Boron clusters for medicinal drug design: Selective estrogen receptor modulators bearing carborane

2003 ◽  
Vol 75 (9) ◽  
pp. 1197-1205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuyuki Endo ◽  
Tomohiro Yoshimi ◽  
Chisato Miyaura

The molecular shape and hydrophobicity of dicarba-closo -dodecaboranes may allow a new medical application as biologically active molecules. Recently, we have developed potent estrogen receptor (ER) agonists bearing carborane cage. The most potent compound (BE120) exhibited activity at least several times greater than that of 17 beta-estradiol in luciferase reporter gene assay and ER alpha binding. We also designed and synthesized estrogen antagonists on the basis of the structure of BE120, and we noticed the characteristic features of compound (BE360) having carborane cage and two phenols. The ER binding affinity of BE360 is comparable to that of estradiol. To examine in vivo estrogenic activity of the compound in bone, ovariectomized (OVX) mice were given BE360 or estradiol subcutaneously for 4 weeks. Treatment with BE360 at 1–30 µg/day dose-dependently restored bone loss in OVX mice to sham level without estrogenic action in uterus. These results suggest its possible application to osteoporosis as a new type of selective ER modulator.

Tumor Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-26
Author(s):  
Maike Busch ◽  
Natalia Miroschnikov ◽  
Jaroslaw Thomas Dankert ◽  
Marc Wiesehöfer ◽  
Klaus Metz ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND: Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most common childhood eye cancer. Chemotherapeutic drugs such as etoposide used in RB treatment often cause massive side effects and acquired drug resistances. Dysregulated genes and miRNAs have a large impact on cancer progression and development of chemotherapy resistances. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the involvement of retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα) in RB progression and chemoresistance as well as the impact of miR-138, a potential RARα regulating miRNA. METHODS: RARα and miR-138 expression in etoposide resistant RB cell lines and chemotherapy treated patient tumors compared to non-treated tumors was revealed by Real-Time PCR. Overexpression approaches were performed to analyze the effects of RARα on RB cell viability, apoptosis, proliferation and tumorigenesis. Besides, we addressed the effect of miR-138 overexpression on RB cell chemotherapy resistance. RESULTS: A binding between miR-138 and RARα was shown by dual luciferase reporter gene assay. The study presented revealed that RARα is downregulated in etoposide resistant RB cells, while miR-138 is endogenously upregulated. Opposing RARα and miR-138 expression levels were detectable in chemotherapy pre-treated compared to non-treated RB tumor specimen. Overexpression of RARα increases apoptosis levels and reduces tumor cell growth of aggressive etoposide resistant RB cells in vitro and in vivo. Overexpression of miR-138 in chemo-sensitive RB cell lines partly enhances cell viability after etoposide treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that RARα acts as a tumor suppressor in retinoblastoma and is downregulated upon etoposide resistance in RB cells. Thus, RARα may contribute to the development and progression of RB chemo-resistance.


Author(s):  
Bing Liu ◽  
Qianqian Liu ◽  
Shimeng Pan ◽  
Yiran Huang ◽  
Yu Qi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The regulatory non-coding RNAs, including long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), emerge as pivotal markers during tumor progression. Abnormal sialylated glycoprotein often leads to the malignancy of colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods Differential levels of HOTAIR and ST6GAL1 are analyzed by qRT-PCR. Functionally, CRC cell proliferation, aggressiveness and apoptosis are measured through relevant experiments, including CCK8 assay, colony formation assay, transwell assay, western blot and flow cytometry. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and RIP assay confirm the direct interaction between HOTAIR and miR-214. The lung metastasis, liver metatstasis and xenografts nude mice models are established to show the in vivo effect of HOATIR. Results Here, differential levels of HOTAIR and ST6GAL1 are primarily observed in CRC samples and cells. Upregulated HOTAIR and ST6GAL1 are crucial predictors for poor CRC prognosis. Altered level of ST6GAL1 modulates CRC malignancy. Furthermore, ST6GAL1 and HOTAIR are confirmed as the direct targets of miR-214, and ST6GAL1 is regulated by HOTAIR via sponging miR-214. ST6GAL1 induces the elevated metabolic sialylation of c-Met, which is co-mediated by HOTAIR and miR-214. Sialylated c-Met affects the activity of JAK2/STAT3 pathway. The regulatory role of HOTAIR/miR-214/ST6GAL1 axis also impacts CRC procession. In addition, HOTAIR mediates lung metastasis, liver metastasis and tumorigenesis in vivo. ShHOTAIR and AMG-208 are combined to inhibit tumorigenesis for successful drug development. Conclusion The HOTAIR/miR-214/ST6GAL1 axis commands the CRC malignancy by modifying c-Met with sialylation and activating JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Our study presents novel insights into CRC progression and provided prospective therapeutic target for CRC.


2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 1956-1966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiping Liu ◽  
Peng Feng

Background/Aims: Increasing evidence has shown that miR-203 plays important role in human cancer progression. However, little is known about the function of miR-203 in osteosarcoma (OS). Methods: The expression of miR-203 in OS tissues and cell lines were examined by qRT-PCR. The biological role of miR-20 in OS cell proliferation was examined in vitro and in vivo. The targets of miR-203 were identified by a luciferase reporter gene assay. Results: miR-203 was down regulated in OS tissues and cell lines; decreased miR-203 was associated with a poor overall survival in OS patients. Restoration of miR-203 expression reduced cell growth in vitro and suppressed tumorigenicity in vivo. In contrast, inhibition of miR-203 stimulated OS cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, TANK binding kinase 1 (TBK1) was identified as a direct target of miR-203; overexpression of TBK1 partly reversed the suppressive effects of miR-203. Furthermore, TBK1 was found up-regulated and inversely correlated with miR-203 in OS tissues. Conclusion: Taken together, these findings suggest that miR-203 acts as a tumor suppressor via regulation of TBK1 expression in OS progression, and miR-203 may be a promising therapeutic target for OS.


2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Heikaus ◽  
E Winterhager ◽  
O Traub ◽  
R Grummer

Phytohormones and chemical compounds revealing estrogenic effects are of increasing interest for their possible influence on the physiology of the reproductive tract. The gap junction connexin (Cx) genes Cx26 and Cx43, the plasma glycoprotein clusterin gene and the complement C3 gene are highly regulated by estrogen in rat endometrium. To test the value of these genes as markers for estrogenic responsiveness we analyzed the effects of estradiol, diethylstilbestrol, the selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) raloxifene and tamoxifen, the phytoestrogens genistein and daidzein, and the industrial compounds DDT (1,1,1-trichloro-2-(2-chlorophenyl)-2-(4-chlorophenyl) ethane) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) on the transcription of these genes in rat endometrium in vivo. Enhancement of Cx26 and decrease of clusterin transcripts expression by estradiol was observed at 0.03 micro g/250 g body weight (BW), and induction of C3 expression was observed at 0.05 micro g/250 g BW. A comparable effect was obtained by a tenfold higher concentration of diethylstilbestrol. Tamoxifen had a regulatory effect on this set of genes at about a 300-fold higher concentration, while raloxifen revealed much weaker estrogenic activity. No effect on Cx43 transcripts was observed with any of the compounds at the concentrations used. An effect of genistein was observed only on Cx26 expression, while PCB decreased clusterin transcripts. These results show that Cx26, C3 and clusterin reveal a comparable sensitivity to estrogens and SERMs. With respect to the phytoestrogen genistein, however, Cx26 seems to be the most sensitive gene. The analysis of clusters of estrogen-sensitive endometrial genes could help to identify estrogenic substances, assess their potency, and elucidate their mechanism of action.


2004 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 689-701 ◽  
Author(s):  
JG Lemmen ◽  
RJ Arends ◽  
AL van Boxtel ◽  
PT van der Saag ◽  
B van der Burg

With the aim of developing an in vivo model that directly detects activation of estrogen receptors (ERs), transgenic mice carrying a luciferase reporter gene were generated. The luciferase reporter gene was under the control of three consensus estrogen-responsive elements (EREs) coupled to a minimal TATA-box, with or without flanking chick beta-globin insulators. By using this model in combination with the IVIS imaging system, in vivo ER activation was measured. Dose- and time-dependent luciferase activity was induced in various organs of adult transgenic male mice exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES) (10-1000 micro g/kg) and 17beta-estradiol dipropionate (EP) (10-1000 micro g/kg), when luciferase activity was measured ex vivo. The highest (>10 000-fold) induction of luciferase was measured in bone and kidney 24 h after exposure to 1000 micro g/kg EP. Other highly responsive organs include liver, testis, pituitary, brain, prostate and colon, which show different activity profiles. This in vivo model for detecting estrogenic activity can be used to assess tissue-specific action of ER agonists and antagonists. These could include selective ER modulators and environmental estrogens. In combination with the IVIS imaging system, this in vivo model is a powerful tool for assessing the kinetics of gene activation by estrogenic compounds.


Author(s):  
Yijie Zhang ◽  
Qi Pan ◽  
Zigong Shao

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a malignant tumor predominantly arising in the setting of cirrhosis and is the third most common cause of cancer-associated death on a global scale. The heterogeneous nature of HCC and limited well-recognized biomarkers may contribute to poor patient prognosis and treatment failure. In this study, we identified expression pattern of microRNA-202-3p (miR-202-3p) in HCC and characterized its functional role as well as related mechanisms. First, we collected 50 HCC tissues and 38 normal liver tissues, and after bioinformatics prediction, the expression of miR-202-3p and KDM3A was determined in the tissues. We found lowly expressed miR-202-3p and overexpressed KDM3A in HCC tissues. Then, dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was employed to test the presence of miR-202-3p binding sites in the 3’UTR of KDM3A and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay to homeobox A1 (HOXA1) interaction with KDM3A and MEIS3. It has been confirmed that miR-202-3p negatively regulated KDM3A responsible for increasing the expression of HOXA1 by eliminating the histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9)me2 in HCC cells. HOXA1 could evidently increase H3K4me1 and H3K27ac enrichment in the MEIS3 enhancer region and enhance the expression of MEIS3. Functional assays were also performed with the results showing that upregulated miR-202-3p or downregulated KDM3A retarded HCC cell viability, migration, and invasion. In addition, HepG2 cells were xenografted into nude mice, and we demonstrated that upregulated miR-202-3p reduced the growth of human HCC cells in vivo. Taken together, the present study elicits a novel miR-202-3p/KDM3A/HOXA1/MEIS3 pathway in HCC, potentiating an exquisite therapeutic target for HCC.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 174480692110418
Author(s):  
Wei Sun ◽  
Yijun Zhang ◽  
Guanghui Wang

Background It has been increasingly reported that microRNAs (miRNAs) are related to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis. This present research was conducted to analyze the functions of miR-137 and the underlying molecular mechanism in RA progression. Methods Differentially expressed miRNAs in RA patients were analyzed using microarray-based analyses. Next, experiments involving miR-137 overexpression were performed to analyze the role of miR-137 in human fibroblast-like synoviocytes-RA (HFLS-RA) using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, EdU staining, Transwell assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The function of miR-137 in inflammation was determined using ELISA. The binding relationship between miR-137 and LSD1 was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and ChIP test. Besides, a rat model with RA was established for in vivo experiments. Results miR-137 was downregulated in RA tissues and cells, which was negatively correlated with inflammatory factors. Upregulated miR-137 suppressed growth, migration and invasion of HFLS-RA, but promoted apoptosis. Lysine-specific demethylase-1 (LSD1) was a target of miR-137 and could be negatively regulated by miR-137. Moreover, LSD1 could activate REST through demethylation, while the REST/mTOR pathway induced levels of pro-inflammatory factors in RA. We observed the similar results in our in vivo study. Conclusion This study suggested that miR-137 reduced LSD1 expression to inhibit the activation of REST/mTOR pathway, thus preventing against inflammation and ameliorating RA development. Our research may offer new insights into treatment of RA.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Shao ◽  
Shaoqiang Zhang ◽  
Xiaoxia Wang ◽  
Xin Sun ◽  
Jie Wu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Thyroid cancer is a major endocrine tumor and represents an emerging health problem worldwide. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been addressed to be associated with the pathogenesis and progression of thyroid cancer. However, it remains largely unknown what functions miR-30d may exert on thyroid cancer. This study herein aimed to identify the functional significance and mechanism of miR-30d in the progression of thyroid cancer. Methods The expression of miR-30d and ubiquitin-specific protease 22 (USP22) in cancerous tissues of patients with thyroid cancer was measured using RT-qPCR and Western blot analysis. In response to the gain- or loss-of-function of miR-30d and USP22, cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry and TUNEL staining in combination with the measurement of apoptosis-related proteins. The interactions among miR-30d, USP22, SIRT1, FOXO3a and PUMA were explored using a series of assays, including dual-luciferase reporter gene assay, Co-IP and ChIP assay. The effects of miR-30d and USP22 on thyroid tumorigenesis were finally validated in vivo. Results MiR-30b presented aberrant low expression in thyroid cancer tissues and this low expression correlated with poor prognosis of thyroid cancer patients. miR-30d promoted apoptosis of thyroid cancer cells through targeting USP22, an up-regulated gene in thyroid cancer. USP22 could enhance the stability of SIRT1 by inducing deubiquitination which consequently contributed to FOXO3a deacetylation-induced PUMA repression. It was verified that this regulatory mechanism was responsible for the pro-apoptotic effect of miR-30d by the in vivo tumorigenicity assay. Conclusion To conclude, the progression of thyroid cancer can be suppressed by miR-30d-mediated inhibition of USP22, provides a promising therapeutic target for thyroid cancer treatment.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han Wang ◽  
Yingying Zhou ◽  
Siyang Zhang ◽  
Ya Qi ◽  
Min Wang

Abstract Background Small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (SNHG16) and pre-mRNA processing factor 6(PRPF6) play vital roles in regulatory mechanisms of multiple cancers, but the mechanisms in ovarian cancer (OC) remains poorly understood. Methods The expression of SNHG16 transcripts-SNHG16-L/S in OC tissues were analyzed by real-time PCR (RT-PCR). The expression of PRPF6 in OC tissues were detected by Immunohistochemistry (IHC). Tumorigenesis, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and PTX-resistance were detected by western blot, transwell, CCK-8 assays, colony formation assays and flow cytometry analyses. Molecular interactions were examined by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Results The results indicated the expression of SNHG16-L/S was opposite in chemo-resistance and chemo-sensitivity tissues of OC. And SNHG16-L/S had different effects on the progression and PTX-resistance of OC cells. SNHG16-L inhibited GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3) transcription through CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein b (CEBPB) to further promote tumorigenesis, EMT and PTX-resistance of OC. Moreover, PRPF6 was upregulated in chemo-resistance tissues of OC. PRPF6 promoted tumorigenesis and PTX-resistance in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, PRPF6 induced the alternative splicing of SNHG16 to downregulate SNHG16-L, which further mediated progression and PTX-resistance through upregulating GATA3 in OC. Conclusions Totally, the results demonstrated that PRPF6 promoted progression and PTX-resistance in OC through SNHG16-L/CEBPB/GATA3 axis. Thus, PRPF6 may become a valuable target for OC therapy.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhang Jieling ◽  
Li Kai ◽  
Zheng Huifen ◽  
Zhu Yiping

Abstract Background: MicroRNAs play an important role in the genesis and progression of tumors, including colorectal cancer (CRC), which has a high morbidity and mortality rate. In this research, the role of miR-495-3p and HMGB1 in CRC was investigated.Methods: We performed qRT-PCR to detect the expression of miR-495-3p in colorectal cancer tissues and cell lines. Functional experiments such as CCK-8 assay, EDU assay, Transwell assay and apoptosis assay were conducted to explore the effects of miR-495-3p on the proliferation, migration and apoptosis of CRC cells in vitro. Then, the use of database prediction, dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and functional experiments verified the role of miR-495-3p target gene HMGB1 in CRC. Finally, rescue experiments was performed to investigate whether overexpression of HMGB1 could reverse the inhibitory effect of miR-495-3p on CRC cell proliferation in vivo and in vitro.Results: miR-495-3p was down-regulated in colorectal cancer tissues and cell lines, and could inhibit the proliferation and migration of colorectal cancer cells, and promote cell apoptosis. The database prediction and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay showed that HMGB1 was the downstream target gene of miR-495-3p. We finally demonstrated that miR-495-3p inhibited CRC cell proliferation by targeting HMGB1 in vitro and in vivo.Conclusion: Our research shows that miR-495-3p inhibits the progression of colorectal cancer by down-regulating the expression of HMGB1, which indicates that miR-495-3p may become a potential therapeutic target for colorectal cancer.


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