMC7252361 DOI: 10.1177/1758835920927602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most severe diseases worldwide. For the different stages of HCC, there are different clinical treatment strategies, such as surgical therapy for the early stage, and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) for intermediate-stage disease. Systemic treatment, which uses mainly targeted drugs, is the standard therapy against advanced HCC. Sorafenib is an important first-line therapy for advanced HCC. As a classically effective drug, sorafenib can increase overall survival markedly. However, it still has room for improvement because of the heterogeneity of HCC and acquired resistance. Scientists have reported the acquired sorafenib resistance is associated with the anomalous expression of certain genes, most of which are also related with HCC onset and development. Combining sorafenib with inhibitors targeting these genes may be an effective treatment. Combined treatment may not only overcome drug resistance, but also inhibit the expression of carcinoma-related genes. This review focuses on the current status of sorafenib in advanced HCC, summarizes the inhibitors that can combine with sorafenib in the treatment against HCC, and provides the rationale for clinical trials of sorafenib in combination with other inhibitors in HCC. The era of sorafenib in the treatment of HCC is far from over, as long as we find better methods of medication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanghan Fan
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine; NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of the diagnosis and treatment of organ Transplantation, CAMS; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xuyong Wei
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine; NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of the diagnosis and treatment of organ Transplantation, CAMS; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine; NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of the diagnosis and treatment of organ Transplantation, CAMS; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang Province, 79 QingChun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, China
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30
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Nishisaka F, Taniguchi K, Tsugane M, Hirata G, Takagi A, Asakawa N, Kurita A, Takahashi H, Ogo N, Shishido Y, Asai A. Antitumor activity of a novel oral signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 inhibitor YHO-1701. Cancer Sci 2020; 111:1774-1784. [PMID: 32112605 PMCID: PMC7226286 DOI: 10.1111/cas.14369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2019] [Revised: 02/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway is a key mediator of cancer cell proliferation, survival and invasion. Aberrant STAT3 has been demonstrated in various malignant cancers. YHO-1701 is a novel quinolinecarboxamide derivative generated from STX-0119. Here, we examined the effect of YHO-1701 on STAT3 and evaluated antitumor activity of YHO-1701 as a single agent and in combination. YHO-1701 inhibited STAT3-SH2 binding to phospho-Tyr peptide selectively and more potently than STX-0119 in biochemical assays. Molecular docking studies with STAT3 suggested more stable interaction of YHO-1701 with the SH2 domain. YHO-1701 exhibited approximately 10-fold stronger activity than STX-0119 in abrogating the STAT3 signaling pathway of human oral cancer cell line SAS. YHO-1701 also blocked multi-step events by inhibiting STAT3 dimerization and suppressed STAT3 promoter activity. As expected, YHO-1701 exerted strong antiproliferative activity against human cancer cell lines addicted to STAT3 signaling. Orally administered YHO-1701 showed statistically significant antitumor effects with long exposure to high levels of YHO-1701 at tumor sites in SAS xenograft models. Moreover, combination regimen with sorafenib led to significantly stronger antitumor activity. In addition, the suppression level of survivin (a downstream target) was superior for the combination as compared with monotherapy groups within tumor tissues. Thus, YHO-1701 had a favorable specificity for STAT3 and pharmacokinetics after oral treatment; it also contributed to the enhanced antitumor activity of sorafenib. The evidence presented here provides justification using for this approach in future clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fukiko Nishisaka
- Center for Drug Discovery, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan.,Yakult Central Institute, Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., Kunitachi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keisuke Taniguchi
- Yakult Central Institute, Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., Kunitachi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Momomi Tsugane
- Yakult Central Institute, Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., Kunitachi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Genya Hirata
- Yakult Central Institute, Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., Kunitachi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akimitsu Takagi
- Yakult Central Institute, Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., Kunitachi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Asakawa
- Yakult Central Institute, Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., Kunitachi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akinobu Kurita
- Yakult Central Institute, Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., Kunitachi, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Naohisa Ogo
- Center for Drug Discovery, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Shishido
- Yakult Central Institute, Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., Kunitachi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akira Asai
- Center for Drug Discovery, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan
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31
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Stallcup MR, Poulard C. Gene-Specific Actions of Transcriptional Coregulators Facilitate Physiological Plasticity: Evidence for a Physiological Coregulator Code. Trends Biochem Sci 2020; 45:497-510. [PMID: 32413325 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2020.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The actions of transcriptional coregulators are highly gene-specific, that is, each coregulator is required only for a subset of the genes regulated by a specific transcription factor. These coregulator-specific gene subsets often represent selected physiological responses among multiple pathways targeted by a transcription factor. Regulating the activity of a coregulator via post-translational modifications would thus affect only a subset of the transcription factor's physiological actions. Using the context of transcriptional regulation by steroid hormone receptors, this review focuses on gene-specific actions of coregulators and evidence linking individual coregulators with specific physiological pathways. Such evidence suggests that there is a 'physiological coregulator code', which represents a fertile area for future research with important clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Stallcup
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089-9176, USA.
| | - Coralie Poulard
- Université de Lyon, F-69000 Lyon, France; Inserm U1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, F-69000 Lyon, France; CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, F-69000 Lyon, France
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Abstract
MYC is a master transcriptional regulator that controls almost all cellular processes. Over the last several decades, researchers have strived to define the context-dependent transcriptional gene programs that are controlled by MYC, as well as the mechanisms that regulate MYC function, in an effort to better understand the contribution of this oncoprotein to cancer progression. There are a wealth of data indicating that deregulation of MYC activity occurs in a large number of cancers and significantly contributes to disease progression, metastatic potential, and therapeutic resistance. Although the therapeutic targeting of MYC in cancer is highly desirable, there remain substantial structural and functional challenges that have impeded direct MYC-targeted drug development and efficacy. While efforts to drug the ‘undruggable’ may seem futile given these challenges and considering the broad reach of MYC, significant strides have been made to identify points of regulation that can be exploited for therapeutic purposes. These include targeting the deregulation of MYC transcription in cancer through small-molecule inhibitors that induce epigenetic silencing or that regulate the G-quadruplex structures within the MYC promoter. Alternatively, compounds that disrupt the DNA-binding activities of MYC have been the long-standing focus of many research groups, since this method would prevent downstream MYC oncogenic activities regardless of upstream alterations. Finally, proteins involved in the post-translational regulation of MYC have been identified as important surrogate targets to reduce MYC activity downstream of aberrant cell stimulatory signals. Given the complex regulation of the MYC signaling pathway, a combination of these approaches may provide the most durable response, but this has yet to be shown. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the different therapeutic strategies being employed to target oncogenic MYC function, with a focus on post-translational mechanisms.
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Jing W, Shuo L, Yingru X, Min M, Runpeng Z, Jun X, Dong H. Artesunate promotes sensitivity to sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 519:41-45. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.08.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Jafarnejad M, Sové RJ, Danilova L, Mirando AC, Zhang Y, Yarchoan M, Tran PT, Pandey NB, Fertig EJ, Popel AS. Mechanistically detailed systems biology modeling of the HGF/Met pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2019; 5:29. [PMID: 31452933 PMCID: PMC6697704 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-019-0107-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) signaling through its receptor Met has been implicated in hepatocellular carcinoma tumorigenesis and progression. Met interaction with integrins is shown to modulate the downstream signaling to Akt and ERK (extracellular-regulated kinase). In this study, we developed a mechanistically detailed systems biology model of HGF/Met signaling pathway that incorporated specific interactions with integrins to investigate the efficacy of integrin-binding peptide, AXT050, as monotherapy and in combination with other therapeutics targeting this pathway. Here we report that the modeled dynamics of the response to AXT050 revealed that receptor trafficking is sufficient to explain the effect of Met-integrin interactions on HGF signaling. Furthermore, the model predicted patient-specific synergy and antagonism of efficacy and potency for combination of AXT050 with sorafenib, cabozantinib, and rilotumumab. Overall, the model provides a valuable framework for studying the efficacy of drugs targeting receptor tyrosine kinase interaction with integrins, and identification of synergistic drug combinations for the patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Jafarnejad
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Richard J. Sové
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Ludmila Danilova
- Department of Oncology, Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Adam C. Mirando
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Mark Yarchoan
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Phuoc T. Tran
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular and Radiation Sciences, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Centre and Department of Urology, The Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Niranjan B. Pandey
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Elana J. Fertig
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
- Department of Oncology, Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Aleksander S. Popel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
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Zhang Y, Xie C, Li A, Liu X, Xing Y, Shen J, Huo Z, Zhou S, Liu X, Xie Y, Cao W, Ma Y, Xu R, Cai S, Tang X, Ma D. PKI-587 enhances chemosensitivity of oxaliplatin in hepatocellular carcinoma through suppressing DNA damage repair pathway (NHEJ and HR) and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Am J Transl Res 2019; 11:5134-5149. [PMID: 31497229 PMCID: PMC6731445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Oxaliplatin resistance limits its effectiveness in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Abnormal activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway has been associated with decreased survival of HCC patients, anti-apoptosis after chemotherapeutic drug-induced DNA damage, and chemoresistance. In this research, we evaluated the effect of the dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, PKI-587, on the sensitivity of oxaliplatin in HCC. Two HCC cell lines (HepG2 and SK-Hep1) were used to analyze PKI-587 for DNA damage response, cell proliferation, clonogenic survival, cell cycle and apoptosis after oxaliplatin treatment. A HepG2 tumor-bearing model was used to assess the in vivo effects of the combination of the two compounds. In HCC cells, oxaliplatin stably activated the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, including up-regulation of p-Akt (Ser473), p-mTOR (Ser2448), p-mTOR (Ser2481), p-elF4EBP1, and p-S6K1, and activated the DNA damage repair pathways (non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR)), up-regulation of p-DNAPKcs (Ser2056), p-ATM (Ser1981), and p-ATR (Ser428), which were attenuated by PKI-587. Compared with oxaliplatin alone, the combination of PKI-587 and oxaliplatin increased the number of γ-H2AX/cells, decreased proliferation of cells, and an increased the percentage of G0/G1 phase cells and apoptotic cells. In vivo, the combination of oxaliplatin with PKI-587 inhibited tumor growth. Anti-tumor effects were associated with induction of mitochondrial apoptosis and inhibition of phosphorylation of mTOR, Akt and γ-H2AX. We conclude that PKI-587 enhances chemosensitivity of oxaliplatin in HCC through suppressing the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway and inhibiting the DNA damage repair pathway. The combination of PKI-587 and oxaliplatin appears to be a promising regimen for the treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinci Zhang
- Medcial School, Anhui University of Science & TechnologyHuainan 232001, China
| | - Chunmei Xie
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Guangzhou 8th People’s Hospital, Guangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhou 510100, China
| | - Amin Li
- Medcial School, Anhui University of Science & TechnologyHuainan 232001, China
| | - Xueke Liu
- Medcial School, Anhui University of Science & TechnologyHuainan 232001, China
| | - Yingru Xing
- Medcial School, Anhui University of Science & TechnologyHuainan 232001, China
| | - Jing Shen
- Medcial School, Anhui University of Science & TechnologyHuainan 232001, China
| | - Zhen Huo
- Medcial School, Anhui University of Science & TechnologyHuainan 232001, China
| | - Shuping Zhou
- First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui University of Science & TechnologyHuainan 232001, China
| | - Xinkuang Liu
- First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui University of Science & TechnologyHuainan 232001, China
| | - Yinghai Xie
- First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui University of Science & TechnologyHuainan 232001, China
| | - Weiya Cao
- Medcial School, Anhui University of Science & TechnologyHuainan 232001, China
| | - Yongfang Ma
- Medcial School, Anhui University of Science & TechnologyHuainan 232001, China
| | - Ruyue Xu
- Medcial School, Anhui University of Science & TechnologyHuainan 232001, China
| | - Shiyu Cai
- Medcial School, Anhui University of Science & TechnologyHuainan 232001, China
| | - Xiaolong Tang
- Medcial School, Anhui University of Science & TechnologyHuainan 232001, China
| | - Dong Ma
- Key Laboratory of Biomaterials of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Jinan UniversityGuangzhou 510632, China
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Liao SY, Kuo IY, Chen YT, Liao PC, Liu YF, Wu HY, Lai WW, Wang YC. AKT-mediated phosphorylation enhances protein stability and transcription activity of ZNF322A to promote lung cancer progression. Oncogene 2019; 38:6723-6736. [PMID: 31399647 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-019-0928-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
ZNF322A is an oncogenic zinc-finger transcription factor. Our published results show that ZNF322A positively regulates transcription of alpha-adducin (ADD1) and cyclin D1 (CCND1) to promote tumorgenicity of lung cancer. However, the upstream regulatory mechanisms of ZNF322A protein function remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that AKT could phosphorylate ZNF322A by in vitro kinase assay and cell-based mass spectrometry analysis. Overexpression of AKT promoted ZNF322A protein stability and transcriptional activity, whereas these effects were inhibited by knockdown of AKT or treating with AKT inhibitor. We studied AKT-mediated phosphorylation sites, viz. Thr-150, Ser-224, Thr-234, and Thr-262. ZNF322A phosphorylation at Thr-262 by AKT promoted ZNF322A protein stability thus increased ADD1 promoter activity. Interestingly, phosphorylation at Thr-150, Ser-224, and Thr-234 enhanced transcription activity without affecting protein stability of ZNF322A. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and DNA affinity precipitation assays showed that ZNF322A phosphorylation defective mutants Thr-150A, Ser-224A, and Thr-234A attenuated chromatin binding and DNA binding affinity to ADD1 and CCND1 promoters compared with wild-type ZNF322A. Furthermore, AKT-mediated Thr-150, Ser-224, Thr-234, and Thr-262 phosphorylation promoted lung cancer cell growth and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Clinically, expression of phosphorylated ZNF322A (p-ZNF) correlated with actively phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT) in tumor specimens from 150 lung cancer patients. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that combined p-AKT and p-ZNF expression profile was an independent factor to predict the clinical outcome in lung cancer patients. Our results reveal a new mechanism of AKT signaling in promoting ZNF322A protein stability and transcriptional activity in lung cancer cell, xenograft, and clinical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-You Liao
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - I-Ying Kuo
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ting Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Pao-Chi Liao
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 704, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Fen Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Yi Wu
- Instrumentation Center, National Taiwan University, Tainan, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Wu-Wei Lai
- Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ching Wang
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan. .,Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan.
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Zhang P, Li R, Xiao H, Liu W, Zeng X, Xie G, Yang W, Shi L, Yin Y, Tao K. BRD4 Inhibitor AZD5153 Suppresses the Proliferation of Colorectal Cancer Cells and Sensitizes the Anticancer Effect of PARP Inhibitor. Int J Biol Sci 2019; 15:1942-1954. [PMID: 31523195 PMCID: PMC6743290 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.34162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Bromodomain-containing protein 4(BRD4) is reported to play a vital role in the development of numerous malignant diseases, which is considered as a promising target for cancer therapy. AZD5153, a novel specific BRD4 inhibitor, showed potent anticancer effects in several cancer types, but its therapeutic potential has not been fully evaluated in colorectal cancer cells. Objective: We sought to evaluate the therapeutic potential of BRD4 inhibition of by AZD5153 and its combined anticancer cancer effect with PARP inhibitor BMN673 in vitro and in vivo in colorectal cancer. Methods: We analyzed The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to investigate BRD4 expression in colorectal cancer patient. Clonogenic assays 、MTT assays and PI/Annexin V staining were used to determine the effect of AZD5153 and BMN673 and combination therapy on cell viability and apoptosis induction. Western blotting was applied to detect relevant molecules changes. Propidium iodide staining was performed to examine cell cycle distributions after monotherapy or combination therapy. Nude mice xenograft model was generated to confirm the therapeutic effect of AZD5153 and BMN673 combination in vivo, and IHC staining was used to detect the expression level of BRD4 and related markers in colorectal patient and xenograft. Results: Analysis of TCGA database indicated that BRD4 was overexpressed in colorectal cancer patient. The clonogenic and MTT assays and PI/Annexin V staining demonstrated that AZD5153 significantly suppressed cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells HCT116 and LoVo. Western blotting showed that AZD5153 inhibited the expression of c-Myc and increased expression of the apoptosis markers, cleaved caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), besides, we found that BRD4 knockdown could also inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis. Moreover, AZD5153 inhibited the expression of Wee1 and impaired G2M cell cycle checkpoint, thus sensitized the anticancer effect of BMN673 in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: Our data revealed that AZD5153suppressed the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells and sensitized them to the anticancer effect of the PARP inhibitor BMN673 via Wee1 inhibition in vitro and in vivo. This suggested that targeting BRD4 might be a valuable strategy for colorectal cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Ruidong Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Hua Xiao
- Department of Gastroduodenal and Pancreatic Surgery, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, No. 283 Tongzipo Road, Changsha, Hunan Province 410013, China
| | - Weizhen Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Xiangyu Zeng
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Genchen Xie
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Wenchang Yang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Liang Shi
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Yuping Yin
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Kaixiong Tao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
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Abstract
Less than a decade ago, it was shown that bromodomains, acetyl lysine 'reader' modules found in proteins with varied functions, were highly tractable small-molecule targets. This is an unusual property for protein-protein or protein-peptide interaction domains, and it prompted a wave of chemical probe discovery to understand the biological potential of new agents that targeted bromodomains. The original examples, inhibitors of the bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) class of bromodomains, showed enticing anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities, and several compounds have since advanced to human clinical trials. Here, we review the current state of BET inhibitor biology in relation to clinical development, and we discuss the next wave of bromodomain inhibitors with clinical potential in oncology and non-oncology indications. The lessons learned from BET inhibitor programmes should affect efforts to develop drugs that target non-BET bromodomains and other epigenetic readers.
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Wang W, Xiao Y, Li S, Zhu X, Meng L, Song C, Yu C, Jiang N, Liu Y. Synergistic activity of magnolin combined with B-RAF inhibitor SB590885 in hepatocellular carcinoma cells via targeting PI3K-AKT/mTOR and ERK MAPK pathway. Am J Transl Res 2019; 11:3816-3824. [PMID: 31312391 PMCID: PMC6614620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The prognosis of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains obscure. From a clinical point of view, the ERK MAPK pathway and the PI3K/AKT pathway are activated in the majority of liver cancer. In addition, long term used to single agent treatment of HCC, frequently results in reverse activation of the ERK MAPK pathway or the PI3K/AKT pathway, leading to drug resistance. Thus, it is important to research the mechanism of combination agents that could suppress different pathways to treat HCC. Here, we found that combination natural product magnolin with BRAF inhibitor SB590885 synergistically suppressed the proliferation, promoted cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells Bel-7402 and SK-Hep1. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the magnolin and the SB590885 combination led to increased impaired proliferation via inhibition of the ERK MAPK pathway and the PI3K/AKT pathway. These findings highlight the important role of agent combination and provided the approaches of therapeutic improvement for patients with advanced HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhong Wang
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, China
- Research Center for Medicine & Biology, Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, China
| | - Yi Xiao
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, China
- Research Center for Medicine & Biology, Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, China
| | - Sanhua Li
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, China
- Research Center for Medicine & Biology, Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, China
| | - Xinting Zhu
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, China
| | - Lingjie Meng
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, China
- Research Center for Medicine & Biology, Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, China
| | - Changwei Song
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, China
- Research Center for Medicine & Biology, Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, China
| | - Changyan Yu
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, China
- Research Center for Medicine & Biology, Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, China
| | - Nian Jiang
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, China
- Research Center for Medicine & Biology, Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, China
| | - Yun Liu
- Guizhou Provincial College-based Key Lab for Tumor Prevention and Treatment with Distinctive Medicines, Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, China
- Research Center for Medicine & Biology, Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, China
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40
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Pan X, Wang C, Zhang T. Physcion Synergistically Enhances the Cytotoxicity of Sorafenib in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2019; 302:2171-2177. [PMID: 31120198 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2018] [Revised: 12/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common human malignancy. Physcion is a naturally occurring anthraquinone derivative found in plant and marine sources. Our previous studies have indicated that physcion could suppress tumor growth and induce apoptosis in HCC. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of a combination of physcion and sorafenib on HCC. Our findings indicated that physcion could significantly augment the antiproliferative and proapoptotic activities of sorafenib in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, the synergistic effect correlates with physcion-induced suppression of Notch3/AKT signaling. This preclinical evidence highlights the potential application of physcion in the treatment of HCC. Anat Rec, 302:2171-2177, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoping Pan
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,The People's Hospital of Wuhai, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Chen Wang
- The People's Hospital of Wuhai, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Ti Zhang
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research for Cancer, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin's Clinical Research for Cancer, Tianjin, China
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Combinatorial Approach to Improve Cancer Immunotherapy: Rational Drug Design Strategy to Simultaneously Hit Multiple Targets to Kill Tumor Cells and to Activate the Immune System. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2019; 2019:5245034. [PMID: 30853982 PMCID: PMC6377965 DOI: 10.1155/2019/5245034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Revised: 12/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint blockade and adoptive CAR T-cell therapy, has clearly established itself as an important modality to treat melanoma and other malignancies. Despite the tremendous clinical success of immunotherapy over other cancer treatments, this approach has shown substantial benefit to only some of the patients while the rest of the patients have not responded due to immune evasion. In recent years, a combination of cancer immunotherapy together with existing anticancer treatments has gained significant attention and has been extensively investigated in preclinical or clinical studies. In this review, we discuss the therapeutic potential of novel regimens combining immune checkpoint inhibitors with therapeutic interventions that (1) increase tumor immunogenicity such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and epigenetic therapy; (2) reverse tumor immunosuppression such as TAMs, MDSCs, and Tregs targeted therapy; and (3) reduce tumor burden and increase the immune effector response with rationally designed dual or triple inhibitory chemotypes.
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Liu S, Yosief HO, Dai L, Huang H, Dhawan G, Zhang X, Muthengi AM, Roberts J, Buckley DL, Perry JA, Wu L, Bradner JE, Qi J, Zhang W. Structure-Guided Design and Development of Potent and Selective Dual Bromodomain 4 (BRD4)/Polo-like Kinase 1 (PLK1) Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2018; 61:7785-7795. [PMID: 30125504 PMCID: PMC6309379 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The simultaneous inhibition of polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) and BRD4 bromodomain by a single molecule could lead to the development of an effective therapeutic strategy for a variety of diseases in which PLK1 and BRD4 are implicated. Compound 23 has been found to be a potent dual kinase-bromodomain inhibitor (BRD4-BD1 IC50 = 28 nM, PLK1 IC50 = 40 nM). Compound 6 was found to be the most selective PLK1 inhibitor over BRD4 in our series (BRD4-BD1 IC50 = 2579 nM, PLK1 IC50 = 9.9 nM). Molecular docking studies with 23 and BRD4-BD1/PLK1 as well as with 6 corroborate the biochemical assay results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Liu
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts-Boston , Boston , Massachusetts 02125 , United States
| | - Hailemichael O Yosief
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts-Boston , Boston , Massachusetts 02125 , United States
| | - Lingling Dai
- Phase I Clinical Trial Center & Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital , Central South University , Changsha , Hunan 410008 , P.R. China
| | - He Huang
- Department of Chemistry , Stony Brook University , Stony Brook , New York 11794-3400 , United States
| | - Gagan Dhawan
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts-Boston , Boston , Massachusetts 02125 , United States
- Department of Biomedical Science, Acharya Narendra Dev College , University of Delhi , New Delhi 110019 , India
| | - Xiaofeng Zhang
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts-Boston , Boston , Massachusetts 02125 , United States
| | - Alex M Muthengi
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts-Boston , Boston , Massachusetts 02125 , United States
| | | | | | | | | | - James E Bradner
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research , Cambridge , Massachusetts 02139 , United States
| | - Jun Qi
- Department of Medicine , Harvard Medical School , Boston , Massachusetts 02115 , United States
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts-Boston , Boston , Massachusetts 02125 , United States
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43
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Drug-based perturbation screen uncovers synergistic drug combinations in Burkitt lymphoma. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12046. [PMID: 30104685 PMCID: PMC6089937 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30509-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is a highly aggressive B-cell lymphoma associated with MYC translocation. Here, we describe drug response profiling of 42 blood cancer cell lines including 17 BL to 32 drugs targeting key cancer pathways and provide a systematic study of drug combinations in BL cell lines. Based on drug response, we identified cell line specific sensitivities, i.e. to venetoclax driven by BCL2 overexpression and partitioned subsets of BL driven by response to kinase inhibitors. In the combination screen, including BET, BTK and PI3K inhibitors, we identified synergistic combinations of PI3K and BTK inhibition with drugs targeting Akt, mTOR, BET and doxorubicin. A detailed comparison of PI3K and BTKi combinations identified subtle differences, in line with convergent pathway activity. Most synergistic combinations were identified for the BET inhibitor OTX015, which showed synergistic effects for 41% of combinations including inhibitors of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling. The strongest synergy was observed for the combination of the CDK 2/7/9 inhibitor SNS032 and OTX015. Our data provide a landscape of drug combination effects in BL and suggest that targeting CDK and BET could provide a novel vulnerability of BL.
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microRNA-608 inhibits human hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation via targeting the BET family protein BRD4. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2018; 501:1060-1067. [PMID: 29777702 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.05.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Over-expression of the bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) family protein BRD4 is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. In the present study, we indentified a novel putative anti-BRD4 microRNA: microRNA-608 ("miR-608"). In HepG2 cells and primary human HCC cells, over-expression of miR-608, using a lentiviral construct, induced BRD4 downregulation and proliferation inhibition. Conversely, transfection of the miR-608 inhibitor increased BRD4 expression to promote HepG2 cell proliferation. Our results suggest that BRD4 is the primary target gene of miR-608 in HepG2 cells. shRNA-mediated knockdown or CRSIPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of BRD4 mimicked and overtook miR-608's actions in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, introduction of a 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) mutant BRD4 (UTR-A1718G) blocked miR-608-induced c-Myc downregulation and proliferation inhibition in HepG2 cells. In vivo, HepG2 xenograft tumor growth was significantly inhibited after expressing miR-608 or BRD4 CRSIPR/Cas9-KO construct. Importantly, BRD4 mRNA was upregulated in human HCC tissues, which was correlated with downregulation of miR-608. Together, we conclude that miR-608 inhibits HCC cell proliferation possibly via targeting BET family protein BRD4.
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Zhang J, Wang G, Zhou Y, Chen Y, Ouyang L, Liu B. Mechanisms of autophagy and relevant small-molecule compounds for targeted cancer therapy. Cell Mol Life Sci 2018; 75:1803-1826. [PMID: 29417176 PMCID: PMC11105210 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-018-2759-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Revised: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved, multi-step lysosomal degradation process for the clearance of damaged or superfluous proteins and organelles. Accumulating studies have recently revealed that autophagy is closely related to a variety of types of cancer; however, elucidation of its Janus role of either tumor-suppressive or tumor-promoting still remains to be discovered. In this review, we focus on summarizing the context-dependent role of autophagy and its complicated molecular mechanisms in different types of cancer. Moreover, we discuss a series of small-molecule compounds targeting autophagy-related proteins or the autophagic process for potential cancer therapy. Taken together, these findings would shed new light on exploiting the intricate mechanisms of autophagy and relevant small-molecule compounds as potential anti-cancer drugs to improve targeted cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Guan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yuxin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
- College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yi Chen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Liang Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Bo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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Zhu W, Liang Q, Yang X, Yu Y, Shen X, Sun G. Combination of sorafenib and Valproic acid synergistically induces cell apoptosis and inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma growth via down-regulating Notch3 and pAkt. Am J Cancer Res 2017; 7:2503-2514. [PMID: 29312803 PMCID: PMC5752690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sorafenib is currently the only approved first-line targeted drug against advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, unsatisfactory efficacy and resistance of sorafenib raises the urgent need to develop more effective therapeutic strategies for HCC. Here, we evaluated the effects of combination of histone deacetylase inhibitor Valproic acid (VPA) and sorafenib in HCC both in vitro and in vivo. Co-treatment of sorafenib and VPA synergistically inhibited HCC cell viability, induced cell apoptosis, along with the up-regulation of p21, Bax, cleaved caspase9, cleaved caspase3, cleaved PARP and down-regulation of Bcl-xL, suggesting this combination activated intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Our further experiment results showed that sorafenib plus VPA decreased tumor burden more effectively than sorafenib or VPA mono-therapy in nude mice subcutaneous xenograft model. Histological and serological analysis demonstrated well tolerance of this combination in vivo. On a molecular level, our results presented a possible crosstalk between Notch3 and Akt signaling. Sorafenib increased the expression of Notch3 in a dosage dependent manner, along with the phosphorylation of Akt in HCC cells. In comparison, this induction of Notch3 and pAkt could be decreased by VPA, implying that Notch3 and pAkt are of significance in the treatment of HCC, which may account for the synergism of sorafenib and VPA. In conclusion, the combination of sorafenib and VPA offers a potential targeting therapeutic regimen for HCC in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanhu Zhu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200240, China
| | - Qing Liang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200240, China
| | - Xu Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200240, China
| | - Yan Yu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200240, China
| | - Xiaoying Shen
- Department of Pharmacy, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200240, China
| | - Guangchun Sun
- Department of Pharmacy, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200240, China
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Yin L, Fang Z, Shen NJ, Qiu YH, Li AJ, Zhang YJ. Downregulation of A20 increases the cytotoxicity of IFN-γ in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY 2017; 11:2841-2850. [PMID: 29033545 PMCID: PMC5628674 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s135993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly fatal disease mandating development of novel, effective therapeutic strategy. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is a pleiotropic cytokine with immunomodulatory, antiviral, and antitumor effects. Although IFN-γ is a promising antitumor agent, its application is limited by resistance in tumor cells. A20 is a zinc-finger protein that was initially identified as a gene product induced by tumor necrosis factor α in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In this study, we found that silencing of A20 combined with IFN-γ significantly represses cell viability, and induces apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest in HCC cells. By investigating mechanisms implicated in A20 and IFN-γ-mediated signaling pathways, we revealed that the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway and antiapoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 proteins were repressed. Moreover, we also found that phosphorylation of STAT1 and STAT3 was significantly enhanced after the downregulation of A20 in combination with treatment of IFN-γ. Inhibitor of STAT1 but not STAT3 could block the antitumor effect of IFN-γ. Therefore, targeting A20 enhances the cytotoxicity of IFN-γ against HCC cells and may present a promising therapeutic strategy for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Yin
- The Second Department of Biliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zheng Fang
- The Second Department of Biliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ning-Jia Shen
- The Second Department of Biliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying-He Qiu
- The Second Department of Biliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ai-Jun Li
- The Second Department of Biliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yong-Jie Zhang
- The Second Department of Biliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
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Gong J, Qi X, Zhang Y, Yu Y, Lin X, Li H, Hu Y. Long noncoding RNA linc00462 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression. Biomed Pharmacother 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
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Erdreich-Epstein A, Singh AR, Joshi S, Vega FM, Guo P, Xu J, Groshen S, Ye W, Millard M, Campan M, Morales G, Garlich JR, Laird PW, Seeger RC, Shimada H, Durden DL. Association of high microvessel α vβ 3 and low PTEN with poor outcome in stage 3 neuroblastoma: rationale for using first in class dual PI3K/BRD4 inhibitor, SF1126. Oncotarget 2016; 8:52193-52210. [PMID: 28881723 PMCID: PMC5581022 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.13386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children. Our previous studies showed that the angiogenic integrin αvβ3 was increased in high-risk metastatic (stage 4) NB compared with localized neuroblastomas. Herein, we show that integrin αvβ3 was expressed on 68% of microvessels in MYCN-amplified stage 3 neuroblastomas, but only on 34% (means) in MYCN-non-amplified tumors (p < 0.001; n = 54). PTEN, a tumor suppressor involved in αvβ3 signaling, was expressed in neuroblastomas either diffusely, focally or not at all (immunohistochemistry). Integrin αvβ3 was expressed on 60% of tumor microvessels when PTEN was negative or focal, as compared to 32% of microvessels in tumors with diffuse PTEN expression (p < 0.001). In a MYCN transgenic mouse model, loss of one allele of PTEN promoted tumor growth, illustrating the potential role of PTEN in neuroblastoma pathogenesis. Interestingly, we report the novel dual PI-3K/BRD4 activity of SF1126 (originally developed as an RGD-conjugated pan PI3K inhibitor). SF1126 inhibits BRD4 bromodomain binding to acetylated lysine residues with histone H3 as well as PI3K activity in the MYCN amplified neuroblastoma cell line IMR-32. Moreover, SF1126 suppressed MYCN expression and MYCN associated transcriptional activity in IMR-32 and CHLA136, resulting in overall decrease in neuroblastoma cell viability. Finally, treatment of neuroblastoma tumors with SF1126 inhibited neuroblastoma growth in vivo. These data suggest integrin αvβ3, MYCN/BRD4 and PTEN/PI3K/AKT signaling as biomarkers and hence therapeutic targets in neuroblastoma and support testing of the RGD integrin αvβ3-targeted PI-3K/BRD4 inhibitor, SF1126 as a therapeutic strategy in this specific subgroup of high risk neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anat Erdreich-Epstein
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Alok R Singh
- Department of Pediatrics, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, California, USA
| | - Shweta Joshi
- Department of Pediatrics, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, California, USA
| | - Francisco M Vega
- Department of Pediatrics, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, California, USA.,Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, IBiS/HUVR/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla and Department of Medical Physiology and Biophysics, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
| | - Pinzheng Guo
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jingying Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Susan Groshen
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Wei Ye
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Melissa Millard
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Mihaela Campan
- Department of Surgery University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | | | - Peter W Laird
- Department of Surgery University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA.,USC Epigenome Center, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Current Address: Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Robert C Seeger
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Hiroyuki Shimada
- Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Donald L Durden
- Department of Pediatrics, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, California, USA.,SignalRx Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, California, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, UCSD School of Medicine and Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, California, USA
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