DNA damage independent inhibition of NF-κB transcription by anthracyclines.

Anthracyclines are among the most used and effective anticancer drugs. Their activity has been attributed to DNA double-strand breaks resulting from topoisomerase II poisoning and to eviction of histones from select sites in the genome. Here, we show that the extensively used anthracyclines Doxorubicin, Daunorubicin, and Epirubicin decrease the transcription of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)-dependent gene targets, but not interferon-responsive genes in primary mouse (Mus musculus) macrophages. Using an NMR-based structural approach, we demonstrate that anthracyclines disturb the complexes formed between the NF-κB subunit RelA and its DNA-binding sites. The anthracycline variants Aclarubicin, Doxorubicinone, and the newly developed Dimethyl-doxorubicin, which share anticancer properties with the other anthracyclines but do not induce DNA damage, also suppressed inflammation, thus uncoupling DNA damage from the effects on inflammation. These findings have implications for anticancer therapy and for the development of novel anti-inflammatory drugs with limited side effects for life-threatening conditions such as sepsis.

Organismal and Cellular Stress Responses upon Disruption of Mitochondrial Lonp1 Protease.

Cells engage complex surveillance mechanisms to maintain mitochondrial function and protein homeostasis. LonP1 protease is a key component of mitochondrial quality control and has been implicated in human malignancies and other pathological disorders. Here, we employed two experimental systems, the worm Caenorhabditis elegans and human cancer cells, to investigate and compare the effects of LONP-1/LonP1 deficiency at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels. Deletion of the lonp-1 gene in worms disturbed mitochondrial function, provoked reactive oxygen species accumulation, and impaired normal processes, such as growth, behavior, and lifespan. The viability of lonp-1 mutants was dependent on the activity of the ATFS-1 transcription factor, and loss of LONP-1 evoked retrograde signaling that involved both the mitochondrial and cytoplasmic unfolded protein response (UPRmt and UPRcyt) pathways and ensuing diverse organismal stress responses. Exposure of worms to triterpenoid CDDO-Me, an inhibitor of human LonP1, stimulated only UPRcyt responses. In cancer cells, CDDO-Me induced key components of the integrated stress response (ISR), the UPRmt and UPRcyt pathways, and the redox machinery. However, genetic knockdown of LonP1 revealed a genotype-specific cellular response and induced apoptosis similar to CDDO-Me treatment. Overall, the mitochondrial dysfunction ensued by disruption of LonP1 elicits adaptive cytoprotective mechanisms that can inhibit cancer cell survival but diversely modulate organismal stress response and aging.

Regioselective chemical and rapid enzymatic synthesis of a novel redox ­ Antiproliferative molecular hybrid.

Recent science evidenced the interlinkage of oxidative stress and cancer. Due to the inherent complexity of cancer and its accompanying effect of oxidative stress, novel molecules, containing combinatorial functionalities should be targeted. Herein, we synthesized gemcitabine-5'-O-lipoate derived from a regioselective coupling of the chemotherapeutic drug gemcitabine (GEM), a first-line agent for cancer therapy and α-lipoic acid (LA), a potent antioxidant. gemcitabine-5'-O-lipoate was obtained in 4 chemical steps. To avoid the tedious and laborious chemical steps we also utilized biocatalysis using immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB), and the optimum conditions for the regioselective and one-pot synthesis of gemcitabine-5'-O-lipoate were established by exploiting different solvents (organic solvents and ionic liquids) and enzyme immobilization (acrylic resin and carbon nanotubes). Cytotoxic activity of co-administrating GEM and LA was proven to be synergistic against non-small cell lung cancer cells whereas antagonistic for bladder cancer cells. In contrast, the gemcitabine-5'-O-lipoate hybrid was found to be superior to the parent compounds against both non-small cell lung cancer and bladder cancer cells as also was found to preserve the redox activity of the parent compound LA. The regioselective biotransformation mediated synthesis of the anticancer-antioxidant hybrid illustrates the capacity of biocatalysis to act as an asset in molecular hybridization techniques.

Exploration of the antiplatelet activity profile of betulinic acid on human platelets.

Betulinic acid, a natural pentacyclic triterpene acid, presents a diverse mode of biological actions including antiretroviral, antibacterial, antimalarial, and anti-inflammatory activities. The potency of betulinic acid as an inhibitor of human platelet activation was evaluated, and its antiplatelet profile against in vitro platelet aggregation, induced by several platelet agonists (adenosine diphosphate, thrombin receptor activator peptide-14, and arachidonic acid), was explored. Flow cytometric analysis was performed to examine the effect of betulinic acid on P-selectin membrane expression and PAC-1 binding to activated platelets. Betulinic acid potently inhibits platelet aggregation and also reduced PAC-1 binding and the membrane expression of P-selectin. Principal component analysis was used to screen, on the chemical property space, for potential common pharmacophores of betulinic acid with approved antithrombotic drugs. A common pharmacophore was defined between the NMR-derived structure of betulinic acid and prostacyclin agonists (PGI2), and the importance of its carboxylate group in its antiplatelet activity was determined. The present results indicate that betulinic acid has potential use as an antithrombotic compound and suggest that the mechanism underlying the antiplatelet effects of betulinic acid is similar to that of the PGI2 receptor agonists, a hypothesis that deserves further investigation.