scholarly journals Microtubule-Based Mitochondrial Dynamics as a Valuable Therapeutic Target in Cancer

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 5812
Author(s):  
Rosa Vona ◽  
Anna Maria Mileo ◽  
Paola Matarrese
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Mitochondrial Dynamics ◽  
Dynamic Network ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Metabolic Plasticity ◽  
Complex Processes ◽  
Tumor Dissemination ◽  
Mitochondrial Transfer ◽  
Regulation Of Metabolism

Mitochondria constitute an ever-reorganizing dynamic network that plays a key role in several fundamental cellular functions, including the regulation of metabolism, energy production, calcium homeostasis, production of reactive oxygen species, and programmed cell death. Each of these activities can be found to be impaired in cancer cells. It has been reported that mitochondrial dynamics are actively involved in both tumorigenesis and metabolic plasticity, allowing cancer cells to adapt to unfavorable environmental conditions and, thus, contributing to tumor progression. The mitochondrial dynamics include fusion, fragmentation, intracellular trafficking responsible for redistributing the organelle within the cell, biogenesis, and mitophagy. Although the mitochondrial dynamics are driven by the cytoskeleton—particularly by the microtubules and the microtubule-associated motor proteins dynein and kinesin—the molecular mechanisms regulating these complex processes are not yet fully understood. More recently, an exchange of mitochondria between stromal and cancer cells has also been described. The advantage of mitochondrial transfer in tumor cells results in benefits to cell survival, proliferation, and spreading. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate mitochondrial trafficking can potentially be important for identifying new molecular targets in cancer therapy to interfere specifically with tumor dissemination processes.

scholarly journals Mitochondrial Dynamics, ROS, and Cell Signaling: A Blended Overview

Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 332
Author(s):  
Valentina Brillo ◽  
Leonardo Chieregato ◽  
Luigi Leanza ◽  
Silvia Muccioli ◽  
Roberto Costa
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Mitochondrial Dynamics ◽  
Eukaryotic Cells ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Lipid Trafficking ◽  
Mitochondrial Ros ◽  
Intracellular Organelles ◽  
Proliferation Regulation ◽  
Dynamic Plasticity

Mitochondria are key intracellular organelles involved not only in the metabolic state of the cell, but also in several cellular functions, such as proliferation, Calcium signaling, and lipid trafficking. Indeed, these organelles are characterized by continuous events of fission and fusion which contribute to the dynamic plasticity of their network, also strongly influenced by mitochondrial contacts with other subcellular organelles. Nevertheless, mitochondria release a major amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) inside eukaryotic cells, which are reported to mediate a plethora of both physiological and pathological cellular functions, such as growth and proliferation, regulation of autophagy, apoptosis, and metastasis. Therefore, targeting mitochondrial ROS could be a promising strategy to overcome and hinder the development of diseases such as cancer, where malignant cells, possessing a higher amount of ROS with respect to healthy ones, could be specifically targeted by therapeutic treatments. In this review, we collected the ultimate findings on the blended interplay among mitochondrial shaping, mitochondrial ROS, and several signaling pathways, in order to contribute to the dissection of intracellular molecular mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of eukaryotic cells, possibly improving future therapeutic approaches.

scholarly journals Inhibition of CNOT2 Induces Apoptosis via MID1IP1 in Colorectal Cancer Cells by Activating p53

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1492
Author(s):  
Ji Hoon Jung ◽  
Duckgue Lee ◽  
Hyun Min Ko ◽  
Hyeung-Jin Jang
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Interacting Protein ◽  
P53 Expression ◽  
Colorectal Cancer Cells ◽  
A Subunit ◽  
Induced Apoptosis

CCR4-NOT transcription complex subunit 2 (CNOT2), a subunit of the CCR4-NOT complex, has been described in cancer progression. The CNOT complex plays an important role in multiple cellular functions. Recent studies in our laboratory showed that CNOT2 promotes breast cancer cell proliferation and angiogenesis. In addition, CNOT2 signals are critically related to apoptosis induced by atorvastatin in lung cancer cells. Furthermore, depletion of CNOT2 was shown to enhance the antitumor effect of midline 1 interacting protein 1 (MID1IP1) depletion, thus inhibiting c-Myc expression in liver cancer cells. However, the molecular mechanisms related to its oncogenic role remain unclear. Herein, for the first time, we report that CNOT2 inhibition can induce apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells by activating p53. Inhibition of CNOT2 markedly induced apoptosis in various cancer cells like that of the wild-type p53. Furthermore, inhibition of CNOT2 elongated p53 s half-life. Previously, our laboratory demonstrated that MID1IP1 promoted colocalization with c-Myc mediated by CNOT2. Interestingly, inhibition of CNOT2 cannot induce p53 expression without MID1IP1 or apoptosis in cancer cells. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that CNOT2 inhibition induces apoptosis through MID1IP1 by activating p53.

Effects and Mechanisms of Anlotinib and Dihydroartemisinin Combination Therapy in Ameliorating Malignant Biological Behavior of Gastric Cancer Cells

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiong Luo ◽  
Suyun Zhang ◽  
Donghuan Zhang ◽  
Rui Feng ◽  
Nan Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gastric Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Chorioallantoic Membrane ◽  
Cell Counting ◽  
Biological Behavior ◽  
Gastric Cancer Cells ◽  
Invasion And Migration ◽  
Apoptosis Related Protein ◽  
And Migration

Background: Gastric cancer(GC) is currently one of the major malignancies that threatens human lives and health. Anlotinib is a novel small-molecule that inhibits angiogenesis to exert anti-tumor effects. However, the function in gastric cancer is incompletely understood. Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the anti-tumor effects and molecular mechanisms of anlotinib combined with dihydroartemisinin (DHA) in SGC7901 gastric cancer cells. Method: Different concentrations of anlotinib and DHA were used to treat SGC7901 gastric cancer cells, after which cell proliferation was measured. Drug interactions of anlotinib and DHA were analyzed by the Chou-Talalay method with CompuSyn software. proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration, and angiogenesis were measured using the cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay, flow cytometry, Transwell invasion assays, scratch assays, and chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assays. proliferation-associated protein (Ki67), apoptosis-related protein (Bcl-2), and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) were quantified by Western bloting. Results: The combination of 2.5 μmol/L of anlotinib and 5 of μmol/L DHA was highly synergistic in inhibiting cell growth, significantly increased the apoptosis rate and suppressed obviously the invasion and migration capability and angiogenesis of gastric cancer cells. In addition, the expression levels of Ki67, Bcl-2, and VEGF-A, as well as angiogenesis, were significantly decreased in the Combination of drugs compared with in control and either drug alone. Conclusion: The combination of anlotinib and DHA showed synergistic antitumor activity, suggesting their potential in treating patients with gastric cancer.

Potential Therapeutic Targets of Curcumin, Most Abundant Active Compound of Turmeric Spice: Role in the Management of Various Types of Cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saleh A. Almatroodi ◽  
Mansoor Ali Syed ◽  
Arshad Husain Rahmani
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Active Compound ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Cell Signalling ◽  
Chemopreventive Agents ◽  
Signalling Molecules ◽  
Cancer Management ◽  
Induced Apoptosis

Background:: Curcumin, an active compound of turmeric spice is one of the most-studies natural compounds and have been widely recognized as chemopreventive agents. Several molecular mechanisms have been proven, curcumin and its analogs play a role in cancer prevention through modulating various cell signaling pathways as well as inhibition of carcinogenesis process. Objective:: To study the potential role of curcumin in the management of various types of cancer through modulating cell signalling molecules based on available literature and recent patents. Methods:: A wide-ranging literature survey was performed based on Scopus, PubMed, PubMed central and Google scholar for the implication of curcumin in cancer management along with special emphasis on human clinical trials. Moreover, patents were searched through www.google.com/patents, www.freepatentsonline.com and www.freshpatents.com. Result:: Recent studies based on cancer cells have proven that curcumin have potential effects against cancer cells, prevent the growth of cancer and act as cancer therapeutic agents. Besides, curcumin exerted anticancer effects through inducing apoptosis, activating tumor suppressor genes, cell cycle arrest, inhibiting tumor angiogenesis, initiation, promotion and progression stages of tumor. It was established that co-treatment of curcumin and anti-cancer drugs could induce apoptosis and also play a significant role in the suppression of the invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. Conclusion:: Accumulating evidences suggest that curcumin has potentiality to inhibit cancer growth, induced apoptosis and modulate various cell signalling pathways molecules. Well-designed clinical trials of curcumin based on human subjects are still needed to establish the bioavailability, mechanism of action, efficacy and safe dose in the management of various cancers.

Molecular Mechanisms of Curcumin in Neuroinflammatory Disorders: A Mini Review of Current Evidences

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 247-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahsa Hatami ◽  
Mina Abdolahi ◽  
Neda Soveyd ◽  
Mahmoud Djalali ◽  
Mansoureh Togha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
English Language ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Mitochondrial Dynamics ◽  
Nuclear Factor Κb ◽  
General Term ◽  
Neuroinflammatory Disease ◽  
Tnf Α ◽  
Factor Α

Objective: Neuroinflammatory disease is a general term used to denote the progressive loss of neuronal function or structure. Many neuroinflammatory diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis (MS), occur due to neuroinflammation. Neuroinflammation increases nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) levels, cyclooxygenase-2 enzymes and inducible nitric oxide synthase, resulting in the release of inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). It could also lead to cellular deterioration and symptoms of neuroinflammatory diseases. Recent studies have suggested that curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) could alleviate the process of neuroinflammatory disease. Thus, the present mini-review was conducted to summarize studies regarding cellular and molecular targets of curcumin relevant to neuroinflammatory disorders. Methods: A literature search strategy was conducted for all English-language literature. Studies that assessed the various properties of curcuminoids in respect of neuroinflammatory disorders were included in this review. Results: The studies have suggested that curcuminoids have significant anti- neuroinflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties that could attenuate the development and symptom of neuroinflammatory disorders. Curcumin can alleviate neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation through multiple mechanisms, by reducing inflammatory mediators (such as TNF-α, IL-1β, nitric oxide and NF-κB gene expression), and affect mitochondrial dynamics and even epigenetic changes. Conclusion: It is a promising subject of study in the prevention and management of the neuroinflammatory disease. However, controlled, randomized clinical trials are needed to fully evaluate its clinical potential.

scholarly journals Clinical Candidates Targeting the ATR–CHK1–WEE1 Axis in Cancer

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 795
Author(s):  
Lukas Gorecki ◽  
Martin Andrs ◽  
Jan Korabecny
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Patient Survival ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Future Perspectives ◽  
Phase Ii Trials ◽  
Anticancer Treatment ◽  
Positive Outlook ◽  
Insight Into

Selective killing of cancer cells while sparing healthy ones is the principle of the perfect cancer treatment and the primary aim of many oncologists, molecular biologists, and medicinal chemists. To achieve this goal, it is crucial to understand the molecular mechanisms that distinguish cancer cells from healthy ones. Accordingly, several clinical candidates that use particular mutations in cell-cycle progressions have been developed to kill cancer cells. As the majority of cancer cells have defects in G1 control, targeting the subsequent intra‑S or G2/M checkpoints has also been extensively pursued. This review focuses on clinical candidates that target the kinases involved in intra‑S and G2/M checkpoints, namely, ATR, CHK1, and WEE1 inhibitors. It provides insight into their current status and future perspectives for anticancer treatment. Overall, even though CHK1 inhibitors are still far from clinical establishment, promising accomplishments with ATR and WEE1 inhibitors in phase II trials present a positive outlook for patient survival.

scholarly journals Internalization of Foldamer-Based DNA Mimics through a Site-Specific Antibody Conjugate to Target HER2-Positive Cancer Cells

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 624
Author(s):  
Valentina Corvaglia ◽  
Imène Ait Mohamed Amar ◽  
Véronique Garambois ◽  
Stéphanie Letast ◽  
Aurélie Garcin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Topoisomerase I ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cells ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Antibody Drug Conjugate ◽  
Her2 Positive ◽  
Dna Topoisomerase ◽  
Antibody Conjugate ◽  
A Site

Inhibition of protein–DNA interactions represents an attractive strategy to modulate essential cellular functions. We reported the synthesis of unique oligoamide-based foldamers that adopt single helical conformations and mimic the negatively charged phosphate moieties of B-DNA. These mimics alter the activity of DNA interacting enzymes used as targets for cancer treatment, such as DNA topoisomerase I, and they are cytotoxic only in the presence of a transfection agent. The aim of our study was to improve internalization and selective delivery of these highly charged molecules to cancer cells. For this purpose, we synthesized an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) using a DNA mimic as a payload to specifically target cancer cells overexpressing HER2. We report the bioconjugation of a 16-mer DNA mimic with trastuzumab and its functional validation in breast and ovarian cancer cells expressing various levels of HER2. Binding of the ADC to HER2 increased with the expression of the receptor. The ADC was internalized into cells and was more efficient than trastuzumab at inhibiting their growth in vitro. These results provide proof of concept that it is possible to site-specifically graft high molecular weight payloads such as DNA mimics onto monoclonal antibodies to improve their selective internalization and delivery in cancer cells.

scholarly journals Molecular Mechanisms behind Inherited Neurodegeneration of the Optic Nerve

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 496
Author(s):  
Alessandra Maresca ◽  
Valerio Carelli
Keyword(s):  
Optic Nerve ◽  
Mitochondrial Dysfunction ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Mitochondrial Dynamics ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Genetic Landscape ◽  
Innovative Therapies ◽  
Energy Dependent

Inherited neurodegeneration of the optic nerve is a paradigm in neurology, as many forms of isolated or syndromic optic atrophy are encountered in clinical practice. The retinal ganglion cells originate the axons that form the optic nerve. They are particularly vulnerable to mitochondrial dysfunction, as they present a peculiar cellular architecture, with axons that are not myelinated for a long intra-retinal segment, thus, very energy dependent. The genetic landscape of causative mutations and genes greatly enlarged in the last decade, pointing to common pathways. These mostly imply mitochondrial dysfunction, which leads to a similar outcome in terms of neurodegeneration. We here critically review these pathways, which include (1) complex I-related oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) dysfunction, (2) mitochondrial dynamics, and (3) endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondrial inter-organellar crosstalk. These major pathogenic mechanisms are in turn interconnected and represent the target for therapeutic strategies. Thus, their deep understanding is the basis to set and test new effective therapies, an urgent unmet need for these patients. New tools are now available to capture all interlinked mechanistic intricacies for the pathogenesis of optic nerve neurodegeneration, casting hope for innovative therapies to be rapidly transferred into the clinic and effectively cure inherited optic neuropathies.

scholarly journals Targeting E-selectin to Tackle Cancer Using Uproleselan

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 335
Author(s):  
Barbara Muz ◽  
Anas Abdelghafer ◽  
Matea Markovic ◽  
Jessica Yavner ◽  
Anupama Melam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Metastatic Tumor ◽  
Therapy Resistance ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Cell Trafficking ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
Novel Therapy ◽  
Tumor Dissemination

E-selectin is a vascular adhesion molecule expressed mainly on endothelium, and its primary role is to facilitate leukocyte cell trafficking by recognizing ligand surface proteins. E-selectin gained a new role since it was demonstrated to be involved in cancer cell trafficking, stem-like properties and therapy resistance. Therefore, being expressed in the tumor microenvironment, E-selectin can potentially be used to eradicate cancer. Uproleselan (also known as GMI-1271), a specific E-selectin antagonist, has been tested on leukemia, myeloma, pancreatic, colon and breast cancer cells, most of which involve the bone marrow as a primary or as a metastatic tumor site. This novel therapy disrupts the tumor microenvironment by affecting the two main steps of metastasis—extravasation and adhesion—thus blocking E-selectin reduces tumor dissemination. Additionally, uproleselan mobilized cancer cells from the protective vascular niche into the circulation, making them more susceptible to chemotherapy. Several preclinical and clinical studies summarized herein demonstrate that uproleselan has favorable safety and pharmacokinetics and is a tumor microenvironment-disrupting agent that improves the efficacy of chemotherapy, reduces side effects such as neutropenia, intestinal mucositis and infections, and extends overall survival. This review highlights the critical contribution of E-selectin and its specific antagonist, uproleselan, in the regulation of cancer growth, dissemination, and drug resistance in the context of the bone marrow microenvironment.

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