Jason L. Liggett

Anti-tumor activity of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Cyclooxygenase-independent targets

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used extensively for analgesic and antipyretic treatments. In addition, NSAIDs reduce the risk and mortality to several cancers. Their mechanisms in anti-tumorigenesis are not fully understood, but both cyclooxygenase (COX)-dependent and -independent pathways play a role. We and others have been interested in elucidating molecular targets of NSAID-induced apoptosis. In this review, we summarize updated literature regarding cellular and molecular targets modulated by NSAIDs. Among those NSAIDs, sulindac sulfide and tolfenamic acid are emphasized in this review because these two drugs have been well investigated for their anti-tumorigenic activity in many different types of cancer.

NAG-1/GDF15 accumulates in the nucleus and modulates transcriptional regulation of the Smad pathway.

Protein dynamics, modifications and trafficking are all processes that can modulate protein activity. Accumulating evidence strongly suggests that many proteins have distinctive roles dependent on cellular location. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-activated gene-1 (NAG-1) is a transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily protein that has a role in cancer, obesity and inflammation. NAG-1 is synthesized and cleaved into a mature peptide, which is ultimately secreted into the extracellular matrix (ECM). In this study, we have found that full-length NAG-1 is expressed in not only the cytoplasm and ECM, but also in the nucleus. NAG-1 is dynamically moved to the nucleus, exported into cytoplasm and further transported into the ECM. We have also found that nuclear NAG-1 contributes to inhibition of the Smad pathway by interrupting the Smad complex. Overall, our study indicates that NAG-1 is localized in the nucleus and provides new evidence that NAG-1 controls transcriptional regulation in the Smad pathway.

Hemostatic and Wound Healing Properties of Chromolaena odorata Leaf Extract.

Chromolaena odorata (L.) King and Robinson (Siam weed) extract has been used to stop bleeding and in wound healing in many tropical countries. However, its detailed mechanisms have not been elucidated. In this study, we examined the molecular mechanisms by which Siam weed extract (SWE) affected hemostatic and wound healing activities. SWE promoted Balb/c 3T3 fibroblast cell migration and proliferation. Subsequently, we found that heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), the accelerating wound healing enzyme, was increased at the transcriptional and translational levels by SWE treatments. The HO-1 promoter analyzed with luciferase assay was also increased by treatment of SWE in a dose-dependent manner. This induction may be mediated by several kinase pathways including MEK, p38MAPK, AKT, and JNK. Quantitative real-time PCR using undifferentiated promonocytic cell lines revealed that thromboxane synthase (TXS), a potent vasoconstrictor and platelet aggregator, was increased and MMP-9, an anti platelet aggregator, was decreased in the presence of SWE. Our studies presented that SWE accelerated hemostatic and wound healing activities by altering the expression of genes, including HO-1, TXS, and MMP-9.

Disruption of the transforming growth factor-β pathway by tolfenamic acid via the ERK MAP kinase pathway

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) modulates diverse cell physiological processes and plays a complicated role in tumor development. It has been well established that TGF-β inhibits cell proliferation in normal and early stage carcinoma and facilitates tumor metastasis in late-stage carcinoma. Therefore, blocking TGF-β signaling in advanced stage carcinogenesis provides a potentially interesting chemotherapeutic strategy. We aimed to determine the effect of tolfenamic acid (TA) on TGF-β-induced protumorigenic activity. Here, we demonstrate that TA attenuates tumor-promoting effects of TGF-β in cancer cells. Further observation indicates TA blocks the TGF-β/Smad pathway, and this blockage is mainly attributed to the interference of TGF-β1-driven phosphorylation of Smad2/3. We also show that TA could exert this effect on cancer cell lines from several different origins and that TA is much better than other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with respect to inhibition of TGF-β1-induced Smad2 phosphorylation. Finally, extracellular signal-regulated kinase mitogen-activated protein kinase plays a role in TA-induced suppression of Smad2/3 phosphorylation and subsequent nuclear accumulation of Smad2/3 in response to TGF-β1. Our study provides a possible mechanism by which TA affects anticancer activity by inhibiting the TGF-β pathway and sheds light on the application of TA for cancer patients.

A novel COX-independent mechanism of sulindac sulfide involves cleavage of epithelial cell adhesion molecule protein.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are extensively used over the counter to treat headaches and inflammation as well as clinically to prevent cancer among high-risk groups. The inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) activity by NSAIDs plays a role in their anti-tumorigenic properties. NSAIDs also have COX-independent activity which is not fully understood. In this study, we report a novel COX-independent mechanism of sulindac sulfide (SS), which facilitates a previously uncharacterized cleavage of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) protein. EpCAM is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein that has been implemented as an over-expressed oncogene in many cancers including colon, breast, pancreas, and prostate. We found EpCAM to be down-regulated by SS in a manner that is independent of COX activity, transcription regulation, de novo protein synthesis, and proteasomal degradation pathway. Our findings clearly demonstrate that SS drives cleavage of the extracellular portion of EpCAM near the N-terminus. This SS driven cleavage is blocked by a deleting amino acids 55-81 as well as simply mutating arginine residues at positions 80 and 81 to alanine of EpCAM. Proteolysis of EpCAM by SS may provide a novel mechanism by which NSAIDs affect anti-tumorigenesis at the post-translational level.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug sulindac sulfide suppresses structural protein Nesprin-2 expression in colorectal cancer cells

BACKGROUND Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are well known for treating inflammatory disease and have been reported to have anti-tumorigenic effects. Their mechanisms are not fully understood, but both cyclooxygenase (COX) dependent and independent pathways are involved. Our goal was to shed further light on COX-independent activity. METHODS Human colorectal cancer cells were observed under differential interference contrast microscopy (DICM), fluorescent microscopy, and micro-impedance measurement. Microarray analysis was performed using HCT-116 cells treated with sulindac sulfide (SS). PCR and Western blots were performed to confirm the microarray data and immunohistochemistry was performed to screen for Nesprin-2 expression. Micro-impedance was repeating including Nesprin-2 knock-down by siRNA. RESULTS HCT-116 cells treated with SS showed dramatic morphological changes under DICM and fluorescent microscopy, as well as weakened cellular adhesion as measured by micro-impedance. Nesprin-2 was selected from two independent microarrays, based on its novelty in relation to cancer and its role in cell organization. SS diminished Nesprin-2 mRNA expression as assessed by reverse transcriptase and real time PCR. Various other NSAIDs were also tested and demonstrated that inhibition of Nesprin-2 mRNA was not unique to SS. Additionally, immunohistochemistry showed higher levels of Nesprin-2 in many tumors in comparison with normal tissues. Further micro-impedance experiments on cells with reduced Nesprin-2 expression showed a proportional loss of cellular adhesion. CONCLUSIONS Nesprin-2 is down-regulated by NSAIDs and highly expressed in many cancers. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Our data suggest that Nesprin-2 may be a potential novel oncogene in human cancer cells and NSAIDs could decrease its expression.

Simultaneous measurements of cytoplasmic viscosity and intracellular vesicle sizes for live human brain cancer cells

Intracellular vesicles, comprised of protein clusters, were individually tracked inside human brain cancer cells and characterized to simultaneously determine the average vesicle size and effective cytoplasmic viscosity. The cells were transfected with a TGF-β superfamily gene, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-Activated Gene-1 (NAG-1) tagged with green fluorescent proteins (GFPs). Using total internal reflection fluorescent microscopy (TIRFM) the individual movements of the vesicles were categorized into either Brownian, caged, or directional type motion. In the near-field region confined by the evanescent wave field of TIRFM, the hindrance of these vesicles was created by interactions with the glass coverslip and/or sub-cellular structures. Measured particle motions were compared with theoretical predictions of hindered motion to estimate the unknown size and viscosity parameters using a nonlinear regression technique. For the tested human brain cancer cells, the average vesicle size and effective intracellular fluid viscosity were calculated to be 496 nm and 0.068 Pa s, respectively. This finding suggests that most of the hindrance experienced by vesicles can be due to non-hydrodynamic interactions with microtubules and other intracellular structures. It should be also noted that this method provides a way to examine changes in vesicle size due to outside stimulus such as drug interaction, cytotoxicity, etc., unlike standard measurement techniques which require fixing the cells themselves.