(2,6-Dimethylphenyl)arsonic Acid Induces Apoptosis through the Mitochondrial Pathway, Downregulates XIAP, and Overcomes Multidrug Resistance to Cytostatic Drugs in Leukemia and Lymphoma Cells In Vitro.

Cancer treatment is greatly challenged by drug resistance, highlighting the need for novel drug discoveries. Here, we investigated novel organoarsenic compounds regarding their resistance-breaking and apoptosis-inducing properties in leukemia and lymphoma. Notably, the compound (2,6-dimethylphenyl)arsonic acid (As2) demonstrated significant inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis in leukemia and lymphoma cells while sparing healthy leukocytes. As2 reached half of its maximum activity (AC50) against leukemia cells at around 6.3 µM. Further experiments showed that As2 overcomes multidrug resistance and sensitizes drug-resistant leukemia and lymphoma cell lines to treatments with the common cytostatic drugs vincristine, daunorubicin, and cytarabine at low micromolar concentrations. Mechanistic investigations of As2-mediated apoptosis involving FADD (FAS-associated death domain)-deficient or Smac (second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases)/DIABLO (direct IAP binding protein with low pI)-overexpressing cell lines, western blot analysis of caspase-9 cleavage, and measurements of mitochondrial membrane integrity identified the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway as the main mode of action. Downregulation of XIAP (x-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein) and apoptosis induction independent of Bcl-2 (B-cell lymphoma 2) and caspase-3 expression levels suggest the activation of additional apoptosis-promoting mechanisms. Due to the selective apoptosis induction, the synergistic effects with common anti-cancer drugs, and the ability to overcome multidrug resistance in vitro, As2 represents a promising candidate for further preclinical investigations with respect to refractory malignancies.

A convenient protonated strategy for constructing nanodrugs from hydrophobic drug-inhibitor conjugates to reverse tumor multidrug resistance.

Combination therapy has proven effective in counteracting tumor multidrug resistance (MDR). However, the pharmacokinetic differences among various drugs and inherent water insolubility for most small molecule agents greatly hinder their synergistic effects, which makes the delivery of drugs for combination therapy in vivo a key problem. Herein, we propose a protonated strategy to transform a water-insoluble small molecule drug-inhibitor conjugate into an amphiphilic one, which then self-assembles into nanoparticles for co-delivery in vivo to overcome tumor MDR. Specifically, paclitaxel (PTX) is first coupled with a third-generation P-glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibitor zosuquidar (Zos) through a glutathione (GSH)-responsive disulfide bond to produce a hydrophobic drug-inhibitor conjugate (PTX-ss-Zos). Subsequently treated with hydrochloric acid ethanol solution (HCl/EtOH), PTX-ss-Zos is transformed into the amphiphilic protonated precursor and then forms nanoparticles (PTX-ss-Zos@HCl NPs) in water by molecular self-assembly. PTX-ss-Zos@HCl NPs can be administered intravenously and accumulated specifically at tumor sites. Once internalized by cancer cells, PTX-ss-Zos@HCl NPs can be degraded under the overexpressed GSH to release PTX and Zos simultaneously, which synergistically reverse tumor MDR and inhibit tumor growth. This offers a promising strategy to develop small molecule self-assembled nanoagents to reverse tumor MDR in combination therapy.

The SMAC mimetic GDC-0152 is a direct ABCB1-ATPase activity modulator and BIRC5 expression suppressor in cancer cells.

Upregulation of the multidrug efflux pump ABCB1/MDR1 (P-gp) and the anti-apoptotic protein BIRC5/Survivin promotes multidrug resistance in various human cancers. GDC-0152 is a DIABLO/SMAC mimetic currently being tested in patients with solid tumors. However, it is still unclear whether GDC-0152 is therapeutically applicable for patients with ABCB1-overexpressing multidrug-resistant tumors, and the molecular mechanism of action of GDC-0152 in cancer cells is still incompletely understood. In this study, we found that the potency of GDC-0152 is unaffected by the expression of ABCB1 in cancer cells. Interestingly, through in silico and in vitro analysis, we discovered that GDC-0152 directly modulates the ABCB1-ATPase activity and inhibits ABCB1 multidrug efflux activity at sub-cytotoxic concentrations (i.e., 0.25×IC50 or less). Further investigation revealed that GDC-0152 also decreases BIRC5 expression, induces mitophagy, and lowers intracellular ATP levels in cancer cells at low cytotoxic concentrations (i.e., 0.5×IC50). Co-treatment with GDC-0152 restored the sensitivity to the known ABCB1 substrates, including paclitaxel, vincristine, and YM155 in ABCB1-expressing multidrug-resistant cancer cells, and it also restored the sensitivity to tamoxifen in BIRC5-overexpressing tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells in vitro. Moreover, co-treatment with GDC-0152 restored and potentiated the anticancer effects of paclitaxel in ABCB1 and BIRC5 co-expressing xenograft tumors in vivo. In conclusion, GDC-0152 has the potential for use in the management of cancer patients with ABCB1 and BIRC5-related drug resistance. The findings of our study provide essential information to physicians for designing a more patient-specific GDC-0152 clinical trial program in the future.

Acquired Multidrug Resistance in AML Is Caused by Low Apoptotic Priming in Relapsed Myeloblasts.

In many cancers, mortality is associated with the emergence of relapse with multidrug resistance (MDR). Thus far, the investigation of cancer relapse mechanisms has largely focused on acquired genetic mutations. Using acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient-derived xenografts (PDX), we systematically elucidated a basis of MDR and identified drug sensitivity in relapsed AML. We derived pharmacologic sensitivity for 22 AML PDX models using dynamic BH3 profiling (DBP), together with genomics and transcriptomics. Using in vivo acquired resistant PDXs, we found that resistance to unrelated, narrowly targeted agents in distinct PDXs was accompanied by broad resistance to drugs with disparate mechanisms. Moreover, baseline mitochondrial apoptotic priming was consistently reduced regardless of the class of drug-inducing selection. By applying DBP, we identified drugs showing effective in vivo activity in resistant models. This study implies evasion of apoptosis drives drug resistance and demonstrates the feasibility of the DBP approach to identify active drugs for patients with relapsed AML. SIGNIFICANCE: Acquired resistance to targeted therapy remains challenging in AML. We found that reduction in mitochondrial priming and common transcriptomic signatures was a conserved mechanism of acquired resistance across different drug classes in vivo. Drugs active in vivo can be identified even in the multidrug resistant state by DBP.

Novel hybrid compounds of sclareol and doxorubicin as potential anticancer nanotherapy for glioblastoma.

Two novel hybrid compounds, CON1 and CON2, have been developed by combining sclareol (SC) and doxorubicin (DOX) into a single molecular entity. These hybrid compounds have a 1:1 molar ratio of covalently linked SC and DOX. They have demonstrated promising anticancer properties, especially in glioblastoma cells, and have also shown potential in treating multidrug-resistant (MDR) cancer cells that express the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) membrane transporter. CON1 and CON2 form nanoparticles, as confirmed by Zetasizer, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and chemical modeling. TEM also showed that CON1 and CON2 can be found in glioblastoma cells, specifically in the cytoplasm, different organelles, nucleus, and nucleolus. To examine the anticancer properties, the U87 glioblastoma cell line, and its corresponding multidrug-resistant U87-TxR cell line, as well as patient-derived astrocytoma grade 3 cells (ASC), were used, while normal human lung fibroblasts were used to determine the selectivity. CON1 and CON2 exhibited better resistance and selectivity profiles than DOX, showing less cytotoxicity, as evidenced by real-time cell analysis, DNA damage determination, cell death induction, mitochondrial respiration, and mitochondrial membrane depolarization studies. Cell cycle analysis and the ß-galactosidase activity assay suggested that glioblastoma cells die by senescence following CON1 treatment. Overall, CON1 and CON2 showed great potential as they have better anticancer features than DOX. They are promising candidates for additional preclinical and clinical studies on glioblastoma.

Evaluation of ABT-751, a novel anti-mitotic agent able to overcome multi-drug resistance, in melanoma cells.

PURPOSE: Drug efflux transporter associated multi-drug resistance (MDR) is a potential limitation in the use of taxane chemotherapies for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. ABT-751 is an orally bioavailable microtubule-binding agent capable of overcoming MDR and proposed as an alternative to taxane-based therapies. METHODS: This study compares ABT-751 to taxanes in vitro, utilizing seven melanoma cell line models, publicly available gene expression and drug sensitivity databases, a lung cancer cell line model of MDR drug efflux transporter overexpression (DLKP-A), and drug efflux transporter ATPase assays. RESULTS: Melanoma cell lines exhibit a low but variable protein and RNA expression of drug efflux transporters P-gp, BCRP, and MDR3. Expression of P-gp and MDR3 correlates with sensitivity to taxanes, but not to ABT-751. The anti-proliferative IC50 profile of ABT-751 was higher than the taxanes docetaxel and paclitaxel in the melanoma cell line panel, but fell within clinically achievable parameters. ABT-751 IC50 was not impacted by P-gp-overexpression in DKLP-A cells, which display strong resistance to the P-gp substrate taxanes compared to DLKP parental controls. The addition of ABT-751 to paclitaxel treatment significantly decreased cell proliferation, suggesting some reversal of MDR. ATPase activity assays suggest that ABT-751 is a potential BCRP substrate, with the ability to inhibit P-gp ATPase activity. CONCLUSION: Our study confirms that ABT-751 is active against melanoma cell lines and models of MDR at physiologically relevant concentrations, it inhibits P-gp ATPase activity, and it may be a BCRP and/or MDR3 substrate. ABT-751 warrants further investigation alone or in tandem with other drug efflux transporter inhibitors for hard-to-treat MDR melanoma.

RXR agonist, Bexarotene, effectively reduces drug resistance via regulation of RFX1 in embryonic carcinoma cells.

Aberrant expression of multidrug resistance (MDR) proteins is one of the features of cancer stem cells (CSCs) that make them escape chemotherapy. A well-orchestrated regulation of multiple MDRs by different transcription factors in cancer cells confers this drug resistance. An in silico analysis of the major MDR genes revealed a possible regulation by RFX1 and Nrf2. Previous reports also noted that Nrf2 is a positive regulator of MDR genes in NT2 cells. But we, for the first time, report that Regulatory factor X1 (RFX1), a pleiotropic transcription factor, negatively regulates the major MDR genes, Abcg2, Abcb1, Abcc1, and Abcc2, in NT2 cells. The levels of RFX1 in undifferentiated NT2 cells were found to be very low, which significantly increased upon RA-induced differentiation. Ectopic expression of RFX1 reduced the levels of transcripts corresponding to MDRs and stemness-associated genes. Interestingly, Bexarotene, an RXR agonist that acts as an inhibitor of Nrf2-ARE signaling, could increase the transcription of RFX1. Further analysis revealed that the RFX1 promoter has binding sites for RXRα, and upon Bexarotene exposure RXRα could bind and activate the RFX1 promoter. Bexarotene, alone or in combination with Cisplatin, could inhibit many cancer/CSC-associated properties in NT2 cells. Also, it significantly reduced the expression of drug resistance proteins and made the cells sensitive towards Cisplatin. Our study proves that RFX1 could be a potent molecule to target MDRs, and Bexarotene can induce RXRα-mediated RFX1 expression, therefore, would be a better chemo-assisting drug during therapy.

Resistencia antimicrobiana, una pandemia silenciosa / Antimicrobial resistance, a silent pandemic / Resistência antimicrobiana, uma pandemia silenciosa

Introducción: la resistencia a los antimicrobianos ha sido una problemática creciente a nivel global, la problemática afecta no solo la salud de personas, animales y el ambiente en general, sino que ha generado impactos de índole productivo y comercial. Una de las estrategias para abordar esta problemática es el enfoque de una salud. Este enfoque destaca la participación multidisciplinaria para combatir la resistencia antimicrobiana; y es así que cada profesión o actividad laboral genera unas responsabilidades innatas para la profesión veterinaria. Los veterinarios tienen un rol fundamental para este propósito, ya que son ellos quienes integran la aplicabilidad de estrategias de promoción y prevención a nivel agropecuario, y de consolidación e interlocución entre los diferentes componentes del enfoque (animal, humano, ambiente) desde el ámbito de la salud pública veterinaria. Materiales y Método: se realizó una búsqueda de la literatura en diferentes bases de datos, con el objetivo de realizar una revisión actualizada sobre la resistencia antimicrobiana. Resultados: dentro de las principales estrategias se debería fomentar un uso adecuado y bajo prescripción de antimicrobianos en la producción animal. Promover buenas prácticas de higiene, bioseguridad y vacunación, facilitando un correcto diagnóstico de enfermedades infecciosas en animales. Discusión: la adopción de normas internacionales para el uso responsable de los antibióticos y las directrices establecidas por la Organización Mundial de la Salud y Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura, a través del Codex Alimentarius y la Organización Mundial de Sanidad Animal, son fundamentales para hacer frente al desafío que representa el problema de la resistencia a los antimicrobianos.

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance has been a growing problem at a global level, affecting not only the health of people, animals and the environment in general, but it has also generated impacts of a productive and commercial nature. One of the strategies to address this problem is the one-health approach. This approach emphasizes multidisciplinary participation to combat antimicrobial resistance; and thus, each profession or work activity generates innate responsibilities for the veterinary profession. Veterinarians have a fundamental role for this purpose, since they are the ones who integrate the applicability of promotion and prevention strategies at the agricultural level, and of consolidation and interlocution between the different components of the approach (animal, human, environment) from the field of veterinary public health. Materials and Method: a literature search was carried out in different databases, with the aim of carrying out an updated review on antimicrobial resistance. Results: one of the main strategies should be to promote an adequate use and under prescription of antimicrobials in animal production. Promote good hygiene, biosecurity and vaccination practices, facilitating a correct diagnosis of infectious diseases in animals. Discussion: the adoption of international standards for the responsible use of antibiotics and the guidelines established by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, through Codex Alimentarius and the World Organization for Animal Health, are fundamental to face the challenge posed by the problem of antimicrobial resistance.

Introdução: A resistência antimicrobiana tem sido um problema crescente em todo o mundo, afetando não apenas a saúde dos seres humanos, dos animais e do meio ambiente em geral, mas também causando impactos na produção e no comércio. Uma das estratégias para lidar com esse problema é a abordagem One Health. Essa abordagem enfatiza o envolvimento multidisciplinar no combate à resistência antimicrobiana, com cada profissão ou atividade de trabalho gerando responsabilidades inatas à profissão veterinária. Os veterinários têm um papel fundamental nesse sentido, pois são eles que integram a aplicabilidade das estratégias de promoção e prevenção em nível agropecuário e de consolidação e interlocução entre os diferentes componentes da abordagem (animal, humano, ambiental) do campo da saúde pública veterinária. Materiais e Métodos: foi realizada uma pesquisa bibliográfica em diferentes bases de dados, com o objetivo de realizar uma revisão atualizada sobre a resistência antimicrobiana. Resultados: uma das principais estratégias deve ser a promoção do uso adequado e com baixa prescrição de antimicrobianos na produção animal. Promover boas práticas de higiene, biossegurança e vacinação, facilitando o diagnóstico correto de doenças infecciosas em animais. Discussão: A adoção de padrões internacionais para o uso responsável de antibióticos e as diretrizes estabelecidas pela Organização Mundial da Saúde e pela Organização das Nações Unidas para Agricultura e Alimentação, por meio do Codex Alimentarius e da Organização Mundial de Saúde Animal, são essenciais para enfrentar o desafio representado pelo problema da resistência antimicrobiana.

In Vitro Antibacterial and Phytochemical Screening of Hypericum perforatum Extract as Potential Antimicrobial Agents against Multi-Drug-Resistant (MDR) Strains of Clinical Origin.

Background: The perennial plant Hypericum perforatum is widely distributed around the world. It has been used for many years in conventional medicine to treat a variety of illnesses, including stress, mild to moderate depression, and minor injuries. This study examined the antimicrobial activity of the H. perforatum total extract and its fractions (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, chloroform, and aqueous) against multi-drug-resistant (MDR) isolates that were gathered from clinical samples, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumonia. Materials and Methods: Aerial parts of H. perforatum were collected and extracted using various solvents and were tested versus different isolated bacterial species. The inhibition zone of tested extracts was detected using an agar diffusion assay, and MICs were measured. Phytochemical analysis of promising H. perforatum extract was done using LC-ESI-MS/MS. Ultrastructure examination for the most altered bacteria used transmission electron microscopy. Antioxidant assays were done using DPPH and ABTS scavenging capacity methods. Cytotoxicity was reported versus Vero cells. Results: Different extracts of H. perforatum showed promising antibacterial activity against the pathogens. While the subfractions of the total extract were observed to show lesser inhibition zones and higher MIC values than the total extract of H. perforatum against MDR strains, the total extract of H. perforatum demonstrated the most potent antimicrobial action with an inhibition zone range of 17.9-27.9 mm. MDR-K. pneumoniae was discovered to be the most susceptible strain, which is consistent with the antibacterial inhibitory action of H. perforatum whole extract. Additionally, after treatment at the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC 3.9 µg/ml), the transmission electron microscope showed alterations in the ultrastructure of the K. pneumoniae cells. Methanol extract from H. perforatum has a CC50 value of 976.75 µg/ml. Conclusion: Future inhibitors that target MDR strains may be revealed by these findings. Additionally, the extracts that were put to the test demonstrated strong antioxidant effects as shown by DPPH or ABTS radical-scavenging assays.

Imidazo[1,2-a]Pyridine Derivatives as Novel Dual-Target Inhibitors of ABCB1 and ABCG2 for Reversing Multidrug Resistance.

ABCB1 and ABCG2 are the important ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters associated with multidrug resistance (MDR). Herein, we designed a series of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivatives as dual-target inhibitors of ABCB1 and ABCG2 through the scaffold hopping strategy. Compound Y22 displayed potential efflux function inhibitory toward both ABCB1 and ABCG2 (reversal fold: ABCB1 = 8.35 and ABCG2 = 2.71) without obvious cytotoxicity. Y22 also enhanced the potency of antiproliferative drugs in vitro. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that Y22 slightly suppressed ATPase activity but did not affect the protein expression of ABCB1 or ABCG2. Notably, Y22 exhibited negligible CYP3A4 inhibition and enhanced the antiproliferative activity of adriamycin in vivo by restoring the sensitivity of resistant cells. Thus, Y22 may be effective clinically in combination with common chemotherapy agents. In summary, Y22 is a potential dual-target inhibitor that reverses MDR by blocking the efflux function of ABCB1 and ABCG2.

Tetrandrine overcomes drug resistance mediated by bone marrow microenvironment by regulating the expression of P-glycoprotein in acute leukemia.

Objectives: To study the effect of TET on the reversal of drug resistance in the bone marrow microenvironment, and to further promote the research on drug reversal.Methods: We established a co-culture system of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) and K562 cell lines, and compared the cell inhibition rate of K562 cells between the co-culture group and K562 singleculture group by daunorubicin (DNR) single-drug intervention with CCK-8 and also compared K562 proliferation in the co-culture group and K562 single-culture group after combined intervention with DNR and TET, then used Western blot and RT-qPCR to verify the expression of P-gp of K562 cells at protein and mRNA levels, confirmed the concentration of DNR in K562 of different experimental groups by HPLC-MS.Results: According to the results of CCK-8, after co-culture with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs), the inhibition rate of DNR on K562 decreased significantly. When TET (1µmol/L) combined with daunorubicin (DNR) treated on the co-culture group, the inhibition rate increased significantly. Then, the results of RT-qPCR and western blot showed a remarkable difference of the expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp). After co-culture with BM-MSCs, the protein expression of P-gp showed a significant upward trend. After adding TET intervention, the expression of P-gp decreased both in mRNA and protein levels. Also, the DNR concentration in K562 also performed the correspondent trend.Conclusion: The bone marrow microenvironment can promote the MDR of acute leukemia. TET can reverse the MDR mediated by the bone marrow microenvironment by inhibiting the expression of P-glycoprotein.

S-20, a steroidal saponin from the berries of black nightshade, exerts anti-multidrug resistance activity in K562/ADR cells through autophagic cell death and ERK activation.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major cause of chemotherapy failure. Adriamycin (ADR) has been widely used to treat cancer, however, as a substrate of the adenosine triphosphate binding cassette (ABC) transporter, it is easy to develop drug resistance during the treatment. Here, we demonstrated that steroidal saponin S-20 isolated from the berries of black nightshade has comparable cytotoxicity in ADR-sensitive and resistant K562 cell lines. Autophagy is generally considered to be a protective mechanism to mediate MDR during treatment. However, we found that S-20-induced cell death in K562/ADR is associated with autophagy. We further explored the underlying mechanisms and found that S-20 induces caspase-dependent apoptosis in ADR-sensitive and resistant K562 cell lines. Most importantly, S-20-induced autophagy activates the ERK pathway and then inhibits the expression of drug resistance protein, which is the main reason to overcome K562/ADR resistance, rather than apoptosis. Taken together, our findings emphasize that S-20 exerts anti-multidrug resistance activity in K562/ADR cells through autophagic cell death and ERK activation, which may be considered as an effective strategy.

Oxaliplatin delivery via chitosan/vitamin E conjugate micelles for improved efficacy and MDR-reversal in breast cancer.

A bioinspired chitosan/vitamin E conjugate (Ch/VES, 1:4) was synthesized, optimized based on chitosan's molecular weight (15, 300 kDa), and was assembled to entrap oxaliplatin (OXPt). 1H NMR, infrared spectroscopy, chromatography, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, drug release, hemolysis, and stability studies were performed to characterize OXPt@Ch/VES micelles. The therapeutic efficacy of the micelles was tested in vitro in ER+/PR+/HER2- and triple-negative sensitive/resistant breast cancer cells, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 via cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, nuclear staining, DNA fragmentation, mitochondrial membrane potential, ROS generation, apoptosis, and cell cycle assays and in vivo using 4T1(Luc)-tumor-bearing mice. OXPt@Ch/VES Ms exhibited decreased IC50 towards MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 (sensitive/resistant) than OXPt. OXPt@Ch/VES Ms caused extensive DNA damage, mitochondrial depolarization, apoptosis, and cell-growth arrest (G2/M). OXPt@Ch/VES Ms treatment retarded tumor growth significantly, prolonged survival, and decreased nephrotoxicity than OXPt. The OXPt@Ch/VES Ms could serve as a potential nanomedicine to overcome conventional OXPt-mediated drug resistance/nephrotoxicity in breast cancer.

Comparative Assessment of Bacteriophage and Antibiotic Activity against Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms.

Problems connected with biofilm-related infections and antibiotic resistance necessitate the investigation and development of novel treatment strategies. Given their unique characteristics, one of the most promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics are bacteriophages. In the in vitro and in vivo larva model study, we demonstrate that phages vB_SauM-A, vB_SauM-C, and vB_SauM-D are effective antibiofilm agents. The exposure of biofilm to phages vB_SauM-A and vB_SauM-D led to 2-3 log reductions in the colony-forming unit number in most of the multidrug-resistant S. aureus strains. It was found that phage application reduced the formed biofilms independently of the used titer. Moreover, the study demonstrated that bacteriophages are more efficient in biofilm biomass removal and reduction in staphylococci count when compared to the antibiotics used. The scanning electron microscopy analysis results are in line with colony forming unit (CFU) counting but not entirely consistent with crystal violet (CV) staining. Additionally, phages vB_SauM-A, vB_SauM-C, and vB_SauM-D can significantly increase the survival rate and extend the survival time of Galleria mellonella larvae.

Nanomedicine Strategies for Management of Drug Resistance in Lung Cancer.

Lung cancer (LC) is one of the leading causes of cancer occurrence and mortality worldwide. Treatment of patients with advanced and metastatic LC presents a significant challenge, as malignant cells use different mechanisms to resist chemotherapy. Drug resistance (DR) is a complex process that occurs due to a variety of genetic and acquired factors. Identifying the mechanisms underlying DR in LC patients and possible therapeutic alternatives for more efficient therapy is a central goal of LC research. Advances in nanotechnology resulted in the development of targeted and multifunctional nanoscale drug constructs. The possible modulation of the components of nanomedicine, their surface functionalization, and the encapsulation of various active therapeutics provide promising tools to bypass crucial biological barriers. These attributes enhance the delivery of multiple therapeutic agents directly to the tumor microenvironment (TME), resulting in reversal of LC resistance to anticancer treatment. This review provides a broad framework for understanding the different molecular mechanisms of DR in lung cancer, presents novel nanomedicine therapeutics aimed at improving the efficacy of treatment of various forms of resistant LC; outlines current challenges in using nanotechnology for reversing DR; and discusses the future directions for the clinical application of nanomedicine in the management of LC resistance.

Modulatory Effects of Biosynthesized Gold Nanoparticles Conjugated with Curcumin and Paclitaxel on Tumorigenesis and Metastatic Pathways-In Vitro and In Vivo Studies.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women globally, and diagnosing it early and finding potential drug candidates against multi-drug resistant metastatic breast cancers provide the possibilities of better treatment and extending life. METHODS: The current study aimed to evaluate the synergistic anti-metastatic activity of Curcumin (Cur) and Paclitaxel (Pacli) individually, the combination of Curcumin-Paclitaxel (CP), and also in conjugation with gold nanoparticles (AuNP-Curcumin (Au-C), AuNP-Paclitaxel (Au-P), and AuNP-Curcumin-Paclitaxel (Au-CP)) in various in vitro and in vivo models. RESULTS: The results from combination treatments of CP and Au-CP demonstrated excellent synergistic cytotoxic effects in triple-negative breast cancer cell lines (MDA MB 231 and 4T1) in in vitro and in vivo mouse models. Detailed mechanistic studies were performed that reveal that the anti-cancer effects were associated with the downregulation of the expression of VEGF, CYCLIN-D1, and STAT-3 genes and upregulation of the apoptotic Caspase-9 gene. The group of mice that received CP combination therapy (with and without gold nanoparticles) showed a significant reduction in the size of tumor when compared to the Pacli alone treatment and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Together, the results suggest that the delivery of gold conjugated Au-CP formulations may help in modulating the outcomes of chemotherapy. The present study is well supported with observations from cell-based assays, molecular and histopathological analyses.

Novel microtubule inhibitor SQ overcomes multidrug resistance in MCF-7/ADR cells by inhibiting BCRP function and mediating apoptosis.

The occurrence of multidrug resistance (MDR) is one of the impediments in the clinical treatment of breast cancer, and MDR breast cancer has abnormally high breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2) expression. However, there are currently no clinical drugs that inhibit this target. Our previous study found that 2-Methoxy-5((3,4,5-trimethosyphenyl)seleninyl) phenol (SQ0814061/SQ), a small molecule drug with low toxicity to normal tissues, could target microtubules, inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer, and reduce its migration and invasion abilities. However, the effect and the underlying mechanism of SQ on MDR breast cancers are still unknown. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of SQ on adriamycin-resistant MCF-7 (MCF-7/ADR) cells and explored the underlying mechanism. The MTT assay showed that SQ had potent cytotoxicity to MCF-7/ADR cells. In particular, the results of western blot and flow cytometry proved that SQ could effectively inhibit the expression of BCRP in MCF-7/ADR cells to decrease its drug delivery activity. In addition, SQ could block the cell cycle at G2/M phase in parental and MCF-7/ADR cells, thereby mediating cell apoptosis, which was related with the inhibition of PI3K-Akt-MDM2 pathway. Taken together, our findings indicate that SQ overcomes multidrug resistance in MCF-7/ADR cells by inhibiting BCRP function and mediating apoptosis through PI3K-Akt-MDM2 pathway inhibition.

Structure-Based Design and Synthesis of N-Substituted 3-Amino-ß-Carboline Derivatives as Potent αß-Tubulin Degradation Agents.

So far, relatively few small molecules have been reported to promote tubulin degradation. Our previous studies have found that compound 2, a noncovalent colchicine-site ligand, was capable of promoting αß-tubulin degradation. To further improve its antiproliferative activity, 66 derivatives or analogues of 2 were designed and synthesized based on 2-tubulin cocrystal structure. Among them, 12b displayed nanomolar potency against a variety of tumor cells, including paclitaxel- and adriamycin-resistant cell lines. 12b binds to the colchicine site and promotes αß-tubulin degradation in a concentration-dependent manner via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. The X-ray crystal structure revealed that 12b binds in a similar manner as 2, but there is a slight conformation change of the B ring, which resulted in better interaction of 12b with surrounding residues. 12b effectively suppressed tumor growth at an i.v. dose of 40 mg/kg (3 times a week) on both A2780S (paclitaxel-sensitive) and A2780T (paclitaxel-resistant) ovarian xenograft models, with respective TGIs of 92.42 and 79.75% without obvious side effects, supporting its potential utility as a tumor-therapeutic compound.

Novel hydrazone derivatives of N-amino-11-azaartemisinin with high order of antimalarial activity against multidrug-resistant Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis in Swiss mice via intramuscular route.

Novel hydrazone derivatives 10a-m were prepared from N-Amino-11-azaartemisinin (9) and screened for their antimalarial activity by oral and intramuscular (i.m.) routes against multidrug-resistant Plasmodium yoelii in Swiss mice model. Several of the hydrazone derivatives showed higher order of antimalarial activity. Compounds 10b, 10g, 10m provided 100% protection to the infected mice at the dose of 24 mg/kg × 4 days via oral route. Fluorenone based hydrazone 10m the most active compound of the series, provided 100% protection at the dose of 6 mg/kg × 4 days via intramuscular route and also provided 100% protection at the dose of 12 mg/kg × 4 days via oral route. While artemisinin gave 100% protection at 48 mg/kg × 4 days and only 60% protection at 24 mg/kg × 4 days via intramuscular (i.m.) route. Compound 10m found to be four-fold more active than artemisinin via intramuscular route.