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Bergel CC, Eryilmaz IE, Bulut E, Balaban RF, Egeli U, Cecener G. Synergistic Anti-tumorigenic Effects of Cabazitaxel and Usnic Acid Combination on Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Cells. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2025; 25:610-619. [PMID: 39810522 DOI: 10.2174/0118715206336754241015062614] [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: 06/11/2024] [Revised: 09/23/2024] [Accepted: 09/30/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2025]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prostate cancer (PC) affects millions of men, causing high mortality rates. Despite the treatment approaches, the options for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), a lethal form of advanced PC, are still limited. Cabazitaxel (Cbx) is the last taxane-derived chemotherapeutic approved for Docetaxel- resistant mCRPC patients. However, its effects are limited due to the activation of several pathways. Therefore, new approaches are needed to increase the efficacy of Cbx. Usnic acid (UA) is a natural product with wellknown anti-tumorigenic and synergistic effects with various chemotherapeutics. Although the cytotoxicity of UA and Cbx has been evaluated on mCRPC cells, the anti-tumorigenic effect of UA combination with any taxane has not been investigated yet. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the possible synergistic effect of Cbx+UA in mCRPC cells. METHODS Cell viability and apoptosis were analyzed using WST-1 and Annexin-V. Morphological changes were visualized by fluorescent staining. Finally, cell cycle, mitochondrial health, and ROS levels were determined. RESULTS Based on WST-1 results, 25 μM UA exhibited significant additive and synergistic effects with the use of Cbx. Annexin V and cell cycle results showed that UA significantly enhanced the Cbx efficacy at increasing doses compared to using only Cbx (**p<0.01). Moreover, combined treatment significantly increased ROS levels and mitochondrial membrane depolarization compared with Cbx alone (**p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Thus, the results suggest that UA increased the anti-tumorigenic effects of Cbx on mCRPC cells by increasing apoptosis, causing an increase in intracellular ROS and disrupting mitochondrial health. Consequently, combining UA and Cbx offers a new combined therapeutic strategy for mCRPC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ceyda Colakoglu Bergel
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey
| | - Isil Ezgi Eryilmaz
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey
| | - Ebrucan Bulut
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey
| | - Rumeysa Fatma Balaban
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey
| | - Unal Egeli
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey
| | - Gulsah Cecener
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey
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Rii J, Sakamoto S, Mizokami A, Xu M, Fujimoto A, Saito S, Koike H, Tamura T, Arai T, Yamada Y, Goto Y, Sazuka T, Imamura Y, Suzuki K, Kanai Y, Anzai N, Ichikawa T. L-type amino acid transporter 1 inhibitor JPH203 prevents the growth of cabazitaxel-resistant prostate cancer by inhibiting cyclin-dependent kinase activity. Cancer Sci 2024; 115:937-953. [PMID: 38186218 PMCID: PMC10920979 DOI: 10.1111/cas.16062] [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: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1, SLC7A5) is an amino acid transporter expressed in various carcinomas, and it is postulated to play an important role in the proliferation of cancer cells through the uptake of essential amino acids. Cabazitaxel is a widely used anticancer drug for treating castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC); however, its effectiveness is lost when cancer cells acquire drug resistance. In this study, we investigated the expression of LAT1 and the effects of a LAT1-specific inhibitor, JPH203, in cabazitaxel-resistant prostate cancer cells. LAT1 was more highly expressed in the cabazitaxel-resistant strains than in the normal strains. Administration of JPH203 inhibited the growth, migration, and invasive ability of cabazitaxel-resistant strains in vitro. Phosphoproteomics using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to comprehensively investigate changes in phosphorylation due to JPH203 administration revealed that cell cycle-related pathways were affected by JPH203, and that JPH203 significantly reduced the kinase activity of cyclin-dependent kinases 1 and 2. Moreover, JPH203 inhibited the proliferation of cabazitaxel-resistant cells in vivo. Taken together, the present study results suggest that LAT1 might be a valuable therapeutic target in cabazitaxel-resistant prostate cancer.
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Grants
- #20K09555 Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan
- #20H03813 Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan
- #20K09572 Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan
- #20K18087 Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan
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Affiliation(s)
- Junryo Rii
- Department of UrologyChiba University Graduate School of MedicineChibaJapan
| | - Shinichi Sakamoto
- Department of UrologyChiba University Graduate School of MedicineChibaJapan
| | - Atsushi Mizokami
- Department of Integrative Cancer Therapy and Urology, Graduate School of Medical ScienceKanazawa UniversityKanazawaJapan
| | - Minhui Xu
- Bio‐System PharmacologyOsaka University Graduate School of MedicineOsakaJapan
| | - Ayumi Fujimoto
- Department of UrologyChiba University Graduate School of MedicineChibaJapan
| | - Shinpei Saito
- Department of UrologyChiba University Graduate School of MedicineChibaJapan
- Department of PharmacologyChiba University Graduate School of MedicineChibaJapan
| | - Hidekazu Koike
- Department of UrologyGunma University Graduate School of MedicineMaebashiJapan
| | - Takaaki Tamura
- Department of UrologyChiba University Graduate School of MedicineChibaJapan
| | - Takayuki Arai
- Department of UrologyChiba University Graduate School of MedicineChibaJapan
| | - Yasutaka Yamada
- Department of UrologyChiba University Graduate School of MedicineChibaJapan
| | - Yusuke Goto
- Department of UrologyChiba University Graduate School of MedicineChibaJapan
| | - Tomokazu Sazuka
- Department of UrologyChiba University Graduate School of MedicineChibaJapan
| | - Yusuke Imamura
- Department of UrologyChiba University Graduate School of MedicineChibaJapan
| | - Kazuhiro Suzuki
- Department of UrologyGunma University Graduate School of MedicineMaebashiJapan
| | - Yoshikatsu Kanai
- Bio‐System PharmacologyOsaka University Graduate School of MedicineOsakaJapan
| | - Naohiko Anzai
- Department of PharmacologyChiba University Graduate School of MedicineChibaJapan
| | - Tomohiko Ichikawa
- Department of UrologyChiba University Graduate School of MedicineChibaJapan
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Ioele G, Chieffallo M, Occhiuzzi MA, De Luca M, Garofalo A, Ragno G, Grande F. Anticancer Drugs: Recent Strategies to Improve Stability Profile, Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Properties. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27175436. [PMID: 36080203 PMCID: PMC9457551 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27175436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In past decades, anticancer research has led to remarkable results despite many of the approved drugs still being characterized by high systemic toxicity mainly due to the lack of tumor selectivity and present pharmacokinetic drawbacks, including low water solubility, that negatively affect the drug circulation time and bioavailability. The stability studies, performed in mild conditions during their development or under stressing exposure to high temperature, hydrolytic medium or light source, have demonstrated the sensitivity of anticancer drugs to many parameters. For this reason, the formation of degradation products is assessed both in pharmaceutical formulations and in the environment as hospital waste. To date, numerous formulations have been developed for achieving tissue-specific drug targeting and reducing toxic side effects, as well as for improving drug stability. The development of prodrugs represents a promising strategy in targeted cancer therapy for improving the selectivity, efficacy and stability of active compounds. Recent studies show that the incorporation of anticancer drugs into vesicular systems, such as polymeric micelles or cyclodextrins, or the use of nanocarriers containing chemotherapeutics that conjugate to monoclonal antibodies can improve solubility, pharmacokinetics, cellular absorption and stability. In this study, we summarize the latest advances in knowledge regarding the development of effective highly stable anticancer drugs formulated as stable prodrugs or entrapped in nanosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Fedora Grande
- Correspondence: (G.I.); (F.G.); Tel.: +39-0984-493268 (G.I.)
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Li C, Zeng X, Qiu S, Gu Y, Zhang Y. Nanomedicine for urologic cancers: diagnosis and management. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 86:463-475. [PMID: 35660001 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Urologic cancers accounted for more than 2 million new cases and around 0.8 million deaths in 2020. Although surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, as well as castration for prostate cancer, remain the cornerstones for managing urologic neoplasms, they can result in severe adverse effects, poor patient compliance, and unsatisfactory survival rates, thus, it is essential to develop novel options that enable the early detection of these malignancies, together with providing accurate diagnoses, and more efficient treatment strategies. Nanomedicine represents an emerging approach that can deliver formulations or drugs across traditional biological barriers in the body and be directed to specific cell types within target organs via active targeting or passive targeting, thus, showing potential to improve the management of urologic cancers. In this review, we discussed the most recent updates on the application of nanomedicines in the diagnosis and treatment of urologic cancers, with focus on prostate, bladder and kidney tumors. We also presented the anti-tumor molecular mechanisms of newly designed nanomedicine for treating urologic cancers, mainly including image-guided surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, gene therapy, immunotherapy, and their synergetic therapy. Current studies have demonstrated the potential advantages of nanomedicine over conventional approaches. However, most developments and new findings in this area have not been validated in clinical trials yet, and therefore, efforts shall be made to translate these research insights into clinical practices for urologic cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyang Li
- Biomedical Big Data Center, Kidney Research Institute, West China Hospital, Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoxi Zeng
- Biomedical Big Data Center, Kidney Research Institute, West China Hospital, Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shi Qiu
- Department of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yonghong Gu
- Department of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yonggang Zhang
- Department of Periodical Press, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Chinese Evidence-Based Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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Yao K, Li S, Liu Q, Wu F. The emerging role of cross-resistance between taxanes and AR-targeting therapy in metastatic prostate cancer. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL UROLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/20514158221088689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Background: To date, the number of prostate cancer ranked first among newly diagnosed malignant tumors in men from multiple countries. Localized prostate cancer could be controlled by curative therapy. However, for patients with metastatic prostate cancer (mPC), the prognosis is poor. As among first-line treatments of systemic therapies for mPC, docetaxel and androgen receptor (AR)-targeted therapies have been widely used. However, mPC patients inevitably developed resistance to the current therapy. More importantly, there is a cross-resistance between docetaxel-based chemotherapy and AR-targeting therapy during the treatment process, which could impair the overall survival benefits without proper administration. Objective: Therefore, it is urgent to elucidate the mechanism of cross-resistance and explore the optimal sequential strategy. Methods: Here, in this review, we systematically reviewed and summarised the updated literature on clinical evidence and mechanistic research of treatment resistance in mPC. Results: Emerging evidence indicated that AR splice variants, AR overexpression or mutations, AR nuclear translocation, as well as AR signaling reactivation collectively contributed to the cross-resistance. With the current understanding of cross-resistance, multiple solutions are promising for improving the benefits, including refining the sequencing of available therapies for mPC, in combination with potential targeted inhibitors or immune checkpoint inhibitors. Further studies are needed to explore the combination of emerging strategies and eventually control the progression of prostate cancer. Conclusions: This review defined the mutual and unique resistant mechanism of these treatments, which might help to focus and accelerate therapeutic research that may ultimately improve clinical outcomes for patients with prostate cancer. Level of evidence: Not applicable
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Yao
- Department of Urology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, P.R. China
| | - Shun Li
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, P.R. China
| | - Qingyong Liu
- Department of Urology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, P.R. China
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, P.R. China
| | - Fei Wu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, P.R. China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Research Center, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, P.R. China
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