Abstract LB-171: Throwing the 'book' at the cancer cell speciifically: A new paradigm and a new strategy for cancer prevention and cure

There are numerous reports of natural compounds that act on cancer pathways. These compounds work at high micromolar concentrations that cannot be achieved under in vivo conditions. Toxic side effects are a concern when such high concentrations are used. Also synergism between different natural compounds have been explored using 2 or 3 compounds together, but these have still not been able to kill 100% of the cancer cells. To develop the new paradigm, we considered general features common to several cancers viz. proliferation (due to cell cycle changes), survival of cancer cell & metastasis controlling pathways. In addition pathways involved in programmed cell death (apoptosis) were given consideration. We chose 6 natural compounds & created a ‘phytochemical super cocktail’ capable of killing 100% of breast cancer cells (MCF7, MDA-MB-231) in tissue culture, by simultaneously affecting all of the above mentioned pathways( J.Cancer 4, 703-715, 2013 ). The super cocktail had no effect on normal cells ( mesenchymal stem cells, NIH 3T3 cells, normal mammary epithelial cells). However, many of these compounds are lipophilic and not hydrophyllic, thus having poor absorption resulting in low bioavailability. By inclusion in the super cocktail, we demonstrated that the synergism between compounds can be extended to a degree wherein bioavailable/bioachievable levels also become effective levels that can kill cancer cells, without affecting normal cells. This represents a new strategy to achieve the effects predicted by the paradigm which can be used now to prevent/cure cancers. We now have demonstrated that it can be applied to several cancers; as examples, we have successfully killed BRCA1 mutation carrying breast cancer cells (SUM-149, separate abstract submitted).using the super cocktail. Here we show that it can kill prostate cancer cells(PC3), & non-small cell lung cancer cells in a dose dependent manner, using proliferation assay. These data will be presented to demonstrate the usefulness of this new approach immediately to prevent/cure cancers. We have already shown the efficacy of C-phycocyanin, one the compounds in the super cocktail, to prevent mammary tumor formation in rats ( induced by dimethyl benzanthracene). Inclusion of spirulina extract in the diet reduced the mortality from 85% to about 13% (Am.Jour.Pathol 184, 296-303, 2014 ) & induced lysis of formed tumors. However C-phycocyanin, the active compound of spirulina, by itself was not fully effective in killing human breast cancer cells, unlike the super cocktail. This indicates a greater in vivo efficacy of the super cocktail & we are planning to evaluate the same in the mouse xenograft model. At this writing, 750 women (normal and breast cancer bearing) have used the super cocktail as a nutritional supplement over the past 2 years without a single report of adverse reactions or toxicity. Support: Louisiana Cancer Research Consortium.

Citation Format: Madhwa H. Raj, Shubha K. Ireland, Hector Biliran, Shailaja G. Raj. Throwing the 'book' at the cancer cell speciifically: A new paradigm and a new strategy for cancer prevention and cure [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-171. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-LB-171

Principles and Practices Fostering Inclusive Excellence: Lessons from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Capstone Institutions

Best-practices pedagogy in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) aims for inclusive excellence that fosters student persistence. This paper describes principles of inclusivity across 11 primarily undergraduate institutions designated as Capstone Awardees in Howard Hughes Medical Institute's (HHMI) 2012 competition. The Capstones represent a range of institutional missions, student profiles, and geographical locations. Each successfully directed activities toward persistence of STEM students, especially those from traditionally underrepresented groups, through a set of common elements: mentoring programs to build community; research experiences to strengthen scientific skill/identity; attention to quantitative skills; and outreach/bridge programs to broaden the student pool. This paper grounds these program elements in learning theory, emphasizing their essential principles with examples of how they were implemented within institutional contexts. We also describe common assessment approaches that in many cases informed programming and created traction for stakeholder buy-in. The lessons learned from our shared experiences in pursuit of inclusive excellence, including the resources housed on our companion website, can inform others' efforts to increase access to and persistence in STEM in higher education.

Simultaneous inhibition of cell-cycle, proliferation, survival, metastatic pathways and induction of apoptosis in breast cancer cells by a phytochemical super-cocktail: genes that underpin its mode of action

Traditional chemotherapy and radiotherapy for cancer treatment face serious challenges such as drug resistance and toxic side effects. Complementary / Alternative medicine is increasingly being practiced worldwide due to its safety beneficial therapeutic effects. We hypothesized that a super combination (SC) of known phytochemicals used at bioavailable levels could induce 100% killing of breast cancer (BC) cells without toxic effects on normal cells and that microarray analysis would identify potential genes for targeted therapy of BC. Mesenchymal Stems cells (MSC, control) and two BC cell lines were treated with six well established pro-apoptotic phytochemicals individually and in combination (super cocktail), at bioavailable levels. The compounds were ineffective individually. In combination, they significantly suppressed BC cell proliferation (>80%), inhibited migration and invasion, caused cell cycle arrest and induced apoptosis resulting in 100% cell death. However, there were no deleterious effects on MSC cells used as control. Furthermore, the SC down-regulated the expression of PCNA, Rb, CDK4, BcL-2, SVV, and CD44 (metastasis inducing stem cell factor) in the BC cell lines. Microarray analysis revealed several differentially expressed key genes (PCNA, Rb, CDK4, Bcl-2, SVV, P53 and CD44) underpinning SC-promoted BC cell death and motility. Four unique genes were highly up-regulated (ARC, GADD45B, MYLIP and CDKN1C). This investigation indicates the potential for development of a highly effective phytochemical combination for breast cancer chemoprevention / chemotherapy. The novel over-expressed genes hold the potential for development as markers to follow efficacy of therapy.

High-glucose-induced endothelial cell injury is inhibited by a Peptide derived from human apolipoprotein E

Although the importance of human apolipoprotein E (apoE) in vascular diseases has clearly been established, most of the research on apoE has focused on its role in cholesterol metabolism. In view of the observation that apoE and its functional domains impact extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, we hypothesized that apoE could also confer protection against ECM degradation by mechanisms independent of its role in cholesterol and lipoprotein transport. The ECM degrading enzyme, heparanase, is secreted by cells as pro-heparanase that is internalized through low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor-related protein-1 (LRP-1) to become enzymatically active. Both apoE and pro-heparanase bind the LRP-1. We further hypothesized that an apoE mimetic peptide (apoEdp) would inhibit the production of active heparanase by blocking LRP-1-mediated uptake of pro-heparanase and thereby decrease degradation of the ECM. To test this hypothesis, we induced the expression of heparanase by incubating human retinal endothelial cells (hRECs) with high glucose (30 mM) for 72 hours. We found that elevated expression of heparanase by high glucose was associated with increased shedding of heparan sulfate (ΔHS) and the tight junction protein occludin. Treatment of hRECs with 100 µM apoEdp in the presence of high glucose significantly reduced the expression of heparanase, shedding of ΔHS, and loss of occludin as detected by Western blot analysis. Either eye drop treatment of 1% apoEdp topically 4 times a day for 14 consecutive days or intraperitoneal injection (40 mg/kg) of apoEdp daily for 14 consecutive days in an in vivo mouse model of streptozotocin-induced diabetes inhibited the loss of tight junction proteins occludin and zona occludin- 1 (ZO-1). These findings imply a functional relationship between apoE and endothelial cell matrix because the deregulation of these molecules can be inhibited by a short peptide derived from the receptor-binding region of apoE. Thus, strategies targeting ECM-degrading enzymes could be therapeutically beneficial for treating diabetic retinopathy.

Abstract 135: Apoptotic cell death triggering in the prostate carcinoma cell line PC3 by the anoikis effector Bit1

Highly aggressive cancer cells often are associated with resistance to caspase-dependent apoptosis, due, in part to loss in function or mutation in caspase effectors. Such apoptotic defects in caspase signaling pathway may provide a selective growth advantage for tumor cells and potentiate their aggressiveness and resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. Here, we test the responsiveness of the highly aggressive prostate cancer cell line PC3 cells to the apoptotic function of the novel, caspase-independent anoikis effector Bcl2 inhibitor of transcription (Bit1). Overexpression of the cytoplasmic localized Bit1 in PC3 cells results in significant induction of apoptosis as evidenced by the increased levels of histone-DNA fragments. Furthermore, PC3 cells transfected with the mitochondrial localized Bit1 exhibit significant apoptosis following loss of cell attachment as compared to vector treated cells, and such induction of anoikis is associated with increased levels of Bit1 in the cytosol. In contrast, both the control and Bit1 transfected PC3 cells show the same level of spontaneous apoptosis when grown attached to a culture dish. We also tested whether Bit1 alters the chemoresistant phenotype of PC3 cells. Consistent with the induction of anoikis sensitivity, overexpression of mitochondrial Bit1 also renders PC3 cells more sensitive to etoposide-induced apoptosis. Interestingly, the Bit1-mediated apoptosis in PC3 cells is correlated with increased NFkappa B activity as evidenced by increased nuclear translocation and transcription factor activity of the p65 subunit. Taken together, these findings indicate that activation of the caspase-independent Bit1 apoptotic pathway may serve as a preferred alternate approach in triggering apoptosis in aggressive prostate cancer cells. Bit1 may thus serve as a future therapeutic target for the treatment and alleviation of the chemoresistance characteristic of prostate cancer.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 135.