scholarly journals The Role of Exosomes in Stemness and Neurodegenerative Diseases—Chemoresistant-Cancer Therapeutics and Phytochemicals

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (18) ◽  
pp. 6818
Author(s):  
Narasimha M. Beeraka ◽  
Shalini H. Doreswamy ◽  
Surya P. Sadhu ◽  
Asha Srinivasan ◽  
Rajeswara Rao Pragada ◽  
...  

Exosomes exhibit a wide range of biological properties and functions in the living organisms. They are nanometric vehicles and used for delivering drugs, as they are biocompatible and minimally immunogenic. Exosomal secretions derived from cancer cells contribute to metastasis, immortality, angiogenesis, tissue invasion, stemness and chemo/radio-resistance. Exosome-derived microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lnc RNAs) are involved in the pathophysiology of cancers and neurodegenerative diseases. For instance, exosomes derived from mesenchymal stromal cells, astrocytes, macrophages, and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells are involved in the cancer progression and stemness as they induce chemotherapeutic drug resistance in several cancer cells. This review covered the recent research advances in understanding the role of exosomes in cancer progression, metastasis, angiogenesis, stemness and drug resistance by illustrating the modulatory effects of exosomal cargo (ex. miRNA, lncRNAs, etc.) on cell signaling pathways involved in cancer progression and cancer stem cell growth and development. Recent reports have implicated exosomes even in the treatment of several cancers. For instance, exosomes-loaded with novel anti-cancer drugs such as phytochemicals, tumor-targeting proteins, anticancer peptides, nucleic acids are known to interfere with drug resistance pathways in several cancer cell lines. In addition, this review depicted the need to develop exosome-based novel diagnostic biomarkers for early detection of cancers and neurodegenerative disease. Furthermore, the role of exosomes in stroke and oxidative stress-mediated neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and Parkinson’s disease (PD) is also discussed in this article.

2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 293-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samireh Jorfi ◽  
Jameel M. Inal

Microvesicles are shed constitutively, or upon activation, from both normal and malignant cells. The process is dependent on an increase in cytosolic Ca2+, which activates different enzymes, resulting in depolymerization of the actin cytoskeleton and release of the vesicles. Drug resistance can be defined as the ability of cancer cells to survive exposure to a wide range of anti-cancer drugs, and anti-tumour chemotherapeutic treatments are often impaired by innate or acquired MDR (multidrug resistance). Microvesicles released upon chemotherapeutic agents prevent the drugs from reaching their targets and also mediate intercellular transport of MDR proteins.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Muhammad Ali ◽  
Fatima Ali ◽  
Nadia Wajid

Since the cancer stem cells (CSC) have been identified in 1997 by Bonnet and Dick, more than 100,000 papers have been published on the CSC. Huge research on cancer stem cells helped the scientists to rethink about the cancer therapeutics as classic way of chemotherapy is ineffective because chemotherapy failed to kill these cells, the only reason of cancer relapse. The cancer theory of stem cells is one of the most trending theory in stem cells and cancer biology focusing on the understanding of biology of cancer cells for an enhanced and improved therapeutic approaches should be applied to cure the cancer. This mini-review is a short overview on the role of organ specific cancer stem cells in the organ specific cancer progression.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 432
Author(s):  
Rohit Gundamaraju ◽  
Wenying Lu ◽  
Rishya Manikam

The Warburg effect has immensely succored the study of cancer biology, especially in highlighting the role of mitochondria in cancer stemness and their benefaction to the malignancy of oxidative and glycolytic cancer cells. Mitochondrial genetics have represented a focal point in cancer therapeutics due to the involvement of mitochondria in programmed cell death. The mitochondrion has been well established as a switch in cell death decisions. The mitochondrion’s instrumental role in central bioenergetics, calcium homeostasis, and translational regulation has earned it its fame in metastatic dissemination in cancer cells. Here, we revisit and review mechanisms through which mitochondria influence oncogenesis and metastasis by underscoring the oncogenic mitochondrion that is capable of transferring malignant capacities to recipient cells.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinodh Kannappan ◽  
Misha Ali ◽  
Benjamin Small ◽  
Gowtham Rajendran ◽  
Salena Elzhenni ◽  
...  

Copper (Cu) plays a pivotal role in cancer progression by acting as a co-factor that regulates the activity of many enzymes and structural proteins in cancer cells. Therefore, Cu-based complexes have been investigated as novel anticancer metallodrugs and are considered as a complementary strategy for currently used platinum agents with undesirable general toxicity. Due to the high failure rate and increased cost of new drugs, there is a global drive towards the repositioning of known drugs for cancer treatment in recent years. Disulfiram (DSF) is a first-line antialcoholism drug used in clinics for more than 65 yr. In combination with Cu, it has shown great potential as an anticancer drug by targeting a wide range of cancers. The reaction between DSF and Cu ions forms a copper diethyldithiocarbamate complex (Cu(DDC)2 also known as CuET) which is the active, potent anticancer ingredient through inhibition of NF-κB and ubiquitin-proteasome system as well as alteration of the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Importantly, DSF/Cu inhibits several molecular targets related to drug resistance, stemness, angiogenesis and metastasis and is thus considered as a novel strategy for overcoming tumour recurrence and relapse in patients. Despite its excellent anticancer efficacy, DSF has proven unsuccessful in several cancer clinical trials. This is likely due to the poor stability, rapid metabolism and/or short plasma half-life of the currently used oral version of DSF and the inability to form Cu(DDC)2 at relevant concentrations in tumour tissues. Here, we summarize the scientific rationale, molecular targets, and mechanisms of action of DSF/Cu in cancer cells and the outcomes of oral DSF ± Cu in cancer clinical trials. We will focus on the novel insights on harnessing the immune system and hypoxic microenvironment using DSF/Cu complex and discuss the emerging delivery strategies that can overcome the shortcomings of DSF-based anticancer therapies and provide opportunities for translation of DSF/Cu or its Cu(DDC)2 complex into cancer therapeutics.


Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 392 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Yélamos ◽  
Lucia Moreno-Lama ◽  
Jaime Jimeno ◽  
Syed O. Ali

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) and PARP-2 are enzymes which post-translationally modify proteins through poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation)—the transfer of ADP-ribose chains onto amino acid residues—with a resultant modulation of protein function. Many targets of PARP-1/2-dependent PARylation are involved in the DNA damage response and hence, the loss of these proteins disrupts a wide range of biological processes, from DNA repair and epigenetics to telomere and centromere regulation. The central role of these PARPs in DNA metabolism in cancer cells has led to the development of PARP inhibitors as new cancer therapeutics, both as adjuvant treatment potentiating chemo-, radio-, and immuno-therapies and as monotherapy exploiting cancer-specific defects in DNA repair. However, a cancer is not just made up of cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment also includes multiple other cell types, particularly stromal and immune cells. Interactions between these cells—cancerous and non-cancerous—are known to either favor or limit tumorigenesis. In recent years, an important role of PARP-1 and PARP-2 has been demonstrated in different aspects of the immune response, modulating both the innate and adaptive immune system. It is now emerging that PARP-1 and PARP-2 may not only impact cancer cell biology, but also modulate the anti-tumor immune response. Understanding the immunomodulatory roles of PARP-1 and PARP-2 may provide invaluable clues to the rational development of more selective PARP-centered therapies which target both the cancer and its microenvironment.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zicong Gao ◽  
Xingxing Han ◽  
Yuying Zhu ◽  
He Zhang ◽  
Ran Tian ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The failure of chemotherapy is accompanied by the emergence of drug resistance and tumor relapse. Tumor metastasis induced by drug resistance is a major challenge in successful cancer treatment. Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying the pro-invasive and metastatic ability of drug resistance remain elusive. Exosome-mediated intercellular communications between cancer cells and stromal cells in tumor microenvironment are required for cancer initiation and progression. Recent reports have shown that communications between cancer cells also promote tumor aggression. However, little attention has been regarded on this aspect. In this study, we aimed to investigate the mechanisms of exosomes derived from drug-resistant cells in regulating the invasion and metastasis of sensitive breast cancer cells.Methods: Exosomes isolated from drug-resistant breast cancer cells and their parental cells were used to treat breast cancer cells, and then the migration and invasion abilities were examined. The tandem mass tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomic method was carried out to identify key molecules that regulate cancer aggressiveness. Lentivirus-mediated shRNAs, overexpression, point mutation, truncation mutation, Western blotting, tumor xenograft mice models, and in vivo breast cancer metastatic models were used to investigate the functional role of EphA2 on the invasion and metastatic potential of breast cancer cells.Results: We demonstrated that drug-resistant cell-derived exosomes promoted the migration and invasion of sensitive breast cancer cells. Quantitative proteomic analysis showed that EphA2 was rich in exosomes from drug-resistant cells. Exosomal EphA2 conferred the invasive/metastatic phenotype transfer from drug-resistant cells to sensitive cells. In addition, we provided considerable evidence that exosomal EphA2 activated ERK1/2 signaling through the ligand Ephrin A1-dependent reverse pathway rather than the forward pathway, thereby promoting breast cancer progression. Conclusions: Our findings indicate the key functional role of exosomal EphA2 in the transmission of aggressive phenotype between cancer cells that do not rely on direct cell–cell contact. Our study also suggests that the increase of EphA2 in drug-resistant cell-derived exosomes may be an important mechanism of chemotherapy/drug resistance-induced breast cancer progression.


2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 1054-1063 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Ding ◽  
Hong Zhang ◽  
Shan Su ◽  
Yumei Ding ◽  
Xiaohui Yu ◽  
...  

Background: Endometrial cancer is a common cause of death in gynecological malignancies. Cisplatin is a clinically chemotherapeutic agent. However, drug-resistance is the primary cause of treatment failure. Objective: Emodin is commonly used clinically to increase the sensitivity of chemotherapeutic agents, yet whether Emodin promotes the role of Cisplatin in the treatment of endometrial cancer has not been studied. Method: CCK-8 kit was utilized to determine the growth of two endometrial cancer cell lines, Ishikawa and HEC-IB. The apoptosis level of Ishikawa and HEC-IB cells was detected by Annexin V / propidium iodide double-staining assay. ROS level was detected by DCFH-DA and NADPH oxidase expression. Expressions of drug-resistant genes were examined by real-time PCR and Western blotting. Results: Emodin combined with Cisplatin reduced cell growth and increased the apoptosis of endometrial cancer cells. Co-treatment of Emodin and Cisplatin increased chemosensitivity by inhibiting the expression of drugresistant genes through reducing the ROS levels in endometrial cancer cells. In an endometrial cancer xenograft murine model, the tumor size was reduced and animal survival time was increased by co-treatment of Emodin and Cisplatin. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that Emodin enhances the chemosensitivity of Cisplatin on endometrial cancer by inhibiting ROS-mediated expression of drug-resistance genes.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1792
Author(s):  
Debashri Manna ◽  
Devanand Sarkar

Cancer development results from the acquisition of numerous genetic and epigenetic alterations in cancer cells themselves, as well as continuous changes in their microenvironment. The plasticity of cancer cells allows them to continuously adapt to selective pressures brought forth by exogenous environmental stresses, the internal milieu of the tumor and cancer treatment itself. Resistance to treatment, either inherent or acquired after the commencement of treatment, is a major obstacle an oncologist confronts in an endeavor to efficiently manage the disease. Resistance to chemotherapy, chemoresistance, is an important hallmark of aggressive cancers, and driver oncogene-induced signaling pathways and molecular abnormalities create the platform for chemoresistance. The oncogene Astrocyte elevated gene-1/Metadherin (AEG-1/MTDH) is overexpressed in a diverse array of cancers, and its overexpression promotes all the hallmarks of cancer, such as proliferation, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis and chemoresistance. The present review provides a comprehensive description of the molecular mechanism by which AEG-1 promotes tumorigenesis, with a special emphasis on its ability to regulate chemoresistance.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chu Xin Ng ◽  
Cheng Foh Le ◽  
Sau Har Lee

Background: Anticancer peptides (ACPs) have received increasing attention as a promising class of novel anticancer agents owing to its potent and rapid cytotoxic properties. In this study, we aim to investigate the effects of cationicity and hydrophobicity in modulating the cytotoxicity of PtxC, a class of ACP from the leafy mistletoe Phoradendron tomentosum against the MDA-MB-231 and Vero cells. Method: We designed a series of four PtxC analogues (PA1 – PA4) by residual substitutions with specific amino acids to introduce the specific charge and hydrophobicity alterations to the analogues. The cytotoxicity strength of the PtxC analogues on MDA-MB-231 and Vero cells were tested by using MTT assay at 24 hours post treatment. Results: PA1, PA2 and PA4 displayed marked increases in cytotoxicity against both MDA-MB-231 and Vero cells and can be ranked in the order of PA2 > PA4 > PA1 > PtxC > PA3. Sequence-activity relationship analyses of the designed analogues showed that an increase in the level of cationicity and hydrophobicity correlated well with the enhanced cytotoxic activity of PtxC analogues. This was observed with PA1 (netC +8) and PA2 (netC +10) in comparison to PtxC (netC +7). Similar finding was observed for PA4 (GRAVY +0.070) in contrast to PtxC (GRAVY -0.339). Three-dimensional modelling predicted a double α-helix structure in PtxC class of ACP. The larger first helix in PA2 and PA4 was suggested to be responsible for the enhanced cytotoxicity observed. Conclusion: The critical role of cationicity and hydrophobicity in enhancing cytotoxicity of PtxC class of ACPs were clearly demonstrated in our study. The current findings could be extrapolated to benefit peptide design strategy in other classes of ACPs toward the discovery of highly potent ACPs against cancer cells as potential novel therapeutic agents.


Marine Drugs ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 54
Author(s):  
Joko Tri Wibowo ◽  
Matthias Y. Kellermann ◽  
Lars-Erik Petersen ◽  
Yustian R. Alfiansah ◽  
Colleen Lattyak ◽  
...  

Melanin is a widely distributed and striking dark-colored pigment produced by countless living organisms. Although a wide range of bioactivities have been recognized, there are still major constraints in using melanin for biotechnological applications such as its fragmentary known chemical structure and its insolubility in inorganic and organic solvents. In this study, a bacterial culture of Streptomyces cavourensis SV 21 produced two distinct forms of melanin: (1) a particulate, insoluble form as well as (2) a rarely observed water-soluble form. The here presented novel, acid-free purification protocol of purified particulate melanin (PPM) and purified dissolved melanin (PDM) represents the basis for an in-depth comparison of their physicochemical and biological properties, which were compared to the traditional acid-based precipitation of melanin (AM) and to a synthetic melanin standard (SM). Our data show that the differences in solubility between PDM and PPM in aqueous solutions may be a result of different adjoining cation species, since the soluble PDM polymer is largely composed of Mg2+ ions and the insoluble PPM is dominated by Ca2+ ions. Furthermore, AM shared most properties with SM, which is likely attributed to a similar, acid-based production protocol. The here presented gentler approach of purifying melanin facilitates a new perspective of an intact form of soluble and insoluble melanin that is less chemical altered and thus closer to its original biological form.


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