Discovery of novel hydroxyamidine based indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) and thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR1) dual inhibitors.

In order to take advantage of both immunotherapeutic and metabolic antitumor agents, novel dual indoleamine 2,3- dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) and thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR1) inhibitors were designed. Thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR1) is a main ROS modulator within CRC cells. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1) is crucial controller for tryptophan (Trp) metabolism that is also important for CRC immunotherapy. Herein, ten compounds 12a-j containing hydroxyamidine scaffold were designed, synthesized and evaluated for inhibitory activities against IDO1/TrxR1 enzyme and CRC cells. Among these compounds, the most active compound 12d (ZC0109) showed excellent and balanced activity against both IDO1 (IC50 = 0.05 µM) and TrxR1 (IC50 = 3.00 ± 0.25 µM) were selected for further evaluation. Compound ZC0109 exhibited good dual inhibition against IDO1 and TrxR1 both in vitro and in vivo. Further mechanistic studies reveal that, through IDO1 and TrxR1 inhibition by ZC0109 treatment, accumulated ROS effectively induced apoptosis and G1/S cell cycle arrest in cancer cells. In vivo evaluation demonstrated excellent anti-tumor effect of ZC0109 with the notable ability of promoting ROS-induced apoptosis, reducing kynurenine level in plasma and restoring anti-tumor immune response. Thus, ZC0109 represents a potential CRC therapy agent for further development.

Irinotecan dose reduction in metastatic colorectal cancer patients with homozygous UGT1A1*28 polymorphism: a single-center case series.

OBJECTIVE: The UGT1A1*28 polymorphism reduces UGT1A1 enzymatic activity, which may increase the risk of severe toxicity in patients who receive standard-dose irinotecan, such as severe neutropenia and diarrhea. This real-world study assessed the optimal irinotecan dose in terms of efficacy and toxicity in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients homozygous for the UGT1A1*28 polymorphism and receiving FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab or cetuximab as first-line therapy. METHODS: We analyzed toxicity and treatment outcomes in seven mCRC patients who were homozygous for UGT1A1*28 and received FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab or cetuximab, with an initial irinotecan dose of 120 mg/m2. RESULTS: Six of the seven patients tolerated 120 mg/m2 irinotecan without requiring dose reductions in subsequent cycles. The overall response and disease control rates were 43.0% (3/7) and 71.4% (5/7), respectively. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 11.0 and 33.0 months, respectively. Only one severe adverse event, grade III neutropenia (2.5%), was observed. CONCLUSIONS: mCRC patients homozygous for the UGT1A1*28 allele can tolerate irinotecan at an initial dose of 120 mg/m2 with favorable oncological outcomes and toxicity profiles. Further prospective studies are warranted to optimize irinotecan-based chemotherapy in these patients.

Potential roles of serum ATPase and AMPase in predicting diagnosis of colorectal cancer patients.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common gastrointestinal cancer with high incidence and mortality rates. CRC may be associated with regulation of circulating nucleotides. This study aimed to evaluate the serum levels of nucleotide-metabolizing enzymes (ATPase and AMPase) in patients with CRC and to explore the clinical diagnostic value of these enzymes. The gene set variation analysis (GSVA) score of the ATP-adenosine signature was calculated using tumor samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). ATP-adenosine signaling plays a central role in CRC progression. A total of 135 subjects, including 87 patients with CRC and 48 healthy controls, were included. The serum levels of ATPase and AMPase in the CRC group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, ATP and AMP hydrolysis levels significantly increased in the advanced CRC group (P < 0.05). ATP and AMP hydrolysis was decreased by the ENTPDase inhibitors (POM-1 and ARL67156) and CD73 inhibitor (APCP). The sensitivities of ATPase and AMPase were 95.4% and 75.9%, respectively, which were higher than those of CEA (67.8%) and CA19-9 (72.4%). The specificities of ATPase and AMPase were 69.9% and 73.9%, respectively, which were higher than that of CA19-9 (47.8%). The combination of CEA, ATPase, and AMPase demonstrated high sensitivity (92.0%) and specificity (87.0%). Collectively, ATPase and AMPase activities are upregulated in CRC with considerable diagnostic significance. The combination of CEA, ATPase, and AMPase may provide a novel approach for CRC screening.

Pyruvate kinase M1 regulates butyrate metabolism in cancerous colonocytes.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) cells shift metabolism toward aerobic glycolysis and away from using oxidative substrates such as butyrate. Pyruvate kinase M1/2 (PKM) is an enzyme that catalyzes the last step in glycolysis, which converts phosphoenolpyruvate to pyruvate. M1 and M2 are alternatively spliced isoforms of the Pkm gene. The PKM1 isoform promotes oxidative metabolism, whereas PKM2 enhances aerobic glycolysis. We hypothesize that the PKM isoforms are involved in the shift away from butyrate oxidation towards glycolysis in CRC cells. Here, we find that PKM2 is increased and PKM1 is decreased in human colorectal carcinomas as compared to non-cancerous tissue. To test whether PKM1/2 alter colonocyte metabolism, we created a knockdown of PKM2 and PKM1 in CRC cells to analyze how butyrate oxidation and glycolysis would be impacted. We report that butyrate oxidation in CRC cells is regulated by PKM1 levels, not PKM2. Decreased butyrate oxidation observed through knockdown of PKM1 and PKM2 is rescued through re-addition of PKM1. Diminished PKM1 lowered mitochondrial basal respiration and decreased mitochondrial spare capacity. We demonstrate that PKM1 suppresses glycolysis and inhibits hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha. These data suggest that reduced PKM1 is, in part, responsible for increased glycolysis and diminished butyrate oxidation in CRC cells.

Luteolin impacts deoxyribonucleic acid repair by modulating the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in colorectal cancer.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of luteolin on colorectal cancer (CRC) and explore its underlying mechanism. HCT-116 and HT-29 cells were treated with luteolin, cisplatin, or selumetinib. The cell survival, cell proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle distribution, and DNA damage were detected using Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence staining analysis, respectively. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of apoptosis-related, cycle-related, DNA-damage-related, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway-related proteins. Luteolin showed inhibitory effects on cellular growth by reducing cell survival and proliferation, inducing apoptosis and DNA damage, and arresting the cell cycle in a concentration-dependent manner in HCT-116 and HT-29 cells. Meanwhile, luteolin increased the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins, p-CHK1 (central to the induction of cell cycle arrest), and DNA excision repair protein and decreased anti-apoptotic proteins, G2-M phase-related proteins, and DNA repair proteins. The combination of cisplatin and luteolin significantly decreased cell survival and increased the apoptosis rate of HCT-116 and HT-29 cells compared with cisplatin alone. Bioinformatic analysis using the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database and STITCH and MalaCards databases showed that the MAPK pathway is involved in the pharmacology of luteolin. Furthermore, western blotting demonstrated that luteolin plays an inhibitory role by suppressing the MAPK signaling pathway in CRC, which is enhanced when combined with selumetinib. Luteolin can also prevent tumourigenesis in CRC in vivo. In conclusion, luteolin suppressed cell proliferation, blocked the cell cycle, and induced DNA damage and apoptosis progression in CRC cells by mediating the MAPK pathway.

E3 ligase RNF167 and deubiquitinase STAMBPL1 modulate mTOR and cancer progression.

The mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) is an essential metabolic hub that coordinates cellular metabolism with the availability of nutrients, including amino acids. Sestrin2 has been identified as a cytosolic leucine sensor that transmits leucine status signals to mTORC1. In this study, we identify an E3 ubiquitin ligase RING finger protein 167 (RNF167) and a deubiquitinase STAMBPL1 that function in concert to control the polyubiquitination level of Sestrin2 in response to leucine availability. Ubiquitination of Sestrin2 promotes its interaction with GATOR2 and inhibits mTORC1 signaling. Bioinformatic analysis reveals decreased RNF167 expression and increased STAMBPL1 expression in gastric and colorectal tumors. Knockout of STAMBPL1 or correction of the heterozygous STAMBPL1 mutation in a human colon cancer cell line suppresses xenograft tumor growth. Lastly, a cell-permeable peptide that blocks the STAMBPL1-Sestrin2 interaction inhibits mTORC1 and provides a potential option for cancer therapy.

Tumor stromal nicotinamide N-methyltransferase overexpression as a prognostic biomarker for poor clinical outcome in early-stage colorectal cancer.

In a quest for prognostic biomarkers in early-stage colorectal cancer, we investigated NNMT (nicotinamide N-methyltransferase) in large cohorts of patients. Immunohistochemical examination of 679 patients illustrates that NNMT protein is predominantly expressed in the cancer stroma at varying levels, and about 20% of cancer tissues overexpress NNMT when compared to levels observed in normal colorectal mucosa. Clinical correlation analyses of 572 patients with early-stage cancers reveal that NNMT protein overexpression is significantly associated with shorter overall and disease-free survival, but no such correlation is found in late-stage colorectal cancer. Analyses of TCGA and CPTAC colorectal cancer cohorts show that NNMT mRNA expression is positively correlated with protein levels, is significantly higher in CIMP-high or MSI subtypes than in CIMP-low or MSS subtypes, and is positively correlated with its paralog INMT but not with its interaction partners such as PNMT, ADK, APP, ATF6, BMF, BRD4, CDC37, or CRYZ. In early-stage cancers, NNMT expression is higher in BRAF-mutated than in BRAF wild type tumors but is not affected by KRAS or PIK3CA mutation status. As a cancer stromal protein with important roles in metabolism and cancer epigenetics, NNMT is emerging as a promising biomarker for risk stratification of early-stage cancers.

SPARCLE, a p53-induced lncRNA, controls apoptosis after genotoxic stress by promoting PARP-1 cleavage.

p53, master transcriptional regulator of the genotoxic stress response, controls cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis following DNA damage. Here, we identify a p53-induced lncRNA suicidal PARP-1 cleavage enhancer (SPARCLE) adjacent to miR-34b/c required for p53-mediated apoptosis. SPARCLE is a ∼770-nt, nuclear lncRNA induced 1 day after DNA damage. Despite low expression (<16 copies/cell), SPARCLE deletion increases DNA repair and reduces DNA-damage-induced apoptosis as much as p53 deficiency, while its overexpression restores apoptosis in p53-deficient cells. SPARCLE does not alter gene expression. SPARCLE binds to PARP-1 with nanomolar affinity and causes apoptosis by acting as a caspase-3 cofactor for PARP-1 cleavage, which separates PARP-1's N-terminal (NT) DNA-binding domain from its catalytic domains. NT-PARP-1 inhibits DNA repair. Expressing NT-PARP-1 in SPARCLE-deficient cells increases unrepaired DNA damage and restores apoptosis after DNA damage. Thus, SPARCLE enhances p53-induced apoptosis by promoting PARP-1 cleavage, which interferes with DNA-damage repair.

Microbial enzymes induce colitis by reactivating triclosan in the mouse gastrointestinal tract.

Emerging research supports that triclosan (TCS), an antimicrobial agent found in thousands of consumer products, exacerbates colitis and colitis-associated colorectal tumorigenesis in animal models. While the intestinal toxicities of TCS require the presence of gut microbiota, the molecular mechanisms involved have not been defined. Here we show that intestinal commensal microbes mediate metabolic activation of TCS in the colon and drive its gut toxicology. Using a range of in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo approaches, we identify specific microbial ß-glucuronidase (GUS) enzymes involved and pinpoint molecular motifs required to metabolically activate TCS in the gut. Finally, we show that targeted inhibition of bacterial GUS enzymes abolishes the colitis-promoting effects of TCS, supporting an essential role of specific microbial proteins in TCS toxicity. Together, our results define a mechanism by which intestinal microbes contribute to the metabolic activation and gut toxicity of TCS, and highlight the importance of considering the contributions of the gut microbiota in evaluating the toxic potential of environmental chemicals.

Curcumin Synergizes with Cisplatin to Inhibit Colon Cancer through Targeting the MicroRNA-137-Glutaminase Axis.

OBJECTIVE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most lethal and prevalent malignancies world-wide. Currently, surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are clinically applied as common approaches for CRC patients. Cisplatin is one of the most frequently used chemotherapy drugs for diverse cancers. Although chemotherapeutic strategies have improved the prognosis and survival of cancer patients, development of cisplatin resistance has led to cancer recurrence. Curcumin, isolated from turmeric, has been used as an effective anti-cancer agent. However, the molecular mechanisms for curcumin-mediated cisplatin sensitivity of CRC have not been elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the effects of curcumin treatment on cisplatin-resistant CRC cells. METHODS: Expression levels of miRNAs and mRNAs were determined by qRT-PCR. Protein expression levels were detected by Western blotting. Cell responses to curcumin treatments were evaluated by MTT assay, Clonogenic assay and Annexin V apoptosis assay. The glutamine metabolism of colon cancer cells was assessed by glutamine uptake and glutaminase (GLS) activity. The binding of miR-137 on 3' UTR of GLS was validated by Western blotting and luciferase assay. RESULTS: Results demonstrated that curcumin significantly synergized with cisplatin (combination index <1) to suppress proliferation of colon cancer cells compared with curcumin or cisplatin alone. Moreover, from the established cisplatin-resistant cell line (HT-29), glutamine metabolism was remarkedly elevated in cisplatin-resistant CRC cells that displayed a glutamine addictive phenotype. Furthermore, curcumin treatments attenuated glutamine metabolism in colon cancer cells. Under low glutamine supply, colon cancer cells showed less sensitivity to curcumin. Using a microRNA (miRNA) microArray assay, miR-137, a tumor suppressor in colon cancer, was significantly induced by curcumin treatments in CRC cells. Bioinformatics analysis and a luciferase assay illustrated miR-137 directly targeted the 3' UTR of GLS mRNA. Rescue experiments demonstrated that miR-137-induced cisplatin sensitization was through targeting of GLS. Finally, curcumin treatment overcame cisplatin resistance through miR-137-mediated glutamine inhibition. CONCLUSION: Collectively, these results indicate that curcumin could be clinically applied as an anti-chemoresistance approach against CRC by modulating miR-137-inhibited glutamine metabolism.

MED12 and BRD4 cooperate to sustain cancer growth upon loss of mediator kinase.

Mediator kinases (CDK8/19) are transcriptional regulators broadly implicated in cancer. Despite their central role in fine-tuning gene-expression programs, we find complete loss of CDK8/19 is tolerated in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Using orthogonal functional genomic and pharmacological screens, we identify BET protein inhibition as a distinct vulnerability in CDK8/19-depleted cells. Combined CDK8/19 and BET inhibition led to synergistic growth retardation in human and mouse models of CRC. Strikingly, depletion of CDK8/19 in these cells led to global repression of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) promoter occupancy and transcription. Concurrently, loss of Mediator kinase led to a profound increase in MED12 and BRD4 co-occupancy at enhancer elements and increased dependence on BET proteins for the transcriptional output of cell-essential genes. In total, this work demonstrates a synthetic lethal interaction between Mediator kinase and BET proteins and exposes a therapeutic vulnerability that can be targeted using combination therapies.

Glycyrrhizic acid exhibits strong anticancer activity in colorectal cancer cells via SIRT3 inhibition.

Sirtuin-3 (SIRT3) has been described as a colorectal cancer oncogene and to be regulated by glycyrrhizic acid (GA). However, few studies have explored the interaction between GA and SIRT3. Therefore, in the present study, we showed that GA could significantly decrease SIRT3 protein levels in SW620 and HT29 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Then, we overexpressed SIRT3 by lentivirus infection on SW620 and HT29 cells. We found that, in vitro, GA treatment significantly decreased cell viability, cell clone number, and invasion and migration number, besides significantly increasing apoptosis. Also, GA treatment significantly decreased the Bax/Bcl2 protein ratio and the expression of Cyclin D1, CDK2, CDK4, MMP-9, N-cadherin, and vimentin in SW620 and HT29 cells. Meanwhile, the SIRT3 overexpression could significantly reverse these changes. Moreover, the GA treatment could significantly decrease the weight of xenograft tumor tissues and its SIRT3 protein levels in vivo, while SIRT3 overexpression reversed these effects. Overall, GA inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and migration of colorectal cancer cells, and induced their apoptosis by SIRT3 inhibition.

Emerging Therapeutic Agents for Colorectal Cancer.

There are promising new therapeutic agents for CRC patients, including novel small-molecule inhibitors and immune checkpoint blockers. We focused on emerging CRC's therapeutic agents that have shown the potential for progress in clinical practice. This review provides an overview of tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting VEGF and KIT, BRAF and MEK inhibitors, TLR9 agonist, STAT3 inhibitors, and immune checkpoint blockers (PD1/PDL-1 inhibitors), for which recent advances have been reported. These new agents have the potential to provide benefits to CRC patients with unmet medical needs.

Parthenolide Derivatives as PKM2 Activators Showing Potential in Colorectal Cancer.

As a vital kinase in the glycolysis system, PKM2 is extensively expressed in colorectal cancer (CRC) to support the energy and biosynthetic needs. In this study, we designed a series of parthenolide (PTL) derivatives through a stepwise structure optimization, and an excellent derivate 29e showed good activity on PKM2 (AC50 = 86.29 nM) and displayed significant antiproliferative activity against HT29 (IC50 = 0.66 µM) and SW480 (IC50 = 0.22 µM) cells. 29e decreased the expression of total PKM2, prevented nucleus translocation of PKM2 dimer, and inhibited PKM2/STAT3 signaling pathway. 29e remarkably increased OCR and decreased the extracellular acidification rate (ECAR). The antiproliferative effect of 29e depended on PKM2, and the Cys424 of PKM2 was the key binding site. Furthermore, 29e significantly suppressed tumor growth in the HT29 xenograft model without obvious toxicity. These outcomes demonstrate that 29e is a promising drug candidate for the treatment of CRC.

Topoisomerase 1 activity during mitotic transcription favors the transition from mitosis to G1.

As cells enter mitosis, chromatin compacts to facilitate chromosome segregation yet remains transcribed. Transcription supercoils DNA to levels that can impede further progression of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) unless it is removed by DNA topoisomerase 1 (TOP1). Using ChIP-seq on mitotic cells, we found that TOP1 is required for RNAPII translocation along genes. The stimulation of TOP1 activity by RNAPII during elongation allowed RNAPII clearance from genes in prometaphase and enabled chromosomal segregation. Disruption of the TOP1-RNAPII interaction impaired RNAPII spiking at promoters and triggered defects in the post-mitotic transcription program. This program includes factors necessary for cell growth, and cells with impaired TOP1-RNAPII interaction are more sensitive to inhibitors of mTOR signaling. We conclude that TOP1 is necessary for assisting transcription during mitosis with consequences for growth and gene expression long after mitosis is completed. In this sense, TOP1 ensures that cellular memory is preserved in subsequent generations.

Hypoxia Drives Dihydropyrimidine Dehydrogenase Expression in Macrophages and Confers Chemoresistance in Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal adenocarcinoma is a leading cause of death worldwide, and immune infiltration in colorectal tumors has been recognized recently as an important pathophysiologic event. In this context, tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) have been related to chemoresistance to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), the first-line chemotherapeutic agent used in treating colorectal cancers. Nevertheless, the details of this chemoresistance mechanism are still poorly elucidated. In the current study, we report that macrophages specifically overexpress dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) in hypoxia, leading to macrophage-induced chemoresistance to 5-FU via inactivation of the drug. Hypoxia-induced macrophage DPD expression was controlled by HIF2α. TAMs constituted the main contributors to DPD activity in human colorectal primary or secondary tumors, while cancer cells did not express significant levels of DPD. In addition, contrary to humans, macrophages in mice do not express DPD. Together, these findings shed light on the role of TAMs in promoting chemoresistance in colorectal cancers and identify potential new therapeutic targets. SIGNIFICANCE: Hypoxia induces HIF2α-mediated overexpression of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase in TAMs, leading to chemoresistance to 5-FU in colon cancers.

ADAR1 restricts ZBP1-mediated immune response and PANoptosis to promote tumorigenesis.

Cell death provides host defense and maintains homeostasis. Zα-containing molecules are essential for these processes. Z-DNA binding protein 1 (ZBP1) activates inflammatory cell death, PANoptosis, whereas adenosine deaminase acting on RNA 1 (ADAR1) serves as an RNA editor to maintain homeostasis. Here, we identify and characterize ADAR1's interaction with ZBP1, defining its role in cell death regulation and tumorigenesis. Combining interferons (IFNs) and nuclear export inhibitors (NEIs) activates ZBP1-dependent PANoptosis. ADAR1 suppresses this PANoptosis by interacting with the Zα2 domain of ZBP1 to limit ZBP1 and RIPK3 interactions. Adar1fl/flLysMcre mice are resistant to development of colorectal cancer and melanoma, but deletion of the ZBP1 Zα2 domain restores tumorigenesis in these mice. In addition, treating wild-type mice with IFN-γ and the NEI KPT-330 regresses melanoma in a ZBP1-dependent manner. Our findings suggest that ADAR1 suppresses ZBP1-mediated PANoptosis, promoting tumorigenesis. Defining the functions of ADAR1 and ZBP1 in cell death is fundamental to informing therapeutic strategies for cancer and other diseases.

Musarin, a novel protein with tyrosine kinase inhibitory activity from Trametes versicolor, inhibits colorectal cancer stem cell growth.

Colorectal cancer is the second deadly cancer in the world. Trametes versicolor is a traditional Chinese medicinal mushroom with a long history of being used to regulate immunity and prevent cancer. Trametes versicolor mushroom extract demonstrates strongly cell growth inhibitory activity on human colorectal tumor cells. In this study, we characterized a novel 12-kDa protein that named musarin, which was purified from Trametes versicolor mushroom extract and showed significant growth inhibition on multiple human colorectal cancer cell lines in vitro. The protein sequence of musarin was determined through enzyme digestion and MS/MS analysis. Furthermore, Musarin, in particular, strongly inhibits aggressive human colorectal cancer stem cell-like CD24+CD44+ HT29 proliferation in vitro and in a NOD/SCID murine xenograft model. Through whole transcription profile and gene enrichment analysis of musarin-treated CSCs-like cells, major signaling pathways and network modulated by musarin have been enriched, including the bioprocess of the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, the EGFR-Ras signaling pathway and enzyme inhibitor activity. Musarin demonstrated tyrosine kinase inhibitory activity in vitro. Musarin strongly attenuated EGFR expression and down-regulated phosphorylation level, thereby slowing cancer cells proliferation. In addition, oral ingestion of musarin significantly inhibited CD24+CD44+ HT29 generated tumor development in SCID/NOD mice with less side effects in microgram doses. Targeting self-renewal aggressive stem-cell like cancer cell proliferation, with higher water solubility and lower cytotoxicity, musarin has shown strong potence to be developed as a promising novel therapeutic drug candidate against colorectal cancers, especially those that acquire chemo-resistance.

Curcumin Reverses NNMT-Induced 5-Fluorouracil Resistance via Increasing ROS and Cell Cycle Arrest in Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) plays multiple roles in improving the aggressiveness of colorectal cancer (CRC) and enhancing resistance to 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), making it an attractive therapeutic target. Curcumin (Cur) is a promising natural compound, exhibiting multiple antitumor effects and potentiating the effect of 5-FU. The aim of the present study is to explore the effect of Cur on attenuating NNMT-induced resistance to 5-FU in CRC. A panel of CRC cell lines with different NNMT expressions are used to characterize the effect of Cur. Herein, it is observed that Cur can depress the expression of NNMT and p-STAT3 in CRC cells. Furthermore, Cur can induce inhibition of cell proliferation, G2/M phase cell cycle arrest, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, especially in high-NNMT-expression CRC cell lines. Cur can also re-sensitize high-NNMT-expression CRC cells to 5-FU both in vitro and in vivo. In summary, it is proposed that Cur can reverse NNMT-induced cell proliferation and 5-FU resistance through ROS generation and cell cycle arrest. Given that Cur has long been used, we suppose that Cur is a promising anticancer drug candidate with minimal side effects for human CRC therapy and can attenuate NNMT-induced resistance to 5-FU.

Phospholipase Cγ1 represses colorectal cancer growth by inhibiting the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling axis.

As essential phospholipid signaling regulators, phospholipase C (PLC)s are activated by various extracellular ligands and mediate intracellular signal transduction. PLCγ1 is involved in regulating various cancer cell functions. However, the precise in vivo link between PLCγ1 and cancer behavior remains undefined. To investigate the role of PLCγ1 in colorectal carcinogenesis, we generated an intestinal tissue-specific Plcg1 knock out (KO) in adenomatous polyposis coli (Apc) Min/+ mice. Plcg1 deficiency in ApcMin/+ mice showed earlier death, with a higher colorectal tumor incidence in both number and size than in wild-type mice. Mechanistically, inhibition of PLCγ1 increased the levels of its substrate phosphoinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) at the plasma membrane and promoted the activation of Wnt receptor low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) by glycogen synthase kinase 3ß (GSK3ß) to enhance ß-catenin signaling. Enhanced cell proliferation and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling were observed in colon tumors from Plcg1 KO mice. Furthermore, low PLCγ1 expression was associated with a poor prognosis of colon cancer patients. Collectively, we demonstrated the role of PLCγ1 in vivo as a tumor suppressor relationship between the regulation of the PIP2 level and Wnt/ß-catenin-dependent intestinal tumor formation.