SGLT2 inhibitor activates the STING/IRF3/IFN-β pathway and induces immune infiltration in osteosarcoma

SGLT2 (sodium-glucose cotransporter 2) is an important mediator of epithelial glucose transport and has been reported that SGLT2, robustly and diffusely expressed in malignant cancer cells, was overexpressed in various tumors, and inhibiting the SGLT2 expression significantly inhibited tumor progression. By blocking the functional activity of SGLT2, SGLT2 inhibitors have shown anticancer effects in several malignant cancers, including breast cancer, cervical cancer, hepatocellular cancer, prostate cancer, and lung cancer. However, the anticancer effect of SGLT2 inhibitors in osteosarcoma and the specific mechanism are still unclear. In the present study, we found that SGLT2 was overexpressed at the protein level in osteosarcoma. Furthermore, our results showed that the SGLT2 inhibitor significantly inhibited osteosarcoma tumor growth and induced infiltration of immune cells in vivo by upregulating STING expression and activating the IRF3/IFN-β pathway, which could attribute to the suppression of AKT phosphorylation. In addition, the combined treatment with SGLT2 inhibitor and STING agonist 2’3’-cGAMP exerted synergistic antitumor effects in osteosarcoma. Furthermore, the overexpression of SGLT2 at the protein level was correlated with the degradation of SGLT2 induced by TRIM21. This result demonstrated that SGLT2 is a novel therapeutic target of osteosarcoma, and that the SGLT2 inhibitor, especially in combination with 2’3’-cGAMP, is a potential therapeutic drug.Subject terms: Bone cancer, Cell signalling     

Enhanced antitumor efficacy of gemcitabine by evodiamine on pancreatic cancer via regulating PI3K/Akt pathway

Evodiamine has therapeutic potential against cancers. This study was designed to investigate whether combination therapy with gemcitabine and evodiamine enhanced antitumor efficacy in pancreatic cancer. In vitro application of the combination therapy triggered significantly higher frequency of pancreatic cancer cells apoptosis, inhibited the activities of PI3K, Akt, PKA, mTOR and PTEN, and decreased the activation of NF-κB and expression of NF-κB-regulated products. In vivo application of the combination therapy induced significant enhancement of tumor cell apoptosis, reductions in tumor volume, and inhibited activation of mTOR and PTEN. In conclusion, evodiamine can augment the therapeutic effect of gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer through direct or indirect negative regulation of the PI3K/Akt pathway.     

Alizarin,a nature compound,inhibits the growth of pancreatic cancer cells by abrogating NF-κB activation

The current performance of nature compounds in antitumor field is gradually attracted more and more attention, we discovered a nature active ingredient alizarin possess potent natural reductive NF-κB activity to against pancreatic cancer. However, the preclinical pharmacology and therapeutic effect, and the underlying mechanisms of alizarin in inhibiting pancreatic cancer are still unclear. After high-throughput screening, this is the first report that alizarin can induce a potent inhibitory effect against pancreatic cancer cells. Alizarin induced cell cycle arrest and promoted cell apoptosis by inhibiting TNF-α-stimulated NF-κB activity and nuclear translocation, and inactivated its related TNF-α-TAK1-NF-κB signaling cascade followed by downregulation of NF-κB target genes involved in cell apoptosis (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, XIAP) and in the cell cycle and growth (cyclin D, c-myc). Due to the abrogation of NF-κB activity, combination of alizarin and gemcitabine exerted a better inhibitory effect on pancreatic cancer. In summary, natural component alizarin, inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in vitro and in vivo through targeting of the NF-κB signaling cascade with minimal toxicity, which combine with gemcitabine, can significantly enhance the antitumor capability, playing a synergistic effect. Therefore, alizarin may play a role in reversing gemcitabine resistance caused by overactivated NF-κB in clinical application in the future.     

Calcitriol enhances gemcitabine antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo by promoting apoptosis in a human pancreatic carcinoma model system

Gemcitabine is the standard care chemotherapeutic agent to treat pancreatic cancer. Previously we demonstrated that calcitriol (1, 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol) has significant anti-proliferative effects in vitro and in vivo in multiple tumor models and enhances the activity of a variety of chemotherapeutic agents. We therefore investigated whether calcitriol could potentiate the cytotoxic activity of gemcitabine in the human pancreatic cancer Capan-1 model system. Isobologram analysis revealed that calcitriol and gemcitabine had synergistic antiproliferative effect over a wide range of drug concentrations. Calcitriol did not reduce the cytidine deaminase activity in Capan-1 tumors nor in the livers of Capan-1 tumor bearing mice. Calcitriol and gemcitabine combination promoted apoptosis in Capan-1 cells compared with either agent alone. The combination treatment also increased the activation of caspases-8, -9, -6 and -3 in Capan-1 cells. This result was confirmed by substrate-based caspase activity assay. Akt phosphorylation was reduced by calcitriol and gemcitabine combination treatment compared to single agent treatment. However, ERK1/2 phosphorylation was not modulated by either agent alone or by the combination. Tumor regrowth delay studies showed that calcitriol in combination with gemcitabine resulted in a significant reduction of Capan-1 tumor volume compared to single agent treatment. Our study suggests that calcitriol and gemcitabine in combination promotes caspase-dependent apoptosis, which may contribute to increased anti-tumor activity compared to either agent alone.Key words: calcitriol, gemcitabine, pancreatic carcinoma, apoptosis, Akt, ERK1/2     

The efficacy of a novel, dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor NVP-BEZ235 to enhance chemotherapy and antiangiogenic response in pancreatic cancer

Gemcitabine has limited clinical benefits for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathways are frequently dysregulated in PDAC. We investigated the effects of NVP-BEZ235, a novel dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, in combination with gemcitabine and endothelial monocyte activating polypeptide II (EMAP) in experimental PDAC. Cell proliferation and protein expression were analyzed by WST-1 assay and Western blotting. Animal survival experiments were performed in murine xenografts. BEZ235 caused a decrease in phospho-AKT and phospho-mTOR expression in PDAC (AsPC-1), endothelial (HUVECs), and fibroblast (WI-38) cells. BEZ235 inhibited in vitro proliferation of all four PDAC cell lines tested. Additive effects on proliferation inhibition were observed in the BEZ235-gemcitabine combination in PDAC cells and in combination of BEZ235 or EMAP with gemcitabine in HUVECs and WI-38 cells. BEZ235, alone or in combination with gemcitabine and EMAP, induced apoptosis in AsPC-1, HUVECs, and WI-38 cells as observed by increased expression of cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) and caspase-3 proteins. Compared to controls (median survival: 16 days), animal survival increased after BEZ235 and EMAP therapy alone (both 21 days) and gemcitabine monotherapy (28 days). Further increases in survival occurred in combination therapy groups BEZ235 + gemcitabine (30 days, P = 0.007), BEZ235 + EMAP (27 days, P = 0.02), gemcitabine + EMAP (31 days, P = 0.001), and BEZ235 + gemcitabine + EMAP (33 days, P = 0.004). BEZ235 has experimental PDAC antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo that is further enhanced by combination of gemcitabine and EMAP. These findings demonstrate advantages of combination therapy strategies targeting multiple pathways in pancreatic cancer treatment.     

Calcitriol enhances gemcitabine antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo by promoting apoptosis in a human pancreatic carcinoma model system

Gemcitabine is the standard care chemotherapeutic agent to treat pancreatic cancer. Previously we demonstrated that calcitriol (1, 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol) has significant anti-proliferative effects in vitro and in vivo in multiple tumor models and enhances the activity of a variety of chemotherapeutic agents. We therefore investigated whether calcitriol could potentiate the cytotoxic activity of gemcitabine in the human pancreatic cancer Capan-1 model system. Isobologram analysis revealed that calcitriol and gemcitabine had synergistic antiproliferative effect over a wide range of drug concentrations. Calcitriol did not reduce the CDDase activity in Capan-1 tumors nor in the livers of Capan-1 tumor bearing mice. Calcitriol and gemcitabine combination promoted apoptosis in Capan-1 cells compared with either agent alone. The combination treatment also increased the activation of caspases-8, -9, -6, and -3 in Capan-1 cells. This result was confirmed by substrate-based caspase activity assay. Akt phosphorylation was reduced by calcitriol and gemcitabine combination treatment compared to single agent treatment. However, ERK1/2 phosphorylation was not modulated by either agent alone or by the combination. Tumor regrowth delay studies showed that calcitriol in combination with gemcitabine resulted in a significant reduction of Capan-1 tumor volume compared to single agent treatment. Our study suggests that calcitriol and gemcitabine in combination promotes caspase-dependent apoptosis, which may contribute to increased anti-tumor activity compared to either agent alone.     

Down-regulation of GnT-V enhances nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell CNE-2 radiosensitivity in vitro and in vivo

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of GnT-V on radiosensitivity in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) both in vitro and in vivo, and the possible mechanism. The GnT-V stably suppressed cell line CNE-2 GnT-V/2224 was constructed from CNE-2 by transfection. The radiosensitivity of the cells was studied by CCK-8 assay, flow-cytometry, caspases-3 activity analysis and tumor xenografts model. The expression of Bcl-2, Bax and Bcl-xl was analyzed with or without radiation. The results showed that down-regulation of GnT-V enhanced CNE-2 radiosensitivity. The underlying mechanisms may be link to the cell cycle G2-M arrest and the reduction of Bcl-2/Bax ratio. The results suggest that GnT-V may be a potential target for predicting NPC response to radiotherapy.     

A Kinome Screen Identifies Checkpoint Kinase 1 (CHK1) as a Sensitizer for RRM1-Dependent Gemcitabine Efficacy

Gemcitabine is among the most efficacious and widely used antimetabolite agents. Its molecular targets are ribonucleotide reductase M1 (RRM1) and elongating DNA. Acquired and de novo resistance as a result of RRM1 overexpression are major obstacles to therapeutic efficacy. We deployed a synthetic lethality screen to investigate if knockdown of 87 selected protein kinases by siRNA could overcome RRM1-dependent gemcitabine resistance in high and low RRM1-expressing model systems. The models included genetically RRM1-modified lung and breast cancer cell lines, cell lines with gemcitabine-induced RRM1 overexpression, and a series of naturally gemcitabine-resistant cell lines. Lead molecular targets were validated by determination of differential gemcitabine activity using cell lines with and without target knock down, and by assessing synergistic activity between gemcitabine and an inhibitor of the lead target. CHK1 was identified has the kinase with the most significant and robust interaction, and it was validated using AZD7762, a small-molecule ATP-competitive inhibitor of CHK1 activation. Synergism between CHK1 inhibition and RRM1-dependent gemcitabine efficacy was observed in cells with high RRM1 levels, while antagonism was observed in cells with low RRM1 levels. In addition, four cell lines with natural gemcitabine resistance demonstrated improved gemcitabine efficacy after CHK1 inhibition. In tumor specimens from 187 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, total CHK1 and RRM1 in situ protein levels were significantly (p = 0.003) and inversely correlated. We conclude that inhibition of CHK1 may have its greatest clinical utility in malignancies where gemcitabine resistance is a result of elevated RRM1 levels. We also conclude that CHK1 inhibition in tumors with low RRM1 levels may be detrimental to gemcitabine efficacy.     

Synergistic antitumor efficiency of docetaxel and curcumin against lung cancer

Curcumin (Cum), the principal polyphenolic curcuminoid, obtained from the turmeric rhizome Curcuma longa, is recently reported to have potential antitumor effects in vitro and in vivo. Docetaxel (Doc) is considered as first-line chemotherapy for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. Here we report for the first time that Cum could synergistically enhance the in vitro and in vivo antitumor efficacy of Doc against lung cancer. In the current study, combination index (CI) is calculated in both in vitro and in vivo studies to determine the interaction between Cum and Doc. In the in vitro cytotoxicity test, media-effect analysis clearly indicated a synergistic interaction between Cum and Doc in certain concentrations. Moreover, in vivo evaluation further demonstrated the superior anticancer efficacy of Cum + Doc compared with Doc alone by intravenous delivery in an established A549 transplanted xenograft model. Results showed that Cum synergistically increased the efficacy of Doc immediately after 4 days of the initial treatment. Additionally, simultaneous administration of Cum and Doc showed little toxicity to normal tissues including bone marrow and liver at the therapeutic doses. Therefore, in vitro and in vivo evaluations demonstrated the satisfying synergistic antitumor efficacy of Cum and Doc against lung cancer and the introduction of Cum in traditional chemotherapy is a most promising way to counter the spread of non-small cell lung cancer.     

The Antimicrobial Peptide,Nisin, Synergistically Enhances the Cytotoxic and Apoptotic Effects of Rituximab Treatment on Human Burkitt’s Lymphoma Cell Lines

Background:Non-Hodgkin''s lymphomas comprise the most common hematological cancers worldwide and consist of a heterogenous group of malignancies affecting the lymphoid system. Treatment of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma has been significantly enhanced with the addition of Rituximab to the standard chemotherapy regimen. However, even with the advancement of treatment patients continue to relapse and develop resistance to Rituximab, rendering subsequent treatments unsuccessful. The use of novel drugs with unique antitumor mechanisms has gained considerable attention. In this study, we explored the in vitro anti-cancer effects of the combined therapy of Rituximab and Nisin on human Burkitt’s lymphoma cells.Methods:The human Burkitt’s lymphoma cells lines, Raji and Daudi, were treated with Nisin, Rituximab, or a combination of the two agents at various concentrations. Cytotoxicity following treatment was determined using cell viability assay. The degree of apoptosis was verified via flow cytometric analysis using FITC annexin V/PI staining.Results:Our findings show that the combined treatment of Rituximab and Nisin results in a more significant reduction in the survival of Raji and Daudi Burkitt’s lymphoma cells, compared to Nisin or Rituximab treatment alone. Additionally, our results indicate that Nisin can induce a significant degree of apoptosis in the Burkitt’s lymphoma cells compared to the negative controls. However, the addition of Nisin to the Rituximab treatment synergistically enhances the apoptotic antitumor effect.Conclusion:This study demonstrates the synergistic antitumor effect of Nisin treatment in vitro to enhance tumor cell apoptosis and the potential value of Nisin as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of lymphoma.Key Words: Apoptosis, Burkitt’s lymphoma, Cell viability, Combination, Nisin, Rituximab     

A Novel Small Molecule FL118 That Selectively Inhibits Survivin,Mcl-1, XIAP and cIAP2 in a p53-Independent Manner,Shows Superior Antitumor Activity

Drug/radiation resistance to treatment and tumor relapse are major obstacles in identifying a cure for cancer. Development of novel agents that address these challenges would therefore be of the upmost importance in the fight against cancer. In this regard, studies show that the antiapoptotic protein survivin is a central molecule involved in both hurdles. Using cancer cell-based survivin-reporter systems (US 7,569,221 B2) via high throughput screening (HTS) of compound libraries, followed by in vitro and in vivo analyses of HTS-derived hit-lead compounds, we identified a novel anticancer compound (designated FL118). FL118 shows structural similarity to irinotecan. However, while the inhibition of DNA topoisomerase 1 activity by FL118 was no better than the active form of irinotecan, SN-38 at 1 µM, FL118 effectively inhibited cancer cell growth at less than nM levels in a p53 status-independent manner. Moreover, FL118 selectively inhibited survivin promoter activity and gene expression also in a p53 status-independent manner. Although the survivin promoter-reporter system was used for the identification of FL118, our studies revealed that FL118 not only inhibits survivin expression but also selectively and independently inhibits three additional cancer-associated survival genes (Mcl-1, XIAP and cIAP2) in a p53 status-independent manner, while showing no inhibitory effects on control genes. Genetic silencing or overexpression of FL118 targets demonstrated a role for these targets in FL118’s effects. Follow-up in vivo studies revealed that FL118 exhibits superior antitumor efficacy in human tumor xenograft models in comparison with irinotecan, topotecan, doxorubicin, 5-FU, gemcitabine, docetaxel, oxaliplatin, cytoxan and cisplatin, and a majority of mice treated with FL118 showed tumor regression with a weekly × 4 schedule. FL118 induced favorable body-weight-loss profiles (temporary and reversible) and was able to eliminate large tumors. Together, the molecular targeting features of FL118 plus its superior antitumor activity warrant its further development toward clinical trials.     

Curcumin and wikstroflavone B,a new biflavonoid isolated from Wikstroemia indica,synergistically suppress the proliferation and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells via blocking FAK/STAT3 signaling pathway

BackgroundCurcumin (CUR) is a natural diarylheptanoid with marked anti-tumor activities. Recent investigations demonstrate that CUR combines with some other phytochemicals exerts advantages over its single application manifested as lower toxicity, higher efficacy or more significant reversal of multidrug resistance.PurposeThis study aimed to elucidate a new biflavonoid (wikstroflavone B, WFB) isolated from Wikstroemia indica and to assess the synergistic inhibition of combined CUR and WFB (CUR/WFB) on human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines proliferation and metastasis.MethodsWFB was obtained through sequential chromatographic methods including silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and preparative HPLC. Its structure was determined by HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis. The absolute configuration of WFB was assigned through comparison of experimental and calculated optical rotation (OR) values. Changes in cellular viability, migration and invasion were assessed by MTT, colony formation, wound healing and Transwell assays. The nature of synergistic interaction of CUR/WFB was determined through the combination index (CI) method under the median-effect analysis. Expression levels of indicated mRNAs and proteins were measured by qRT-PCR and Western blotting assays, respectively.ResultsWFB was isolated and structural elucidated. Compared with CUR or WFB used alone, CUR/WFB treatment inhibited more effectively on the cell viability, colony formation, cell migration and invasion. Both CI and dose reduction index (DRI) values indicated the significant synergistic effects existed between CUR and WFB. Besides, CUR/WFB showed the marked modulation on the genes involved in cell proliferation (survivin, cyclin D1, p53 and p21) and metastasis (MMP-2, MMP-9 and FAK). CUR/WFB treatment was also found to restrain the phosphorylation of FAK and STAT3 proteins. When pretreatment with a FAK inhibitor, the cell viability and metastasis were significantly attenuated.ConclusionThe results indicate that WFB can synergistically increase the inhibitory effects of CUR on NPC cells proliferation and metastasis, and these findings may afford a rational approach for developing the antitumor medications.     

Pharmacological Abrogation of S-Phase Checkpoint Enhances the Anti-Tumor Activity of Gemcitabine In Vivo

Chk1 and Chk2 kinases are critically involved in modulating DNA damage checkpoints. In particular, Chk1, a key activator of the S-phase DNA damage response, may be involved in resistance to genotoxic therapies that target DNA synthesis. We studied the in vitro and in vivo effects of EXEL-9844 (XL844), a potent, orally available, and specific inhibitor of Chk1 and Chk2, in combination with gemcitabine. In clonogenic assays using multiple cell lines in vitro, EXEL-9844 had only minor effects as a single agent but substantially enhanced gemcitabine-induced cell killing. Correspondingly, in PANC-1 cells, EXEL-9844 increased gemcitabine-induced H2AX phosphorylation, blocked Cdc25A phosphorylation, and induced premature mitotic entry. In a PANC-1 xenograft model, EXEL-9844 significantly enhanced gemcitabine antitumor activity but had limited effect as a single agent. Together, these data show that cell cycle checkpoint inhibitors may have significant clinical utility in potentiating the activity of gemcitabine.     

Heh2/Man1 may be an evolutionarily conserved sensor of NPC assembly state

Integral membrane proteins of the Lap2-emerin-MAN1 (LEM) family have emerged as important components of the inner nuclear membrane (INM) required for the functional and physical integrity of the nuclear envelope. However, like many INM proteins, there is limited understanding of the biochemical interaction networks that enable LEM protein function. Here, we show that Heh2/Man1 can interact with major scaffold components of the nuclear pore complex (NPC), specifically the inner ring complex (IRC), in evolutionarily distant yeasts. Although an N-terminal domain is required for Heh2 targeting to the INM, we demonstrate that more stable interactions with the NPC are mediated by a C-terminal winged helix (WH) domain, thus decoupling INM targeting and NPC binding. Inhibiting Heh2’s interactions with the NPC by deletion of the Heh2 WH domain leads to NPC clustering. Interestingly, Heh2’s association with NPCs can also be disrupted by knocking out several outer ring nucleoporins. Thus, Heh2’s interaction with NPCs depends on the structural integrity of both major NPC scaffold complexes. We propose a model in which Heh2 acts as a sensor of NPC assembly state, which may be important for NPC quality control mechanisms and the segregation of NPCs during cell division.     

Interleukin-1α synergistic in vivo enhancement of cyclophosphamide- and carboplatin-mediated antitumor activity

 Interleukin-1α (IL-1α) has potent acute antitumor activity in vivo and can enhance the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drug-mediated antitumor responses. Studies were undertaken to examine the ability of IL-1α to enhance the activity of cyclophosphamide (CTX) administered in combination with carboplatin. To determine the in vivo effect of IL-1α, CTX and/or carboplatin, mice bearing 14-day RIF-1 tumors were treated on day 0 with a concurrent i.p. injection of varying doses of CTX (5–150 mg/kg), human IL-1α (125 μg/kg), and carboplatin (50 mg/kg) and examined 24 h later for the surviving fraction by the in vivo excision clonogenic-tumor-cell assay. Even at the lowest doses of CTX, IL-1α significantly enhanced the clonogenic tumor cell kill when compared to treatment with CTX alone. When carboplatin was added to the treatment schema, significantly greater clonogenic cell killing and tumor regrowth delay were observed as compared to any agent alone or a two-drug combination (CTX/IL-1α or CTX/carboplatin). Significant enhancement was observed even at low doses of CTX in combination with carboplatin and IL-1α. The interaction between the three-drug combination was found to be synergistic as determined by the median dose effect with significant dose reduction apparent for IL-1α and CTX when used in this combination. These results demonstrate that IL-1α can synergistically enhance the antitumor efficacy of CTX and the combination of CTX and carboplatin. Received: 11 September 1996 / Accepted: 20 May 1997     

Modified vaccinia Ankara expressing survivin combined with gemcitabine generates specific antitumor effects in a murine pancreatic carcinoma model

Survivin is overexpressed by 70–80% of pancreatic cancers, and is associated with resistance to chemotherapy and a poor prognosis. Gemcitabine has been a standard treatment for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer for a decade. Recent reports have demonstrated that gemcitabine treatment attenuates the tumor-suppressive environment by eliminating CD11b⁺/Gr-1⁺ myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). We hypothesize that a cancer vaccine targeting survivin can achieve enhanced efficacy when combined with gemcitabine. In this study, we tested this hypothesis using modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) expressing full-length murine survivin. The poorly immunogenic mouse pancreas adenocarcinoma cell line, Pan02, which expresses murine survivin and is syngeneic to C57BL/6, was used for this study. Immunization with MVA-survivin resulted in a modest therapeutic antitumor effect on established Pan02 tumors. When administered with gemcitabine, MVA-survivin immunization resulted in significant tumor regression and prolonged survival. The enhanced vaccine efficacy was associated with decreased CD11b⁺/Gr-1⁺ MDSCs. To analyze the survivin-specific immune response to MVA-survivin immunization, we utilized a peptide library of 15mers with 11 residues overlapping from full-length murine survivin. Splenocytes from mice immunized with MVA-survivin produced intracellular γ-interferon in response to in vitro stimulation with the overlapping peptide library. Increased survivin-specific CD8⁺ T cells that specifically recognized the Pan02 tumor line were seen in mice treated with MVA-survivin and gemcitabine. These data suggest that vaccination with MVA-survivin in combination with gemcitabine represents an attractive strategy to overcome tumor-induced peripheral immune tolerance, and this effect has potential for clinical benefit in pancreatic cancer.