Dong-Hua Yang

Enhanced chemosensitization in multidrug-resistant human breast cancer cells by inhibition of IL-6 and IL-8 production.

Drug resistance remains a major hurdle to successful cancer treatment. Many mechanisms such as overexpression of multidrug-resistance related proteins, increased drug metabolism, decreased apoptosis, and impairment of signal transduction pathway can contribute multidrug resistance (MDR). Recent studies strongly suggest a close link between cytokines and drug resistance. To identify new targets involved in drug resistance, we established a multidrug-resistant human breast cancer cell line MCF-7/R and examined the cytokine profile using cytokine antibody array technology. Among 120 cytokines/chemokines screened, IL-6, IL-8, and 13 other proteins were found to be markedly increased in drug-resistant MCF-7/R cell line as compared to sensitive MCF-7/S cell line, while 7 proteins were specifically reduced in drug-resistant MCF-7/R cells. Neutralizing antibodies against IL-6 and IL-8 partially reversed the drug resistance of MCF-7/R to paclitaxel and doxorubicin, while a neutralizing antibody against MCP-1 had no significant effect. Inhibition of endogenous IL-6 or IL-8 by siRNA technology significantly enhanced drug sensitivity of MCF-7/R cells. Furthermore, overexpression of IL-6 or IL-8 expression by transfection increased the ADM resistance in MCF-7/S cells. Our data suggest that increased expression levels of IL-6 and IL-8 may contribute to MDR in human breast cancer cells.

Bafetinib (INNO-406) reverses multidrug resistance by inhibiting the efflux function of ABCB1 and ABCG2 transporters.

ATP-Binding Cassette transporters are involved in the efflux of xenobiotic compounds and are responsible for decreasing drug accumulation in multidrug resistant (MDR) cells. Discovered by structure-based virtual screening algorithms, bafetinib, a Bcr-Abl/Lyn tyrosine kinase inhibitor, was found to have inhibitory effects on both ABCB1- and ABCG2-mediated MDR in this in-vitro investigation. Bafetinib significantly sensitized ABCB1 and ABCG2 overexpressing MDR cells to their anticancer substrates and increased the intracellular accumulation of anticancer drugs, particularly doxorubicin and [3H]-paclitaxel in ABCB1 overexpressing cells; mitoxantrone and [3H]-mitoxantrone in ABCG2 overexpressing cells, respectively. Bafetinib stimulated ABCB1 ATPase activities while inhibited ABCG2 ATPase activities. There were no significant changes in the expression level or the subcellular distribution of ABCB1 and ABCG2 in the cells exposed to 3u2009μM of bafetinib. Overall, our study indicated that bafetinib reversed ABCB1- and ABCG2-mediated MDR by blocking the drug efflux function of these transporters. These findings might be useful in developing combination therapy for MDR cancer treatment.

Meta-analysis identifies NF-κB as a therapeutic target in renal cancer.

Objective To determine the expression patterns of NF-κB regulators and target genes in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), their correlation with von Hippel Lindau (VHL) mutational status, and their association with survival outcomes. Methods Meta-analyses were carried out on published ccRCC gene expression datasets by RankProd, a non-parametric statistical method. DEGs with a False Discovery Rate of < 0.05 by this method were considered significant, and intersected with a curated list of NF-κB regulators and targets to determine the nature and extent of NF-κB deregulation in ccRCC. Results A highly-disproportionate fraction (~40%; p < 0.001) of NF-κB regulators and target genes were found to be up-regulated in ccRCC, indicative of elevated NF-κB activity in this cancer. A subset of these genes, comprising a key NF-κB regulator (IKBKB) and established mediators of the NF-κB cell-survival and pro-inflammatory responses (MMP9, PSMB9, and SOD2), correlated with higher relative risk, poorer prognosis, and reduced overall patient survival. Surprisingly, levels of several interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) and interferon target genes were also elevated in ccRCC, indicating that an ‘interferon signature’ may represent a novel feature of this disease. Loss of VHL gene expression correlated strongly with the appearance of NF-κB- and interferon gene signatures in both familial and sporadic cases of ccRCC. As NF-κB controls expression of key interferon signaling nodes, our results suggest a causal link between VHL loss, elevated NF-κB activity, and the appearance of an interferon signature during ccRCC tumorigenesis. Conclusions These findings identify NF-κB and interferon signatures as clinical features of ccRCC, provide strong rationale for the incorporation of NF-κB inhibitors and/or and the exploitation of interferon signaling in the treatment of ccRCC, and supply new NF-κB targets for potential therapeutic intervention in this currently-incurable malignancy.

Tea nanoparticle, a safe and biocompatible nanocarrier, greatly potentiates the anticancer activity of doxorubicin

An infusion-dialysis based procedure has been developed as an approach to isolate organic nanoparticles from green tea. Tea nanoparticle (TNP) can effectively load doxorubicin (DOX) via electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. We established an ABCB1 overexpressing tumor xenograft mouse model to investigate whether TNP can effectively deliver DOX into tumors and bypass the efflux function of the ABCB1 transporter, thereby increasing the intratumoral accumulation of DOX and potentiating the anticancer activity of DOX. MTT assays suggested that DOX-TNP showed higher cytotoxicity toward CCD-18Co, SW620 and SW620/Ad300 cells than DOX. Animal study revealed that DOX-TNP resulted in greater inhibitory effects on the growth of SW620 and SW620/Ad300 tumors than DOX. In pharmacokinetics study, DOX-TNP greatly increased the SW620 and SW620/Ad300 intratumoral concentrations of DOX. But DOX-TNP had no effect on the plasma concentrations of DOX. Furthermore, TNP is a safe nanocarrier with excellent biocompatibility and minimal toxicity. Ex vivo IHC analysis of SW620 and SW620/Ad300 tumor sections revealed evidence of prominent antitumor activity of DOX-TNP. In conclusion, our findings suggested that natural nanomaterials could be useful in combating multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer cells and potentiating the anticancer activity of chemotherapeutic agents in cancer treatment.

BBA, a Synthetic Derivative of 23-hydroxybutulinic Acid, Reverses Multidrug Resistance by Inhibiting the Efflux Activity of MRP7 (ABCC10)

Natural products are frequently used for adjuvant chemotherapy in cancer treatment. 23-O-(1,4-bipiperidine-1-carbonyl) betulinic acid (BBA) is a synthetic derivative of 23-hydroxybutulinic acid (23-HBA), which is a natural pentacyclic triterpene and the major active constituent of the root of Pulsatilla chinensis . We previously reported that BBA could reverse P-glycoprotein (P-gp/ABCB1)-mediated multidrug resistance (MDR). In the present study, we investigated whether BBA has the potential to reverse multidrug resistance protein 7 (MRP7/ABCC10)-mediated MDR. We found that BBA concentration-dependently enhanced the sensitivity of MRP7-transfected HEK293 cells to paclitaxel, docetaxel and vinblastine. Accumulation and efflux experiments demonstrated that BBA increased the intracellular accumulation of [3H]-paclitaxel by inhibiting the efflux of [3H]-paclitaxel from HEK293/MRP7 cells. In addition, immunoblotting and immunofluorescence analyses indicated no significant alteration of MRP7 protein expression and localization in plasma membranes after treatment with BBA. These results demonstrate that BBA reverses MRP7-mediated MDR through blocking the drug efflux function of MRP7 without affecting the intracellular ATP levels. Our findings suggest that BBA has the potential to be used in combination with conventional chemotherapeutic agents to augment the response to chemotherapy.

Ganoderma lucidum derived ganoderenic acid B reverses ABCB1-mediated multidrug resistance in HepG2/ADM cells

Chemotherapy is one of the most common therapeutic option for metastatic tumors and hematological malignancies. ABCB1-mediated multidrug resistance is the major obstacle for chemotherapy. Natural products with diversified structures are ideal source of ABCB1 modulators. Ganoderenic acid B, a lanostane-type triterpene isolated from Ganoderma lucidum, exhibited potent reversal effect on ABCB1-mediated multidrug resistance of HepG2/ADM cells to doxorubicin, vincristine and paclitaxel. Similarly, ganoderenic acid B could also significantly reverse the resistance of ABCB1-overexpressing MCF-7/ADR cells to doxorubicin. Furthermore, ganoderenic acid B notably enhanced intracellular accumulation of rhodamine-123 in HepG2/ADM cells through inhibition of its efflux. ABCB1 siRNA interference assay indicated that the reversal activity of ganoderenic acid B was dependent on ABCB1. Further mechanistic investigations found that ganoderenic acid B did not alter the expression level of ABCB1 and the activity of ABCB1 ATPase. Molecular docking model displayed that the positions of ganoderenic acid B binding to ABCB1 were different from the region of verapamil interacted with ABCB1. Collectively, ganoderenic acid B can enhance the cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutics towards ABCB1-mediated MDR cancer cells via inhibition of the transport function of ABCB1. These findings provide evidence that ganoderenic acid B has the potential to be developed into an ABCB1-mediated multidrug resistance reversal agent.

Effect of Y 6 , an epigallocatechin gallate derivative, on reversing doxorubicin drug resistance in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Cancer cells can acquire resistance to a wide variety of diverse and unrelated drugs, this phenomenon is termed multidrug resistance (MDR). Multidrug resistance has been an obstacle to the success of cancer chemotherapy. The present study investigated the reversal effect of Y6, a new compound obtained by chemically modifying the structure of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) extracted from green tea. Y6 was proven to be effective in inhibiting cell proliferation and reversing drug resistance in doxorubicin (DOX) resistant human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (BEL-7404/DOX). BEL-7404/DOX cells were treated with either doxorubicin combination regimen (doxorubicin plus Y6 or epigallocatechin-3-gallate or verapamil separately) or doxorubicin alone. The results showed that cell proliferation was inhibited and late cell apoptosis increased in the combination treatment group, especially in the group treated with doxorubicin plus Y6. Further analysis revealed that the expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and multidrug resistance 1/P-glycoprotein decreased at both messenger RNA and protein levels by treatments with combined drugs compared to doxorubicin alone. Our results indicated that Y6, as a drug resistance reversal agent, increased the sensitivity of drug resistant cells to doxorubicin. The mechanisms of actions of Y6 in reversal effect were associated with the decreased expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and multidrug resistance 1/P-glycoprotein.

P-gp Inhibitory Activity from Marine Sponges, Tunicates and Algae

The only effective therapy for metastasis in cancer patients is chemotherapy, which all too frequently fails due to innate or acquired multi-drug resistance (MDR). Historically, ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters, such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp), are recognized as the major culprits responsible for MDR. Over-expressing of P-gp in cancer cells, can lead to premature efflux of clinical chemotherapeutic agents and correlate with poor chemotherapeutic outcome and relapse of some cancers. The most likely strategy to overcome MDR is to search for inhibitors from natural products. With unique and novel chemical structures, marine-derived metabolites are an attractive new resource, to prime the search for new P-gp inhibitors. This chapter summarizes P-gp inhibitory activity in marine natural products (MNPs) and validates that MNPs can deliver new ABC transporter inhibitor scaffolds.

Voruciclib, a Potent CDK4/6 Inhibitor, Antagonizes ABCB1 and ABCG2-Mediated Multi-Drug Resistance in Cancer Cells

Background/Aims: The overexpression of ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) transporters has known to be one of the major obstacles impeding the success of chemotherapy in drug resistant cancers. In this study, we evaluated voruciclib, a CDK 4/6 inhibitor, for its chemo-sensitizing activity in ABCB1- and ABCG2- overexpressing cells. Methods: Cytotoxicity and reversal effect of voruciclib was determined by MTT assay. The intracellular accumulation and efflux of ABCB1 and ABCG2 substrates were measured by scintillation counter. The effects on expression and intracellular localization of ABCB1 and ABCG2 proteins were determined by Western blotting and immunofluorescence, respectively. Vanadate-sensitive ATPase assay was done to determine the effect of voruciclib on the ATPase activity of ABCB1 and ABCG2. Flow cytometric analysis was done to determine the effect of voruciclib on apoptosis of ABCB1 and ABCG2-overexpressing cells and docking analysis was done to determine the interaction of voruciclib with ABCB1 and ACBG2 protein. Results: Voruciclib significantly potentiated the effect of paclitaxel and doxorubicin in ABCB1-overexpressing cells, as well as mitoxantrone and SN-38 in ABCG2-overexpressing cells. Voruciclib moderately sensitized ABCC10- overexpressing cells to paclitaxel, whereas it did not alter the cytotoxicity of substrates of ABCC1. Furthermore, voruciclib increased the intracellular accumulation and decreased the efflux of substrate anti-cancer drugs from ABCB1- or ABCG2-overexpressing cells. However, voruciclib did not alter the expression or the sub-cellular localization of ABCB1 or ABCG2. Voruciclib stimulated the ATPase activity of both ABCB1 and ABCG2 in a concentration-dependent manner. Lastly, voruciclib exhibited a drug-induced apoptotic effect in ABCB1- or ABCG2- overexpressing cells. Conclusion: Voruciclib is currently a phase I clinical trial drug. Our findings strongly support its potential use in combination with conventional anti-cancer drugs for cancer chemotherapy.

Ulixertinib (BVD-523) antagonizes ABCB1- and ABCG2-mediated chemotherapeutic drug resistance

&NA; Ulixertinib (BVD‐523) is a highly potent, selective, and reversible ERK1/2 inhibitor and is currently in clinical development for the treatment of advanced solid tumors. In this study, we investigated whether ulixertinib could antagonize multidrug resistance (MDR) mediated by ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporters. The results showed that ulixertinib, at non‐toxic concentrations, significantly reversed ATP‐binding cassette subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1)‐ and ATP‐binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2)‐mediated MDR. In ABCB1‐overexpressing cells, ulixertinib antagonized MDR by attenuating the efflux function of ABCB1. Similarly, in ABCG2‐overexpressing cells, ulixertinib inhibited the efflux activity of ABCG2 and reversed resistance to substrate anticancer drugs. The reversal effects of ulixertinib were not related to the down‐regulation or change of subcellular localization of ABCB1 or ABCG2. Mechanistic investigations revealed that ulixertinib stimulated the ATPase activity of both ABCB1 and ABCG2 in a concentration‐dependent manner, and the in silico docking study predicted that ulixertinib could interact with the substrate‐binding sites of both ABCB1 and ABCG2. Our finding provides a clue into a novel treatment strategy: a combination of ulixertinib with anticancer drugs to attenuate MDR mediated by ABCB1 or ABCG2 in cancer cells overexpressing these transporters.