Activation of ABCC Genes by Cisplatin Depends on the CoREST Occurrence at Their Promoters in A549 and MDA-MB-231 Cell Lines

Deciphering the interplay of histone post-translational modifications in cancer: Co-targeting histone modulators for precision therapy

Chromatin undergoes dynamic regulation through reversible histone post-translational modifications (PTMs), orchestrated by "writers," "erasers," and "readers" enzymes. Dysregulation of these histone modulators is well implicated in shaping the cancer epigenome and providing avenues for precision therapies. The approval of six drugs for cancer therapy targeting histone modulators, along with the ongoing clinical trials of numerous candidates, represents a significant advancement in the field of precision medicine. Recently, it became apparent that histone PTMs act together in a coordinated manner to control gene expression. The intricate crosstalk of histone PTMs has been reported to be dysregulated in cancer, thus emerging as a critical factor in the complex landscape of cancer development. This formed the foundation of the swift emergence of co-targeting different histone modulators as a new strategy in cancer therapy. This review dissects how histone PTMs, encompassing acetylation, phosphorylation, methylation, SUMOylation and ubiquitination, collaboratively influence the chromatin states and impact cellular processes. Furthermore, we explore the significance of histone modification crosstalk in cancer and discuss the potential of targeting histone modification crosstalk in cancer management. Moreover, we underscore the significant strides made in developing dual epigenetic inhibitors, which hold promise as emerging candidates for effective cancer therapy.

I-CBP112 declines overexpression of ATP-binding cassette transporters and sensitized drug-resistant MDA-MB-231 and A549 cell lines to chemotherapy drugs

Despite extensive efforts and ongoing progress in personalized anticancer approaches, chemotherapy remains the first line or the only treatment for some tumors that may develop resistance to chemotherapeutics in time due to inter alia overexpression of ATP-binding cassette transporters. Using clinically-relevant resistant models of triple negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231; TNBC) as well as non-small cell lung cancer (A549; NSCLC), we tested the efficacy of I-CBP112 - CBP/EP300 bromodomain inhibitor to overcome drug resistance by declining ABC gene transcription. I-CBP112 significantly reduced ABCB1, ABCC1, ABCC2, ABCC3, ABCC5 and ABCG2 in all resistant lines, as well as ABCC10 in TNBC and ABCC4 in paclitaxel-resistant NSCLC, thereby increasing intracellular drug accumulation and cytotoxicity in 2D and 3D cultures. This was phenocopied only by the joint effect of ABC inhibitors such as tariquidar (ABCB1 - P-glycoprotein and ABCG2) and MK-571 (ABCC), whereas single inhibition of ABCB1/ABCG2 or ABCC proteins did not affect drug accumulation, thereby implying the need of simultaneous deficiency in activity of majority of drug pumps for enhanced drug retention. I-CBP112 failed to directly inhibit activity of ABCB1, ABCG2 and ABCC subfamily members at the same time. Importantly, I-CBP112 treated cancer cells polarized human macrophages into proinflammatory phenotypes. Moreover, I-CBP112 remained non-toxic to primary cell lines, nor did it enhance anticancer drug toxicity to blood-immune cells. In silico assay of ADMET properties confirmed the desired pharmacokinetic features of I-CBP112. The results suggest that the CBP/p300 inhibitor is a promising co-adjuvant to chemotherapy in drug-resistant cancer phenotypes, capable of decreasing ABC transporter expression.

Cannabis-derived products antagonize platinum drugs by altered cellular transport

Cannabinoids, a class of compounds derived from Cannabis sativa L., have recently become more widely accessible for public consumption in the form of diverse cannabis products, in parallel with weakening the measures that so far restricted their availability. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved several cannabis-derived drugs for management of various diseases as well as chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Besides the attenuation of adverse effects of chemotherapy, numerous reports about cannabinoid-mediated anticancer effects further motivate cancer patients to support their therapy with such products. Here we present a set of preclinical data with human cell culture models, suggesting that cannabidiol and cannabis extracts may effectively counteract the anticancer effects of the clinically widely used standard-of-care platinum-based drugs. We show that even low concentrations of cannabinoids reduced the toxicity of cisplatin, oxaliplatin, and carboplatin, an effect which was accompanied by decreased platinum adduct formation and a set of commonly used molecular markers. Mechanistically, our results excluded the possibility that the observed enhanced survival of cancer cells was mediated transcriptionally. Instead, trace metal analyses strongly indicate an inhibitory impact of cannabinoids on intracellular platinum accumulation, thereby implicating changes in cellular transport and/or retention of these drugs as the likely cause of the observed biological effects. Our study raises the possibility that the desirable effect of counteracting adverse effects of chemotherapy might, at least for some cannabinoids, reflect impaired cellular availability, and consequently attenuation of the anticancer effects of platinum drugs. DATA AVAILABILITY: All data supporting the conclusions are available in the article and supplementary files. Raw data are available upon request from the corresponding author.

Lysine-Specific Demethylase 1 Promises to Be a Novel Target in Cancer Drug Resistance: Therapeutic Implications

Chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy are effective against most tumors, but drug resistance remains a barrier to successful treatment. Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1), a member of histone demethylation modifications, can regulate invasion, metastasis, apoptosis, and immune escape of tumor cells, which are associated with tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Recent studies suggest that LSD1 ablation regulates resensitivity of tumor cells to anticarcinogens containing immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) via multiple upstream and downstream pathways. In this review, we describe the recent findings about LSD1 biology and its role in the development and progression of cancer drug resistance. Further, we summarize LSD1 inhibitors that have a reversal or resensitive effect on drug resistance and discuss the possibility of targeting LSD1 in combination with other agents to surmount resistance.

LSD1 inhibitors for cancer treatment: Focus on multi-target agents and compounds in clinical trials

Histone lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1/KDM1A) was first identified in 2004 as an epigenetic enzyme able to demethylate specific lysine residues of histone H3, namely H3K4me1/2 and H3K9me1/2, using FAD as the cofactor. It is ubiquitously overexpressed in many types of cancers (breast, gastric, prostate, hepatocellular, and esophageal cancer, acute myeloid leukemia, and others) leading to block of differentiation and increase of proliferation, migration and invasiveness at cellular level. LSD1 inhibitors can be grouped in covalent and non-covalent agents. Each group includes some hybrid compounds, able to inhibit LSD1 in addition to other target(s) at the same time (dual or multitargeting compounds). To date, 9 LSD1 inhibitors have entered clinical trials, for hematological and/or solid cancers. Seven of them (tranylcypromine, iadademstat (ORY-1001), bomedemstat (IMG-7289), GSK-2879552, INCB059872, JBI-802, and Phenelzine) covalently bind the FAD cofactor, and two are non-covalent LSD1 inhibitors [pulrodemstat (CC-90011) and seclidemstat (SP-2577)]. Another TCP-based LSD1/MAO-B dual inhibitor, vafidemstat (ORY-2001), is in clinical trial for Alzheimer's diseases and personality disorders. The present review summarizes the structure and functions of LSD1, its pathological implications in cancer and non-cancer diseases, and the identification of LSD1 covalent and non-covalent inhibitors with different chemical scaffolds, including those involved in clinical trials, highlighting their potential as potent and selective anticancer agents.

Polymorphic renal transporters and cisplatin's toxicity in urinary bladder cancer patients: current perspectives and future directions

Urinary bladder cancer (UBC) holds a potentially profound social burden and affects over 573,278 new cases annually. The disease's primary risk factors include occupational tobacco smoke exposure and inherited genetic susceptibility. Over the past 30 years, a number of treatment modalities have emerged, including cisplatin, a platinum molecule that has demonstrated effectiveness against UBC. Nevertheless, it has severe dose-limiting side effects, such as nephrotoxicity, among others. Since intracellular accumulation of platinum anticancer drugs is necessary for cytotoxicity, decreased uptake or enhanced efflux are the root causes of platinum resistance and response failure. Evidence suggests that genetic variations in any transporter involved in the entry or efflux of platinum drugs alter their kinetics and, to a significant extent, determine patients' responses to them. This review aims to consolidate and describe the major transporters and their polymorphic variants in relation to cisplatin-induced toxicities and resistance in UBC patients. We concluded that the efflux transporters ABCB1, ABCC2, SLC25A21, ATP7A, and the uptake transporter OCT2, as well as the organic anion uptake transporters OAT1 and OAT2, are linked to cisplatin accumulation, toxicity, and resistance in urinary bladder cancer patients. While suppressing the CTR1 gene's expression reduced cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity, inhibiting the expression of the MATE1 and MATE2-K genes has been shown to increase cisplatin's nephrotoxicity and resistance. The roles of ABCC5, ABCA8, ABCC10, ABCB10, ABCG1, ATP7B, ABCG2, and mitochondrial SLC25A10 in platinum-receiving urinary bladder cancer patients should be the subject of further investigation.

Intense endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) / IRE1α enhanced Oxaliplatin efficacy by decreased ABCC10 in colorectal cancer cells

BACKGROUND

Attenuated Oxaliplatin efficacy is a challenge in treating colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, contributory to the failure in chemotherapy and the risks in relapse and metastasis. However, the mechanism of Oxaliplatin de-efficacy during CRC treatment has not been completely elucidated.

METHODS

Microarray screening, western blot and qPCR on clinic CRC samples were conducted to select the target gene ABCC10 transporter. The Cancer Genome Atlas data was analyzed to figure out the correlation between the clinical manifestation and ABCC10 expression. ABCC10 knock-down in CRC cells was conducted to identify its role in the Oxaliplatin resistance. Cell counting kit-8 assay was conducted to identify the CRC cell viability and Oxaliplatin IC₅₀. Flow cytometry was conducted to detect the cell apoptosis exposed to Oxaliplatin. The intracellular Oxaliplatin accumulation was measured by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry.

RESULTS

CRC patients with higher ABCC10 were prone to relapse and metastasis. Differential ABCC10 expression in multiple CRC cell lines revealed a strong positive correlation between ABCC10 expression level and decreased Oxaliplatin response. In ABCC10 knock-down CRC cells the Oxaliplatin sensitivity was evidently elevated due to an increase of intracellular Oxaliplatin accumulation resulted from the diminished drug efflux. To explore a strategy to block ABCC10 in CRC cells, we paid a special interest in the endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) / unfolded protein response (UPR) that plays a dual role in tumor development. We found that neither the inhibition of ERS nor the induction of mild ERS had anti-CRC effect. However, the CRC cell viability was profoundly decreased and the pro-apoptotic factor CHOP and apoptosis were increased by the induction of intense ERS. Significantly, the Oxaliplatin sensitivity of CRC cells was enhanced in response to the intense ERS, which was blocked by inhibiting IRE1α branch of UPR. Finally, we figured out that the intense ERS down-regulated ABCC10 expression via regulated IRE1-dependent decay activity.

CONCLUSION

Oxaliplatin was a substrate of ABCC10 efflux transporter. The intense ERS/IRE1α enhanced Oxaliplatin efficacy through down-regulating ABCC10 in addition to inducing CHOP. We suggested that introduction of intense ERS/UPR could be a promising strategy to restore chemo-sensitivity when used in combination with Oxaliplatin or other chemotherapeutic drugs pumped out by ABCC10.

A state-of-the-art review on LSD1 and its inhibitors in breast cancer: Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic significance

Breast cancer (BC) is a kind of malignant cancer in women, and it has become the most diagnosed cancer worldwide since 2020. Histone methylation is a common biological epigenetic modification mediating varieties of physiological and pathological processes. Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1), a first identified histone demethylase, mediates the removal of methyl groups from histones H3K4me1/2 and H3K9me1/2 and plays a crucial role in varieties of cancer progression. It is also specifically amplified in breast cancer and contributes to BC tumorigenesis and drug resistance via both demethylase and non-demethylase manners. This review will provide insight into the overview structure of LSD1, summarize its action mechanisms in BC, describe the therapeutic potential of LSD1 inhibitors in BC, and prospect the current opportunities and challenges of targeting LSD1 for BC therapy.

Isothiocyanates (ITCs) 1-(Isothiocyanatomethyl)-4-phenylbenzene and 1-Isothiocyanato-3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzene—Aldehyde Dehydrogenase (ALDH) Inhibitors, Decreases Cisplatin Tolerance and Migratory Ability of NSCLC

One of the main treatment modalities for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is cisplatin-based chemotherapy. However, the acquisition of cisplatin resistance remains a major problem. Existing chemotherapy regimens are often ineffective against cancer cells expressing aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). As such, there is an urgent need for therapies targeting ALDH-positive cancer cells. The present study compares the anticancer properties of 36 structurally diverse isothiocyanates (ITCs) against NSCLC cells with the ALDH inhibitor disulfiram (DSF). Their potential affinity to ALDH isoforms and ABC proteins was assessed using AutoDockTools, allowing for selection of three compounds presenting the strongest affinity to all tested proteins. The selected ITCs had no impact on NSCLC cell viability (at tested concentrations), but significantly decreased the cisplatin tolerance of cisplatin-resistant variant of A549 (A549CisR) and advanced (stage 4) NSCLC cell line H1581. Furthermore, long-term supplementation with ITC 1-(isothiocyanatomethyl)-4-phenylbenzene reverses the EMT phenotype and migratory potential of A549CisR to the level presented by parental A549 cells, increasing E-Cadherin expression, followed by decreased expression of ABCC1 and ALDH3A1. Our data indicates that the ALDH inhibitors DSF and ITCs are potential adjuvants of cisplatin chemotherapy.