A narrative review of multiple mechanisms of progranulin in cancer: a potential target for anti-cancer therapy

Background: Essential oils are complex mixtures of low molecular weight compounds extracted from plants. Their main constituents are terpenes and phenylpropanoids, which are responsible for their biological and pharmaceutical properties, such as insecticidal, parasiticidal, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antinociceptive, anticarcinogenic, and antitumor properties. Cancer is a complex genetic disease considered as a serious public health problem worldwide, accounting for more than 8 million deaths annually. Objective: The activities of prevention and treatment of different types of cancer and the medicinal potential of essential oils are addressed in this review. Conclusion: Several studies have demonstrated anti-carcinogenic and antitumor activity for many essential oils obtained from various plant species. They may be used as a substitution to or in addition to conventional anti-cancer therapy. Although many studies report possible mechanisms of action for essential oils compounds, more studies are necessary in order to apply them safely and appropriately in cancer therapy.

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Target Fishing of Calactin, Calotropin and Calotoxin Using Reverse Pharmacophore Screening and Consensus Inverse Docking Approach

Current Drug Discovery Technologies ◽

10.2174/1570163817666201207143958 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 ◽

Author(s):

Vikram Parthasarathy ◽

Achuthan Raghava Menon ◽

Basavaraj Devaranavadagi

Keyword(s):

Interleukin 2 ◽

Pharmacophore Model ◽

Positive Control ◽

Screening Strategy ◽

Binding Energies ◽

Cancer Drug ◽

Model Matching ◽

Potential Target ◽

Anti Cancer ◽

Docking Approach

Background: The anticancer properties of natural products calactin, calotropin and calotoxin are well established. However the mechanisms of their action are unclear and the molecular targets pertinent to them are not detailed. In this study, potential anti-cancer targets of these compounds have been identified using reverse screening approaches that may provide valuable insights into anti cancer drug development. Objective: To identify the potential anticancer targets of calactin, calotropin and calotoxin using reverse screening strategy. Methods: The ligands were screened for potential targets based on their shape similarity and pharmacophore model matching. The overlapping targets obtained from both methods were verified using reverse docking approach and validated by docking analysis. MM/PBSA calculation was performed to predict binding affinities between ligand and confirmed targets. Results: Interleukin-2 inducible T cell kinase [ITK] was confirmed as a potential target of calactin (Ki= -10.3 kcal/mol), calotropin (Ki= -8.7 kcal/mol) and calotoxin (Ki= -10.2 kcal/mol). The ligands interacted with hinge region residues such as Met438 and Asp500 which occupy the highly conserved ATP binding site. Binding energies of calactin (∆Ebind = -29.18 kJ/mol), calotropin (-28.57 kJ/mol) and calotoxin (-21.21 kJ/mol) with ITK were higher than (more negative) positive control sunitinib (-15.03 kJ/mol) and standard staurosporine (-21.09 kJ/mol). Besides this, Interstitial collagenase [MMP1] was confirmed as potential target of calotoxin (Ki= -8.2 kcal/mol).However the binding energy (∆Ebind = -11.89 kJ/mol) was lower compared to positive control batimastat (-21.07 kJ/mol). Conclusion: The results of this study confirmed ITK as a potential target for calactin, calotropin and calotoxin. These compounds can therefore be used as lead molecules for the development of novel ITK inhibitors, which may have immense therapeutic applications as immune-suppressants and as anticancer drugs.

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