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Thazhackavayal Baby B, Kulkarni AM, Gayam PKR, Harikumar KB, Aranjani JM. Beyond cyclopamine: Targeting Hedgehog signaling for cancer intervention. Arch Biochem Biophys 2024; 754:109952. [PMID: 38432565 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2024.109952] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Hedgehog (Hh) signaling plays a significant role in embryogenesis and several physiological processes, such as wound healing and organ homeostasis. In a pathological setting, it is associated with oncogenesis and is responsible for disease progression and poor clinical outcomes. Hedgehog signaling mediates downstream actions via Glioma Associated Oncogene Homolog (GLI) transcription factors. Inhibiting Hh signaling is an important oncological strategy in which inhibitors of the ligands SMO or GLI have been looked at. This review briefly narrates the Hh ligands, signal transduction, the target genes involved and comprehensively describes the numerous inhibitors that have been evaluated for use in various neoplastic settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beena Thazhackavayal Baby
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Udupi, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Aniruddha Murahar Kulkarni
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Udupi, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Prasanna Kumar Reddy Gayam
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Udupi, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Kuzhuvelil B Harikumar
- Cancer Research Program, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram, 695014, Kerala State, India
| | - Jesil Mathew Aranjani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Udupi, Karnataka, 576104, India.
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Zhang Y, Li L, Chu F, Wu H, Xiao X, Ye J, Li K. Itraconazole inhibits tumor growth via CEBPB-mediated glycolysis in colorectal cancer. Cancer Sci 2024; 115:1154-1169. [PMID: 38278779 PMCID: PMC11007002 DOI: 10.1111/cas.16082] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) is characterized by a high recurrence and metastasis rate, which is the primary cause of patient mortality. Unfortunately, effective anti-cancer drugs for CRC are still lacking in clinical practice. We screened FDA-approved drugs by utilizing targeted organoid sequencing data and found that the antifungal drug itraconazole had a potential therapeutic effect on CRC tumors. However, the effect and mechanism of itraconazole on CRC tumors have not been investigated. A cell line-derived xenograft model in tumor-bearing mice was established and single-cell RNA sequencing was performed on tumor samples from four mice with or without itraconazole treatment. The proportion of cell populations and gene expression profiles was significantly different between the two groups. We found that itraconazole could inhibit tumor growth and glycolysis. We revealed that CEBPB was a new target for itraconazole, and that silencing CEBPB could repress CRC glycolysis and tumor growth by inhibiting ENO1 expression. Clinical analysis showed that CEBPB expression was obviously elevated in CRC patients, and was associated with poor survival. In summary, itraconazole treatment remodeled cell composition and gene expression profiles. Itraconazole inhibited cell glycolysis and tumor growth via the CEBPB-ENO1 axis. In this study, we illustrate a new energy metabolism mechanism for itraconazole on tumor growth in CRC that will provide a theoretical basis for CRC targeting/combination therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Zhang
- Branch Center of Advanced Medical Research CenterZhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
- Department of GastroenterologyZhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
- Medical Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Colorectal Cancer in Henan ProvinceZhengzhouChina
- Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Diagnosis, Treatment and Research of Colorectal CancerZhengzhouChina
| | - Lu Li
- Department of GastroenterologyZhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
- Medical Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Colorectal Cancer in Henan ProvinceZhengzhouChina
- Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Diagnosis, Treatment and Research of Colorectal CancerZhengzhouChina
| | - Feifei Chu
- Department of GastroenterologyZhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
- Medical Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Colorectal Cancer in Henan ProvinceZhengzhouChina
- Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Diagnosis, Treatment and Research of Colorectal CancerZhengzhouChina
| | - Huili Wu
- Department of GastroenterologyZhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
- Medical Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Colorectal Cancer in Henan ProvinceZhengzhouChina
- Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Diagnosis, Treatment and Research of Colorectal CancerZhengzhouChina
| | - Xingguo Xiao
- Department of GastroenterologyZhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
- Medical Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Colorectal Cancer in Henan ProvinceZhengzhouChina
- Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Diagnosis, Treatment and Research of Colorectal CancerZhengzhouChina
| | - Jianping Ye
- Branch Center of Advanced Medical Research CenterZhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Kunkun Li
- Department of GastroenterologyZhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
- Medical Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Colorectal Cancer in Henan ProvinceZhengzhouChina
- Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Diagnosis, Treatment and Research of Colorectal CancerZhengzhouChina
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Mahdi-Esferizi R, Shiasi Z, Heidari R, Najafi A, Mahmoudi I, Elahian F, Tahmasebian S. Single-cell transcriptional signature-based drug repurposing and in vitro evaluation in colorectal cancer. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:371. [PMID: 38528462 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12142-8] [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: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The need for intelligent and effective treatment of diseases and the increase in drug design costs have raised drug repurposing as one of the effective strategies in biomedicine. There are various computational methods for drug repurposing, one of which is using transcription signatures, especially single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data, which show us a clear and comprehensive view of the inside of the cell to compare the state of disease and health. METHODS In this study, we used 91,103 scRNA-seq samples from 29 patients with colorectal cancer (GSE144735 and GSE132465). First, differential gene expression (DGE) analysis was done using the ASAP website. Then we reached a list of drugs that can reverse the gene signature pattern from cancer to normal using the iLINCS website. Further, by searching various databases and articles, we found 12 drugs that have FDA approval, and so far, no one has reported them as a drug in the treatment of any cancer. Then, to evaluate the cytotoxicity and performance of these drugs, the MTT assay and real-time PCR were performed on two colorectal cancer cell lines (HT29 and HCT116). RESULTS According to our approach, 12 drugs were suggested for the treatment of colorectal cancer. Four drugs were selected for biological evaluation. The results of the cytotoxicity analysis of these drugs are as follows: tezacaftor (IC10 = 19 µM for HCT-116 and IC10 = 2 µM for HT-29), fenticonazole (IC10 = 17 µM for HCT-116 and IC10 = 7 µM for HT-29), bempedoic acid (IC10 = 78 µM for HCT-116 and IC10 = 65 µM for HT-29), and famciclovir (IC10 = 422 µM for HCT-116 and IC10 = 959 µM for HT-29). CONCLUSIONS Cost, time, and effectiveness are the main challenges in finding new drugs for diseases. Computational approaches such as transcriptional signature-based drug repurposing methods open new horizons to solve these challenges. In this study, tezacaftor, fenticonazole, and bempedoic acid can be introduced as promising drug candidates for the treatment of colorectal cancer. These drugs were evaluated in silico and in vitro, but it is necessary to evaluate them in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roohallah Mahdi-Esferizi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Zahra Shiasi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Razieh Heidari
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Ali Najafi
- Molecular Biology Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisonings Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Issa Mahmoudi
- Information Technology Department, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Elahian
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Shahram Tahmasebian
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.
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Fatemi N, Karimpour M, Bahrami H, Zali MR, Chaleshi V, Riccio A, Nazemalhosseini-Mojarad E, Totonchi M. Current trends and future prospects of drug repositioning in gastrointestinal oncology. Front Pharmacol 2024; 14:1329244. [PMID: 38239190 PMCID: PMC10794567 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1329244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers comprise a significant number of cancer cases worldwide and contribute to a high percentage of cancer-related deaths. To improve survival rates of GI cancer patients, it is important to find and implement more effective therapeutic strategies with better prognoses and fewer side effects. The development of new drugs can be a lengthy and expensive process, often involving clinical trials that may fail in the early stages. One strategy to address these challenges is drug repurposing (DR). Drug repurposing is a developmental strategy that involves using existing drugs approved for other diseases and leveraging their safety and pharmacological data to explore their potential use in treating different diseases. In this paper, we outline the existing therapeutic strategies and challenges associated with GI cancers and explore DR as a promising alternative approach. We have presented an extensive review of different DR methodologies, research efforts and examples of repurposed drugs within various GI cancer types, such as colorectal, pancreatic and liver cancers. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of employing the DR approach in GI cancers to inform future research endeavors and clinical trials in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nayeralsadat Fatemi
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mina Karimpour
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hoda Bahrami
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Zali
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Chaleshi
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Andrea Riccio
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (DiSTABiF), Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics (IGB) “Adriano Buzzati-Traverso”, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Naples, Italy
| | - Ehsan Nazemalhosseini-Mojarad
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Totonchi
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (DiSTABiF), Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
- Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
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Guseva EA, Pavlova JA, Dontsova OA, Sergiev PV. Synthetic Activators of Autophagy. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2024; 89:27-52. [PMID: 38467544 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297924010024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Autophagy is a central process for degradation of intracellular components that do not operate correctly. Molecular mechanisms underlying this process are extremely difficult to study, since they involve a large number of participants. The main task of autophagy is redistribution of cellular resources in response to environmental changes, such as starvation. Recent studies show that autophagy regulation could be the key to achieve healthy longevity, as well as to create therapeutic agents for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Thus, development of autophagy activators with established detailed mechanism of action is a really important area of research. Several commercial companies are at various stages of development of such molecules, and some of them have already begun to introduce autophagy activators to the market.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina A Guseva
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, 143025, Russia.
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Julia A Pavlova
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, 143025, Russia
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Olga A Dontsova
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, 143025, Russia
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Petr V Sergiev
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, 143025, Russia.
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Institute of Functional Genomics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
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Kast RE. The OSR9 Regimen: A New Augmentation Strategy for Osteosarcoma Treatment Using Nine Older Drugs from General Medicine to Inhibit Growth Drive. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15474. [PMID: 37895152 PMCID: PMC10607234 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015474] [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: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
As things stand in 2023, metastatic osteosarcoma commonly results in death. There has been little treatment progress in recent decades. To redress the poor prognosis of metastatic osteosarcoma, the present regimen, OSR9, uses nine already marketed drugs as adjuncts to current treatments. The nine drugs in OSR9 are: (1) the antinausea drug aprepitant, (2) the analgesic drug celecoxib, (3) the anti-malaria drug chloroquine, (4) the antibiotic dapsone, (5) the alcoholism treatment drug disulfiram, (6) the antifungal drug itraconazole, (7) the diabetes treatment drug linagliptin, (8) the hypertension drug propranolol, and (9) the psychiatric drug quetiapine. Although none are traditionally used to treat cancer, all nine have attributes that have been shown to inhibit growth-promoting physiological systems active in osteosarcoma. In their general medicinal uses, all nine drugs in OSR9 have low side-effect risks. The current paper reviews the collected data supporting the role of OSR9.
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Halma MTJ, Tuszynski JA, Marik PE. Cancer Metabolism as a Therapeutic Target and Review of Interventions. Nutrients 2023; 15:4245. [PMID: 37836529 PMCID: PMC10574675 DOI: 10.3390/nu15194245] [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: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is amenable to low-cost treatments, given that it has a significant metabolic component, which can be affected through diet and lifestyle change at minimal cost. The Warburg hypothesis states that cancer cells have an altered cell metabolism towards anaerobic glycolysis. Given this metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells, it is possible to target cancers metabolically by depriving them of glucose. In addition to dietary and lifestyle modifications which work on tumors metabolically, there are a panoply of nutritional supplements and repurposed drugs associated with cancer prevention and better treatment outcomes. These interventions and their evidentiary basis are covered in the latter half of this review to guide future cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T. J. Halma
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- EbMC Squared CIC, Bath BA2 4BL, UK
| | - Jack A. Tuszynski
- Department of Physics, University of Alberta, 11335 Saskatchewan Dr NW, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M9, Canada
- Department of Data Science and Engineering, The Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
- DIMEAS, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, I-1029 Turin, Italy
| | - Paul E. Marik
- Frontline COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance, Washington, DC 20036, USA
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Diniz-Lima I, da Fonseca LM, Dos Reis JS, Decote-Ricardo D, Morrot A, Previato JO, Previato LM, Freire-de-Lima CG, Freire-de-Lima L. Non-self glycan structures as possible modulators of cancer progression: would polysaccharides from Cryptococcus spp. impact this phenomenon? Braz J Microbiol 2023; 54:907-919. [PMID: 36840821 PMCID: PMC10235250 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-023-00936-0] [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: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive fungal infections (IFI) are responsible for a large number of annual deaths. Most cases are closely related to patients in a state of immunosuppression, as is the case of patients undergoing chemotherapy. Cancer patients are severely affected by the worrisome proportions that an IFI can take during cancer progression, especially in an already immunologically and metabolically impaired patient. There is scarce knowledge about strategies to mitigate cancer progression in these cases, beyond conventional treatment with antifungal drugs with a narrow therapeutic range. However, in recent years, ample evidence has surfaced describing the possible interferences that IFI may have both on the progression of pre-existing cancers and in the induction of newly transformed cells. The leading gambit for modulation of tumor progression comes from the ability of fungal virulence factors to modulate the host's immune system, since they are found in considerable concentrations in the tumor microenvironment during infection. In this context, cryptococcosis is of particular concern, since the main virulence factor of the pathogenic yeast is its polysaccharide capsule, which carries constituents with high immunomodulatory properties and cytotoxic potential. Therefore, we open a discussion on what has already been described regarding the progression of cryptococcosis in the context of cancer progression, and the possible implications that fungal glycan structures may take in both cancer development and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israel Diniz-Lima
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Marques da Fonseca
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Jhenifer Santos Dos Reis
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Debora Decote-Ricardo
- Departamento de Microbiologia E Imunologia Veterinária, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural Do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 23890-000, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Morrot
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902, Brazil
- Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, 21040-360, Brazil
| | - Jose Osvaldo Previato
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Lucia Mendonça Previato
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Celio Geraldo Freire-de-Lima
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Freire-de-Lima
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902, Brazil.
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Repositioning itraconazole for amelioration of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis: Targeting HMGB1/TLR4 Axis, NLRP3 inflammasome/NF-κB signaling, and autophagy. Life Sci 2023; 313:121288. [PMID: 36528079 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.121288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Bleomycin (BLM) is one of the antitumor medications that had proven efficacy in the treatment of a wide range of malignant conditions. Pulmonary fibrosis which is frequently encountered during the course of bleomycin therapy may significantly reduce the potential efficacy of bleomycin in cancer therapy. This study tested the hypothesis that itraconazole may have mitigating effects on BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis and tried to delineate the potential mechanisms of these effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS In a rat model of pulmonary fibrosis elicited by BLM, the effect of different doses of itraconazole was explored at the biochemical, histopathological, and electron microscopic levels. KEY FINDINGS Itraconazole, in a dose-dependent manner, exhibited significant effects on the pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance, the inflammatory consequences, high-mobility group box 1/toll-like receptor-4 Axis, autophagy and nuclear factor kappa B/Nod-like receptor protein 3 inflammasome signaling and alleviated the histopathological, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopic perturbations induced by BLM in the pulmonary tissues. SIGNIFICANCE In view of the afore-mentioned data, itraconazole may be a promising drug that efficiently mitigates the deleterious effects of BLM on the pulmonary tissues.
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10
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Li CL, Fang ZX, Wu Z, Hou YY, Wu HT, Liu J. Repurposed itraconazole for use in the treatment of malignancies as a promising therapeutic strategy. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 154:113616. [PMID: 36055112 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding cancer biology and the development of novel agents for cancer treatment has always been the goal of cancer researchers. However, the research and development of new drugs is hindered by its long development time, exorbitant cost, high regulatory hurdles, and staggering failure rates. Given the challenges involved drug development for cancer therapies, alternative strategies, in particular the repurposing of 'old' drugs that have been approved for other indications, are attractive. Itraconazole is an FDA-approved anti-fungal drug of the triazole class, and has been used clinically for more than 30 years. Recent drug repurposing screens revealed itraconazole exerts anti-cancer activity via inhibiting angiogenesis and multiple oncogenic signaling pathways. To explore the potential utilization of itraconazole in different types of malignancies, we retrieved the published literature relating to itraconazole in cancer and reviewed the mechanisms of itraconazole in preclinical and clinical cancer studies. Current research predicts the hedgehog signaling pathway as the main target by which itraconazole inhibits a variety of solid and hematological cancers. As clinical trial results become available, itraconazole could emerge as a new antitumor drug that can be used in combination with first-line antitumor drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Lan Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China; Department of Physiology/Changjiang Scholar's Laboratory, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Ze-Xuan Fang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China; Department of Physiology/Changjiang Scholar's Laboratory, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Zheng Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China; Department of Physiology/Changjiang Scholar's Laboratory, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Yan-Yu Hou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China; Department of Physiology/Changjiang Scholar's Laboratory, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Hua-Tao Wu
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
- Department of Physiology/Changjiang Scholar's Laboratory, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
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11
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Kast RE, Alfieri A, Assi HI, Burns TC, Elyamany AM, Gonzalez-Cao M, Karpel-Massler G, Marosi C, Salacz ME, Sardi I, Van Vlierberghe P, Zaghloul MS, Halatsch ME. MDACT: A New Principle of Adjunctive Cancer Treatment Using Combinations of Multiple Repurposed Drugs, with an Example Regimen. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:2563. [PMID: 35626167 PMCID: PMC9140192 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14102563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In part one of this two-part paper, we present eight principles that we believe must be considered for more effective treatment of the currently incurable cancers. These are addressed by multidrug adjunctive cancer treatment (MDACT), which uses multiple repurposed non-oncology drugs, not primarily to kill malignant cells, but rather to reduce the malignant cells' growth drives. Previous multidrug regimens have used MDACT principles, e.g., the CUSP9v3 glioblastoma treatment. MDACT is an amalgam of (1) the principle that to be effective in stopping a chain of events leading to an undesired outcome, one must break more than one link; (2) the principle of Palmer et al. of achieving fractional cancer cell killing via multiple drugs with independent mechanisms of action; (3) the principle of shaping versus decisive operations, both being required for successful cancer treatment; (4) an idea adapted from Chow et al., of using multiple cytotoxic medicines at low doses; (5) the idea behind CUSP9v3, using many non-oncology CNS-penetrant drugs from general medical practice, repurposed to block tumor survival paths; (6) the concept from chess that every move creates weaknesses and strengths; (7) the principle of mass-by adding force to a given effort, the chances of achieving the goal increase; and (8) the principle of blocking parallel signaling pathways. Part two gives an example MDACT regimen, gMDACT, which uses six repurposed drugs-celecoxib, dapsone, disulfiram, itraconazole, pyrimethamine, and telmisartan-to interfere with growth-driving elements common to cholangiocarcinoma, colon adenocarcinoma, glioblastoma, and non-small-cell lung cancer. gMDACT is another example of-not a replacement for-previous multidrug regimens already in clinical use, such as CUSP9v3. MDACT regimens are designed as adjuvants to be used with cytotoxic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alex Alfieri
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cantonal Hospital of Winterthur, 8400 Winterthur, Switzerland; (A.A.); (M.-E.H.)
| | - Hazem I. Assi
- Naef K. Basile Cancer Center, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1100, Lebanon;
| | - Terry C. Burns
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA;
| | - Ashraf M. Elyamany
- Oncology Unit, Hemato-Oncology Department, SECI Assiut University Egypt/King Saud Medical City, Riyadh 7790, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Maria Gonzalez-Cao
- Translational Cancer Research Unit, Dexeus University Hospital, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
| | | | - Christine Marosi
- Clinical Division of Medical Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Michael E. Salacz
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA;
| | - Iacopo Sardi
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Meyer Children’s Hospital, Viale Pieraccini 24, 50139 Florence, Italy;
| | - Pieter Van Vlierberghe
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
| | - Mohamed S. Zaghloul
- Children’s Cancer Hospital & National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo 11796, Egypt;
| | - Marc-Eric Halatsch
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cantonal Hospital of Winterthur, 8400 Winterthur, Switzerland; (A.A.); (M.-E.H.)
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Xu C, Zhuo Y, Liu Y, Chen H. Itraconazole Inhibits the Growth of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Targeting HMGCS1/ACSL4 Axis. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:828983. [PMID: 35242038 PMCID: PMC8886144 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.828983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is a common cutaneous cancer with increasing incidence. Itraconazole has been identified as a potential anticancer drug candidate. However, the role of itraconazole in cSCC was still unclear. Our objective is exploring the therapeutic potential of itraconazole in cSCC and investigate its molecular mechanism. Methods: The anti-proliferation effect of itraconazole was tested with CCK-8 assay and clone formation assay. Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis rate were detected using flow cytometry and TUNEL assay, respectively. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses were used to explore the underlying anti-cancer mechanism. Luciferase reporter assay was used for promoter activity. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation and iron accumulation were examined. The in vivo efficacy of itraconazole was assessed in a xenograft model. Results: Itraconazole inhibited the cell proliferation, induced apoptosis and blocked cell cycle of cSCC cells. An integrated analysis of transcriptomic and proteomic analyses identified that 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase 1 (HMGCS1) and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) were significantly upregulated in A431 cells treated with itraconazole. HMGCS1 silencing reversed the antiproliferative activity of itraconazole in A431 cells. Dual-luciferase assay showed that itraconazole could promote HMGCS1 transcription. HMGCS1 silencing abated the expression of ACSL4 in A431 cells. The level of ROS, lipid peroxidation, as well as iron accumulation were increased by itraconazole. Moreover, treatment with itraconazole impeded tumor growth in A431-bearing mice. Conclusion: We proved itraconazole inhibits the growth of cSCC by regulating HMGCS1/ACSL4 axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congcong Xu
- Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, China
| | - Yating Zhuo
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yunyao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hao Chen
- Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, China
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