3-BrPA eliminates human bladder cancer cells with highly oncogenic signatures via engagement of specific death programs and perturbation of multiple signaling and metabolic determinants.

BACKGROUND: Urinary bladder cancer is one of the most fatal and expensive diseases of industrialized world. Despite the strenuous efforts, no seminal advances have been achieved for its clinical management. Given the importance of metabolic reprogramming in cancer cell survival and growth, we have herein employed 3-BrPA, a halogenated derivative of pyruvate and historically considered inhibitor of glycolysis, to eliminate bladder cancer cells with highly oncogenic molecular signatures. METHODS: Bladder cancer cells were exposed to 3-BrPA in the absence or presence of several specific inhibitors. Cell viability was determined by MTT and flow-cytometry assays; cell death, signaling activity and metabolic integrity by Western blotting and immunofluorescence; mutant-gene profiling by DNA sequencing; and gene expression by RT-sqPCR. RESULTS: 3-BrPA could activate dose-dependent apoptosis (type 1 PCD) and regulated necrosis (type 3 PCD) of T24 (grade III; H-Ras(G12V); p53(ΔY126)), but not RT4 (grade I), cells, with PARP, MLKL, Drp1 and Nec-7-targeted components critically orchestrating necrotic death. However, similarly to RIPK1 and CypD, p53 presented with non-essential contribution to 3-BrPA-induced cellular collapse, while reactivation of mutant p53 with PRIMA-1 resulted in strong synergism of the two agents. Given the reduced expression of MPC components (likely imposing mitochondrial dysfunction) in T24 cells, the suppression of constitutive autophagy (required by cells carrying oncogenic Ras; also, type 2 PCD) and derangement of glucose-homeostasis determinants by 3-BrPA critically contribute to drug-directed depletion of ATP cellular stores. This bioenergetic crisis is translated to severe dysregulation of Akt/FoxO/GSK-3, mTOR/S6, AMPK and MAPK (p44/42, p38 and SAPK/JNK) signaling pathways in 3-BrPA-treated T24 cells. Sensitivity to 3-BrPA (and tolerance to glucose deprivation) does not rely on B-Raf(V600E) or K-Ras(G13D) mutant oncogenic proteins, but partly depends on aberrant signaling activities of Akt, MAPK and AMPK kinases. Interestingly, MCT1- and macropinocytosis-mediated influx of 3-BrPA in T24 represents the principal mechanism that regulates cellular responsiveness to the drug. Besides its capacity to affect transcription in gene-dependent manner, 3-BrPA can also induce GLUT4-specific splicing silencing in both sensitive and resistant cells, thus dictating alternative routes of drug trafficking. CONCLUSIONS: Altogether, it seems that 3-BrPA represents a promising agent for bladder cancer targeted therapy.

New semi-synthetic analogs of oleuropein show improved anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo.

Oleuropein is a glucosylated seco-iridoid present in olive fruits and leaves. Due to its broad spectrum of biological activities, including anticancer properties, oleuropein has attracted scientific attention for the past 20 years. The promising antiproliferative activity of an olive leaf extract enriched in oleuropein against a series of human cancer cell lines, prompted us to proceed with the semi-synthesis of 51 analogs of oleuropein. Following their initial screening against the estrogen receptor negative breast cancer cell line SKBR3, 7 analogs were shown to display significant cytotoxicity and were further tested against 6 additional solid tumor-derived and leukemic cell lines. The analog with the most promising antitumor activity (24) was selected for more detailed studies. 24 was non-toxic to peripheral blood mononuclear cells derived from healthy blood donors when tested at concentrations close to its half maximal inhibitory concentration. In vivo administration of 24 in melanoma-bearing mice resulted in reducing tumor size in a dose-dependent manner and in inducing anti-melanoma-reactive immune responses. Our results suggest that analog 24, emerging from the initial structure of oleuropein, represents a promising lead structure for further optimization.