Colon Carcinoma Cell Line HCT116 Research Articles

Icariin reduces human colon carcinoma cell growth and metastasis by enhancing p53 activities

Icariin has been reported to possess high anticancer activity. Colon carcinoma is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Here, the anticancer activity of icariin against HCT116 colon carcinoma cells and the possible underlying mechanism were studied. The trypan blue staining assay, wound healing assay, clonogenic assay, CCK-8 assay, and Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining method were carried out to determine the changes of HCT116 cell growth and migration. mRNA and protein expressions were determined by quantitative real-time PCR and western blot, respectively. Moreover, small interfering RNA (siRNA) plasmid was used to examine the role of p53 in icariin-induced apoptosis in HCT116 cells. Icariin significantly suppressed colon carcinoma HCT116 cells by decreasing migration and viability, and simultaneously promoting apoptosis. Icariin exerted the anti-tumor effect in a dose-dependent manner by up-regulating p53. During treatment of icariin, p-p53, p21, and Bax levels increased, and Bcl-2 level decreased. Short time treatment with icariin induced DNA damage in HCT116 cells. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of icariin was decreased after p53 knockdown or by using caspase inhibitors. p53 was involved in activities of caspase-9 and caspase-3. Icariin repressed colon carcinoma cell line HCT116 by enhancing p53 expression and activating p53 functions possibly through Bcl-2/Bax imbalance and caspase-9 and -3 regulation. Icariin treatment also induced DNA damage in HCT116 cells.

Abstract A147: Synthetic lethality screening reveals ATR as responsible for oxaliplatin resistance in colorectal cancer cells

Abstract Despite the recent advances achieved in the treatment of colon cancer, tumor resistance is a frequent cause of chemotherapy failure. The aim of this project is thus to identify new targets involved in resistance to oxaliplatin using a phenotypic high-throughput screening. We established oxaliplatin-resistant cellular clones from the colon carcinoma cell line HCT-116. Using a clone displaying mild resistance, HCT116-R1 (i.e., with an IC50 10-fold higher than the parental line), we performed a genetic screening based on short hairpin RNA (ShRNA) targeting genes of human kinome. The final aim of this procedure was to reveal genes whose silencing restores drug sensitivity, so displaying a synthetic lethal interaction with the drug. We identified ATR (ataxia-telangiectasia mutated and rad3 related), a protein playing a key role in DNA repair that is activated in response to persistent single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) indirectly induced by various DNA-damaging agents, as a determinant of oxaliplatin resistance. We showed that ShRNA-mediated repression of ATR in HCT 116-R1 sensitize them to the drug. Then, we evaluated the effect of combining oxalipaltin with VE-822, an ATR inhibitor. The analysis of interaction between oxaliplatin and VE-822 was addressed by mean of concentration matrix cytotoxic test and the Bliss equation for additivity. We demonstrated that coincubation of oxaliplatin and VE-822 led to a dramatic synergistic effect in oxaliplatin-sensitive CRC cell lines (HCT116 and SW48) and in oxaliplatin-resistant correlative clones (HCT116-R1, HCT116-R2, SW48-R1, and SW48-R2) both in 2D and 3D. We also showed that the synergistic effect of oxaliplatin and VE-822 was accompanied by an increase of ssDNA followed by DNA double-strand breaks, growth arrest, and apoptosis induction. The appearance of these DNA damages is correlated with activation of ATM pathway, p53, and inhibition of CDK2 activity. Finally, Ve-822 + oxaliplatin association is also efficient in vivo, on immunodepressed mice xenografted with oxaliplatin-resistant cells as well as on immunocompetent mice, with a higher synergistic effect indicating that immune cell death (ICD) is part of the mechanism of this drug combination. In conclusion, all these data confirm the results of our screen by demonstrating for the first time the functional role of ATR in sensitivity to oxaliplatin. Our results highlight the strong potential of ATR inhibition combined to oxaliplatin in vitro but also in vivo to sensitize cells to chemotherapy, creating dramatic DNA damages and stimulating ICD. Citation Format: Eve Combes, Augusto Faria Andrade, Diego Tosi, Flavie Coquel, Delphine Désigaud, Veronique Garambois, Arnaud Coquelle, Pierre Martineau, Maguy Del Rio, Philippe Pasero, Jerome Moreaux, Roderick Beijersbergen, Nadia Vie, Céline Gongora. Synthetic lethality screening reveals ATR as responsible for oxaliplatin resistance in colorectal cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2017 Oct 26-30; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2018;17(1 Suppl):Abstract nr A147.

Biological Activities of the Alkaloid Quinazoline Extracted from Aspergillus nomius

TWENTY FIVE Aspergillus isolates were screened from Giza Governorate and Saint Catherine Protectorate soils in Egypt. The antimicrobial activity of the crude extracts was tested against two Gram positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis NRRL-B-4219, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC29213), four Gram negative bacteria (Alcaligenes faecalis B-170, Escherichia coli ATCC25922, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC10131, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC27953), and one yeast (Candida albicans ATCC10231). The antioxidant activity using free radical scavenging model was assayed for the crude extracts. The antitumor activity for all of crude extracts was determined against HCT116 (Colon carcinoma cell line), HEPG2 (Liver carcinoma cell line), and MCF-7 (Breast carcinoma cell line). Aspergillus nomius was the most potent fungal species accordingly, it was chosen for bioactivity assay. Identification of this species was further confirmed at the molecular level based on nuclear ribosomal DNA 18s identities. An accession number, LC199488, was given at the DDBJ GenBank. The column chromatography of its crude extract yielded five distinguished fractions. The biological (antimicrobial, antioxidant and antitumor) activities of these fractions were assayed. Fraction B proved to be of most potential. HPLC analysis of this fraction showed that there was a sharp and clear peak at about 18.1 min. This denoted the presence of an active compound. The compound at this peak was purified and its structure was elucidated via 1HNMR and 13CNMR spectroscopy. It was concluded that it would be 1,2,3,9 tetrahydropyrrolo [2,1-b] quinazolin-3-ol.

Diverse Secondary Metabolites from the Marine-Derived Fungus Dichotomomyces cejpii F31-1.

By adding l-tryptophan and l-phenylalanine to GPY medium, twenty-eight compounds, including amides, polyketides, a sesquiterpenoid, a diterpenoid, a meroterpenoid, diketopiperazines, β-carbolines, fumiquinazolines, and indole alkaloids, were discovered from the marine-derived fungus Dichotomomyces cejpii F31-1, demonstrating the tremendous biosynthetic potential of this fungal strain. Among these compounds, four amides dichotomocejs A–D (1–4), one polyketide dichocetide A (5), and two diketopiperazines dichocerazines A–B (15 and 16) are new. The structures of these new compounds were determined by interpreting detailed spectroscopic data as well as calculating optical rotation values and ECD spectra. Obviously, Dichotomomyces cejpii can effectively use an amino acid-directed strategy to enhance the production of nitrogen-containing compounds. Dichotomocej A (1) displayed moderate cytotoxicity against the human rhabdomyosarcoma cell line RD with an IC50 value of 39.1 µM, and pityriacitrin (22) showed moderate cytotoxicity against the human colon carcinoma cell line HCT116 with an IC50 value of 35.1 µM.

P53 performs an essential role in mediating the oncogenic stimulus triggered by loss of expression of neurofibromatosis type 2 during in vitro tumor progression.

The loss of the tumor suppressor neurofibromatosis type 2 gene, encoding merlin, has been considered to be a fundamental event during the malignant progression of various cell types. However, a consensus for the mainstream mechanism, by which merlin deficiency contributes to uncontrolled cellular proliferation, has not been reached. The present study aimed to determine whether silencing of merlin using lentivirus-based short hairpin RNA potentiates cellular proliferation and cell cycle progression in human colon carcinoma HCT116 cell lines, expressing p53. The present results demonstrated that merlin knockdown contributed to cellular proliferation and G1/S cell cycle progression to a greater extent in HCT116 cells wide-type for p53 (p53wt) compared with p53-null (p53−/−) cells. This was supported by overexpression experiments which demonstrated a significant inhibitory effect of excess merlin on cellular proliferation only in HCT116 p53wt cells. In order to investigate the underlying mechanisms of action, the expression of p53-involved G1/S transition genes was evaluated by western blot analysis. For HCT116 p53wt cells, merlin loss suppressed p53 expression, and therefore the dysregulation of cell cycle regulatory proteins, including p21, cyclin D1/cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)4 and cyclin E1/CDK2 complexes. However, merlin knockdowns had no impact on the expression of any of the aforementioned molecules in p53−/− cells, indicating that lack of merlin resulted in G1/S cell cycle progression, and thereby uncontrolled cellular proliferation mainly via the regulation of p53-mediated pathways. Taken together, it was proposed that p53 performs an essential role in mediating the oncogenic stimulus triggered by merlin loss, and p53 is a molecule that should be investigated for its potential in targeted drug therapy for merlin-deficient malignancies.

Effects of 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin on the induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in HCT-116 cells.

The present study investigated the effects of HSP90 inhibitor 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) on apoptosis and the cell cycle of the HCT-116 human colon carcinoma cell line, with the aim of elucidating their underlying mechanisms. MTT was used to examine the inhibitory effects of 17-AAG on the proliferation of HCT-116 cells at various time points and doses. The cells were stained with Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide and evaluated by flow cytometry. The expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3, cyclin D1, cytochrome c (cyt-c), caspase 9 and caspase 3 at the mRNA and protein level was determined using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Treatment with 17-AAG at a concentration of 1.25–20 mg/l for 24 and 48 h significantly inhibited the proliferation of HCT-116 cells in a time-dependent and concentration-dependent manner. Treatment with 17-AAG at concentrations of 1.25, 2.5 and 5 mg/l for 48 h significantly induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in HCT-116 cells. Exposure to 17-AAG at concentrations of 1.25, 2.5 and 5 mg/l for 48 h significantly downregulated the mRNA and protein expression of STAT3 and cyclin D1, but upregulated cyt-c, caspase 9 and caspase 3 in a concentration-dependent manner in HCT-116 cells. Therefore 17-AAG is able to inhibit cell proliferation, inducing apoptosis and G1 stage cell cycle arrest by downregulating the expression of cyclin D1, and promoting the mitochondria apoptosis by downregulating STAT3 in HCT-116 cells.

Chemical diversity from the Tibetan Plateau fungi Penicillium kongii and P. brasilianum

ABSTRACTTwo new secondary metabolites, kongiilines A and B (1, 7), and two asperphenamate derivatives, asperphenamates B and C (5–6), together with 16 known compounds (2–4, 8–20), were isolated from Tibetan Plateau fungi Penicillium kongii and Penicillium brasilianum. This is the first report on asperphenamates B and C as naturally occurring compounds, and that aspterric acid is isolated from P. brasilianum for the first time. Their structures were elucidated by different spectroscopic techniques including high-resolution electrospray ionisation mass spectrum, 1D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and 2D NMR as well as electronic circular dichroism. Compounds 4, 5, and 10 exhibited cytotoxicity activities against human colon carcinoma HCT116 cell line with IC50 values of 88.16, 77.68, and 36.92 μM, respectively. Fungi from Tibetan Plateau represent important and rich resources for the investigation of new chemicals.

Anti-proliferative effect of Moringa oleifera Lam (Moringaceae) leaf extract on human colon cancer HCT116 cell line

Purpose : To investigate the in vitro anti-proliferative effect and mechanism of action of Moringa oleifera Lam. leaf extract on human colon carcinoma HCT116 cell line. Methods : M. oleifera leaves were extracted with methanol. It was fractionated by Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Several fractions were identified by thin layer chromatography (TLC), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS). The growth inhibitory activity and mechanism of action of the extracts in HCT116 colon cancer cells were investigated by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and Western blotting. Results : Successive fractions from M. oleifera leaf crude extracts by column chromatography were combined into four pooled batches (MOL1 - MOL4) according to their absorbance at 260 nm and TLC pattern. MOL2 and MOL3 contain astragalin and isoquercetin, respectively. The results from MTT assay indicated that cell proliferation was significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited in a concentration-dependent fashion, especially by MOL2, MOL3 and MOL4. MOL2 and MOL3 exhibited a stronger cell growth inhibition than their major ingredients. The anti-proliferative activity of MOL2 - MOL4 in HCT116 colon cancer cells was mediated by downregulation of ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Conclusion : M. oleifera leaf extract has a strong anti-proliferative activity which is exerted by decreasing ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Thus, the extract has a potential for use in cancer chemoprevention. Keywords : Moringa oleifera , Anti-proliferation, Colon cancer, AKT, ERK1/2 phosphorylation, Chemoprevention

MicroRNA-1254 inhibits the migration of colon adenocarcinoma cells by targeting PSMD10.

MicroRNA-1254 (miR-1254) has not been studied in colorectal cancer (CRC) to date. This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory mechanism of miR-1254 in CRC tumorigenesis. MiR-1254 expression was examined using real-time polymerase chain reaction in CRC and adjacent non-tumorous tissues. The correlation between miR-1254 expressions and proliferation and migration of cancer cells was determined using the CCK-8 and transwell assays. RNA sequencing was used to identify differentially expressed genes downstream from miR-1254. A luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the direct interaction between miR-1254 and its predicted target gene, PSMD10. Moreover, PSMD10 was either overexpressed or silenced in colon carcinoma cells overexpressing miR-1254 to determine whether their interaction contributed to CRC migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Significantly lower miR-1254 expressions were observed in CRC tissues than in adjacent non-tumorous tissues. Exogenous miR-1254 expression suppressed the migration of colon carcinoma cell lines SW1116 and HCT116. RNA sequencing and luciferase assays revealed that miR-1254 directly binded to the 3'-untranslated region of PSMD10, an important regulator of EMT and cell migration. PSMD10 knockdown inhibited EMT and colon cancer cell migration, whereas PSMD10 overexpression reversed the inhibition of EMT and cell migration caused by miR-1254. MiR-1254 may act as a tumor suppressor in CRC and may inhibit CRC migration by directly targeting PSMD10 to suppress the EMT process.

New dibutyltin(IV) ladders: Syntheses, structures and, optimization and evaluation of cytotoxic potential employing A375 (melanoma) and HCT116 (colon carcinoma) cell lines in vitro

Synthesis and spectroscopic properties of seven new dibutyltin(IV) compounds of 2-{(E)-4-hydroxy-3-[(E)-4-(aryl)iminomethyl]phenyldiazenyl}benzoic acids (LnHH′; n=2–8) with general formula {[Bu2Sn(LnH)]2O}2 (1–7) are reported. The compounds were characterized by elemental analysis and by UV–Visible, fluorescence, IR, 1H, 13C and 119Sn NMR spectroscopies. Solid state structures of dibutyltin(IV) compounds 1–3, 6 and 7 were accomplished from single crystal X-ray crystallography which reveal the common ladder-type structure with two endo- and two exo-Sn atoms. The redox properties of LnHH′ (n=2–4, 7 and 8) and their diorganotin(IV) compounds 1–3, 6 and 7 were also investigated by cyclic voltammetry. In general, the dibutyltin(IV) derivatives exhibited significant in vitro cytotoxic potency towards A375 (melanoma) and HCT116 (colon carcinoma) cell lines as determined by several experiments, like Live and Dead assay, MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) cell viability assay, LDH (lactate dehydrogenase), cleavage of caspases and PARP (poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase), and DNA fragmentation. Dibutyltin(IV) compounds increase cell death without cytolysis and decreases membrane fluidity, without interfering with p53. Among the dibutyltin(IV) compounds, compound 6 was found to be the most potent, with an IC50 value of 78nM. A mechanism of action for tumor cell death is proposed.

NO Photoreleaser-Deoxyadenosine and -Bile Acid Derivative Bioconjugates as Novel Potential Photochemotherapeutics.

This contribution reports the synthesis of some novel bioconjugates with anticancer activity and able to release nitric oxide (NO) under visible light excitation. The 4-nitro-2-(trifluoromethyl)aniline derivative, a suitable NO photodonor, was conjugated with 2'-deoxyadenosine and urso- and cheno-deoxycholic acid derivatives, through a thioalkylic chain or the 4-alkyl-1,2,3-triazole moiety. Photochemical experiments demonstrated the effective release of NO from 2'-deoxyadenosine and ursodeoxycholic acid conjugates under the exclusive control of visible light inputs. Studies for the in vitro antiproliferative activity against leukemic K562 and colon carcinoma HCT116 cell lines are reported for all the compounds as well as a case study of photocytotoxicity against HCT116.

The mycotoxin zearalenone enhances cell proliferation, colony formation and promotes cell migration in the human colon carcinoma cell line HCT116.

Zearalenone (ZEN) and Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) are fungal secondary metabolites produced by Fusarium and Aspergillus genera, respectively. These mycotoxins are found world-wide as corn and wheat contaminants. AFB1 is probably the most toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxin. It has been demonstrated to be mutagenic, genotoxic, and hepatocarcinogenic. ZEN is a non-steroidal estrogenic mycotoxin that displays hepatotoxicity, immunotoxicity and genotoxicity. Its mutagenic and carcinogenic properties have so far remained controversial and questionable. Using the colon carcinoma cell line HCT116, we will show here that ZEN, at low concentrations, enhances cell proliferation, increases colony formation and fastens cell migration after wound healing. The highest effect of ZEN was observed at a concentration 10 times lower as compared to AFB1. Our findings suggest thus that this mycotoxin exhibits carcinogenesis-like properties in HCT116 cells.

Cytotoxicity of copper(II)-complexes with some S-alkyl derivatives of thiosalicylic acid. Crystal structure of the binuclear copper(II)-complex with S-ethyl derivative of thiosalicylic acid

The spectroscopically predicted structure of the obtained copper(II)-complex with S-ethyl derivative of thiosalicylic acid was confirmed by X-ray structural study and compared to previously reported crystal structure of the Cu complex with S-methyl derivative. Single crystals suitable for X-ray measurements were obtained by slow crystallization from a water solution. Cytotoxic effects of S-alkyl (R = benzyl (L1), methyl (L2), ethyl (L3), propyl (L4) and butyl (L5)) derivatives of thiosalicylic acid and the corresponding binuclear copper(II)-complexes on murine colon carcinoma cell lines, CT26 and CT26.CL25 and human colon carcinoma cell line HCT-116 were reported here. The analysis of cancer cell viability showed that all the tested complexes had low cytotoxic effect on murine colon carcinoma cell lines, but several times higher cytotoxicity on normal human colon carcinoma cells.

Bacillusspp. orBacillusspp.-Derived Membrane Vesicles Induce the Intrinsic Pathways of Apoptosis of Human Colon Cancer Cell Lines

The striking increase in colorectal cancer (CRC) has shown the great fatality in Korea for more than 15 years. The leading edge of this rising incidence rate is mainly due to the peoples dietary changes in Korea. Some studies have reported that the dietary fiber does not have significant cytotoxic effects on CRC cells, which contrasts to the effects of probiotics. It gives a positive evaluation that the nonpathogenic spore-forming Bacillus species among the probiotics including fermented bacteria might have optimistic effects on CRC incidence rate. Recently, we isolated Bacillus lentus (BL) from Korean soybean fermented food. BL showed the cytotoxic effect on human colon carcinoma cell lines HCT116 and SW480. Interestingly, BL did not have effect on human dermal fibroblast cells and human hepatoma cell line HepG2. It suggested that BL has the target cell-specific cytotoxicity toward human colon carcinoma cells. To clarify the death signaling pathway underlying the BL-induced apoptosis in cancer cells, we analyzed the expression of caspases, Bax and Bcl-2 by western blotting. The apoptotic effects by cytotoxic elements were executed by direct BL contact or membranederived vesicles isolated from BL. Treatment of HCT116 with BL activated caspase-9, -3 and increased cleavage form of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). However, caspase-8 activity was not increased by BL. BL-activated intrinsic pathway increased the pro-apoptotic Bax, decreased the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins on mitochondria, disrupted the mitochondrial membrane potential, and then released the cytochrome c from mitochondria. The membrane-derived vesicles (MVs) from BL induced apoptosis of the HCT116. Here, we propose that BL as a strong candidate for the development of apoptosis-specific anti-tumor agent will give great contribution to the understandings of the tumor-microbe interdisciplinary areas.

Effect of new berberine derivatives on colon cancer cells.

The natural alkaloid berberine has been recently described as a promising anticancer drug. In order to improve its efficacy and bioavailability, several derivatives have been designed and synthesized and found to be even more potent than the lead compound. Among the series of berberine derivatives we have produced, five compounds were identified to be able to heavily affect the proliferation of human HCT116 and SW613-B3 colon carcinoma cell lines. Remarkably, these active compounds exhibit high fluorescence emission property and ability to induce autophagy.

AMPK-independent autophagy promotes radioresistance of human tumor cells under clinical relevant hypoxia in vitro

Background and purposeBlocking of the autophagy-signaling has the potential to improve cancer therapy. In the present study, the role of autophagy for radioresistance of human tumor cells was tested under clinically relevant hypoxia (1% O2). Materials and methodsNon-small cell lung cancer cell lines A549 and H460, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma FaDu, colon carcinoma cell line HCT116 and mouse-embryo-fibroblasts were analyzed under normoxic (21% O2) and hypoxic (0.01% and 1% O2) conditions with respect to clonogenic cell survival and hypoxia-induced autophagy. Immunofluorescence and electron microscopy were used to monitor the autophagy process and Western blotting of LC3, AMPK, and BNIP3 was applied to analyze autophagy signaling. ResultsClinically relevant hypoxia stimulated autophagy in tumor cells as indicated by enhanced LC3-I to LC3-II conversion. Furthermore, hypoxia stimulated autophagy was approved by Immunofluorescence staining and electron-microscopy analysis of autophagosome vacuoles. Preconditioning of tumor cells to moderate-hypoxia increased their radioresistance that was significantly reversed following pretreatment with autophagy inhibitor, chloroquine. Using siRNA against AMPK as well as AMPK deficient cells, autophagy stimulation by 1% O2 was shown to be AMPK-independent. However, a correlation between the expression of BNIP3 and autophagy-stimulation was observed under this condition. ConclusionUnder clinically relevant hypoxia (1% O2) the stimulation of autophagy mediates resistance of hypoxic tumor cells to ionizing radiation, which is independent of AMPK signaling.

Composition and biological effects of Salvia ringens (Lamiaceae) essential oil and extracts

This comprehensive study was carried out in order to investigate composition and biological activities of essential oil and extracts of Salvia ringens Sibth. & Sm. (Lamiaceae) originating from Macedonia. Major components of the oil, analyzed using GC-FID and GC–MS, were monoterpenes 1.8-cineole (31.99%), camphene (17.06%), borneol (11.94%) and α-pinene (11.52%). HPLC analysis showed presence of 17 phenolic components, mainly in methanol and ethyl acetate, followed by ethanol, water and dichloromethane extracts. Total phenolics and flavonoids as well as DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP activities were measured spectrophotometrically. Essential oil, ethanol, and water extracts showed antimicrobial activity using microdilution method. Ethanol and water extracts performed cytotoxic activity against colon carcinoma HCT-116 cell line using MTT assay. According to the obtained results, S. ringens herb can be considered as the potential source of the essential oil and/or raw material for the extraction and isolation of natural compounds with a range of biological activities.

Abstract 5509: A drug-screening model to identify compounds active in cells under metabolic stress

Abstract Background and aim: Promising anticancer compounds often fail in vivo due to lack of efficacy. Drug screenings to identify anticancer agents are usually performed in culture conditions that very poorly represent the complex metabolic tumor environment. Tumor tissues are characterised by low oxygen (hypoxia) and acidic extracellular pH (acidosis). A screen of a drug-library for compounds able to induce cell death in acidic/hypoxic conditions may lead to discover effective drugs targeting quiescent/hypoxic cells, normally considered responsible for tumor relapses after therapy. Methods: The colon carcinoma cell line HCT-116 has been adapted to grow in low pH conditions (pH 6.8). The Prestwick compound library (1200 FDA-approved compounds) was used to validate the assay. Cell viability was measured using the acid phosphatase assay after 48 hours exposure to test compounds. The assay was validated in HCT-116 cells cultured in normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Multicellular spheroids (MCS) were used to evaluate the sensitivity to hit compounds confirmed at least three times in 2D culture conditions. Results: The assay was optimized to perform the screening at pH 6.8 in normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Experiments have demonstrated the ability of cells to survive and grow in hypoxic conditions (1% oxygen) for at least 4 days. The test was optimized in terms of number of plated cells and serum concentration. Hit compounds were identified based on the mean values for quality control plus 3 standard deviations of untreated samples. The screen led to identify 20 hits for both conditions and 11 hits were further confirmed for hypoxic/acidic conditions. Auranofin and Verteporfin showed to better induce cell death in cells adapted or acutely exposed to low pH compared to parental cells and immortalized epithelial cells (RPE1). Both drugs showed cytotoxic effects on cells grown as MCS, suggesting a potential good efficacy of the therapeutic agent in vivo. In addition, the screening of about 10000 compounds of the LCBKI library is ongoing and about 100 hits have been identified. Conclusions: The screening validation on the Prestwick library will hopefully lead to identify potential “off-label” effects of already approved drugs. The screening of larger drug-libraries will hopefully lead to find and characterize more compounds able to target slow proliferating and therapy resistant cells. Citation Format: Paola Pellegrini, Martin Haraldsson, Annika Jenmalm Jensen, Thomas Lundbäck, Angelo De Milito. A drug-screening model to identify compounds active in cells under metabolic stress. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 5509. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-5509

Antiproliferative Compounds from Cleistanthus boivinianus from the Madagascar Dry Forest.

The two new lignans 3α-O-(β-d-glucopyranosyl)desoxypodophyllotoxin (1) and 4-O-(β-d-glucopyranosyl)dehydropodophyllotoxin (2) were isolated from Cleistanthus boivinianus, together with the known lignans deoxypicropodophyllotoxin (3), (±)-β-apopicropodophyllin (4), (−)-desoxypodophyllotoxin (5), (−)-yatein (6), and β-peltatin-5-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (7). The structures of all compounds were characterized by spectroscopic techniques. Compounds 1, 4, and 5 showed potent antiproliferative activities against the A2780 ovarian cancer cell line, with IC50 values of 33.0 ± 3.6, 63.1 ± 6.7, and 230 ± 1 nM, respectively. Compounds 2 and 7 showed only modest A2780 activities, with IC50 values of 2.1 ± 0.3 and 4.9 ± 0.1 μM, respectively, while compounds 3 and 6 had IC50 values of >10 μM. Compound 1 also had potent antiproliferative activity against the HCT-116 human colon carcinoma cell line, with an IC50 value of 20.5 nM, and compound 4 exhibited modest antiproliferative activity against the A2058 human caucasian metastatic melanoma and MES-SA human uterine sarcoma cell lines, with IC50 values of 4.6 and 4.0 μM, respectively.

Interaction of the Clostridium difficile Binary Toxin CDT and Its Host Cell Receptor, Lipolysis-stimulated Lipoprotein Receptor (LSR)

CDT (Clostridium difficile transferase) is a binary, actin ADP-ribosylating toxin frequently associated with hypervirulent strains of the human enteric pathogen C. difficile, the most serious cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. CDT leads to the collapse of the actin cytoskeleton and, eventually, to cell death. Low doses of CDT result in the formation of microtubule-based protrusions on the cell surface that increase the adherence and colonization of C. difficile. The lipolysis-stimulated lipoprotein receptor (LSR) is the host cell receptor for CDT, and our aim was to gain a deeper insight into the interplay between both proteins. We show that CDT interacts with the extracellular, Ig-like domain of LSR with an affinity in the nanomolar range. We identified LSR splice variants in the colon carcinoma cell line HCT116 and disrupted the LSR gene in these cells by applying the CRISPR-Cas9 technology. LSR truncations ectopically expressed in LSR knock-out cells indicated that intracellular parts of LSR are not essential for plasma membrane targeting of the receptor and cellular uptake of CDT. By generating a series of N- and C-terminal truncations of the binding component of CDT (CDTb), we found that amino acids 757-866 of CDTb are sufficient for binding to LSR. With a transposon-based, random mutagenesis approach, we identified potential LSR-interacting epitopes in CDTb. This study increases our understanding about the interaction between CDT and its receptor LSR, which is key to the development of anti-toxin strategies for preventing cell entry of the toxin.