Antitumor activity of anlotinib in malignant melanoma: modulation of angiogenesis and vasculogenic mimicry.

Malignant melanoma presents a formidable challenge due to its aggressive metastatic behavior and limited response to current treatments. To address this, our study delves into the impact of anlotinib on angiogenesis and vasculogenic mimicry using malignant melanoma cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Evaluating tubular structure formation, cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and key signaling molecules in angiogenesis, we demonstrated that anlotinib exerts a dose-dependent inhibition on tubular structures and effectively suppresses cell growth and invasion in both cell types. Furthermore, in a mouse xenograft model, anlotinib treatment resulted in reduced tumor growth and vascular density. Notably, the downregulation of VEGFR-2, FGFR-1, PDGFR-ß, and PI3K underscored the multitargeted antitumor activity of anlotinib. Our findings emphasize the therapeutic potential of anlotinib in targeting angiogenesis and vasculogenic mimicry, contributing to the development of novel strategies for combating malignant melanoma.

A novel PDGFR inhibitor WQ-C-401 prevents pulmonary vascular remodeling in rats with monocrotaline-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is one of the most important cytokines associated with pulmonary vascular remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). PDGF receptor (PDGFR) inhibition exerted therapeutic effects on PAH in clinical trials, but serious side effects warrant the withdrawal of existing drugs. In this study, a novel highly selective PDGFR inhibitor WQ-C-401 was developed, and its effects on PDGFR signaling pathway and pulmonary vascular remodeling in PAH were investigated. Cell proliferation assays and Western blot analysis of PDGFRα/ß phosphorylation showed that WQ-C-401 inhibited PDGFR-mediated cell proliferation assay and suppressed PDGFR phosphorylation in a concentration-dependent manner. DiscoverX's KinomeScanTM technology confirmed the good kinome selectivity of WQ-C-401 (S score (1) of PDGFR = (0.01)). In monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PAH rats, intragastric administration of WQ-C-401 (25, 50, 100 mg/kg/d) or imatinib (50 mg/kg/d, positive control) significantly decreased right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP). Histological analysis demonstrated that WQ-C-401 inhibited pulmonary vascular remodeling by reducing muscularization and fibrosis, as well as alleviated right ventricular hypertrophy in MCT-treated rats. In addition, WQ-C-401 suppressed MCT-induced cell hyperproliferation and CD68+ macrophage infiltration around the pulmonary artery. In vitro, WQ-C-401 inhibited PDGF-BB-induced proliferation and migration of human pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). Moreover, Western blot analysis showed that WQ-C-401 concertration-dependently inhibited PDGF-BB-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and PDGFRß Y751, decreased collagen Ⅰ synthesis and increased alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression in PASMCs. Collectively, our results suggest that WQ-C-401 is a selective and potent PDGFR inhibitor which could be a promising drug for the therapeutics of PAH by preventing pulmonary vascular remodeling.

Platelet-Derived Growth Factor B Is a Key Element in the Pathological Bone Formation of Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Enthesophyte formation plays a crucial role in the development of spinal ankylosis in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). We aimed to investigate the role of platelet-derived growth factor B (PDGFB) in enthesophyte formation of AS using in vitro and in vivo models and to determine the association between PDGFB and spinal progression in AS. Serum PDGFB levels were measured in AS patients and healthy controls (HC). Human entheseal tissues attached to facet joints or spinous processes were harvested at the time of surgery and investigated for bone-forming activity. The impact of a pharmacological agonist and antagonist of platelet-derived growth factor B receptor (PDGFRB) were investigated respectively in curdlan-treated SKG mice. PDGFB levels were elevated in AS sera and correlated with radiographic progression of AS in the spine. Mature osteoclasts secreting PDGFB proteins were increased in the AS group compared with HC and were observed in bony ankylosis tissues of AS. Expression of PDGFRB was significantly elevated in the spinous enthesis and facet joints of AS compared with controls. Moreover, recombinant PDGFB treatment accelerated bone mineralization of enthesis cells, which was pronounced in AS, whereas PDGFRB inhibition efficiently reduced the PDGFB-induced bone mineralization. Also, PDGFRB inhibition attenuated the severity of arthritis and enthesophyte formation at the joints of curdlan-treated SKG mice. This study suggests that regulating PDGFB/PDGFRB signaling could be a novel therapeutic strategy to block key pathophysiological processes of AS. © 2022 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).

SU16f inhibits fibrotic scar formation and facilitates axon regeneration and locomotor function recovery after spinal cord injury by blocking the PDGFRß pathway.

BACKGROUND: Excessively deposited fibrotic scar after spinal cord injury (SCI) inhibits axon regeneration. It has been reported that platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRß), as a marker of fibrotic scar-forming fibroblasts, can only be activated by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) B or PDGFD. However, whether the activation of the PDGFRß pathway can mediate fibrotic scar formation after SCI remains unclear. METHODS: A spinal cord compression injury mouse model was used. In situ injection of exogenous PDGFB or PDGFD in the spinal cord was used to specifically activate the PDGFRß pathway in the uninjured spinal cord, while intrathecal injection of SU16f was used to specifically block the PDGFRß pathway in the uninjured or injured spinal cord. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to explore the distributions and cell sources of PDGFB and PDGFD, and to evaluate astrocytic scar, fibrotic scar, inflammatory cells and axon regeneration after SCI. Basso Mouse Scale (BMS) and footprint analysis were performed to evaluate locomotor function recovery after SCI. RESULTS: We found that the expression of PDGFD and PDGFB increased successively after SCI, and PDGFB was mainly secreted by astrocytes, while PDGFD was mainly secreted by macrophages/microglia and fibroblasts. In addition, in situ injection of exogenous PDGFB or PDGFD can lead to fibrosis in the uninjured spinal cord, while this profibrotic effect could be specifically blocked by the PDGFRß inhibitor SU16f. We then treated the mice after SCI with SU16f and found the reduction of fibrotic scar, the interruption of scar boundary and the inhibition of lesion and inflammation, which promoted axon regeneration and locomotor function recovery after SCI. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that activation of PDGFRß pathway can directly induce fibrotic scar formation, and specific blocking of this pathway would contribute to the treatment of SCI.

Resound Trial: A phase 2 study of regorafenib in patients with thymoma (type B2-B3) and thymic carcinoma previously treated with chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis has an important role in thymic epithelial tumors (TETs). Regorafenib inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs), platelet-derived growth factor receptor ß (PDGFR-ß), and fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs). This study explored the activity of regorafenib as monotherapy in patients with advanced or recurrent B2-B3 thymoma (T) and thymic carcinoma (TC) previously treated with platinum-containing chemotherapy. METHODS: A Fleming single-arm, single-stage, phase 2 trial to evaluate the activity of regorafenib (160 mg once a day by mouth for 3 weeks on/1 week off) was planned. The study was designed to reject the null hypothesis of an 8-week progression-free survival (PFS) rate ≤25% with a type I error of 0.10 and a statistical power of 80% at the alternative hypothesis of an 8-week PFS rate of ≥50% (≥8 of 19 evaluable patients progression-free at 2 months). RESULTS: From June 2016 to November 2017, 19 patients were enrolled (11T/8TC). We observed partial response (PR) in 1 patient (1T) (5.3%), stable disease (SD) in 14 patients (9T/5TC) (73.7%), and progressive disease in 2 patients (1T/1TC) (10.5%), with a disease control rate of 78.9%. According to Choi-criteria, 13 patients (68.4%) achieved PR, and 2 patients SD (10.5%). The median PFS was 9.6 months whereas median overall survival was 33.8 months. The 8-week PFS rate was 78.9% (15 of 19 patients). Grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events were observed in 10 patients (52.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The primary end point of this study was reached. The high rate of PR (Choi-criteria) suggests antitumor activity of regorafenib in TETs. On the basis of survival outcomes, the efficacy of regorafenib should be further evaluated in larger studies.

A human multi-lineage hepatic organoid model for liver fibrosis.

To investigate the pathogenesis of a congenital form of hepatic fibrosis, human hepatic organoids were engineered to express the most common causative mutation for Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease (ARPKD). Here we show that these hepatic organoids develop the key features of ARPKD liver pathology (abnormal bile ducts and fibrosis) in only 21 days. The ARPKD mutation increases collagen abundance and thick collagen fiber production in hepatic organoids, which mirrors ARPKD liver tissue pathology. Transcriptomic and other analyses indicate that the ARPKD mutation generates cholangiocytes with increased TGFß pathway activation, which are actively involved stimulating myofibroblasts to form collagen fibers. There is also an expansion of collagen-producing myofibroblasts with markedly increased PDGFRB protein expression and an activated STAT3 signaling pathway. Moreover, the transcriptome of ARPKD organoid myofibroblasts resemble those present in commonly occurring forms of liver fibrosis. PDGFRB pathway involvement was confirmed by the anti-fibrotic effect observed when ARPKD organoids were treated with PDGFRB inhibitors. Besides providing insight into the pathogenesis of congenital (and possibly acquired) forms of liver fibrosis, ARPKD organoids could also be used to test the anti-fibrotic efficacy of potential anti-fibrotic therapies.

Single Domain Antibodies as Carriers for Intracellular Drug Delivery: A Proof of Principle Study.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are currently used for the targeted delivery of drugs to diseased cells, but intracellular drug delivery and therefore efficacy may be suboptimal because of the large size, slow internalization and ineffective intracellular trafficking of the antibody. Using a phage display method selecting internalizing phages only, we developed internalizing single domain antibodies (sdAbs) with high binding affinity to rat PDGFRß, a receptor involved in different types of diseases. We demonstrate that these constructs have different characteristics with respect to internalization rates but all traffic to lysosomes. To compare their efficacy in targeted drug delivery, we conjugated the sdAbs to a cytotoxic drug. The conjugates showed improved cytotoxicity correlating to their internalization speed. The efficacy of the conjugates was inhibited in the presence of vacuolin-1, an inhibitor of lysosomal maturation, suggesting lysosomal trafficking is needed for efficient drug release. In conclusion, sdAb constructs with different internalization rates can be designed against the same target, and sdAbs with a high internalization rate induce more cell killing than sdAbs with a lower internalization rate in vitro. Even though the overall efficacy should also be tested in vivo, sdAbs are particularly interesting formats to be explored to obtain different internalization rates.

Lenvatinib Targets PDGFR-ß Pericytes and Inhibits Synergy With Thyroid Carcinoma Cells: Novel Translational Insights.

CONTEXT: Pericyte populations abundantly express tyrosine kinases (eg, platelet-derived growth factor receptor-ß [PDGFR-ß]) and impact therapeutic response. Lenvatinib is a clinically available tyrosine kinase inhibitor that also targets PDGFR-ß. Duration of therapeutic response was shorter in patients with greater disease burden and metastasis. Patients may develop drug resistance and tumor progression. OBJECTIVES: Develop a gene signature of pericyte abundance to assess with tumor aggressiveness and determine both the response of thyroid-derived pericytes to lenvatinib and their synergies with thyroid carcinoma-derived cells. DESIGN: Using a new gene signature, we estimated the relative abundance of pericytes in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and normal thyroid (NT) TCGA samples. We also cocultured CD90+;PAX8- thyroid-derived pericytes and BRAFWT/V600E-PTC-derived cells to determine effects of coculture on paracrine communications and lenvatinib response. RESULTS: Pericyte abundance is significantly higher in BRAFV600E-PTC with hTERT mutations and copy number alterations compared with NT or BRAFWT-PTC samples, even when data are corrected for clinical-pathologic confounders. We have identified upregulated pathways important for tumor survival, immunomodulation, RNA transcription, cell-cycle regulation, and cholesterol metabolism. Pericyte growth is significantly increased by platelet-derived growth factor-BB, which activates phospho(p)-PDGFR-ß, pERK1/2, and pAKT. Lenvatinib strongly inhibits pericyte viability by down-regulating MAPK, pAKT, and p-p70S6-kinase downstream PDGFR-ß. Critically, lenvatinib significantly induces higher BRAFWT/V600E-PTC cell death when cocultured with pericytes, as a result of pericyte targeting via PDGFR-ß. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first thyroid-specific model of lenvatinib therapeutic efficacy against pericyte viability, which disadvantages BRAFWT/V600E-PTC growth. Assessing pericyte abundance in patients with PTC could be essential to selection rationales for appropriate targeted therapy with lenvatinib.

Morphology/Interstitial Fluid Pressure-Tunable Nanopomegranate Designed by Alteration of Membrane Fluidity under Tumor Enzyme and PEGylation.

Up to now, insufficient drug accumulation in tumor remains a major challenge for nanochemotherapy. However, the spherical nanocarriers with large diameter, which are beneficial for blood circulation and tumor extravasation, cannot travel deep in a tumor. Additionally, high tumor interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) in the tumor microenvironment may promote the efflux of the penetrable nanodrugs. Therefore, the size and shape of nanocarriers as well as the tumoral IFP can be regulated synchronously for improved tumor penetration and combined chemotherapy. Herein, a novel dual-functional polymer-polypeptide (Biotin-PEG2000-GKGPRQITITK) for both verified tumor targeting and responsiveness was synthesized to construct the "peel" of nanopomegranate-like nanovectors (DI-MPL), in which docetaxel-loaded micelles was encapsulated as "seeds". Interestingly, DI-MPL was endowed multi-abilities of tunable size/shape switch and controlled release of IFP alleviator imatinib (IM), which were developed with one and the same strategy-alteration of membrane fluidity under the cleavage of polymer-polypeptide and PEGylation. As a result, the peel of DI-MPL could turn into small pieces with the seed scattered out in response to matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), making nanopomegranate (180 nm) switch into spheres/disks (40 nm), during which IM is released to reduce IFP synchronously. With prominent tumor penetration ability in both multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS) and tumor tissue, DI-MPL exhibited optimal inhibition of MCTS growth and the enhanced chemotherapy in comparison to other preparations. Meanwhile, the improved penetrability of DI-MPL in tumor tissue was found to be related to the reduced IFP, which is achieved via inhibiting expression of phosphorylated platelet-derived growth factor receptor-ß (p-PDGFR-ß) by IM. Altogether, the bilateral adjusting strategies from nanocarrier size/shape and tumoral IFP with a single enzyme-responsive material could provide a potential combined chemotherapy to improve tumor penetration.

GYY4137 alleviates sepsis-induced acute lung injury in mice by inhibiting the PDGFRß/Akt/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway.

AIMS: GYY4137 [GYY, morpholin-4-ium-4-methoxyphenyl (morpholino) phosphinodithioate] is a novel and perfect hydrogen sulfide (H2S) donor that is stable in vivo and in vitro. H2S, along with CO and NO, has been recognized as the third physiological gas signaling molecule that plays an active role in fighting various lung infections. However, the mechanism by which GYY4137 affects cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) is not understood. This study aimed to investigate whether GYY4137 inhibits the activation of the pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome by inhibiting the PDGFRß/Akt/NF-κB pathway. MAIN METHODS: The model of CLP-induced ALI was established in vivo. The mice were subsequently treated with GYY4137 (25 µg/g and 50 µg/g) to simulate the realistic conditions of pathogenesis. Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining were used to examine protein expression, hematoxylin and eosin staining was used for the histopathological analysis, and the levels of inflammatory factors were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). KEY FINDINGS: GYY4137 significantly increased the 7-day survival of mice with septic peritonitis and protected against CLP-induced ALI, including decreasing neutrophil infiltration, improving sepsis-induced lung histopathological changes, diminishing lung tissue damage, and attenuating the severity of lung injury in mice. The protective effect of GYY4137 was undoubtedly dose-dependent. We discovered that GYY4137 reduced the levels of the p-PDGFRß, p-NF-κB, ASC, NLRP3, caspase-1, and p-Akt proteins in septic mouse lung tissue. Akt regulates the generation of proinflammatory cytokines in endotoxemia-associated ALI by enhancing the nuclear translocation of NF-κB. SIGNIFICANCE: These results indicate a new molecular mechanism explaining the effect of GYY4137 on the treatment of CLP-induced ALI in mice.

Syntheses and evaluation of acridone-naphthalimide derivatives for regulating oncogene PDGFR-ß expression.

Upregulation of platelet-derived growth factor receptor ß (PDGFR-ß) has been found to be associated with development of various types of cancers, which has become an attractive target for anti-tumor treatment. Previously, we have synthesized and studied an acridone derivative B19, which can selectively bind to and stabilize oncogene c-myc promoter i-motif, resulting in down-regulation of c-myc transcription and translation, however its effect on tumor cells apoptosis requires improvement. In the present study, we synthesized a variety of B19 derivatives containing a known anti-cancer fluorescent chromophore naphthalimide for the purpose of enhancing anti-cancer activity. After screening, we found that acridone-naphthalimide derivative WZZ02 could selectively stabilize PDGFR-ß promoter G-quadruplex and destabilize its corresponding i-motif structure, without significant interaction to other oncogenes promoter G-quadruplex and i-motif. WZZ02 down-regulated PDGFR-ß gene transcription and translation in a dose-dependent manner, possibly due to above interactions. WZZ02 could significantly inhibit cancer cell proliferation, and induce cell apoptosis and cycle arrest. WZZ02 exhibited tumor growth inhibition activity in MCF-7 xenograft tumor model, which could be due to its binding interactions with PDGFR-ß promoter G-quadruplex and i-motif. Our results suggested that WZZ02 as a dual G-quadruplex/i-motif binder could be effective on both oncogene replication and transcription, which could become a promising lead compound for further development with improved potency and selectivity. The wide properties for the derivatives of 1,8-naphthalimide could facilitate further in-depth mechanistic studies of WZZ02 through various fluorescent physical and chemical methods, which could help to further understand the function of PDGFR-ß gene promoter G-quadruplex and i-motif.

PDGFRß is an essential therapeutic target for BRCA1-deficient mammary tumors.

BACKGROUND: Basal-like breast cancers (BLBCs) are a leading cause of cancer death due to their capacity to metastasize and lack of effective therapies. More than half of BLBCs have a dysfunctional BRCA1. Although most BRCA1-deficient cancers respond to DNA-damaging agents, resistance and tumor recurrence remain a challenge to survival outcomes for BLBC patients. Additional therapies targeting the pathways aberrantly activated by BRCA1 deficiency are urgently needed. METHODS: Most BRCA1-deficient BLBCs carry a dysfunctional INK4-RB pathway. Thus, we created genetically engineered mice with Brca1 loss and deletion of p16INK4A, or separately p18INK4C, to model the deficient INK4-RB signaling in human BLBC. By using these mutant mice and human BRCA1-deficient and proficient breast cancer tissues and cells, we tested if there exists a druggable target in BRCA1-deficient breast cancers. RESULTS: Heterozygous germline or epithelium-specific deletion of Brca1 in p18INK4C- or p16INK4A-deficient mice activated Pdgfrß signaling, induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and led to BLBCs. Confirming this role, targeted deletion of Pdgfrß in Brca1-deficient tumor cells promoted cell death, induced mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition, and suppressed tumorigenesis. Importantly, we also found that pharmaceutical inhibition of Pdgfrß and its downstream target Pkcα suppressed Brca1-deficient tumor initiation and progression and effectively killed BRCA1-deficient cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our work offers the first genetic and biochemical evidence that PDGFRß-PKCα signaling is repressed by BRCA1, which establishes PDGFRß-PKCα signaling as a therapeutic target for BRCA1-deficient breast cancers.

Aptamer targeted therapy potentiates immune checkpoint blockade in triple-negative breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a uniquely aggressive cancer with high rates of relapse due to resistance to chemotherapy. TNBC expresses higher levels of programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) compared to other breast cancers, providing the rationale for the recently approved immunotherapy with anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). A huge effort is dedicated to identify actionable biomarkers allowing for combination therapies with immune-checkpoint blockade. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor ß (PDGFRß) is highly expressed in invasive TNBC, both on tumor cells and tumor microenvironment. We recently proved that tumor growth and lung metastases are impaired in mouse models of human TNBC by a high efficacious PDGFRß aptamer. Hence, we aimed at investigating the effectiveness of a novel combination treatment with the PDGFRß aptamer and anti-PD-L1 mAbs in TNBC. METHODS: The targeting ability of the anti-human PDGFRß aptamer toward the murine receptor was verified by streptavidin-biotin assays and confocal microscopy, and its inhibitory function by transwell migration assays. The anti-proliferative effects of the PDGFRß aptamer/anti-PD-L1 mAbs combination was assessed in human MDA-MB-231 and murine 4 T1 TNBC cells, both grown as monolayer or co-cultured with lymphocytes. Tumor cell lysis and cytokines secretion by lymphocytes were analyzed by LDH quantification and ELISA, respectively. Orthotopic 4 T1 xenografts in syngeneic mice were used for dissecting the effect of aptamer/mAb combination on tumor growth, metastasis and lymphocytes infiltration. Ex vivo analyses through immunohistochemistry, RT-qPCR and immunoblotting were performed. RESULTS: We show that the PDGFRß aptamer potentiates the anti-proliferative activity of anti-PD-L1 mAbs on both human and murine TNBC cells, according to its human/mouse cross-reactivity. Further, by binding to activated human and mouse lymphocytes, the aptamer enhances the anti-PD-L1 mAb-induced cytotoxicity of lymphocytes against tumor cells. Importantly, the aptamer heightens the antibody efficacy in inhibiting tumor growth and lung metastases in mice. It acts on both tumor cells, inhibiting Akt and ERK1/2 signaling pathways, and immune populations, increasing intratumoral CD8 + T cells and reducing FOXP3 + Treg cells. CONCLUSION: Co-treatment of PDGFRß aptamer with anti-PD-L1 mAbs is a viable strategy, thus providing for the first time an evidence of the efficacy of PDGFRß/PD-L1 co-targeting combination therapy in TNBC.

Activation of platelet-derived growth factor receptor ß in the severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus infection.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), an emerging viral infectious disease with a high case fatality rate, is caused by the SFTS virus (SFTSV). Although several cellular molecules involved in viral entry have been identified, the entry mechanisms of SFTSV remain unclear. In this study, we screened the protein kinase inhibitors in inhibitory effects on the infection of Vero cells with SFTSV using InhibitorSelect™ Protein Kinase Library Series (Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA). Several types of inhibitors targeted to platelet-derived growth factor receptor ß (PDGFRß) inhibited the infection of Vero, Huh7, and NIH3T3 cells with SFTSV in a dose-dependent manner within the noncytotoxic range. In addition, these protein kinase inhibitors also inhibited the infection of the target cells with SFTSV glycoprotein (SFTSV-GP) pseudotyped virus (SFTSVpv). Activation of PDGFRß phosphorylation was detected in SFTSV-treated cells. The infectivities of SFTSVpv were specifically decreased not only in NIH3T3 cells treated with siRNA for PDGFRß but also in NIH3T3 cells treated with anti-PDGFRß neutralizing antibody in a dose-dependent manner. SFTSV growth and entry of SFTSVpv were also inhibited by Akt inhibitors. Activation of Akt phosphorylation was also detected in SFTSV-treated cells. These data indicate that PDGFRß is one of the important host factors in the entry steps of SFTSV.

TGFß acts through PDGFRß to activate mTORC1 via the Akt/PRAS40 axis and causes glomerular mesangial cell hypertrophy and matrix protein expression.

Interaction of transforming growth factor-ß (TGFß)-induced canonical signaling with the noncanonical kinase cascades regulates glomerular hypertrophy and matrix protein deposition, which are early features of glomerulosclerosis. However, the specific target downstream of the TGFß receptor involved in the noncanonical signaling is unknown. Here, we show that TGFß increased the catalytic loop phosphorylation of platelet-derived growth factor receptor ß (PDGFRß), a receptor tyrosine kinase expressed abundantly in glomerular mesangial cells. TGFß increased phosphorylation of the PI 3-kinase-interacting Tyr-751 residue of PDGFRß, thus activating Akt. Inhibition of PDGFRß using a pharmacological inhibitor and siRNAs blocked TGFß-stimulated phosphorylation of proline-rich Akt substrate of 40 kDa (PRAS40), an intrinsic inhibitory component of mTORC1, and prevented activation of mTORC1 in the absence of any effect on Smad 2/3 phosphorylation. Expression of constitutively active myristoylated Akt reversed the siPDGFRß-mediated inhibition of mTORC1 activity; however, co-expression of the phospho-deficient mutant of PRAS40 inhibited the effect of myristoylated Akt, suggesting a definitive role of PRAS40 phosphorylation in mTORC1 activation downstream of PDGFRß in mesangial cells. Additionally, we demonstrate that PDGFRß-initiated phosphorylation of PRAS40 is required for TGFß-induced mesangial cell hypertrophy and fibronectin and collagen I (α2) production. Increased activating phosphorylation of PDGFRß is also associated with enhanced TGFß expression and mTORC1 activation in the kidney cortex and glomeruli of diabetic mice and rats, respectively. Thus, pursuing TGFß noncanonical signaling, we identified how TGFß receptor I achieves mTORC1 activation through PDGFRß-mediated Akt/PRAS40 phosphorylation to spur mesangial cell hypertrophy and matrix protein accumulation. These findings provide support for targeting PDGFRß in TGFß-driven renal fibrosis.

Spinal Opioid Tolerance Depends upon Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor-ß Signaling, Not µ-Opioid Receptor Internalization.

Opioids are some of the most potent analgesics available. However, their effectiveness is limited by the development of analgesic tolerance. Traditionally, tolerance was thought to occur by termination of µ-opioid receptor (MOR) signaling via desensitization and internalization. Contradictory findings led to a more recent proposal that sustained MOR signaling caused analgesic tolerance. However, this view has also been called into question. We recently discovered that the platelet-derived growth factor receptor(PDGFR)-ß signaling system is both necessary and sufficient to cause opioid tolerance. We therefore propose a completely new hypothesis: that opioid tolerance is mediated by selective cellular signals and is independent of MOR internalization. To test this hypothesis, we developed an automated software-based method to perform unbiased analyses of opioid-induced MOR internalization in the rat substantia gelatinosa. We induced tolerance with either morphine, which did not cause MOR internalization, or fentanyl, which did. We also blocked tolerance by administering morphine or fentanyl with the PDGFR-ß inhibitor imatinib. We found that imatinib blocked tolerance without altering receptor internalization induced by either morphine or fentanyl. We also showed that imatinib blocked tolerance to other clinically used opioids. Our findings indicate that opioid tolerance is not dependent upon MOR internalization and support the novel hypothesis that opioid tolerance is mediated by intracellular signaling that can be selectively targeted. This suggests the exciting possibility that undesirable opioid side effects can be selectively eliminated, dramatically improving the safety and efficacy of opioids. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Classically, it was thought that analgesic tolerance to opioids was caused by desensitization and internalization of µ-opioid receptors (MORs). More recently, it was proposed that sustained, rather than reduced, MOR signaling caused tolerance. Here, we present conclusive evidence that opioid tolerance occurs independently of MOR internalization and that it is selectively mediated by platelet-derived growth factor receptor signaling. This novel hypothesis suggests that dangerous opioid side effects can be selectively targeted and blocked, improving the safety and efficacy of opioids.

Anticancer activity of Turkish marine extracts: a purple sponge extract induces apoptosis with multitarget kinase inhibition activity.

Marine natural products have drawn a great deal of attention as a vital source of new drugs for the last five decades. However, marine organisms in the seas surrounding Turkey (the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea) haven't been yet extensively explored. In the present study, three marine organisms (Dysidea avara, Microcosmus sabatieri and Echinaster sepositus) were sampled from the Dardanelles (Turkish Straits System, Western Turkey) by scientific divers, transferred to the laboratory and then were extracted with 70% ethanol. The extracts were tested for their cytotoxic effect against K562, KMS-12PE, A549, and A375 cancer cell lines. The sponge extract elicited the most promising cytotoxic activity, thus it was further evaluated against H929, MCF-7, HeLa, and HCT116 cancer cells. Most of the designated cells showed a considerable sensitivity for the sponge extract particularly H929, K562, KMS-12PE and HeLa cells with IC50 less than 10 µg/mL. On the contrary, the other two extracts exhibited no cytotoxic activity on all cells at 100 µg/mL concentration. The sponge extract was tested for its capacity to induce apoptosis in cancer cells and to inhibit a panel of tyrosine kinases showing remarkable results. The outcome of this study represents a platform for discovery of new chemotherapeutic agents of marine natural origin.

Specific targeting of PDGFRß in the stroma inhibits growth and angiogenesis in tumors with high PDGF-BB expression.

PDGF-BB/PDGFRß signaling plays an important role during vascularization by mediating pericyte recruitment to the vasculature, promoting the integrity and function of vessels. Until now it has not been possible to assess the specific role of PDGFRß signaling in tumor progression and angiogenesis due to lack of appropriate animal models and molecular tools. Methods: In the present study, we used a transgenic knock-in mouse strain carrying a silent mutation in the PDGFRß ATP binding site that allows specific targeting of PDGFRß using the compound 1-NaPP1. To evaluate the impact of selective PDGFRß inhibition of stromal cells on tumor growth we investigated four tumor cell lines with no or low PDGFRß expression, i.e. Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC), EO771 breast carcinoma, B16 melanoma and a version of B16 that had been engineered to overexpress PDGF-BB (B16/PDGF-BB). Results: We found that specific impairment of PDGFRß kinase activity by 1-NaPP1 treatment efficiently suppressed growth in tumors with high expression of PDGF-BB, i.e. LLC and B16/PDGF-BB, while the clinically used PDGFRß kinase inhibitor imatinib did not suppress tumor growth. Notably, tumors with low levels of PDGF-BB, i.e. EO771 and B16, neither responded to 1-NaPP1 nor to imatinib treatment. Inhibition of PDGFRß by either drug impaired tumor vascularization and also affected pericyte coverage; however, specific targeting of PDGFRß by 1-NaPP1 resulted in a more pronounced decrease in vessel function with increased vessel apoptosis in high PDGF-BB expressing tumors, compared to treatment with imatinib. In vitro analysis of PDGFRß ASKA mouse embryo fibroblasts and the mesenchymal progenitor cell line 10T1/2 revealed that PDGF-BB induced NG2 expression, consistent with the in vivo data. Conclusion: Specific targeting of PDGFRß signaling significantly inhibits tumor progression and angiogenesis depending on PDGF-BB expression. Our data suggest that targeting PDGFRß in the tumor stroma could have therapeutic value in patients with high tumor PDGF-BB expression.