While neuroblastoma accounts for 15%of childhood tumor-related deaths,treatments against neuroblastoma remain scarce and mainly consist of cytotoxic chemotherapeutic drugs.Currently,maintenance therapy of differentiat...While neuroblastoma accounts for 15%of childhood tumor-related deaths,treatments against neuroblastoma remain scarce and mainly consist of cytotoxic chemotherapeutic drugs.Currently,maintenance therapy of differentiation induction is the standard of care for neuroblastoma patients in clinical,especially high-risk patients.However,differentiation therapy is not used as a first-line treatment for neuroblastoma due to low efficacy,unclear mechanism,and few drug options.Through compound library screening,we accidently found the potential differentiation-inducing effect of AKT inhibitor Hu7691.The protein kinase B(AKT)pathway is an important signaling pathway for regulating tumorigenesis and neural differentiation,yet the relation between the AKT pathway and neuroblastoma differentiation remains unclear.Here,we reveal the anti-proliferation and neurogenesis effect of Hu7691 on multiple neuroblastoma cell lines.Further evidence including neurites outgrowth,cell cycle arrest,and differentiation mRNA marker clarified the differentiation-inducing effect of Hu7691.Meanwhile,with the introduction of other AKT inhibitors,it is now clear that multiple AKT inhibitors can induce neuroblastoma differentiation.Furthermore,silencing AKT was found to have the effect of inducing neuroblastoma differentiation.Finally,confirmation of the therapeutic effects of Hu7691 is dependent on inducing differentiation in vivo,suggesting that Hu7691 is a potential molecule against neuroblastoma.Through this study,we not only define the key role of AKT in the progression of neuroblastoma differentiation but also provide potential drugs and key targets for the application of differentiation therapies for neuroblastoma clinically.展开更多
AIM: To determine whether lentivirus-mediated shRNA targeting the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) gene could be exploited in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. METHODS: Human pancreatic cancer cells Pa...AIM: To determine whether lentivirus-mediated shRNA targeting the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) gene could be exploited in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. METHODS: Human pancreatic cancer cells Panc-1, Mia-paca2, Bxpc-3 and SW1990, infected with lentivirus, were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Western blotting was used to examine XIAP protein levels, survivin and p-Akt to confirm the result of real-time PCR and determine the possible mechanism. The 3-(4,5-cimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to measure IC50 to determine chemosensitivity to the chemotherapeutic drugs 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and gemcitabine. A colony assay, MTT assay and a tumorigenicity experiment were used to study cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo . Caspase-3/7 activity, 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole-staining and flow cytometric measurements were used to study apoptosis in SW1990 cells. RESULTS: XIAP proteins were found to be differen- tially expressed among pancreatic cancer cell lines Panc-1, Mia-paca2, Bxpc-3 and SW1990. Data of real-time PCR and Western blotting showed that XIAP was reduced persistently and markedly by lentivirus-mediated shRNA. Downregulation of XIAP by transfection with XIAP shRNA resulted in decreased p-Akt expression. XIAP shRNA also inhibited the growth of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo , enhanced drug-induced apoptosis and increased chemosensitivity to 5-FU and gemcitabine. Results also suggest that inhibition of XIAP and subsequent p-Akt depletion may have an anti-tumor effect through attenuating the ability of cancer cells to survive. CONCLUSION: Lentivirus-mediated gene therapy is an attractive strategy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer and justifies the use of lentivirus in pancreatic cancer gene therapy studies.展开更多
The serine/threonine Akt kinase signaling pathway plays an essential role not only in tumorigenesis but also in the potential response to anticancer therapeutic agents. Therefore, aiming to identify potent and selecti...The serine/threonine Akt kinase signaling pathway plays an essential role not only in tumorigenesis but also in the potential response to anticancer therapeutic agents. Therefore, aiming to identify potent and selective Akt inhibitors, a novel series of benzimidazole derivatives w<span style="font-family:Verdana;">ere</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> designed and docked within the crystal structure of Akt1 kinase. In order to predict their selectivity, the hit compounds were docked against the protein kinase A (PKA), which is the closely related AGC family kinase protein. Moreover, </span><span style="white-space:nowrap;font-family:Verdana;"><i></i></span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">in</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">-</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">silico</span><span style="white-space:nowrap;font-family:Verdana;"></span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> ADMET-related descriptors were estimated to predict the pharmacokinetic properties for the selected compounds. Among the designed molecules, four compounds were found to have the best binding affinity and good selectivity to Akt1 kinase, furthermore, those compounds had acceptable ADMET properties and </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">were </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">predicted to be non-mutagenic, which could account them as promising Akt1 inhibitory agents for further investigations.</span>展开更多
Objective: This study was designed to explore whether inhibition of the extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathways can inhibit the growth of xenografts of endometr...Objective: This study was designed to explore whether inhibition of the extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathways can inhibit the growth of xenografts of endometrial cancer cell lines with different estrogen receptors (ER) profiles in vivo and to provide preliminary laboratory basis for the probability of endometrial adenocarcinoma treatment with blockage of the two pathways, especially to endometrial cancer with low ER status. Methods: Human endometrial cancer Ishikawa bearing ER and HEC-1Awith low ER status cells were subcutaneously injected into BALB/c nude mice to establish endometrial cancer xenograft tumor models. The effects of PI3K/Akt inhibitor LY294002, MAPK/ERK1/2 inhibitor PD-98059 and their combinations on the growth of the xenograft tumors and apoptotic state of Ishikawa and HEC-1Acells were tested in vivo using the inhibitory rate, the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick-end labeling assay, H/E-stain. Western blot analysis was used to detect the alterations of activated ERK (P-ERK) and AKT (P-AKT) during this process. Results: LY294002, a PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitor, induced significant suppression in the growth of both Ishikawa and HEC-1Acell xenograft tumors, concomitant with increased apoptosis in xenografts as evidenced by TUNEL. A similar effect was also observed when the MAPK/ERK1/2 signaling pathway was inhibited by PD98059. Concurrent inhibition of the PI3K/Akt and MAPK/ERK1/2 pathways showed enhanced anti-tumor effects in vivo as indicated by increased apoptosis. At the same time, the levels of P-ERK and P-AKT in both xenograft tumors decreased, and their levels in combination group was the lowest. Conclusions: PD98059, LY294002 and their combinations showed remarkable inhibitory effects on xenograft tumors of endometrial carcinoma cell lines with different expression status of ER in vivo through blockage of PI3K/Akt and MAPK/ERK1/2 signaling pathways. This suggests that targeting these pathways may be an effective therapeutic strategy against endometrial carcinomas, especially for ER-negative cancers which show poor response to endocrinal therapy.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.U20A20137)the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(No.LD21H310001)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.2021XZZX037,China)。
文摘While neuroblastoma accounts for 15%of childhood tumor-related deaths,treatments against neuroblastoma remain scarce and mainly consist of cytotoxic chemotherapeutic drugs.Currently,maintenance therapy of differentiation induction is the standard of care for neuroblastoma patients in clinical,especially high-risk patients.However,differentiation therapy is not used as a first-line treatment for neuroblastoma due to low efficacy,unclear mechanism,and few drug options.Through compound library screening,we accidently found the potential differentiation-inducing effect of AKT inhibitor Hu7691.The protein kinase B(AKT)pathway is an important signaling pathway for regulating tumorigenesis and neural differentiation,yet the relation between the AKT pathway and neuroblastoma differentiation remains unclear.Here,we reveal the anti-proliferation and neurogenesis effect of Hu7691 on multiple neuroblastoma cell lines.Further evidence including neurites outgrowth,cell cycle arrest,and differentiation mRNA marker clarified the differentiation-inducing effect of Hu7691.Meanwhile,with the introduction of other AKT inhibitors,it is now clear that multiple AKT inhibitors can induce neuroblastoma differentiation.Furthermore,silencing AKT was found to have the effect of inducing neuroblastoma differentiation.Finally,confirmation of the therapeutic effects of Hu7691 is dependent on inducing differentiation in vivo,suggesting that Hu7691 is a potential molecule against neuroblastoma.Through this study,we not only define the key role of AKT in the progression of neuroblastoma differentiation but also provide potential drugs and key targets for the application of differentiation therapies for neuroblastoma clinically.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China,No. 30872492Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province, No. 088JJ3042
文摘AIM: To determine whether lentivirus-mediated shRNA targeting the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) gene could be exploited in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. METHODS: Human pancreatic cancer cells Panc-1, Mia-paca2, Bxpc-3 and SW1990, infected with lentivirus, were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Western blotting was used to examine XIAP protein levels, survivin and p-Akt to confirm the result of real-time PCR and determine the possible mechanism. The 3-(4,5-cimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to measure IC50 to determine chemosensitivity to the chemotherapeutic drugs 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and gemcitabine. A colony assay, MTT assay and a tumorigenicity experiment were used to study cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo . Caspase-3/7 activity, 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole-staining and flow cytometric measurements were used to study apoptosis in SW1990 cells. RESULTS: XIAP proteins were found to be differen- tially expressed among pancreatic cancer cell lines Panc-1, Mia-paca2, Bxpc-3 and SW1990. Data of real-time PCR and Western blotting showed that XIAP was reduced persistently and markedly by lentivirus-mediated shRNA. Downregulation of XIAP by transfection with XIAP shRNA resulted in decreased p-Akt expression. XIAP shRNA also inhibited the growth of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo , enhanced drug-induced apoptosis and increased chemosensitivity to 5-FU and gemcitabine. Results also suggest that inhibition of XIAP and subsequent p-Akt depletion may have an anti-tumor effect through attenuating the ability of cancer cells to survive. CONCLUSION: Lentivirus-mediated gene therapy is an attractive strategy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer and justifies the use of lentivirus in pancreatic cancer gene therapy studies.
文摘The serine/threonine Akt kinase signaling pathway plays an essential role not only in tumorigenesis but also in the potential response to anticancer therapeutic agents. Therefore, aiming to identify potent and selective Akt inhibitors, a novel series of benzimidazole derivatives w<span style="font-family:Verdana;">ere</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> designed and docked within the crystal structure of Akt1 kinase. In order to predict their selectivity, the hit compounds were docked against the protein kinase A (PKA), which is the closely related AGC family kinase protein. Moreover, </span><span style="white-space:nowrap;font-family:Verdana;"><i></i></span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">in</span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">-</span><i><span style="font-family:Verdana;">silico</span><span style="white-space:nowrap;font-family:Verdana;"></span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></i><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> ADMET-related descriptors were estimated to predict the pharmacokinetic properties for the selected compounds. Among the designed molecules, four compounds were found to have the best binding affinity and good selectivity to Akt1 kinase, furthermore, those compounds had acceptable ADMET properties and </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">were </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">predicted to be non-mutagenic, which could account them as promising Akt1 inhibitory agents for further investigations.</span>
文摘Objective: This study was designed to explore whether inhibition of the extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathways can inhibit the growth of xenografts of endometrial cancer cell lines with different estrogen receptors (ER) profiles in vivo and to provide preliminary laboratory basis for the probability of endometrial adenocarcinoma treatment with blockage of the two pathways, especially to endometrial cancer with low ER status. Methods: Human endometrial cancer Ishikawa bearing ER and HEC-1Awith low ER status cells were subcutaneously injected into BALB/c nude mice to establish endometrial cancer xenograft tumor models. The effects of PI3K/Akt inhibitor LY294002, MAPK/ERK1/2 inhibitor PD-98059 and their combinations on the growth of the xenograft tumors and apoptotic state of Ishikawa and HEC-1Acells were tested in vivo using the inhibitory rate, the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick-end labeling assay, H/E-stain. Western blot analysis was used to detect the alterations of activated ERK (P-ERK) and AKT (P-AKT) during this process. Results: LY294002, a PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitor, induced significant suppression in the growth of both Ishikawa and HEC-1Acell xenograft tumors, concomitant with increased apoptosis in xenografts as evidenced by TUNEL. A similar effect was also observed when the MAPK/ERK1/2 signaling pathway was inhibited by PD98059. Concurrent inhibition of the PI3K/Akt and MAPK/ERK1/2 pathways showed enhanced anti-tumor effects in vivo as indicated by increased apoptosis. At the same time, the levels of P-ERK and P-AKT in both xenograft tumors decreased, and their levels in combination group was the lowest. Conclusions: PD98059, LY294002 and their combinations showed remarkable inhibitory effects on xenograft tumors of endometrial carcinoma cell lines with different expression status of ER in vivo through blockage of PI3K/Akt and MAPK/ERK1/2 signaling pathways. This suggests that targeting these pathways may be an effective therapeutic strategy against endometrial carcinomas, especially for ER-negative cancers which show poor response to endocrinal therapy.
