Anticancer Activity of HER2-targeting CPP-PTEN-THP Chimeric Proteins.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Protein phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is a tumor suppressor protein with potential to be a new biotechnological drug for PTEN-deficient cancer treatment. This study aimed to develop PTEN-based chimeric proteins (CPP-PTEN-THP) for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer treatment, addressing current limitations like inadequate delivery, poor tumor penetration, and low selectivity, while assessing their potential HER2-specific anticancer effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: pCEFL-EGFP vector was used for both TAT-PTEN-LTV and KLA-PTEN-LTV construction. Non-contact co-cultures were employed using HEK-293T cells for protein expression, and HCC-1954 and MCF-7 cell lines for cytotoxicity testing. Protein detection was analyzed by western blotting and a docking prediction analysis was performed to infer the interactions. RESULTS: Endogenous and recombinant PTEN protein expression was confirmed in cell lysates. A 54-kDa signal matching the theoretical size of PTEN was detected, showing a greater level in TAT-PTEN-LTV (215.1±26.45%) and KLA-PTEN-LTV (129.2±1.44%) compared to endogenous PTEN. After the noncontact co-culture method, cytotoxic studies showed HCC-1954 preferential cell inhibition growth, with 25.95±0.9% and 12.25±1.29% inhibition by KLA-PTEN-LTV and TAT-PTEN-LTV respectively, compared to MCF-7 cells. An LTV-HER2 interaction model was proposed, inferring that LTV interactions are mainly due to the Pro, Trp, and Tyr residues that target HER2. CONCLUSION: The developed PTEN-based chimeric proteins have HER2-specific anticancer activity against HCC-1954 cells.

Design and Evaluation of a Humanized Anti-EGFR huscFv Antibody Fragment in Combination With Metformin in A549 Cells In Vitro.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is over-expressed in several types of cancer, and monoclonal antibody therapy has been the strategy that has shown the best results. This study focused on the construction of a humanized single chain antibody (huscFv) directed against EGFR (HER1). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The CDR grafting method was used to incorporate murine complementarity determining regions (CDRs) of cetuximab into human sequences. A dot blot assay was used to examine the affinity of the huscFv secreted by HEK293T for EGFR. The inhibitory effect on the viability of A549 cells was evaluated using the WST-1 assay. RESULTS: The incorporation of murine CDRs of cetuximab into human sequences increased the degree of humanness by 16.4%. The increase in the humanization of scFv did not affect the affinity for EGFR. Metformin had a dose-dependent effect, with an IC50 of 46 mM, and in combination with huscFv, the cell viability decreased by 45% compared to the 15% demonstrated by huscFv alone. CONCLUSION: The CDR grafting technique is efficient for the humanization of scFv, maintaining its affinity for EGFR and demonstrating its inhibitory effect when combined with metformin in A549 cells.

Nutraceuticals and Their Contribution to Preventing Noncommunicable Diseases.

The high rate of deaths around the world from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) (70%) is a consequence of a poor diet lacking in nutrients and is linked to lifestyle and environmental conditions that together trigger predisposing factors. NCDs have increased 9.8% of public health spending worldwide, which has been increasing since 2000. Hence, international organizations such as the WHO, the Pan American Health Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have been developing strategic plans to implement government and economic policies to strengthen programs in favor of food security and nutrition. A systematic review is presented to document an analysis of the origin and characteristics of obesity, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes, and cancers affecting a large part of the world's population. This review proposes a scientifically based report of functional foods including fruits, vegetables, grains, and plants, and how their bioactive compounds called nutraceuticals-when consumed as part of a diet-benefit in the prevention and treatment of NCDs from an early age. Multifactorial aspects of NCDs, such as culture and eating habits, are limitations to consider from the clinical, nutritional, and biochemical points of view of everyone who suffers from them.

Metformin May Alter the Metabolic Reprogramming in Cancer Cells by Disrupting the L-Arginine Metabolism: A Preliminary Computational Study.

Metabolic reprogramming in cancer is considered to be one of the most important hallmarks to drive proliferation, angiogenesis, and invasion. AMP-activated protein kinase activation is one of the established mechanisms for metformin's anti-cancer actions. However, it has been suggested that metformin may exert antitumoral effects by the modulation of other master regulators of cellular energy. Here, based on structural and physicochemical criteria, we tested the hypothesis that metformin may act as an antagonist of L-arginine metabolism and other related metabolic pathways. First, we created a database containing different L-arginine-related metabolites and biguanides. After that, comparisons of structural and physicochemical properties were performed employing different cheminformatic tools. Finally, we performed molecular docking simulations using AutoDock 4.2 to compare the affinities and binding modes of biguanides and L-arginine-related metabolites against their corresponding targets. Our results showed that biguanides, especially metformin and buformin, exhibited a moderate-to-high similarity to the metabolites belonging to the urea cycle, polyamine metabolism, and creatine biosynthesis. The predicted affinities and binding modes for biguanides displayed good concordance with those obtained for some L-arginine-related metabolites, including L-arginine and creatine. In conclusion, metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells by metformin and biguanides may be also driven by metabolic disruption of L-arginine and structurally related compounds.

Effects of siRNA-mediated Silencing of ERBB2, IGF-1R, and ITGB1 in HER2-positive Breast Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIM: One of the hallmarks of cancer is deregulation of multiple signaling pathways, which can lead to uncontrolled proliferation and migration of cells. Over-expression and mutations in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) can lead to overactivation of these pathways, potentially developing cancer in different tissues, including breast tissue. IGF-1R and ITGB-1 are two receptors that have been linked to cancer development. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of silencing of the corresponding genes using specific siRNAs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Transient silencing of HER2, ITGB-1, and IGF-1R was conducted using siRNAs and expression was quantified by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Viability in human breast cancer cells SKBR3, MCF-7, and HCC1954 and cytotoxicity in HeLa cells were tested using WST-1 assay. RESULTS: The use of anti-HER2 siRNAs in a breast cancer cell line over-expressing HER2 (SKBR3) led to a decrease in cell viability. However, silencing of ITGB-1 and IGF-1R in the same cell line had no significant effects. Silencing of any of the genes encoding any of the three receptors in MCF-7, HCC1954, and HeLa had no significant effects. CONCLUSION: Our results provide evidence towards using siRNAs against HER2-positive breast cancer. Silencing of ITGB-1 and IGF-R1 did not significantly inhibit the growth of SKBR3 cells. Therefore, there is need for testing the effect of silencing ITGB-1 and IGF-R1 in other cancer cell lines over-expressing these biomarkers and explore their potential use in cancer therapy.

The Small Metal-Binding Protein SmbP Improves the Expression and Purification of the Recombinant Antitumor-Analgesic Peptide from the Chinese Scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch in Escherichia coli.

We have recently shown that SmbP, the small metal-binding protein of Nitrosomonas europaea, can be employed as a fusion protein to express and purify recombinant proteins and peptides in Escherichia coli. SmbP increases solubility, allows simple, one-step purification through affinity chromatography, and provides superior final yields due to its low molecular weight. In this work, we report for the first time the use of SmbP to produce a recombinant peptide with anticancer activity: the antitumor-analgesic peptide (BmK-AGAP), a neurotoxin isolated from the venom of the Chinese scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch. This peptide was expressed in Escherichia coli SHuffle for correct, cytoplasmic, disulfide bond formation and tagged with SmbP at the N-terminus to improve its solubility and allow purification using immobilized metal affinity chromatography. SmbP_BmK-AGAP was found in the soluble fraction of the cell lysate. After purification and removal of SmbP by digestion with enterokinase, 1.8 mg of pure and highly active rBmK-AGAP was obtained per liter of cell culture. rBmK-AGAP exhibited antiproliferative activity on the MCF-7 cancer cell line, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration value of 7.24 µM. Based on these results, we considered SmbP to be a suitable carrier protein for the production of recombinant, biologically active BmK-AGAP. We propose that SmbP should be an attractive fusion protein for the expression and purification of additional recombinant proteins or peptides that display anticancer activities.

Comparative Anticancer Activity and Molecular Docking of Different Isatin-Based Scaffolds.

BACKGROUND/AIM: To identify the best of three isatin-based scaffolds in terms of anticancer activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Synthesis of isatin-based scaffolds was performed through a reaction to form Schiff bases. In silico analyses consisted of a target prediction with the Swiss Target Prediction tool and a molecular docking by AutoDock Vina. Anticancer activity and cytotoxicity were determined using the WST1 viability assay. RESULTS: Three scaffolds (IA, IB, and IC) were synthesized and confirmed with good reaction yields. The Swiss Target Prediction tool showed a trend towards kinases. Molecular docking assays demonstrated higher affinity of IC towards CDK2. Anticancer activity assays identified IC as the most active against the cancer cell lines. Cytotoxicity results in non-cancer cells suggested a lack of selectivity. CONCLUSION: The scaffold IC was identified as the best in terms of anticancer activity and these effects may be due to inhibition of CDK2, as evidenced by molecular docking.

Bioassay-Guided Identification of the Antiproliferative Compounds of Cissus trifoliata and the Transcriptomic Effect of Resveratrol in Prostate Cancer Pc3 Cells.

The bioassay-guided fractionation of a CHCl3-MeOH extract from the stems of Cissus trifoliata identified an active fraction against PC3 prostate cancer cells. The treatment for 24 h showed an 80% reduction in cell viability (p ≤ 0.05) by a WST-1 assay at a concentration of 100 µg/mL. The HPLC-QTOF-MS analysis of the fraction showed the presence of coumaric and isoferulic acids, apigenin, kaempferol, chrysoeriol, naringenin, ursolic and betulinic acids, hexadecadienoic and octadecadienoic fatty acids, and the stilbene resveratrol. The exposure of PC3 cells to resveratrol (IC25 = 23 µg/mL) for 24 h induced significant changes in 847 genes (Z-score ≥ ±2). The functional classification tool of the DAVID v6.8 platform indicates that the underlying molecular mechanisms against the proliferation of PC3 cells were associated (p ≤ 0.05) with the process of differentiation and metabolism. These findings provide experimental evidence suggesting the potential of C. trifoliata as a promising natural source of anticancer compounds.

Cytotoxic Fractions from Hechtia glomerata Extracts and p-Coumaric Acid as MAPK Inhibitors.

Preliminary bioassay-guided fractionation was performed to identify cytotoxic compounds from Hechtia glomerata, a plant that is used in Mexican ethnomedicine. Organic and aqueous extracts were prepared from H. glomerata's leaves and evaluated against two cancer cell lines. The CHCl3/MeOH (1:1) active extract was fractionated, and the resulting fractions were assayed against prostate adenocarcinoma PC3 and breast adenocarcinoma MCF7 cell lines. Active fraction 4 was further analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight-mass spectrometry analysis to identify its active constituents. Among the compounds that were responsible for the cytotoxic effects of this fraction were flavonoids, phenolic acids, and aromatic compounds, of which p-coumaric acid (p-CA) and its derivatives were abundant. To understand the mechanisms that underlie p-CA cytotoxicity, a microarray assay was performed on PC3 cells that were treated or not with this compound. The results showed that mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) that regulate many cancer-related pathways were targeted by p-CA, which could be related to the reported effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS). A molecular docking study of p-CA showed that this phenolic acid targeted these protein active sites (MAPK8 and Serine/Threonine protein kinase 3) at the same binding site as their inhibitors. Thus, we hypothesize that p-CA produces ROS, directly affects the MAPK signaling pathway, and consequently causes apoptosis, among other effects. Additionally, p-CA could be used as a platform for the design of new MAPK inhibitors and re-sensitizing agents for resistant cancers.

Enhanced in vitro anticancer activity of yeast expressed recombinant glucose oxidase versus commercial enzyme.

Cancer treatments continue to have many disadvantages. Reactive oxygen species, such as H2O2, in high concentrations, can cause cytotoxicity to cells, being even greater in cancer cells. One of the H2O2-producing enzymes is glucose oxidase; its application in cancer treatment should be explored. In this work, the extracellular expression of the mutated recombinant enzyme glucose oxidase was carried out in the eukaryotic expression system Pichia pastoris SMD1168, through the modification and optimization of the gox gene of Aspergillus niger to improve its expression in yeast and its purification. Also, the secretion signal of the alpha-mating factor from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was added to the gene for extracellular expression, and it was inserted into the expression vector pPIC3.5k. The extracellular expression of the enzyme facilitated purification by anion exchange chromatography; the purification was corroborated by SDS-PAGE, with a molecular weight of its subunit between 63 kDa and 100 kDa. The mutated recombinant enzyme glucose oxidase showed greater anticancer activity compared to the commercial glucose oxidase and could have potential for cancer treatment. KEY POINTS: • Pichia pastoris is an excellent eukaryotic expression system for proteins that need post-translational modifications. • Extracellular expression facilitates protein purification. • Glucose oxidase has potential application in cancer treatment.

Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activity of The Ethanolic Extract of Equisetum Myriochaetum and Molecular Docking of Its Main Metabolites (Apigenin, Kaempferol, and Quercetin) on ß-Tubulin.

Equisetum myriochaetum is a semi-aquatic plant found on riverbanks that is commonly used in traditional medicine as a diuretic agent. Additionally, the genus Equisetum stands out for its content of the flavonoid kaempferol, a well-known antiproliferative agent. Therefore, in this study, E. myriochaetum ethanolic extract was tested in vitro against a cervical cancer cell line (SiHa). Additionally, the antioxidative activity was evaluated through a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrilhidrazil (DPPH) assay. Finally, a molecular docking analysis of apigenin, kaempferol, and quercetin on the active site of ß-tubulin was performed to investigate their potential mechanism of action. All fractions of E. myriochaetum ethanolic extract showed antioxidative activity. Fraction 14 displayed an antiproliferative capacity with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 6.78 µg/mL against SiHa cells.

Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of antimycobacterial and cytotoxic activity of new α,ß-unsaturated amide, oxazoline and oxazole derivatives from l-serine.

The synthesis of 19 compounds derived from l-serine and analogs of p-substituted cinnamic acid is reported. Oxazolines 9 and oxazoles 10 have high antitubercular activity with Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of 0.7812-25.0 µg/mL (3.21-100.3 µM), against two strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis sensitive to first-line drugs Isoniazid (INH), Rifampicin (RIF), Ethambutol (EMB), Pyrazinamide (PZE) (H37Rv) and a clinical isolate resistant to INH, RIF and EMB (G122). The cytotoxic evaluation shows that oxazoles have low activity, finding viability>96% against the VERO cell line. The results show these compounds could be considered as future alternatives for antitubercular treatment.

Engineered small metal-binding protein tag improves the production of recombinant human growth hormone in the periplasm of Escherichia coli.

Fusion proteins play an important role in the production of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli. They are mostly used for cytoplasmic expression since they can be designed to increase the solubility of the target protein, which then can be easily purified via affinity chromatography. In contrast, fusion proteins are not usually included in construct designs for periplasmic production. Instead, a signal sequence is inserted for protein transport into the periplasm and a C-terminal his-tag added for subsequent purification. Our research group has proposed the small metal-binding protein (SmbP) isolated from the periplasm of Nitrosomonas europaea as a new fusion protein to express recombinant proteins in the cytoplasm or periplasm of E. coli. SmbP also allows purification via immobilized metal affinity chromatography using Ni(II) ions. Recently, we have optimized the periplasmic production of proteins tagged with SmbP by exchanging its native signal peptide with one taken from pectate lyase B (PelB), substantially increasing the amount of protein produced. In this work, we have expressed and purified soluble bioactive human growth hormone (hGH) tagged with PelB-SmbP and obtained the highest periplasmic production reported for this protein so far. Its activity, tested on Nb2-11 cells, was equivalent to commercial growth hormone at 50 ng·mL-1 . Therefore, we strongly recommend the use of PelB-SmbP as a protein tag for the expression and purification of hGH or other possible target proteins in the periplasm of E. coli.

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using a Mentha spicata extract and evaluation of its anticancer and cytotoxic activity.

In this study, silver nanoparticles (NP) were synthesized by two methods: using an aqueous extract of Mentha spicata leaves and using citrate ions as stabilizing agent, and the cytotoxicity and anticancer activity of both NP were evaluated in vitro. The particles synthesized with the aqueous extract were spherical with a size ranging from 15 to 45 nm. These NP decreased cell viability in all of the cells studied; however, the IC50 could only be estimated in the Chang liver cells (IC50 = 21.37 µg/mL). These particles also decreased the generation of reactive oxygen species in Chang and SiHa cells. Additionally, the dispersions decreased the activity of caspase-3. There was no significant difference between the biological activities of the NP obtained with the aqueous extract and the NP synthesized using citrate ions. This study showed that an aqueous extract of M. spicata is an excellent alternative for the synthesis of silver NP. These NP showed cytotoxicity and anticancer activity in vitro. Although more experiments are required, the cell death occurs probably through a mechanism different from apoptosis.

Molecular Cloning and Transient Expression of Recombinant Human PPARγ in HEK293T Cells Under an Inducible Tet-on System.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) is involved in the regulation of lipid and glucose homeostasis and inflammation. PPARγ expression level has been widely studied in multiple tissues; however, there are few reports of preceding attempts to produce full-length human PPARγ (hPPARγ) in cellular models, and generally, expression level is not known or measurable. We propose an alternative strategy to express recombinant hPPARγ1, using a transient transfection with an inducible Tet-On 3G system where target and reporter gene were cloned in the same open reading frame. We transiently co-transfected human embryonic kidney 293T (HEK293T) cells with pTRE-ZsGreen1-IRES2-hPPARγ1 and pCMV-TET3G for inducible expression of hPPARγ1. Relative expression of the transcript was evaluated by RT-qPCR 48 h after transfection, obtaining a high expression level of hPPARγ (530-fold change, p < 0.002) in co-transfected HEK293T cells in the presence of doxycycline (1 µg/mL); also a significantly increased production of the reporter protein ZsGreen1 (3.6-fold change, p < 0.05) was determined by fluorescence analysis. These data indicated that HEK293T cells were successfully co-transfected and it could be an alternative model for hPPARγ expression in vitro. Additionally, this model will help to validate the quantification of inducible hPPARγ expression in vivo models for future research.

Synthesis and photodynamic activity of unsymmetrical A3B tetraarylporphyrins functionalized with l-glutamate and their Zn(II) and Cu(II) metal complex derivatives.

Four novel unsymmetrical A3B porphyrins 1, 2, 3 and 4 were synthesized following Lindsey procedure. Porphyrins 3 and 4 include one and three l-glutamate groups, respectively, and all porphyrins were metallated with Zn(II) (1a-4a) or Cu(II) (1b-4b). Porphyrins and metalloporphyrins presented values of singlet oxygen quantum yields (ΦD) ranging from 0.21 to 0.67. The tetraaryl derivatives in this study showed phototoxicity in SiHa cells with IC50 values ranging from <0.01 to 6.56±0.11µM, the metalloporphyrin 4a showed the lowest IC50 value. Comparing the phototoxic activity between all porphyrins, functionalization of porphyrins with glutamate increased 100 times phototoxic activity (1 (IC50 4.81±0.34µM) vs. 3 (IC50 0.04±0.02µM) and 2 (IC50 5.19±0.42µM) vs. 4 (IC50 0.05±0.01µM)). This increased activity could be attributed to reduced hydrophobicity and increased ΦΔ, given by functionalization with l-glutamate. Metalloporphyrins 3a (IC50 0.04±0.01µM) and 4a (IC50<0.01µM) presented the best values ​​of phototoxic activity. Therefore, functionalization and zinc metalation increased the phototoxic activity. SiHa cells treated with porphyrins 3, 4, 3a and 4a at a final concentration of 10µM, showed increased activity of caspase-3 enzyme compared to the negative control; indicating the induction of apoptosis. Differential gene expression pattern in SiHa cells was determined; treatments with metalloporphyrins 4a and 4b were performed, respectively, comparing the expression with untreated control. Treatments in both cases showed similar gene expression pattern in upregulated genes, since they share about 25 biological pathways and a large number of genes. According to the new photophysical properties related to the structural improvement and phototoxic activity, these molecules may have the potential application as photosensitizers in the photodynamic therapy.