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Xia ZK, Wang W, Qiu JG, Shi XN, Li HJ, Chen R, Ke KB, Dong C, Zhu Y, Wu SG, Zhang RP, Meng ZR, Zhao H, Gu P, Leung KS, Wong MH, Liu XD, Zhou FM, Zhang JY, Yao YT, Wang SJ, Zhang CY, Qin YR, Lin MCM, Jiang BH. Discovery of a New CDK4/6 and PI3K/AKT Multiple Kinase Inhibitor Aminoquinol for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:691769. [PMID: 34335258 PMCID: PMC8320333 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.691769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a lethal malignancy lacking effective treatment. The Cyclin-dependent kinases 4/6 (CDK4/6) and PI3K/AKT signal pathways play pivotal roles in carcinogenesis and are promising therapeutic targets for HCC. Here we identified a new CDK4/6 and PI3K/AKT multi-kinase inhibitor for the treatment of HCC. Methods: Using a repurposing and ensemble docking methodology, we screened a library of worldwide approved drugs to identify candidate CDK4/6 inhibitors. By MTT, apoptosis, and flow cytometry analysis, we investigated the effects of candidate drug in reducing cell-viability,inducing apoptosis, and causing cell-cycle arrest. The drug combination and thermal proteomic profiling (TPP) method were used to investigate whether the candidate drug produced antagonistic effect. The in vivo anti-cancer effect was performed in BALB/C nude mice subcutaneously xenografted with Huh7 cells. Results: We demonstrated for the first time that the anti-plasmodium drug aminoquinol is a new CDK4/6 and PI3K/AKT inhibitor. Aminoquinol significantly decreased cell viability, induced apoptosis, increased the percentage of cells in G1 phase. Drug combination screening indicated that aminoquinol could produce antagonistic effect with the PI3K inhibitor LY294002. TPP analysis confirmed that aminoquinol significantly stabilized CDK4, CDK6, PI3K and AKT proteins. Finally, in vivo study in Huh7 cells xenografted nude mice demonstrated that aminoquinol exhibited strong anti-tumor activity, comparable to that of the leading cancer drug 5-fluorouracil with the combination treatment showed the highest therapeutic effect. Conclusion: The present study indicates for the first time the discovery of a new CDK4/6 and PI3K/AKT multi-kinase inhibitor aminoquinol. It could be used alone or as a combination therapeutic strategy for the treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong-Kun Xia
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Wei Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jian-Ge Qiu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xi-Nan Shi
- Department of Pathology, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China.,XingYi People' Hospital, Xingyi, China
| | - Hong-Jian Li
- CUHK-SDU Joint Laboratory on Reproductive Genetics, School of Biomedical Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Rong Chen
- Department of Physiology, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China
| | - Kun-Bin Ke
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Chao Dong
- Department of the Second Medical Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Tumor Hospital, Kunming, China
| | - Ying Zhu
- Department of Cadre Medical Branch, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Shi-Guo Wu
- Department of Teaching and Research Section of Formulas of Chinese Medicine, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China
| | - Rong-Ping Zhang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Southern Medicinal Utilization, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine,Kunming, China
| | - Zhuo-Ran Meng
- Department of Pathology, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Peng Gu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Kwong-Sak Leung
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Man-Hon Wong
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiao-Dong Liu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Feng-Mei Zhou
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jian-Ying Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ya-Ting Yao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Si-Jia Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Chun-Yang Zhang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Yan-Ru Qin
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Marie Chia-Mi Lin
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Bing-Hua Jiang
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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2
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Zhu Y, Ke KB, Xia ZK, Li HJ, Su R, Dong C, Zhou FM, Wang L, Chen R, Wu SG, Zhao H, Gu P, Leung KS, Wong MH, Lu G, Zhang JY, Jiang BH, Qiu JG, Shi XN, Lin MCM. Discovery of vanoxerine dihydrochloride as a CDK2/4/6 triple-inhibitor for the treatment of human hepatocellular carcinoma. Mol Med 2021; 27:15. [PMID: 33579185 PMCID: PMC7879659 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-021-00269-4] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cyclin-dependent kinases 2/4/6 (CDK2/4/6) play critical roles in cell cycle progression, and their deregulations are hallmarks of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods We used the combination of computational and experimental approaches to discover a CDK2/4/6 triple-inhibitor from FDA approved small-molecule drugs for the treatment of HCC. Results We identified vanoxerine dihydrochloride as a new CDK2/4/6 inhibitor, and a strong cytotoxicdrugin human HCC QGY7703 and Huh7 cells (IC50: 3.79 μM for QGY7703and 4.04 μM for Huh7 cells). In QGY7703 and Huh7 cells, vanoxerine dihydrochloride treatment caused G1-arrest, induced apoptosis, and reduced the expressions of CDK2/4/6, cyclin D/E, retinoblastoma protein (Rb), as well as the phosphorylation of CDK2/4/6 and Rb. Drug combination study indicated that vanoxerine dihydrochloride and 5-Fu produced synergistic cytotoxicity in vitro in Huh7 cells. Finally, in vivo study in BALB/C nude mice subcutaneously xenografted with Huh7 cells, vanoxerine dihydrochloride (40 mg/kg, i.p.) injection for 21 days produced significant anti-tumor activity (p < 0.05), which was comparable to that achieved by 5-Fu (10 mg/kg, i.p.), with the combination treatment resulted in synergistic effect. Immunohistochemistry staining of the tumor tissues also revealed significantly reduced expressions of Rb and CDK2/4/6in vanoxerinedihydrochloride treatment group. Conclusions The present study isthe first report identifying a new CDK2/4/6 triple inhibitor vanoxerine dihydrochloride, and demonstrated that this drug represents a novel therapeutic strategy for HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhu
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China.,Department of Cadre Medical Branch, The 3rd Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650118, Yunnan, China
| | - Kun-Bin Ke
- Department of Urology, The 1st Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650000, China
| | - Zhong-Kun Xia
- Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China
| | - Hong-Jian Li
- CUHK-SDU Joint Laboratory On Reproductive Genetics, School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Rong Su
- Department of Geriatric Cardiology, The 1st Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650000, China
| | - Chao Dong
- Department of the Second Medical Oncology, The 3rd Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Tumor Hospital, Kunming, 650000, China
| | - Feng-Mei Zhou
- Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China
| | - Lin Wang
- Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China
| | - Rong Chen
- Department of Physiology, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, 650504, Yunnan, China
| | - Shi-Guo Wu
- Department of Teaching and Research of Formulas of Chinese Medicine, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, 650000, Yunnan, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- Department of Urology, The 1st Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650000, China
| | - Peng Gu
- Department of Urology, The 1st Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650000, China
| | - Kwong-Sak Leung
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Man-Hon Wong
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Gang Lu
- CUHK-SDU Joint Laboratory On Reproductive Genetics, School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jian-Ying Zhang
- Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China
| | - Bing-Hua Jiang
- Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China
| | - Jian-Ge Qiu
- Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China
| | - Xi-Nan Shi
- Department of Pathology, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, 650504, Yunnan, China. .,Department ofMedicine, Southwest Guizhou Vocational and Technical College for Nationalities, Xingyi, 562400, Guizhou, China.
| | - Marie Chia-Mi Lin
- Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China.
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3
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Dong C, Chen Y, Li H, Yang Y, Zhang H, Ke K, Shi XN, Liu X, Li L, Ma J, Kung HF, Chen C, Lin MCM. The antipsychotic agent flupentixol is a new PI3K inhibitor and potential anticancer drug for lung cancer. Int J Biol Sci 2019; 15:1523-1532. [PMID: 31337981 PMCID: PMC6643147 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.32625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [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: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling pathway is hyperactivated in lung cancer and regulates a broad range of cellular processes, including proliferation, survival, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Thus PI3K is considered a promising target for therapy. To date, PI3K inhibitors have not been approved for lung cancer. Recent studies showed that the antipsychotic agent flupentixol induced apoptosis of lung cancer cell, however the anti-tumor mechanism of flupentixol remains unclear. Methods: (1) The idock software simulated the molecular docking between the PI3Kα protein and flupentixol. (2) Inhibition of PI3Kα by the flupentixol was examined by in vitro kinase assays. (3) The cytotoxicity of flupentixol on the NSCLC cell lines was tested by MTT assays. (4) We treated A549 and H661 cells with flupentixol and then measured the percentage of apoptotic cells by the Annexin V/PI analysis. (5) We investigated the effect of flupentixol on the expression of critical PI3K/AKT signaling pathway proteins, further analyzed on the cleavage of PARP and caspase-3 by Western blotting. (6) BALB/C nude mice were subcutaneously injected with A549 cells to evaluate the effect of flupentixol on the growth of lung carcinoma. Results: Structural analysis of the predicted binding conformation suggested that flupentixol docks to the ATP binding pocket of PI3Kα. Kinase assays demonstrate that flupentixol indeed inhibited the PI3Kα kinase activity. Flupentixol exhibited cytotoxicity in lung cancer cell lines A549 and H661 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, flupentixol more strongly inhibited the phosphorylation of AKT (T308 and S473) and the expression of its downstream target gene Bcl-2 than two known PI3K inhibitors (BYL719 and BKM120). Flupentixol induced apoptosis as measured by PARP and caspase-3 cleavage. Finally, flupentixol significantly suppressed A549 xenograft growth in BALB/C nude mice. Conclusions: Flupentixol could be docked to the PI3Kα protein and specifically inhibit the PI3K/AKT pathway and survival of lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. As an old drug, flupentixol is a new PI3K inhibitor that may be used for the treatment of lung cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Dong
- Department of the second medical oncology, The 3rd Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Tumor Hospital, Kunming, China
| | - Yin Chen
- Department of Urology, the 1st Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Hongjian Li
- SDIVF R&D Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong.,CUHK-SDU Joint Laboratory on Reproductive Genetics, School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong
| | - Yi Yang
- Department of the radiation oncology, The 3rd Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Tumor Hospital, Kunming, China
| | - Hongtao Zhang
- Department of the colorectal surgery, The 3rd Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Tumor Hospital, Kunming, China
| | - Kunbin Ke
- Department of Urology, the 1st Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Xi-Nan Shi
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Yunnan University of TCM, Kunming, China
| | - Xu Liu
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Ling Li
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Jing Ma
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Kunming Children's Hospital, Kunming, China
| | - Hsiang-Fu Kung
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Ceshi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Marie Chia-Mi Lin
- Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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4
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Shi X, Li H, Shi A, Yao H, Ke K, Dong C, Zhu Y, Qin Y, Ding Y, He YH, Liu X, Li L, Lei L, Hai Q, Chen W, Leung KS, Wong MH, Kung HF, Lin MCM. Discovery of rafoxanide as a dual CDK4/6 inhibitor for the treatment of skin cancer. Oncol Rep 2018; 40:1592-1600. [PMID: 29956794 DOI: 10.3892/or.2018.6533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Since cyclin‑dependent kinases 4/6 (CDK4/6) play pivotal roles in cell cycle regulation and are overexpressed in human skin cancers, CDK4/6 inhibitors are potentially effective drugs for skin cancer. In the present study, we present a mixed computational and experimental study attempting to repurpose approved small‑molecule drugs as dual CDK4/6 inhibitors for skin cancer treatment. We performed structure‑based virtual screening using the docking software idock, targeting an ensemble of CDK4/6 structures. We identified and selected nine compounds with significant predicted scores, and evaluated their cytotoxic effects in vitro in A375 and A431 human skin cancer cell lines. Rafoxanide was found to exhibit the highest cytotoxic effects (IC50: 1.09 µM for A375 and 1.31 µM for A431 cells). Consistent with the expected properties of CDK4/6 inhibitors, rafoxanide significantly increased the G1 phase population. Notably, we revealed that rafoxanide specifically decreased the expression of CDK4/6, cyclin D, retinoblastoma protein (Rb) and the phosphorylation of CDK4/6 and Rb. Furthermore, the anticancer effect of rafoxanide was demonstrated in vivo in BALB/C nude mice subcutaneously xenografted with human skin cancer A375 cells. Rafoxanide (40 mg/kg, i.p.) exhibited significant antitumor activity, comparable to that of oxaliplatin (5 mg/kg, i.p.). The combined administration of rafoxanide and oxaliplatin produced a synergistic therapeutic effect. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to indicate that rafoxanide inhibits CDK4/6 activity and is a potential candidate drug for the treatment of human skin cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinan Shi
- Department of Medicine, Southwest Guizhou Vocational and Technical College for Nationalities, Xingyi, Guizhou 562400, P.R. China
| | - Hongjian Li
- Institute of Future Cities, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, P.R. China
| | - Anhua Shi
- Department of Physiology and Pathology, Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kunming, Yunnan 650504, P.R. China
| | - Hong Yao
- Jiangsu Cancer Biotherapy Institute, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221000, P.R. China
| | - Kunbin Ke
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650504, P.R. China
| | - Chao Dong
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650504, P.R. China
| | - Ying Zhu
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650504, P.R. China
| | - Yi Qin
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650504, P.R. China
| | - Ying Ding
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650504, P.R. China
| | - Yan Hong He
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650504, P.R. China
| | - Xu Liu
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650504, P.R. China
| | - Ling Li
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650504, P.R. China
| | - Ling Lei
- Department of Physiology and Pathology, Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kunming, Yunnan 650504, P.R. China
| | - Qingshan Hai
- Department of Physiology and Pathology, Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kunming, Yunnan 650504, P.R. China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Medicine, Southwest Guizhou Vocational and Technical College for Nationalities, Xingyi, Guizhou 562400, P.R. China
| | - Kwong-Sak Leung
- Institute of Future Cities, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, P.R. China
| | - Man-Hon Wong
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, P.R. China
| | - Hsiang-Fu Kung
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650504, P.R. China
| | - Marie Chia-Mi Lin
- Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450000, P.R. China
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5
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Wang Z, Lin S, Zhang J, Xu Z, Xiang Y, Yao H, Ge L, Xie D, Kung HF, Lu G, Poon WS, Liu Q, Lin MCM. Loss of MYC and E-box3 binding contributes to defective MYC-mediated transcriptional suppression of human MC-let-7a-1~let-7d in glioblastoma. Oncotarget 2018; 7:56266-56278. [PMID: 27409345 PMCID: PMC5302913 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.10517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Previously, we reported that MYC oncoprotein down-regulates the transcription of human MC-let-7a-1~let-7d microRNA cluster in hepatocarcinoma (HCC). Surprisingly, in silico analysis indicated that let-7 miRNA expression levels are not reduced in glioblastoma (GBM). Here we investigated the molecular basis of this differential expression. Using human GBM U87 and U251 cells, we first demonstrated that forced over-expression of MYC indeed could not down-regulate the expression of human MC-let-7a-1~let-7d microRNA cluster in GBM. Furthermore, analysis of MC-let-7a-1~let-7d promoter in GBM indicated that MYC failed to inhibit the promoter activity. Pearson's correlation and Linear Regression analysis using the expression data from GSE55092 (HCC) and GSE4290 (GBM) demonstrated a converse relationship of MC-let-7a-1~let-7d and MYC only in HCC but not in GBM. To understand the underlying mechanisms, we examined whether MYC could bind to the non-canonical E-box 3 located in the promoter of MC-let-7a-1~let-7d. Results from both chromatin immune-precipitation (ChIP) and super-shift assays clearly demonstrated the loss of MYC and E-box 3 binding in GBM, suggesting for the first time that a defective MYC and E-box3 binding in GBM is responsible for the differential MYC mediated transcriptional inhibition of MC-let-7a-1~let-7d and potentially other tumor suppressors. MYC and let-7 are key oncoprotein and tumor suppressor, respectively. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of their regulations will provide new insight and have important implications in the therapeutics of GBM as well as other cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zifeng Wang
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China; Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Sheng Lin
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Shenzhen Research Institute of Population and Family Planning, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ji Zhang
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China; Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Zhenhua Xu
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Yu Xiang
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China; Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Hong Yao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biotherapy, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, China
| | - Lei Ge
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Tumor Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China
| | - Dan Xie
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China; Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Hsiang-Fu Kung
- School of Biomedical Science, and State Key Laboratory in Oncology in South China, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Gang Lu
- Brain Tumor Centre and Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wai Sang Poon
- Brain Tumor Centre and Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Quentin Liu
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China; Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Marie Chia-Mi Lin
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine of Tumor, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
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6
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Dong C, Yang R, Li H, Ke K, Luo C, Yang F, Shi XN, Zhu Y, Liu X, Wong MH, Lin G, Wang X, Leung KS, Kung HF, Chen C, Lin MCM. Econazole nitrate inhibits PI3K activity and promotes apoptosis in lung cancer cells. Sci Rep 2017; 7:17987. [PMID: 29269744 PMCID: PMC5740072 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-18178-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in many cellular processes, including the proliferation, survival and differentiation of lung cancer cells. Thus, PI3K is a promising therapeutic target for lung cancer treatment. In this study, we applied free and open-source protein-ligand docking software, screened 3167 FDA-approved small molecules, and identified putative PI3Kα inhibitors. Among them, econazole nitrate, an antifungal agent, exhibited the highest activity in decreasing cell viability in pathological types of NSCLC cell lines, including H661 (large cell lung cancer) and A549 (adenocarcinoma). Econazole decreased the protein levels of p-AKT and Bcl-2, but had no effect on the phosphorylation level of ERK. It inhibited cell growth and promote apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the combination of econazole and cisplatin exhibited additive and synergistic effects in the H661 and A549 lung cancer cell lines, respectively. Finally, we demonstrated that econazole significantly suppressed A549 tumor growth in nude mice. Our findings suggest that econazole is a new PI3K inhibitor and a potential drug that can be used in lung cancer treatment alone or in combination with cisplatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Dong
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.,Department of the second medical oncology, The 3rd Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Tumor Hospital, Kunming, China
| | - Runxiang Yang
- Department of the second medical oncology, The 3rd Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Tumor Hospital, Kunming, China
| | - Hongjian Li
- Institute of Future Cities, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kunbin Ke
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.,Department of Urology, the 1st Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Chunxiang Luo
- Department of the second medical oncology, The 3rd Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Tumor Hospital, Kunming, China
| | - Fang Yang
- Department of the second medical oncology, The 3rd Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Tumor Hospital, Kunming, China
| | - Xi-Nan Shi
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Ying Zhu
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Xu Liu
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Man-Hon Wong
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Guimiao Lin
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Sciences Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaomei Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Sciences Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kwong-Sak Leung
- Institute of Future Cities, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hsiang-Fu Kung
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Ceshi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Marie Chia-Mi Lin
- Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China.
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7
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Wang Z, Lu G, Sze J, Liu Y, Lin S, Yao H, Zhang J, Xie D, Liu Q, Kung HF, Lin MCM, Poon WS. Plasma miR-124 Is a Promising Candidate Biomarker for Human Intracerebral Hemorrhage Stroke. Mol Neurobiol 2017; 55:5879-5888. [PMID: 29101647 PMCID: PMC5994210 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-017-0808-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [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: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Stroke causes death or long-term disabilities and threatens the general health of the population worldwide. Recent studies have suggested that miRNAs are dysregulated and can be used as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis in stroke. The intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) accounts for 15% of all the stroke cases. However, at present, little is known regarding the functions and clinical implications of miRNAs in ICH. In the present study, we established the collagenase-induced rat ICH model to mimic human ICH syndrome. We profiled the expression of 728 rat miRNAs at different time points in rat brain tissues and plasma post-ICH and identified a set human brain-enriched miRNAs that had changed expression level in the plasma of rat ICH. Among them, the expression levels of miR-124 displayed significantly synchronous alterations in rat plasma and brain tissue during ICH progression. They were significantly elevated at the acute injury phase (day 1 and 2), gradually decreased during the delayed recovery phase (day 7, 14 and 30), and finally restored to normal levels at late recovery phase (day 60). We further determined the plasma expression profile of miR-124 from human ICH patients. Similar to the pattern observed in rat ICH model, our results indicated that immediately after patients reached the hospital, the average plasma concentrations of miR-124 increased more than 100-fold in 24 h, then decreased gradually on day 2, 7, 14 and to near normal level on day 30. Taken together, these results strongly suggested that plasma concentration of miR-124 is a promising candidate biomarker for the early detection and predictive prognosis of human ICH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zifeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Gang Lu
- Brain Tumor Centre and Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Johnny Sze
- Brain Tumor Centre and Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yao Liu
- Brain Tumor Centre and Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sheng Lin
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Shenzhen Research Institute of Population and Family Planning, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hong Yao
- Jiangsu Eng. Laboratory of Cancer Biotherapy, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, China
| | - Ji Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dan Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Quentin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hsiang-Fu Kung
- Brain Tumor Centre and Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Marie Chia-Mi Lin
- Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
| | - Wai Sang Poon
- Brain Tumor Centre and Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
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8
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Lin G, Chen T, Zou J, Wang Y, Wang X, Li J, Huang Q, Fu Z, Zhao Y, Lin MCM, Xu G, Yong KT. Quantum Dots-siRNA Nanoplexes for Gene Silencing in Central Nervous System Tumor Cells. Front Pharmacol 2017; 8:182. [PMID: 28420995 PMCID: PMC5378761 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA interfering (RNAi) using short interfering RNA (siRNA) is becoming a promising approach for cancer gene therapy. However, owing to the lack of safe and efficient carriers, the application of RNAi for clinical use is still very limited. In this study, we have developed cadmium sulphoselenide/Zinc sulfide quantum dots (CdSSe/ZnS QDs)-based nanocarriers for in vitro gene delivery. These CdSSe/ZnS QDs are functionalized with polyethyleneimine (PEI) to form stable nanoplex (QD-PEI) and subsequently they are used for siRNA loading which specially targets human telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). High gene transfection efficiency (>80%) was achieved on two glioblastoma cell lines, U87 and U251. The gene expression level (49.99 ± 10.23% for U87, 43.28 ± 9.66% for U251) and protein expression level (51.58 ± 7.88% for U87, 50.69 ± 7.59% for U251) of TERT is observed to decrease substantially after transfecting the tumor cells for 48 h. More importantly, the silencing of TERT gene expression significantly suppressed the proliferation of glioblastoma cells. No obvious cytotoxicity from these QD-PEI nanoplexes were observed over at 10 times of the transfected doses. Based on these results, we envision that QDs engineered here can be used as a safe and efficient gene nanocarrier for siRNA delivery and a promising tool for future cancer gene therapy applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guimiao Lin
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Sciences CenterShenzhen, China
| | - Ting Chen
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Sciences CenterShenzhen, China.,Key Laboratory of Optoelectronics Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education/Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen UniversityShenzhen, China
| | - Jinyun Zou
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Sciences CenterShenzhen, China.,Key Laboratory of Optoelectronics Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education/Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen UniversityShenzhen, China
| | - Yucheng Wang
- School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological UniversitySingapore, Singapore
| | - Xiaomei Wang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Sciences CenterShenzhen, China
| | - Jiefeng Li
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Sciences CenterShenzhen, China
| | - Qijun Huang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Sciences CenterShenzhen, China
| | - Zicai Fu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Sciences CenterShenzhen, China
| | - Yingying Zhao
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Sciences CenterShenzhen, China
| | - Marie Chia-Mi Lin
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Sciences CenterShenzhen, China
| | - Gaixia Xu
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronics Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education/Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen UniversityShenzhen, China
| | - Ken-Tye Yong
- School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological UniversitySingapore, Singapore
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9
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Li Y, Li J, Woo YM, Shen Z, Yao H, Cai Y, Lin MCM, Poon WS. Enhanced expression of Vastatin inhibits angiogenesis and prolongs survival in murine orthotopic glioblastoma model. BMC Cancer 2017; 17:126. [PMID: 28193190 PMCID: PMC5307880 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-017-3125-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [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: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Antiangiogenic therapies are considered promising for the treatment of glioblastoma (GB). The non-collagenous C-terminal globular NC1 domain of type VIII collagen a1 chain, Vastatin, is an endogenous antiangiogenic polypeptide. Sustained enhanced expression of Vastatin was shown to inhibit tumour growth and metastasis in murine hepatocellular carcinoma models. In this study, we further explored the efficacy of Vastatin in the treatment of GB xenografts. Method Treatment of Vastatin was carried out using a nanopolymer gene vector PEI600-CyD-Folate (H1). Antiangiogenic effect of Vastatin was tested in vitro by using co-culture system and conditioned medium. An orthotopic GB murine model was established to examine the in vivo therapeutic effect of Vastatin alone treatment and its combination with temozolomide. Results Vastatin gene transfection mediated by H1 could target tumour cells specifically and suppress the proliferation of microvessel endothelial cells (MECs) through a paracrine inhibition manner. Enhancing Vastatin expression by intracerebral injection of H1-Vastatin significantly prolonged animal survival from 48 to 75 days in GB murine model, which was comparable to the effect of Endostatin, the most studied endogenous antiangiogenic polypeptide. The diminished presence of CD34 positive cells in the GB xenografts suggested that Vastatin induced significant antiangiogenesis. Moreover, a synergistic effect in extending survival was detected when H1-Vastatin was administered with temozolomide (TMZ) in GB chemoresistant murine models. Conclusion Our results suggest, for the first time, that Vastatin is an antiangiogenic polypeptide with significant potential therapeutic benefit for GB. H1-Vastatin gene therapy may have important implications in re-sensitizing recurrent GB to standard chemotherapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Li
- Brain Tumor Centre, Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jun Li
- Brain Tumor Centre, Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yat Ming Woo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kwong Wah Hospital, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zan Shen
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated 6th People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong Yao
- Jiangsu Eng. Lab of Cancer Biotherapy, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, China
| | - Yijun Cai
- Brain Tumor Centre, Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Marie Chia-Mi Lin
- Brain Tumor Centre, Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wai Sang Poon
- Brain Tumor Centre, Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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10
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Lin G, Chen CK, Yin F, Yang C, Tian J, Chen T, Xu G, He C, Lin MCM, Wang J, Lu F, Wang X, Yong KT. Biodegradable nanoparticles as siRNA carriers for in vivo gene silencing and pancreatic cancer therapy. J Mater Chem B 2017; 5:3327-3337. [DOI: 10.1039/c6tb03116a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Biodegradable charged polyester-based vectors (BCPVs) were utilized for efficiently delivering mutatedK-Ras-targeting siRNA and successfully inhibiting tumor growth in a pancreatic xenograft modelin vivo.
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11
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Wang X, Tian J, Yong KT, Zhu X, Lin MCM, Jiang W, Li J, Huang Q, Lin G. Immunotoxicity assessment of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots in macrophages, lymphocytes and BALB/c mice. J Nanobiotechnology 2016; 14:10. [PMID: 26846666 PMCID: PMC4743154 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-016-0162-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The toxicity of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) in the environment and biological systems has become a major concern for the nanoparticle community. However, the potential toxicity of QDs on immune cells and its corresponding immune functions remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the immunotoxicity of CdSe/ZnS QDs using the in vitro in macrophages and lymphocytes and in vivo in BALB/c mice. RESULTS Our results indicated that macrophages treated with 1.25 or 2.5 nM QDs exhibited decreased cell viability, increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), elevated apoptotic events, altered phagocytic ability, and decreased release of TNF-α and IL-6 by upon subsequent stimulation with Lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In contrast, lymphocytes exposed to QDs exhibited enhanced cell viability, increased release of TNF-α and IL-6 following exposure with CpG-ODN, and decreased transformation ability treatment in response to LPS. To study the in vivo effects in mice, we showed that QDs injection did not cause significant changes to body weight, hematology, organ histology, and phagocytic function of peritoneal macrophages in QDs-treated mice. In addition, the QDs formulation accumulated in major immune organs for more than 42 days. Lymphocytes from QDs-treated mice showed reduced cell viability, changed subtype proportions, increased TNF-α and IL-6 release, and reduced transformation ability in response to LPS. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these results suggested that exposures to CdSe/ZnS QDs could suppress immune-defense against foreign stimuli, which in turn could result in increased susceptibility of hosts to diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Wang
- College of Life Science and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China. .,Key Lab of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China. .,The Institute of Urinary and Reproductive, Shenzhen Key lab of Translational Medicine of Tumor, The Engineering Lab of Synthetic Biology, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jinglin Tian
- College of Life Science and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China. .,Key Lab of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ken-Tye Yong
- School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798, Singapore.
| | - Xuedan Zhu
- Key Lab of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China.
| | - Marie Chia-Mi Lin
- Key Lab of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wenxiao Jiang
- Key Lab of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jiefeng Li
- Key Lab of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China.
| | - Qijun Huang
- Key Lab of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China.
| | - Guimiao Lin
- Key Lab of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China. .,The Institute of Urinary and Reproductive, Shenzhen Key lab of Translational Medicine of Tumor, The Engineering Lab of Synthetic Biology, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People's Republic of China.
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12
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Shi XN, Li H, Yao H, Liu X, Li L, Leung KS, Kung HF, Lin MCM. Adapalene inhibits the activity of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 in colorectal carcinoma. Mol Med Rep 2015; 12:6501-8. [PMID: 26398439 PMCID: PMC4626183 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2015.4310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2014] [Accepted: 08/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) has been reported to be overexpressed in human colorectal cancer; it is responsible for the G1-to-S-phase transition in the cell cycle and its deregulation is a hallmark of cancer. The present study was the first to use idock, a free and open-source protein-ligand docking software developed by our group, to identify potential CDK2 inhibitors from 4,311 US Food and Drug Administration-approved small molecular drugs with a re-purposing strategy. Among the top compounds identified by idock score, nine were selected for further study. Among them, adapalene (ADA; CD271,6-[3-(1-adamantyl)-4-methoxyphenyl]-2-naphtoic acid) exhibited the highest anti-proliferative effects in LoVo and DLD1 human colon cancer cell lines. Consistent with the expected properties of CDK2 inhibitors, the present study demonstrated that ADA significantly increased the G1-phase population and decreased the expression of CDK2, cyclin E and retinoblastoma protein (Rb), as well as the phosphorylation of CDK2 (on Thr-160) and Rb (on Ser-795). Furthermore, the anti-cancer effects of ADA were examined in vivo on xenograft tumors derived from DLD1 human colorectal cancer cells subcutaneously inoculated in BALB/C nude mice. ADA (20 mg/kg orally) exhibited marked anti-tumor activity, comparable to that of oxaliplatin (40 mg/kg), and dose-dependently inhibited tumor growth (P<0.05), while combined administration of ADA and oxaliplatin produced the highest therapeutic effect. To the best of our knowledge, the present study was the first to indicate that ADA inhibits CDK2 and is a potential candidate drug for the treatment of human colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi-Nan Shi
- Biotechnology Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650000, P.R. China
| | - Hongjian Li
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, P.R. China
| | - Hong Yao
- The Cancer Biotherapy Institute of Jiangsu, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221000, P.R. China
| | - Xu Liu
- Biotechnology Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650000, P.R. China
| | - Ling Li
- Biotechnology Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650000, P.R. China
| | - Kwong-Sak Leung
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, P.R. China
| | - Hsiang-Fu Kung
- Biotechnology Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650000, P.R. China
| | - Marie Chia-Mi Lin
- Biotechnology Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650000, P.R. China
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13
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Lin G, Wang X, Yi W, Zhang C, Xu G, Zhu X, Cai Z, Liu Y, Diao Y, Lin MCM, Jin G. A conjugate of octamer-binding transcription factor 4 and toll-like receptor 7 agonist prevents the growth and metastasis of testis embryonic carcinoma. J Transl Med 2015; 13:166. [PMID: 25990580 PMCID: PMC4455914 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-015-0524-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 05/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The immune non-recognition is often the underlying cause of failure in tumor immunotherapeutic. This is because most tumor-related antigens are poorly immunogenic, and fail to arouse an efficient immune response against cancers. Here we synthesized a novel TLR7 agonist, and developed a safe and effective immunotherapeutic vaccine by conjugating this TLR7 agonist with the pluripotency antigen OCT4. Methods Purified recombinant OCT4 protein was covalently linked with a novel TLR7 agonist to form a TLR7-OCT4 conjugate (T7-OCT4). After conjugation, the in vitro release of IL-12 and IFN-γ was observed in spleen lymphocytes. Mice were immunized with TLR7-OCT4, and the release of IFN-γ, the percentages of CD3+/CD8+ T cells and the OCT4-specific cytotoxicity rates were measured. The immunized mice were challenged with mouse embryonic carcinoma (EC), and the tumor volume and tumor weight were determined. Blood routine examination was performed to evaluate the biosafety of TLR7 agonist and TLR7-OCT4 conjugate in mice. Results T7-OCT4 conjugate significantly increased the in vitro release of IL-12 and IFN-γ by mouse spleen lymphocytes. In addition, the release of IFN-γ, the percentages of CD3+/CD8+ T cells and the tumor-specific cytotoxicity rates in immunized mice were significantly higher. Importantly, in EC xenografted mice, immunization with T7-OCT4 conjugate decreased the growth of the tumor dramatically up to 90 %, as compared to mice immunized with OCT4 protein or TLR7 agonist alone. Furthermore, blood routine examination demonstrated that no abnormalities of the blood cells and components in the blood fluids were detected by T7-OCT4 and TLR7 agonist injections. Conclusions Our results showed that conjugating OCT4 protein to the novel TLR7 agonist produced a vaccine which is effective and safe in preventing tumor growth in mice. Our results suggest that this type of vaccine formulation has great potentiality in preventive vaccines against OCT4 expressing tumors. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12967-015-0524-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guimiao Lin
- The Institute of Urinary and Reproductive, the Engineering Lab of Synthetic Biology, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China. .,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine of Tumor, Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
| | - Xiaomei Wang
- The Institute of Urinary and Reproductive, the Engineering Lab of Synthetic Biology, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China. .,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine of Tumor, Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
| | - Wanxian Yi
- The Institute of Urinary and Reproductive, the Engineering Lab of Synthetic Biology, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
| | - Chuanxia Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine of Tumor, Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
| | - Gaixia Xu
- College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronics Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education/Guangdong Province, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, P. R. China.
| | - Xiaomei Zhu
- College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronics Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education/Guangdong Province, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, P. R. China.
| | - Zhiming Cai
- The Institute of Urinary and Reproductive, the Engineering Lab of Synthetic Biology, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
| | - Yu Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine of Tumor, Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
| | - Yuwen Diao
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine of Tumor, Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
| | - Marie Chia-Mi Lin
- The Institute of Urinary and Reproductive, the Engineering Lab of Synthetic Biology, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China. .,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine of Tumor, Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
| | - Guangyi Jin
- The Institute of Urinary and Reproductive, the Engineering Lab of Synthetic Biology, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China. .,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine of Tumor, Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
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14
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Yin F, Xu Z, Wang Z, Yao H, Shen Z, Yu F, Tang Y, Fu D, Lin S, Lu G, Kung HF, Poon WS, Huang Y, Lin MCM. Elevated chemokine CC-motif receptor-like 2 (CCRL2) promotes cell migration and invasion in glioblastoma. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2012; 429:168-72. [PMID: 23142225 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2012.10.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2012] [Accepted: 10/27/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Chemokine CC-motif receptor-like 2 (CCRL2) is a 7-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor which plays a key role in lung dendritic cell trafficking to peripheral lymph nodes. The function and expression of CCRL2 in cancer is not understood at present. Here we report that CCRL2 expression level is elevated in human glioma patient samples and cell lines. The magnitude of increase is positively associated with increasing tumor grade, with the highest level observed in grade IV glioblastoma. By gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies, we further showed that CCRL2 did not regulate the growth of human glioblatoma U87 and U373 cells. Importantly, we demonstrated that over-expression of CCRL2 significantly enhanced the migration rate and invasiveness of the glioblastoma cells. Taken together, these results suggest for the first time that elevated CCRL2 in glioma promotes cell migration and invasion. The potential roles of CCRL2 as a novel therapeutic target and biomarker warrant further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengqiong Yin
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
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15
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Lin G, Lin MCM, Lin S, Yao H, Yu S, Yi W, Xu G, Ng SSM, Chen S, Yu J, Wang X, Yang B. Early growth response protein-1 promoter-mediated synergistic antitumor effect of hTERTC27 gene therapy and 5-Flurorouracil on nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Cancer Biother Radiopharm 2012; 27:434-41. [PMID: 22947087 DOI: 10.1089/cbr.2011.1153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
hTERTC27 is a newly constructed polypeptide that can induce telomere dysfunction. To study the synergistic antitumor effects of the hTERTC27 polypeptide driven by the early growth response protein-1 (Egr-1) promoter and chemotherapeutic 5-flurorouracil (5-FU) on nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed. The results showed that hTERTC27 expression was significantly increased up to 7.21-folds by the 5-FU-activated Egr-1 promoter in C666-1 cells. Overexpressed hTERTC27 made the cells more sensitive to 5-FU, and additionally, inhibited cell proliferation about 20.41%. Combinational therapy of overexpressed hTERTC27 driven by the 5-FU-activated Egr-1 promoter and 5-FU synergistically inhibited cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis of C666-1 cells for about 4.75-fold and 1.76-fold in comparison with a sole therapy of hTERTC27 or 5-FU in vitro. In vivo experiments showed that overexpressed hTERTC27 driven by 5-FU-activated Egr-1 promoter and 5-FU synergistically reduced tumor volume, tumor weight, and local infiltration, which may be relative to tumor cell apoptosis. These results suggest that combinational therapy of overexpressed hTERTC27, which is driven by the 5-FU-activated Egr-1 promoter, and 5-FU may provide a novel approach to treat nasopharyngeal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guimiao Lin
- Department of Pathophysiology, Norman Bethune Medical School, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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16
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Li G, Zhang XA, Wang H, Wang X, Meng CL, Chan CY, Yew DTW, Tsang KS, Li K, Tsai SN, Ngai SM, Han ZC, Lin MCM, He ML, Kung HF. Comparative proteomic analysis of mesenchymal stem cells derived from human bone marrow, umbilical cord and placenta: implication in the migration. Adv Exp Med Biol 2011; 720:51-68. [PMID: 21901618 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-0254-1_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Umbilical cord (UC) and placenta (P) have been suggested as alternatives to bone marrow (BM) as sources of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) for cell therapy, with both UC- and P-MSC possess immunophenotypic and functional characteristics similar to BM-MSC. However, under defined conditions, the migration capacity of BM- and P-MSC was found to be 5.9- and 3.2-folds higher than that of UC-MSC, respectively. By the use of 2-DE and combined MS and MS/MS analysis, six differentially expressed proteins were identified among these MSC samples, with five of them known to be involved in cell migration as migration enhancing or inhibiting proteins. Interestingly, the expression levels of those proteins reflect perfectly the migration capacity of corresponding MSC, which is also proved by in vitro overexpression and silencing techniques. Our study indicates that a bunch of migration-related proteins are pivotal in governing the migration capacity of MSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo Li
- Stanley Ho Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
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17
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An X, Ng SS, Xie D, Zeng YX, Sze J, Wang J, Chen YC, Chow BKC, Lu G, Poon WS, Kung HF, Wong BCY, Lin MCM. Functional characterisation of cell cycle-related kinase (CCRK) in colorectal cancer carcinogenesis. Eur J Cancer 2010; 46:1752-61. [PMID: 20466538 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2010.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2009] [Revised: 04/05/2010] [Accepted: 04/08/2010] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Cell cycle-related kinase (CCRK) is a newly identified protein kinase homologous to Cdk7. We have previously shown that CCRK is a candidate oncogene in human glioblastoma. However, whether CCRK is a bona fide oncogene remains to be tested. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of CCRK in human colorectal cancer carcinogenesis. By Western blotting, we analysed the expression profile of CCRK protein in 10 colorectal cancer tissue samples and their adjacent normal colon tissues and in seven colorectal cancer cell lines. CCRK protein expression was also investigated by immunohistochemistry in a colorectal tissue microarray, which contained 120 cases of primary colorectal cancer and adjacent normal colorectal mucosa. The effects of CCRK knock-down on cell cycle profile and proliferation of colorectal cancer cells were examined by transfecting LoVo and DLD1 human colorectal cancer cell lines by either short-hairpin RNA (shCCRK) or small interfering RNA targeting CCRK (siCCRK). We found that CCRK protein levels were elevated by more than 1.5-fold in 70% of colorectal cancer patient samples examined and CCRK was detectable in all seven colorectal cancer cell lines tested. Colorectal tissue microarray indicated that overexpression of CCRK was detected in 62/109 (56.9%) of informative colorectal cancer cases and was significantly associated with the tumour pT and pN status (p<0.05). Suppression of CCRK by siCCRK led to G1 phase cell cycle arrest and reduced cell growth. Consistently, stable clones of LoVo and DLD1 cells expressing shCCRK exhibited decreased cell proliferation rates. Furthermore, we showed that CCRK is required for the phosphorylation of Cdk2 (on Thr-160) and Rb (on Ser-795) and the expression of cyclin E. These results suggest for the first time that CCRK is involved in colorectal cancer carcinogenesis and G1/S cell cycle transition by regulating Cdk2, cyclin E and Rb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomeng An
- Integrative Chemical Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, China
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18
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Li M, Wang J, Ng SSM, Chan CY, He ML, Yu F, Lai L, Shi C, Chen Y, Yew DT, Kung HF, Lin MCM. Adenosine diphosphate-ribosylation factor 6 is required for epidermal growth factor-induced glioblastoma cell proliferation. Cancer 2009; 115:4959-72. [PMID: 19642173 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.24550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND : Epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling plays a pivotal role in gliomagenesis. The authors previously demonstrated that adenosine diphospate-ribosylation factor 6 (ARF6), a member of the Ras-related small guanosine-5'-triphospate-binding protein family, is required for EFA6A-induced glioma cell migration and invasion. However, the role of ARF6 in EGF signaling is unknown. METHODS : The authors analyzed messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of ARF6 and EGF receptor (EGFR) in 16 high-grade glioma samples and in 6 low-grade glioma samples by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis. To determine whether EGF induces ARF6 expression in human glioblastoma U87 cells through transcriptional regulation and EGFR activation, the levels of ARF6 were assayed in EGF-treated U87 cells that were preincubated with a transcriptional inhibitor (actinomycin D) and an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (PD153035), respectively. The downstream signaling of EGFR-mediated ARF6 up-regulation also was investigated using specific inhibitors of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK), phosphatidylinositol 3' kinase (PI3K), and Janus kinase 2. The involvement of SP1 in the downstream signaling was studied by using an SP1 inhibitor (mithramycin A). Small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting ARF6 were used to investigate the effects of ARF6 on EGF-mediated glioma cell proliferation. RESULTS : The results demonstrated that ARF6 and EGFR mRNA levels were elevated in glioma tissues. Furthermore, EGF stimulated ARF6 expression in U87 cells in a dose-dependent and time-dependant manner. This stimulation was caused by increased transcription of ARF6 and by activation of the MEK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and PI3K signaling pathways. It is noteworthy that SP1 was essential for EGF-induced ARF6 up-regulation. Finally, EGF-induced glioblastoma cell proliferation depended on ARF6, because the suppression of ARF6 by siRNA or by a dominant-negative mutant significantly inhibited EGF-induced cell proliferation. CONCLUSIONS : The results of the current study suggested that EGF-induced ARF6 expression plays a significant role in glioma cell proliferation. Cancer 2009. (c) 2009 American Cancer Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Li
- Department of Chemistry, Open Laboratory of Chemical Biology, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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19
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Li M, Wang J, Ng SSM, Chan CY, Chen AC, Xia HP, Yew DT, Wong BCY, Chen Z, Kung HF, Lin MCM. The four-and-a-half-LIM protein 2 (FHL2) is overexpressed in gliomas and associated with oncogenic activities. Glia 2008; 56:1328-38. [PMID: 18615633 DOI: 10.1002/glia.20701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Four-and-a-half-LIM protein 2 (FHL2) is a member of FHL protein family, which plays a crucial role in regulating gene expression, cell survival, and migration. Although its function in oncogenesis appears to be tumor type-specific, its roles in glioma formation and development are yet to be elucidated. In the present study, we demonstrated that the mRNA level of FHL2 was elevated in both low- and high-grade glioma samples. Overexpression of FHL2 stimulated the proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, and migration of human glioblastoma cells. Conversely, FHL2 knockdown by short hairpin RNA (shRNA-FHL2) inhibited glioblastoma cell proliferation and migration. Overexpression of FHL2 increased the tumorigenicity of glioblastoma cells in nude mice and decreased the mRNA levels of p53 and its downstream proapoptotic genes, including p21, Bcl2-associated protein X (Bax), and p53-upregulated modulator of apoptosis. It also enhanced the promoter activities of activator protein-1 (AP-1), human telomerase reverse transcriptase, and survivin genes. Together, these results provide the first evidence that FHL2 contributes to glioma carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Li
- Department of Chemistry, Open laboratory of Chemical Biology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
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20
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Abstract
Chitosan is a naturally occurring cationic mucopolysaccharide. It is generally biocompatible, biodegradable, mucoadhesive, non-immunogenic and non-toxic. Although chitosan is able to condense nucleic acids (NA) (both DNA and RNA) and protect them from nuclease degradation, its poor water solubility and low transfection efficacy have impeded its use as an NA carrier. In order to overcome such limitations, a multitude of strategies for chitosan modification and formulation have been proposed. In this article, we will first give a brief overview of the physical and biological properties of chitosan. Then, with a special focus on plasmid DNA delivery, we will have a detailed discussion of the latest advances in chitosan-mediated NA transfer. For future research, the following three important areas will be discussed: chitosan-mediated therapeutic small RNA transfer, structure-activity relationships (SAR) in chitosan vector design, and chitosan-mediated oral/nasal NA therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wing-Fu Lai
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
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21
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Ng SSM, Gao Y, Chau DHW, Li GHY, Lai LH, Huang PT, Huang CF, Huang JJ, Chen YC, Kung HF, Lin MCM. A novel glioblastoma cancer gene therapy using AAV-mediated long-term expression of human TERT C-terminal polypeptide. Cancer Gene Ther 2007; 14:561-72. [PMID: 17384579 DOI: 10.1038/sj.cgt.7701038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme is the most aggressive form of human brain tumor, which has no effective cure. Previously, we have demonstrated that overexpression of the C-terminal fragment of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERTC27) inhibits the growth and tumorigenicity of human cervical cancer HeLa cells. In this study, the therapeutic effect and molecular mechanisms of hTERTC27-mediated cancer gene therapy were further explored in vivo in established human glioblastoma xenografts in nude mice. We showed that intratumoral injection of adeno-associated virus carrying hTERTC27 (rAAV-hTERTC27) is highly effective in reducing the growth of the subcutaneously transplanted glioblastoma tumors. Histological analyses showed that rAAV-hTERTC27 treatment leads to profound necrosis, apoptosis, infiltration of polymorphonuclear neutrophils and reduced microvessel density in the tumor samples. To study the molecular mechanism of rAAV-hTERTC27-mediated antitumor effects, we analyzed the global gene expression profiles of the rAAV-hTERTC27-treated tumor tissues and cell line as compared with that of the control rAAV-green fluorescent protein-treated samples by DNA microarray. Our results suggest that hTERTC27 exerts its effect through complex mechanisms, which involve genes regulating apoptosis, cell adhesion, cell cycle, immune responses, metabolism, signal transduction, transport, transcription and telomere maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- S S M Ng
- Department of Chemistry, Open Laboratory of Chemical Biology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
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Cheung PY, Zhang Q, Zhang YO, Bai GR, Lin MCM, Chan B, Fong CC, Shi L, Shi YF, Chun J, Kung HF, Yang M. Effect of WeiJia on carbon tetrachloride induced chronic liver injury. World J Gastroenterol 2006; 12:1912-7. [PMID: 16609998 PMCID: PMC4087517 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i12.1912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM: To study the effect of WeiJia on chronic liver injury using carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced liver injury animal model.
METHODS: Wistar rats weighing 180-220g were randomly divided into three groups: normal control group (Group A), CCl4 induced liver injury control group (Group B) and CCl4 induction with WeiJia treatment group (Group C). Each group consisted of 14 rats. Liver damage and fibrosis was induced by subcutaneous injection with 40% CCl4 in olive oil at 3 mL/kg body weight twice a week for eight weeks for Groups B and C rats whereas olive oil was used for Group A rats. Starting from the third week, Group C rats also received daily intraperitoneal injection of WeiJia at a dose of 1.25 μg/kg body weight. Animals were sacrificed at the fifth week (4 male, 3 female), and eighth week (4 male, 3 female) respectively. Degree of fibrosis were measured and serological markers for liver fibrosis and function including hyaluronic acid (HA), type IV collagen (CIV), γ-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were determined. Alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunohistochemistry were also performed.
RESULTS: CCl4 induction led to the damage of liver and development of fibrosis in Group B and Group C rats when compared to Group A rats. The treatment of WeiJia in Group C rats could reduce the fibrosis condition significantly compared to Group B rats. The effect could be observed after three weeks of treatment and was more obvious after eight weeks of treatment. Serum HA, CIV, ALT, AST and γ-GT levels after eight weeks of treatment for Group C rats were 58±22 µg/L (P<0.01), 57±21 µg/L (P<0.01), 47±10 U/L (P<0.01), 139±13 U/L (P<0.05) and 52±21 U/L (P>0.05) respectively, similar to normal control group (Group A), but significantly different from CCl4 induced liver injury control group (Group B). An increase in PCNA and decrease in α-SMA expression level was also observed.
CONCLUSION: WeiJia could improve liver function and reduce liver fibrosis which might be through the inhibition of stellate cell activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pik-Yuen Cheung
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Abstract
Secretin is a neuropeptide that is expressed in distinct central neurones. As there is no information on how the secretin gene is regulated in neuronal cells, a well established neuronal differentiation cell model, SH-SY5Y, was used to study transcriptional regulation of the human secretin gene. High secretin transcript and peptide levels were found in this cell, and secretin gene expression and promoter activity were up-regulated upon all-trans retinoic acid (RA) treatment. Within the promoter, a functional GC-box 1 (-131 from ATG, relative to the ATG initiation codon) was found to be regulated by a brain-specific Sp protein, Sp4, and ubiquitous factors Sp1 and Sp3. The human secretin gene in SH-SY5Y cells is controlled by the (Sp1 + Sp4)/Sp3 ratio and the RA-induced activation is a partial result of a decrease in Sp3 levels. In addition to the GC-box 1, an N1 motif in close proximity was also responsible for RA-induced secretin gene activation. Competitive gel mobility shift and southwestern blot studies revealed binding of Nuclear Factor I (NFI) with the N1 motif. Overexpression of NFI-C increased promoter activity upon RA treatment. Consistent with this observation, NFI-C transcript levels were augmented after RA treatment. We conclude that RA induction of the secretin gene in neuronal cells is regulated by the combined actions of reducing Sp3 and increasing NFI-C expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leo Tsz-On Lee
- Department of Zoology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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Xia HHX, Zhang ST, Lam SK, Lin MCM, Kung HF, Wong BCY. Expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and effects of bile acids and NSAIDs. Carcinogenesis 2005; 26:11-5. [PMID: 15358635 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgh279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) protein and mRNA expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and the effect of bile acids, aspirin and a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, NS398, on MIF expression in ESCC cells in vitro. Specimens from tumors and the adjacent non-cancerous tissues were obtained from 52 ESCC patients. Western blotting was used for the detection of MIF protein expression, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for MIF mRNA expression. Cells of an ESCC cell line, Eca-109, were treated with chenodeoxycholate (CD, 100 mM), glycochenodeoxycholate (GCD, 1 mM), aspirin (1 mM) or NS398 (1 microM). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and RT-PCR were used to detect the expression of the MIF protein and mRNA, respectively, in the supernatant and cultured cells. Western blotting demonstrated that levels of MIF protein were increased in tumors versus non-malignant tissues, with the expression ratio of MIF over beta-actin of 0.93 +/- 0.21 and 0.57 +/- 0.08, respectively (P = 0.012). In vitro, both CD and GCD induced a dramatic increase in MIF protein and mRNA in ESCC cells. On the other hand, aspirin and NS398 significantly decreased MIF protein and mRNA expression, and completely blocked bile acid-induced MIF synthesis in the presence or absence of prostaglandin E(2). In conclusion, MIF expression is increased in ESCC. Whereas bile acids induce MIF expression in ESCC cells, aspirin and NS398 significantly inhibit MIF expression, even in the presence of bile acids, via a COX-independent mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Hua-Xiang Xia
- Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong
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Abstract
Despite extensive annotation by two independent teams, the Helicobacter pylori genome appeared to lack a complete secretion machinery. The use of clinical isolates to substantiate in silico annotation is used here to identify the missing secE component of the major secretion machinery of Helicobacter pylori.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudine Médigue
- Génétique des Génomes Bactériens, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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Jiang XH, Wong BCY, Yuen ST, Jiang SH, Cho CH, Lai KC, Lin MCM, Kung HF, Lam SK. Arsenic trioxide induces apoptosis in human gastric cancer cells through up-regulation of p53 and activation of caspase-3. Int J Cancer 2001. [DOI: 10.1002/ijc.1442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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