RESUMO
Recently, a compound derived from recent scientific advances named 34 has emerged as the focus of this research, the aim of which is to explore its potential impact on solid tumor cell lines. Using a combination of bioinformatics and biological assays, this study conducted an in-depth investigation of the effects of 34. The results of this study have substantial implications for cancer research and treatment. 34 has shown remarkable efficacy in inhibiting the growth of several cancer cell lines, including those representing prostate carcinoma (PC3) and cervical carcinoma (HeLa). The high sensitivity of these cells, indicated by low IC50 values, underscores its potential as a promising chemotherapeutic agent. In addition, 34 has revealed the ability to induce cell cycle arrest, particularly in the G2/M phase, a phenomenon with critical implications for tumor initiation and growth. By interfering with DNA replication in cancer cells, 34 has shown the capacity to trigger cell death, offering a new avenue for cancer treatment. In addition, computational analyses have identified key genes affected by 34 treatment, suggesting potential therapeutic targets. These genes are involved in critical biological processes, including cell cycle regulation, DNA replication and microtubule dynamics, all of which are central to cancer development and progression. In conclusion, this study highlights the different mechanisms of 34 that inhibit cancer cell growth and alter the cell cycle. These promising results suggest the potential for more effective and less toxic anticancer therapies. Further in vivo validation and exploration of combination therapies are critical to improve cancer treatment outcomes.
Assuntos
Acrilonitrila , Antineoplásicos , Microtúbulos , Humanos , Microtúbulos/efeitos dos fármacos , Microtúbulos/metabolismo , Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Antineoplásicos/uso terapêutico , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Acrilonitrila/análogos & derivados , Acrilonitrila/farmacologia , Acrilonitrila/uso terapêutico , Proliferação de Células/efeitos dos fármacos , Neoplasias/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias/metabolismo , Neoplasias/patologia , Células HeLa , Apoptose/efeitos dos fármacos , Triazóis/farmacologia , Pontos de Checagem do Ciclo Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Moduladores de Tubulina/farmacologia , Moduladores de Tubulina/uso terapêutico , Células PC-3RESUMO
1,3,4-Oxadiazole derivatives are among the most studied anticancer drugs. Previous studies have analyzed the action of different 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives and their effects on cancer cells. This study investigated the characterization of two new compounds named 6 and 14 on HeLa and PC-3 cancer cell lines. Based on the previously obtained IC50, cell cycle effects were monitored by flow cytometry. RNA sequencing (RNAseq) was performed to identify differentially expressed genes, followed by functional annotation using gene ontology (GO), KEGG signaling pathway enrichment, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analyses. The tubulin polymerization assay was used to analyze the interaction of both compounds with tubulin. The results showed that 6 and 14 strongly inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells by arresting them in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. Transcriptome analysis showed that exposure of HeLa and PC-3 cells to the compounds caused a marked reprograming of gene expression. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched throughout the cell cycle and cancer-related biological processes. Furthermore, PPI network, hub gene, and CMap analyses revealed that compounds 14 and 6 shared target genes with established microtubule inhibitors, indicating points of similarity between the two molecules and microtubule inhibitors in terms of the mechanism of action. They were also able to influence the polymerization process of tubulin, suggesting the potential of these new compounds to be used as efficient chemotherapeutic agents.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos , Calcogênios , Neoplasias , Humanos , Tubulina (Proteína)/genética , Tubulina (Proteína)/metabolismo , Relação Estrutura-Atividade , Proliferação de Células , Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Células HeLa , Moduladores de Tubulina/farmacologia , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Ensaios de Seleção de Medicamentos AntitumoraisRESUMO
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Aberrant DNA methylation is frequent in colorectal cancer (CRC), but underlying mechanisms and pathologic consequences are poorly understood. METHODS: We disrupted active DNA demethylation genes Tet1 and/or Tdg from ApcMin mice and characterized the methylome and transcriptome of colonic adenomas. Data were compared to human colonic adenocarcinomas (COAD) in The Cancer Genome Atlas. RESULTS: There were increased numbers of small intestinal adenomas in ApcMin mice expressing the TdgN151A allele, whereas Tet1-deficient and Tet1/TdgN151A-double heterozygous ApcMin colonic adenomas were larger with features of erosion and invasion. We detected reduction in global DNA hypomethylation in colonic adenomas from Tet1- and Tdg-mutant ApcMin mice and hypermethylation of CpG islands in Tet1-mutant ApcMin adenomas. Up-regulation of inflammatory, immune, and interferon response genes was present in Tet1- and Tdg-mutant colonic adenomas compared to control ApcMin adenomas. This up-regulation was also seen in murine colonic organoids and human CRC lines infected with lentiviruses expressing TET1 or TDG short hairpin RNA. A 127-gene inflammatory signature separated colonic adenocarcinomas into 4 groups, closely aligned with their microsatellite or chromosomal instability and characterized by different levels of DNA methylation and DNMT1 expression that anticorrelated with TET1 expression. Tumors with the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) had concerted high DNMT1/low TET1 expression. TET1 or TDG knockdown in CRC lines enhanced killing by natural killer cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal a novel epigenetic regulation, linked to the type of genomic instability, by which TET1/TDG-mediated DNA demethylation decreases methylation levels and inflammatory/interferon/immune responses. CIMP in CRC is triggered by an imbalance of methylating activities over demethylating activities. These mice represent a model of CIMP CRC.
Assuntos
Adenocarcinoma , Adenoma , Neoplasias do Colo , Neoplasias Colorretais , Animais , Humanos , Camundongos , Adenocarcinoma/genética , Adenocarcinoma/patologia , Adenoma/genética , Adenoma/patologia , Carcinogênese/genética , Transformação Celular Neoplásica/genética , Neoplasias do Colo/genética , Neoplasias Colorretais/genética , Neoplasias Colorretais/patologia , Ilhas de CpG/genética , Metilação de DNA , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/genética , Epigênese Genética , Oxigenases de Função Mista/genética , Fenótipo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas/genéticaRESUMO
Introduction: Colchicine-binding site inhibitors are some of the most interesting ligands belonging to the wider family of microtubule-destabilising agents.Results: A novel series of 4'-fluoro-substituted ligands (5-13) was synthesised. The antiproliferative activity assays resulted in nM values for the new benzotriazole-acrylonitrile derivatives. Compound 5, the hit compound, showed an evident blockade of HeLa cell cycle in the G2-M phase, but also a pro-apoptotic potential, and an increase of early and late apoptotic cells in HeLa and MCF-7 cell cycle analysis. Confocal microscopy analysis showed a segmented shape and a collapse of the cytoskeleton, as well as a consistent cell shrinkage after administration of 5 at 100 nM. Derivative 5 was also proved to compete with colchicine at colchicine-binding site, lowering its activity against tubulin polymerisation. In addition, co-administration of 5 and doxorubicin in drug-resistant A375 melanoma cell line highlighted a synergic potential in terms of inhibition of cell viability.Discussion: The 4'-fluoro substitution of benzotriazole-acrylonitrile scaffold brought us a step forward in the optimisation process to obtain compound 5 as promising MDA antiproliferative agent at nanomolar concentration.
Assuntos
Acrilonitrila , Antineoplásicos , Acrilonitrila/farmacologia , Antineoplásicos/química , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células , Colchicina/química , Ensaios de Seleção de Medicamentos Antitumorais , Células HeLa , Humanos , Ligantes , Microtúbulos/metabolismo , Simulação de Acoplamento Molecular , Relação Estrutura-Atividade , Triazóis , Tubulina (Proteína)/metabolismo , Moduladores de TubulinaRESUMO
A small library of novel 1,3,4-oxadiazole bioisosteres was synthesized and their cytotoxic activity evaluated in vitro. Five of the new derivatives (3, 6, 11, 14 and 15) showed high potency against different human cancer cell lines, with 14 being the most interesting compound endowed with IC50 ranging from 0.005 to 0.091 µM. Preliminary SAR studies have suggested that the-chlorine atom in ortho position of the phenyl ring on the 1,3,4-selenadiazole is important for antitumor potency in vitro. Notably, these new compounds showed stronger anti-tumor activity than the previously synthesized and published oxadiazole lead compound 2. Furthermore, the cytotoxic effect was only relevant in tumor cells compared to human primary cells. These results suggest that the nature of the selenadiazole and thiadiazole rings may be even more important for antitumor potency in vitro than the nature of the previously described oxadiazole. All five compounds resulted in a G2/M arrest of the cell cycle and activated an apoptotic response. The colony formation assay showed the long-term effect of the compounds on tumor lines in vitro. Immunofluorescence analysis of ß-tubulin indicated that all compounds interacted with micro-tubulin organization and mitotic spindle formation causing aberrant cell formation. For these reasons, the new molecules 3, 6, 11, 14 and 15 could be good candidates in preventive and chemotherapeutic strategies.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos , Calcogênios , Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Apoptose , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células , Calcogênios/farmacologia , Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga , Ensaios de Seleção de Medicamentos Antitumorais , Pontos de Checagem da Fase G2 do Ciclo Celular , Humanos , Estrutura Molecular , Oxidiazóis/farmacologia , Relação Estrutura-Atividade , Tubulina (Proteína)RESUMO
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common type of pediatric soft tissue sarcoma. It is classified into two main subtypes: embryonal (eRMS) and alveolar (aRMS). MYC family proteins are frequently highly expressed in RMS tumors, with the highest levels correlated with poor prognosis. A pharmacological approach to inhibit MYC in cancer cells is represented by Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal motif (BET) protein inhibitors. In this paper, we evaluated the effects of BET inhibitor (+)-JQ1 (JQ1) on the viability of aRMS and eRMS cells. Interestingly, we found that the drug sensitivity of RMS cell lines to JQ1 was directly proportional to the expression of MYC. JQ1 induces G1 arrest in cells with the highest steady-state levels of MYC, whereas apoptosis is associated with MYC downregulation. These findings suggest BET inhibition as an effective strategy for the treatment of RMS alone or in combination with other drugs.
Assuntos
Azepinas , Rabdomiossarcoma , Apoptose , Azepinas/farmacologia , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células , Criança , Humanos , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-myc/metabolismo , Rabdomiossarcoma/tratamento farmacológico , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Triazóis/farmacologiaRESUMO
(1) Tomentosin is the most representative sesquiterpene lactone extracted by I. viscosa. Recently, it has gained particular attention in therapeutic oncologic fields due to its anti-tumor properties. (2) In this study, the potential anticancer features of tomentosin were evaluated on human Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cell line, treated with increasing tomentosin concentration for cytotoxicity screening. (3) Our data showed that both cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis induction are responsible of the antiproliferative effects of tomentosin and may end in the inhibition of BL cell viability. Moreover, a microarray gene expression profile was performed to assess differentially expressed genes contributing to tomentosin activity. Seventy-five genes deregulated by tomentosin have been identified. Downregulated genes are enriched in immune-system pathways, and PI3K/AKT and JAK/STAT pathways which favor proliferation and growth processes. Importantly, different deregulated genes identified in tomentosin-treated BL cells are prevalent in molecular pathways known to lead to cellular death, specifically by apoptosis. Tomentosin-treatment in BL cells induces the downregulation of antiapoptotic genes such as BCL2A1 and CDKN1A and upregulation of the proapoptotic PMAIP1 gene. (4) Overall, our results suggest that tomentosin could be taken into consideration as a potential natural product with limited toxicity and relevant anti-tumoral activity in the therapeutic options available to BL patients.
RESUMO
Multiple myeloma (MM) is an aggressive B cell malignancy. Substantial progress has been made in the therapeutic context for patients with MM, however it still represents an incurable disease due to drug resistance and recurrence. Development of more effective or synergistic therapeutic approaches undoubtedly represents an unmet clinical need. Tomentosin is a bioactive natural sesquiterpene lactone extracted by various plants with therapeutic properties, including antineoplastic effects. In the present study, the potential antitumor activity of tomentosin was evaluated on the human RPMI8226 cell line, treated with increasing tomentosin concentration for cytotoxicity screening. The data suggested that both cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis could explain the antiproliferative effects of tomentosin and may result in the inhibition of RPMI8226 cell viability. To assess differentially expressed genes contributing to tomentosin activity and identify its mechanism of action, a microarray gene expression profile was performed, identifying 126 genes deregulated by tomentosin. To address the systems biology and identify how tomentosin deregulates gene expression in MM from a systems perspective, all deregulated genes were submitted to enrichment and molecular network analysis. The ProteinProtein Interaction (PPI) network analysis showed that tomentosin in human MM induced the downregulation of genes involved in several pathways known to lead immunesystem processes, such as cytokinecytokine receptor interaction, chemokine or NFκB signaling pathway, as well as genes involved in pathways playing a central role in cellular neoplastic processes, such as growth, proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis. Tomentosin also induced endoplasmic reticulum stress via upregulation of cyclic AMPdependent transcription factor ATF4 and DNA damageinducible transcript 3 protein genes, suggesting that in the presence of tomentosin the protective unfolded protein response signaling may induce cell apoptosis. The functional connections analysis executed using the Connectivity Map tool, suggested that the effects of tomentosin on RPMI8226 cells might be similar to those exerted by heat shock proteins inhibitors. Taken together, these data suggested that tomentosin may be a potential drug candidate for the treatment of MM.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos Fitogênicos/farmacologia , Apoptose/efeitos dos fármacos , Lactonas/farmacologia , Mieloma Múltiplo/tratamento farmacológico , Mieloma Múltiplo/genética , Sesquiterpenos/farmacologia , Apoptose/genética , Ciclo Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Ensaios de Seleção de Medicamentos Antitumorais , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica/efeitos dos fármacos , Humanos , Mieloma Múltiplo/patologia , Mapas de Interação de Proteínas/efeitos dos fármacos , Mapas de Interação de Proteínas/genética , Sesquiterpenos/químicaRESUMO
The fight against cancer is one of the main challenges for medical research. Recently, nanotechnology has made significant progress, providing possibilities for developing innovative nanomaterials to overcome the common limitations of current therapies. In this context, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) represent a promising nano-tool able to offer interesting applications for cancer research. Following this path, we combined the silver proprieties with Artemisia arborescens characteristics, producing novel nanoparticles called Artemisia-AgNPs. A "green" synthesis method was performed to produce Artemisia-AgNPs, using Artemisia arborescens extracts. This kind of photosynthesis is an eco-friendly, inexpensive, and fast approach. Moreover, the bioorganic molecules of plant extracts improved the biocompatibility and efficacy of Artemisia-AgNPs. The Artemisia-AgNPs were fully characterized and tested to compare their effects on various cancer cell lines, in particular HeLa and MCF-7. Artemisia-AgNPs treatment showed dose-dependent growth inhibition of cancer cells. Moreover, we evaluated their impact on the cell cycle, observing a G1 arrest mediated by Artemisia-AgNPs treatment. Using a clonogenic assay after treatment, we observed a complete lack of cell colonies, which demonstrated cell reproducibility death. To have a broader overview on gene expression impact, we performed RNA-sequencing, which demonstrated the potential of Artemisia-AgNPs as a suitable candidate tool in cancer research.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos , Apoptose/efeitos dos fármacos , Artemisia/química , Nanopartículas Metálicas , Prata , Antineoplásicos/síntese química , Antineoplásicos/química , Antineoplásicos/uso terapêutico , Apoptose/genética , Artemisia/metabolismo , Sobrevivência Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Sobrevivência Celular/genética , Ensaios de Seleção de Medicamentos Antitumorais , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica/efeitos dos fármacos , Química Verde , Células HeLa , Humanos , Células MCF-7 , Nanopartículas Metálicas/química , Nanopartículas Metálicas/uso terapêutico , Células PC-3 , Extratos Vegetais/química , Prata/química , Prata/uso terapêuticoRESUMO
Skeletal muscle formation represents a complex of highly organized and specialized systems that are still not fully understood. Epigenetic systems underline embryonic development, maintenance of stemness, and progression of differentiation. Polycomb group proteins play the role of gene silencing of stemness markers that regulate muscle differentiation. Enhancer of Zeste EZH2 is the catalytic subunit of the complex that is able to trimethylate lysine 27 of histone H3 and induce silencing of the involved genes. In embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma and several other tumors, EZH2 is often deregulated and, in some cases, is associated with tumor malignancy. This review explores the molecular processes underlying the failure of muscle differentiation with a focus on the PRC2 complex. These considerations could open new studies aimed at the development of new cutting-edge therapeutic strategies in the onset of Rhabdomyosarcoma.
Assuntos
Carcinogênese/genética , Desenvolvimento Muscular/genética , Músculo Esquelético/fisiopatologia , Proteínas de Neoplasias/genética , Complexo Repressor Polycomb 2/genética , Rabdomiossarcoma/genética , Rabdomiossarcoma/fisiopatologia , Diferenciação Celular , Epigênese Genética , HumanosRESUMO
Microtubules (MTs) are the principal target for drugs acting against mitosis. These compounds, called microtubule targeting agents (MTAs), cause a mitotic arrest during G2/M phase, subsequently inducing cell apoptosis. MTAs could be classified in two groups: microtubule stabilising agents (MSAs) and microtubule destabilising agents (MDAs). In this paper we present a new series of (E) (Z)-2-(5,6-difluoro-(1H)2H-benzo[d] [1,2,3]triazol-1(2)-yl)-3-(R)acrylonitrile (9a-j, 10e, 11a,b) and (E)-2-(1H-benzo[d] [1,2,3]triazol-1-yl)-3-(R)acrylonitrile derivatives (13d,j), which were recognised to act as MTAs agents. They were rationally designed, synthesised, characterised and subjected to different biological assessments. Computational docking was carried out in order to investigate the potential binding to the colchicine-binding site on tubulin. From this first prediction, the di-fluoro substitution seemed to be beneficial for the binding affinity with tubulin. The new fluorine derivatives, here presented, showed an improved antiproliferative activity when compared to the previously reported compounds. The biological evaluation included a preliminary antiproliferative screening on NCI60 cancer cells panel (1-10 µM). Compound 9a was selected as lead compound of the new series of derivatives. The in vitro XTT assay, flow cytometry analysis and immunostaining performed on HeLa cells treated with 9a showed a considerable antiproliferative effect, (IC50 = 3.2 µM), an increased number of cells in G2/M-phase, followed by an enhancement in cell division defects. Moreover, ß-tubulin staining confirmed 9a as a MDA triggering tubulin disassembly, whereas colchicine-9a competition assay suggested that compound 9a compete with colchicine for the binding site on tubulin. Then, the co-administration of compound 9a and an extrusion pump inhibitor (EPI) was investigated: the association resulted beneficial for the antiproliferative activity and compound 9a showed to be client of extrusion pumps. Finally, structural superimposition of different colchicine binding site inhibitors (CBIs) in clinical trial and our MDA, provided an additional confirmation of the targeting to the predicted binding site. Physicochemical, pharmacokinetic and druglikeness predictions were also conducted and all the newly synthesised derivatives showed to be drug-like molecules.
Assuntos
Acrilonitrila/farmacologia , Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Microtúbulos/efeitos dos fármacos , Triazóis/farmacologia , Acrilonitrila/química , Antineoplásicos/química , Proliferação de Células/efeitos dos fármacos , Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga , Ensaios de Seleção de Medicamentos Antitumorais , Células HeLa , Humanos , Mitose/efeitos dos fármacos , Simulação de Acoplamento Molecular , Estrutura Molecular , Relação Estrutura-Atividade , Triazóis/químicaRESUMO
1,3,4-Oxadiazole derivatives are widely used in research on antineoplastic drugs. Recently, we discovered a novel unsymmetrical 1,3,4-oxadiazole compound with antiproliferative properties called 2j. To further investigate its possible targets and molecular mechanisms, RNA-seq was performed and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained after treatment. Data were analyzed using functional (Gene Ontology term) and pathway (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) enrichment of the DEGs. The hub genes were determined by the analysis of protein-protein interaction networks. The connectivity map (CMap) information provided insight into the model action of antitumor small molecule drugs. Hub genes have been identified through function gene networks using STRING analysis. The small molecular targets obtained by CMap comparison showed that 2j is a tubulin inhibitor and it acts mainly affecting tumor cells through the cell cycle, FoxO signaling pathway, apoptotic, and p53 signaling pathways. The possible targets of 2j could be TUBA1A and TUBA4A. Molecular docking results indicated that 2j interacts at the colchicine-binding site on tubulin.
Assuntos
Oxidiazóis/química , Oxidiazóis/farmacologia , Sítios de Ligação , Ciclo Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Proliferação de Células/efeitos dos fármacos , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Regulação da Expressão Gênica/efeitos dos fármacos , Ontologia Genética , Redes Reguladoras de Genes , Células HeLa , Humanos , Simulação de Acoplamento Molecular , Mapas de Interação de Proteínas/efeitos dos fármacos , Mapas de Interação de Proteínas/genética , RNA-Seq , Reprodutibilidade dos TestesRESUMO
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive type of lung cancer with high mortality that is caused by frequent relapses and acquired resistance. Despite that several target-based approaches with potential therapeutic impact on SCLC have been identified, numerous targeted drugs have not been successful in providing improvements in cancer patients when used as single agents. A combination of targeted therapies could be a strategy to induce maximum lethal effects on cancer cells. As a starting point in the development of new drug combination strategies for the treatment of SCLC, we performed a mid-throughput screening assay by treating a panel of SCLC cell lines with BETi or AKi in combination with PARPi or EZH2i. We observed drug synergy between I-BET762 and Talazoparib, BETi and PARPi, respectively, in SCLC cells. Combinatorial efficacy was observed in MYCs-amplified and MYCs-wt SCLC cells over SCLC cells with impaired MYC signaling pathway or non-tumor cells. We indicate that drug synergy between I-BET762 and Talazoparib is associated with the attenuation HR-DSBR process and the downregulation of various players of DNA damage response by BET inhibition, such as CHEK2, PTEN, NBN, and FANCC. Our results provide a rationale for the development of new combinatorial strategies for the treatment of SCLC.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Benzodiazepinas/farmacologia , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas/metabolismo , Neoplasias Pulmonares/metabolismo , Ftalazinas/farmacologia , Inibidores de Poli(ADP-Ribose) Polimerases/farmacologia , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Células Cultivadas , Dano ao DNA/efeitos dos fármacos , Sinergismo Farmacológico , HumanosRESUMO
Burkitt lymphoma is a very aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Although remarkable progress has been made in the therapeutic scenario for patients with Burkitt lymphoma, search and development of new effective anticancer agents to improve patient outcome and minimize toxicity has become an urgent issue. In this study, the antitumoral activity of Inula viscosa, a traditional herb obtained from plants collected on the Asinara Island, Italy, was evaluated in order to explore potential antineoplastic effects of its metabolites on Burkitt lymphoma. Raji human cell line was treated with increasing Inula viscosa extract concentration for cytotoxicity screening and subsequent establishment of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Moreover, gene expression profiles were performed to identify molecular mechanisms involved in the anticancer activities of this medical plant. The Inula viscosa extract exhibited powerful antiproliferative and cytotoxic activities on Raji cell line, showing a dose- and time-dependent decrease in cell viability, obtained by cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase and an increase in cell apoptosis. The treatment with Inula viscosa caused downregulation of genes involved in cell cycle and proliferation (c-MYC, CCND1) and inhibition of cell apoptosis (BCL2, BCL2L1, BCL11A). The Inula viscosa extract causes strong anticancer effects on Burkitt lymphoma cell line. The molecular mechanisms underlying such antineoplastic activity are based on targeting and downregulation of genes involved in cell cycle and apoptosis. Our data suggest that Inula viscosa natural metabolites should be further exploited as potential antineoplastic agents against Burkitt lymphoma.
Assuntos
Linfoma de Burkitt/tratamento farmacológico , Proliferação de Células/efeitos dos fármacos , Inula/química , Proteínas de Neoplasias/genética , Apoptose/efeitos dos fármacos , Linfoma de Burkitt/genética , Linfoma de Burkitt/patologia , Pontos de Checagem do Ciclo Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica/efeitos dos fármacos , Humanos , Extratos Vegetais/química , Extratos Vegetais/farmacologiaRESUMO
The base excision repair DNA N-glycosylase MBD4 (also known as MED1), an interactor of the DNA mismatch repair protein MLH1, plays a central role in the maintenance of genomic stability of CpG sites by removing thymine and uracil from G:T and G:U mismatches, respectively. MBD4 is also involved in DNA damage response and transcriptional regulation. The interaction with other proteins is likely critical for understanding MBD4 functions. To identify novel proteins that interact with MBD4, we used tandem affinity purification (TAP) from HEK-293 cells. The MBD4-TAP fusion and its co-associated proteins were purified sequentially on IgG and calmodulin affinity columns; the final eluate was shown to contain MLH1 by western blotting, and MBD4-associated proteins were identified by mass spectrometry. Bands with molecular weight higher than that expected for MBD4 (Ë66â¯kD) yielded peptides corresponding to MBD4 itself and the small ubiquitin-like molecule-1 (SUMO1), suggesting that MBD4 is sumoylated in vivo. MBD4 sumoylation was validated by co-immunoprecipitation in HEK-293 and MCF7 cells, and by an in vitrosumoylation assay. Sequence and mutation analysis identified three main sumoylation sites: MBD4 is sumoylated preferentially on K137, with additional sumoylation at K215 and K377. Patterns of MBD4 sumoylation were altered, in a DNA damage-specific way, by the anti-metabolite 5-fluorouracil, the alkylating agent N-Methyl-N-nitrosourea and the crosslinking agent cisplatin. MCF7 extract expressing sumoylated MBD4 displays higher thymine glycosylase activity than the unmodified species. Of the 67 MBD4 missense mutations reported in The Cancer Genome Atlas, 14 (20.9%) map near sumoylation sites. These results indicate that MBD4 is sumoylated in vivo in a DNA damage-specific manner, and suggest that sumoylation serves to regulate its repair activity and could be compromised in cancer. This study expands the role played by sumoylation in fine-tuning DNA damage response and repair.
Assuntos
Reparo do DNA , Endodesoxirribonucleases/metabolismo , Proteína SUMO-1/metabolismo , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Sítios de Ligação , Dano ao DNA , Endodesoxirribonucleases/química , Endodesoxirribonucleases/genética , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Células MCF-7 , Mutação , Neoplasias/genética , SumoilaçãoRESUMO
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a pediatric tumor, which arises from muscle precursor cells. Recently, it has been demonstrated that Hippo Pathway (Hpo), a pathway that regulates several physiological and biological features, is involved in RMS tumorigenesis. For instance, an upregulation of the Hpo downstream effector Yes-Associated Protein 1 (YAP) leads to the development of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (eRMS) in murine activated muscle satellite cells. On the other hand, the YAP paralog transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) is overexpressed in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (aRMS) patients with poor survival. YAP and TAZ exhibit both cytoplasmic and nuclear functions. In the nucleus, YAP binds TEADs (TEA domain family members) factors and together they constitute a complex that is able either to activate the transcription of several genes such as MYC, Tbx5 and PAX8 or to maintain the stability of others like p73. Due to the key role of YAP and TAZ in cancer, the identification and/or development of new compounds able to block their activity might be an effective antineoplastic strategy. Verteporfin (VP) is a molecule able to stop the formation of YAP/TEAD complex in the nucleus. The aim of this study is to evaluate the action of VP on RMS cell lines. This work shows that VP has an anti-proliferative activity on all RMS cell lines analyzed. Depending on RMS cell lines, VP affects cell cycle differently. Moreover, VP is able to decrease YAP protein levels, and to induce the activation of apoptosis mechanism through the cleavage of PARP-1. In addition, Annexin V assay showed the activation of apoptosis and necrosis after VP treatment. In summary, the ability of VP to disrupt RMS cell proliferation could be a novel and valuable strategy to improve the therapeutic approaches in treating rhabdomyosarcoma.
Assuntos
Proliferação de Células/efeitos dos fármacos , Verteporfina/farmacologia , Aciltransferases , Proteínas de Ciclo Celular , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Pontos de Checagem da Fase G1 do Ciclo Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Humanos , Proteínas Nucleares/metabolismo , Poli(ADP-Ribose) Polimerase-1/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-myc/genética , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-myc/metabolismo , Rabdomiossarcoma Alveolar/metabolismo , Rabdomiossarcoma Alveolar/patologia , Rabdomiossarcoma Embrionário/metabolismo , Rabdomiossarcoma Embrionário/patologia , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismoRESUMO
Nowadays, epigenetics covers a crucial role in different fields of science. The enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), the catalytic subunit of the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2), is a big proponent of how epigenetic changes can affect the initiation and progression of several diseases. Through its catalytic activity, responsible for the tri-methylation of lysine 27 of the histone H3 (H3K27me3), EZH2 is a good target for both diagnosis and therapy of different pathologies. A large number of studies have demonstrated its crucial role in cancer initiation and progression. Nevertheless, only recently its function in virus diseases has been uncovered; therefore, EZH2 can be an important promoter of viral carcinogenesis. This review explores the role of EZH2 in viral epigenetics based on recent progress that demonstrated the role of this protein in virus environment. In particular, the review focuses on EZH2 behavior in Hepatitis B Virus, analyzing its role in the rise of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
Assuntos
Carcinogênese/genética , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/genética , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/virologia , Proteína Potenciadora do Homólogo 2 de Zeste/genética , Epigênese Genética/genética , Vírus da Hepatite B/genética , Neoplasias Hepáticas/genética , Neoplasias Hepáticas/virologia , Animais , Carcinogênese/patologia , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/patologia , Hepatite B/genética , Hepatite B/virologia , Humanos , Neoplasias Hepáticas/patologiaRESUMO
Cell proliferation assays are performed by four decades to test the anti-proliferative activity of natural products and synthetic compounds in cell cultures. In cancer research, they are widely employed to evaluate drug efficacy in in vitro tumor models, such as established cell lines, primary cultures, and recently developed three-dimensional tumor organoids. In this manuscript, we demonstrated that current employed parameters used by researchers to quantify in vitro growth inhibition, IC50 and GI50 , lead to a misinterpretation of results based on the exponential, and not linear, proliferation of the cells in culture. Therefore, we introduce a new parameter for the analysis of growth inhibition in cell proliferation assays, termed relative population doubling capacity, that can be employed to properly quantify the anti-proliferative activity of tested compounds and to compare drug efficacy between distinct cell models.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Proliferação de Células/efeitos dos fármacos , Neoplasias/tratamento farmacológico , Organoides/efeitos dos fármacos , Animais , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Ensaios de Seleção de Medicamentos Antitumorais , Humanos , Camundongos , Neoplasias/patologia , Ensaios Antitumorais Modelo de XenoenxertoRESUMO
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a soft tissue sarcoma that arises from muscle precursors affecting predominately children and young adults. It can be divided into two main classes: embryonal (eRMS) and alveolar rhabodomyosarcomas (aRMS). Despite the expression of early muscle specific genes, RMS cells fail to complete myogenesis even in differentiation conditions. We previously demonstrated that Enhancer Zeste of Homolog 2 (EZH2), the catalytic subunits of PRC2 complex, contributes to inhibit muscle differentiation in eRMS and its down-regulation causes a partial recovery of myogenesis. 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) is a molecule able to induce differentiation in eRMS with a mechanism that involves the protein kinase C (PKC). In this paper we report that treatment with TPA reduces the expression of EZH2 without affecting levels of H3K27me3. The combination of TPA with GSK126, an inhibitor of the catalytic activity of EZH2, has a synergic effect on the induction of muscle differentiation in RD rhabdomyosarcoma cells, suggesting a new therapeutic combinatory approach for RMS treatment.