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Asghar A, Chohan TA, Khurshid U, Saleem H, Mustafa MW, Khursheed A, Alafnan A, Batul R, Bin Break MK, Almansour K, Anwar S. A systematic review on understanding the mechanistic pathways and clinical aspects of natural CDK inhibitors on cancer progression.: Unlocking cellular and biochemical mechanisms. Chem Biol Interact 2024; 393:110940. [PMID: 38467339 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2024.110940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Cell division, differentiation, and controlled cell death are all regulated by phosphorylation, a key biological function. This mechanism is controlled by a variety of enzymes, with cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) being particularly important in phosphorylating proteins at serine and threonine sites. CDKs, which contain 20 unique components, serve an important role in regulating vital physiological functions such as cell cycle progression and gene transcription. Methodologically, an extensive literature search was performed using reputable databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science. Keywords encompassed "cyclin kinase," "cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors," "CDK inhibitors," "natural products," and "cancer therapy." The inclusion criteria, focused on relevance, publication date, and language, ensured a thorough representation of the most recent research in the field, encompassing articles published from January 2015 to September 2023. Categorization of CDKs into those regulating transcription and those orchestrating cell cycle phases provides a comprehensive understanding of their diverse functions. Ongoing clinical trials featuring CDK inhibitors, notably CDK7 and CDK4/6 inhibitors, illuminate their promising potential in various cancer treatments. This review undertakes a thorough investigation of CDK inhibitors derived from natural (marine, terrestrial, and peptide) sources. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive comprehension of the chemical classifications, origins, target CDKs, associated cancer types, and therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andleeb Asghar
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (IPS), University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Tahir Ali Chohan
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (IPS), University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Umair Khurshid
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, 63100 Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Hammad Saleem
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (IPS), University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Mian Waqar Mustafa
- Department of Pharmacy, Forman Christian College University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Anjum Khursheed
- Department of Pharmacy, Grand Asian University, Sialkot, Pakistan
| | - Ahmed Alafnan
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Ha'il, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rahila Batul
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Ha'il, Ha'il, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Khaled Bin Break
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Ha'il, Ha'il, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khaled Almansour
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Ha'il, Ha'il, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sirajudheen Anwar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Ha'il, Saudi Arabia
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Guler A, Hamurcu Z, Ulutabanca H, Cınar V, Nurdinov N, Erdem S, Ozpolat B. Flavopiridol Suppresses Cell Proliferation and Migration and Induces Apoptotic Cell Death by Inhibiting Oncogenic FOXM1 Signaling in IDH Wild-Type and IDH-Mutant GBM Cells. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:1061-1079. [PMID: 37676393 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03609-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) remains one of the most challenging solid cancers to treat due to its highly aggressive and drug-resistant nature. Flavopiridol is synthetic flavone that was recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. Flavopiridol exhibits antiproliferative activity in several solid cancer cells and currently evaluated in clinical trials in several solid and hematological cancers. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying antiproliferative effects of flavopiridol in GBM cell lines with wild-type and mutant encoding isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1). We found that flavopiridol inhibits proliferation, colony formation, and migration and induces apoptosis in IDH1 wild-type and IDH-mutant cells through inhibition of FOXM1 oncogenic signaling. Furthermore, flavopiridol treatment also inhibits of NF-KB, mediators unfolded protein response (UPR), including, GRP78, PERK and IRE1α, and DNA repair enzyme PARP, which have been shown to be potential therapeutic targets by downregulating FOXM1 in GBM cells. Our findings suggest for the first time that flavopiridol suppresses proliferation, survival, and migration and induces apoptosis in IDH1 wild-type and IDH1-mutant GBM cells by targeting FOXM1 oncogenic signaling which also regulates NF-KB, PARP, and UPR response in GBM cells. Flavopiridol may be a potential novel therapeutic strategy in the treatment of patients IDH1 wild-type and IDH1-mutant GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahsen Guler
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
- Betül-Ziya Eren Genome and Stem Cell Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Zuhal Hamurcu
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
- Betül-Ziya Eren Genome and Stem Cell Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
| | - Halil Ulutabanca
- Betül-Ziya Eren Genome and Stem Cell Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Venhar Cınar
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
- Betül-Ziya Eren Genome and Stem Cell Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Nursultan Nurdinov
- Betül-Ziya Eren Genome and Stem Cell Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
- Faculties of Medicine and Dentistry, Ahmet Yesevi University, Turkestan, Kazakhstan
| | - Serife Erdem
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
- Betül-Ziya Eren Genome and Stem Cell Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Bulent Ozpolat
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA.
- Methodist Neil Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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Joshi H, Tuli HS, Ranjan A, Chauhan A, Haque S, Ramniwas S, Bhatia GK, Kandari D. The Pharmacological Implications of Flavopiridol: An Updated Overview. Molecules 2023; 28:7530. [PMID: 38005250 PMCID: PMC10673037 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28227530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Flavopiridol is a flavone synthesized from the natural product rohitukine, which is derived from an Indian medicinal plant, namely Dysoxylum binectariferum Hiern. A deeper understanding of the biological mechanisms by which such molecules act may allow scientists to develop effective therapeutic strategies against a variety of life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, viruses, fungal infections, parasites, and neurodegenerative diseases. Mechanistic insight of flavopiridol reveals its potential for kinase inhibitory activity of CDKs (cyclin-dependent kinases) and other kinases, leading to the inhibition of various processes, including cell cycle progression, apoptosis, tumor proliferation, angiogenesis, tumor metastasis, and the inflammation process. The synthetic derivatives of flavopiridol have overcome a few demerits of its parent compound. Moreover, these derivatives have much improved CDK-inhibitory activity and therapeutic abilities for treating severe human diseases. It appears that flavopiridol has potential as a candidate for the formulation of an integrated strategy to combat and alleviate human diseases. This review article aims to unravel the potential therapeutic effectiveness of flavopiridol and its possible mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hemant Joshi
- School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India;
| | - Hardeep Singh Tuli
- Department of Bio-Sciences and Technology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Engineering College, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to Be University), Mullana, Ambala 133207, India;
| | - Anuj Ranjan
- Academy of Biology and Biotechnology, Southern Federal University, Stachki 194/1, Rostov-on-Don 344090, Russia;
| | - Abhishek Chauhan
- Amity Institute of Environmental Toxicology Safety and Management, Amity University, Sector 125, Noida 201301, India;
| | - Shafiul Haque
- Research and Scientific Studies Unit, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia;
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Beirut 11022801, Lebanon
- Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman 13306, United Arab Emirates
| | - Seema Ramniwas
- University Centre for Research and Development, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali 140413, India;
| | - Gurpreet Kaur Bhatia
- Department of Physics, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala 133207, India;
| | - Divya Kandari
- School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India;
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Bhurta D, Hossain MM, Bhardwaj M, Showket F, Nandi U, Dar MJ, Bharate SB. Orally bioavailable styryl derivative of rohitukine-N-oxide inhibits CDK9/T1 and the growth of pancreatic cancer cells. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 258:115533. [PMID: 37302342 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The chromone alkaloid is one of the classical pharmacophores for cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and represents the first CDK inhibitor to reach clinical trials. Rohitukine (1), a chromone alkaloid isolated from Dysoxylum binectariferum inspired the discovery of several clinical candidates. The N-oxide derivative of rohitukine occurs naturally, with no reports on its biological activity. Herein, we report isolation, biological evaluation, and synthetic modification of rohitukine N-oxide for CDK9/T1 inhibition and antiproliferative activity in cancer cells. Rohitukine N-oxide (2) inhibits CDK9/T1 (IC50 7.6 μM) and shows antiproliferative activity in the colon and pancreatic cancer cells. The chloro-substituted styryl derivatives, 2b, and 2l, inhibit CDK9/T1 with IC50 values of 0.17 and 0.15 μM, respectively. These derivatives display cellular antiproliferative activity in HCT 116 (colon) and MIA PaCa-2 (pancreatic) cancer cells with GI50 values of 2.5-9.7 μM with excellent selectivity over HEK293 (embryonic kidney) cells. Both analogs induce cell death in MIA PaCa-2 cells via inducing intracellular ROS production, reducing mitochondrial membrane potential, and inducing apoptosis. These analogs are metabolically stable in liver microsomes and have a decent oral pharmacokinetics in BALB/c mice. The molecular modeling studies indicated their strong binding at the ATP-binding site of CDK7/H and CDK9/T1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deendyal Bhurta
- Natural Products & Medicinal Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, 180001, India; Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Md Mehedi Hossain
- Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, 201002, India; Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, 180001, India
| | - Mahir Bhardwaj
- Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, 201002, India; Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, 180001, India
| | - Farheen Showket
- Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, 201002, India; Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, 180001, India
| | - Utpal Nandi
- Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, 201002, India; Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, 180001, India
| | - Mohd Jamal Dar
- Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, 201002, India; Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, 180001, India
| | - Sandip B Bharate
- Natural Products & Medicinal Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, 180001, India; Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, 201002, India; Department of Natural Products & Medicinal Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Tarnaka, Hyderabad, 500007, India.
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D'costa M, Bothe A, Das S, Udhaya Kumar S, Gnanasambandan R, George Priya Doss C. CDK regulators—Cell cycle progression or apoptosis—Scenarios in normal cells and cancerous cells. Advances in Protein Chemistry and Structural Biology 2023; 135:125-177. [PMID: 37061330 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2022.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Serine/threonine kinases called cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) interact with cyclins and CDK inhibitors (CKIs) to control the catalytic activity. CDKs are essential controllers of RNA transcription and cell cycle advancement. The ubiquitous overactivity of the cell cycle CDKs is caused by a number of genetic and epigenetic processes in human cancer, and their suppression can result in both cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. This review focused on CDKs, describing their kinase activity, their role in phosphorylation inhibition, and CDK inhibitory proteins (CIP/KIP, INK 4, RPIC). We next compared the role of different CDKs, mainly p21, p27, p57, p16, p15, p18, and p19, in the cell cycle and apoptosis in cancer cells with respect to normal cells. The current work also draws attention to the use of CDKIs as therapeutics, overcoming the pharmacokinetic barriers of pan-CDK inhibitors, analyze new chemical classes that are effective at attacking the CDKs that control the cell cycle (cdk4/6 or cdk2). It also discusses CDKI's drawbacks and its combination therapy against cancer patients. These findings collectively demonstrate the complexity of cancer cell cycles and the need for targeted therapeutic intervention. In order to slow the progression of the disease or enhance clinical outcomes, new medicines may be discovered by researching the relationship between cell death and cell proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria D'costa
- Laboratory of Integrative Genomics, Department of Integrative Biology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Anusha Bothe
- Laboratory of Integrative Genomics, Department of Integrative Biology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Soumik Das
- Laboratory of Integrative Genomics, Department of Integrative Biology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - S Udhaya Kumar
- Laboratory of Integrative Genomics, Department of Integrative Biology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - R Gnanasambandan
- Laboratory of Integrative Genomics, Department of Integrative Biology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - C George Priya Doss
- Laboratory of Integrative Genomics, Department of Integrative Biology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.
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OZİSİK H, OZDİL B, OZDEMİR M, SİPAHİ M, ERDOĞAN M, CETİNKALP S, OZGEN G, SAYGİLİ F, OKTAY G, AKTUG H. Anaplastik tiroid kanseri hücre hattının morfolojik analizi. ETD 2022. [DOI: 10.19161/etd.1168177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: Thyroid follicular cell derived cancers are classified into three groups such as papillary thyroid cancer (85%), follicular thyroid cancer (12%) and anaplastic (undifferentiated) thyroid cancer (ATC) (3%). ATCs have very rapid course, poor treatment outcomes and they are very aggressive. The aim of current study was to assess the analysis of the morphological differences of ATC cell line with the normal thyroid cell line (NTC).
Materials and Methods: NTH and ATC cells were examined with haematoxylin and eosin, the nucleus: cytoplasm (N:C) ratios were detected, and cell cycles were investigated. These cell lines were compared according to their N:C ratio and their abundance in cell cycle phases.
Results: The N:C ratio was higher in ATC than NTC. Both cell groups were mostly found in G0/G1 phase (68.4; 82.8) and have statistical difference in both G0/G1 and S phases.
Conclusion: The rapid course and the rarity of ATC are significant barriers for clinical trials. Cultured cell lines are very important to explore the behaviour in the biology of ATC cells (such as the cell cycle), to understand the course of the disease, and to find an effective target for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hatice OZİSİK
- Ege University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism
| | - Berrin OZDİL
- EGE ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ, TEMEL TIP BİLİMLERİ BÖLÜMÜ, HİSTOLOJİ VE EMBRİYOLOJİ ANABİLİM DALI
| | - Merve OZDEMİR
- EGE ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ, TEMEL TIP BİLİMLERİ BÖLÜMÜ, HİSTOLOJİ VE EMBRİYOLOJİ ANABİLİM DALI
| | - Murat SİPAHİ
- DOKUZ EYLUL UNIVERSITY, INSTITUTE OF HEALTH SCIENCES, BIOCHEMISTRY (MEDICINE) (DR)
| | - Mehmet ERDOĞAN
- EGE ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ, DAHİLİ TIP BİLİMLERİ BÖLÜMÜ, İÇ HASTALIKLARI ANABİLİM DALI
| | - Sevki CETİNKALP
- EGE ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ, DAHİLİ TIP BİLİMLERİ BÖLÜMÜ, İÇ HASTALIKLARI ANABİLİM DALI
| | - Gokhan OZGEN
- EGE ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ, DAHİLİ TIP BİLİMLERİ BÖLÜMÜ, İÇ HASTALIKLARI ANABİLİM DALI
| | - Fusun SAYGİLİ
- EGE ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ, DAHİLİ TIP BİLİMLERİ BÖLÜMÜ, İÇ HASTALIKLARI ANABİLİM DALI
| | - Gulgun OKTAY
- DOKUZ EYLÜL ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ, TEMEL TIP BİLİMLERİ BÖLÜMÜ, TIBBİ BİYOKİMYA ANABİLİM DALI, KLİNİK BİYOKİMYA BİLİM DALI
| | - Huseyin AKTUG
- EGE ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ, TEMEL TIP BİLİMLERİ BÖLÜMÜ, HİSTOLOJİ VE EMBRİYOLOJİ ANABİLİM DALI
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Khan AW, Farooq M, Haseeb M, Choi S. Role of Plant-Derived Active Constituents in Cancer Treatment and Their Mechanisms of Action. Cells 2022; 11:1326. [PMID: 35456005 PMCID: PMC9031068 DOI: 10.3390/cells11081326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite significant technological advancements in conventional therapies, cancer remains one of the main causes of death worldwide. Although substantial progress has been made in the control and treatment of cancer, several limitations still exist, and there is scope for further advancements. Several adverse effects are associated with modern chemotherapy that hinder cancer treatment and lead to other critical disorders. Since ancient times, plant-based medicines have been employed in clinical practice and have yielded good results with few side effects. The modern research system and advanced screening techniques for plants’ bioactive constituents have enabled phytochemical discovery for the prevention and treatment of challenging diseases such as cancer. Phytochemicals such as vincristine, vinblastine, paclitaxel, curcumin, colchicine, and lycopene have shown promising anticancer effects. Discovery of more plant-derived bioactive compounds should be encouraged via the exploitation of advanced and innovative research techniques, to prevent and treat advanced-stage cancers without causing significant adverse effects. This review highlights numerous plant-derived bioactive molecules that have shown potential as anticancer agents and their probable mechanisms of action and provides an overview of in vitro, in vivo and clinical trial studies on anticancer phytochemicals.
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Hassan MS, Cwidak N, Johnson C, Däster S, Eppenberger-Castori S, Awasthi N, Li J, Schwarz MA, von Holzen U. Therapeutic Potential of the Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor Flavopiridol on c-Myc Overexpressing Esophageal Cancer. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:746385. [PMID: 34621175 PMCID: PMC8490822 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.746385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumors with elevated c-Myc expression often exhibit a highly aggressive phenotype, and c-Myc amplification has been shown to be frequent in esophageal cancer. Emerging data suggests that synthetic lethal interactions between c-Myc pathway activation and small molecules inhibition involved in cell cycle signaling can be therapeutically exploited to preferentially kill tumor cells. We therefore investigated whether exploiting elevated c-Myc expression is effective in treating esophageal cancer with the CDK inhibitor flavopiridol. We found frequent overexpression of c-Myc in human esophageal cancer cell lines and tissues. c-Myc overexpression correlated with accelerated esophageal cancer subcutaneous xenograft tumor growth. Esophageal cancer cells with elevated c-Myc expression were found preferentially more sensitive to induction of apoptosis by the CDK inhibition flavopiridol compared to esophageal cancer cells with lower c-Myc expression. In addition, we observed that flavopiridol alone or in combination with the chemotherapeutic agent nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (NPT) or in combinations with the targeted agent BMS-754807 significantly inhibited esophageal cancer cell proliferation and subcutaneous xenograft tumor growth while significantly enhancing overall mice survival. These results indicate that aggressive esophageal cancer cells with elevated c-Myc expression are sensitive to the CDK inhibitor flavopiridol, and that flavopiridol alone or in combination can be a potential therapy for c-Myc overexpressing esophageal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Sazzad Hassan
- Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, South Bend, IN, United States.,Harper Cancer Research Institute, South Bend, IN, United States
| | - Nicholas Cwidak
- Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, South Bend, IN, United States
| | - Chloe Johnson
- University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | | | | | - Niranjan Awasthi
- Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, South Bend, IN, United States.,Harper Cancer Research Institute, South Bend, IN, United States
| | - Jun Li
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, South Bend, IN, United States.,University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - Margaret A Schwarz
- Harper Cancer Research Institute, South Bend, IN, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, South Bend, IN, United States
| | - Urs von Holzen
- Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, South Bend, IN, United States.,Harper Cancer Research Institute, South Bend, IN, United States.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Goshen Center for Cancer Care, Goshen, IN, United States
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