Abstract 5257: Activation of NRF2-mediated oxidative stress response pathway by curcumin analog FLLL12: Implication for chemoprevention

Abstract

Abstract Purpose: Carcinogenesis is a multi-step complex process initiated with irreversible genetic mutation due to endogenously derived or carcinogen-induced oxidative stress. Activation of the antioxidant pathways ameliorates oxidative stress, protects cells from carcinogenic insults, and plays a pivotal role in chemoprevention. We have previously reported that FLLL12 is a potent curcumin analog, possesses in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity, and has better pharmacokinetic profiles than curcumin. The purpose of the current study is to identify novel pathways activated by FLLL12 using RNASeq analysis. Methods: MDA686, a head and neck cancer cell line, were treated with 2 µM FLLL12 for 24h. Total RNA was isolated and used for RNASeq analysis. 2-fold differentially expressed genes were used for Ingenuity Pathway Analysis to identify the most significantly affected pathways. Real-time qPCR and western blotting were used to confirm the expression of the genes associated with the most significantly affected pathways and their protein products respectively in normal, premalignant, and malignant cell lines. Results: Whole transcriptome analysis using RNASeq identified 641 genes that were either upregulated or downregulated by 2-folds after FLLL12 treatment. Enrichment of this gene set with Ingenuity Pathway Analysis identified the ferroptosis signaling pathway, the tumor microenvironment pathway, and the NRF2-mediated oxidative response pathway as the top three most significantly affected pathways by FLLL12. We confirmed the activation of HMOX-1, NQO1, SLC7A11, and GCLC mRNA and proteins in HOK (normal), MSK-LEUK1 (premalignant), and MDA686TU (malignant) cells. Although these genes are common for the ferroptosis signaling pathway and the NRF2-mediated oxidative response pathway, treatment of cells with ferroptosis inhibitors, ferrostatin 1, and deferoxamine, had no effect on FLLL12-induced cell death suggesting that these genes are associated with oxidative stress response pathway. Conclusions: Our results strongly suggest that FLLL12 activates the oxidative stress response pathway in normal, premalignant, and malignant head and neck cancer cell lines and has strong promise for chemoprevention. Citation Format: Raji Lukmon, Adeoluwa A. Adeluola, A.R.M. Ruhul Amin. Activation of NRF2-mediated oxidative stress response pathway by curcumin analog FLLL12: Implication for chemoprevention. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 5257.