Search

RESEARCHER ID M-3378-2014 (María Vallet Regí) ORCID 0000-0002-6104-4889 (María Vallet Regí) RESEARCHER ID M-3316-2014 (Alejandro Baeza García) ORCID 0000-0002-8408-3389 (Alejandro Baeza García) RESEARCHER ID K-3719-2014 (Miguel Manzano García) RESEARCHER ID M-3378-2014 (Miguel Manzano García) ORCID 0000-0001-6238-6111 (Miguel Manzano García), Since 2001, when our research group proposed for the first time MCM-41 as a drug release system, the scientific community has demonstrated a growing interest in mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) for their revolutionary potential in nanomedicine. Among the diverse pathologies that can be treated with MSNs, cancer has received increasing attention. MSNs can be loaded with large amounts of therapeutic cargoes and once intravenously administrated preferentially accumulate in solid tumours via the enhanced permeation and retention (EPR) effect. Herein we report the recent developments achieved by our research group as a pioneer in this field, highlighting: the design of sophisticated MSNs as stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems to release the entrapped cargo upon exposure to a given stimulus while preventing the premature release of highly cytotoxic drugs before reaching the target; transporting non-toxic prodrugs and the enzyme responsible for its conversion into cytotoxic agents into the same MSNs; improving the selectivity and cellular uptake by cancer cells by active targeting of MSNs; increasing the penetration of MSNs within the tumour mass, which is one of the major challenges in the use of NPs to treat solid tumours., Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO), Agening Network of Excellence, Depto. de Química en Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Fac. de Farmacia, TRUE, pub

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive form of breast cancer that has poor survival rates due to the absence of specifi c molecular markers such as estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). In the era of precision oncology, it is recognized that an imbalance in posttransla tional modifi cations of histones, such as histone lysine acetylation and deacetylation, is closely linked to tumor initiation and progression. Two groups of enzymes control the reversible nature of histone post-translational acetylation: histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs). Isoform-specifi c targeting of HDACs is considered a rational strategy to develop safe anticancer therapeutics compared to non-selective HDAC inhibitors. However, nonselec tive HDAC inhibitors have been more extensively studied in clinical trials. This work presents the design and discovery of potent HDAC inhibitors that selectively target HDAC6 isozyme, using 1-benzhydryl piperazine as a surface recognition group with diff erent hydrocarbon linkers. Through in vitro screening, two HDAC6-selective inhibitors with nanomolar IC50 values and two non-selective HDAC inhibitors were identifi ed. Structure-based molecular modelling was utilized to investigate the impact of linker chemistry on the potency of synthesized inhibitors against HDAC6. The anti-cancer, anti-migratory, and anti-invasive activities of these compounds were evaluated using breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7). Experiments on a zebrafi sh MDA-MB-231 xenograft model demonstrated that a novel non-selective HDAC inhibitor (compound 8b) with a seven-carbon-atom linker exhibited potent eff ects against tumor growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis at low micromolar concentrations.

EGFR is a protein kinase whose aberrant activity is frequently involved in the development of non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) drug resistant forms. The allosteric inhibition of this enzyme is currently one among the most attractive approaches to design and develop anticancer drugs. In a previous study, we reported the identification of a hit compound acting as type III allosteric inhibitor of the L858R/T790M double mutant EGFR. Herein, we report the design, synthesis and in vitro testing of a series of analogues of the previously identified hit with the aim of exploring the structure-activity relationships (SAR) around this scaffold. The performed analyses allowed us to identify two compounds 15 and 18 showing improved inhibition of double mutant EGFR with respect to the original hit, as well as interesting antiproliferative activity against H1975 NSCLC cancer cells expressing double mutant EGFR. The newly discovered compounds represent promising starting points for further hit-to-lead optimisation.

In the treatment of hormone-dependent cancers, aromatase inhibitors (AI) are receiving increased attention due to some undesirable effects such as the risk of endometrial cancer and thromboembolism of SERMs (selective estrogen receptor modulators). Letrozole is the most active AI with 99% aromatase inhibition. Unfortunately, this compound also exhibits some adverse effects such as hot flashes and fibromyalgias. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore new types of AIs that retain the same—or even increased—antitumor ability. Inspired by the letrozole structure, a set of new derivatives has been synthesized that include a ferrocenyl moiety and different heterocycles. The derivative that contains a benzimidazole ring, namely compound 6, exhibits a higher aromatase inhibitory activity than letrozole and it also shows potent cytostatic behavior when compared to other well-established aromatase inhibitors, as demonstrated by dose–response, cell cycle, apoptosis and time course experiments. Furthermore, 6 promotes the inhibition of cell growth in both an aromatase-dependent and -independent fashion, as indicated by the study of A549 and MCF7 cell lines. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics calculations on the interaction of 6 or letrozole with the aromatase binding site revealed that the ferrocene moiety increases the van der Waals and hydrophobic interactions, thus resulting in an increase in binding affinity. Furthermore, the iron atom of the ferrocene fragment can form a metal-acceptor interaction with a propionate fragment, and this results in a stronger coupling with the heme group—a possibility that is consistent with the strong aromatase inhibition of 6.

Background/Aim: Cancer research has been conducted using cultured cells as part of drug discovery testing, but conventional two-dimensional culture methods are unable to reflect the complex tumor microenvironment. On the other hand, three-dimensional cultures have recently been attracting attention as in vitro models that more closely resemble the in vivo physiological environment. The purpose of this study was to establish a 3D culture method for oral cancer and to verify its practicality. Materials and Methods: Three-dimensional cultures were performed using several oral cancer cell lines. Western blotting was used for protein expression analysis of the collected cell masses (spheroids), and H-E staining was used for structural observation. The cultures were exposed to cisplatin and cetuximab and the morphological changes of spheroids over time and the expression changes of target proteins were compared. Results: Each cell line formed spheroidal cell aggregates and showed enhancement of cell adhesion molecules over time. H-E staining showed tumor tissue-like structures specific to each cell line. Cisplatin showed concentration-dependent antitumor effects due to loss of cell adhesion and spheroid disruption in each cell line, while cetuximab exhibited antitumor effects that correlated with EGFR expression in each cell line. Conclusion: Spheroids made from oral cancer cell lines appeared to have tumor-like characteristics that may reflect their clinical significance. In the future, it may become possible to produce tumor spheroids from tissue samples of oral cancer patients, and then apply them to drug screening and to develop individualized diagnostic and treatment methods.

Yosuke Ota, Yukihiro Itoh, Takashi Kurohara, Ritesh Singh, Elghareeb E. Elboray, Chenliang Hu, Farzad Zamani, Anirban Mukherjee, Yuri Takada, Yasunobu Yamashita, Mie Morita, Mano Horinaka, Yoshihiro Sowa, Mitsuharu Masuda, Toshiyuki Sakai, and Takayoshi Suzuki. ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters 2022 13 (10), 1568-1573. DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00126. Copyright © 2022 American Chemical Society., Anticancer drug delivery by small molecules offers a number of advantages over conventional macromolecular drug delivery systems. We previously developed phenylcyclopropylamine (PCPA)-drug conjugates (PDCs) as small-molecule-based drug delivery vehicles for targeting lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1)-overexpressing cancers. In this study, we applied this PDC strategy to the HDAC-inhibitory anticancer agent vorinostat. Among three synthesized PCPA or arylcyclopropylamine (ACPA)-vorinostat conjugates 1, 9, and 32, conjugate 32 with a 4-oxybenzyl linker showed sufficient stability in buffer solutions, potent LSD1 inhibition, efficient LSD1-dependent vorinostat release, and potent and selective antiproliferative activity toward LSD1-expressing human breast cancer and small-cell lung cancer cell lines. These results indicate that the conjugate selectively releases vorinostat in cancer cells. A similar strategy may be applicable to other anticancer drugs.

Three-dimensional multicellular spheroids (MCSs) are complex structure of cellular aggregates and cell-to-matrix interaction that emulates the in-vivo microenvironment. This research field has grown to develop and improve spheroid generation techniques. Here, we present a new platform for spheroid generation using Layer-by-Layer (LbL) technology. Layer-by-Layer (LbL) containing cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) assemble on a standard 96 well plate. Various bi-layer numbers, multiple cell seeding concentration, and two tumor cell lines (HEK 293 T, HCT 116) are utilized to generate and characterize spheroids. The number and proliferation of generated spheroids, the viability, and the response to the anti-cancer drug are examined. The spheroids are formed and proliferated on the LbL-CNF coated wells with no significant difference in connection to the number of LbL-CNF bi-layers; however, the number of formed spheroids correlates positively with the cell seeding concentration (122 ± 17) and (42 ± 8) for HCT 116 and HEK 293T respectively at 700 cells ml−1. The spheroids proliferate progressively up to (309, 663) µm of HCT 116 and HEK 293T respectively on 5 bi-layers coated wells with maintaining viability. The (HCT 116) spheroids react to the anti-cancer drug. We demonstrate a new (LbL-CNF) coating strategy for spheroids generation, with high performance and efficiency to test anti-cancer drugs., QC 20230522

Les cycloadditions de Diels-Alder (DA) de furanes et maléimides sont largement utilisées en chimie de synthèse. La réversibilité thermique de cette réaction a été exploitée depuis de nombreuses années en synthèse organique et des matériaux, utilisant des températures élevées. Récemment, des groupes de recherches, incluant le nôtre, ont montré que la réaction de rétro Diels-Alder (rDA) des adduits endo peut se produire à la température du corps, faisant des liaisons de type DA une avenue prometteuse pour le développement de systèmes de livraison thermo-stimulés. Ces systèmes pourraient donc faciliter le transport de molécules thérapeutiques fonctionnalisées avec des agents de ciblage ou de pénétration cellulaire pour l’atteinte d’une cible biologique. Ce domaine de recherche en est encore à un stade embryonnaire et, à notre connaissance, le potentiel des médicaments à base de métaux contenant une liaison de type DA n’a jusqu'à présent que rarement été examiné. Étant donné que des complexes d’organoruthénium ont engendré des avancées intéressantes pour le traitement du cancer, l’objectif de ce mémoire est d'explorer la possibilité d'utiliser la liaison DA comme un outil pour moduler les propriétés biologiques de tels complexes. Les résultats rapportés dans ce mémoire fournissent des informations importantes qui pourront ouvrir la porte au développement et à la conception de nouveaux médicaments conjugués plus efficaces ou à des systèmes de livraison thermo-stimulés comportant des médicaments à base de ruthénium ou d’autres métaux. Diels-Alder cycloadditions involving furans and maleimides are extensively used in synthetic chemistry. The thermoreversibility of this reaction has been widely exploited for many years in organic and material synthetic chemistry using elevated temperatures. More recently, we and others have shown that retro Diels-Alder (rDA) reactions of endo adducts can take place at biologically-relevant temperatures, making DA-type linkages

Current standard-of-care treatment for glioblastoma, the most common malignant primary central nervous system (CNS) tumor, consists of surgical resection followed by adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation (Stupp protocol), providing an overall median survival of 15 months. With additional treatment using tumor-treating fields (Optune® therapy, Novocure Ltd., Haifa, Israel), survival can be extended up to 20 months. In spite of significant progress in our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis, the prognosis for patients with malignant gliomas remains poor and additional treatment modalities are critically needed. Curcumin is a bright yellow pigment found in the rhizome of the widely utilized spice, turmeric (Curcuma longa). It has long been used in South Asian traditional medicines and has been demonstrated to have in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative effects. Curcumin has been demonstrated to induce multiple cytotoxic effects in tumor cells including cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, autophagy, changes in gene expression, and disruption of molecular signaling. Additionally, curcumin has been shown to potentiate the effect of radiation on cancer cells, while exhibiting a protective effect on normal tissue. Curcumin’s positive safety profile and widespread availability make it a promising compound for future clinical trials for high-grade gliomas.

Current standard-of-care treatment for glioblastoma, the most common malignant primary central nervous system (CNS) tumor, consists of surgical resection followed by adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation (Stupp protocol), providing an overall median survival of 15 months. With additional treatment using tumor-treating fields (Optune® therapy, Novocure Ltd., Haifa, Israel), survival can be extended up to 20 months. In spite of significant progress in our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis, the prognosis for patients with malignant gliomas remains poor and additional treatment modalities are critically needed. Curcumin is a bright yellow pigment found in the rhizome of the widely utilized spice, turmeric (Curcuma longa). It has long been used in South Asian traditional medicines and has been demonstrated to have in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative effects. Curcumin has been demonstrated to induce multiple cytotoxic effects in tumor cells including cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, autophagy, changes in gene expression, and disruption of molecular signaling. Additionally, curcumin has been shown to potentiate the effect of radiation on cancer cells, while exhibiting a protective effect on normal tissue. Curcumin’s positive safety profile and widespread availability make it a promising compound for future clinical trials for high-grade gliomas.

© 2020 by the authors. Drug modification with nanomaterials is a new trend in pharmaceutical studies and shows promising results, especially considering carbon-based solutions. Graphene and its derivatives have attracted much research interest for their potential applications in biomedical areas as drug modifiers. The following work is a comprehensive study regarding the toxicity of ciprofloxacin (CIP) modified by graphene oxide (GO). The influence on the morphology, viability, cell death pathway and proliferation of T24 and 786-0 cells was studied. The results show that ciprofloxacin modified with graphene oxide (CGO) shows the highest increase in cytotoxic potential, especially in the case of T24 cells. We discovered a clear connection between CIP modification with GO and the increase in its apoptotic potential. Our results show that drug modification with carbon-based nanomaterials might be a promising strategy to improve the qualities of existing drugs. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that cytotoxicity effects are highly dependent on dose and nanomaterial size. It is necessary to conduct further research to determine the optimal dose of GO for drug modification.

Introduction In recent years, public health systems in Europe have faced the challenge of sustainability in different ways. The aim of this study is to analyse the pricing policies of 15 European countries by studying the correlation between cost and survival of a series of anti-cancer drugs. Methods Our study assessed nine anti-cancer drugs licensed by EMA in the last decade. Clinical benefits, measured as overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS), were obtained from EPAR or randomized controlled trials, while nominal and real prices in the 15 different countries (including discounts) were derived from a published study. We performed a correlation analysis between cost and OS for each indication of any given drug. Results Only two countries (Hungary and Lithuania) demonstrated a strong correlation coefficient in the OS analysis. The PFS analysis has shown better results with 12 countries, with R values higher than 0.20. Discussion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in which the correlation between costs and outcomes has been studied in a large number of countries. Our results showed that, in these countries, prices had generally a poor correlation with OS and a better correlation with PFS.

Background/Aim: Trabectedin is a DNA-damaging agent and has been approved for the treatment of patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma. Schlafen 11 (SLFN11) was identified as a dominant determinant of the response to DNA-damaging agents. The aim of the study was to clarify the association between SLFN11 expression and the antitumor activity of trabectedin. Materials and Methods: The antitumor activity of trabectedin was evaluated under different expression levels of SLFN11 regulated by RNA interference and CRISPR-Cas9 systems, and the combined antitumor activity of ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein kinase (ATR) inhibitor and trabectedin in sarcoma cell lines using in vitro a cell viability assay and in vivo xenograft models. Results: SLFN11-knockdown cell lines had a lower sensitivity to trabectedin, compared to parental cells. ATR inhibitor enhanced the antitumor activity of trabectedin in SLFN11-knockdown cells and in a SLFN11-knockout xenograft model. Conclusion: SLFN11 expression might be a key factor in the antitumor activity of trabectedin.

Triapine (3-AP), is an iron-binding ligand and anticancer drug that is an inhibitor of human ribonucleotide reductase (RNR). Inhibition of RNR by 3-AP results in the depletion of dNTP precursors of DNA, thereby selectively starving fast-replicating cancer cells of nucleotides for survival. The redox-active form of 3-AP directly responsible for inhibition of RNR is the Fe(II)(3-AP)2 complex. In this work, we synthesize 12 analogs of 3-AP, test their inhibition of RNR in vitro, and study the electronic properties of their iron complexes. The reduction and oxidation events of 3-AP iron complexes that are crucial for the inhibition of RNR are modeled with solution studies. We monitor the pH necessary to induce reduction in iron complexes of 3-AP analogs in a reducing environment, as well as the kinetics of oxidation in an oxidizing environment. The oxidation state of the complex is monitored using UV-Vis spectroscopy. Isoquinoline analogs of 3-AP favor the maintenance of the biologically active reduced complex and possess oxidation kinetics that allow redox cycling, consistent with their effective inhibition of RNR seen in our in vitro experiments. In contrast, methylation on the thiosemicarbazone secondary amine moiety of 3-AP produces analogs that form iron complexes with much higher redox potentials, that do not redox cycle, and are inactive against RNR in vitro. The catalytic subunit of human Ribonucleotide Reductase (RNR), contains a tyrosyl radical in the enzyme active site. Fe(II) complexes of 3-AP and its analogs can quench the radical and, subsequently, inactivate RNR. The potency of RNR inhibitors is highly dependent on the redox properties of the iron complexes, which can be tuned by ligand modifications. Complexes are found to be active within a narrow redox window imposed by the cellular environment.

Photoactive ruthenium-based complexes are actively studied for their biological applications as potential theragnostic agents against cancer. One major issue of these inorganic complexes is to penetrate inside cells in order to fulfil their function, either sensing the internal cell environment or exert a photocytotoxic activity. The use of lipophilic ligands allows the corresponding ruthenium complexes to passively diffuse inside cells but limits their structural and photophysical properties. Moreover, this strategy does not provide any cell selectivity. This limitation is also faced by complexes anchored on cell-penetrating peptides. In order to provide a selective cell targeting, we developed a multivalent system composed of a photoreactive ruthenium(II) complex tethered to a calix[4]arene platform bearing multiple RGD-containing cyclopentapeptides. Extensive photophysical and photochemical characterizations of this Ru(II)-calixarene conjugate as well as the study of its photoreactivity in the presence of guanosine monophosphate have been achieved. The results show that the ruthenium complex should be able to perform efficiently its photoinduced cytotoxic activity, once incorporated into targeted cancer cells thanks to the multivalent platform., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Bispecific antibodies combine two different antigen-binding sites in a single molecule, enabling more specific targeting, novel mechanisms of action, and higher clinical efficacies. Although they have the potential to outperform conventional monoclonal antibodies, many bispecific antibodies have issues regarding production, stability, and pharmacokinetic properties. Here, we describe a new approach for generating bispecific antibodies using a common light chain format and exploiting the stable architecture of human immunoglobulin G1. We used iterative experimental validation and computational modeling to identify multiple Fc variant pairs that drive efficient heterodimerization of the antibody heavy chains. Accelerated stability studies enabled selection of one Fc variant pair dubbed “DEKK” consisting of substitutions L351D and L368E in one heavy chain combined with L351K and T366K in the other. Solving the crystal structure of the DEKK Fc region at a resolution of 2.3 Å enabled detailed analysis of the interactions inducing CH3 interface heterodimerization. Local shifts in the IgG backbone accommodate the introduction of lysine side chains that form stabilizing salt-bridge interactions with substituted and native residues in the opposite chain. Overall, the CH3 domain adapted to these shifts at the interface, yielding a stable Fc conformation very similar to that in wild-type IgG. Using the DEKK format, we generated the bispecific antibody MCLA-128, targeting human EGF receptors 2 and 3. MCLA-128 could be readily produced and purified at industrial scale with a standard mammalian cell culture platform and a routine purification protocol. Long-term accelerated stability assays confirmed that MCLA-128 is highly stable and has excellent biophysical characteristics.

Peptide drugs have been difficult to translate into effective therapies due to their low in vivo stability. Here, we report a strategy to develop peptide-based therapeutic nanoparticles by screening a peptide library differing by single-site amino acid mutations of lysine-modified cholesterol. Certain cholesterol-modified peptides are found to promote and stabilize peptide α-helix formation, resulting in selectively cell-permeable peptides. One cholesterol-modified peptide self-assembles into stable nanoparticles with considerable α-helix propensity stabilized by intermolecular van der Waals interactions between inter-peptide cholesterol molecules, and shows 68.3% stability after incubation with serum for 16 h. The nanoparticles in turn interact with cell membrane cholesterols that are disproportionately present in cancer cell membranes, inducing lipid raft-mediated endocytosis and cancer cell death. Our results introduce a strategy to identify peptide nanoparticles that can effectively reduce tumor volumes when administered to in in vivo mice models. Our results also provide a simple platform for developing peptide-based anticancer drugs., QC 20180327

Photo-responsive drug release systems are promising for drug delivery applications due to many benefits compared to conventional chemotherapy such as targeted, controlled release of a drug and reduced toxicity to healthy tissues. In this work, we report synthesis of the nanocomposite system based on carrier TiO2 nanoparticles and potential anticancer ruthenium complex, with light controllable release properties. Nanocomposite system showed biological activity and induced the generation of free radicals, which are implied in the efficient cell killing. The drug release tests demonstrated sustained release of the transition metal complex from the surface implying the potency for the controlled drug delivery system. Taking into account photoactivity of the Ru-complex, in the next step we have investigated the influence of green light on the rate of the complex release, and the results showed dependence of the Ru-complex release from the surface of TiO2 nanoparticles on the applied laser energy. Therefore, these characteristics make this nanocomposite system promising for the photo-responsive chemotherapy.

Hyphenated mass spectrometry (MS) techniques have attained an important position in analysis of covalent and non-covalent interactions of metal complexes with peptides and proteins. The aim of the present study was to qualitatively and quantitatively determine ruthenium binding sites on a protein using tandem mass spectrometry and allied techniques, i.e. liquid chromatography (LC) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). For that purpose, two newly synthesized Ru(II) complexes of a meridional geometry, namely mer-[Ru(4 Cl-tpy)(en)Cl](+) (1) and mer-[Ru(4 Cl-tpy)(dach)Cl](+) (2) (where 4 Cl-tpy = 4-chloro-2,2:6,2 -terpyridine, en = 1,2-diaminoethane and dach = 1,2-diaminocyclohexane), and bovine serum albumin were used. The binding of the complexes to the protein was investigated by means of size exclusion- and reversed phase-LC, ICP OES, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization MS and MS/MS. Ruthenated peptide sequence and a binding target amino acid were revealed through accurate elucidation of MS/MS spectra. The results obtained in this study suggest a high binding capacity of the protein towards both complexes, with up to 5.77 +/- 0.14 and 6.95 +/- 0.43 mol of 1 and 2 bound per mol of protein, respectively. The proposed binding mechanism for the selected complexes includes the release of Cl ligand, its replacement with water molecule and further coordination to electron donor histidine residue. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adsorptive stripping differential pulse voltammetry (AdSDPV) was applied to the assay of sorafenib in human serum sample. Cyclic voltammetry at a carbon based screen printed electrode (SPE) permitted to detect the irreversible oxidation of SOR with formation of a new compound reversibly oxidized at a lower potential. Quantitative assays were realized using a chitosan/carboxylic acid functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrode in 0.1M phosphate buffer pH7.0 in the presence of 50% methanol. The AdSDPV method provided two linear responses within the concentration ranges 1×10-8-8×10-8M and 1×10-7-8×10-7M in serum with LOQ and LOD of 3.2×10-9 and 9.6×10-10 of lower linear range, respectively. The recovery of sorafenib in spiked serum was 97.5%., SCOPUS: ar.j, FLWIN, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Photo-responsive drug release systems are promising for drug delivery applications due to many benefits compared to conventional chemotherapy such as targeted, controlled release of a drug and reduced toxicity to healthy tissues. In this work, we report synthesis of the nanocomposite system based on carrier TiO2 nanoparticles and potential anticancer ruthenium complex, with light controllable release properties. Nanocomposite system showed biological activity and induced the generation of free radicals, which are implied in the efficient cell killing. The drug release tests demonstrated sustained release of the transition metal complex from the surface implying the potency for the controlled drug delivery system. Taking into account photoactivity of the Ru-complex, in the next step we have investigated the influence of green light on the rate of the complex release, and the results showed dependence of the Ru-complex release from the surface of TiO2 nanoparticles on the applied laser energy. Therefore, these characteristics make this nanocomposite system promising for the photo-responsive chemotherapy.

Infrared spectroscopy has brought invaluable information about proteins and about the mechanism of action of enzymes. These achievements are difficult to transpose to living organisms as all biological molecules absorb in the mid infrared, with usually a high degree of overlap. Deciphering the contribution of each enzyme is therefore almost impossible. On the other hand, small changes in the infrared spectra of cells induced by environmental conditions or drugs may provide an accurate signature of the metabolic shift experienced by the cell as a response to a change in the growth medium. The present paper aims at reviewing the contribution of infrared spectroscopy to the description of small chemical changes that occur in cells when they are exposed to a drug. In particular, this review will focus on cancer cells and anti-cancer drugs. Results accumulated so far tend to demonstrate that infrared spectroscopy could be a very accurate descriptor of the mode of action of anticancer drugs. If confirmed, such a segmentation of potential drugs according to their "mode of action" will be invaluable for the discovery of new therapeutic molecules. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Physiological Enzymology and Protein Functions., SCOPUS: re.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

In vitro antitumor efficacy of several dinuclear bridgings and one chelate structure dirhodium(II) complex of N-protected phenylalanine derivatives were tested on HT-29 cells. The following synthesized and previously characterized complexes were applied in the present work: Rh-2(OAc)(4)(O-Phe-Z)(n) (n = 1-4, O--Phe-Z = N-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-phenylalaninate), Rh-2(OAc)(4-n)(O-Phe-Ac)(n) (n = 1-4, O--Phe-Ac = N-acetyl-L-phenylalaninate), Rh-2(OAc)(2)(N-Me-D-Phe-O)(2) corresponding to N-methyl-D-phenylalaninate as well as Rh-2(OAc)(4) (-OAc = acetate). Depending on the complex ligand type and its coordination number, the intracellular rhodium (Rh) content determined by total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectrometry in the HT-29 cells varied between 25 and 2500 ng/10(6) cells. In vitro cytotoxicity and cytostatic evaluations of the compounds on HT-29 human cell culture were performed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium assay. Compared to Rh-2(OAc)(4), the Rh compounds containing one or two O--Phe-Z moieties proved to be the most effective on the HT-29 cells. Moreover, synchrotron radiation TXRF-X-ray absorption near edge structure measurements suggested a change of the molecular symmetry of the dirhodium(II) center for the moderately in vitro cytotoxic, lipophilic L-phenylalanine derivative complexes, characterized also by low ligand exchange rate when they were studied on HT-29 cells. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Frizzled is the earliest discovered glycosylated Wnt protein receptor and is critical for the initiation of Wnt signaling. Antagonizing Frizzled is effective in inhibiting the growth of multiple tumor types. The extracellular N terminus of Frizzled contains a conserved cysteine-rich domain that directly interacts with Wnt ligands. Structure-based virtual screening and cell-based assays were used to identify five small molecules that can inhibit canonical Wnt signaling and have low IC50 values in the micromolar range. NMR experiments confirmed that these compounds specifically bind to the Wnt binding site on the Frizzled8 cysteine-rich domain with submicromolar dissociation constants. Our study confirms the feasibility of targeting the Frizzled cysteine-rich domain as an effective way of regulating canonical Wnt signaling. These small molecules can be further optimized into more potent therapeutic agents for regulating abnormal Wnt signaling by targeting Frizzled.

Background: Gemcitabine is used to treat solid tumors. Some mycoplasmas preferentially colonize tumors in patients. Results: Mycoplasma-encoded cytidine deaminase and pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase compromise the cytostatic/antitumor activity of gemcitabine in mycoplasma-infected tumor cell cultures and xenografts in mice. Conclusion: Tumor-associated mycoplasmas may decrease the therapeutic efficiency of gemcitabine. Significance: Current treatment of mycoplasma-infected tumors with gemcitabine may be suboptimal. The intracellular metabolism and cytostatic activity of the anticancer drug gemcitabine (2,2-difluoro-2-deoxycytidine; dFdC) was severely compromised in Mycoplasma hyorhinis-infected tumor cell cultures. Pronounced deamination of dFdC to its less cytostatic metabolite 2,2-difluoro-2-deoxyuridine was observed, both in cell extracts and spent culture medium (i.e. tumor cell-free but mycoplasma-containing) of mycoplasma-infected tumor cells. This indicates that the decreased antiproliferative activity of dFdC in such cells is attributed to a mycoplasma cytidine deaminase causing rapid drug catabolism. Indeed, the cytostatic activity of gemcitabine could be restored by the co-administration of tetrahydrouridine (a potent cytidine deaminase inhibitor). Additionally, mycoplasma-derived pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase (PyNP) activity indirectly potentiated deamination of dFdC: the natural pyrimidine nucleosides uridine, 2-deoxyuridine and thymidine inhibited mycoplasma-associated dFdC deamination but were efficiently catabolized (removed) by mycoplasma PyNP. The markedly lower anabolism and related cytostatic activity of dFdC in mycoplasma-infected tumor cells was therefore also (partially) restored by a specific TP/PyNP inhibitor (TPI), or by exogenous thymidine. Consequently, no effect on the cytostatic activity of dFdC was observed in tumor cell cultures infected with a PyNP-deficient Mycoplasma pneumoniae strain. Because it has been reported that som

A genetically engineered apoferritin variant consisting of 24 heavy-chain subunits (HFn) was produced to achieve a cumulative delivery of an antitumor drug, which exerts its cytotoxic action by targeting the DNA at the nucleus of human cancer cells with subcellular precision. The rationale of our approach is based on exploiting the natural arsenal of defense of cancer cells to stimulate them to recruit large amounts of HFn nanoparticles loaded with doxorubicin inside their nucleus in response to a DNA damage, which leads to a programmed cell death. After demonstrating the selectivity of HFn for representative cancer cells compared to healthy fibroblasts, doxorubicin-loaded HFn was used to treat the cancer cells. The results from confocal microscopy and DNA damage assays proved that loading of doxorubicin in HFn nanoparticles increased the nuclear delivery of the drug, thus enhancing doxorubicin efficacy. Doxorubicin-loaded HFn acts as a "Trojan Horse": HFn was internalized in cancer cells faster and more efficiently compared to free doxorubicin, then promptly translocated into the nucleus following the DNA damage caused by the partial release in the cytoplasm of encapsulated doxorubicin. This self-triggered translocation mechanism allowed the drug to be directly released in the nuclear compartment, where it exerted its toxic action. This approach was reliable and straightforward providing an antiproliferative effect with high reproducibility. The particular self-assembling nature of HFn nanocage makes it a versatile and tunable nanovector for a broad range of molecules suitable both for detection and treatment of cancer cells.

化学療法の有害事象のうち味覚障害は発生頻度の高い有害事象である.味覚と血清亜鉛値との関連については以前から指摘されているが,抗がん剤投与後の味覚変化に血清亜鉛値が影響していることを示した報告は少ない.本研究の目的は,抗がん剤投与後のがん患者の味覚閾値と血清亜鉛値を測定し,両者の関連性を検証することである.60名のがん患者の抗がん剤投与前,抗がん剤投与後3日と投与後6日に味覚と血清亜鉛値,血清銅値を測定した. 抗がん剤投与後の味覚の変化は,塩味で時間経過による有意差を認めた(p<0.01).血清亜鉛値でも時間経過による有意差を認めた(p<0.01).味覚と血清亜鉛値との関係では,抗がん剤投与後3日において,血清亜鉛値と塩味の感度に負の相関を認め(r =- 0.402,p<0.01),血清亜鉛値が低い時,塩味の感度が鈍麻したことが示された.一方,血清銅値と味覚感度には相関を認めなかった.抗がん剤投与後の味覚感度,特に塩味の鈍麻については血清亜鉛値との関連が示された., Taste disorder is one of the most frequent side effects of chemotherapy. A relationship between serum zinc level and taste sensitivity has been pointed out in previous reports, but there have only been a few reports showing the effect of serum zinc level on taste sensitivity after anticancer drug administration. The purpose of this study was to examine the serum zinc levels and taste thresholds of cancer patients treated with anticancer drugs and to determine whether they are related. Taste thresholds and levels of serum trace elements (zinc and copper) were measured in 60 cancer patients before administration of anticancer drugs and on the three and six days after administration. There were significant differences in the salt threshold with elapse of time after chemotherapy (p<0.01). There were also significant differences in the serum zinc level with elapse of time after chemotherapy (p<0.01). There was a significant relationship between low salt sensitivity and change in serum zinc value (r = -0.402, p<0.01). Although there was no significant relationship between serum copper value and taste sensitivity, there was a relationship between salt sensitivity and serum zinc value.

Cisplatin (CisPt) is an important drug that is used against various cancers, including testicular, ovarian, lung, head, and neck cancer. However, its effects are limited by cellular resistance. The resistance is believed to be multifactorial, and may be mediated to varying degree by multiple systems in cells, one of the proposed systems being the copper (Cu) transporting system. The Cu-importer Ctr1 has proven importance for cellular sensitivity to CisPt by regulating its influx, while the Golgi-localized Cu-ATP:ases ATP7A/B can putatively mediate CisPt efflux and/or drug sequestration. Atox1 is a small Cu-chaperone that normally transfers Cu between Ctr1 and ATP7A/B, prior to delivery of Cu to the proteins in the secretory pathway. Since Ctr1 and ATP7A/B are reportedly involved in CisPt-resistance, CisPt interaction with Atox1 was the focus of the project this thesis is based upon. Using a variety of techniques, Atox1 was found to bind CisPt, also simultaneously with Cu. The Atox1-CisPt complexes were further probed using selected mutants in studies demonstrating that only the two cysteines (Cys12 and Cys15) in the Cu-binding site of Atox1 are essential for CisPt interactions. A proposed Atox1 di-metal complex containing both Cu and CisPt was found to be monomeric, and no loss of Cu was observed. In vitro experiments demonstrated that CisPt could also bind to metal-binding domain 4 of ATP7B (WD4), and that the drug could be transferred from Atox1 to the domain. These findings indicated that Atox1 may transfer CisPt to ATP7A/B in vivo, utilizing the same transport pathway as Cu. However, the CisPt-bound Atox1 complexes were not stable over time; upon incubation, protein unfolding and aggregation were observed. Thus, in vivo, Atox1 might alternatively be a dead-end sink for CisPt. The effects of the ligands around the Pt-center of Pt-based anticancer drugs and drug derivatives on Atox1 binding and unfolding were also investigated. The ligands’ chemistry and geo

Polypropylenimine (PPI) dendrimers have been widely used as effective delivery vehicles for drugs and nucleic acids during the past decade. However, biomedical applications of PPI dendrimers were limited because of their serious cytotoxicity and low drug loading capacity. In the present study, acetylated PPI dendrimers with different degrees of acetylation ranging from 14.2% to 94.3% were synthesized and used to encapsulate drugs, including methotrexate sodium, sodium deoxycholate and doxorubicin. Acetylated PPI dendrimers with a degree of acetylation >80% showed a significantly decreased cytotoxicity (>90% cell viability) on MCF-7 and A549 cells. The drug loading capacity of acetylated PPI dendrimers increased proportionally with the degree of acetylation on the dendrimer surface. In addition, 94.3% acetylated PP1 dendrimers exhibited a pH-responsive release profile of anticancer drugs loaded within the nanoparticles. The cytotoxicities of methotrexate sodium and doxorubicin on MCF-7 and A549 cells were significantly reduced when they were complexed with acetylated PPI dendrimers with high degrees of acetylation (>80%), owing to sustained drug release from the dendrimers. The results suggest that surface acetylation can reduce the cytotoxicity and improve the anticancer drug loading capacity of cationic dendrimers, and that acetylated PPI dendrimers are promising vehicles for anticancer drugs in clinical trials. (C) 2012 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bleomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic and possesses potent antitumour activity against a variety of human cancers. The mechanism of action of bleomycin is thought to involve DNA-strand breaks, but a detailed description of subsequent events leading to preferential killing of tumour cells remains to be clarified. This thesis aims to further elucidate the mechanism of action of bleomycin by investigating the interaction of bleomycin with human telomeric sequences using capillary electrophoresis with laser induced fluorescence (CE-LIF) detection on an automated sequencer.The ends of chromosomes, telomeres, play an important role in the protection of chromosome integrity. Since telomeres consist of (GGGTTA)n repeats and one of the main targets of bleomycin is at 5’-GT sequences, it is likely that bleomycin cleavage could preferentially target telomeres, and ultimately lead to cell death by apoptosis. In the first part of this thesis, the DNA sequence specificity of bleomycin was examined in a human telomeric DNA sequence and compared with that of non-telomeric sequences. The DNA fragments containing human telomeric sequences and other primary sites of bleomycin cleavage were fluorescently labelled at the 3’-end, damaged with bleomycin and electrophoresed in an ABI 3730 automated capillary sequencer alongside the Maxam-Gilbert sequencing marker to determine the intensity and sequence specificity of bleomycin damage. The results revealed that bleomycin cleaves primarily at 5’-GT in the telomeric sequence 5’-GGGTTA and telomeric DNA sequences are a major site for bleomycin damage.Due to the greater base-pair resolution of DNA capillary electrophoresis compared with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, DNA fragments of the same length bearing different 3’-termini generate distinct profiles of electrophoretic mobilities. Using the automated capillary sequencer, electrophoretic mobilities of DNA fragments bearing different 3’-termini including 3&

The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway is a major determinant in the control of diverse cellular processes such as proliferation, survival, and motility. This pathway is often upregulated in human cancers and as such represents an attractive target for mechanism-based approaches to cancer treatment. However, specific blockade of the ERK pathway alone induces mostly cytostatic rather than proapoptotic effects, resulting in limited therapeutic efficacy. Blockade of the constitutively activated ERK pathway by an ERK kinase (MEK) inhibitor sensitizes tumor cells to apoptotic cell death induced by several cytotoxic anticancer agents including microtubule-destabilizing agents and histone deacetylase inhibitors, not only in vitro but also in tumor zenografts in vivo. Thus, low concentrations of these anticancer drugs that by themselves show little cytotoxicity effectively kill tumor cells in which the ERK pathway is constitutively activated when co-administrated with a MEK inhibitor. The combination of a cytostatic signaling pathway inhibitor (MEK inhibitors) and conventional anticancer drugs (microtubule-destabilizing agents or histone deacetylase inhibitors) provides an excellent basis for the development of safer anticancer chemotherapies with enhanced efficacy through lowering the required dose of the latter cytotoxic drugs., Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 34(12), pp.1781-1784; 2011

Saponin fractions of Quillaja saponaria Molina (QS) have cytotoxic activity against cancer cells in vitro, but are too toxic to be useful in the clinic. The toxic effect was abolished by converting QS fractions into stable nanoparticles through the binding of QS to cholesterol. Two fractions of QS were selected for particle formation, one with an acyl-chain (ASAP) was used to form killing and growth-inhibiting (KGI) particles, and the other without the acyl-chain (DSAP) was used to formulate blocking and balancing effect (BBE) particles. KGI showed significant growth inhibiting and cancer cell-killing activities in nine of 10 cell lines while BBE showed that on one cell line. The monoblastoid lymphoma cell line U937 was selected for analyzing the mode of action. Low concentrations of KGI (0.5 and 2 microg/mL) induced irreversible exit from the cell cycle, differentiation measured by cytokine production, and eventually programmed cell death (apoptosis). Compared to normal human monocytes, the U937 cells were 30-fold more sensitive to KGI. The nontoxic BBE blocked the cell killing effect of KGI in a concentration-dependent manner. In conclusion, the formulation of QS into nanoparticles has the potential of becoming a new class of anticancer agents.

A novel compound, acetyltanshinone IIA (ATA) was obtained from chemical modifications of tanshinone TIIA (TIIA) isolated from a medicinal plant, Salvia miltiorrhiza. ATA exhibited increased water solubility and stronger apoptotic activity on multiple cancer cell lines than TIIA. ATA displayed a higher growth inhibition ability on breast cancer especially HER2 positive cells than normal cells and it inhibited xenografted tumor growth in mice. Mechanistic studies showed that ATA could induce significant reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, Bax translocation to mitochondria, resulting in mitochondria damage, cytochrome c release, caspase-3 activation and apoptotic cell death. ATA-mediated ROS production and its downstream apoptotic events could be blocked by an antioxidant agent, propyl gallate, indicating the prominent role of ROS in ATA-induced apoptosis. Overexpression of Bcl-2 protein reduced ATA-induced cell death. In conclusion, ATA is a novel anticancer agent with potent in vitro and in vivo anticancer ability. ROS-mediated Bax activation should be the mechanism by which ATA induces apoptosis and inhibits tumor growth. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A novel compound, acetyltanshinone IIA (ATA) was obtained from chemical modifications of tanshinone TIIA (TIIA) isolated from a medicinal plant, Salvia miltiorrhiza. ATA exhibited increased water solubility and stronger apoptotic activity on multiple cancer cell lines than TIIA. ATA displayed a higher growth inhibition ability on breast cancer especially HER2 positive cells than normal cells and it inhibited xenografted tumor growth in mice. Mechanistic studies showed that ATA could induce significant reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, Bax translocation to mitochondria, resulting in mitochondria damage, cytochrome c release, caspase-3 activation and apoptotic cell death. ATA-mediated ROS production and its downstream apoptotic events could be blocked by an antioxidant agent, propyl gallate, indicating the prominent role of ROS in ATA-induced apoptosis. Overexpression of Bcl-2 protein reduced ATA-induced cell death. In conclusion, ATA is a novel anticancer agent with potent in vitro and in vivo anticancer ability. ROS-mediated Bax activation should be the mechanism by which ATA induces apoptosis and inhibits tumor growth. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The 11C-labelling of the taxane derivative BAY 59-8862 (1), a potent anticancer drug, was carried out as a module-assisted automated multi-step synthesis procedure. The radiotracer [11C]1 was synthesized by reacting [1-11C]acetyl chloride (6) with the lithum salt of the secondary hydroxy group of precursor 3 followed by deprotection. After HPLC purification of the final product [11C]1, its solid phase extraction, formulation and sterile filtration, the decay-corrected radiochemical yield of [11C]1 was in the range between 12 and 23% (related to [11C]CO2; n = 10). The total synthesis time was about 54 min after EOB. The radiochemical purity of [11C]1 was greater than 96% and the chemical purity exceeded 80%. The specific radioactivity was up to 20 GBq/µmol at EOS starting from 80 GBq of [11C]CO2.

Oxaliplatin (Eloxatine) is a third-generation platinum compound which has shown a wide antitumour effect both in vitro and in vivo, a better safety profile than cisplatin and a lack of cross-resistance with cisplatin and carboplatin. In this scenario, oxaliplatin may represent an innovative and challenging drug extending the antitumour activity in diseases such as gastrointestinal cancer that are not usually sensitive to these coordination complexes. Oxaliplatin has a non-hydrolysable diaminocyclohexane (DACH) carrier ligand which is maintained in the final cytotoxic metabolites of the drug. Like cisplatin, oxaliplatin targets DNA producing mainly 1,2-GG intrastrand cross-links. The cellular and molecular aspects of the mechanism of action of oxaliplatin have not yet been fully elucidated. However, the intrinsic chemical and steric characteristics of the DACH-platinum adducts appear to contribute to the lack of cross-resistance with cisplatin. To date, mismatch repair and replicative bypass appear to be the processes most likely involved in differentiating the molecular responses to these agents.

SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Lee, C. A., Banerjee, P., Wilson, B. J., Wu, S., Guo, Q., Berg, G., ... & Emmerich, M. (2020). Targeting the ABC transporter ABCB5 sensitizes glioblastoma to temozolomide-induced apoptosis through a cell-cycle checkpoint regulation mechanism. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 295(22), 7774-7788. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.RA120.013778

A highly efficient one-pot method for the reductive coupling of indoles to nitrostyrenes in polyphosphoric acid doped with PCl3 was developed. This method allows direct and expeditious access to primary (indol-3-yl)acetamides, interesting as anti-cancer drug candidates. © 2016 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Yosuke Ota, Yukihiro Itoh, Takashi Kurohara, Ritesh Singh, Elghareeb E. Elboray, Chenliang Hu, Farzad Zamani, Anirban Mukherjee, Yuri Takada, Yasunobu Yamashita, Mie Morita, Mano Horinaka, Yoshihiro Sowa, Mitsuharu Masuda, Toshiyuki Sakai, and Takayoshi Suzuki. ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters 2022 13 (10), 1568-1573. DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00126. Copyright © 2022 American Chemical Society., Anticancer drug delivery by small molecules offers a number of advantages over conventional macromolecular drug delivery systems. We previously developed phenylcyclopropylamine (PCPA)-drug conjugates (PDCs) as small-molecule-based drug delivery vehicles for targeting lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1)-overexpressing cancers. In this study, we applied this PDC strategy to the HDAC-inhibitory anticancer agent vorinostat. Among three synthesized PCPA or arylcyclopropylamine (ACPA)-vorinostat conjugates 1, 9, and 32, conjugate 32 with a 4-oxybenzyl linker showed sufficient stability in buffer solutions, potent LSD1 inhibition, efficient LSD1-dependent vorinostat release, and potent and selective antiproliferative activity toward LSD1-expressing human breast cancer and small-cell lung cancer cell lines. These results indicate that the conjugate selectively releases vorinostat in cancer cells. A similar strategy may be applicable to other anticancer drugs.

Yosuke Ota, Yukihiro Itoh, Takashi Kurohara, Ritesh Singh, Elghareeb E. Elboray, Chenliang Hu, Farzad Zamani, Anirban Mukherjee, Yuri Takada, Yasunobu Yamashita, Mie Morita, Mano Horinaka, Yoshihiro Sowa, Mitsuharu Masuda, Toshiyuki Sakai, and Takayoshi Suzuki. ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters 2022 13 (10), 1568-1573. DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00126. Copyright © 2022 American Chemical Society., Anticancer drug delivery by small molecules offers a number of advantages over conventional macromolecular drug delivery systems. We previously developed phenylcyclopropylamine (PCPA)-drug conjugates (PDCs) as small-molecule-based drug delivery vehicles for targeting lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1)-overexpressing cancers. In this study, we applied this PDC strategy to the HDAC-inhibitory anticancer agent vorinostat. Among three synthesized PCPA or arylcyclopropylamine (ACPA)-vorinostat conjugates 1, 9, and 32, conjugate 32 with a 4-oxybenzyl linker showed sufficient stability in buffer solutions, potent LSD1 inhibition, efficient LSD1-dependent vorinostat release, and potent and selective antiproliferative activity toward LSD1-expressing human breast cancer and small-cell lung cancer cell lines. These results indicate that the conjugate selectively releases vorinostat in cancer cells. A similar strategy may be applicable to other anticancer drugs.