scholarly journals Tumor Energy Metabolism and Potential of 3-Bromopyruvate as an Inhibitor of Aerobic Glycolysis: Implications in Tumor Treatment

Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tengjiao Fan ◽  
Guohui Sun ◽  
Xiaodong Sun ◽  
Lijiao Zhao ◽  
Rugang Zhong ◽  
...  

Tumor formation and growth depend on various biological metabolism processes that are distinctly different with normal tissues. Abnormal energy metabolism is one of the typical characteristics of tumors. It has been proven that most tumor cells highly rely on aerobic glycolysis to obtain energy rather than mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) even in the presence of oxygen, a phenomenon called “Warburg effect”. Thus, inhibition of aerobic glycolysis becomes an attractive strategy to specifically kill tumor cells, while normal cells remain unaffected. In recent years, a small molecule alkylating agent, 3-bromopyruvate (3-BrPA), being an effective glycolytic inhibitor, has shown great potential as a promising antitumor drug. Not only it targets glycolysis process, but also inhibits mitochondrial OXPHOS in tumor cells. Excellent antitumor effects of 3-BrPA were observed in cultured cells and tumor-bearing animal models. In this review, we described the energy metabolic pathways of tumor cells, mechanism of action and cellular targets of 3-BrPA, antitumor effects, and the underlying mechanism of 3-BrPA alone or in combination with other antitumor drugs (e.g., cisplatin, doxorubicin, daunorubicin, 5-fluorouracil, etc.) in vitro and in vivo. In addition, few human case studies of 3-BrPA were also involved. Finally, the novel chemotherapeutic strategies of 3-BrPA, including wafer, liposomal nanoparticle, aerosol, and conjugate formulations, were also discussed for future clinical application.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunyang Li ◽  
Shuangqing Yang ◽  
Huaqing Ma ◽  
Mengjia Ruan ◽  
Luyan Fang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Cervical cancer is a type of the most common gynecology tumor in women of the whole world. Accumulating data have shown that icariin (ICA), a natural compound, has anti-cancer activity in different cancers, including cervical cancer. The study aimed to reveal the antitumor effects and the possible underlying mechanism of ICA in U14 tumor-bearing mice and SiHa cells. Methods The antitumor effects of ICA were investigated in vivo and in vitro. The expression of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways were evaluated. Results We found that ICA significantly suppressed tumor tissue growth and SiHa cells viability in a dose-dependent manner. Also, ICA enhanced the anti-tumor humoral immunity in vivo. Moreover, ICA significantly improved the composition of the microbiota in mice models. Additionally, the results clarified that ICA significantly inhibited the migration, invasion capacity, and expression levels of TGF-β1, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17A, IL-10 in SiHa cells. Meanwhile, ICA was revealed to promote the apoptosis of cervical cancer cells by down-regulating Ki67, survivin, Bcl-2, c-Myc, and up-regulating P16, P53, Bax levels in vivo and in vitro. For the part of mechanism exploration, we showed that ICA inhibits the inflammation, proliferation, migration, and invasion, as well as promotes apoptosis and immunity in cervical cancer through impairment of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB and Wnt/β-catenin pathways. Conclusions Taken together, ICA could be a potential supplementary agent for cervical cancer treatment.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Peng ◽  
Shaolu Zhang ◽  
Wenhui Jiao ◽  
Zhenxing Zhong ◽  
Yuqi Yang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The critical role of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) activation in tumor cell biology has prompted massive efforts to develop PI3K inhibitors (PI3Kis) for cancer therapy. However, recent results from clinical trials have shown only a modest therapeutic efficacy of single-agent PI3Kis in solid tumors. Targeting autophagy has controversial context-dependent effects in cancer treatment. As a FDA-approved lysosomotropic agent, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been well tested as an autophagy inhibitor in preclinical models. Here, we elucidated the novel mechanism of HCQ alone or in combination with PI3Ki BKM120 in the treatment of cancer.Methods: The antitumor effects of HCQ and BKM120 on three different types of tumor cells were assessed by in vitro PrestoBlue assay, colony formation assay and in vivo zebrafish and nude mouse xenograft models. The involved molecular mechanisms were investigated by MDC staining, LC3 puncta formation assay, immunofluorescent assay, flow cytometric analysis of apoptosis and ROS, qRT-PCR, Western blot, comet assay, homologous recombination (HR) assay and immunohistochemical staining. Results: HCQ significantly sensitized cancer cells to BKM120 in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, the sensitization mediated by HCQ could not be phenocopied by treatment with other autophagy inhibitors (Spautin-1, 3-MA and bafilomycin A1) or knockdown of the essential autophagy genes Atg5/Atg7, suggesting that the sensitizing effect might be mediated independent of autophagy status. Mechanistically, HCQ induced ROS production and activated the transcription factor NRF2. In contrast, BKM120 prevented the elimination of ROS by inactivation of NRF2, leading to accumulation of DNA damage. In addition, HCQ activated ATM to enhance HR repair, a high-fidelity repair for DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in cells, while BKM120 inhibited HR repair by blocking the phosphorylation of ATM and the expression of BRCA1/2 and Rad51. Conclusions: Our study revealed that HCQ and BKM120 synergistically increased DSBs in tumor cells and therefore augmented apoptosis, resulting in enhanced antitumor efficacy. Our findings provide a new insight into how HCQ exhibits antitumor efficacy and synergizes with PI3Ki BKM120, and warn that one should consider the “off target” effects of HCQ when used as autophagy inhibitor in the clinical treatment of cancer.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simeng Zhang ◽  
Zhongyan Hua ◽  
Gen Ba ◽  
Ning Xu ◽  
Jianing Miao ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Neuroblastoma (NB) is a common solid malignancy in children that is associated with a poor prognosis. Although the novel small molecular compound Dimethylaminomicheliolide (DMAMCL) has been shown to induce cell death in some tumors, little is known about its role in NB. Methods We examined the effect of DMAMCL on four NB cell lines (NPG, AS, KCNR, BE2). Cellular confluence, survival, apoptosis, and glycolysis were detected using Incucyte ZOOM, CCK-8 assays, Annexin V-PE/7-AAD flow cytometry, and Seahorse XFe96, respectively. Synergistic effects between agents were evaluated using CompuSyn and the effect of DMAMCL in vivo was evaluated using a xenograft mouse model. Phosphofructokinase-1, liver type (PFKL) expression was up- and down-regulated using overexpression plasmids or siRNA. Results When administered as a single agent, DMAMCL decreased cell proliferation in a time- and dose-dependent manner, increased the percentage of cells in SubG1 phase, and induced apoptosis in vitro, as well as inhibiting tumor growth and prolonging survival in tumor-bearing mice (NGP, BE2) in vivo. In addition, DMAMCL exerted synergistic effects when combined with etoposide or cisplatin in vitro and displayed increased antitumor effects when combined with etoposide in vivo compared to either agent alone. Mechanistically, DMAMCL suppressed aerobic glycolysis by decreasing glucose consumption, lactate excretion, and ATP production, as well as reducing the expression of PFKL, a key glycolysis enzyme, in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, PFKL overexpression attenuated DMAMCL-induced cell death, whereas PFKL silencing promoted NB cell death. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that DMAMCL exerts antitumor effects on NB both in vitro and in vivo by suppressing aerobic glycolysis and that PFKL could be a potential target of DMAMCL in NB.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Weixing Dai ◽  
Xianke Meng ◽  
Shaobo Mo ◽  
Wenqiang Xiang ◽  
Ye Xu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Low expression of FOXE1, a member of Forkhead box (FOX) transcription factor family that plays vital roles in cancers, contributes to poor prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Materials and methods The effects of FOXE1 on the growth of colon cancer cells and the expression of glycolytic enzymes were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Molecular biological experiments were used to reveal the underlying mechanisms of altered aerobic glycolysis. CRC tissue specimens were used to determine the clinical association of ectopic metabolism caused by dysregulated FOXE1. Results FOXE1 is highly expressed in normal colon tissues compared with cancer tissues and low expression of FOXE1 is significantly associated with poor prognosis of CRC patients. Silencing FOXE1 in CRC cell lines dramatically enhanced cell proliferation and colony formation and promoted glucose consumption and lactate production, while enforced expression of FOXE1 manifested the opposite effects. Mechanistically, FOXE1 bound directly to the promoter region of HK2 and negatively regulated its transcription. Furthermore, the expression of FOXE1 in CRC tissues was negatively correlated with that of HK2. Conclusion FOXE1 functions as a critical tumor suppressor in regulating tumor growth and glycolysis via suppressing HK2 in CRC.


Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 2975-2975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asher Alban Chanan-Khan ◽  
Swaminathan Padmanabhan ◽  
Kena C. Miller ◽  
Paula Pera ◽  
Laurie DiMiceli ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction: L is a more potent analogue of thalidomide with antitumor activity reported in MDS and multiple myeloma. Clinical anti-leukemic activity of L is reported for the first time by our group in pts with CLL. The underlying mechanism of its antitumor activity remains undetermined. We investigated the effect of L on the tumor microenvironment and studied the modulation of soluble cytokines and immune cells (T and NK cells) in pts receiving L. Patients and Methods: CLL pts enrolled on the clinical study with L were eligible. Pre and post (day 7) samples were obtained for evaluation of changes in serum cytokine and immune cell environment. Malignant cells were also obtained to investigate the in vitro antitumor activity of L prior to initiating treatment on clinical trial. Results: With Anexin V staining for evaluation of apoptosis induction, in vitro testing of pts samples (n=10) showed only a modest increase in apoptosis at 200mg of L - levels clinically not achievable. Yet same pts treated with L on clinical study showed significant antitumor response, suggesting the mechanism to be possibly related to modulation of the tumor microenvironment. In evaluation of the tumor cytokine microenvironment (n= 10) we noted significant L induced increase in IL-10 (n=6), IL-8 (n=8), IP-10 (n=10), IL-8 (n=8), TNF-alpha (n=4) and decrease in PDGF (n=5) and RANTES (n=5). While evaluation of the immune cell repertoire we observed an absolute increase in T-cell as well as NK-cell after treatment with L. Conclusion: Our in vitro evaluation does not suggest a direct apoptotic effect of L on the malignant CLL cells and thus support the hypothesis that the anti-leukemic effect noted in the clinical trial (reported separately) is most likely from in vivo modulation of the tumor microenvironment as is demonstrated from changes in the cytokine milieu and the cellular immune response. Collectively these changes may be responsible for the immune modulating properties of L and the resultant anti-CLL activity in pts.


Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 3735-3735
Author(s):  
Natsuko Yamakawa ◽  
Jun Ogata ◽  
Takashi Yahata ◽  
Jun Lu ◽  
Kazuaki Yokoyama ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction EB virus (EBV) is associated with heterogeneous lymphomas. Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) cells are embedded in non-neoplastic bystanders: B, T cells, and macrophages. Without these bystander cells, the lymphoma cells are incapable of being engrafted in immunodeficient mice. In this context, the bystanders are tumor-supportive “inflammatory niche”. Recently, EBV-infected cells produce exosomes that contain EBV specifically encoded miRNAs (EBV-miRNAs). The miRNAs are transferred to cells, and involved in tumor metastasis. However, the detailed mechanism is unknown. Accordingly, we hypothesized that exosomal EBV-miRNAs might redirect tumor surrounding immune cells from tumor reactive into tumor-supportive “inflammatory niche”. Methods We evaluated the expression of EBV-miRNAs in EBV+HL clinical specimens by in situ hybridization, their functional characterization in vitro, and their effects on persistent infection and tumor development in vivo humanized NOG mice model. Moreover, in order to clarify its sorting mechanism, trans factor and cis factor which determined secreted and non-secreted miRNAs was analyzed by use of mass-spectrograhy and next-generation sequencing. Results and Discussion The EBV-miRNAs effects were potent on monocyte/macrophage Mo/Mf in inducing CD69, IL-10, and TNF, suggesting that EBV-miRNAs might polarize Mo/Mf into tumor associated Mf (TAM). EBV-miRNAs suppress tumor cell proliferation in vitro, implying that it works as tumor-suppressor in the tumor cells, while they are required to develop LPD in vivo, which seems contradict to the result in vitro. These results suggest that EBV-miRNAs intra-cellularly regulate the tumor cells to adjust to the surrounding circumstances, for example, to escape from immune surveillance, and inter-cellularly regulate Mo/Mf to support the tumor survival or development. Most importantly, exosomal EBV-miRNAs derived from the tumor cells were transferred to Mf in human EBV+ HL samples. Interestingly, one EBV coded miRNA was not secreted at all, though it abundantly expresses in the cells. The miRNA has been reported to strongly promote cell proliferation in EBV infected tumor cells. It made us hypothesized that the sorting system of secretary and non-secretary miRNAs is critical in the formation of “inflammatory niche”. In order to clarify the mechanism of the sorting, the chimeric miRNA was constructed then, we determined the sequence, which regulates secretion and non-secretion, and purified the protein complex, which specifically bound to the sequence. Mass spectrography and successive knockdown assay, the trans factor which inhibits secretion was identified. Moreover, the next sequencing analysis for the small RNAs revealed that abundant EBV-coded small RNAs occupied RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), and that non-secreted EBV-miRNA was specifically modified. It is now under investigation whether the modification is involved in the sort mechanism between secretary and non-secretary miRNAs. Taken together, EBV-miRNAs have critical roles in intra- and inter-cellular manner. Especially, the functions as an inter-cellular communicator might be important in the tumor formation and the mechanism needs further investigation. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (18) ◽  
pp. 2243-2250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meimei Xu ◽  
Yan Zhang

Background &Objective: Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality in gynecological tumors without effective therapeutic drugs as a result of drug-resistance for long-term utilization. Morin has been reported to possess powerful anti-tumor effects in several cancers. The present study aims to investigate whether Morin could influence ovarian cancer growth and underlying mechanisms. Methods: Morin was administered to cultured cells in vitro and formed tumors in vivo. MTT and colony formation assays were performed to explore the effects of Morin on the proliferation and colony formation of OVCAR3 and SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells. Western blot, RT-qPCR, immunofluorescence as well as ELISA were used to detect protein and mRNA expression of target factors. Tumor formation was performed to investigate tumorigenesis ability of drug-treated cells. Results: The proliferation and colony size of OVCAR3 and SKOV3 were significantly decreased after Morin administration. The expression of NF-κB and inflammatory cytokine IL6/8 induced by TNF-α can be inhibited by Morin. Furthermore, Morin inhibited the volume of ovarian cancer tumors in nude mice. Conclusion: Morin effectively alleviates ovarian cancer growth, inhibits the inflammatory response, and reduces tumor size via modulation of the NF-κB pathway.


2013 ◽  
Vol 288 (29) ◽  
pp. 21237-21252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Zamanian-Daryoush ◽  
Daniel Lindner ◽  
Thomas C. Tallant ◽  
Zeneng Wang ◽  
Jennifer Buffa ◽  
...  

Here, we show that apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1), the major protein component of high density lipoprotein (HDL), through both innate and adaptive immune processes, potently suppresses tumor growth and metastasis in multiple animal tumor models, including the aggressive B16F10L murine malignant melanoma model. Mice expressing the human apoA1 transgene (A1Tg) exhibited increased infiltration of CD11b+ F4/80+ macrophages with M1, anti-tumor phenotype, reduced tumor burden and metastasis, and enhanced survival. In contrast, apoA1-deficient (A1KO) mice showed markedly heightened tumor growth and reduced survival. Injection of human apoA1 into A1KO mice inoculated with tumor cells remarkably reduced both tumor growth and metastasis, enhanced survival, and promoted regression of both tumor and metastasis burden when administered following palpable tumor formation and metastasis development. Studies with apolipoprotein A2 revealed the anti-cancer therapeutic effect was specific to apoA1. In vitro studies ruled out substantial direct suppressive effects by apoA1 or HDL on tumor cells. Animal models defective in different aspects of immunity revealed both innate and adaptive arms of immunity contribute to complete apoA1 anti-tumor activity. This study reveals a potent immunomodulatory role for apoA1 in the tumor microenvironment, altering tumor-associated macrophages from a pro-tumor M2 to an anti-tumor M1 phenotype. Use of apoA1 to redirect in vivo elicited tumor-infiltrating macrophages toward tumor rejection may hold benefit as a potential cancer therapeutic.


Biomedicines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 562
Author(s):  
Noelia Silva-Pilipich ◽  
Eva Martisova ◽  
María Cristina Ballesteros-Briones ◽  
Sandra Hervas-Stubbs ◽  
Noelia Casares ◽  
...  

Immune checkpoint blockade using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) able to block programmed death-1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 axis represents a promising treatment for cancer. However, it requires repetitive systemic administration of high mAbs doses, often leading to adverse effects. We generated a novel nanobody against PD-1 (Nb11) able to block PD-1/PD-L1 interaction for both mouse and human molecules. Nb11 was cloned into an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector downstream of four different promoters (CMV, CAG, EF1α, and SFFV) and its expression was analyzed in cells from rodent (BHK) and human origin (Huh-7). Nb11 was expressed at high levels in vitro reaching 2–20 micrograms/mL with all promoters, except SFFV, which showed lower levels. Nb11 in vivo expression was evaluated in C57BL/6 mice after intravenous administration of AAV8 vectors. Nb11 serum levels increased steadily along time, reaching 1–3 microgram/mL two months post-treatment with the vector having the CAG promoter (AAV-CAG-Nb11), without evidence of toxicity. To test the antitumor potential of this vector, mice that received AAV-CAG-Nb11, or saline as control, were challenged with colon adenocarcinoma cells (MC38). AAV-CAG-Nb11 treatment prevented tumor formation in 30% of mice, significantly increasing survival. These data suggest that continuous expression of immunomodulatory nanobodies from long-term expression vectors could have antitumor effects with low toxicity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 153473542090646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junjun Chen ◽  
Xiangqi Zhang ◽  
Xiao Xiao ◽  
Yawei Ding ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
...  

Chemotherapy is an effective treatment for invasive breast cancer. Paradoxically, many recently published findings showed that the first-line chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel (PTX) showed pro-metastatic effects in the progress of treating breast cancer. Xiao-Ai-Ping (XAP) injection, composed of a traditional herbal medicine, Marsdenia tenacissimae extract, is known to exert antitumor effects on various cancers. However, there are few experimental studies on breast cancer. The underlying mechanism of the antitumor effect of XAP combined with chemotherapy agents has not been fully understood. In the present study, we sought to find the antitumor effects of XAP combined with PTX in vitro and in vivo. The data demonstrated that the combination of XAP with PTX resulted in remarkable enhancement of the pro-apoptotic, migration-inhibiting, and anti-invasive effects of PTX in vitro. Significantly, further study showed the overexpression of ATF3 in PTX-treated cell, while XAP counteracted the change of ATF3 induced by PTX. Moreover, it showed that combination treatment could promote the inhibition of tumor growth in MDA-MB-231 cell xenograft mouse model. Compared with PTX treatment, the downregulation of ATF3 indicated that ATF3 played a pivotal role in the combination of XAP with PTX to exert a synergistic effect. Overall, it is expected that PTX combined with XAP may serve as an effective agent for antitumor treatment, and dampening ATF3 maybe a potential strategy to improve the efficacy of PTX.


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