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Chang SC, Zhang BX, Su ECY, Wu WC, Hsieh TH, Salazar AM, Lin YK, Ding JL. Hiltonol Cocktail Kills Lung Cancer Cells by Activating Cancer-Suppressors, PKR/OAS, and Restraining the Tumor Microenvironment. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22041626. [PMID: 33562773 PMCID: PMC7915988 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041626] [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] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
NSCLC (non-small cell lung cancer) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Clinical trials showed that Hiltonol, a stable dsRNA representing an advanced form of polyI:C (polyinosinic-polycytidilic acid), is an adjuvant cancer-immunomodulator. However, its mechanisms of action and effect on lung cancer have not been explored pre-clinically. Here, we examined, for the first time, how a novel Hiltonol cocktail kills NSCLC cells. By retrospective analysis of NSCLC patient tissues obtained from the tumor biobank; pre-clinical studies with Hiltonol alone or Hiltonol+++ cocktail [Hiltonol+anti-IL6+AG490 (JAK2 inhibitor)+Stattic (STAT3 inhibitor)]; cytokine analysis; gene knockdown and gain/loss-of-function studies, we uncovered the mechanisms of action of Hiltonol+++. We demonstrated that Hiltonol+++ kills the cancer cells and suppresses the metastatic potential of NSCLC through: (i) upregulation of pro-apoptotic Caspase-9 and Caspase-3, (ii) induction of cytosolic cytochrome c, (iii) modulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (GRO, MCP-1, IL-8, and IL-6) and anticancer IL-24 in NSCLC subtypes, and (iv) upregulation of tumor suppressors, PKR (protein kinase R) and OAS (2′5′ oligoadenylate synthetase). In silico analysis showed that Lys296 of PKR and Lys66 of OAS interact with Hiltonol. These Lys residues are purportedly involved in the catalytic/signaling activity of the tumor suppressors. Furthermore, knockdown of PKR/OAS abrogated the anticancer action of Hiltonol, provoking survival of cancer cells. Ex vivo analysis of NSCLC patient tissues corroborated that loss of PKR and OAS is associated with cancer advancement. Altogether, our findings unraveled the significance of studying tumor biobank tissues, which suggests PKR and OAS as precision oncological suppressor candidates to be targeted by this novel Hiltonol+++ cocktail which represents a prospective drug for development into a potent and tailored therapy for NSCLC subtypes.
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MESH Headings
- 2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase/chemistry
- 2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase/genetics
- 2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase/metabolism
- A549 Cells
- Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/pharmacology
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/pharmacology
- Binding Sites
- Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium/analogs & derivatives
- Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium/pharmacology
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/genetics
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/metabolism
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cell Movement/drug effects
- Cell Proliferation/drug effects
- Cell Survival/drug effects
- Cyclic S-Oxides/pharmacology
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects
- Humans
- Interleukin-6/antagonists & inhibitors
- Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Lung Neoplasms/genetics
- Lung Neoplasms/metabolism
- Models, Molecular
- Poly I-C/pharmacology
- Polylysine/analogs & derivatives
- Polylysine/pharmacology
- Tumor Microenvironment/drug effects
- Tyrphostins/pharmacology
- eIF-2 Kinase/chemistry
- eIF-2 Kinase/genetics
- eIF-2 Kinase/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Chun Chang
- The PhD Program for Translational Medicine, College for Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wusing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan;
- International Ph.D. Program for Translational Science, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wusing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (S.-C.C.); (J.L.D.)
| | - Bo-Xiang Zhang
- The PhD Program for Translational Medicine, College for Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wusing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan;
- International Ph.D. Program for Translational Science, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wusing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Emily Chia-Yu Su
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University Hospital, 252 Wusing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan;
- Clinical Big Data Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, 252 Wusing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Ciao Wu
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wusing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan;
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Medical University Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Han Hsieh
- Joint Biobank, Office of Human Research, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wusing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan;
| | - Andres M. Salazar
- Oncovir, Inc., 3203 Cleveland Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC 20008, USA;
| | - Yen-Kuang Lin
- Big Data Research Center, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wusing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan;
- Biostatistics Center, Office of Data Science, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wusing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Data Science, College of Management, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wusing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Jeak Ling Ding
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
- Correspondence: (S.-C.C.); (J.L.D.)
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