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Alcalá S, Villarino L, Ruiz-Cañas L, Couceiro JR, Martínez-Calvo M, Palencia-Campos A, Navarro D, Cabezas-Sainz P, Rodriguez-Arabaolaza I, Cordero-Barreal A, Trilla-Fuertes L, Rubiolo JA, Batres-Ramos S, Vallespinos M, González-Páramos C, Rodríguez J, Gámez-Pozo A, Vara JÁF, Fernández SF, Berlinches AB, Moreno-Mata N, Redondo AMT, Carrato A, Hermann PC, Sánchez L, Torrente S, Fernández-Moreno MÁ, Mascareñas JL, Sainz B. Targeting cancer stem cell OXPHOS with tailored ruthenium complexes as a new anti-cancer strategy. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:33. [PMID: 38281027 PMCID: PMC10821268 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02931-7] [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] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies by our group have shown that oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) is the main pathway by which pancreatic cancer stem cells (CSCs) meet their energetic requirements; therefore, OXPHOS represents an Achille's heel of these highly tumorigenic cells. Unfortunately, therapies that target OXPHOS in CSCs are lacking. METHODS The safety and anti-CSC activity of a ruthenium complex featuring bipyridine and terpyridine ligands and one coordination labile position (Ru1) were evaluated across primary pancreatic cancer cultures and in vivo, using 8 patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). RNAseq analysis followed by mitochondria-specific molecular assays were used to determine the mechanism of action. RESULTS We show that Ru1 is capable of inhibiting CSC OXPHOS function in vitro, and more importantly, it presents excellent anti-cancer activity, with low toxicity, across a large panel of human pancreatic PDXs, as well as in colorectal cancer and osteosarcoma PDXs. Mechanistic studies suggest that this activity stems from Ru1 binding to the D-loop region of the mitochondrial DNA of CSCs, inhibiting OXPHOS complex-associated transcription, leading to reduced mitochondrial oxygen consumption, membrane potential, and ATP production, all of which are necessary for CSCs, which heavily depend on mitochondrial respiration. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the coordination complex Ru1 represents not only an exciting new anti-cancer agent, but also a molecular tool to dissect the role of OXPHOS in CSCs. Results indicating that the compound is safe, non-toxic and highly effective in vivo are extremely exciting, and have allowed us to uncover unprecedented mechanistic possibilities to fight different cancer types based on targeting CSC OXPHOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Alcalá
- Department of Biochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, School of Medicine and Department of Cancer, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IIBm) Sols-Morreale (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Biomarkers and Personalized Approach to Cancer (BIOPAC) Group, Area 3 Cancer, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Lara Villarino
- Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CIQUS), and Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Laura Ruiz-Cañas
- Department of Biochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, School of Medicine and Department of Cancer, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IIBm) Sols-Morreale (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Biomarkers and Personalized Approach to Cancer (BIOPAC) Group, Area 3 Cancer, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - José R Couceiro
- Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CIQUS), and Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Miguel Martínez-Calvo
- Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CIQUS), and Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Adrián Palencia-Campos
- Department of Biochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, School of Medicine and Department of Cancer, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IIBm) Sols-Morreale (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Biomarkers and Personalized Approach to Cancer (BIOPAC) Group, Area 3 Cancer, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego Navarro
- Department of Biochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, School of Medicine and Department of Cancer, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IIBm) Sols-Morreale (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Biomarkers and Personalized Approach to Cancer (BIOPAC) Group, Area 3 Cancer, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Cabezas-Sainz
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Veterinary Faculty, USC, Lugo, Spain
| | - Iker Rodriguez-Arabaolaza
- Department of Biochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, School of Medicine and Department of Cancer, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IIBm) Sols-Morreale (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Facultad de Ciencia y Técnología, Universidad del País Vasco, 48940, Leioa (Bizkaia), Spain
| | - Alfonso Cordero-Barreal
- Department of Biochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, School of Medicine and Department of Cancer, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IIBm) Sols-Morreale (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Biomarkers and Personalized Approach to Cancer (BIOPAC) Group, Area 3 Cancer, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Lucia Trilla-Fuertes
- Molecular Oncology and Pathology Lab, Instituto de Genética Médica y Molecular-INGEMM, Instituto de Investigación Hospital Universitario La Paz-IdiPAZ, Madrid, Spain
- Biomedica Molecular Medicine SL, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan A Rubiolo
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Veterinary Faculty, USC, Lugo, Spain
| | - Sandra Batres-Ramos
- Department of Biochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, School of Medicine and Department of Cancer, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IIBm) Sols-Morreale (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Biomarkers and Personalized Approach to Cancer (BIOPAC) Group, Area 3 Cancer, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mireia Vallespinos
- Department of Biochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, School of Medicine and Department of Cancer, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IIBm) Sols-Morreale (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Biomarkers and Personalized Approach to Cancer (BIOPAC) Group, Area 3 Cancer, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina González-Páramos
- Department of Biochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, School of Medicine and Department of Cancer, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IIBm) Sols-Morreale (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jéssica Rodríguez
- Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CIQUS), and Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Angelo Gámez-Pozo
- Molecular Oncology and Pathology Lab, Instituto de Genética Médica y Molecular-INGEMM, Instituto de Investigación Hospital Universitario La Paz-IdiPAZ, Madrid, Spain
- Biomedica Molecular Medicine SL, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Ángel Fresno Vara
- Molecular Oncology and Pathology Lab, Instituto de Genética Médica y Molecular-INGEMM, Instituto de Investigación Hospital Universitario La Paz-IdiPAZ, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Área Cáncer, CIBERONC, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Fra Fernández
- Servicio de Cirugía Torácica, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Amparo Benito Berlinches
- Biomarkers and Personalized Approach to Cancer (BIOPAC) Group, Area 3 Cancer, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nicolás Moreno-Mata
- Servicio de Cirugía Torácica, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Alfredo Carrato
- Biomarkers and Personalized Approach to Cancer (BIOPAC) Group, Area 3 Cancer, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Área Cáncer, CIBERONC, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
- Pancreatic Cancer Europe (PCE) Chairperson, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Laura Sánchez
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Veterinary Faculty, USC, Lugo, Spain
| | - Susana Torrente
- Valuation, Transfer and Entrepreneurship Area, USC, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel Fernández-Moreno
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, School of Medicine and Department of Rare Diseases, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IIBm) Sols-Morreale (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - José L Mascareñas
- Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CIQUS), and Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Bruno Sainz
- Department of Biochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, School of Medicine and Department of Cancer, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IIBm) Sols-Morreale (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain.
- Biomarkers and Personalized Approach to Cancer (BIOPAC) Group, Area 3 Cancer, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Área Cáncer, CIBERONC, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain.
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