scholarly journals The mechanical force of minority cells modulates the tumor taxol-resistance and progression

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Di Zhang ◽  
Xueyan Feng ◽  
Guoxun Wang ◽  
Liwei Lu ◽  
Feng Feng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Force Transducer ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Mechanical Force ◽  
Cancer Therapies ◽  
Cancer Resistance ◽  
Taxol Resistance ◽  
Resistant Cells

Abstract Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. The chemotherapy is one of a major treatment for cancer. However, resistance to chemotherapeutic agents is still a crucial problem in cancer therapies. Majority drug resistance results from the accumulation of mutation of genes in the minority-resistant cells. The mechanism underlying the emergence and the development of cancer resistance from minority-resistant cells has not been fully elucidated. Here, we revealed that minority taxol-resistant cancer cells (MRCs) with enhanced mechanical force can transmit the high force to surrounding sensitive cells through force transducer merlin, and thus enhancing the contraction and adhesion strength of tumor cells (termed as mechanoassimilation), which eventually accelerates the development of drug resistance and tumor progression in vivo. In addition, disturbance and reduction of mechanoassimilation in tumor leads them sensitive to taxol again in vitro and in vivo, which also provide a preliminary indication of MRC contribution in drug-resistance and malignancy development through mechanoassimilation, and offer a new opportunity for cancer therapy by targeting the tumor mechanics.

scholarly journals Cathepsin L inhibition suppresses drug resistance in vitro and in vivo: a putative mechanism

2009 ◽  
Vol 296 (1) ◽  
pp. C65-C74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Zheng ◽  
Fei Chu ◽  
Pauline M. Chou ◽  
Christine Gallati ◽  
Usawadee Dier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Trichostatin A ◽  
Cathepsin L ◽  
Active Form ◽  
Cancer Resistance ◽  
Protease Inhibition ◽  
Resistance To Chemotherapy

Cathepsin L is a lysosomal enzyme thought to play a key role in malignant transformation. Recent work from our laboratory has demonstrated that this enzyme may also regulate cancer cell resistance to chemotherapy. The present study was undertaken to define the relevance of targeting cathepsin L in the suppression of drug resistance in vitro and in vivo and also to understand the mechanism(s) of its action. In vitro experiments indicated that cancer cell adaptation to increased amounts of doxorubicin over time was prevented in the presence of a cathepsin L inhibitor, suggesting that inhibition of this enzyme not only reverses but also prevents the development of drug resistance. The combination of the cathepsin L inhibitor with doxorubicin also strongly suppressed the proliferation of drug-resistant tumors in nude mice. An investigation of the underlying mechanism(s) led to the finding that the active form of this enzyme shuttles between the cytoplasm and nucleus. As a result, its inhibition stabilizes and enhances the availability of cytoplasmic and nuclear protein drug targets including estrogen receptor-α, Bcr-Abl, topoisomerase-IIα, histone deacetylase 1, and the androgen receptor. In support of this, the cellular response to doxorubicin, tamoxifen, imatinib, trichostatin A, and flutamide increased in the presence of the cathepsin L inhibitor. Together, these findings provided evidence for the potential role of cathepsin L as a target to suppress cancer resistance to chemotherapy and uncovered a novel mechanism by which protease inhibition-mediated drug target stabilization may enhance cellular visibility and, thus, susceptibility to anticancer agents.

scholarly journals PIWIL1 Drives Chemoresistance in Multiple Myeloma by Modulating Mitophagy and the Myeloma Stem Cell Population

2022 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yajun Wang ◽  
Lan Yao ◽  
Yao Teng ◽  
Hua Yin ◽  
Qiuling Wu
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cell Population ◽  
Side Population ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Stem Cell Population ◽  
Exact Function

As an important member of the Argonaute protein family, PIWI-like protein 1 (PIWIL1) plays a key role in tumor cell viability. However, the exact function of PIWIL1 in multiple myeloma (MM) and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. Here, we revealed that PIWIL1 was highly expressed in myeloma cell lines and newly diagnosed MM patients, and that its expression was notably higher in refractory/relapsed MM patients. PIWIL1 promoted the proliferation of MM cells and conferred resistance to chemotherapeutic agents both in vitro and in vivo. More importantly, PIWIL1 enhanced the formation of autophagosomes, especially mitophagosomes, by disrupting mitochondrial calcium signaling and modulating mitophagy-related canonical PINK1/Parkin pathway protein components. Mitophagy/autophagy inhibitors overcome PIWIL1-induced chemoresistance. In addition, PIWIL1 overexpression increased the proportion of side population (SP) cells and upregulated the expression of the stem cell-associated genes Nanog, OCT4, and SOX2, while its inhibition resulted in opposite effects. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that PIWIL1 induced drug resistance by activating mitophagy and regulating the MM stem cell population. PIWIL1 depletion significantly overcame drug resistance and could be used as a novel therapeutic target for reversing resistance in MM patients.

scholarly journals Maximal killing of lymphoma cells by DNA damage–inducing therapy requires not only the p53 targets Puma and Noxa, but also Bim

Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (24) ◽  
pp. 5256-5267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Happo ◽  
Mark S. Cragg ◽  
Belinda Phipson ◽  
Jon M. Haga ◽  
Elisa S. Jansen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Damage ◽  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
B Cell Lymphoma ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Lymphoid Cells ◽  
Lymphoma Cells ◽  
P53 Target Genes

Abstract DNA-damaging chemotherapy is the backbone of cancer treatment, although it is not clear how such treatments kill tumor cells. In nontransformed lymphoid cells, the combined loss of 2 proapoptotic p53 target genes, Puma and Noxa, induces as much resistance to DNA damage as loss of p53 itself. In Eμ-Myc lymphomas, however, lack of both Puma and Noxa resulted in no greater drug resistance than lack of Puma alone. A third B-cell lymphoma-2 homology domain (BH)3-only gene, Bim, although not a direct p53 target, was up-regulated in Eμ-Myc lymphomas incurring DNA damage, and knockdown of Bim levels markedly increased the drug resistance of Eμ-Myc/Puma−/−Noxa−/− lymphomas both in vitro and in vivo. Remarkably, c-MYC–driven lymphoma cell lines from Noxa−/−Puma−/−Bim−/− mice were as resistant as those lacking p53. Thus, the combinatorial action of Puma, Noxa, and Bim is critical for optimal apoptotic responses of lymphoma cells to 2 commonly used DNA-damaging chemotherapeutic agents, identifying Bim as an additional biomarker for treatment outcome in the clinic.

CARD8/BCL-2 cascade in early adaptive drug resistant tumor escape against targeted inhibitors in NSCLC.

2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e22032-e22032
Author(s):  
Rakesh K. Bagai ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Patrick Leahy ◽  
Lihong Yin ◽  
Patrick C. Ma
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Expression Analysis ◽  
Xenograft Model ◽  
Tumor Escape ◽  
Apoptosis Pathway ◽  
Egfr Tki ◽  
Resistant Cells

e22032 Background: Lung cancer targeted therapy is largely limited by inevitable recurrent resistant disease after initial response to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), typically accompanied with divergent late acquired resistance mechanisms. We now focused on studying the emergence of early adaptive resistance to uncover attractive therapeutic targets to overcome drug resistance. Methods: HCC827 cells were treated with EGFR-TKI (0-9 days) with apoptosis pathway-specific QPCR array and TLVM analysis performed. MTS and crystal violet assays were performed. Western blot analysis was performed to examine prosurvival signaling developed against erlotinib, alone or in combination with MET inhibitor SU11274. IHC was performed on lung cancer tumor microarray (TMA) using BCL-2 and caspase-recruitment domain-containing protein 8 (CARD8) antibodies and graded (4 tier scoring system). NSCLC cell lines and murine xenograft models (HCC827, H1975) were developed for resistance biomarkers expression analysis in pre-/post-TKI treatment using anti-human CARD8, p-STAT3 and BCL-2 antibodies. Results: We characterized the emergence of early resistant lung cancer cells in escape against targeted TKIs with 100-fold higher IC50 in adaptive drug resistance. The resistant cells that evaded EGFR-TKI based targeted inhibition exhibited MET-independent induction of CARD8 and STAT3/BCL-2 mitochondrial prosurvival signaling in cellular quiescence, and inhibited cytoskeletal functions. Expression analysis studies demonstrated common tumor-associated expression of CARD8 but relatively low BCL-2 level in NSCLC. In vitro cell line studies suggest that CARD8 induction was preceded by a resurgence of STAT3 activation. In vivo xenograft model (HCC827/erlotinib; H1975/erlotinib+ SU11274) also verified upregulated CARD8/BCL-2 activation within early resistant cells. Conclusions: Resistant tumor cells that evaded EGFR inhibitors, alone or in combination with MET inhibitors, exhibited increased expression of CARD8-STAT3/BCL-2 prosurvival signaling cascade. Further studies to define the mechanism of CARD8 in promoting adaptive tumor drug resistance would be warranted.

scholarly journals A Novel Therapeutic Approach for Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells: Blocking the PI3K/Akt Signaling Axis With Caffeic Acid

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Se-Ra Park ◽  
Soo-Rim Kim ◽  
In-Sun Hong ◽  
Hwa-Yong Lee
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Caffeic Acid ◽  
Akt Signaling ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Cancer Therapies ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been identified in a multiple of cancer types and resistant to traditional cancer therapies such as chemotherapeutic agents and radiotherapy, which may destroy bulk tumor cells but not all CSCs, contributing to reformation tumor masses and subsequent relapse. Moreover, it is very difficult to effectively identify and eliminate CSCs because they share some common phenotypic and functional characteristics of normal stem cells. Therefore, finding better therapeutic strategies to selectively target CSCs might be helpful to reduce subsequent malignancies. In the present study, we found that caffeic acid effectively suppresses self-renewal capacity, stem-like characteristics, and migratory capacity of CD44+ and CD133+ colorectal CSCs in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we also revealed that PI3K/Akt signaling may be linked to multiple colorectal CSC-associated characteristics, such as radio-resistance, stem-like property, and tumorigenic potential. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating that caffeic acid effectively targets colorectal CSC populations by inhibiting the growth and/or self-renewal capacity of colorectal CSCs through PI3K/Akt signaling in vitro and in vivo.

scholarly journals Suppression of CD13 Enhances the Cytotoxic Effect of Chemotherapeutic Drugs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shengping Ji ◽  
Yuqian Ma ◽  
Xiaoyan Xing ◽  
Binbin Ge ◽  
Yutian Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Chemotherapy Resistance ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Ros Generation ◽  
Cancer Resistance ◽  
Ros Scavenging ◽  
Chemotherapy Agent ◽  
Hepatocarcinoma Cells

Multidrug resistance (MDR) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a serious problem that directly hinders the effect of chemotherapeutics. In this study, we mainly explore the molecular mechanism of ROS-induced CD13 expression using hepatocarcinoma cells as the research object. We show that the drug of fluorouracil (5FU), epirubicin (EPI) and gemcitabine (GEM) can induce ROS generation, activate Ets2 and promote CD13 expression. Meanwhile, CD13 can activate NRF1 and up-regulate ROS scavenging genes transcription, such as SOD1, GPX1, GPX2 and GPX3, leading to down-regulation of intracellular ROS level and reducing the sensitivity of cells to chemotherapy agent. We also detected the anti-tumor effect of the combination therapy, CD13 inhibitor ubenimex and a variety of conventional anti-cancer drugs, such as 5FU, EPI, GEM, pemetrexed (Pem) and paclitaxel (PTX) were employed in combination. Ubenimex enhances the sensitivity of different chemotherapeutic agents and cooperates with chemotherapeutic agents to suppress tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. In general, overexpression of CD13 can lead to chemotherapy resistance, and CD13 inhibitor can reverse this effect. Combination of chemotherapy agent and ubenimex will become a potential treatment strategy for liver cancer resistance.

scholarly journals Akt Inhibition Improves the Efficacy of Cabazitaxel Nanomedicine in Preclinical Taxane-Resistant Cancer Models

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tongyu Li ◽  
Linlin Shi ◽  
Jianqin Wan ◽  
Xiaoxiao Hu ◽  
Wanzhi Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Western Blotting ◽  
Combined Treatment ◽  
Xenograft Model ◽  
Akt Inhibitor ◽  
Defense Proteins ◽  
Western Blotting Assay ◽  
Resistant Cells

Abstract Background: Drug resistance continues to be a major clinical challenge in achieving cures in cancer patients. Cabazitaxel has shown the ability to surmount drug resistance through bypassing the transporter-mediated drug expulsion; however, the substantially high toxicity in patients hampered its clinical application. In addition, upregulation of certain self-defense proteins (e.g, Akt) was reportedly involved in drug resistance, which may further compromise the activity of cabazitaxel. We have previously developed several prodrug-based strategies to deliver nanoparticles encapsulating cabazitaxel derivatives in tumors with enhanced efficacy and improved in vivo tolerability. Therefore, we hypothesized that combing cabazitaxel nanotherapeutics with a pan-Akt inhibitor MK-2206 would synergistically eliminate the resistant cancers with reduced systemic toxicity.Methods: Activation of Akt in resistant cancers upon cabazitaxel treatment was determined by western blotting assay. The effect of combing MK-2206 with cabazitaxel on cell viability was evaluated by CCK-8 assay. To improve the in vivo biocompatibility, the delivery of potent cabazitaxel was feasibly achieved via the integration of oligolactide-conjugated cabazitaxel into the PEG-b-PLA matrix. Both the synergism and safety of cabazitaxel nanomedicine-based combination were evaluated through a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments, including Western blotting assay, CCK-8 assay, EdU assay, flow cytometry, migration assay, transwell assay, MTD study, myelosuppression study, nude mouse xenograft, and immunostaining analyses. Results: We found that resistant cells adapted to activate Akt signaling upon cabazitaxel treatment, which potentially discounts the efficacy of cabazitaxel. The addition of MK-2206 reversed this situation and potentiated the activity of cabazitaxel nanomedicine against resistant cells. Mechanistically, suppression of the Akt pathway increased the microtubule-stabilizing effect of cabazitaxel. Their collaboration was demonstrated to maximize the efficacy in a xenograft model bearing paclitaxel-resistant tumors. In particular, the nanoformulation substantially improved drug tolerability in animals, and combined treatment with MK-2206 was proven to be safe for synergistic cancer therapy. Conclusion: The preclinical studies demonstrate the therapeutic efficacy of our binary system consisting of a better-tolerated nanotherapy and a specific pathway modulator against resistant cells, thereby highlighting the potential applications for the clinical treatment of patients with multidrug-resistant malignancies.

scholarly journals From Biology to Therapy: Improvements of Therapeutic Options in Lung Cancer

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 1235-1240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luigi Formisano ◽  
Valerie M. Jansen ◽  
Roberta Marciano ◽  
Roberto Bianco
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Growth Factor Receptor ◽  
Initial Response ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Cancer Therapies ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Egfr Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality around the world, despite effective chemotherapeutic agents, the prognosis has remained poor for a long time. The discovery of molecular changes that drive lung cancer has led to a dramatic shift in the therapeutic landscape of this disease. In “in vitro” and “in vivo” models of NSCLC (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer), angiogenesis blockade has demonstrated an excellent anti-tumor activity, thus, a number of anti-angiogenic drugs have been approved by regulatory authorities for use in clinical practice. Much more interesting is the discovery of EGFR (Epithelial Growth Factor Receptor) mutations that predict sensitivity to the anti-EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs), a class of drugs that has shown to significantly improve survival when compared with standard chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of metastatic NSCLC. Nevertheless, after an initial response, resistance often occurs and prognosis becomes dismal. Biomolecular studies on cell line models have led to the discovery of mutations (e.g., T790M) that confer resistance to anti-EGFR inhibitors. Fortunately, drugs that are able to circumvent this mechanism of resistance have been developed and have been recently approved for clinical use. The discovery of robust intratumor lymphocyte infiltration in NSCLC has paved the way to several strategies able to restore the immune response. Thus, agents interfering with PD-1/PD-L1 (Programmed Death) pathways make up a significant portion of the armamentarium of cancer therapies for NSCLC. In all the above-mentioned situations, the basis of the success in treating NSCLC has started from understanding of the mutational landscape of the tumor.

scholarly journals Polymeric Nanoparticle Delivery of Combination Therapy with Synergistic Effects in Ovarian Cancer

Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1048
Author(s):  
Shani L. Levit ◽  
Christina Tang
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Treatment Efficacy ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Drug Combinations ◽  
Dosing Schedule ◽  
Acquired Drug Resistance

Treatment of ovarian cancer is challenging due to late stage diagnosis, acquired drug resistance mechanisms, and systemic toxicity of chemotherapeutic agents. Combination chemotherapy has the potential to enhance treatment efficacy by activation of multiple downstream pathways to overcome drug resistance and reducing required dosages. Sequence of delivery and the dosing schedule can further enhance treatment efficacy. Formulation of drug combinations into nanoparticles can further enhance treatment efficacy. Due to their versatility, polymer-based nanoparticles are an especially promising tool for clinical translation of combination therapies with tunable dosing schedules. We review polymer nanoparticle (e.g., micelles, dendrimers, and lipid nanoparticles) carriers of drug combinations formulated to treat ovarian cancer. In particular, the focus on this review is combinations of platinum and taxane agents (commonly used first line treatments for ovarian cancer) combined with other small molecule therapeutic agents. In vitro and in vivo drug potency are discussed with a focus on quantifiable synergistic effects. The effect of drug sequence and dosing schedule is examined. Computational approaches as a tool to predict synergistic drug combinations and dosing schedules as a tool for future nanoparticle design are also briefly discussed.

scholarly journals Antileukemic effects of the novel, mutant FLT3 inhibitor NVP-AST487: effects on PKC412-sensitive and -resistant FLT3-expressing cells

Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (13) ◽  
pp. 5161-5170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen Weisberg ◽  
Johannes Roesel ◽  
Guido Bold ◽  
Pascal Furet ◽  
Jingrui Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
In Vivo Model ◽  
Protein Kinase Activity ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Inhibition Of Proliferation ◽  
Flt3 Inhibitor ◽  
Flt3 Inhibitors

Abstract An attractive target for therapeutic intervention is constitutively activated, mutant FLT3, which is expressed in a subpopulation of patients with acute myelocyic leukemia (AML) and is generally a poor prognostic indicator in patients under the age of 65 years. PKC412 is one of several mutant FLT3 inhibitors that is undergoing clinical testing, and which is currently in late-stage clinical trials. However, the discovery of drug-resistant leukemic blast cells in PKC412-treated patients with AML has prompted the search for novel, structurally diverse FLT3 inhibitors that could be alternatively used to override drug resistance. Here, we report the potent and selective antiproliferative effects of the novel mutant FLT3 inhibitor NVP-AST487 on primary patient cells and cell lines expressing FLT3-ITD or FLT3 kinase domain point mutants. NVP-AST487, which selectively targets mutant FLT3 protein kinase activity, is also shown to override PKC412 resistance in vitro, and has significant antileukemic activity in an in vivo model of FLT3-ITD+ leukemia. Finally, the combination of NVP-AST487 with standard chemotherapeutic agents leads to enhanced inhibition of proliferation of mutant FLT3-expressing cells. Thus, we present a novel class of FLT3 inhibitors that displays high selectivity and potency toward FLT3 as a molecular target, and which could potentially be used to override drug resistance in AML.

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