bims-rehoca 2021-08-01 papers

bims-rehoca

Biomed News

on Redox homeostasis in cancer

Issue of 2021‒08‒01
twenty-two papers selected by
Vittoria Raimondi
Veneto Institute of Oncology

Role of reactive oxygen species in tumors based on the 'seed and soil' theory: A complex interaction (Review).
A nanoselenium-coating biomimetic cytomembrane nanoplatform for mitochondrial targeted chemotherapy- and chemodynamic therapy through manganese and doxorubicin codelivery.
PPM-18, an Analog of Vitamin K, Induces Autophagy and Apoptosis in Bladder Cancer Cells Through ROS and AMPK Signaling Pathways.
Salinomycin triggers prostate cancer cell apoptosis by inducing oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress via suppressing Nrf2 signaling.
Pyrazole Derivatives Induce Apoptosis via ROS Generation in the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells, MDA-MB-468.
Human astrocytes and astrocytoma respond differently to resveratrol.
TRIB2 desensitizes ferroptosis via βTrCP-mediated TFRC ubiquitiantion in liver cancer cells.
β-Caryophyllene induces apoptosis and inhibits cell proliferation by deregulation of STAT-3/mTOR/AKT signaling in human bladder cancer cells: An in vitro study.
Biochanin A Inhibits Glioblastoma Growth via Restricting Glycolysis and Mitochondrial Oxidative Phosphorylation.
The anti-dysenteric drug fraxetin enhances anti-tumor efficacy of gemcitabine and suppresses pancreatic cancer development by antagonizing STAT3 activation.
Binding mode transformation and biological activity on the Ru(II)-DMSO complexes bearing heterocyclic pyrazolyl ligands.
Amplification of oxidative stress with lycorine and gold-based nanocomposites for synergistic cascade cancer therapy.
Sequential oncogenic mutations influence cell competition.
Head and Neck Cancer Cell Death due to Mitochondrial Damage Induced by Reactive Oxygen Species from Nonthermal Plasma-Activated Media: Based on Transcriptomic Analysis.
PCNA inhibition enhances the cytotoxicity of β-lapachone in NQO1-Positive cancer cells by augmentation of oxidative stress-induced DNA damage.
Natural bioactive molecules: An alternative approach to the treatment and control of glioblastoma multiforme.
Activating Caspase-8/Bid/ROS Signaling to Promote Apoptosis of Breast Cancer Cells by Folate-modified Albumin Baicalin-loaded Nanoparticles.
Antiproliferative and Oxidative Damage Protection Activities of Endophytic Fungi Aspergillus fumigatus and Chaetomium globosum from Moringa oleifera Lam.
The cross-talk between tumor cells and activated fibroblasts mediated by lactate/BDNF/TrkB signaling promotes acquired resistance to anlotinib in human gastric cancer.
Curcumin induced G2/M cycle arrest in SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells through the ROS-mediated p53 signaling pathway.
Carboxyl group-modified α-lactalbumin induces TNF-α-mediated apoptosis in leukemia and breast cancer cells through the NOX4/p38 MAPK/PP2A axis.
Pink1/PARK2/mROS-Dependent Mitophagy Initiates the Sensitization of Cancer Cells to Radiation.

Oncol Rep. 2021 Sep;pii: 208. [Epub ahead of print]46(3):

Role of reactive oxygen species in tumors based on the 'seed and soil' theory: A complex interaction (Review).

Wei Liang, Xinying He, Jianqiang Bi, Tingting Hu, Yunchuan Sun.

  Tumor microenvironment (TME) can serve as the 'soil' for the growth and survival of tumor cells and function synergically with tumor cells to mediate tumor progression and therapeutic resistance. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) is somewhat of a double‑edged sword for tumors. Accumulating evidence has reported that regulating ROS levels can serve an anti‑tumor role in the TME, including the promotion of cancer cell apoptosis, inhibition of angiogenesis, preventing immune escape, manipulating tumor metabolic reorganization and improving drug resistance. In the present review, the potential role of ROS in anti‑tumor therapy was summarized, including the possibility of directly or indirectly targeting the TME.

Keywords:  immune escape; metabolism recombination; reactive oxygen species; tumor angiogenesis; tumor drug resistance; tumor microenvironment

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2021.8159
J Nanobiotechnology. 2021 Jul 30. 19(1): 227

A nanoselenium-coating biomimetic cytomembrane nanoplatform for mitochondrial targeted chemotherapy- and chemodynamic therapy through manganese and doxorubicin codelivery.

Jianmin Xiao, Miao Yan, Ke Zhou, Hui Chen, Zhaowei Xu, Yuehao Gan, Biao Hong, Geng Tian, Junchao Qian, Guilong Zhang, Zhengyan Wu.

  The cell membrane is widely considered as a promising delivery nanocarrier due to its excellent properties. In this study, self-assembled Pseudomonas geniculate cell membranes were prepared with high yield as drug nanocarriers, and named BMMPs. BMMPs showed excellent biosafety, and could be more efficiently internalized by cancer cells than traditional red cell membrane nanocarriers, indicating that BMMPs could deliver more drug into cancer cells. Subsequently, the BMMPs were coated with nanoselenium (Se), and subsequently loaded with Mn2+ ions and doxorubicin (DOX) to fabricate a functional nanoplatform (BMMP-Mn2+/Se/DOX). Notably, in this nanoplatform, Se nanoparticles activated superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD-1) expression and subsequently up-regulated downstream H2O2 levels. Next, the released Mn2+ ions catalyzed H2O2 to highly toxic hydroxyl radicals (·OH), inducing mitochondrial damage. In addition, the BMMP-Mn2+/Se nanoplatform inhibited glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) expression and further accelerated intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Notably, the BMMP-Mn2+/Se/DOX nanoplatform exhibited increased effectiveness in inducing cancer cell death through mitochondrial and nuclear targeting dual-mode therapeutic pathways and showed negligible toxicity to normal organs. Therefore, this nanoplatform may represent a promising drug delivery system for achieving a safe, effective, and accurate cancer therapeutic plan.

Keywords:  Cell membrane; Drug delivery system; Dual-mode therapeutic pathways; Glutathione peroxidase 4; Reactive oxygen species; Superoxide dismutase-1

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-021-00971-9
Front Pharmacol. 2021 ;12 684915

PPM-18, an Analog of Vitamin K, Induces Autophagy and Apoptosis in Bladder Cancer Cells Through ROS and AMPK Signaling Pathways.

Huiai Lu, Chunlei Mei, Luhao Yang, Junyan Zheng, Junwei Tong, Fengsen Duan, Huageng Liang, Ling Hong.

  PPM-18, identified as a novel analog of vitamin K, has been reported to play a critical role in the suppression of seizures. However, the concerns that whether PPM-18, like vitamin K, exerts anticancer activity remain to be further investigated. Here, we found that PPM-18 remarkably suppressed the proliferation and induced apoptosis in bladder cancer cells. Furthermore, a significant autophagic effect of PPM-18 on bladder cancer cells was also demonstrated, which profoundly promoted apoptotic cell death. Mechanistically, PPM-18 activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), whereas it repressed PI3K/AKT and mTORC1 pathways in bladder cancer cells. Inhibition of AMPK markedly relieved PPM-18-induced autophagy and apoptosis, indicating that PPM-18 is able to induce autophagy and apoptosis in bladder cancer cells via AMPK activation. Moreover, reactive oxygen species (ROS) were notably accumulated in PPM-18-treated bladder cancer cells, and treatment with ROS scavengers not only eliminated ROS production but also abrogated AMPK activation, which eventually rescued bladder cancer cells from PPM-18-triggered autophagy and apoptotic cell death. In bladder cancer xenografts, the anticancer activities of PPM-18, including suppressing the growth of tumors and inducing autophagy and apoptosis in tumor cells, were also established. Collectively, this study was the first to demonstrate the anticancer effect of PPM-18 on bladder cancer cells in vitro and in vivo through eliciting autophagy and apoptosis via ROS and AMPK pathways, which might provide new insights into the potential utilization of PPM-18 for future bladder cancer treatment.

Keywords:  AMP-activated protein kinase; PPM-18; apoptosis; autophagy; bladder cancer; reactive oxygen species

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.684915
Exp Ther Med. 2021 Sep;22(3): 946

Salinomycin triggers prostate cancer cell apoptosis by inducing oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress via suppressing Nrf2 signaling.

Jianyong Yu, Yang Yang, Shan Li, Peng Meng.

  Salinomycin is a polyether antiprotozoal antibiotic that is widely used as an animal food additive. Some antifungal, antiparasitic, antiviral and anti-inflammatory activities have been reported for salinomycin. Recently, the anti-cancer effect of salinomycin has been demonstrated in breast cancer; however, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the functional roles of salinomycin in the progression of prostate cancer cells using the DU145 and PC-3 cell lines. Western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction were performed to detect the expression of oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress-related molecules, and flow cytometry was performed to detect the apoptosis rate of DU145 and PC-3 cells after salinomycin treatment. The results demonstrated that salinomycin inhibited the viability and induced the apoptosis of PC-3 and DU145 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, salinomycin increased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) and the lipid peroxidation. In addition, salinomycin induced the activation of unfolded protein response and endoplasmic reticulum stress in DU145 and PC-3 cells, as indicated by the elevated expression of binding immunoglobulin protein, activating transcription factor 4, phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2α, phosphorylated protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase and C/EBP homologous protein. In addition, salinomycin significantly downregulated the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1, NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 and glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit and decreased the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase in PC-3 and DU145 cells. Furthermore, the Nrf2 activator, tert-butylhydroquinone, significantly reversed the therapeutic effects of salinomycin by stimulating the Nrf2 pathway and increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Taken together, these findings demonstrated that salinomycin may trigger apoptosis by inducing oxidative and ER stress in prostate cancer cells via suppressing Nrf2 signaling.

Keywords:  apoptosis; endoplasmic reticulum stress; nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 pathway; prostate cancer; salinomycin

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2021.10378
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2021 Jul 01. pii: 89674. [Epub ahead of print]22(7): 2079-2087

Pyrazole Derivatives Induce Apoptosis via ROS Generation in the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells, MDA-MB-468.

Maryam Ashourpour, Fatemeh Mostafavi Hosseini, Mohsen Amini, Ebrahim Saeedian Moghadam, Faranak Kazerouni, Seyed Yousef Arman, Zahra Shahsavari.

  BACKGROUND: Triple-negative breast cancer accounts for approximately 15-20% of all breast carcinomas and is associated with earlier age of onset, aggressive clinical course, and dismal prognosis. A series of 1,3-diaryl-5-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1 H-Pyrazole and 1,3-diaryl-5- (3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)- 1 H-Pyrazole were evaluated for their anticancer activity against MDA-MB-468, human triple negative breast cancer cell line.METHODS: The cytotoxic effects of Pyrazole derivatives on the growth of MDA-MB-468 and AGO1522 were determined using MTT assay. Annexin-V-FITC and PI staining were performed to detect apoptosis and cell cycle distribution using Flow cytometry. The level of Reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and caspase 3 activity were determined accordingly.
RESULTS: Pyrazole derivatives induced a dose and time-dependent cell toxicity in MDA-MB-468 compared with untreated cells. The results showed that 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1-(p-tolyl)-5-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-Pyrazole (3f) was the most active compound with IC50 values 14.97 μM and 6.45 μM compared with Paclitaxel with IC50 values 49.90 μM and 25.19 μM, after 24 and 48 hours, respectively. Upon treatment with 14.97 μM of 3f after 24 h, the compound induced cell cycle arrest in S phase. 3f provoked apoptosis was accompanied by the elevated level of ROS and increased caspase 3 activity in MDA-MB-468 cells compared with untreated cells.
CONCLUSION: The overall results of the present study provided evidence for the cytotoxicity of compound 3f against MDA-MB-468 cells in comparison to reference standard, Paclitaxel. It proves that compound 3f can trigger apoptosis through ROS production and caspase 3 activation. These bring supportive data for future investigations that will lead to their use in cancer therapy. <br />.

Keywords:  Apoptosis; Pyrazole derivatives; ROS; TNBC

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.7.2079
Nanomedicine. 2021 Jul 21. pii: S1549-9634(21)00084-8. [Epub ahead of print] 102441

Human astrocytes and astrocytoma respond differently to resveratrol.

Evan Rizzel Gran, Victor Lotocki, Qiaochu Zhang, Ashok Kakkar, Dusica Maysinger.

  A fundamental problem in oncology is that anticancer chemotherapeutics kill both cancer and healthy cells in the surrounding tissues. Resveratrol is a natural antioxidant with intriguing and opposing biological properties: it reduces viability of some cancer cells but not of non-transformed ones (in equimolar concentrations). Therefore, we examined resveratrol in human non-transformed primary astrocytes and astrocytoma. Resveratrol reduced reactive oxygen species in astrocytes, but not in astrocytoma. Such cell-type dependent response is particularly evident with analyses at the single cell level showing clear population difference in high and low glutathione levels. Due to resveratrol's poor aqueous solubility that limits its use in clinics, we incorporated it into stimulus-responsive micelles assembled from miktoarm polymers. This could be an attractive chemotherapeutic delivery strategy in nano-oncology. As a proof of principle, we show that these formulations containing resveratrol markedly decrease astrocytoma viability, particularly in combination with temozolomide, a first line chemotherapeutic for astrocytoma.

Keywords:  Astrocytes; Astrocytoma; Glutathione; Miktoarm polymers; Reactive oxygen species; Resveratrol

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nano.2021.102441
Cell Death Discov. 2021 Jul 27. 7(1): 196

TRIB2 desensitizes ferroptosis via βTrCP-mediated TFRC ubiquitiantion in liver cancer cells.

Susu Guo, Yuxin Chen, Xiangfei Xue, Yueyue Yang, Yikun Wang, Shiyu Qiu, Jiangtao Cui, Xiao Zhang, Lifang Ma, Yongxia Qiao, Jiayi Wang.

Tribbles homolog 2 (TRIB2) is known to boost liver tumorigenesis via regulating Ubiquitin (Ub) proteasome system (UPS). At least two ways are involved, i.e., acts as an adaptor protein to modulate ubiquitination functions of certain ubiquitin E3 ligases (E3s) and reduces global Ub levels via increasing the proteolysis activity of proteasome. Recently, we have identified the role of TRIB2 to relieve oxidative damage via reducing the availability of Ub that is essential for the ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). Although GPX4 is a critical antioxidant factor to protect against ferroptosis, the exact evidence showing that TRIB2 desensitizes ferroptosis is lacking. Also, whether such function is via E3 remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that deletion of TRIB2 sensitized ferroptosis via lifting labile iron in liver cancer cells. By contrast, overexpression of TRIB2 led to the opposite outcome. We further demonstrated that transferrin receptor (TFRC) was required for TRIB2 to desensitize the cells to ferroptosis. Without TFRC, the labile iron pool could not be reduced by overexpressing TRIB2. We also found that beta-transducin repeat containing E3 ubiqutin protein ligase (βTrCP) was a genuine E3 for the ubiquitination of TFRC, and TRIB2 was unable to decline labile iron level once upon βTrCP was knocked out. In addition, we confirmed that the opposite effects on ferroptosis and ferroptosis-associated lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation resulted from knockout and overexpression of TRIB2 were all indispensible of TFRC and βTrCP. Finally, we demonstrated that TRIB2 exclusively manipulated RSL3- and erastin-induced-ferroptosis independent of GPX4 and glutathione (GSH). In conclusion, we elucidated a novel role of TRIB2 to desensitize ferroptosis via E3 βTrCP, by which facilitates TFRC ubiquitiation and finally decreases labile iron in liver cancer cells.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-021-00574-1
J Biochem Mol Toxicol. 2021 Jul 28. e22863

β-Caryophyllene induces apoptosis and inhibits cell proliferation by deregulation of STAT-3/mTOR/AKT signaling in human bladder cancer cells: An in vitro study.

Xiaodong Yu, Bo Liao, Pingyu Zhu, Shulin Cheng, Zhongbo Du, Guo Jiang.

  The current study aimed to explore the antitumor effect of β-caryophyllene (BCP) on two different cell lines of T24 and 5637 human bladder cancer (BC) cells and its potential molecular mechanisms in inhibition of STAT-3/mTOR/AKT signaling pathways and the inductive process of apoptosis mechanism. The results indicated that BCP showed significant cytotoxicity in BC T24 and 5637 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and IC50 values were 40 µg/ml in the BC cells T24 and 5637. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) synthesis and apoptosis induction were significantly developed, but the mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) decreased on BCP treatment as detected by the fluorescence method. Moreover, cell migration was markedly reduced in BCP and Bax, Bcl-2 mRNA expression was modified. Finally, it was found that the STAT-3, mTOR, and AKT protein expressions were suppressed via inhibition of cytotoxicity in T24 and 5637 cells. Therefore, we finally concluded that BCP is an effective treatment against BC T24 and 5637 cells, and it has great chemotherapeutic potential for further bladder carcinoma treatment.

Keywords:  AKT; STAT-3; apoptosis; bladder cancer; mTOR; oxidative stress; β-caryophyllene

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/jbt.22863
Front Oncol. 2021 ;11 652008

Biochanin A Inhibits Glioblastoma Growth via Restricting Glycolysis and Mitochondrial Oxidative Phosphorylation.

Qiang Dong, Qiao Li, Lei Duan, Hang Yin, Xiaoqing Wang, Yang Liu, Bo Wang, Kun Li, Xuan Yao, Guoqiang Yuan, Yawen Pan.

  Abnormal metabolism serves a critical role in glioblastoma (GBM). Biochanin A (BCA), a flavonoid phenolic compound found in edible and herbal plants, has antioxidative and antitumor activities. However, it remains unclear whether BCA has an effect on energy metabolism. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anticancer effects and molecular mechanism of the effect of BCA on energy metabolism. We observed that BCA inhibited the growth of U251 cells by the mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptotic pathway. BCA treatment reduced metabolic function, repressed mitochondrial membrane potential, and increased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in GBM. In addition, we found that BCA decreased aerobic glycolysis by inactivation of the AKT/mTOR pathway. Taken together, the results demonstrate that treatment with BCA inhibited the proliferation of GBM by regulating metabolic reprogramming.

Keywords:  biochanin A; energy metabolism; glioblastoma; proliferation; reactive oxygen species

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2021.652008
Aging (Albany NY). 2021 Jul 28. 13(undefined):

The anti-dysenteric drug fraxetin enhances anti-tumor efficacy of gemcitabine and suppresses pancreatic cancer development by antagonizing STAT3 activation.

Yangyang Guo, Yanyi Xiao, Hangcheng Guo, Hengyue Zhu, Dong Chen, Jilong Wang, Junjie Deng, Junjie Lan, Xiaodong Liu, Qiyu Zhang, Yongheng Bai.

  Fraxetin, a natural product isolated and purified from the bark of Fraxinus bungeana A.DC., has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-dysenteric activities. This study aimed to investigate the anti-tumor effects of fraxetin in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). The effects of fraxetin on the malignant biological behavior of PDA were evaluated. Besides, the effects of fraxetin on the sensitivity of PCCs to gemcitabine, angiogenesis, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), glucose metabolism, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and STAT3 activity were analyzed. By reversing the EMT, fraxetin suppressed proliferation, invasion, and migration, and induced mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis in PCCs. Also, treatment with fraxetin inhibited PDA growth and metastasis in nude mouse models. Furthermore, fraxetin made PCCs more sensitive to the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine. Mechanically, fraxetin treatment suppressed oncogenic KRAS-triggered STAT3 activation in PCCs and PDA tissues. Fraxetin shows significant interactions with STAT3 Src Homology 2 (SH2) domain residues, thereby preventing its homo-dimer formation, which then blocks the activation of downstream signal pathways. The anti-tumor activity of fraxetin in PDA was functionally rescued by a STAT3 activator colivelin. As a result, fraxetin hindered hypoxia-induced angiogenesis by decreasing HIF-1α and VEGFA expression, controlled glucose metabolism by reducing GLUT1 expression, inhibited the EMT by blocking the Slug-E-cadherin axis, and drove ROS-mediated apoptosis by regulating the STAT3-Ref1 axis. In conclusion, fraxetin enhances the anti-tumor activity of gemcitabine and suppresses pancreatic cancer development by antagonizing STAT3 activation.

Keywords:  STAT3; fraxetin; gemcitabine; oxidative stress; pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.203301
J Inorg Biochem. 2021 Jul 16. pii: S0162-0134(21)00192-6. [Epub ahead of print]223 111545

Binding mode transformation and biological activity on the Ru(II)-DMSO complexes bearing heterocyclic pyrazolyl ligands.

Dorothy Priyanka Dorairaj, Ya-Fan Lin, Jebiti Haribabu, Theetharappan Murugan, Manmath Narwane, Ramasamy Karvembu, Mallanpillai Ananthakrishnan Neelakantan, Chai-Lin Kao, Chien-Chih Chiu, Sodio C N Hsu.

  Three Ru(II)-DMSO complexes (1-3) containing 2-(3-pyrazolyl)pyridine (PzPy), 2-pyrazol-3-ylfuran (PzO), or 2-pyrazol-3-ylthiophene (PzS) ligand, were synthesized and characterized. The monodentate coordination of the heterocyclic pyrazolyl ligand (PzPy) with Ru(II) ion via N atom was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Complex 1 could be converted to the known η2-bidentate PzPy complex cis(Cl), cis(S)-[RuCl2(PzPy)(DMSO)2] (4) under reflux conditions. The mechanism underlying binding mode transformation was studied by 1H NMR spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The binding abilities of the complexes (1-4) with calf-thymus (CT) DNA and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were investigated using spectroscopic and molecular docking techniques. Among the four Ru(II) complexes, complexes 1 and 3 inhibited the long-term proliferation of human breast cancer cells, whereas complexes 2 and 4 did not inhibit their proliferation to a considerable extent. Interestingly, complexes 1 and 3 did not induce significant cell death but rather attenuated the clonogenicity of breast cancer cells by upregulating reactive oxygen species (ROS), endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and autophagic stress.

Keywords:  Biomolecular interactions; Density functional theory; MDA-MB-231; Pyrazolyl ligands; ROS studies; Ruthenium-DMSO

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2021.111545
J Nanobiotechnology. 2021 Jul 27. 19(1): 221

Amplification of oxidative stress with lycorine and gold-based nanocomposites for synergistic cascade cancer therapy.

Hongzhi Hu, Wenbo Yang, Zihui Liang, Zezhu Zhou, Qingcheng Song, Weijian Liu, Xiangtian Deng, Jian Zhu, Xin Xing, Binglong Zhong, Baichuan Wang, Shangyu Wang, Zengwu Shao, Yingze Zhang.

  BACKGROUND: Despite advances of surgery and neoadjuvant chemotherapy during the past few decades, the therapeutic efficacy of current therapeutic protocol for osteosarcoma (OS) is still seriously compromised by multi-drug resistance and severe side effects. Amplification of intracellular oxidative stress is considered as an effective strategy to induce cancer cell death. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel strategy that can amplify the intracellular oxidative stress for synergistic cascade cancer therapy.METHODS AND RESULTS: A novel nanocomposite, composed of folic acid (FA) modified mesoporous silica-coated gold nanostar (GNS@MSNs-FA) and traditional Chinese medicine lycorine (Ly), was rationally designed and developed. Under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, the obtained GNS@MSNs-FA/Ly could promote a high level of ROS production via inducing mitochondrial dysfunction and potent endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Moreover, glutathione (GSH) depletion during ER stress could reduce ROS scavenging and further enable efficient amplification of intracellular oxidative stress. Both in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that GNS@MSNs-FA/Ly coupled with NIR irradiation exhibited excellent antitumor efficacy without noticeable toxicity in MNNG/HOS tumor-bearing mice.
CONCLUSION: All these results demonstrated that GNS@MSNs-FA/Ly coupled with NIR irradiation could dramatically amplify the intra-tumoral oxidative stress, exhibiting excellent antitumor ability without obvious systemic toxicity. Taken together, this promising strategy provides a new avenue for the effective cancer synergetic therapy and future clinical translation.

Keywords:  Endoplasmic reticulum stress; Gold nanostars; Lycorine; Mesoporous silica; Mitochondrial dysfunction; Osteosarcoma; Oxidative stress

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-021-00933-1
Curr Biol. 2021 Jul 16. pii: S0960-9822(21)00893-9. [Epub ahead of print]

Sequential oncogenic mutations influence cell competition.

Koki Kohashi, Yusuke Mori, Rika Narumi, Kei Kozawa, Tomoko Kamasaki, Susumu Ishikawa, Mihoko Kajita, Rei Kobayashi, Yoichiro Tamori, Yasuyuki Fujita.

  At the initial stage of carcinogenesis, newly emerging transformed cells are often eliminated from epithelial layers via cell competition with the surrounding normal cells. For instance, when surrounded by normal cells, oncoprotein RasV12-transformed cells are extruded into the apical lumen of epithelia. During cancer development, multiple oncogenic mutations accumulate within epithelial tissues. However, it remains elusive whether and how cell competition is also involved in this process. In this study, using a mammalian cell culture model system, we have investigated what happens upon the consecutive mutations of Ras and tumor suppressor protein Scribble. When Ras mutation occurs under the Scribble-knockdown background, apical extrusion of Scribble/Ras double-mutant cells is strongly diminished. In addition, at the boundary with Scribble/Ras cells, Scribble-knockdown cells frequently undergo apoptosis and are actively engulfed by the neighboring Scribble/Ras cells. The comparable apoptosis and engulfment phenotypes are also observed in Drosophila epithelial tissues between Scribble/Ras double-mutant and Scribble single-mutant cells. Furthermore, mitochondrial membrane potential is enhanced in Scribble/Ras cells, causing the increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS). Suppression of mitochondrial membrane potential or ROS production diminishes apoptosis and engulfment of the surrounding Scribble-knockdown cells, indicating that mitochondrial metabolism plays a key role in the competitive interaction between double- and single-mutant cells. Moreover, mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase) acts downstream of these processes. These results imply that sequential oncogenic mutations can profoundly influence cell competition, a transition from loser to winner. Further studies would open new avenues for cell competition-based cancer treatment, thereby blocking clonal expansion of more malignant populations within tumors.

Keywords:  ROS; RasV12; Scribble; apoptosis; cell competition; engulfment; entosis; mTOR; mitochondria; sequential mutations

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.064
Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2021 ;2021 9951712

Head and Neck Cancer Cell Death due to Mitochondrial Damage Induced by Reactive Oxygen Species from Nonthermal Plasma-Activated Media: Based on Transcriptomic Analysis.

Chan Oh, Ho-Ryun Won, Woo Seok Kang, Dae-Woong Kim, Seung-Nam Jung, Mi Ae Im, Lihua Liu, Yan Li Jin, Yudan Piao, Hae Jong Kim, Yea Eun Kang, Min Joung Lee, Jun Young Heo, Sangmi Jun, Nam Suk Sim, Jeong Ho Lee, Kunho Song, Young Il Kim, Jae Won Chang, Bon Seok Koo.

Mitochondrial targeted therapy is a next-generation therapeutic approach for cancer that is refractory to conventional treatments. Mitochondrial damage caused by the excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a principle of mitochondrial targeted therapy. ROS in nonthermal plasma-activated media (NTPAM) are known to mediate anticancer effects in various cancers including head and neck cancer (HNC). However, the signaling mechanism of HNC cell death via NTPAM-induced ROS has not been fully elucidated. This study evaluated the anticancer effects of NTPAM in HNC and investigated the mechanism using transcriptomic analysis. The viability of HNC cells decreased after NTPAM treatment due to enhanced apoptosis. A human fibroblast cell line and three HNC cell lines were profiled by RNA sequencing. In total, 1 610 differentially expressed genes were identified. Pathway analysis showed that activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) were upstream regulators. Mitochondrial damage was induced by NTPAM, which was associated with enhancements of mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) and ATF4/CHOP regulation. These results suggest that NTPAM induces HNC cell death through the upregulation of ATF4/CHOP activity by damaging mitochondria via excessive mtROS accumulation, similar to mitochondrial targeted therapy.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/9951712
Cancer Lett. 2021 Jul 27. pii: S0304-3835(21)00373-6. [Epub ahead of print]

PCNA inhibition enhances the cytotoxicity of β-lapachone in NQO1-Positive cancer cells by augmentation of oxidative stress-induced DNA damage.

Xiaolin Su, Jiangwei Wang, Lingxiang Jiang, Yaomin Chen, Tao Lu, Marc S Mendonca, Xiumei Huang.

  β-Lapachone is a classic quinone-containing antitumor NQO1-bioactivatable drug that directly kills NQO1-overexpressing cancer cells. However, the clinical applications of β-lapachone are primarily limited by its high toxicity and modest lethality. To overcome this side effect and expand the therapeutic utility of β-lapachone, we demonstrate the effects of a novel combination therapy including β-lapachone and the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) inhibitor T2 amino alcohol (T2AA) on various NQO1+ cancer cells. PCNA has DNA clamp processivity activity mediated by encircling double-stranded DNA to recruit proteins involved in DNA replication and DNA repair. In this study, we found that compared to monotherapy, a nontoxic dose of the T2AA synergized with a sublethal dose of β-lapachone in an NQO1-dependent manner and that combination therapy prevented DNA repair, increased double-strand break (DSB) formation and PARP1 hyperactivation and induced catastrophic energy loss. We further determined that T2AA promoted programmed necrosis and G1/S phase cell cycle arrest in β-lapachone-treated NQO1+ cancer cells. Our findings show novel evidence for a new therapeutic approach that combines of β-lapachone treatment with PCNA inhibition that is highly effective in treating NQO1+ solid tumor cells.

Keywords:  Combination chemotherapy; NQO1; PCNA; T2AA; β-Lapachone

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.canlet.2021.07.040
Biomed Pharmacother. 2021 Jul 19. pii: S0753-3322(21)00710-1. [Epub ahead of print]141 111928

Natural bioactive molecules: An alternative approach to the treatment and control of glioblastoma multiforme.

Priti Tagde, Pooja Tagde, Sandeep Tagde, Tanima Bhattacharya, Vishal Garg, Rokeya Akter, Md Habibur Rahman, Agnieszka Najda, Ghadeer M Albadrani, Amany A Sayed, Muhammad Furqan Akhtar, Ammara Saleem, Ahmed E Altyar, Deepak Kaushik, Mohamed M Abdel-Daim.

  Glioblastoma multiforme is one of the most deadly malignant tumors, with more than 10,000 cases recorded annually in the United States. Various clinical analyses and studies show that certain chronic diseases, including cancer, interact between cell-reactive radicals rise and pathogenesis. Reactive oxygen and nitrogenous sources include endogenous (physiological processes), and exogenous sources contain reactive oxygen and nitrogen (xenobiotic interaction). The cellular oxidation/reduction shifts to oxidative stress when the regulation mechanisms of antioxidants are surpassed, and this raises the ability to damage cellular lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. OBJECTIVE: This review is focused on how phytochemicals play crucial role against glioblastoma multiforme and to combat these, bioactive molecules and their derivatives are either used alone, in combination with anticancer drugs or as nanomedicine formulations for better cancer theranostics over the conventional approach. CONCLUSION: Bioactive molecules found in seeds, vegetables, and fruits have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties that may help cancer survivors feel better throughout chemotherapy or treatment. However, incorporating them into the nanocarrier-based drug delivery for the treatment of GBMs, which could be a promising therapeutic strategy for this tumor entity, increasing targeting effectiveness, increasing bioavailability, and reducing side effects with this target-specificity, drug internalization into cells is significantly improved, and off-target organ aggregation is reduced.

Keywords:  Apoptosis; Bioactive compounds; Cellular oxidation/reduction; Glioblastoma; Oxidative enzymes; Oxidative stress; ROS; Stem cells; Tumor cells

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111928
Nanotechnology. 2021 Jul 30.

Activating Caspase-8/Bid/ROS Signaling to Promote Apoptosis of Breast Cancer Cells by Folate-modified Albumin Baicalin-loaded Nanoparticles.

Meng Lan, Zhaodi Kong, Fengjie Liu, Tengteng Zou, Lihong Li, Tiange Cai, Tian Huaqin, Yu Cai.

  Abnormal apoptosis can lead to uncontrolled cell growth, aberrant homeostasis or the accumulation of mutations. Therapeutic agents that re-establish the normal functions of apoptotic signaling pathways offer an attractive strategy for the treatment of breast cancer. Baicalin (BA) is one of the natural compounds with anti-proliferation and pro-apoptosis activities against numerous tumor cells. However, low bioavailability restricts the clinical application of BA. In order to improve its therapeutic efficacy and study the mechanism of actions, active targeting delivery systems were developed for targeting tumor environment and selective cell killing effects. It emphasized on the construction of folate-conjugated albumin nanoparticles loaded with baicalin (FA-BSANPs/BA) and mechanisms of which on the promotion of breast cancer apoptosis. The physicochemical properties and structural characteristics of FA-BSANPs/BA were investigated. Cell experiments were carried out to study the targeted anti-breast cancer effects of FA-BSANPs/BA and its mechanism. The results showed that FA-BSANPs/BA was successfully constructed with stable structural characteristics and sustained release effects. Cellular uptake and MTT showed that it increased targeted uptake efficiency and cytotoxicity. Flow cytometry and western blot confirmed that it promoted apoptosis by increasing the expression of caspase-8 and ROS, and decreasing the level of Bid. It is suggested that the pro-apoptotic mechanism of FA-BSANPs/BA is related to regulation of key proteins in extrinsic apoptotic pathway. In conclusion, FA-BSANPs/BA is a good delivery carrier and significantly inhibits the breast cancer growth compared with free BA. The mechanism of FA-BSANPs/BA promoting apoptosis of breast cancer may be due to its action on the caspase-8/Bid/ROS pathway.

Keywords:  Albumin Nanoparticles; Apoptosis; Baicalin; Breast cancer; Folate

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6528/ac197b
Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 2021 Jul 27.

Antiproliferative and Oxidative Damage Protection Activities of Endophytic Fungi Aspergillus fumigatus and Chaetomium globosum from Moringa oleifera Lam.

Navdeep Kaur, Daljit Singh Arora, Sandeep Kaur, Ajay Kumar, Satwinderjeet Kaur.

  The current study was conducted to evaluate the antiproliferative and oxidative damage protection potential of endophytic fungi Aspergillus fumigatus and Chaetomium globosum isolated from Moringa oleifera. The chloroformic extract (CE) of both the fungi showed dose dependent antiproliferative activity against human prostate adenocarcinoma (PC-3) cell line with (IC50) value of 0.055 mg/ml and 0.008 mg/ml, respectively. Further, CE of both the fungi was studied for their ability to induce apoptosis in PC-3 cell line. Various deformities in the cancerous cells treated with CE of both the fungi have been observed by confocal microscopy which indicates the cell death by apoptosis. Further apoptosis inducing ability of CE of both the fungi was observed using various flow cytometric studies. The chloroformic extract of both the fungi showed slight increase in the level of reactive oxygen species to induce apoptosis. It also showed arrest of cancerous cells at G0/G1 phase of cell cycle to induce apoptosis. The externalization of phosphatidylserine (PS) to induce apoptosis was also observed when analysed using Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining assay where the CE of A. fumigatus and C. globosum showed the total apoptosis of 94.2% and 90.3%, respectively, at the highest tested concentration of GI70. The CE of both the fungi further showed the protective behaviour for plasmid DNA pBR322, when tested for their effect against the oxidative stress caused by the Fenton's reagent. Thus, the studies demonstrated a good antiproliferative and oxidative damage protection potential of the endophytic fungi.

Keywords:  Anticancerous; Apoptosis; Endophytic fungi; Flow cytometry; Oxidative damage

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-021-03625-6
Redox Biol. 2021 Jul 20. pii: S2213-2317(21)00235-4. [Epub ahead of print]46 102076

The cross-talk between tumor cells and activated fibroblasts mediated by lactate/BDNF/TrkB signaling promotes acquired resistance to anlotinib in human gastric cancer.

Zhijian Jin, Yifan Lu, Xiongyan Wu, Tao Pan, Zhenjia Yu, Junyi Hou, Airong Wu, Jianfang Li, Zhongyin Yang, Chen Li, Min Yan, Chao Yan, Zhenggang Zhu, Bingya Liu, Weihua Qiu, Liping Su.

  Acquired resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) is the major obstacle to improve clinical efficacy in cancer patients. The epithelial-stromal interaction in tumor microenvironment influences cancer drug response to TKIs. Anlotinib is a novel oral multi-targeted TKI, and has recently been proven to be effective and safe for several tumors. However, if and how the epithelial-stromal interaction in tumor microenvironment affects anlotinib response in gastric cancer (GC) is not known. In this study, we found that anlotinib inhibited GC cells growth by inducing GC cells apoptosis and G2/M phase arrest in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated anlotinib-induced apoptosis in GC cells, while cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) significantly suppressed anlotinib-induced apoptosis and ROS in GC cells. Increased BDNF that was derived from CAFs activated TrkB-Nrf2 signaling in GC cells, and reduced GC cells response to anlotinib. We identified secreted lactate from GC cells as the key molecule instructing CAFs to produce BDNF in a NF-κB-dependent manner. Additionally, functional targeting BDNF-TrkB pathway with neutralizing antibodies against BDNF and TrkB increased the sensitivity of GC cells towards anlotinib in human patient-derived organoid (PDO) model. Taken together, these results characterize a critical role of the epithelial-stroma interaction mediated by the lactate/BDNF/TrkB signaling in GC anlotinib resistance, and provide a novel option to overcome drug resistance.

Keywords:  Anlotinib; BDNF; Fibroblast; Nrf2; ROS; TrkB

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2021.102076
J Food Biochem. 2021 Jul 31. e13888

Curcumin induced G2/M cycle arrest in SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells through the ROS-mediated p53 signaling pathway.

Zijie Ye, Danyang Chen, Ruilin Zheng, Haiyang Chen, Tiantian Xu, Changbing Wang, Shibo Zhu, Xiaofeng Gao, Jin Zhang, Dian Li, Yueyin Pang, Bing Zhu, Yinghua Li, Wei Jia.

  Neuroblastoma (NB) is a solid tumor in the nervous system and has a high mortality rate in children. Curcumin has well-characterized anticancer properties, while there is no effective method in clinical treatment. MTT assays revealed that curcumin dramatically inhibited the proliferation of SK-N-SH cells. Compared with the control group, curcumin markedly restrained the migration of SK-N-SH cells. Curcumin induced SK-N-SH cell apoptosis by G2/M cycle arrest and activated caspase-3 activity. Furthermore, curcumin promoted the overproduction of intracellular ROS and apoptosis induced by activating p53 and Bcl-2 signal pathways. This finding demonstrated the application of curcumin is an effective strategy for the therapeutics of NB.

Keywords:  apoptosis; curcumin; neuroblastoma; reactive oxygen species

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/jfbc.13888
Int J Biol Macromol. 2021 Jul 23. pii: S0141-8130(21)01587-7. [Epub ahead of print]

Carboxyl group-modified α-lactalbumin induces TNF-α-mediated apoptosis in leukemia and breast cancer cells through the NOX4/p38 MAPK/PP2A axis.

Jing-Ting Chiou, Yi-Jun Shi, Yuan-Chin Lee, Liang-Jun Wang, Ying-Jung Chen, Long-Sen Chang.

  To clarify the mechanism of semicarbazide-modified α-lactalbumin (SEM-LA)-mediated cytotoxicity, we investigated its effect on human U937 leukemia cells and MCF-7 breast cancer cells in the current study. SEM-LA induced apoptosis in U937 cells, which showed increased NOX4 expression, procaspase-8 degradation, and t-Bid production. FADD depletion inhibited SEM-LA-elicited caspase-8 activation, t-Bid production, and cell death, indicating that SEM-LA activated death receptor-mediated apoptosis in U937 cells. SEM-LA stimulated Ca2+-mediated Akt activation, which in turn increased Sp1- and p300-mediated NOX4 transcription. The upregulation of NOX4 expression promoted ROS-mediated p38 MAPK phosphorylation, leading to protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A)-regulated tristetraprolin (TTP) degradation. Remarkably, TTP downregulation increased the stability of TNF-α mRNA, resulting in the upregulation of TNF-α protein expression. Abolishment of Ca2+-NOX4-ROS axis-mediated p38 MAPK activation attenuated SEM-LA-induced TNF-α upregulation and protected U937 cells from SEM-LA-mediated cytotoxicity. The restoration of TTP expression alleviated the effect of TNF-α upregulation and cell death induced by SEM-LA. Altogether, the data in this study demonstrate that SEM-LA activates TNF-α-mediated apoptosis in U937 cells through the NOX4/p38 MAPK/PP2A axis. We think that a similar pathway can also explain the death of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells after SEM-LA treatment.

Keywords:  NOX4; Protein phosphatase 2A; TNF-α; Tristetraprolin; p38MAPK; α-Lactalbumin

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.07.133
Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2021 ;2021 5595652

Pink1/PARK2/mROS-Dependent Mitophagy Initiates the Sensitization of Cancer Cells to Radiation.

Lei Yu, Xiangshan Yang, Xin Li, Lijing Qin, Weiqiang Xu, Hongli Cui, Zhen Jia, Qiang He, Zhicheng Wang.

Autophagy plays a double-edged sword for cancer; particularly, mitophagy plays important roles in the selective degradation of damaged mitochondria. However, whether mitophagy is involved in killing effects of tumor cells by ionizing radiation (IR) and its underlying mechanism remain elusive. The purpose is to evaluate the effects of mitochondrial ROS (mROS) on autophagy after IR; furthermore, we hypothesized that KillerRed (KR) targeting mitochondria could induce mROS generation, subsequent mitochondrial depolarization, accumulation of Pink1, and recruitment of PARK2 to promote the mitophagy. Thereby, we would achieve a new strategy to enhance mROS accumulation and clarify the roles and mechanisms of radiosensitization by KR and IR. Our data demonstrated that IR might cause autophagy of both MCF-7 and HeLa cells, which is related to mitochondria and mROS, and the ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine (NAC) could reduce the effects. Based on the theory, mitochondrial targeting vector sterile α- and HEAT/armadillo motif-containing protein 1- (Sarm1-) mtKR has been successfully constructed, and we found that ROS levels have significantly increased after light exposure. Furthermore, mitochondrial depolarization of HeLa cells was triggered, such as the decrease of Na+K+ ATPase, Ca2+Mg2+ ATPase, and mitochondrial respiratory complex I and III activities, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) has significantly decreased, and voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1) protein has significantly increased in the mitochondria. Additionally, HeLa cell proliferation was obviously inhibited, and the cell autophagic rates dramatically increased, which referred to the regulation of the Pink1/PARK2 pathway. These results indicated that mitophagy induced by mROS can initiate the sensitization of cancer cells to IR and might be regulated by the Pink1/PARK2 pathway.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/5595652