Rhodanine-based PRL-3 inhibitors blocked the migration and invasion of metastatic cancer cells.

PRL-3, phosphatase of regenerating liver-3, plays a role in cancer progression through its involvement in invasion, migration, metastasis, and angiogenesis. We synthesized rhodanine derivatives, CG-707 and BR-1, which inhibited PRL-3 enzymatic activity with IC50 values of 0.8 µM and 1.1 µM, respectively. CG-707 and BR-1 strongly inhibited the migration and invasion of PRL-3 overexpressing colon cancer cells without exhibiting cytotoxicity. The specificity of the inhibitors on PRL-3 phosphatase activity was confirmed by the phosphorylation recovery of known PRL-3 substrates such as ezrin and cytokeratin 8. The compounds selectively inhibited PRL-3 in comparison with other phosphatases, and CG-707 regulated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker proteins. The results of the present study reveal that rhodanine is a specific PRL-3 inhibitor and a good lead molecule for obtaining a selective PRL-3 inhibitor.

Development of 6E3 antibody-mediated SERS immunoassay for drug-resistant influenza virus.

Influenza viruses are responsible for several pandemics and seasonal epidemics and pose a major public health threat. Even after a major outbreak, the emergence of drug-resistant influenza viruses can pose disease control problems. Here we report a novel 6E3 monoclonal antibody capable of recognizing and binding to the H275Y neuraminidase (NA) mutation, which has been associated with reduced susceptibility of influenza viruses to NA inhibitors. The 6E3 antibody had a KD of 72.74 µM for wild-type NA and 32.76 pM for H275Y NA, suggesting that it can identify drug-resistant pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) influenza virus. Molecular modeling studies also suggest the high-affinity binding of this antibody to pH1N1 H275Y NA. This antibody was also subject to dot-blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, bare-eye detection, and lateral flow assay to demonstrate its specificity to drug-resistant pH1N1. Furthermore, it was immobilized on Au nanoplate and nanoparticles, enabling surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based detection of the H275Y mutant pH1N1. Using 6E3 antibody-mediated SERS immunoassay, the drug-resistant influenza virus can be detected at a low concentration of 102 plaque-forming units/mL. We also detected pH1N1 in human nasopharyngeal aspirate samples, suggesting that the 6E3-mediated SERS assay has the potential for diagnostic application. We anticipate that this newly developed antibody and SERS-based immunoassay will contribute to the diagnosis of drug-resistant influenza viruses and improve treatment strategies for influenza patients.

Development of A4 antibody for detection of neuraminidase I223R/H275Y-associated antiviral multidrug-resistant influenza virus.

The emergence and spread of antiviral drug-resistant viruses have been a worldwide challenge and a great concern for patient care. We report A4 antibody specifically recognizing and binding to the mutant I223R/H275Y neuraminidase and prove the applicability of A4 antibody for direct detection of antiviral multidrug-resistant viruses in various sensing platforms, including naked-eye detection, surface-enhanced Raman scattering-based immunoassay, and lateral flow system. The development of the A4 antibody enables fast, simple, and reliable point-of-care assays of antiviral multidrug-resistant influenza viruses. In addition to current influenza virus infection testing methods that do not provide information on the antiviral drug-resistance of the virus, diagnostic tests for antiviral multidrug-resistant viruses will improve clinical judgment in the treatment of influenza virus infections, avoid the unnecessary prescription of ineffective drugs, and improve current therapies.

Obovatol inhibits colorectal cancer growth by inhibiting tumor cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis.

Neolignans such as obovatol, honokiol, and magnolol have been previously reported to show various biological activities including anti-inflammation and antitumor effects. This is the first demonstration on the in vivo antitumor effect of obovatol on human colorectal carcinoma SW620 cells. Nude mice were implanted with SW620 cells and fed with vehicle or 5mg/kg/d dose of obovatol for 20 days. Obovatol inhibited tumor growth that accounted for 50% decrease in tumor volume and 44.6% decrease in tumor weight at the end of the experiment without any adverse health effect. In nude mice bearing SW620-incubated tumor, obovatol exhibited more potent antitumor activity than honolkiol. In addition, DNA flow cytometric analysis shows that obovatol progresses to apoptosis as detected by flow cytometry after double staining with annexin V and propidium iodide. Thus, we suggest that obovatol is a potent inducer of cell apoptosis in SW620 cells, and a potent antitumor agent.

Sugiol inhibits STAT3 activity via regulation of transketolase and ROS-mediated ERK activation in DU145 prostate carcinoma cells.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is constitutively activated in various human cancers and has been used as a therapeutic target for tumors. This study screened natural products to identify compounds that inhibit STAT3 activity using a STAT3-dependent luciferase reporter system. Sugiol was identified as a compound that decreased luciferase activity in a dose-dependent manner. Sugiol specifically inhibited STAT3 phosphorylation at Tyr-705 in DU145 prostate cells, and this inhibition was independent of the STAT3 upstream kinase. Sugiol induced cell cycle arrest and decreased the expression levels of STAT3 target genes, such as cyclin D1, cyclin A, and survivin. Notably, we observed that sugiol interacted with transketolase, an enzyme in central metabolism, and increased ROS levels leading to the activation of ERK, which inhibits STAT3 activity. The protein phosphatase MEG2 was also responsible for sugiol-induced STAT3 dephosphorylation. The inhibitory effect of sugiol on cell growth was confirmed using the DU145 mouse xenograft model. We propose that sugiol inhibits STAT3 activity through a mechanism that involves the inhibition of transketolase, which leads to increased ROS levels and MEG2 activation in DU145 cells. Therefore, sugiol is the first compound regulating STAT3 activity via modulation of cancer metabolic pathway and we suggest the use of sugiol as an inhibitor of the STAT3 pathway for the treatment of human solid tumors with activated STAT3.

Cryptotanshinone inhibits constitutive signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 function through blocking the dimerization in DU145 prostate cancer cells.

Because signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is constitutively activated in most human solid tumors and is involved in the proliferation, angiogenesis, immune evasion, and antiapoptosis of cancer cells, researchers have focused on STAT3 as a target for cancer therapy. We screened for natural compounds that inhibit the activity of STAT3 using a dual-luciferase assay. Cryptotanshinone was identified as a potent STAT3 inhibitor. Cryptotanshinone rapidly inhibited STAT3 Tyr705 phosphorylation in DU145 prostate cancer cells and the growth of the cells through 96 hours of the treatment. Inhibition of STAT3 Tyr705 phosphorylation in DU145 cells decreased the expression of STAT3 downstream target proteins such as cyclin D1, survivin, and Bcl-xL. To investigate the cryptotanshinone inhibitory mechanism in DU145 cells, we analyzed proteins upstream of STAT3. Although phosphorylation of Janus-activated kinase (JAK) 2 was inhibited by 7 micromol/L cryptotanshinone at 24 hours, inhibition of STAT3 Tyr705 phosphorylation occurred within 30 minutes and the activity of the other proteins was not affected. These results suggest that inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation is caused by a JAK2-independent mechanism, with suppression of JAK2 phosphorylation as a secondary effect of cryptotanshinone treatment. Continuing experiments revealed the possibility that cryptotanshinone might directly bind to STAT3 molecules. Cryptotanshinone was colocalized with STAT3 molecules in the cytoplasm and inhibited the formation of STAT3 dimers. Computational modeling showed that cryptotanshinone could bind to the SH2 domain of STAT3. These results suggest that cryptotanshinone is a potent anticancer agent targeting the activation STAT3 protein. It is the first report that cryptotanshinone has antitumor activity through the inhibition of STAT3.

Caveolin-1 inhibits membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase activity.

Membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) is a zinc-dependent proteinase found in cholesterol-rich lipid rafts on the plasma membrane. MT1-MMP hydrolyzes extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, activates pro-matrix metalloproteinase-2 (proMMP-2) and plays an important role in ECM remodeling, cancer cell migration and metastasis. The role of caveolin-1, an integral protein of caveolae, in the activation of MT1-MMP remains largely unknown. Here, we show that the expression of caveolin-1 attenuates the activation of proMMP-2, reduces proteolytic cleavage of ECM and inhibits cell migration. We utilized the cytoplasmic tail domain deletion (DeltaCT) or the E240A mutant of MT1-MMP. Co-expression of caveolin-1 with the wild-type or the DeltaCT MT1-MMP decreased the proMMP-2 activation and inhibited collagen degradation and cell migration. Caveolin-1 had no effect on the catalytically inert E240A MT1-MMP. Our findings suggest that caveolin-1 is essential in the down-regulation of MT1-MMP activity by promoting internalization from the cell surface.