Identification of a Novel Theranostic Signature of Metabolic and Immune-Inflammatory Dysregulation in Myocardial Infarction, and the Potential Therapeutic Properties of Ovatodiolide, a Diterpenoid Derivative.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a multifactorial global disease, recognized as one of the leading causes of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Timely and correct diagnoses and effective treatments could significantly reduce incidence of complications and improve patient prognoses. In this study, seven unconventional differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (MAN2A2, TNFRSF12A, SPP1, CSNK1D, PLAUR, PFKFB3, and CXCL16, collectively termed the MTSCPPC signature) were identified through integrating DEGs from six MI microarray datasets. The pathological and theranostic roles of the MTSCPPC signature in MI were subsequently analyzed. We evaluated interactions of the MTSCPPC signature with ovatodiolide, a bioactive compound isolated from Anisomeles indica (L.) Kuntze, using in silico molecular docking tools and compared it to specific inhibitors of the members of the MTSCPPC signature. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of the public databases revealed high expression levels of the MTSCPPC signature in immune cells of adult human hearts during an MI event. The MTSCPPC signature was significantly associated with the cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions, chemokine signaling, immune and inflammatory responses, and metabolic dysregulation in MI. Analysis of a micro (mi)RNA regulatory network of the MTSCPPC signature suggested post-transcriptional activation and the roles of miRNAs in the pathology of MI. Our molecular docking analysis suggested a higher potential for ovatodiolide to target MAN2A2, CSNK1D, and TNFRSF12A. Collectively, the results derived from the present study further advance our understanding of the complex regulatory mechanisms of MI and provide a potential MI theranostic signature with ovatodiolide as a therapeutic candidate.

4-Acetylantroquinonol B induced DNA damage response signaling and apoptosis via suppressing CDK2/CDK4 expression in triple negative breast cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a more aggressive phenotype and poorer prognosis than hormone receptor (HR+) and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2 -) subtypes. Inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)4 and CDK6 was successful in patients with advanced metastatic HR+/HER2- breast cancer, but those with TNBC exhibited low or no response to this therapeutic approach. This study investigated the dual therapeutic targeting of CDK2 and CDK4 by using 4-acetyl-antroquinonol B (4-AAQB) against TNBC cells. METHODS: We examined the effects of CDK2, CDK4, and CDK6 inhibition through 4-AAQB treatment on TNBC cell lines and established an orthotropic xenograft mouse model to confirm the in vitro results of inhibiting CDK2, CDK4, and CDK6 by 4-AAQB treatment. RESULTS: High expression and alteration of CDK2 and CDK4 but not CDK6 significantly correlated with poor overall survival of patients with breast cancer. CDK2 and CDK4 were positively correlated with damage in DNA replication and repair pathways. Docking results indicated that 4-AAQB was bound to CDK2 and CDK4 with high affinity. Treatment of TNBC cells with 4-AAQB suppressed the expression of CDK2 and CDK4 in vitro. Additionally, 4-AAQB induced cell cycle arrest, DNA damage, and apoptosis in TNBC cells. In vivo study results confirmed that the anticancer activity of 4-AAQB suppressed tumor growth through the inhibition of CDK2 and CDK4. CONCLUSION: The expression level of CDK2 and CDK4 and DNA damage response (DDR) signaling are prominent in TNBC cell cycle regulation. Thus, 4-AAQB is a potential agent for targeting CDK2/4 and DDR in TNBC cells.

4-Acetyl-Antroquinonol B Improves the Sensitization of Cetuximab on Both Kras Mutant and Wild Type Colorectal Cancer by Modulating the Expression of Ras/Raf/miR-193a-3p Signaling Axis.

The KRAS mutation is one of the leading driver mutations in colorectal cancer (CRC), and it is usually associated with poor prognosis and drug resistance. Therapies targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EFGR) are widely used for end-stage CRC. However, patients with KRAS mutant genes cannot benefit from this therapy because of Ras signaling activation by KRAS mutant genes. Our previous study revealed the anti-proliferative effect of 4-acetyl-antroquinonol B (4-AAQB) on CRC cells, but whether the drug is effective in KRAS-mutant CRC remains unknown. We screened CRC cell lines harboring the KRAS mutation, namely G12A, G12C, G12V and G13D, with one wild type cell line as the control; SW1463 and Caco-2 cell lines were used for further experiments. Sulforhodamine B assays, together with the clonogenicity and invasion assay, revealed that KRAS-mutant SW1463 cells were resistant to cetuximab; however, 4-AAQB treatment effectively resensitized CRC cells to cetuximab through the reduction of colony formation, invasion, and tumorsphere generation and of oncogenic KRAS signaling cascade of CRC cells. Thus, inducing cells with 4-AAQB before cetuximab therapy could resensitize KRAS-mutant, but not wild-type, cells to cetuximab. Therefore, we hypothesized that 4-AAQB can inhibit KRAS. In silico analysis of the publicly available GEO (GSE66548) dataset of KRAS-mutated versus KRAS wild-type CRC patients confirmed that miR-193a-3p was significantly downregulated in the former compared with the latter patient population. Overexpression of miR-193a-3p considerably reduced the oncogenicity of both CRC cells. Furthermore, KRAS is a key target of miR-193a-3p. In vivo treatment with the combination of 4-AAQB and cetuximab significantly reduced the tumor burden of a xenograft mice model through the reduction of the expression of oncogenic markers (EGFR) and p-MEK, p-ERK, and c-RAF/p-c-RAF signaling, with the simultaneous induction of miR-193a-3p expression in the plasma. In summary, our findings provide strong evidence regarding the therapeutic effect of 4-AAQB on KRAS-mutant CRC cells. Furthermore, 4-AAQB effectively inhibits Ras singling in CRC cells, through which KRAS-mutant CRC can be resensitized to cetuximab.

4-Acetylantroquinonol B suppresses autophagic flux and improves cisplatin sensitivity in highly aggressive epithelial cancer through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway.

Targeting residual self-renewing, chemoresistant cancerous cells may represent the key to overcoming therapy resistance. The entry of these quiescent cells into an activated state is associated with high metabolic demand and autophagic flux. Therefore, modulating the autophagy pathway in aggressive carcinomas may be beneficial as a therapeutic modality. In this study, we evaluated the anti-tumor activities of 4-acetylantroquinonol B (4-AAQB) in chemoresistant ovarian cancer cells, particularly its ability to modulate autophagy through autophagy-related genes (Atg). Atg-5 was overexpressed in invasive ovarian cancer cell lines and tissue (OR: 5.133; P=0.027) and depleting Atg-5 in ES-2 cell lines significantly induced apoptosis. 4-AAQB effectively suppressed viability of various subtypes of ovarian cancer. Cells with higher cisplatin-resistance were more responsive to 4-AAQB. For the first time, we demonstrate that 4-AAQB significantly suppress Atg-5 and Atg-7 expression with decreased autophagic flux in ovarian cancer cells via inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway. Similar to Atg-5 silencing, 4-AAQB-induced autophagy inhibition significantly enhanced cell death in vitro. These results are comparable to those of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). In addition, 4-AAQB/cisplatin synergistically induced apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells. In vivo, 4-AAQB/cisplatin also significantly induced apoptosis and autophagy in an ES-2 mouse xenografts model. This is the first report demonstrating the efficacy of 4-AAQB alone or in combination with cisplatin on the suppression of ovarian cancer via Atg-5-dependent autophagy. We believe these findings will be beneficial in the development of a novel anti-ovarian cancer therapeutic strategy.

4-Acetylantroquinonol B inhibits colorectal cancer tumorigenesis and suppresses cancer stem-like phenotype.

4-Acetylantroquinonol B (4-AAQB), closely related to the better known antroquinonol, is a bioactive isolate of the mycelia of Antrodia camphorata, a Taiwanese mushroom with documented anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, vasorelaxative, and recently demonstrated, antiproliferative activity. Based on its traditional use, we hypothesized that 4-AAQB may play an active role in the suppression of cellular transformation, tumor aggression and progression, as well as chemoresistance in colorectal carcinoma (CRC). In this study, we investigated the antiproliferative role of 4-AAQB and its underlying molecular mechanism. We also compared its anticancer therapeutic potential with that of antroquinonol and the CRC combination chemotherapy of choice - folinic acid, fluorouracil and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX). Our results showed that 4-AAQB was most effective in inhibiting tumor proliferation, suppressing tumor growth and attenuating stemness-related chemoresistance. 4-AAQB negatively regulates vital oncogenic and stem cell maintenance signal transduction pathways, including the Lgr5/Wnt/ß-catenin, JAK-STAT, and non-transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase signaling pathways, as well as inducing a dose-dependent downregulation of ALDH and other stemness related factors. These results were validated in vivo, with animal studies showing 4-AAQB possessed comparable tumor-shrinking ability as FOLFOX and potentiates ability of the later to reduce tumor size. Thus, 4-AAQB, a novel small molecule, projects as a potent therapeutic agent for monotherapy or as a component of standard combination chemotherapy.

Antcamphins A-L, ergostanoids from Antrodia camphorata.

Twelve ergostanoids, named antcamphins A-L (1-12), together with 20 known triterpenoids, were isolated from fruiting bodies of the medicinal fungus Antrodia camphorata. Compounds 1 and 2 represent the first examples of norergostanes isolated from A. camphorata, and compounds 3 and 4 are the first pair of cis-trans isomers of ergostane-type triterpenoids containing an aldehyde group. Compounds 5-12 are four pairs of C-25 epimers. The structures of 1-12 were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data analysis including NMR and HRESIMS. Particularly, the absolute configurations at C-25 for 5-12 were determined by the modified Mosher's method. These triterpenoids exhibited weak cytotoxic activities against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and A549 lung cancer cells, but did not inhibit the growth of normal cells in the sulforhodamine B assay.

Selective apoptotic cell death effects of oral cancer cells treated with destruxin B.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have revealed that destruxins (Dtx) have potent cytotoxic activities on individual cancer cells, however, data on oral cancer cells especial human are absent. METHODS: Destruxin B (DB) was isolated and used to evaluate the selective cytotoxicity with human oral cancer cell lines, GNM (Neck metastasis of gingival carcinoma) and TSCCa (Tongue squamous cell carcinoma) cells, and normal gingival fibroblasts (GF) were also included as controls. Cells were tested with different concentrations of DB for 24, 48, and 72 h by MTT assay. Moreover, the mechanism of cytotoxicity was investigated using caspase-3 Immunofluorescence, annexin V/PI staining, and the expression of caspase-3, Bax, and Bcl-2 by western blotting after treated with different concentrations of DB for 72 h as parameters for apoptosis analyses. RESULTS: The results show that DB exhibited significant (p < 0.01) and selective time- and dose-dependent inhibitory effects on GNM and TSCCa cells viability but not on GF cells. The data suggested that DB is capable to induce tumor specific growth inhibition in oral GNM and TSCCa cancer cells via Bax/Bcl-2-mediated intrinsic mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in time- and dose-dependent manners. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report on the anti-proliferation effect of DB in oral cancer cells. The results reported here may offer further evidences to the development of DB as a potential complementary chemotherapeutic target for oral cancer complications.

Targeting the Neuropilin-1 receptor with Ovatodiolide and progress in using periodontal ligament organoids for COVID-19 research and therapy.

The discovery of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the periodontal tissues of patients who tested positive for COVID-19, 24 days post the initial symptom onset, indicates the oral cavity could serve as a viral reservoir. This research aims to investigate the antiviral capabilities of Ovatodiolide, introducing a novel periodontal ligament organoid model for the study of SARS-CoV-2. We have successfully established a reliable and expandable organoid culture from the human periodontal ligament, showcasing characteristics typical of epithelial stem cells. This organoid model enables us to delve into the lesser-known aspects of dental epithelial stem cell biology and their interactions with viruses and oral tissues. We conducted a series of in vitro and ex vivo studies to examine the inhibitory impacts of Ova on SARS-CoV-2. Our findings indicate that Ovatodiolide molecules can bind effectively to the NRP1 active domain. Our study identifies potential interaction sites for Ovatodiolide (OVA) within the b1 domain of the NRP1 receptor. We generated point mutations at this site, resulting in three variants: Y25A, T44A, and a double mutation Y25A/T44A. While these mutations did not alter the binding activity of the spike protein, they did impact the concentration of OVA required for inhibition. The inhibitory concentrations for these variants are 15 µM for Y25A, 15.2 µM for T44A, and 25 µM for the double mutant Y25A/T44A. In addition, in vitro inhibition experiments demonstrate that the EC50 of Ova against the main protease (Mpro) of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is 7.316 µM. Our in vitro studies and the use of the periodontal ligament organoid model highlight Ovatodiolide's potential as a small molecule therapeutic agent that impedes the virus's ability to bind to the Neuropilin-1 receptor on host cells. The research uncovers various pathways and biochemical strategies through which Ovatodiolide may function as an effective antiviral small molecule drug.

A sesquiterpene lactone antrocin from Antrodia camphorata negatively modulates JAK2/STAT3 signaling via microRNA let-7c and induces apoptosis in lung cancer cells.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide and current therapies fail to treat this disease in majority of cases. Antrodia camphorata is a medicinal mushroom being widely used as food dietary supplement for cancer prevention. The sesquiterpene lactone antrocin is the most potent among >100 secondary metabolites isolated from A. camphorata. However, the molecular mechanisms of antrocin-mediated anticancer effects remain unclear. In this study, we found that antrocin inhibited cell proliferation in two non-small-cell lung cancer cells, namely H441 (wild-type epidermal growth factor receptor, IC50 = 0.75 µM) and H1975 (gefitnib-resistant mutant T790M, IC50 = 0.83 µM). Antrocin dose dependently suppressed colony formation and induced apoptosis as evidenced by activated caspase-3 and increased Bax/Bcl2 ratio. Gene profiling studies indicated that antrocin downregulated Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway. We further demonstrated that antrocin suppressed both constitutively activated and interleukin 6-induced STAT3 phosphorylation and its subsequent nuclear translocation. Such inhibition is found to be achieved through the suppression of JAK2 and interaction between STAT3 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase. Additionally, antrocin increased microRNA let-7c expression and suppressed STAT signaling. The combination of antrocin and JAK2/STAT3 gene silencing significantly increased apoptosis in H441 cells. Such dual interruption of JAK2 and STAT3 pathways also induced downregulation of antiapoptotic protein mcl-1 and increased caspase-3 expression. In vivo intraperitoneal administration of antrocin significantly suppressed the growth of lung cancer tumor xenografts. Our results indicate that antrocin may be a potential therapeutic agent for human lung cancer cells through constitutive inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 pathway.

Methyl Antcinate A suppresses the population of cancer stem-like cells in MCF7 human breast cancer cell line.

Methyl antcinate A (MAA) is an ergostane-type triterpenoid extracted from the fruiting bodies of Antrodia camphorate that has been reported to be a cytotoxic agent towards some types of cancer cells, such as oral cancer and liver cancer. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a particular population within cancer cells which are responsible for tumor initiation, drug resistance and metastasis and targeting CSCs is an emerging area in cancer therapy. In this study, we examine the effect of MAA on cancer stem-like cells in the MCF7 human breast cancer cell line. Although MAA displayed very low cytotoxic effect towards MCF7 under normal culture conditions, it did show good inhibitory effects on the self-renewal capability which was examined by mammosphere culture including primary and secondary sphere. MAA also inhibited cell migration ability of MCF7 sphere cells. By western blot analysis, MAA was shown to suppress the expression of heat shock protein 27 and increase the expression of IkBα and p53. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that MAA has anti-CSC activity and is worthy of future development of potent anticancer agents.

Anti-Oxidant, Anti-Mutagenic Activity and Safety Evaluation of Antrocin.

Antrocin is a novel compound isolated from Antrodia cinnamomea, and is classified as a sesquiterpene lactone. The therapeutic efficacy of antrocin has been studied, and it has shown an antiproliferative effect on various cancers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-oxidant activity, potential genotoxicity, and oral toxicity of antrocin. Ames tests with five different strains of Salmonella typhimurium, chromosomal aberration tests in CHO-K1 cells, and micronucleus tests in ICR mice were conducted. The results of anti-oxidant capacity assays showed that antrocin has great anti-oxidant activity and is a moderately strong antimutagenic agent. In the results of the genotoxicity assays, antrocin did not show any mutagenic potential. In the 28-day oral toxicity test, Sprague Dawley rats were gavaged with 7.5 or 37.5 mg/kg of antrocin for 28 consecutive days. In addition, 7.5 mg/kg sorafenib, an anti-cancer drug, was used as a positive control for toxicity comparison. At the end of the study, antrocin did not produce any toxic effects according to hematology, serum chemistry, urine analysis, or histopathological examinations. According to the results of the genotoxicity and 28-day oral toxicity study, antrocin, at a dose of 37.5 mg/kg, did not cause adverse effects and can be a reference dose for therapeutic agents in humans.

Therapeutic targeting of hepatocellular carcinoma cells with antrocinol, a novel, dual-specificity, small-molecule inhibitor of the KRAS and ERK oncogenic signaling pathways.

Until recently, sorafenib has been the only treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Some patients, however, exhibit resistance to this treatment and subsequently experience cancer progression, recurrence, or death. Therefore, identifying a new alternative treatment for patients with little or no response to sorafenib treatment is vital. In this study, we explored the therapeutic potential and underlying molecular mechanism of antrocinol ((3aS,4R,6aS,10aR)-4-(hydroxymethyl)-7,7-dimethyldecahydro-1H-naphtho[1,8a-c]furan-1-one) in patients with HCC. The results indicated that antrocinol was more therapeutically effective than antrocin, Stivarga, and sorafenib against HCC cell lines. Antrocinol also substantially suppressed the expression of KRAS-GTP, p-MEK1/2, p-ERK1/2, and p-AKT in the Huh7 cell line. Additionally, antrocinol-induced apoptosis in the Huh7 cell line, inhibited the formation of tumorspheres, and suppressed the expression of cancer stem cell markers CD133, KLF4, CD44, OCT4, SOX2, and c-Myc. Animal studies revealed that antrocinol alone considerably suppressed tumor growth in nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient mice inoculated with Huh7 tumorspheres. It also synergistically enhanced the anticancer effect of sorafenib, resulting in enhanced suppression of tumor growth (p < 0.001) and tumorsphere formation (p < 0.001). In tumor samples resected from mice treated with antrocinol alone or in combination with sorafenib, immunohistochemical analysis revealed an increase in BAX expression and a decrease in ERK and AKT protein expression. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the anti-HCC activity of antrocinol. With its higher therapeutic efficacy than that of sorafenib, antrocinol is a candidate drug for patients with HCC who demonstrate little or no response to sorafenib treatment.

Ovatodiolide and antrocin synergistically inhibit the stemness and metastatic potential of hepatocellular carcinoma via impairing ribosome biogenesis and modulating ERK/Akt-mTOR signaling axis.

Activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and PI3K signaling confers resistance against sorafenib, a mainstay treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Antrocin and ovatodiolide constitute as the most potent secondary metabolites isolated from Antrodia camphorata and Anisomeles indica, respectively. Both natural compounds have recently gained a lot of attention due to their putative inhibition of MAPK and PI3K signaling in various solid cancers. However, whether their combination is effective in HCC remains unknown. Here, we investigated their effect, alone or in various combinations, on MAPK and PI3K signaling pathways in HCC cells. An array of in vitro study were used to investigate anticancer and stemness effects to treat HCC, such as cytotoxicity, drug combination index, migration, invasion, colony formation, and tumor sphere formation. Drug effect in vivo was evaluated using mouse xenograft models. In this study, antrocin and ovatodiolide synergistically inhibited the SNU387, Hep3B, Mahlavu, and Huh7 cell lines. Sequential combination treatment of Huh7 and Mahlavu with ovatodiolide followed by antrocin resulted stronger cytotoxic effect than did treatment with antrocin followed by ovatodiolide, their simultaneous administration, antrocin alone, or ovatodiolide alone. In the Huh7 and Mahlavu cell lines, ovatodiolide→antrocin significantly suppressed colony formation and proliferation as well as markedly downregulated ERK1/2, Akt, and mTOR expression. Inhibition of ERK1/2 and Akt/mTOR signaling by ovatodiolide→antrocin suppressed ribosomal biogenesis, autophagy, and cancer stem cell-like phenotypes and promoted apoptosis in Huh7 and Mahlavu cells. The sorafenib-resistant clone of Huh7 was effectively inhibited by synergistic combination of both compound in vitro. Eventually, the ovatodiolide→antrocin combination synergistically suppressed the growth of HCC xenografts. Taken together, our findings suggested that ovatodiolide→antrocin combination may represent potential therapeutic approach for patients with advanced HCC.

Preclinical evaluation of destruxin B as a novel Wnt signaling target suppressing proliferation and metastasis of colorectal cancer using non-invasive bioluminescence imaging.

In continuation to our studies toward the identification of direct anti-cancer targets, here we showed that destruxin B (DB) from Metarhizium anisopliae suppressed the proliferation and induced cell cycle arrest in human colorectal cancer (CRC) HT29, SW480 and HCT116 cells. Additionally, DB induced apoptosis in HT29 cells by decreased expression level of anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL while increased pro-apoptotic Bax. On the other hand, DB attenuated Wnt-signaling by downregulation of ß-catenin, Tcf4 and ß-catenin/Tcf4 transcriptional activity, concomitantly with decreased expression of ß-catenin target genes cyclin D1, c-myc and survivin. Furthermore, DB affected the migratory and invasive ability of HT29 cells through suppressed MMPs-2 and -9 enzymatic activities. We also found that DB targeted the MAPK and/or PI3K/Akt pathway by reduced expression of Akt, IKK-α, JNK, NF-κB, c-Jun and c-Fos while increased that of IκBα. Finally, we demonstrated that DB inhibited tumorigenesis in HT29 xenograft mice using non-invasive bioluminescence technique. Consistently, tumor samples from DB-treated mice demonstrated suppressed expression of ß-catenin, cyclin D1, survivin, and endothelial marker CD31 while increased caspase-3 expression. Collectively, our data supports DB as an inhibitor of Wnt/ß-catenin/Tcf signaling pathway that may be beneficial in the CRC management.

Application of Multiple Strategies to Improve the Production of the Potential Cancer Drug 4-Acetylantroquinonol B (4-AAQB) by the Rare Fungus Antrodia cinnamomea.

4-Acetylantroquinonol B (4-AAQB) was identified in the rare fungus Antrodia cinnamomea and has been proven to be a potential therapeutic agent for cancer treatment. But the extraction of 4-AAQB from the fruit body led to a low yield and limited its further application in the pharmaceutical field. In this work, 4-AAQB production was enhanced in the submerged fermentation by the combination of exogenous additives, surfactants with the in situ extractive fermentation. 4-Methylbenzoic acid was proven to be an efficient additive for the accumulation of 4-AAQB by Antrodia cinnamomea, while 2% (w/v) Tween-80 added on the first day as surfactant and 30% (w/v) oleic acid added on the sixteenth day as extractant were the most available couples for 4-AAQB production in the in situ extractive fermentation. The combination of these multiple strategies resulted in the yield of 4-AAQB to 17.27 mg/g dry cell weight with a titer of 140 mg/L, which was the highest titer of 4-AAQB reported so far. It showed that the combination of these strategies had a significant promotion on 4-AAQB production by A. cinnamomea, which laid a good foundation for its large-scale production and also provided a viable method for the cultivation of other rare fungi.

Urokinase plasminogen activator induces epithelial-mesenchymal and metastasis of pancreatic cancer through plasmin/MMP14/TGF-ß axis, which is inhibited by 4-acetyl-antroquinonol B treatment.

BACKGROUND: The current standard therapy for metastatic pancreatic cancer is ineffective, necessitating a new treatment approach for prognosis improvement. The urokinase-plasmin activator (uPA) is a critical factor in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer metastasis, but its underlying mechanisms in pancreatic cancer remains elusive. METHODS: We investigated uPA expression in our pancreatic cancer cohort. A bioinformatics approach was used to further determine the role of uPA in pancreatic cancer. We employed MiaPaCa-2 and PANC-1 cell lines to investigate how uPA regulates EMT and metastasis in pancreatic cancer and present a novel approach aimed at inhibiting uPA in pancreatic cancer. RESULTS: We observed that higher uPA mRNA expression was significantly associated with overall-poor survival and progression-free survival in pancreatic cancer. uPA was highly expressed in tumor tissue. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed a positive association between uPA mRNA expression and EMT and transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß) signaling pathways. Moreover, shRNA-mediated uPA gene knockdown reduced plasmin, MMP14, and TGF-ß activation, leading to the inhibition of PANC-1 cells' EMT marker expression, migration, invasion, and cell viability. Notably, 4-acetyl-antroquinonol B (4-AAQB) treatment suppressed MiaPaCa-2 and PANC-1 cell migratory and invasive abilities by inhibiting the uPA/MMP14/TGF-ß axis through upregulation of miR-181d-5p. In the xenograft mouse model of orthotropic pancreatic cancer, 4-AAQB treatment has reduced tumor growth and metastasis rate by deactivating uPA and improving the survival of the mice model. CONCLUSION: Accordingly, to extent of our knowledge and previous studies, we demonstrated that 4-AAQB is an anti Pan-Cancer drug, and may inhibit pancreatic cancer EMT and metastasis and serve as a new therapeutic approach for patients with late-stage pancreatic cancer.

Identification and semisynthesis of (-)-anisomelic acid as oral agent against SARS-CoV-2 in mice.

(-)-Anisomelic acid, isolated from Anisomeles indica (L.) Kuntze (Labiatae) leaves, is a macrocyclic cembranolide with a trans-fused α-methylene-γ-lactone motif. Anisomelic acid effectively inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication and viral-induced cytopathic effects with an EC50 of 1.1 and 4.3 µM, respectively. Challenge studies of SARS-CoV-2-infected K18-hACE2 mice showed that oral administration of anisomelic acid and subcutaneous dosing of remdesivir can both reduce the viral titers in the lung tissue at the same level. To facilitate drug discovery, we used a semisynthetic approach to shorten the project timelines. The enantioselective semisynthesis of anisomelic acid from the naturally enriched and commercially available starting material (+)-costunolide was achieved in five steps with a 27% overall yield. The developed chemistry provides opportunities for developing anisomelic-acid-based novel ligands for selectively targeting proteins involved in viral infections.

Identification of antrocin from Antrodia camphorata as a selective and novel class of small molecule inhibitor of Akt/mTOR signaling in metastatic breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells.

The PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway is considered to be an attractive target for the development of novel anticancer molecules. This paper reports for the first time that a small molecule, antrocin (MW = 234), from Antrodia camphorata was a potent antagonist in various cancer types, being highest in metastatic breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells (MMCs) with an IC(50) value of 0.6 µM. Antrocin was a superior antiproliferator in MMCs as compared with doxorubicin and cisplatin, prevents colony formation, and was nontoxic to nontumorgenic MCF10A and HS-68 cells. Antrocin induced dose-dependent apoptosis in MMCs and caused cleavage of caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Antrocin also caused a time-dependent decrease in protein expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, survivin, and their mRNA, with concomitant increase in pro-apoptotic Bax and cytosolic cytochrome c. In a mechanistic study, antrocin suppressed the phosphorylation of Akt and its downstream effectors mTOR, GSK-3ß, and NF-κB. Furthermore, down-regulation of Akt by small interfering RNA prior to antrocin treatment resulted in enhanced cell growth inhibition and apoptosis. Thus, antrocin as an Akt/mTOR dual inhibitor has broad applicability in the development of a clinical trial candidate for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.

Review of Pharmacological Effects of Antrodia camphorata and Its Bioactive Compounds.

Antrodia camphorata is a unique mushroom of Taiwan, which has been used as a traditional medicine for protection of diverse health-related conditions. In an effort to translate this Eastern medicine into Western-accepted therapy, a great deal of work has been carried out on A. camphorata. This review discusses the biological activities of the crude extracts and the main bioactive compounds of A. camphorata. The list of bioactivities of crude extracts is huge, ranging from anti-cancer to vasorelaxation and others. Over 78 compounds consisting of terpenoids, benzenoids, lignans, benzoquinone derivatives, succinic and maleic derivatives, in addition to polysaccharides have been identified. Many of these compounds were evaluated for biological activity. Many activities of crude extracts and pure compounds of A. camphorata against some major diseases of our time, and thus, a current review is of great importance. It is concluded that A. camphorata can be considered as an efficient alternative phytotherapeutic agent or a synergizer in the treatment of cancer and other immune-related diseases. However, clinical trails of human on A. camphorata extracts are limited and those of pure compounds are absent. The next step is to produce some medicines from A. camphorata, however, the production may be hampered by problems related to mass production.

Insulin-Mimetic Action of Rhoifolin and Cosmosiin Isolated from Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck Leaves: Enhanced Adiponectin Secretion and Insulin Receptor Phosphorylation in 3T3-L1 Cells.

Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck (red wendun) leaves have been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat several illnesses including diabetes. However, there is no scientific evidence supporting these actions and its active compounds. Two flavone glycosides, rhoifolin and cosmosiin were isolated for the first time from red wendun leaves and, identified these leaves are rich source for rhoifolin (1.1%, w/w). In differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, rhoifolin and cosmosiin showed dose-dependent response in concentration range of o.oo1-5 µM and 1-20 µM, respectively, in biological studies beneficial to diabetes. Particularly, rhoifolin and cosmosiin at 0.5 and 20 µM, respectively showed nearly similar response to that 10 nM of insulin, on adiponectin secretion level. Furthermore, 5 µM of rhoifolin and 20 µM of cosmosiin showed equal potential with 10 nM of insulin to increase the phosphorylation of insulin receptor-ß, in addition to their positive effect on GLUT4 translocation. These findings indicate that rhoifolin and cosmosiin from red wendun leaves may be beneficial for diabetic complications through their enhanced adiponectin secretion, tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor-ß and GLUT4 translocation.