The ErbB Signaling Network and Its Potential Role in Endometrial Cancer

ERBB2 Targeting Reveals a Significant Suppression of Tumorigenesis in Murine Endometrial Cancer with Pten Mutation

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy. PTEN is a negative regulator of PI3K signaling and is deficient in > 50% of primary human endometrial cancer. Amplification of ERBB2 promotes tumorigenesis and pathogenesis of several human cancers. However, the effect of ERBB2 targeting has not been studied in endometrial cancer with PTEN mutations. The murine model Pgrcre/+Erbb2f/fPtenf/f (Erbb2d/d Ptend/d) was developed to evaluate the effect of ERBB2 targeted therapy in endometrial cancer with PTEN deficiency. Histopathological and molecular analysis was performed for Ptend/d and Erbb2d/dPtend/d mice. Histopathological analysis revealed that Erbb2d/dPtend/d mice significantly reduced development and progression of endometrial cancer compared to Ptend/d mice. Furthermore, percentage of proliferative cells in Erbb2d/dPtend/d mice revealed anti-tumorigenic effect of Erbb2 ablation compared to Ptend/d mice. Our results demonstrate that Erbb2 ablation reveals a significant suppression of tumorigenesis on endometrial cancer of Ptend/d mice. Our results suggest that Erbb2 functions as an oncogene in endometrial cancer of Ptend/d mice implying that Erbb2 targeting can be used as an effective therapeutic approach for treatment of endometrial cancer with PTEN deficiency to hinder cancer development.

Tetrahydrobenzothiophene derivatives ameliorate Mia PaCa-2 cell progression and induces apoptosis via inhibiting EGFR2 tyrosine kinase signal

A series of new thiophene analogues with acarbonitrile-basedmoiety were designed and synthesized via structural optimization. The conjugates were assessed for their in-vitro cytotoxic activity against a human pancreatic cancer cell line (Mia PaCa-2) and among them compound 5b showed IC50 value of 13.37 ± 2.37 μM. The compounds 5b (20 µM & 25 µM) and 7c (30 & 35 µM) also showed reduced clonogenicity, enhanced ROS and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in Mia PaCa-2 cells. Treatment with these compounds also increased apoptotic population as evident with the double staining assay. Among the evaluated series, compounds 5b, 5g, 7c, and 9a attained a greater inhibitory potency than first generation's reversible EGFR inhibitor, Gefitinib. EGFR2 enzyme inhibitory studies revealed that 5b efficiently and arbitrarily suppressed the development of EGFR2 dependent cells and inhibited the enzymatic activity with an IC50 value of 0.68 µM; interestingly, the most effective molecule 5b with N-methyl piperazine substitution, has 1.29-fold greater potency than well-known EGFR inhibitor Gefitinib and increased Gefitinib's anti-growth impact with 2.04 folds greater against Mia PaCa-2. The in-vitro studies were validated with in-silico docking studies wherein compounds 5b and 7c exhibited binding energies of -8.2 and -7.4 Kcal/mol respectively. The present study reveals that tetrahydrobenzothiophene based analogues could be a promising lead for the evolution of potent chemo preventives over pancreatic cancer.

Why Does Your Uterus Become Malignant? The Impact of the Microbiome on Endometrial Carcinogenesis

The aim of this review was to describe the uterine microbiome composition that has been analyzed so far and describe potential pathways in the carcinogenesis of the endometrium. The microbiome in the uterine environment is involved in apoptosis and proliferation during the menstruation cycle, pregnancy maintenance, and immune system support. However, bacteria in the uterus could stimulate inflammation, which when chronic results in malignancy. An altered gut microbiota initiates an inflammatory response through microorganism-associated molecular patterns, which leads to intensified steroidogenesis in the ovaries and cancers. Moreover, intestinal bacteria secreting the enzyme β-glucuronidase may increase the level of circulating estrogen and, as a result, be influential in gynecological cancers. Both the uterine and the gut microbiota play a pivotal role in immune modulation, which is why there is a demand for further investigation from both the diagnostic and the therapeutic perspectives.