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Baidoo JNE, Mukherjee S, Kashfi K, Banerjee P. A New Perspective on Cancer Therapy: Changing the Treaded Path? Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22189836. [PMID: 34575998 PMCID: PMC8466953 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22189836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
During the last decade, we have persistently addressed the question, “how can the innate immune system be used as a therapeutic tool to eliminate cancer?” A cancerous tumor harbors innate immune cells such as macrophages, which are held in the tumor-promoting M2 state by tumor-cell-released cytokines. We have discovered that these tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) are repolarized into the nitric oxide (NO)-generating tumoricidal M1 state by the dietary agent curcumin (CC), which also causes recruitment of activated natural killer (NK) cells and cytotoxic T (Tc) cells into the tumor, thereby eliminating cancer cells as well as cancer stem cells. Indications are that this process may be NO-dependent. Intriguingly, the maximum blood concentration of CC in mice never exceeds nanomolar levels. Thus, our results submit that even low, transient levels of curcumin in vivo are enough to cause repolarization of the TAM and recruitment NK cells as well as Tc cells to eliminate the tumor. We have observed this phenomenon in two cancer models, glioblastoma and cervical cancer. Therefore, this approach may yield a general strategy to fight cancer. Our mechanistic studies have so far implicated induction of STAT-1 in this M2→M1 switch, but further studies are needed to understand the involvement of other factors such as the lipid metabolites resolvins in the CC-evoked anticancer pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliet N. E. Baidoo
- Department of Chemistry, The College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA; (J.N.E.B.); or
- Doctoral Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Sumit Mukherjee
- Department of Chemistry, The College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA; (J.N.E.B.); or
- Doctoral Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Khosrow Kashfi
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, City University of New York School of Medicine, New York, NY 10031, USA;
- Graduate Program in Biology, City University of New York Graduate Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Probal Banerjee
- Department of Chemistry, The College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA; (J.N.E.B.); or
- Doctoral Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +1-(718)-982-3938; Fax: +1-(718)-982-3953
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Mukherjee S, Debata PR, Hussaini R, Chatterjee K, Baidoo JNE, Sampat S, Szerszen A, Navarra JP, Fata J, Severinova E, Banerjee P, Castellanos MR. Unique synergistic formulation of curcumin, epicatechin gallate and resveratrol, tricurin, suppresses HPV E6, eliminates HPV+ cancer cells, and inhibits tumor progression. Oncotarget 2017; 8:60904-60916. [PMID: 28977833 PMCID: PMC5617393 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.16648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [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: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 09/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Curcumin (from curry) (C) is highly potent against cervical cancer cells (CCC), but poor bioavailability has limited its clinical use. Similar natural polyphenols resveratrol (from grapes) (R), and epicatechin gallate (from green tea) (E) also display activity against CCC. By treating CCC (HeLa) with C, E, or R, or combinations of these compounds, we computed combination indices and observed a strong synergism among C, E, and R at the unique molar ratio 4:1:12.5. This combination, named as TriCurin, rapidly down regulated HPV18 E6 and NF-kB expression while concomitantly inducing the tumor suppressor protein p53 in HeLa cells. In the mouse c-Ha-ras and HPV16 E6, E7-expressing TC-1 CCC, both C and TriCurin elicited suppression of E6, induction of both p53 and acetyl-p53 (activated p53), and activation of caspase-3, but the TriCurin-evoked changes were several-fold greater than that produced by curcumin (4.7-fold for E6 inhibition, and 2-fold, 6-fold, and 1.7-fold for the induction of p53, acetyl-p53, and active caspase-3, respectively). Consequently, TriCurin was more potent in killing TC-1 and HeLa cells. Intralesional TriCurin treatment of tumors generated in mice by subcutaneously implanting the TC-1 CCC caused an 80–90% decrease in tumor growth. The ability of C to eliminate HeLa cells was significantly stabilized when delivered as TriCurin than when delivered alone. Topical application of TriCurin dispersed in a cream base afforded efficient transfer of C across the skin. Subcutaneous TriCurin injection yielded no adverse effect in tumor-naïve healthy mice. Thus, TriCurin is a safe and promising therapeutic agent against HPV-associated disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumit Mukherjee
- Department of Chemistry, The College of Staten Island (CUNY), New York, NY, USA.,CUNY Doctoral Program In Biochemistry, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, NY, USA.,Center of Developmental Neuroscience, The College of Staten Island (CUNY), New York, NY, USA
| | - Priya Ranjan Debata
- Center of Developmental Neuroscience, The College of Staten Island (CUNY), New York, NY, USA.,Current Address: Department of Zoology North Orissa University Baripada, Mayurbhanj, Odisha, India
| | - Rahman Hussaini
- Center of Developmental Neuroscience, The College of Staten Island (CUNY), New York, NY, USA
| | - Kaushiki Chatterjee
- CUNY Doctoral Program in Biology, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Biology, The College of Staten Island (CUNY), New York, NY, USA
| | - Juliet N E Baidoo
- Department of Chemistry, The College of Staten Island (CUNY), New York, NY, USA.,CUNY Doctoral Program In Biochemistry, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Samay Sampat
- Center of Developmental Neuroscience, The College of Staten Island (CUNY), New York, NY, USA
| | - Anita Szerszen
- Division of Research, Department of Medicine, Staten Island University Hospital (Northwell Health), New York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph P Navarra
- College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jimmie Fata
- CUNY Doctoral Program in Biology, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elena Severinova
- Division of Research, Department of Medicine, Staten Island University Hospital (Northwell Health), New York, NY, USA.,Current Address: Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Probal Banerjee
- Department of Chemistry, The College of Staten Island (CUNY), New York, NY, USA.,Center of Developmental Neuroscience, The College of Staten Island (CUNY), New York, NY, USA
| | - Mario R Castellanos
- Division of Research, Department of Medicine, Staten Island University Hospital (Northwell Health), New York, NY, USA
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