Pancreas Cancer Cell Research Articles

Rational design of novel potential EGFR inhibitors: molecular docking, molecular descriptor and pharmacokinetics studies of piperidin-4-one derivatives

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is one of the most attractive drug targets against the human pancreas cancer cell line (Panc-1). In this research, Piperidin-4-one derivative is identified as novel potential EGFR inhibitors were subjected to molecular docking, molecular descriptor and pharmacokinetics studies in order to design new compound with high predicted activity. Using the 6-311G (d, p) basis set, the density functional theory (DFT) B3LYP method was utilised to calculate the optimal structure of the compound 1-(cyclopropanecarbonyl)−2,6-di(1H-indol-3-yl)−3-methylpiperidin-4-one (CIMP). The experimental bond length and bond angles were then compared with the data obtained from the reference compound. The electron densities of the donor (i) and acceptor (j) bonds and the hyper conjugative interaction energy E(2) were found using natural bonding orbital (NBO) analysis. The band gap energy value was found in calculations of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO). Analysis has been done on molecular electrostatic potential. At the same theoretical level, the Mulliken atomic charges of the carbon, nitrogen and oxygen atoms were computed. The good nonlinear optical (NLO) property of the title molecule is demonstrated by the dipole moment, polarizability and first-order hyperpolarizability. The properties of partial density of states (PDOS), total density of states (TDOS) and thermodynamics were computed and discussed separately. Furthermore, statistical analyses were performed to elucidate the relationships between ADMET (Absorption, distribution, Metabolism, Elimination and Toxicity) properties of CIMP and molecular descriptors, including degree, neighborhood degree, degree entropy, and neighborhood degree entropy.

Antimicrobial and anticancer activities of diazenyl compounds

Three heterocyclic diazenyl compounds were synthesized by diazotization of 3-aminopyridine and aniline, followed by coupling with 8-aminoquinoleine, morpholine, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoleine, respectively. The obtained azo compounds are brown to yellow in color and were characterized by various methods such as NMR and X-rays. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans. The MIC of the tested compounds, determined by the microdilution method, showed potential antimicrobial activity against all tested microorganisms. 1-(3-pyridyl)-2-(morpholin-4-yl)diazene (8) and 1-(3-pyridyl)-2-(tetrahydroquinolin-1-yl)diazene (10) showed strong activities against C. albicans with MIC values of 150 µM and 120 µM respectively. 1-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)-2-(8-aminoquinolin-5-yl)diazene (4) showed the broadest spectrum of activity with good MICs of 1380–2760 µM on the four strains. These diazenyl compounds were also screened for their anticancer activity against breast (MCF-7), lung (Calu-3), pancreas (PANC-1) and prostate (PC-3) cancer cells and on normal fibroblasts. The results showed good anticancer activities on tumor lines with IC50 values ranging from 9.4 to 98 µM. The best anticancer activity was obtained with compound 4 on Calu-3 cancer cells with an IC50 of 9.4 µM. The results suggest that compound 4 is an interesting scaffold for pharmacomodulation as suggested by ADME study.

Sphingosine is involved in PAPTP-induced death of pancreas cancer cells by interfering with mitochondrial functions

Pancreas ductal adenocarcinoma belongs to the most common cancers, but also to the tumors with the poorest prognosis. Here, we pharmacologically targeted a mitochondrial potassium channel, namely mitochondrial Kv1.3, and investigated the role of sphingolipids and mutated Kirsten Rat Sarcoma Virus (KRAS) in Kv1.3-mediated cell death. We demonstrate that inhibition of Kv1.3 using the Kv1.3-inhibitor PAPTP results in an increase of sphingosine and superoxide in membranes and/or membranes associated with mitochondria, which is enhanced by KRAS mutation. The effect of PAPTP on sphingosine and mitochondrial superoxide formation as well as cell death is prevented by sh-RNA-mediated downregulation of Kv1.3. Induction of sphingosine in human pancreas cancer cells by PAPTP is mediated by activation of sphingosine-1-phosphate phosphatase and prevented by an inhibitor of sphingosine-1-phosphate phosphatase. A rapid depolarization of isolated mitochondria is triggered by binding of sphingosine to cardiolipin, which is neutralized by addition of exogenous cardiolipin. The significance of these findings is indicated by treatment of mutated KRAS-harboring metastasized pancreas cancer with PAPTP in combination with ABC294640, a blocker of sphingosine kinases. This treatment results in increased formation of sphingosine and death of pancreas cancer cells in vitro and, most importantly, prolongs in vivo survival of mice challenged with metastatic pancreas cancer.Key messagesPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a common tumor with poor prognosis.The mitochondrial Kv1.3 ion channel blocker induced mitochondrial sphingosine.Sphingosine binds to cardiolipin thereby mediating mitochondrial depolarization.Sphingosine is formed by a PAPTP-mediated activation of S1P-Phosphatase.Inhibition of sphingosine-consumption amplifies PAPTP effects on PDAC in vivo.

Evaluation of cytotoxic effect of siphonochilone from African ginger: an in vitro analysis.

Plants provide a wide array of compounds that can be explored for potential anticancer properties. Siphonochilone, a furanoterpene that represents one of the main components of the African plant Siphonochilus aethiopicus, shows numerous health benefits. However, to date, its antiproliferative properties have not been tested. The aim of this study was to analyze the cytotoxic effects of siphonochilone on a panel of cancer cell lines and its underlying mechanism of action. Our results demonstrated that siphonochilone exhibited significant cytotoxic effects on pancreatic, breast, lung, colon, and liver cancer cell lines showing a IC50 ranging from 22 to 124 μM at 72 h of treatment and highlighting its cytotoxic effect against MCF7 and PANC1 breast and pancreas cancer cell lines (22.03 and 39.03 μM, respectively). Cell death in these tumor lines was mediated by apoptosis by the mitochondrial pathway, as evidenced by siphonochilone-induced depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, siphonochilone treatment involves the generation of reactive oxygen species that may contribute to apoptosis induction. In this work, we described for the first time the cytotoxic properties of siphonochilone and provided data about the molecular processes of cell death. Although future studies will be necessary, our results support the interest in this molecule in relation to their clinical application in cancer, and especially in breast and pancreatic cancer.

CHES1 modulated tumorigenesis and senescence of pancreas cancer cells through repressing AKR1B10

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), is characteristic by a heterogeneous tumor microenvironment and gene mutations, conveys a dismal prognosis and low response to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Here, we found that checkpoint suppressor 1 (CHES1) served as a tumor repressor in PDAC and was associated with patient prognosis. Functional experiments indicated that CHES1 suppressed the proliferation and invasion of PDAC by modulating cellular senescence. To further identify the downstream factor of CHES1 in PDAC, label-free quantitative proteomics analysis was conducted, which showed that the oncogenic Aldo-keto reductase 1B10 (AKR1B10) was transcriptionally repressed by CHES1 in PDAC. And AKR1B10 facilitated the malignant activity and repressed senescent phenotype of PDAC cells. Moreover, pharmaceutical inhibition of AKR1B10 with Oleanolic acid (OA) significantly induced tumor regression and sensitized PDAC cells to gemcitabine, and this combined therapy did not cause obvious side effects. Rescued experiments revealed that CHES1 regulated the tumorigenesis and gemcitabine sensitivity through AKR1B10-mediated senescence in PDAC. In summary, this study revealed that the CHES1/AKR1B10 axis modulated the progression and cellular senescence in PDAC, which might provide revenues for drug-targeting and senescence-inducing therapies for PDAC.

Abstract 2027: Serological assessment of cancer associated myo-fibroblast (myCAF) activity by collagen pro-peptide biomarkers provides high prognostic power

Abstract Background: Myofibroblast Cancer Associated Fibroblasts (myCAFs) are the main tumor fibrosis drivers and hence different from inflammatory CAFs (iCAFs). MyCAFs are emerging as an important tool for understanding tumor biology. CAFs produce type III, V, VI and XI collagen that are the essential components of tumor fibrosis. Pro-peptides of these collagens can be quantified both in serum with the PRO-C3, PRO-C5, PRO-C6 and PRO-C11 biomarkers where they are prognostic for poor overall survival in patients with various solid tumor types and may be applied in vitro. Here we investigated the association and difference between myCAFs and iCAFs and their collagen expression profile and related that to data available data on serological assessments of PRO-C3, PRO-C5, PRO-C6 and PRO-C11, and cultured CAFs. Methods: The collagen expression in CAF subtypes were established from publicly available single-cell RNA-Seq dataset from pancreas cancer (PMID: 31273297) and non-small cell lung cancer (PMID: 36973297). In addition, we generated a biomarker profile using PRO-C3, PRO-C5, PRO-C6 and PRO-C11 ELISA to measure in serum of 220 patients with various solid tumor types and 33 healthy controls. We cultured CAFs in vitro and measured the same biomarkers in conditioned medium. We compared the result to historical PRO-C3, PRO-C6 and PRO-C11 prognostic data for pancreas cancer patient data. Results: Based on the single-cell RNA-Seq dataset, while type III and type VI collagen were found expressed in fibroblasts both from normal tissues and tumor tissues whereas type V collagen and XI collagen were found almost exclusively expressed in CAFs (tumor tissue). When further examining the CAF subtypes, type III collagen and VI collagen were found expressed in both myCAFs and iCAFs whereas type V collagen and XI collagen were found almost exclusively expressed in myCAFs and not iCAFs. Moreover, in the 220 patients, PRO-C3 and PRO-C6 was elevated in elevated in a few cancer types (p<0.05-0.01) with an inter-patient variation ~2-fold whereas PRO-C5 and PRO-C11 were elevated in all cancer types (p<0.0001) with a ~5-fold inter-patient variation. These four biomarkers identified different pancreas cancer patients endotypes all with poor overall survival, P<0.001. In direct alignment, collagen pro-peptides we highly upregulated in cultures of CAFs. Conclusions: Profiling collagen expression in fibroblast from PDAC and NSCLC reveals that type V collagen and type XI collagen are exclusively found in myCAF not iCAF. Biomarkers of these collagens can be measured in serum from cancer patients and are prognostic for poor overall survival. Thus, these data suggest that cancer associated myo-fibroblast (myCAF) activity can be assessed non-invasively by specific collagen pro-peptide biomarkers. Citation Format: Nicholas Willumsen, Neel I. Nissen, Morten A. Karsdal. Serological assessment of cancer associated myo-fibroblast (myCAF) activity by collagen pro-peptide biomarkers provides high prognostic power [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2027.

Abstract 7236: Selective deletion of the KRAS mutant gene with ADGN-123 and ADGN-121 peptide-RNA nanoparticles: A new strategy to overcome acquired resistance to KRASG12C and KRASG12D small molecule inhibitors

Abstract KRAS codon12 mutations are among the most commonly observed mutations in cancers. Recently, KRASG12C inhibitors (sotorasib and adagrasib) have been approved and KRASG12D inhibitor MTRX-1133 has shown preclinical efficacy in KRASG12D mutated cancers. However, these inhibitors are limited by adaptive resistance, mainly associated with the emergence of secondary KRAS mutations, activation of feedback pathway and amplification of KRASG12C allele. We have developed a new potent strategy combining gene editing with tumor selective peptide nanoparticles, to overcome acquired resistance to KRASG12C and KRASG12D inhibitors. ADGN-123 and ADGN-121 are gene-editing complexes containing proprietary sgRNA targeting KRASG12C and KRASG12D respectively, complexed with proprietary peptides. ADGN-123 and ADGN-121 were evaluated on pancreas, colorectal, and lung cancer cells harboring KRASG12C or G12D mutations. ADGN-123 was evaluated on NCI-H358 and Mia-PACA generated clones resistant to sotorasib/adagrasib and harboring KRASG12C,R68M and KRASG12C,Y96D secondary mutations. ADGN-121 was evaluated on ASPC-1 and PANC-1 generated clones resistance to MRTX-1133. In-vivo efficacy of IV-administered ADGN-121 (0.25-1.0 mg/kg, day 1 and 7) was evaluated in PANC-1 (KRASG12D) mouse xenografts. ADGN-123 and ADGN-121 selectively silenced KRASG12C and KRASG12D, respectively, in cancer cells resulting in inhibition of cell proliferation (IC50: 10-30 nM) and of the phosphorylation of ERK and AKT. we showed that ADGN-123 containing gRNAG12C/mRNACas9 blocks the proliferation (IC50 : 10-20 nM) of cells with secondary KRASG12C/R68M and KRASG12C/Y96D mutations or with KRAS in a permanent active state and effectively inhibits ERK phosphorylation. We showed that ADGN-121 containing gRNAG12D/mRNACas9 can effectively inhibit the proliferation (IC50 : 10-15 nM) of ASPC-1 MRTX-1133R and PANC-1 MRTX-1133R cells with high level of KRASG12D-GTP active state. No resistance was detected after ADGN-123 or ADGN-121 treatments. We demonstrated that only two IV-administrations of ADGN-121 containing gRNAG12D/mRNACas9 abolished PANC-1 tumor growth in a dose dependent manner, resulting in significant tumor regression at 1.0 mg/kg. In contrast, no effect on tumor growth was observed with nonspecific gRNA. ADGN treatments were well tolerated, with no signs of clinical toxicity detected after single or repeat administration. Our study provides a proof-of-concept that ADGN complexes can be applied to target driver mutations of cancers in vivo and permanently disrupt the oncogenic alleles, leading to major tumor regression. ADGN-123 and ADGN-121 constitute a potent alternative strategy to overcome resistance associated to small molecule inhibitors of KRASG12C and KRASG12D Citation Format: Gilles Divita, Audrey Grunenberger, Veronica Guzman-gonzalez, Elodie Czuba, Khadidja Boularache, Melanie Guidetti, Veronique Josserand, Neil Desai. Selective deletion of the KRAS mutant gene with ADGN-123 and ADGN-121 peptide-RNA nanoparticles: A new strategy to overcome acquired resistance to KRASG12C and KRASG12D small molecule inhibitors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 7236.

Identification of myoferlin as a mitochondria-associated membranes component required for calcium signaling in PDAC cell lines

BackgroundPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is an aggressive cancer type with one of the lowest survival rates due to late diagnosis and the absence of effective treatments. A better understanding of PDAC biology will help researchers to discover the Achilles’ heel of cancer cells. In that regard, our research team investigated the function of an emerging oncoprotein known as myoferlin. Myoferlin is overexpressed in PDAC and its silencing/targeting has been shown to affect cancer cell proliferation, migration, mitochondrial dynamics and metabolism. Nevertheless, our comprehension of myoferlin functions in cells remains limited. In this study, we aimed to understand the molecular mechanism linking myoferlin silencing to mitochondrial dynamics.MethodsExperiments were performed on two pancreas cancer cell lines, Panc-1 and MiaPaCa-2. Myoferlin localization on mitochondria was evaluated by immunofluorescence, proximity ligation assay, and cell fractionation. The presence of myoferlin in mitochondria-associated membranes was assessed by cell fractionation and its function in mitochondrial calcium transfer was evaluated using calcium flow experiments, proximity ligation assays, co-immunoprecipitation, and timelapse fluorescence microscopy in living cells.ResultsMyoferlin localization on mitochondria was investigated. Our results suggest that myoferlin is unlikely to be located on mitochondria. Instead, we identified myoferlin as a new component of mitochondria-associated membranes. Its silencing significantly reduces the mitochondrial calcium level upon stimulation, probably through myoferlin interaction with the inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptors 3.ConclusionsFor the first time, myoferlin was specifically demonstrated to be located in mitochondria-associated membranes where it participates to calcium flow. We hypothesized that this function explains our previous results on mitochondrial dynamics. This study improves our comprehension of myoferlin localization and function in cancer biology.

Abstract A039: Silencing MICAL2 expression in pancreatic cancer cells reduces IL-1A expression and inhibits tumor growth through a CD8+ T cell dependent mechanism

Abstract Introduction: Pancreatic cancer is characterized by desmoplastic, fibroinflammatory stroma. The crosstalk between cancer cells and their surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME) promotes disease progression, metastasis, and chemoresistance. We identified MICAL2 as a super-enhancer-associated gene in pancreatic cancer. MICAL2 (molecule interacting with Cas-L) proteins are flavin monooxygenases that promote actin depolymerization and indirectly regulate SRF transcription. In other work, we have found that MICAL2 promotes pancreatic cancer growth and progression. This study evaluated how MICAL2 pancreatic cancer cell expression modulates the PDAC tumor microenvironment. Methods: RNA-Seq analysis performed on human pancreas cancer cells (AsPC-1) before and after MICAL2 KD revealed differential regulation of IL-1α. We validated the expression of IL-1α in multiple human and mouse pancreas cancer cell lines by q-PCR. We next exposed human (h) and mouse (m) PSCs to conditioned media (CM) from cancer cells before and after MICAL2 KD and checked the expression of a-SMA, fibronectin, and Col1A and IL-6 genes by qPCR. KrasG12D/+; Trp53R172H/+; Pdx1-cre (KPC) cells with and without MICAL2 were orthotopically injected to assess the in vivo tumor growth and metastasis. Sc-RNA seq and Immunophenotyping were performed on Shcontrol (ShCNT) and MICAL2 (M2KD) KD tumors. CD8+ T cell depletion was done using an antibody-mediated approach. The adoptive transfer of CD8+ T cells extracted from MICAL2 KD tumors was done by tail vein injection. Results: MICAL2 KD resulted in the downregulation of the IL-1α gene in both human and mouse pancreas cancer cell lines (50% reduction, p<0.05). Human and mouse pancreatic stellate cells (hPSCs and mPSCs) co-cultured with cancer cells CM showed significant downregulation of a-SMA, fibronectin, Col1A, and IL-6 upon MICAL2 KD as compared to hPSCs and mPSCs co-cultured with ShCNT cells. Orthotopic injections of KPC MICAL2 KD cells led to decreased tumor growth as compared to ShCNT (0.26 gm vs. 1 gm, p = 0.008). Immunofluorescence (IF) revealed less α-SMA, PDGF-α, and IL-6 expression and reduced deposition of collagen and fibronectin in MICAL2 KD tumors. Single-cell RNA seq and flow cytometry studies of tumors harvested from both groups showed significantly increased infiltration of activated cytotoxic CD8+ T cells in MICAL2 KD tumors which was further confirmed by IF. Antibody-mediated depletion of CD8+ T cells in MICAL2 KD tumors abrogated their reduced tumor growth in both immune-hot and immune-cold KPC cell lines. Adoptive transfer of CD8+ T cells extracted from M2KD tumors significantly reduced ShCNT flank tumor growth. Conclusion: These data reveal that MICAL2 expression mediates tumor-stromal crosstalk through IL1A and creates an immunosuppressive environment in PDAC and suggests MICAL2 may be an attractive immunomodulatory target for pancreatic cancer therapy. Ongoing work is focused on dissecting the role of MICAL2 in priming the metastatic niche through the remodeling of the TME. Citation Format: Bharti Garg, EvanGeline Mose, Edgar Esparza, Jay Patel, Sarah Sass, Alexei Martsinkovskiy, Dawn Jacquish, Herve Tiriac, Andrew M. Lowy. Silencing MICAL2 expression in pancreatic cancer cells reduces IL-1A expression and inhibits tumor growth through a CD8+ T cell dependent mechanism [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Pancreatic Cancer; 2023 Sep 27-30; Boston, Massachusetts. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A039.

Evaluation of antioxidant properties and cytotoxicity of brown algae (nizamuddinia zanardinii) in uterine (hela) and pancreatic cancer cell lines (paca-2).

Pancreatic cancer and cervical cancer are among the most common cancers. Brown algae have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-fungal, antioxidant, and immune-boosting properties. This study investigated the antioxidant properties and the effect of brown algae extract on pancreatic and uterine cancer cells. In this study, Cervical (Hela) and pancreas (Paca-2) cancer cell lines were examined. The algae materials were extracted by sequential maceration method and amount of fucoxanthin content in the sample was determined by using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) system. The cytotoxic effect of different concentrations of brown algae was measured by the MTT assay. All statistical calculations for comparing IC50 were analyzed using Graph Pad Prism software. the algal sample contained an average of 102.52 ± 0.12μg of fucoxanthin per 100g. IC50 for 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydrogen peroxide free radical scavenging activity for methanolic extract was 2.02 and 11.98 ± 0.13 respectively. Brown algae in all fractions inhibited cell growth and survival. In Hela cell lines, the methanolic extract was the most effective inhibitor, while in Paca cell lines, hexane and methanolic extracts were particularly potent. The methanolic extract was more toxic than other fractions on Hela and Paca cell lines. This study highlights brown algae extracts strong anticancer effects on uterine and pancreatic cancer cells, suggesting its potential as a natural anticancer drug. Different fractions of the extract showed superior apoptotic and cytotoxic effects, with higher concentrations leading to increased apoptotic effects and reduced survival rates of cancer cells.

Development of a Novel CLDN18.2-directed Monoclonal Antibody and Antibody-Drug Conjugate for Treatment of CLDN18.2-Positive Cancers.

Gastric and pancreatic cancers are malignancies of high unmet clinical need. Expression of CLDN18.2 in these cancers, coupled with it's absence from most normal tissues, provides a potential therapeutic window against this target. We present preclinical development and characterization of a novel therapeutic mAb and antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting CLDN18.2. A humanized CLDN18.2 specific mAb, CLDN18.2-307-mAb, was generated through immunization in mice followed by full humanization of the mouse mAb sequences. Antibody clones were screened by flow cytometry for selective binding to membrane bound CLDN18.2. A CLDN18.2-directed ADC (CLDN18.2-307-ADC) was also generated by conjugating MMAE to CLDN18.2 mAb using a cleavable linker. Tissue expression of CLDN18.2 was determined by IHC assay using a CLDN18.2-specific mAb. CLDN18.2-307-mAb binds with high affinity to CLDN18.2-positive (CLDN18.2+) cells and induces antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). Treatment with this CLDN18.2-mAb blocked the growth of CLDN18.2+ gastric and pancreas cancer cell line xenograft (CDX) models. Upon binding to the extracellular domain of this target, the CLDN18.2-ADC/CLDN18.2 protein was internalized and subsequently localized to the lysosomal compartment inducing complete and sustained tumor regressions in CLDN18.2+ CDXs and patient-derived pancreatic cancer xenografts (PDX). A screen of human cancer tissues, by IHC, found 58% of gastric, 60% of gastroesophageal junction, and 20% of pancreatic adenocarcinomas to be positive for membrane expression of CLDN18.2. These data support clinical development of the CLDN18.2-307-mAb and CLDN18.2-307-ADC for treatment of CLDN18.2+ cancers. Both are now being investigated in phase I clinical studies.

Synthesis Folate-linked Chitosan-coated Quetiapine/BSA Nano-Carriers as the Efficient Targeted Anti-Cancer Drug Delivery System.

Quetiapine (QTP) has been known to suppress cancer progression in patients suffering from mental disorders. This study aimed to produce the folate-linked chitosan-coated quetiapine/BSA nano-carriers (FCQB-NCs) and evaluate their antioxidant, apoptotic, and anti-metastatic potentials on prostate, pancreas, colon, and breast cancer cell lines. The FCQB-NCs were designed, produced, and characterized using DLS, FESEM, FTIR, and Zeta potential techniques. The nano-carriers antioxidant activity was studied by applying ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP assays. The FCQB-NCs' cytotoxicity and apoptotic/metastatic properties were evaluated utilizing MTT assay and qPCR-based analysis for measuring the apoptotic (Nf-KB)/metastatic (MMP2, MMP9, and MMP13) gene expression, respectively. The AO/PI fluorescent cell staining, DAPI staining, and scratch assay methods were conducted to verify the apoptotic and anti-metastatic activities of FCQB-NCs. The 51-nm FCQB-NCs (PDI = 0.26) exhibited antioxidant activity and selectively decreased the MDA-MB-231 cancer cells' viability by inducing Nf-KB overexpression, which caused the apoptosis pathway activation. Moreover, the FCQB-NCs suppressed the MDA-MB-231 cells' metastatic activity by down-regulating the MMP2, MMP9, and MMP13 gene expression, verified by detecting the decreased migration rate. The FCQB-NCs selectively induced apoptosis and suppressed metastasis in the human breast cancer cell line, which can be attributed to the stepwise release of QTP in two primary (extra-cellular release) and secondary (intra-cellular release) phases. The efficient selective cytotoxic impact of FCQB-NCs can be due to the novel stepwise release mechanism of the FCQB-NCs based on the two-phase entrapment of QTP by BSA and chitosan molecules. Therefore, FCQB-NCs have the potential to be used as an efficient selective anti-breast cancer.

A TGF-β/KLF10 signaling axis regulates atrophy-associated genes to induce muscle wasting in pancreatic cancer

Cancer cachexia, and its associated complications, represent a large and currently untreatable roadblock to effective cancer management. Many potential therapies have been proposed and tested-including appetite stimulants, targeted cytokine blockers, and nutritional supplementation-yet highly effective therapies are lacking. Innovative approaches to treating cancer cachexia are needed. Members of the Kruppel-like factor (KLF) family play wide-ranging and important roles in the development, maintenance, and metabolism of skeletal muscle. Within the KLF family, we identified KLF10 upregulation in a multitude of wasting contexts-including in pancreatic, lung, and colon cancer mouse models as well as in human patients. We subsequently interrogated loss-of-function of KLF10 as a potential strategy to mitigate cancer associated muscle wasting. In vivo studies leveraging orthotopic implantation of pancreas cancer cells into wild-type and KLF10 KO mice revealed significant preservation of lean mass and robust suppression of pro-atrophy muscle-specific ubiquitin ligases Trim63 and Fbxo32, as well as other factors implicated in atrophy, calcium signaling, and autophagy. Bioinformatics analyses identified Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), a known inducer of KLF10 and cachexia promoting factor, as a key upstream regulator of KLF10. We provide direct in vivo evidence that KLF10 KO mice are resistant to the atrophic effects of TGF-β. ChIP-based binding studies demonstrated direct binding to Trim63, a known wasting-associated atrogene. Taken together, we report a critical role for the TGF-β/KLF10 axis in the etiology of pancreatic cancer-associated muscle wasting and highlight the utility of targeting KLF10 as a strategy to prevent muscle wasting and limit cancer-associated cachexia.

Roles of DNA Target in Cancer Cell-Selective Cytotoxicity by Dicopper Complexes with DNA Target/Ligand Conjugates.

The DNA target/ligand conjugates (HLX, X = Pn and Mn, n = 1-3) were synthesized where various lengths of -CONH(CH2CH2O)nCH2CH2NHCO- linkers with a 9-phenanthrenyl (P) or methyl (M) terminal as DNA targets replace the methyl group of 2,6-di(amide-tether cyclen)-p-cresol ligand (HL). DNA binding, DNA cleavage, cellular uptake, and cytotoxicity of [Cu2(μ-OH)(LX)](ClO4)2 (1X) are examined and compared with those of [Cu2(μ-OH)(L)](ClO4)2 (1) to clarify roles of DNA targets. Upon reaction of 1X with H2O2, μ-1,1-O2H complexes are formed for DNA cleavage. 1P1, 1P2, and 1P3 are 22-, 11-, 3-fold more active for conversion of Form II to III in the cleavage of supercoiled plasmid DNA with H2O2 than 1, where the short P-linker may fix a dicopper moiety within a small number of base pairs to facilitate DNA double-strand breaks (dsb). This enhances the proapoptotic activity of 1P1, 1P2, and 1P3, which are 30-, 12-, and 9.9-fold cytotoxic against HeLa cells than 1. DNA dsb and cytotoxicity are 44% correlated in 1P1-3 but 5% in 1M1-3, suggesting specific DNA binding of P-linkers and nonspecific binding of M-linkers in biological cells. 1P1-3 exert cancer cell-selective cytotoxicity against lung and pancreas cancer and normal cells where the short P-linker enhances the selectivity, but 1M1-3 do not. Intracellular visualization, apoptosis assay, and caspase activity assay clarify mitochondrial apoptosis caused by 1P1-3. The highest cancer cell selectivity of 1P1 may be enabled by the short P-linker promoting dsb of mitochondrial DNA with H2O2 increased by mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer cells.

Light-sheet autofluorescence lifetime imaging with a single-photon avalanche diode array.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) of the metabolic co-enzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) [NAD(P)H] is a popular method to monitor single-cell metabolism within unperturbed, living 3D systems. However, FLIM of NAD(P)H has not been performed in a light-sheet geometry, which is advantageous for rapid imaging of cells within live 3D samples. We aim to design, validate, and demonstrate a proof-of-concept light-sheet system for NAD(P)H FLIM. A single-photon avalanche diode camera was integrated into a light-sheet microscope to achieve optical sectioning and limit out-of-focus contributions for NAD(P)H FLIM of single cells. An NAD(P)H light-sheet FLIM system was built and validated with fluorescence lifetime standards and with time-course imaging of metabolic perturbations in pancreas cancer cells with 10s integration times. NAD(P)H light-sheet FLIM in vivo was demonstrated with live neutrophil imaging in a larval zebrafish tail wound also with 10s integration times. Finally, the theoretical and practical imaging speeds for NAD(P)H FLIM were compared across laser scanning and light-sheet geometries, indicating a to acquisition speed advantage for the light sheet compared to the laser scanning geometry. FLIM of NAD(P)H is feasible in a light-sheet geometry and is attractive for 3D live cell imaging applications, such as monitoring immune cell metabolism and migration within an organism.

Pancreas cancer cells upregulate LPAR4 in response to isolation stress to promote and ECM-enriched nice to support tumour initiation

Pancreas cancer cells upregulate LPAR4 in response to isolation stress to promote and ECM-enriched nice to support tumour initiation

Oxathiazinane derivatives display both antineoplastic and antibacterial activity: a structure activity study

PurposeThe Oxathiazinane substance class is characterized by a high diversity of chemical structures yet to be fully investigated. Our research group recently proved that the 1.4.5-oxathiazine-4.4-dioxide, known as substance GP-2250, possesses antineoplastic properties as shown on pancreatic carcinoma. This current study aims to gain insights into the structure and activity relationship of a series of different Oxathiazinanes regarding their antineoplastic activity and the potential correlation with antibacterial activity. We investigated the newly synthesized Oxathiazinane derivatives: 2255, 2256, 2287, 2289, 2293 and 2296 in comparison to GP-2250.MethodsThe antineoplastic effect was evaluated in different cancer entities (breast, skin, pancreas and colon cancer cell lines) by viability, proliferation, and cell migration assays in vitro. Disc diffusion tests were performed on various bacteria strains to examine the antibacterial potential. Additionally, reactive oxygen species (ROS) assays were conducted to investigate mechanistic aspects.ResultsThe substances GP-2250, 2293, 2289 and 2296 not only showed antineoplastic activity in four different cancer entities but also antibacterial effects, as tested on multiple bacteria strains including MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Furthermore, these substances also induced high ROS levels up to 110% in the treated cancer cell lines compared to untreated control cells. These results indicate a correlation between an antineoplastic capacity and antibacterial properties of these derivatives. Both activities appear to be ROS driven. The Oxathiazinane derivatives 2255, 2256 and 2287 lacked both, antineoplastic and antibacterial activity.ConclusionThus, a comparable structure activity relationship became apparent for both the antineoplastic and antibacterial activity.

Exploring the antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, and antitumor potentials of marine Streptomyces tunisiensis W4MT573222 pigment isolated from Abu-Qir sediments, Egypt

Due to the therapeutic importance of microbial pigments, these pigments are receiving the attention of researchers. In this present study 60 isolates were isolated from sediments of Abu-Qir coast of the Mediterranean sea, Alexandria, Egypt, out of which 12 were considered as pigmented actinomycetes. Streptomyces sp. W4 was characterized by small round green pigmented colonies when grown on starch-casein agar medium. The green pigment was extracted using a mixture of acetone-methanol (7:3 v/v). The antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiviral, and anticancer activities of the green pigment produced by Streptomyces sp.W4 were investigated. The pigment was characterized using FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, EDX and GC–MS. The results revealed that the pigment has antibacterial and antifungal activity and also showed inhibition of HAV 78% but its antiviral activity against the Adenovirus was weak. The results proved the safety of the pigment toward normal cells and anticancer activity against three different cancer cell lines HepG-2 (liver cancer cell line), A549 (lung cancer cell line), and PAN1 (pancreas cancer cell line). The pigment was combined with 9 antibiotics and then tested against the Gram-negative bacterium Enterococcus faecalis using disc diffusion bioassay. LEV showed an antagonistic effect, while CXM and CIP showed a synergistic effect.

Abstract LB351: A novel mouse model to interrogate the functional relationship between protein synthesis and antigen presentation in cancer

Abstract Antigen presentation is a fundamental component of cancer immunity. Cytotoxic CD8+ T cells, the primary mediators of cell killing, recognize peptide antigens presented in the context of Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I (MHC-I). MHC-I presents an astoundingly diverse array of peptides, collectively known as the immunopeptidome. The biosynthesis of the immunopeptidome, which integrates gene expression, protein synthesis, and proteolytic processing, is not well understood. Additionally, most studies interrogating the immunopeptidome use cultured cells in vitro, which lack physiologically relevant stimuli. In contrast, in vivo studies utilize bulk tumor or tissue lysates, in which heterogeneous cell mixtures obscure the ability to understand cell type or disease specific patterns of antigen presentation. The technical limitations have hampered our understanding of the cancer immunopeptidome in physiologically relevant tumor microenvironments in vivo. Here we present a novel genetically engineered mouse model (GEMM) of cancer, that includes KrasLox-Stop-Lox-G12D; p53fl/fl; a Cre conditionally tagged MHC-I (KbStrep), and a Cre conditionally tagged ribosome (Rpl22HA/HA), termed the “KP/RiboMHC” mouse model. The KP/RiboMHC model enables simultaneous purification of ribosomes and peptide MHC complexes to functionally interrogate translational dynamics and antigen presentation in vivo. We developed optimized workflows to perform simultaneous ribosome profiling and immunopeptidomics from lung and pancreas cancer cell lines in vitro and specifically from malignant cells in vivo. Thus, the KP/RiboMHC model provides an unprecedented opportunity to ask fundamental questions regarding the influence of physiological stimuli in the tumor microenvironment on the biosynthesis of the immunopeptidome. Insights gained using this mouse will pave the way forward for the development of context specific, peptide-centric cancer immunotherapies. Citation Format: Alex M. Jaeger, Andrew Weeden, Anika Ali. A novel mouse model to interrogate the functional relationship between protein synthesis and antigen presentation in cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 2 (Clinical Trials and Late-Breaking Research); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(8_Suppl):Abstract nr LB351.

Abstract 1717: KRAS mutant gene editing prevents tumor growth in vivo and overcomes acquired resistance to KRASG12C inhibitor

Abstract Mutations on KRAS codon12 are among the most commonly observed mutations in pancreatic, colorectal and lung cancers. To date, only treatment targeting KRASG12C mutation have been successful in the clinic and approved. However, it is hampered by adaptive resistance, mainly associated with the emergence of other KRAS mutations and high amplification of KRASG12C allele. We have developed a new potent strategy combining gene editing with a tumor selective nanocarrier, to impair cancer cell proliferation by directly targeting G12D, G12V,and G12C mutations of the KRAS oncogene. ADGN-121, ADGN-122 and ADGN-123 are gene-editing complexes containing proprietary sgRNA targeting KRASG12D, KRASG12V or KRASG12C with mRNACas9 complexed with proprietary short amphipathic peptides that form stable neutral nanoparticles. The complexes were evaluated on pancreas, colorectal and lung cancer cells harboring KRASG12D, V, or C mutations. KRAS mutant indel frequency was evaluated by T7E1 method. In-vivo efficacy of IV-administered ADGN/mRNACas9gRNA (0.25-1.0mg/kg, 2 injections at day 1 & 7) was evaluated in Panc1 (KRASG12D) and SW403 (KRASG12V) mouse xenografts. ADGN-123 in combination with AMG-510 (KRASG12C inhibitor) was evaluated on H358, PACA2 and SW837 cells, exhibiting an acquired resistance to AMG-510. ADGN-121,-122 and -123 efficiently and selectively silenced KRASG12D, KRASG12V KRASG12C , respectively, in colorectal, pancreatic and lung cancer cells resulting in reduction of cell proliferation by 80% and inhibition of ERK and/or AKT phosphorylation. Only two IV-administrations of ADGN-121 containing gRNAG12D abolished Panc1 tumor growth in a dose dependent manner, resulting in tumor regression of 60-70% at 1.0mg/kg. ADGN-122 containing gRNAG12V abolished SW403 tumor growth with a tumor regression of 70% at 1.0 mg/kg. In contrast, no effect on tumor growth was observed with nonspecific gRNA. The combinations of ADGNs with drugs currently used on clinic have been evaluated. We demonstrated a synergistic combination ADGN-121/Abraxane in pancreatic carcinoma and ADGN-122/Capecitabine in colon Adenocarcinoma. We showed, that ADGN-123 containing gRNAG12C can effectively reduce the proliferation and inhibit ERK and AKT phosphorylation of AMG-510 acquired resistance cells and that no resistance occurs after ADGN-123 treatment. ADGN treatments are well tolerated, no sign of clinical toxicity, inflammatory response or emergence of other KRAS mutation was detected after single or repeated administrations. ADGNs were effective in targeting selectively mutated KRAS both in vitro and in vivo. Our study provides a proof-of-concept that ADGN can be applied to target driver mutations of cancers in vivo and permanently disrupt the oncogenic alleles, leading to major tumor regression. ADGN-123 can be used as a strategy to overcome resistance associated to small molecule inhibitors of KRASG12C. Citation Format: Gilles Divita, Veronica Guzman-Gonzales, Audrey Grunenberger, Elodie Czuba, Melanie Guidetti, Veronique Josserand, Neil Desai. KRAS mutant gene editing prevents tumor growth in vivo and overcomes acquired resistance to KRASG12C inhibitor [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 1717.