1
|
Wu Q, Song M, Luo S, Guo L, Zhang Q, Kwok HF. Unveil the mechanism for EHMT -- A novel triterpenoid inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in colon cancer through ROS-mediated JNK signaling pathway. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 174:116469. [PMID: 38520870 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116469] [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: 01/01/2024] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Colon cancer ranks among the most prevalent malignancies worldwide, trailing only lung and breast cancer in incidence. Despite the availability of numerous therapeutic strategies, the burden of new cases and fatalities remains high in countries undergoing socioeconomic transitions. Natural products offer promising avenues for developing more effective and less toxic anticancer agents, expanding the clinical arsenal. In this investigation, we isolated a triterpenoid, (21 S,23 R,24 R)-21,23-epoxy-24-hydroxy-21-methoxytirucalla-7,25-dien-3-one (EHMT), from the fruits of Melia azedarach L., which exhibited significant inhibitory activity against colon cancer cells while sparing normal cells. EHMT effectively curtailed colony formation and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the HCT116 cell line. Furthermore, EHMT prompted the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential. Notably, EHMT treatment triggered ROS-mediated cell apoptosis via activation of the JNK signaling pathway in HCT116 cells. Additionally, our findings extended to Caenorhabditis elegans, where EHMT induced ROS accumulation and apoptosis. Collectively, these findings position EHMT as a promising candidate for the development of anticancer agents in the treatment of colon cancer, offering new hope in the battle against this formidable disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiushuang Wu
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Min Song
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Siyuan Luo
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Libin Guo
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Qingwen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR.
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
He S, Qu Q, Chen X, Zhao L, Jiao Z, Wan Z, Kwok HF, Qu S. Downregulation of Ambra1 by altered DNA methylation exacerbates dopaminergic neuron damage in a fenpropathrin-induced Parkinson-like mouse model. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2024; 271:115995. [PMID: 38245935 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.115995] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Fenpropathrin (Fen), a volatile pyrethroid insecticide, is used widely for agricultural applications and has been reported to increase the risk of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the molecular basis, underlying mechanisms, and pathophysiology of Fen-exposed Parkinsonism remain unknown. Recent studies have revealed epigenetic mechanisms underlying PD-related pathway regulation, including DNA methylation. Epigenetic mechanisms are potential targets for therapeutic intervention in neurodegenerative diseases. After whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) of midbrain tissues from a Fen-exposed PD-like mouse model, we performed an association analysis of DNA methylation and gene expression. Then we successfully screened for the DNA methylation differential gene Ambra1, which is closely related to PD. The hypermethylation-low expression Ambra1 gene aggravated DA neuron damage in vitro and in vivo through the Ambra1/Parkin/LC3B-mediated mitophagy pathway. We administered 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-dC) to upregulate Ambra1 expression, thereby reducing Ambra1-mediated mitophagy and protecting DA neurons against Fen-induced damage. In conclusion, these findings elucidate the potential function of Ambra1 under the regulation of DNA methylation, suggesting that the inhibition of DNA methylation may alleviate Fen-exposed neuron damage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Songzhe He
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China; Department of Clinic Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi 541001, China
| | - Qi Qu
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China; Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Li Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Zhigang Jiao
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Zhiting Wan
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau Special Administrative Region 999078, China
| | - Shaogang Qu
- Department of Neurology, Ganzhou Hospital-Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, China; Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zuo W, Kwok HF. Design of Bioengineered Peptides/Proteases as Anti-cancer Reagents with Integrated Omics and Machine Learning Approaches. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2747:295-309. [PMID: 38038948 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3589-6_22] [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] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is a heterogeneous disorder of uncontrolled growth of cells, which has proven to be a major burden worldwide. Many treatment options are available for cancer therapy, yet side effects and drug resistance remain major hurdles. Therefore, it is necessary to develop novel drugs for cancer therapy. Anti-cancer peptides (ACPs) are attractive candidates with remarkable potency, low toxicity, and high specificity advantages. However, traditional experimental identification of ACPs is time-consuming and expensive. Integrated omics combined with machine learning (ML) is considered a new powerful and cost-effective strategy to discover ACPs from natural products. In this chapter, we describe in detail experimental procedures for collecting both transcriptomic and proteomic data from venoms, followed by descriptive approaches to ML prediction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weimin Zuo
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China.
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China.
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kwok HF. Editorial: Regulating cell cycle-related activities: The right target for cancer therapy. Semin Cancer Biol 2024; 98:64-65. [PMID: 38220062 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2024.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Xia Z, He D, Wu Y, Kwok HF, Cao Z. Scorpion venom peptides: Molecular diversity, structural characteristics, and therapeutic use from channelopathies to viral infections and cancers. Pharmacol Res 2023; 197:106978. [PMID: 37923027 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106978] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Animal venom is an important evolutionary innovation in nature. As one of the most representative animal venoms, scorpion venom contains an extremely diverse set of bioactive peptides. Scorpion venom peptides not only are 'poisons' that immobilize, paralyze, kill, or dissolve preys but also become important candidates for drug development and design. Here, the review focuses on the molecular diversity of scorpion venom peptides, their typical structural characteristics, and their multiple therapeutic or pharmaceutical applications in channelopathies, viral infections and cancers. Especially, the group of scorpion toxin TRPTx targeting transient receptor potential (TRP) channels is systematically summarized and worthy of attention because TRP channels play a crucial role in the regulation of homeostasis and the occurrence of diseases in human. We also further establish the potential relationship between the molecular characteristics and functional applications of scorpion venom peptides to provide a research basis for modern drug development and clinical utilization of scorpion venom resources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Xia
- School of Biological and Food Processing Engineering, Huanghuai University, Zhumadian, China
| | - Dangui He
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao; Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao
| | - Yingliang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao; Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao; MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao.
| | - Zhijian Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; Bio-drug Research Center, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Guo L, Li B, Wong SW, Chen M, Xu Q, Ge L, Kwok HF. Enzyme-catalyzed high-performing reaction with in-situ amplified photocurrent on carbon-functionalized inorganic photoanode for immunosensing. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 236:115404. [PMID: 37295131 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115404] [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: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
An enzyme-catalyzed high-performing reaction with in-situ amplified photocurrent was innovatively designed for the quantitative screening of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in biological fluids by coupling with carbon-functionalized inorganic photoanode. A split-type photoelectrochemical (PEC) immunoassay was initially executed with horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labeled secondary antibody on the capture antibody-coated microtiter. Then, the photocurrent of carbon-functionalized inorganic photoanode were improved through enzymatic insoluble product. Experimental results revealed that introduction of the outer carbon layer on the inorganic photoactive materials caused the amplifying photocurrent because of the improving light harvesting and separation of photo-generated e-/h+ pairs. Under optimum conditions, the split-type photoelectrochemical immunosensing platform displayed good photocurrent responses within the dynamic range of 0.01 - 80 ng mL-1 CEA, and allowed the detection of CEA as low as a concentration of 3.6 pg mL-1 at the 3Sblank level. The strong attachment of antibodies onto nano label and high-performing photoanode resulted in a good repeatability and intermediate precision down to 9.83%. No significant differences at the 0.05 significance level were encountered in the analysis of six human serum specimens between the developed PEC immunoassay and the commercially available CEA ELISA kits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Libin Guo
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau; Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau; MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau; Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Bin Li
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau; Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau; Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Sin Wa Wong
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau; MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau
| | - Meijuan Chen
- Lab of Antitumor Mechanism Investigation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Qingyun Xu
- Nanjing Second Hospital, Nanjing Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Lilin Ge
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China; Lab of Antitumor Mechanism Investigation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau; MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Qin H, Zuo W, Ge L, Siu SW, Wang L, Chen X, Ma C, Chen T, Zhou M, Cao Z, Kwok HF. Discovery and analysis of a novel antimicrobial peptide B1AW from the skin secretion of Amolops wuyiensis and improving the membrane-binding affinity through the construction of the lysine-introduced analogue. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:2960-2972. [PMID: 37228702 PMCID: PMC10205438 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.05.006] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In the development and study of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), researchers have kept a watchful eye on peptides from the brevinin family because of their extensive antimicrobial activities and anticancer potency. In this study, a novel brevinin peptide was isolated from the skin secretions of the Wuyi torrent frog, Amolops wuyiensis (A. wuyiensisi), named B1AW (FLPLLAGLAANFLPQIICKIARKC). B1AW displayed anti-bacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis). B1AW-K was designed to broaden the antimicrobial spectrum of B1AW. The introduction of a lysine residue generated an AMP with enhanced broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. It also displayed the ability to inhibit the growth of human prostatic cancer PC-3, non-small lung cancer H838, and glioblastoma cancer U251MG cell lines. In molecular dynamic (MD) simulations, B1AW-K had a faster approach and adsorption to the anionic membrane than B1AW. Therefore, B1AW-K was considered a drug prototype with a dual effect, which deserves further clinical investigation and validation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haixin Qin
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
| | - Weimin Zuo
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
| | - Lilin Ge
- College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Shirley W.I. Siu
- Institute of Science and Environment, University of Saint Joseph, Estrada Marginal da Ilha Verde, Macau
| | - Lei Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Chengbang Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Tianbao Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Mei Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Zhijian Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Wang L, Sun F, Hu J, Zuo W, Zheng Y, Wu Y, Kwok HF, Cao Z. The tick saliva peptide HIDfsin2 promotes the tick-borne virus SFTSV replication in vitro by enhancing p38 signal pathway. Arch Toxicol 2023; 97:1783-1794. [PMID: 37148319 PMCID: PMC10163292 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-023-03515-2] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Pathogens co-evolved with ticks to facilitate blood collection and pathogen transmission. Although tick saliva was recently found to be rich in bioactive peptides, it is still elusive which saliva peptide promotes virus transmission and which pathways are invovled. Here, we used a saliva peptide HIDfsin2 and a severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) both carried by the tick Haemaphysalis longicornis to elucidate the relationship between tick saliva components and tick-borne viruses. HIDfsin2 was found to promote the replication of SFTSV in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. HIDfsin2 was further revealed to MKK3/6-dependently magnify the activation of p38 MAPK. The overexpression, knockdown and phosphorylation site mutation of p38α indicated that p38 MAPK activation facilitated SFTSV infection in A549 cells. Moreover, the blockade of p38 MAPK activation significantly suppressed SFTSV replication. Differently, HIDfsin2 or pharmacological inhibition of p38 MAPK activation had no effect on a mosquito-borne Zika virus (ZIKV). All these results showed that HIDfsin2 specifically promoted SFTSV replication through the MKK3/6-dependent enhancement of p38 MAPK activation. Our study provides a new perspective on the transmission of tick-borne viruses under natural conditions, and supports that the blockade of p38 MAPK activation can be a promising strategy against the mortal tick-borne virus SFTSV.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luyao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Fang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China
| | - Jing Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Weimin Zuo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Yi Zheng
- Center for Medical Experiments (CME), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518106, China
| | - Yingliang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China.
| | - Zhijian Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Chen P, Song Y, Tang L, Zhong W, Zhang J, Cao M, Chen J, Cheng G, Li H, Fan T, Kwok HF, Wang J, Yang C, Xiao W. Tributyltin chloride (TBTCL) induces cell injury via dysregulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress and autophagy in Leydig cells. J Hazard Mater 2023; 448:130785. [PMID: 36860030 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.130785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Tributyltin chloride (TBTCL), a commonly used antiseptic substance, is commonly found in the environment. Human exposure to TBTCL through the consumption of contaminated seafood, fish, or drinking water has aroused concern. It is well-characterized that TBTCL has multiple detrimental effects on the male reproductive system. However, the potential cellular mechanisms are not fully elucidated. Here, we characterized molecular mechanisms of TBTCL-induced cell injury in Leydig cells, a critical supporter for spermatogenesis. We showed that TBTCL induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in TM3 mouse Leydig cells. RNA sequencing analyses revealed that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and autophagy were potentially involved in TBTCL-induced cytotoxicity. We further showed that TBTCL causes ER stress and inhibited autophagy flux. Notably, the inhibition of ER stress attenuates not only TBTCL-induces autophagy flux inhibition but also apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Meanwhile, the activation of autophagy alleviates, and inhibition of autophagy exaggerates TBTCL-induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest flux. These results suggest that TBTCL-induced ER stress and autophagy flux inhibition contributed to apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in Leydig cells, providing novel understanding into the mechanisms of TBTCL-induced testis toxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pengchen Chen
- Dongguan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base of Southern Medical University, Dongguan, 523125, Guangdong, China
| | - Yali Song
- Dongguan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base of Southern Medical University, Dongguan, 523125, Guangdong, China
| | - Li Tang
- Dongguan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base of Southern Medical University, Dongguan, 523125, Guangdong, China
| | - Wenbin Zhong
- Dongguan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base of Southern Medical University, Dongguan, 523125, Guangdong, China
| | - JingJing Zhang
- Department of Nephrology, Shenzhen key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Min Cao
- Department of Nephrology, Shenzhen key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Junhui Chen
- Department of Nephrology, Shenzhen key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Guangqing Cheng
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Huiying Li
- Dongguan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base of Southern Medical University, Dongguan, 523125, Guangdong, China
| | - Tianyun Fan
- Dongguan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base of Southern Medical University, Dongguan, 523125, Guangdong, China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau
| | - Jigang Wang
- Dongguan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base of Southern Medical University, Dongguan, 523125, Guangdong, China; Department of Nephrology, Shenzhen key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen 518020, China; Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Chuanbin Yang
- Dongguan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base of Southern Medical University, Dongguan, 523125, Guangdong, China; Department of Nephrology, Shenzhen key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen 518020, China.
| | - Wei Xiao
- Dongguan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base of Southern Medical University, Dongguan, 523125, Guangdong, China; Key Laboratory of Glucolipid Metabolic Disorder, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Dashevsky D, Baumann K, Undheim EAB, Nouwens A, Ikonomopoulou MP, Schmidt JO, Ge L, Kwok HF, Rodriguez J, Fry BG. Functional and Proteomic Insights into Aculeata Venoms. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:toxins15030224. [PMID: 36977115 PMCID: PMC10053895 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15030224] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Aculeate hymenopterans use their venom for a variety of different purposes. The venom of solitary aculeates paralyze and preserve prey without killing it, whereas social aculeates utilize their venom in defence of their colony. These distinct applications of venom suggest that its components and their functions are also likely to differ. This study investigates a range of solitary and social species across Aculeata. We combined electrophoretic, mass spectrometric, and transcriptomic techniques to characterize the compositions of venoms from an incredibly diverse taxon. In addition, in vitro assays shed light on their biological activities. Although there were many common components identified in the venoms of species with different social behavior, there were also significant variations in the presence and activity of enzymes such as phospholipase A2s and serine proteases and the cytotoxicity of the venoms. Social aculeate venom showed higher presence of peptides that cause damage and pain in victims. The venom-gland transcriptome from the European honeybee (Apis mellifera) contained highly conserved toxins which match those identified by previous investigations. In contrast, venoms from less-studied taxa returned limited results from our proteomic databases, suggesting that they contain unique toxins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Dashevsky
- Australian National Insect Collection, Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
- Correspondence: (D.D.); (B.G.F.)
| | - Kate Baumann
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Eivind A. B. Undheim
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Bioscience, University of Oslo, N-0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Amanda Nouwens
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Maria P. Ikonomopoulou
- Translational Venomics Group, Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Food, 4075 Madrid, Spain
| | - Justin O. Schmidt
- Southwestern Biological Institute, 1961 W. Brichta Dr., Tucson, AZ 85745, USA
| | - Lilin Ge
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for TCM Quality and Efficacy, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Avenue, Qixia District, Nanjing 210046, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
| | - Juanita Rodriguez
- Australian National Insect Collection, Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Bryan G. Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
- Correspondence: (D.D.); (B.G.F.)
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Kwok HF. Editorial: New mechanistic insights into cancer precision medicine. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1159703. [PMID: 36873993 PMCID: PMC9978712 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1159703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China,MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China,*Correspondence: Hang Fai Kwok,
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Wu Q, Chen P, Li J, Lin Z, Zhang Q, Kwok HF. Inhibition of bladder cancer growth with homoharringtonine by inactivating integrin α5/β1-FAK/Src axis: A novel strategy for drug application. Pharmacol Res 2023; 188:106654. [PMID: 36640858 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106654] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The application of immune checkpoint inhibitors and FGFR protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors have made a tremendous breakthrough in bladder cancer therapy. However, inadequate drug responses and drug resistance interfere with successful treatment outcomes. For a new drug to enter the market, there is a long development cycle with high costs and low success rates. Repurposing previously Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications and using novel drug discovery strategies may be an optimal approach. Homoharringtonine (HHT) has been used for hematologic malignancies for over 40 years in China and was approved by the FDA approximately 10 years ago. Many studies have demonstrated that HHT effectively inhibits the development of several types of solid tumors, although the underlying mechanisms of action are unclear. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying HHT activity against bladder cancer growth. We first compared HTT with the drugs currently used clinically for bladder cancer treatment. HHT showed stronger inhibitory activity than cisplatin, carboplatin, and doxorubicin. Our in vitro and in vivo data demonstrated that HHT inhibited proliferation, colony formation, migration, and cell adhesion of bladder cancer cells and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the nanomolar concentration range. Furthermore, we revealed that HHT treatment could downregulate the MAPK/Erk and PI3k/Akt signaling pathways by inactivating the integrin α5/β1-FAK/Src axis. HHT-induced activity reduced cell-ECM interactions and cell migration, thus suppressing tumor metastasis progression. Altogether, HHT shows enormous potential as an anticancer agent and may be applied as a combination treatment strategy for bladder cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiushuang Wu
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Pengchen Chen
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Junnan Li
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Ziqi Lin
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Qingwen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Abstract
Lung cancer continues to be a malignant tumor with high mortality. Two obstacles interfere with curative therapy of lung cancer: (i) poor diagnosis at the early stages, as symptoms are not specific or asymptomatic; and (ii) invariably emerging drug resistance after treatment. Some factors contributing to drug resistance include preexisting genetic/genomic drug-resistant alteration(s); activation of adaptive drug resistance pathways; remodeling of the tumor microenvironment; and pharmacological mechanisms or activation of drug efflux pumps. Despite the mechanisms explored to better understand drug resistance, a gap remains between molecular understanding and clinical application. Therefore, facilitating the translation of basic science into the clinical setting is a great challenge. Nanomedicine has emerged as a promising tool for cancer treatment. Because of their excellent physicochemical properties and enhanced permeability and retention effects, nanoparticles have great potential to revolutionize conventional lung cancer diagnosis and combat drug resistance. Nanoplatforms can be designed as carriers to improve treatment efficacy and deliver multiple drugs in one system, facilitating combination treatment to overcome drug resistance. In this review, we describe the difficulties in lung cancer treatment and review recent research progress on nanoplatforms aimed at early diagnosis and lung cancer treatment. Finally, future perspectives and challenges of nanomedicine are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Junnan Li
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Lipeng Zhu
- Molecular Biology Research Center & Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Mughal MJ, Bhadresha K, Kwok HF. CDK inhibitors from past to present: A new wave of cancer therapy. Semin Cancer Biol 2023; 88:106-122. [PMID: 36565895 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [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: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Deregulation of the cell cycle machinery, which has been linked to dysregulation of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), is a defining characteristic of cancer, eventually promoting abnormal proliferation that feeds tumorigenesis and disease development. In this regard, several CDK inhibitors (CDKIs) have been developed during the last few decades (1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation CDKIs) to inhibit cancer cell proliferation. 1st and 2nd generation CDKIs have not received much clinical attention for the treatment of cancer patients because of their limited specificity and high toxicity. However, the recent development of combination strategies allowed us to reduce the toxicity and side effects of these CDKIs, paving the way for their potential application in clinical settings. The 3rd generation CDKIs have yielded the most promising results at the preclinical and clinical levels, propelling them into the advanced stages of clinical trials against multiple malignancies, especially breast cancer, and revolutionizing traditional treatment strategies. In this review, we discuss the most-investigated candidates from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generations of CDKIs, their basic mechanisms of action, the reasons for their failure in the past, and their current clinical development for the treatment of different malignancies. Additionally, we briefly highlighted the most recent clinical trial results and advances in the development of 3rd generation FDA-approved selective CDK4/6 inhibitors that combat the most prevalent cancer. Overall, this review will provide a thorough knowledge of CDKIs from the past to the present, allowing researchers to rethink and develop innovative cancer therapeutic regimens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Jameel Mughal
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; MOE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Kinjal Bhadresha
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; Hematology/Oncology Division, School of Medicine, Indiana University Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; MOE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Kwok HF, Yamamoto K, de Groot R, Scilabra SD, Santamaria S. Editorial: ADAM, ADAMTS and astacin proteases: Challenges and breakthroughs in the -Omics era-Volume II. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1172288. [PMID: 37091874 PMCID: PMC10119388 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1172288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, MOE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, China
| | - Kazuhiro Yamamoto
- Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Rens de Groot
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Simone Dario Scilabra
- Proteomics Group of Fondazione Ri.MED, Department of Research IRCCS ISMETT, Palermo, Italy
| | - Salvatore Santamaria
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, School of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Salvatore Santamaria,
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Labrou NE, Kwok HF, Zhang Q. Editorial: Insights in protein biochemistry: protein biophysics 2022. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1207184. [PMID: 37187894 PMCID: PMC10175855 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1207184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos E. Labrou
- Laboratory of Enzyme Technology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- *Correspondence: Nikolaos E. Labrou, ; Hang Fai Kwok, ; Qi Zhang,
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- *Correspondence: Nikolaos E. Labrou, ; Hang Fai Kwok, ; Qi Zhang,
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Nikolaos E. Labrou, ; Hang Fai Kwok, ; Qi Zhang,
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Lv JJ, Yuan KK, Lu GX, Li HY, Kwok HF, Yang WD. Responses of ABCB and ABCC transporters to the toxic dinoflagellate Prorocentrum lima in the mussel Perna viridis. Aquat Toxicol 2023; 254:106368. [PMID: 36493563 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2022.106368] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Bivalve mollusks can accumulate diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP) toxins through filter-feeding, but they exhibit some resistance to the toxins. Previous studies have suggested that the ABC transporters may have an important role in the resistance to DSP toxins, but comprehensive studies are lacking. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the distribution of ABC transporters in the mussel Perna viridis, and observed responses of ABCB and ABCC transporters to the DSP toxins-producing dinoflagellate Prorocentrum lima. Total 39 members of ABC transporters were identified in P. viridis, including 3 full PvABCBs, 3 half PvABCBs, and 7 PvABCCs transporters. We found that PvABCBs and PvABCCs subfamilies were expressed in hemocytes, gills and digestive gland with some difference, especially in hemocytes. After exposure to P. lima, PvABCBs and PvABCCs displayed different expression changes in different tissues. The short-term (3 h) exposure to P. lima induced the transcription of PvABCB1_like1, PvABCB6, PvABCC1, PvABCC1_like and PvABCC1/3, and the longer-term (96 h) exposure increased the transcription of PvABCB1, PvABCB1_like, PvABCB10, PvABCC1 and PvABCC1_like1 in gills and PvABCC10 in digestive gland. These results suggest that different types of PvABCBs and PvABCCs in P. viridis may contribute to the detoxification of DSP toxins in different tissues at different time after exposure to DSP toxins. Our finding provides new evidence for further understanding the role of ABC transporters in the tolerance of mussel to DSP toxins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Jin Lv
- College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Eutrophication and Control of Harmful Algal Blooms of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Kuan-Kuan Yuan
- College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Eutrophication and Control of Harmful Algal Blooms of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Guan-Xiu Lu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Eutrophication and Control of Harmful Algal Blooms of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Hong-Ye Li
- College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Eutrophication and Control of Harmful Algal Blooms of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Wei-Dong Yang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Eutrophication and Control of Harmful Algal Blooms of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Guo L, Tang X, Wong SW, Guo A, Lin Y, Kwok HF. Regulation of IFN-γ-mediated PD-L1 expression by MYC in colorectal cancer with wild-type KRAS and TP53 and its clinical implications. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1022129. [PMID: 36582540 PMCID: PMC9792609 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1022129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: In the tumor microenvironment, interferon gamma (IFN-γ) secreted by tumor infiltrating lymphocytes can upregulate programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in many cancers. The present study evaluated the expression of PD-L1 in selected colorectal cancer cell lines with IFN-γ treatment and explored the correlation between programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 expression and KRAS/TP53 mutation status. Methods: The selected colorectal cancer cell lines had known KRAS mutations or TP53 mutations. TCGA data analysis were used to investigate the correlation between overall survival of patient with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy and KRAS/TP53 mutation status. Besides, the correlation between PD-L1 expression and KRAS/TP53 mutation status were also investigated by using TCGA data analysis. In vitro experiments were used to explore the mechanism underlying KRAS- and TP53-related PD-L1 expression. Results: Firstly, TCGA data analysis for gene expression and overall survival and an in vitro study revealed that the wild-type KRAS/TP53 cell lines exhibited hyperresponsiveness to interferon gamma exposure and correlated with better survival in patients receiving anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment. Secondly, experimental data revealed that interferon gamma induced the upregulation of programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 mainly through regulating MYC in wild-type KRAS and TP53 colorectal cancers. Discussion: Our findings revealed that the response to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 cancer immunotherapy frequently happened in wild-type KRAS and TP53 colorectal cancers, which were also found to show higher programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 expression. Our results indicate that the wild-type KRAS/TP53 colorectal cancer cell lines may respond better to interferon gamma treatment, which causes increased programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 expression and may be a mechanism underlying the better responses to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapies in wild-type KRAS and wild-type TP53 colorectal cancer. Furthermore, the experimental results suggest that interferon gamma regulated programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 expression through the regulation of MYC, which may further affect the response to PD-1/PD-L1 cancer immunotherapy. These results suggest a novel potential treatment strategy for enhancing the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade immunotherapy in most colorectal cancer patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Libin Guo
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China,MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Xiaoqiong Tang
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China,Central Laboratory at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Traditional Chinese Medical University, Innovation and Transformation Center, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Sin Wa Wong
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Anyuan Guo
- Center for Artificial Intelligence Biology, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yao Lin
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China,Central Laboratory at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Traditional Chinese Medical University, Innovation and Transformation Center, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China,*Correspondence: Yao Lin, ; Hang Fai Kwok,
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China,MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China,*Correspondence: Yao Lin, ; Hang Fai Kwok,
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Zhu L, Li J, Guo Z, Kwok HF, Zhao Q. Synergistic combination of targeted nano-nuclear-reactors and anti-PD-L1 nanobodies evokes persistent T cell immune activation for cancer immunotherapy. J Nanobiotechnology 2022; 20:521. [PMID: 36496381 PMCID: PMC9741809 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-022-01736-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antitumor T cell immunotherapy as a novel cancer therapeutic strategy has shown enormous promise. However, the tumor microenvironment (TME) is characterized by the low immunogenicity, hypoxia, and immunosuppressive condition that dramatically limit effective T cell immunotherapy. Thus, an ideal immunotherapy strategy that is capable of reversing the immunosuppressive TME is highly imperative. RESULTS In this article, we reported that Fe-doped and doxorubicin (DOX) loaded HA@Cu2-XS-PEG (PHCN) nanomaterials were rationally designed as targeted Fe-PHCN@DOX nano-nuclear-reactors, which evoked persistent T cell immune response together with anti-PD-L1 nanobodies. It was confirmed that nano-nuclear-reactors displayed strong nanocatalytic effect for effective antitumor effects. Consequently, they maximized the immunogenic cell death (ICD) effect for antigen presentation and then stimulated T cell activation. In addition, Fe-PHCN@DOX could reprogram M2-phenotype tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) into M1-phenotype TAMs by relieving tumor hypoxia. Meanwhile, blockade of the anti-PD-L1 nanobody promoted T cell activation through targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 immunosuppressive pathway. Notably, in vivo tumor therapy verified that this nano-nuclear-reactor could be used as an excellent immunotherapy nanoplatform for tumor eradication and metastasis prevention with nanobody. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrated that nano-nuclear-reactors in combination with nanobody could evoke persistent T cell immune activation, suggesting them potential as a promising immunotherapy option for reversing immunosuppressive immune-cold tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lipeng Zhu
- grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164School of Life Sciences, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 510006 China
| | - Junnan Li
- grid.437123.00000 0004 1794 8068Cancer Centre, Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, 999078 China
| | - Ziang Guo
- grid.437123.00000 0004 1794 8068Cancer Centre, Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, 999078 China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- grid.437123.00000 0004 1794 8068Cancer Centre, Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, 999078 China
| | - Qi Zhao
- grid.437123.00000 0004 1794 8068Cancer Centre, Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, 999078 China ,grid.437123.00000 0004 1794 8068 MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Li J, Chen P, Wu Q, Guo L, Leong KW, Chan KI, Kwok HF. A novel combination treatment of antiADAM17 antibody and erlotinib to overcome acquired drug resistance in non-small cell lung cancer through the FOXO3a/FOXM1 axis. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:614. [PMID: 36456730 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04647-x] [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: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
After the identification of specific epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-activating mutations as one of the most common oncogenic driver mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), several EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) with different clinical efficacies have been approved by various health authorities in the last two decades in targeting NSCLC harboring specific EGFR-activating mutations. However, most patients whose tumor initially responded to the first-generation EGFR-TKI developed acquired resistance. In this study, we developed a novel combination strategy, "antiADAM17 antibody A9(B8) + EGFR-TKIs", to enhance the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs. The addition of A9(B8) was shown to restore the effectiveness of erlotinib and overcome acquired resistance. We found that when A9(B8) antibody was treated with erlotinib or gefitinib, the combination treatment synergistically increased apoptosis in an NSCLC cell line and inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Interestingly, the addition of A9(B8) could only reduce the survival of the erlotinib-resistant NSCLC cell line and inhibit the growth of erlotinib-resistant tumors in vivo but not gefitinib-resistant cells. Furthermore, we revealed that A9(B8) overcame erlotinib resistance through the FOXO3a/FOXM1 axis and arrested the cell cycle at the G1/S phase, resulting in the apoptosis of cancer cells. Hence, this study establishes a novel, promising strategy for overcoming acquired resistance to erlotinib through the FOXO3a/FOXM1 axis by arresting the cell cycle at the G1/S phase.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Junnan Li
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Pengchen Chen
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Qiushuang Wu
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Libin Guo
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Ka Weng Leong
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Kin Iong Chan
- Department of Pathology, Kiang Wu Hospital, Macau, Macau SAR
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR. .,MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR. .,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Lin J, Liu G, Chen L, Kwok HF, Lin Y. Targeting lactate-related cell cycle activities for cancer therapy. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 86:1231-1243. [PMID: 36328311 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Lactate has long been considered as a metabolic by-product of aerobic glycolysis for cancer. However, more and more studies have shown that lactate can regulate cancer progression via multiple mechanisms such as cell cycle regulation, immune suppression, energy metabolism and so on. A recent discovery of lactylation attracted a lot of attention and is already a hot topic in the cancer field. In this review, we summarized the latest functions of lactate and its underlying mechanisms in cancer. We also included our analysis of protein lactylation in different rat organs and compared them with other published lactylation data. The unresolved challenges in this field were discussed, and the potential application of these new discoveries of lactate-related cell cycle activities for cancer target therapy was speculated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jia Lin
- Central Laboratory at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center for Rehabilitation Technology, the Institute of Rehabilitation Industry, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Rehabilitation Technology, the Institute of Rehabilitation Industry, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China
| | - Geng Liu
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Lidian Chen
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Rehabilitation Technology, the Institute of Rehabilitation Industry, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China.
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR.
| | - Yao Lin
- Central Laboratory at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center for Rehabilitation Technology, the Institute of Rehabilitation Industry, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China; Fujian-Macao Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Traditional Chinese Medicine-Oriented Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment, Innovation and Transformation Center, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Wang Q, Weng S, Sun Y, Lin Y, Zhong W, Kwok HF, Lin Y. High DAPK1 Expression Promotes Tumor Metastasis of Gastric Cancer. Biology (Basel) 2022; 11:biology11101488. [PMID: 36290392 PMCID: PMC9598723 DOI: 10.3390/biology11101488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) is a common upper gastrointestinal tumor. Death-associated protein kinase (DAPK1) was found to participate in the development of various malignant tumors. However, there are few reports on DAPK1 in gastric cancer. In this study, the TCGA and GEO datasets were used to explore the expression and role of DAPK1 in gastric cancer. The functions of DAPK1 in gastric cancer were determined by proliferation, migration and invasion assays. In addition, genes co-expressed with DAPK1 in gastric cancer were estimated through the WGCNA and correlation analysis. A DAPK1-related gene prognostic model was constructed using the Cox regression and lasso analyses. The expression of DAPK1 was significantly up-regulated in gastric cancer tissues. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that low expression of DAPK1 was a favorable prognostic factor of overall survival and disease-free survival for gastric cancer patients. Functional experiments demonstrated that DAPK1 can promote the migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells. WGCNA, correlation analysis, Cox regression, and lasso analyses were applied to construct the DAPK1-related prognostic model. The prognostic value of this prognostic model of DAPK1-related genes was further successfully validated in an independent database. Our results indicated that DAPK1 can promote gastric cancer cell migration and invasion and established four DAPK1-related signature genes for gastric cancer that could independently predict the survival of GC patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qingshui Wang
- Central Laboratory at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Traditional Chinese Medical University, Fujian-Macao Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Traditional Chinese Medicine-Oriented Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment, Innovation and Transformation Center, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350001, China
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350001, China
| | - Shuyun Weng
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350001, China
| | - Yuqin Sun
- Department of General Surgery, Zhangzhou Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Zhangzhou 363000, China
| | - Youyu Lin
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350001, China
| | - Wenting Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350001, China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
- Correspondence: (H.F.K.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yao Lin
- Central Laboratory at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Traditional Chinese Medical University, Fujian-Macao Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Traditional Chinese Medicine-Oriented Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment, Innovation and Transformation Center, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350001, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Rehabilitation Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350001, China
- Correspondence: (H.F.K.); (Y.L.)
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Lin Z, Kwok HF. RUNDC3A/SNAP25/Akt signaling mediates tumor progression and chemoresistance in gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:840. [PMID: 36182960 PMCID: PMC9526696 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-05294-7] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma (GNEC), a heterogeneous group of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) derived from gastric neuroendocrine cells, has been shown to be more aggressive and chemoresistant in gastric cancer, which contributes to the poor prognosis. We analysed transcriptome profiles of tumor/non-tumor tissue from GNEC patients and GNEC cell lines to explore the underlying mechanisms. Our results suggest a critical role for synaptosomal-associated protein 25 kDa (SNAP25) in GNEC. SNAP25 was found to stabilize Akt via modulating its monoubiquitination. We further identified RUN domain containing 3A (RUNDC3A) as an upstream molecule that regulates SNAP25 expression, which is associated with tumor progression and chemoresistance in GNECs. Moreover, these findings were extended into multiple NENs including neuroendocrine carcinomas in the intestinal tract, lungs and pancreas. Identifying the RUNDC3A/SNAP25/Akt axis in NENs may provide a novel insight into the potential therapeutic target for patients with NENs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ziqi Lin
- grid.437123.00000 0004 1794 8068Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- grid.437123.00000 0004 1794 8068Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR ,grid.437123.00000 0004 1794 8068MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR ,grid.437123.00000 0004 1794 8068Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Yang M, Miao YR, Xie GY, Luo M, Hu H, Kwok HF, Feng J, Guo AY. ICBatlas: A comprehensive resource for depicting immune checkpoint blockade therapy characteristics from transcriptome profiles. Cancer Immunol Res 2022; 10:1398-1406. [DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0249] [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] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy provides remarkable clinical benefits for multiple cancer types. Much work is currently being conducted to investigate the mechanisms of ICB therapy at the transcriptional level. Integrating the data produced by these studies will help us give more insight into the transcriptomic features of ICB therapy. We collected the transcriptome and clinical data of ICB-treated patient samples from the GEO, ArrayExpress, TCGA, and dbGaP databases. Based on the clinical information, all samples are initially classified into response/non-response or pre-treatment/on-treatment groups. Differential expression, pathway enrichment, and immune cell infiltration analyses are performed between the samples from different groups. We also introduce the Response Score (RS) calculated by integrating the variability degree and the frequency of the dysregulated genes in the responders to evaluate the impact of gene expression on the response. Finally, all the abovementioned contents are integrated into the ICBatlas database. ICBatlas provides the transcriptome features of ICB therapy through the analysis of 1515 ICB-treated samples from 25 studies across nine cancer types. The data in ICBatlas include clinical outcomes, treatment-related genes, biological pathways, and immune cell infiltration. Users can investigate the abovementioned transcriptome features in the Response (R vs. NR) or Treatment (Pre vs. On) modules at the dataset, cancer type, or immune checkpoint level and compare the degree of gene impact on the response in the RS module. ICBatlas is the first database to show the transcriptome features on ICB therapy in human cancers and freely available at http://bioinfo.life.hust.edu.cn/ICBatlas/.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mei Yang
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology, wuhan, China
| | - Ya-Ru Miao
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Gui-Yan Xie
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Mei Luo
- Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Hu
- Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | | | - Jian Feng
- Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - An-Yuan Guo
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Lin Y, Kwok HF. Editorial: Exercise and cancer: From clinical association to mechanistic insights. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:1007228. [PMID: 36148006 PMCID: PMC9486384 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1007228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yao Lin
- Central Laboratory at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Traditional Chinese Medical University, Fujian-Macao Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Traditional Chinese Medicine-Oriented, Collaborative Innovation Center for Rehabilitation Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Yao Lin, ; Hang Fai Kwok,
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, China
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, China
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao SAR, China
- *Correspondence: Yao Lin, ; Hang Fai Kwok,
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Kwok HF. Editorial: Drug discovery from natural sources: Animal venoms, plants, bacteria and fungi. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:998676. [PMID: 36120537 PMCID: PMC9479179 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.998676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hang Fai Kwok
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, China
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, China
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, China
- *Correspondence: Hang Fai Kwok,
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Abstract
During the 2 years since the start of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the scientific world made an enormous effort to fight against this disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which has high transmissibility. Advancements in vaccine and treatment strategies have reduced both the hospitalization and mortality rates. However, the virus has shown its ability to evolve and evade from our COVID-19 combating armamentaria by the most common evolution mechanism—mutation. Diagnostic testing has been the first line of defense following the identification of the causative agent. Ever since, the scientific community has developed nuclei acid-based, antigen-based, and antibody-based diagnostic tests, and these testing methodologies are still playing a central role in slowing down viral transmission. These testing methods have different sensitivity and specificity and could be optimally used in areas facing different challenges owing to different level and conditions of COVID-19 outbreak. In this review, we discuss these testing methodologies as well as the considerations on how to apply these diagnostic tests optimally in the community to cope with the ever-changing pandemic conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hang Fai Kwok
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Kwok HF, Zhang Q. Editorial: Insights in Protein Chemistry and Enzymology: 2021. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:944975. [PMID: 35795825 PMCID: PMC9251576 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.944975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, Macau SAR, China
- *Correspondence: Hang Fai Kwok, ; Qi Zhang,
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Hang Fai Kwok, ; Qi Zhang,
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Yan J, Zhang B, Zhou M, Kwok HF, Siu SWI. Multi-Branch-CNN: Classification of ion channel interacting peptides using multi-branch convolutional neural network. Comput Biol Med 2022; 147:105717. [PMID: 35752114 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.105717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 01/09/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Ligand peptides that have high affinity for ion channels are critical for regulating ion flux across the plasma membrane. These peptides are now being considered as potential drug candidates for many diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancers. In this work, we developed Multi-Branch-CNN, a CNN method with multiple input branches for identifying three types of ion channel peptide binders (sodium, potassium, and calcium) from intra- and inter-feature types. As for its real-world applications, prediction models that are able to recognize novel sequences having high or low similarities to training sequences are required. To this end, we tested our models on two test sets: a general test set including sequences spanning different similarity levels to those of the training set, and a novel-test set consisting of only sequences that bear little resemblance to sequences from the training set. Our experiments showed that the Multi-Branch-CNN method performs better than thirteen traditional ML algorithms (TML13), yielding an improvement in accuracy of 3.2%, 1.2%, and 2.3% on the test sets as well as 8.8%, 14.3%, and 14.6% on the novel-test sets for sodium, potassium, and calcium ion channels, respectively. We confirmed the effectiveness of Multi-Branch-CNN by comparing it to the standard CNN method with one input branch (Single-Branch-CNN) and an ensemble method (TML13-Stack). The data sets, script files to reproduce the experiments, and the final predictive models are freely available at https://github.com/jieluyan/Multi-Branch-CNN.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jielu Yan
- PAMI Research Group, Department of Computer and Information Science, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Bob Zhang
- PAMI Research Group, Department of Computer and Information Science, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao Special Administrative Region of China.
| | - Mingliang Zhou
- School of Computer Science, Chongqing University, Shapingba, Chongqing, China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao Special Administrative Region of China.
| | - Shirley W I Siu
- Department of Computer and Information Science, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao Special Administrative Region of China; Institute of Science and Environment, University of Saint Joseph, Estr. Marginal da Ilha Verde, Macao Special Administrative Region of China.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
de Seabra Rodrigues Dias IR, Cao Z, Kwok HF. Adamalysins in COVID-19 - Potential mechanisms behind exacerbating the disease. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 150:112970. [PMID: 35658218 PMCID: PMC9010236 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.112970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is a current pandemic that has resulted in nearly 250 million cases and over 5 million deaths. While vaccines have been developed to prevent infection, and most COVID-19 cases end up being fairly light, there are severe cases of COVID-19 that may end up in death, even with adequate healthcare treatment. New options to combat this disease's effects, therefore, could prove to be invaluable in saving lives. Adamalysins are proteins that have several roles in regulating different functions in the human body but are also known to have functions in inflammation. They are also known to have roles in several different diseases, including COVID-19, where ADAM17, in particular, is now well-known to have a prominent role, but also several diseases which include comorbidities that may worsen cases of COVID-19. Therefore, investigating the functions of adamalysins in disease may give us clues to the molecular workings of COVID-19 as well as potentially new therapeutic targets. Understanding these molecular mechanisms may also allow for an understanding of the mechanisms behind the rare severe side effects that occur in response to current COVID-19 vaccines, which may lead to better monitoring measures for people who may be more at risk of developing these side effects. This review investigates the known roles and functions of adamalysins in disease, including what is currently known of their involvement in COVID-19, and how these functions might be involved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ivo Ricardo de Seabra Rodrigues Dias
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR,Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Zhijian Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China,Co-corresponding author
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR,Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR,Corresponding author at: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Li B, Guo L, Ge L, Kwok HF. Pearson's principle-inspired hollow metal sulfide for amplified photoelectrochemical immunoassay for disease-related protein. Biosens Bioelectron 2022; 221:114210. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2022.114210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
|
32
|
Mughal MJ, Chan KI, Mahadevappa R, Wong SW, Wai KC, Kwok HF. Over-Activation of Minichromosome Maintenance Protein 10 Promotes Genomic Instability in Early Stages of Breast Cancer. Int J Biol Sci 2022; 18:3827-3844. [PMID: 35813483 PMCID: PMC9254470 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.69344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomic instability is considered as one of the key hallmark during cancer development and progression. Cellular mechanisms, such as DNA replication initiation, DNA damage and repair response, apoptosis etc are observed to block progression of genomic instability and thereby induce protective effects against cancer. DNA replication initiation protein MCM10 has been previously observed to have an increased expression in different cancer subtypes. However, MCM10 association with genomic instability, cancer development and its relevant mechanisms remain unknown. Here, using a breast cancer model, we observe a significant association of MCM10 with the degree of clinical aggressiveness in breast cancer patients. By overexpression of MCM10, we observed that MCM10 promotes tumorigenic properties in immortal non-tumorigenic mammary cells by increasing proliferation, shortening the cell cycle, and promoting tumorigenic characters in in-vivo mimicking conditions. Furthermore, overexpression of MCM10 is found to induce accumulation of ssDNA followed by overexpression of ssDNA binding protein RPA2. Mesenchymal markers such as up-regulation of Vimentin, transcription factor Snail and Twist2, and the down-regulation of E-cadherin were observed in MCM10 overexpression cells. Overall, the findings of this study revealed a novel mechanism by which MCM10 promotes genomic instability and breast cancer progression, and effectively differentiates the active degree of breast cancer aggressiveness. Thus, MCM10 has the potential to be a clinically useful biomarker as well as a therapeutic target for future breast cancer treatment.
Collapse
|
33
|
Li B, Pu W, Weng L, Lyu P, Xu H, Zhang W, Ge L, Kwok HF, Wu Q. Aptamer‐functionalized Ti
3
C
2
‐MXene Nanosheets with One‐step Potentiometric Detection of Programmed Death‐ligand 1. ELECTROANAL 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/elan.202100438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bin Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
| | - Wenyuan Pu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
| | - Lingyan Weng
- Nanjing Institute of Tourism & Hospitality Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
| | - Peng Lyu
- College of Biological Science and Technology Fuzhou University Fuzhou, Fujian 350108 P. R. China
| | - Houxi Xu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
| | - Lilin Ge
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Faculty of Health Sciences University of Macau Avenida de Universidade Taipa 999078 Macau SAR
| | - Qinan Wu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Song M, Xiao T, Wu QS, Kwok HF, Chan G, Lin LG, Zhang XQ, Ye WC, He SJ, Zhang QW. Biflavonoids from the twigs and leaves of Cephalotaxus oliveri Mast. and their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Nat Prod Res 2021; 36:3085-3094. [PMID: 34694166 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2021.1958328] [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] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Three new biflavonoids, umcephabiovins C - E (1 - 3), along with fourteen known compounds were isolated from the twigs and leaves of Cephalotaxus oliveri. Their structures and configurations were elucidated by UV, IR, NMR, ECD, and HR-ESI-MS spectra. Compounds 1 - 3 exhibited significant α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 7.05 ± 2.66, 24.45 ± 4.73, and 1.84 ± 1.14 μM, respectively. Compound 11 showed moderate cytotoxicity against the BaF3/T315I cell line.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Min Song
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, P.R. China
| | - Tong Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, P.R. China
| | - Qiu-Shuang Wu
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, P.R. China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, P.R. China
| | - Ging Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, P.R. China
| | - Li-Gen Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Qi Zhang
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Natural Products, and Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Wen-Cai Ye
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Natural Products, and Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Sheng-Jiang He
- Guangzhou Egg Biotechnology, Co., Ltd, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Qing-Wen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Yamamoto K, de Groot R, Scilabra SD, Kwok HF, Santamaria S. Editorial: ADAM, ADAMTS and Astacin Proteases: Challenges and Breakthroughs in the -Omics Era. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:780242. [PMID: 34712699 PMCID: PMC8546316 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.780242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiro Yamamoto
- Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Rens de Groot
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Simone Dario Scilabra
- Proteomics Group of Fondazione Ri.MED, Department of Research IRCCS ISMETT, Palermo, Italy
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
- MOE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Salvatore Santamaria
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Chen Y, Xi X, Ma C, Zhou M, Chen X, Ye Z, Ge L, Wu Q, Chen T, Wang L, Kwok HF. Structure-Activity Relationship and Molecular Docking of a Kunitz-Like Trypsin Inhibitor, Kunitzin-AH, from the Skin Secretion of Amolops hainanensis. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13070966. [PMID: 34206897 PMCID: PMC8309051 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13070966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Kunitz-like trypsin inhibitors are one of the most noteworthy research objects owing to their significance in pharmacological studies, including anticarcinogenic activity, obesity regulation and anticoagulation. In the current study, a novel Kunitz-like trypsin inhibitor, Kunitzin-AH, was isolated from the skin secretion of Amolops hainanensis. The novel peptide displayed a modest trypsin inhibitory activity with the inhibitor constant (Ki) value of 1.18 ± 0.08 µM without inducing damage to healthy horse erythrocytes. Then, a series of shortened variants of Kunitzin-AH were designed by truncating a peptide loop and site mutation inside the loop to illustrate the structure–activity relationship of the trypsin inhibition function. Among the variants, a significant decrease was observed for the Cys-Cys loop domain, while the extension of an Arg at N-terminus (RCKAAFC) retained the inhibitory activity, indicating that the -RCK-motif is essential in forming the reactive domain for exerting the inhibitory activity. Furthermore, substitutions of Ala by hydrophobic or hydrophilic residues decreased the activity, indicating suitable steric hindrance provides convenience for the combination of trypsin. Additionally, the conformational simulation of the analogues processed with Chimera and Gromacs and further combination simulations between the peptides and trypsin conducted with HDOCK offered a potential opportunity for the natural trypsin inhibitory drug design. The truncated sequence, AH-798, may be a good replacement for the full-length peptide, and can be optimized via cyclization for further study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuqing Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.C.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (Z.Y.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Xinping Xi
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.C.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (Z.Y.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau, China
- Correspondence: (X.X.); (H.F.K.)
| | - Chengbang Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.C.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (Z.Y.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Mei Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.C.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (Z.Y.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.C.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (Z.Y.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Zhuming Ye
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.C.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (Z.Y.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Lilin Ge
- College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China; (L.G.); (Q.W.)
| | - Qinan Wu
- College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China; (L.G.); (Q.W.)
| | - Tianbao Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.C.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (Z.Y.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Lei Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Y.C.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (Z.Y.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau, China
- Correspondence: (X.X.); (H.F.K.)
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Abstract
Cancer has always been a threat to human health with its high morbidity and mortality rates. Traditional therapy, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, plays a key role in cancer treatment. However, it is not able to prevent tumor recurrence, drug resistance and treatment side effects, which makes it a very attractive challenge to search for new effective and specific anticancer drugs. Nature is a valuable source of multiple pharmaceuticals, and most of the anticancer drugs are natural products or derived from them. Marine-derived compounds, such as nucleotides, proteins, peptides and amides, have also shed light on cancer therapy, and they are receiving a fast-growing interest due to their bioactive properties. Their mechanisms contain anti-angiogenic, anti-proliferative and anti-metastasis activities; cell cycle arrest; and induction of apoptosis. This review provides an overview on the development of marine-derived compounds with anticancer properties, both their applications and mechanisms, and discovered technologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weimin Zuo
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao;
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao;
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Sun F, Mu C, Kwok HF, Xu J, Wu Y, Liu W, Sabatier JM, Annweiler C, Li X, Cao Z, Xie Y. Capivasertib restricts SARS-CoV-2 cellular entry: a potential clinical application for COVID-19. Int J Biol Sci 2021; 17:2348-2355. [PMID: 34239361 PMCID: PMC8241724 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.57810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has led to more than 150 million infections and about 3.1 million deaths up to date. Currently, drugs screened are urgently aiming to block the infection of SARS-CoV-2. Here, we explored the interaction networks of kinase and COVID-19 crosstalk, and identified phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway as the most important kinase signal pathway involving COVID-19. Further, we found a PI3K/AKT signal pathway inhibitor capivasertib restricted the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into cells under non-cytotoxic concentrations. Lastly, the signal axis PI3K/AKT/FYVE finger-containing phosphoinositide kinase (PIKfyve)/PtdIns(3,5)P2 was revealed to play a key role during the cellular entry of viruses including SARS-CoV-2, possibly providing potential antiviral targets. Altogether, our study suggests that the PI3K/AKT kinase inhibitor drugs may be a promising anti-SARS-CoV-2 strategy for clinical application, especially for managing cancer patients with COVID-19 in the pandemic era.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Chenglin Mu
- Sino German Joint Research Center for Agricultural Biology, and State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Jiyuan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Yingliang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Wanhong Liu
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Jean-Marc Sabatier
- Aix-Marseille University, Institute of NeuroPhysiopathology, UMR 7051, 27, Bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille cedex, France
| | - Cédric Annweiler
- Department of Geriatric Medicine and Memory Clinic, Research Center on Autonomy and Longevity, University Hospital, Angers, France
| | - Xugang Li
- Sino German Joint Research Center for Agricultural Biology, and State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Zhijian Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Yingqiu Xie
- School of Sciences and Humanities, Biology Department, and Pilot Cluster of Multidisciplinary Comprehensive Materia Medica, Biocluster within Cluster of Life Science and Engineering at C4, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, 010000, Republic of Kazakhstan
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Mughal MJ, Kwok HF. Multidimensional role of bacteria in cancer: Mechanisms insight, diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic potential. Semin Cancer Biol 2021; 86:1026-1044. [PMID: 34119644 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The active role of bacteria in oncogenesis has long been a topic of debate. Although, it was speculated to be a transmissible cause of cancer as early as the 16th-century, yet the idea about the direct involvement of bacteria in cancer development has only been explored in recent decades. More recently, several studies have uncovered the mechanisms behind the carcinogenic potential of bacteria which are inflammation, immune evasion, pro-carcinogenic metabolite production, DNA damage and genomic instability. On the other side, the recent development on the understanding of tumor microenvironment and technological advancements has turned this enemy into an ally. Studies using bacteria for cancer treatment and detection have shown noticeable effects. Therapeutic abilities of bioengineered live bacteria such as high specificity, selective cytotoxicity to cancer cells, responsiveness to external signals and control after ingestion have helped to overcome the challenges faced by conventional cancer therapies and highlighted the bacterial based therapy as an ideal approach for cancer treatment. In this review, we have made an effort to compile substantial evidence to support the multidimensional role of bacteria in cancer. We have discussed the multifaceted role of bacteria in cancer by highlighting the wide impact of bacteria on different cancer types, their mechanisms of actions in inducing carcinogenicity, followed by the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of bacteria in cancers. Moreover, we have also highlighted the existing gaps in the knowledge of the association between bacteria and cancer as well as the limitation and advantage of bacteria-based therapies in cancer. A better understanding of these multidimensional roles of bacteria in cancer can open up the new doorways to develop early detection strategies, prevent cancer, and develop therapeutic tactics to cure this devastating disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Jameel Mughal
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau; MOE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Wei R, Wu Q, Ai N, Wang L, Zhou M, Shaw C, Chen T, Ye RD, Ge W, Siu SW, Kwok HF. A novel bioengineered fragment peptide of Vasostatin-1 exerts smooth muscle pharmacological activities and anti-angiogenic effects via blocking VEGFR signalling pathway. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:2664-2675. [PMID: 34093983 PMCID: PMC8131715 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.05.003] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromogranin A (CgA) is a hydrophilic glycoprotein released by post-ganglionic sympathetic neurons. CgA consists of a single peptide chain containing numerous paired basic residues, which are typical cleavage sites in prohormones to generate bioactive peptides. It is recognized as a diagnostic and prognostic serum marker for neuroendocrine tumours. Vasostatin-1 is one of the most conserved regions of CgA and has diverse inhibitory biological activities. In this study, a novel peptide fragment that contains three typical functional structures of Vasostatin-1 was synthesized. This unique bioengineered Vasostatin-1 Derived Peptide (named V1DP) includes a highly conserved domain between vertebrate species in its N-terminal region, comprising a disulphide bridge formed by two cysteine residues at amino acid positions 17 and 38, respectively. Besides, V1DP contains two significant tripeptide recognition sequences: the amino acid triplets, RGD and KGD. Our data demonstrated that V1DP could induce a dose-dependent relaxation of rat arterial smooth muscle and also increase the contraction activity of rat uterus smooth muscle. More importantly, we found that V1DP inhibits cancer cell proliferation, modulate the HUVEC cell migration, and exhibit anti-angiogenesis effect both in vitro and in vivo. We further investigated the actual mechanism of V1DP, and our results confirmed that V1DP involves inhibiting the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) signalling. We docked V1DP to the apo structures of VEGFR2 and examined the stability of the peptide in the protein pockets. Our simulation and free energy calculations results indicated that V1DP can bind to the catalytic domain and regulatory domain pockets, depending on whether the conformational state of the protein is JM-in or JM-out. Taken together, our data suggested that V1DP plays a role as the regulator of endothelial cell function and smooth muscle pharmacological homeostasis. V1DP is a water-soluble and biologically stable peptide and could further develop as an anti-angiogenic drug for cancer treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ran Wei
- CCZU-JITRI Joint Bio-X Lab, School of Pharmacy & School of Medicine, Changzhou University, Changzhou, China; Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Qiushuang Wu
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Nana Ai
- Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, Avenida de Universidade, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Mei Zhou
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Chris Shaw
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Tianbao Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Dequan Ye
- School of Life and Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, China
| | - Wei Ge
- Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, Avenida de Universidade, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Shirley W.I. Siu
- Department of Computer and Information Science, Faculty of Science and Technology University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR; MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
- Corresponding author at: Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR, China.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Zai Y, Xi X, Ye Z, Ma C, Zhou M, Chen X, Siu SWI, Chen T, Wang L, Kwok HF. Aggregation and Its Influence on the Bioactivities of a Novel Antimicrobial Peptide, Temporin-PF, and Its Analogues. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:4509. [PMID: 33925935 PMCID: PMC8123395 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Temporin is an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) family discovered in the skin secretion of ranid frog that has become a promising alternative for conventional antibiotic therapy. Herein, a novel temporin peptide, Temporin-PF (TPF), was successfully identified from Pelophylax fukienensis. It exhibited potent activity against Gram-positive bacteria, but no effect on Gram-negative bacteria. Additionally, TPF exhibited aggregation effects in different solutions. Three analogs were further designed to study the relationship between the aggregation patterns and bioactivities, and the MD simulation was performed for revealing the pattern of the peptide assembly. As the results showed, all peptides were able to aggregate in the standard culture media and salt solutions, especially CaCl2 and MgCl2 buffers, where the aggregation was affected by the concentration of the salts. MD simulation reported that all peptides were able to form oligomers. The parent peptide assembly depended on the hydrophobic interaction via the residues in the middle domain of the sequence. However, the substitution of Trp/D-Trp resulted in an enhanced inter-peptide interaction in the zipper-like domain and eliminated overall biological activities. Our study suggested that introducing aromaticity at the zipper-like domain for temporin may not improve the bioactivities, which might be related to the formation of aggregates via the inter-peptide contacts at the zipper-like motif domain, and it could reduce the binding affinity to the lipid membrane of microorganisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zai
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Univesidade, Taipa, Macau, China;
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Z.Y.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biofunctional Molecule, College of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Jiangsu Second Normal University, Nanjing 210013, China
| | - Xinping Xi
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Z.Y.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Zhuming Ye
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Z.Y.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Chengbang Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Z.Y.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Mei Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Z.Y.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Z.Y.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Shirley W. I. Siu
- Department of Computer and Information Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau, China;
| | - Tianbao Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Z.Y.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Lei Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (Z.Y.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Univesidade, Taipa, Macau, China;
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Abstract
A year after the initial outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, several Phase III clinical trials investigating vaccine safety and efficacy have been published. These vaccine candidates were developed by different research groups and pharmaceutical companies with various vaccine technologies including mRNA, recombinant protein, adenoviral vector and inactivated virus-based platforms. Despite numerous successful clinical trials, participants enrolled in these trials are limited by trial inclusion and exclusion criteria, geographic location and viral outbreak situation. Many questions still remain, especially for specific subgroups, including the elderly, females with pregnancy and breastfeeding status, and adolescents. At the same time, vaccine efficacy towards asymptomatic infection and specific viral variants are still largely unknown. This review will cover vaccine candidates with Phase III clinical trial data released and discuss the scientific data available so far for these vaccine candidates for different subgroups of people and different viral variants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hang Fai Kwok
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Li B, Ge L, Lyu P, Chen M, Zhang X, Xie S, Wu Q, Kwok HF. Handheld pH meter-assisted immunoassay for C-reactive protein using glucose oxidase-conjugated dendrimer loaded with platinum nanozymes. Mikrochim Acta 2021; 188:14. [PMID: 33389237 PMCID: PMC7779416 DOI: 10.1007/s00604-020-04687-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
A simple and feasible pH meter-based immunoassay is reported for detection of C-reactive protein (CRP) using glucose oxidase (GOD)-conjugated dendrimer loaded with platinum nanozyme. Initially, platinum nanozymes were loaded into the dendrimers through an in situ synthetic method. Then, GOD and monoclonal anti-CRP antibody with a high molar ratio were covalently conjugated onto carboxylated dendrimers via typical carbodiimide coupling. The immunoreaction was carried out with a competitive mode in a CRP-coated microplate. Along with formation of immunocomplex, the added glucose was oxidized into gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide by GOD, and the latter was further decomposed by platinum nanozyme, thus accelerating chemical reaction in the positive direction. The produced gluconic acid changed the pH of detection solution, which was determined using a handheld pH meter. Under optimum conditions, the pH meter-based immunoassay gave a good signal toward target CRP from 0.01 to 100 ng mL-1. The limit of detection was 5.9 pg mL-1. An intermediate precision ≤ 11.2% was acquired with batch-to-batch identification. No nonspecific adsorption was observed during a series of procedures to detect target CRP, and the cross-reaction against other biomarkers was very low. Importantly, our system gave well-matched results for analysis of human serum samples relative to a referenced ELISA kit.Graphical abstract.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bin Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Lilin Ge
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, People's Republic of China.
| | - Peng Lyu
- College of Biological Science and Technology, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Meijuan Chen
- School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiongfei Zhang
- School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuping Xie
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, People's Republic of China
- Division of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Qinan Wu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Xie J, Chen P, Xie H, Sun Y, Huang Z, Wei R, Miao Z, Wang Q, Zhang SD, Wong KH, Lin Y, Huang C, Kwok HF. Exploration of gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma (GNEC) specific signaling pathways involved in chemoresistance via transcriptome and in vitro analysis. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:2610-2620. [PMID: 33033581 PMCID: PMC7530231 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma (GNEC) is rare cancer detected in the stomach. Previously, we demonstrated that the poorer prognosis of GNEC patients compared with gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) patients was probably due to the lack of response to chemotherapy. Thus, it is crucial to study the specific GNEC gene expression pattern and investigate chemoresistance mechanism of GNEC. The transcriptome of GNEC patients was compared with that of GAC patients using RNA-seq. The KEGG analysis was employed to explore the specific differential expression gene function enrichment pattern. In addition, the transcriptomes of two GNEC cell lines, ECC10 and ECC12, were also compared with those of two GAC cell lines, MGC-803 and AGS, using RNA-seq. Comparing patient samples and cell lines transcriptome data, we try to uncover the potential targets and pathways which may affect the chemoresistance of GNEC. By combing all transcriptome data, we identified 22 key genes that were specifically up-regulated in GNEC. This panel of genes probably involves in the chemoresistance of GNEC. From our current experimental data, NeuroD1, one of the 22 genes, is associated with the prognosis of GNEC patients. Knockdown of NeuroD1 enhanced the sensitivity to irinotecan of GNEC cell lines. Our research sheds light in identifying a panel of novel therapeutic target specifically for GNEC clinical treatment which has not been reported before.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianwei Xie
- Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian 350000, PR China
| | - Pengchen Chen
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Hongteng Xie
- Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian 350000, PR China
| | - Yuqin Sun
- Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian 350000, PR China.,Department of General Surgery, Zhangzhou Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Zhangzhou 363000, PR China
| | - Zhen Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350000, PR China
| | - Ran Wei
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Zhengqiang Miao
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Qingshui Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350000, PR China
| | - Shu-Dong Zhang
- Northern Ireland Centre for Stratified Medicine, Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Ulster University, Londonderry BT47, United Kingdom
| | - Koon Ho Wong
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Yao Lin
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350000, PR China.,Key Laboratory of OptoElectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350000, PR China
| | - Changming Huang
- Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian 350000, PR China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Zhou X, Liu Y, Gao Y, Wang Y, Xia Q, Zhong R, Ma C, Zhou M, Xi X, Shaw C, Chen T, Wu D, Kwok HF, Wang L. Enhanced Antimicrobial Activity of N-Terminal Derivatives of a Novel Brevinin-1 Peptide from The Skin Secretion of Odorrana schmackeri. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:E484. [PMID: 32751489 PMCID: PMC7472354 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12080484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising therapeutic alternatives compared to conventional antibiotics for the treatment of drug-resistant bacterial infections. However, the application of the overwhelming majority of AMPs is limited because of the high toxicity and high manufacturing costs. Amphibian skin secretion has been proven to be a promising source for the discovery and development of novel AMPs. Herein, we discovered a novel AMP from the skin secretion of Odorrana schmackeri, and designed the analogues by altering the key factors, including conformation, net charge and amphipathicity, to generate short AMPs with enhanced therapeutic efficacy. All the peptides were chemically synthesised, followed by evaluating their biological activity, stability and cytotoxicity. OSd, OSe and OSf exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial effects, especially OSf, which presented the highest therapeutic index for the tested bacteria. Moreover, these peptides displayed good stability. The results from scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy studies, indicated that brevinin-OS, OSd, OSe and OSf possessed rapid bactericidal ability by disturbing membrane permeability and causing the release of cytoplasmic contents. In addition, OSd, OSe and OSf dramatically decreased the mortality of waxworms acutely infected with MRSA. Taken together, these data suggested that a balance between positive charge, degrees of α-helicity and hydrophobicity, is necessary for maintaining antimicrobial activity, and these data successfully contributed to the design of short AMPs with significant bactericidal activity and cell selectivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Zhou
- Department of Nutrition, Henry Fok School of Food Science and Engineering, Shaoguan University; Shaoguan 512005, China; (X.Z.); (R.Z.)
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK; (Y.L.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (C.S.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Yue Liu
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK; (Y.L.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (C.S.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Yitian Gao
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China;
| | - Yuanxing Wang
- State Key Lab of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, China;
| | - Qiang Xia
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Animal Protein Food Processing Technology of Zhejiang Province, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315832, China;
| | - Ruimin Zhong
- Department of Nutrition, Henry Fok School of Food Science and Engineering, Shaoguan University; Shaoguan 512005, China; (X.Z.); (R.Z.)
| | - Chengbang Ma
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK; (Y.L.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (C.S.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Mei Zhou
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK; (Y.L.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (C.S.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Xinping Xi
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK; (Y.L.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (C.S.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Chris Shaw
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK; (Y.L.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (C.S.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Tianbao Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK; (Y.L.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (C.S.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| | - Di Wu
- Chemical Biology Research Centre, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China;
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Lei Wang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK; (Y.L.); (C.M.); (M.Z.); (C.S.); (T.C.); (L.W.)
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Yang S, Cao B, Zhou G, Zhu L, Wang L, Zhang L, Kwok HF, Zhang Z, Zhao Q. Targeting B7-H3 Immune Checkpoint With Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Engineered Natural Killer Cells Exhibits Potent Cytotoxicity Against Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:1089. [PMID: 32848731 PMCID: PMC7406658 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.01089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [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: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified natural killer (NK) cell therapy represents a kind of promising anti-cancer treatment because CAR renders NK cells activation and recognition specificity toward tumor cells. An immune checkpoint molecule, B7-H3, plays an inhibitory role in modulation of NK cells. To enhance NK cell functions, we generated NK-92MI cells carrying anti-B7-H3 CAR by lentiviral transduction. The expression of anti-B7-H3 CAR significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of NK-92MI cells against B7-H3-positive tumor cells. In accordance with enhanced cytotoxicity, the secretions of perforin/granzyme B and expression of CD107a were highly elevated in anti-B7-H3 CAR-NK-92MI cells. Moreover, compared to unmodified NK-92MI cells, anti-B7-H3 CAR-NK-92MI cells effectively limited tumor growth in mouse xenografts of non-small cell lung cancer and significantly prolonged the survival days of mice. This study provides the rationale and feasibility of B7-H3-specific CAR-NK cells for application in adoptive cancer immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Yang
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China.,Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Bihui Cao
- Department of Radiology, Translational Medicine Center and Guangdong Provincial Education Department Key Laboratory of Nano-Immunoregulation Tumor Microenviroment, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guangyu Zhou
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China.,Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Lipeng Zhu
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China.,Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Radiology, Translational Medicine Center and Guangdong Provincial Education Department Key Laboratory of Nano-Immunoregulation Tumor Microenviroment, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China.,Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Zhenfeng Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Translational Medicine Center and Guangdong Provincial Education Department Key Laboratory of Nano-Immunoregulation Tumor Microenviroment, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qi Zhao
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China.,Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Gutsaeva DR, Shalaby L, Powell FL, Thounaojam MC, Abouhish H, Wetzstein SA, Jadeja RN, Kwok HF, Martin PM, Bartoli M. Inactivation of Endothelial ADAM17 Reduces Retinal Ischemia-Reperfusion Induced Neuronal and Vascular Damage. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E5379. [PMID: 32751103 PMCID: PMC7432237 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal ischemia contributes to visual impairment in ischemic retinopathies. A disintegrin and metalloproteinase ADAM17 is implicated in multiple vascular pathologies through its ability to regulate inflammatory signaling via ectodomain shedding. We investigated the role of endothelial ADAM17 in neuronal and vascular degeneration associated with retinal ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury using mice with conditional inactivation of ADAM17 in vascular endothelium. ADAM17Cre-flox and control ADAM17flox mice were subjected to 40 min of pressure-induced retinal ischemia, with the contralateral eye serving as control. Albumin extravasation and retinal leukostasis were evaluated 48 h after reperfusion. Retinal morphometric analysis was conducted 7 days after reperfusion. Degenerate capillaries were assessed by elastase digest and visual function was evaluated by optokinetic test 14 and 7 days following ischemia, respectively. Lack of ADAM17 decreased vascular leakage and reduced retinal thinning and ganglion cell loss in ADAM17Cre-flox mice. Further, ADAM17Cre-flox mice exhibited a remarkable reduction in capillary degeneration following IR. Decrease in neurovascular degeneration in ADAM17Cre-flox mice correlated with decreased activation of caspase-3 and was associated with reduction in oxidative stress and retinal leukostasis. In addition, knockdown of ADAM17 resulted in decreased cleavage of p75NTR, the process known to be associated with retinal cell apoptosis. A decline in visual acuity evidenced by decrease in spatial frequency threshold observed in ADAM17flox mice was partially restored in ADAM17-endothelial deficient mice. The obtained results provide evidence that endothelial ADAM17 is an important contributor to IR-induced neurovascular damage in the retina and suggest that interventions directed at regulating ADAM17 activity can be beneficial for alleviating the consequences of retinal ischemia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diana R Gutsaeva
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; (L.S.); (M.C.T.); (H.A.); (M.B.)
| | - Lamiaa Shalaby
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; (L.S.); (M.C.T.); (H.A.); (M.B.)
| | - Folami L Powell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; (F.L.P.); (R.N.J.); (P.M.M.)
| | - Menaka C Thounaojam
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; (L.S.); (M.C.T.); (H.A.); (M.B.)
| | - Hossameldin Abouhish
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; (L.S.); (M.C.T.); (H.A.); (M.B.)
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, 35516 Mansoura, Egypt
| | | | - Ravirajsinh N Jadeja
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; (F.L.P.); (R.N.J.); (P.M.M.)
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Macau 999078;
| | - Pamela M Martin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; (F.L.P.); (R.N.J.); (P.M.M.)
| | - Manuela Bartoli
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; (L.S.); (M.C.T.); (H.A.); (M.B.)
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Guo L, Wei R, Lin Y, Kwok HF. Clinical and Recent Patents Applications of PD-1/PD-L1 Targeting Immunotherapy in Cancer Treatment-Current Progress, Strategy, and Future Perspective. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1508. [PMID: 32733486 PMCID: PMC7358377 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [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: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeting PD-L1 and PD-1 interactions is a relatively new therapeutic strategy used to treat cancer. Inhibitors of PD-1/PD-L1 include peptides, small molecule chemical compounds, and antibodies. Several approved antibodies targeting PD-1 or PD-L1 have been patented with good curative effect in various cancer types in clinical practices. While the current antibody therapy is facing development bottleneck, some companies have tried to develop PD-L1 companion tests to select patients with better diagnosis potential. Meanwhile, many companies have recently synthesized small molecule inhibitors of PD-1/PD-L1 interactions and focused on searching for novel biomarker to predict the efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 drugs. This review summarized clinical studies and patent applications related to PD-1/PD-L1 targeted therapy and also discussed progress in inhibitors of PD-1/PD-L1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Libin Guo
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, China
| | - Ran Wei
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, China
| | - Yao Lin
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, China
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Ma R, Ren Z, Li B, Siu SWI, Chen G, Kwok HF. Novel venom-based peptides (P13 and its derivative-M6) to maintain self-renewal of human embryonic stem cells by activating FGF and TGFβ signaling pathways. Stem Cell Res Ther 2020; 11:243. [PMID: 32552810 PMCID: PMC7302175 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-020-01766-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In our previous study, a venom-based peptide named Gonearrestide (also named P13) was identified and demonstrated with an effective inhibition in the proliferation of colon cancer cells. In this study, we explored if P13 and its potent mutant M6 could promote the proliferation of human embryonic stem cells and even maintain their self-renewal. Methods The structure-function relationship analysis on P13 and its potent mutant M6 were explored from the molecular mechanism of corresponding receptor activation by a series of inhibitor assay plus molecular and dynamics simulation studies. Results An interesting phenomenon is that P13 (and its potent mutant M6), an 18AA short peptide, can activate both FGF and TGFβ signaling pathways. We demonstrated that the underlying molecular mechanisms of P13 and M6 could cooperate with proteoglycans to complete the “dimerization” of FGFR and TGFβ receptors. Conclusions Taken together, this study is the first research finding on a venom-based peptide that works on the FGF and TGF-β signaling pathways to maintain the self-renewal of hESCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rui Ma
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR.,Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Zhili Ren
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR.,Centre of Reproduction, Development & Aging, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Bin Li
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR.,Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Shirley W I Siu
- Department of Computer and Information Science, Faculty of Science and Technology University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Guokai Chen
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR.,Centre of Reproduction, Development & Aging, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR. .,Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau SAR.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Li J, Kwok HF. Current Strategies for Treating NSCLC: From Biological Mechanisms to Clinical Treatment. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E1587. [PMID: 32549388 PMCID: PMC7352656 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12061587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of specific epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-activating mutations heralded a breakthrough in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatments, with the subsequent development of EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKIs) becoming the first-line therapy for patients harboring EGFR mutations. However, acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs inevitably occurs in patients following initial TKI treatment, leading to disease progression. Various mechanisms are behind the acquired resistance, and mainly include (1) target gene modification, (2) alternative parallel pathway activation, (3) downstream pathway activation, and (4) histological/phenotypic transformation. Approaches to combat the acquired resistance have been investigated according to these mechanisms. Newer generations of TKIs have been developed to target the secondary/tertiary EGFR mutations in patients with acquired resistance. In addition, combination therapies have been developed as another promising strategy to overcome acquired resistance through the activation of other signaling pathways. Thus, in this review, we summarize the mechanisms for acquired resistance and focus on the potential corresponding therapeutic strategies for acquired resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Junnan Li
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau;
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau;
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macau
| |
Collapse
|