Search

Impairment of normal hematopoiesis and leukemia progression are 2 well-linked processes during leukemia development and are controlled by the bone marrow (BM) niche. Extracellular matrix proteins, including laminin, are important BM niche components. However, their role in hematopoiesis regeneration and leukemia is unknown. Laminin α4 (Lama4), a major receptor-binding chain of several laminins, is altered in BM niches in mice with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). So far, the impact of Lama4 on leukemia progression remains unknown. We here report that Lama4 deletion in mice resulted in impaired hematopoiesis regeneration following irradiation-induced stress, which is accompanied by altered BM niche composition and inflammation. Importantly, in a transplantation-induced MLL-AF9 AML mouse model, we demonstrate accelerated AML progression and relapse in Lama4-/- mice. Upon AML exposure, Lama4-/- mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exhibited dramatic molecular alterations, including upregulation of inflammatory cytokines that favor AML growth. Lama4-/- MSCs displayed increased antioxidant activities and promoted AML stem cell proliferation and chemoresistance to cytarabine, which was accompanied by increased mitochondrial transfer from the MSCs to AML cells and reduced reactive oxygen species in AML cells in vitro. Similarly, we detected lower levels of reactive oxygen species in AML cells from Lama4-/- mice post-cytarabine treatment. Notably, LAMA4 inhibition or knockdown in human MSCs promoted human AML cell proliferation and chemoprotection. Together, our study for the first time demonstrates the critical role of Lama4 in impeding AML progression and chemoresistance. Targeting Lama4 signaling pathways may offer potential new therapeutic options for AML., (© 2022 by The American Society of Hematology.)

p53 is a tumor suppressor, which belongs to the p53 family of proteins. The family consists of p53, p63 and p73 proteins, which share similar structure and function. Activation of wild-type p53 or TAp73 in tumors leads to tumor regression, and small molecules restoring the p53 pathway are in clinical development. Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), a metabolite of aminolevulinic acid, is a clinically approved drug applied in photodynamic diagnosis and therapy. PpIX induces p53-dependent and TAp73-dependent apoptosis and inhibits TAp73/MDM2 and TAp73/MDM4 interactions. Here we demonstrate that PpIX is a dual inhibitor of p53/MDM2 and p53/MDM4 interactions and activates apoptosis in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells without illumination and without affecting normal cells. PpIX stabilizes p53 and TAp73 proteins, induces p53-downstream apoptotic targets and provokes cancer cell death at doses non-toxic to normal cells. Our findings open up new opportunities for repurposing PpIX for treating lymphoblastic leukemia with wild-type  TP53 ., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Aim: TAp73 is a tumor suppressor, which compensates for p53 loss and induces apoptosis in tumors in response to genotoxic stress or small-molecule treatments. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma has a late onset of the disease, responds poorly to the existing therapies and has a very low survival rates., Result: Here, using drug-repurposing approach, we found that protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) and benzoporphyrin derivative (BPD) monoacid ring A activate TAp73 and induce apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells. PpIX and BPD induce reactive oxygen species and inhibit thioredoxin reductase 1., Conclusion: Thus, PpIX and BPD target cancer cells' vulnerabilities namely activate TAp73 tumor suppressor and inhibit oncogenic Trx1. Our findings may contribute to faster repurposing of PpIX and BPD to treat pancreatic tumors., Competing Interests: Financial & competing interests disclosure The work has been supported by Karolinska Institutet/MD Anderson Cancer Center Sister Institution Network Fund (SINF) and The Strategic Research Program in Cancer (StratCan), Stockholm Läns Landsting (SLL) and Åke Wibergs stiftelse. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Background: The p73 protein is a tumor suppressor that shares structural and functional similarity with p53. p73 is expressed in two major isoforms; the TA isoform that interacts with p53 pathway, thus acting as tumor suppressor and the N-terminal truncated ΔN isoform that inhibits TAp73 and p53 and thus, acts as an oncogene., Results: By employing a drug repurposing approach, we found that protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), a metabolite of aminolevulinic acid applied in photodynamic therapy of cancer, stabilizes TAp73 and activates TAp73-dependent apoptosis in cancer cells lacking p53. The mechanism of TAp73 activation is via disruption of TAp73/MDM2 and TAp73/MDMX interactions and inhibition of TAp73 degradation by ubiquitin ligase Itch. Finally, PpIX showed potent antitumor effect and inhibited the growth of xenograft human tumors in mice., Conclusion: Our findings may in future contribute to the successful repurposing of PpIX into clinical practice.

The TP53 tumor suppressor gene is frequently inactivated in human tumors by missense mutations in the DNA binding domain. TP53 mutations lead to protein unfolding, decreased thermostability and loss of DNA binding and transcription factor function. Pharmacological targeting of mutant p53 to restore its tumor suppressor function is a promising strategy for cancer therapy. The mutant p53 reactivating compound APR-246 (PRIMA-1 Met ) has been successfully tested in a phase I/IIa clinical trial. APR-246 is converted to the reactive electrophile methylene quinuclidinone (MQ), which binds covalently to p53 core domain. We identified cysteine 277 as a prime binding target for MQ in p53. Cys277 is also essential for MQ-mediated thermostabilization of wild-type, R175H and R273H mutant p53, while both Cys124 and Cys277 are required for APR-246-mediated functional restoration of R175H mutant p53 in living tumor cells. These findings may open opportunities for rational design of novel mutant p53-targeting compounds.

TP53 is one of the genes most frequently inactivated in cancers. Mutations in TP53 gene are linked to worse prognosis and shorter overall survival of cancer patients. TP53 encodes a critical tumor suppressor, which dictates cell fate decisions upon stress stimuli. As a sensor of cellular stress, p53 is a relevant messenger of cell death signaling in ROS-driven photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer. The significant role of p53 in response to PDT has been reported for several clinically approved photosensitizers. Multiple reports described that wild-type p53 contributes to cell killing upon photodynamic therapy with clinically approved photosensitizers but the mechanism is still not fully understood. This work outlines the diverse functions of p53 family members in cancer cells' susceptibility and resistance to PDT. In summary p53 and p53 family members are emerging as important mediators of cell death signaling in photodynamic therapy of cancer, however the mechanism of cell death provoked during PDT might differ depending on the tissue type and the photosensitizer applied.

Developing drug-like molecules to inhibit the interactions formed by disordered proteins is desirable due to the high correlation of disorder with protein implicated in disease, but is challenging due in part to the lack of atomistically resolved and resolvable structures from conformationally dynamic systems. Ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS) is well-positioned to assess protein ligand interactions along with the effect of a given inhibitor on conformation. Here we demonstrate the use of IM-MS to characterize the effect of two inhibitors RITA and Nutlin-3 on their respective binding partners: p53 and MDM2. RITA binds N-terminal transactivation domain of p53 (Np53) weakly, preventing direct observation of the complex in the gas phase. Nonetheless, upon incubation with RITA, we observe an alteration in the charge state distribution and in the conformational distributions adopted by Np53 in the gas phase. This finding supports the hypothesis that RITAs mode of action proceeds via a conformational change in p53. Circular dichroism corroborates our gas phase findings, showing a slight increase in secondary structure content on ligand incubation, and HDX-MS experiments also highlight the dynamic properties of this protein. Using the same approach we present data to show the effect of Nutlin-3 binding to the N-terminal domain of MDM2 (N-MDM2), N-MDM2 presents as at least two conformational families in the absence of Nutlin-3. Upon Nutlin-3 binding, the protein undergoes a compaction event similar to that exhibited by RITA on Np53. This multi-technique approach highlights the inherent disorder in these systems; and in particular exemplifies the power of IM-MS as a technique to study transient interactions between small molecule inhibitors and intrinsically disordered proteins.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death-related cancers in women. Approximately 30% of breast cancers overexpress the Her2 oncogene, which is associated with a poor prognosis and increased resistance to chemotherapy. Plumbagin (1), a constituent of species in the plant genera Drosera and Plumbago, displays antineoplastic activity toward various cancers. The present study was aimed at determining the anticancer potential of 1 toward Her2-overexpressing breast cancer cells and defining the mode of cell death induced in these cells. The results showed that 1 exhibited high antiproliferative activity toward the Her2-overexpressing cell lines SKBR3 and BT474. The antiproliferative activity of 1 was associated with apoptosis-mediated cell death, as revealed by caspase activation and an increase in the sub-G1 fraction of the cell cycle. Compound 1 increased the levels of the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family of proteins and decreased the level of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein in SKBR3 and BT474 cells. Thus, these findings indicate that 1 induces apoptosis in Her2-overexpressing breast cancers through the mitochondrial-mediated pathway and suggest its potential for further investigation for the treatment of Her2-overexpressing breast cancer., (© 2012 American Chemical Society and American Society of Pharmacognosy)

Ramentaceone (1) is a naphthoquinone constituent of Drosera aliciae that exhibits potent cytotoxic activity against various tumor cell lines. However, its molecular mechanism of cell death induction has still not been determined. The present study demonstrates that 1 induces apoptosis in human leukemia HL-60 cells. Typical morphological and biochemical features of apoptosis were observed in 1-treated cells. Compound 1 induced a concentration-dependent increase in the sub-G1 fraction of the cell cycle. A decrease in the mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨm) was also observed. Furthermore, 1 reduced the ratio of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 to pro-apoptotic Bax and Bak, induced cytochrome c release, and increased the activity of caspase 3. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected in 1-treated HL-60 cells, which was attenuated by the pretreatment of cells with a free radical scavenger, N-acetylcysteine (NAC). NAC also prevented the increase of the sub-G1 fraction induced by 1. These results indicate that ramentaceone induces cell death through the ROS-mediated mitochondrial pathway.

Unique sensitivity of tumor cells to the inhibition of glycolysis is a good target for anticancer therapy. Here, we demonstrate that the pharmacologically activated tumor suppressor p53 mediates the inhibition of glycolytic enzymes in cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. We showed that p53 binds to the promoters of metabolic genes and represses their expression, including glucose transporters SLC2A12 (GLUT12) and SLC2A1 (GLUT1). Furthermore, p53-mediated repression of transcription factors c-Myc and HIF1α, key drivers of ATP-generating pathways in tumors, contributed to ATP production block. Inhibition of c-Myc by p53 mediated the ablation of several glycolytic genes in normoxia, whereas in hypoxia down-regulation of HIF1α contributed to this effect. We identified Sp1 as a transcription cofactor cooperating with p53 in the ablation of metabolic genes. Using different approaches, we demonstrated that glycolysis block contributes to the robust induction of apoptosis by p53 in cancer cells. Taken together, our data suggest that tumor-specific reinstatement of p53 function targets the "Achilles heel" of cancer cells (i.e. their dependence on glycolysis), which could contribute to the tumor-selective killing of cancer cells by pharmacologically activated p53.

The p53 tumor suppressor is recognized as a promising target for anti-cancer therapies. We previously reported that protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) disrupts the p53/murine double minute 2 (MDM2) complex and leads to p53 accumulation and activation of apoptosis in HCT 116 cells. Here we show the direct binding of PpIX to the N-terminal domain of p53. Furthermore, we addressed the induction of apoptosis in HCT 116 p53-null cells by PpIX and revealed interactions between PpIX and p73. We propose that PpIX disrupts the p53/MDM2 or MDMX and p73/MDM2 complexes and thereby activates the p53- or p73-dependent cancer cell death., (Copyright © 2010 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The emergence of antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacteria has caused an urgent need for the development of alternative therapeutics. One possibility is a combination of nontoxic photosensitizers (PS) and visible light, recognized as photodynamic therapy. Although it is known that Staphylococcus aureus is susceptible to photodynamic inactivation (PDI), the factors that determine the emerging variation among strains in the response to the treatment remain unclear. Some data indicate that cationic photosensitizing dyes such as phenothiaziniums which vary a lot in the chemical structure might target multidrug resistance pumps. In this study, we analyzed whether the uptake and activity of the multidrug resistance pumps might influence the previously observed variations among the clinical strains to protoporphyrin-derived, amphipilic protoporphyrin diarginate-mediated photodynamic treatment (12 J cm(-2) ). Using a new set of four additionally selected methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible clinical as well as ATCC S. aureus strains we confirmed that the bactericidal effect of the PDI is strain-dependent as it ranged from 0 to 5 log(10) -unit reduction in viable counts. However, neither the variable levels of the uptaken PS nor the pharmacological inhibition of NorA efflux pump explained such a phenomenon., (© 2010 The Authors. Journal Compilation. The American Society of Photobiology.)

A powerful tumor suppressor--p53 protein is a transcription factor which plays a critical role in eliciting cellular responses to a variety of stress signals, including DNA damage, hypoxia and aberrant proliferative signals, such as oncogene activation. Since its discovery thirty one years ago, p53 has been connected to tumorigenesis as it accumulates in the transformed tumor cells. Cellular stress induces stabilization of p53 and promotes, depending on the stress level, cell cycle arrest or apoptosis in the irreversibly damaged cells. The p53 protein is found inactive in more than 50% of human tumors either by enhanced proteasomal degradation or due to the inactivating point mutations in its gene. Numerous data indicate that low molecular weight compounds, identified by molecular modeling or in the functional, cell-based assays, efficiently activate non-mutated p53 in cancer cells which in consequence leads to their elimination due to p53-dependent apoptosis. In this work we describe the structure and cellular function of p53 as well as the latest discoveries on the compounds with high anti-tumor activities aiming at reactivation of the tumor suppressor function of p53.

p73 protein belongs, together with p63, to the p53 family. It is a relatively poorly studied structural and functional homolog of the well-described tumor suppressor protein p53, also known as the guardian of the genome. p73 protein, like p53, becomes activated by, for example, DNA damaging agents and it targets the same promoter sequences as p53. Both proteins participate in pathways of signal transduction whose activation leads to apoptosis induction or cell-cycle arrest. Studies concerning anticancer treatment focusing on the activation of p53 have been carried out extensively for about 10 years. It appears that a similar therapeutic strategy can be successfully applied in p73 activation as well. Unlike the TP53 gene, the gene encoding p73 protein is rarely mutated in tumors although the protein is found to be inactive. This can become very useful when designing molecules which will selectively activate p73 and consequently induce cancer-cell death. The aim of the present study was to describe in detail the structure, function, as well as cellular regulation of p73 in light of its therapeutic potential.

The discovery of the p53 tumor suppressor protein in 1979 shed new light on cancer cell biology and introduced a trend in cancer research focusing on p53-like proteins. This in turn led to the discovery of two homologous proteins of p53-p63 in 1998 and p73 in 1997. The p53 family members are mainly involved in apoptosis induction under cellular stress, but also in early embryonic developmental processes. The p63 and p73 proteins activate the transcription of a number of p53 target genes. The precise role of p63 in cancer cells is not fully revealed yet, unlike that of p53 and p73. The p53 tumor suppressor protein is found inactive in approximately 50% of human cancers. However, p73 is not as often inactivated in tumors. Of importance, transcriptionally active forms of p73 induce apoptosis in cancer cells independent of p53 status. Moreover, the regulatory mechanisms governing p73 stability in cells are well described. These features promoted the research concerning p73-targeted anti-cancer treatment. The p73 protein is subject to sophisticated activatory and inhibitory regulatory mechanisms. The up-to-date anti-cancer compounds targeting p73 protein in vitro inhibit its negative regulators, which leads to the activation of p73 pro-apoptotic function in cancer cells. In the current review we present the recent scientific findings on p73 regulation in cells and the newest anti-cancer strategies concerning its tumor suppressor function.

The Fhit tumor suppressor protein possesses Ap(3)A (diadenosine triphosphate - ApppA) hydrolytic activity in vitro and its gene is found inactive in many pre-malignant states due to gene inactivation. For several years Fhit has been a widely investigated protein as its cellular function still remains largely unsolved. Fhit was shown to act as a molecular 'switch' of cell death via cascade operating on the influence of ATR-Chk1 pathway but also through the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Notably, Fhit was reported by our group to enhance the overall eradication effect of porphyrin-mediated photodynamic treatment (PDT). In this review the up-to-date findings on Fhit protein as a tumor suppressor and its role in PDT are presented.

Thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR1) is a key regulator in many redox-dependent cellular pathways, and is often overexpressed in cancer. Several studies have identified TrxR1 as a potentially important target for anticancer therapy. The low molecular weight compound RITA (NSC 652287) binds p53 and induces p53-dependent apoptosis. Here we found that RITA also targets TrxR1 by non-covalent binding, followed by inhibition of its activity in vitro and by inhibition of TrxR activity in cancer cells. Interestingly, a novel approximately 130 kDa form of TrxR1, presumably representing a stable covalently linked dimer, and an increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were induced by RITA in cancer cells in a p53-dependent manner. Similarly, the gold-based TrxR inhibitor auranofin induced apoptosis related to oxidative stress, but independently of p53 and without apparent induction of the approximately 130 kDa form of TrxR1. In contrast to the effects observed in cancer cells, RITA did not inhibit TrxR or ROS formation in normal fibroblasts (NHDF). The inhibition of TrxR1 can sensitize tumor cells to agents that induce oxidative stress and may directly trigger cell death. Thus, our results suggest that a unique p53-dependent effect of RITA on TrxR1 in cancer cells might synergize with p53-dependent induction of pro-apoptotic genes and oxidative stress, thereby leading to a robust induction of cancer cell death, without affecting non-transformed cells.

The tumor suppressor Fhit protein lost in many human pre-malignant tissues, possesses diadenosine triphosphate activity regulated by a photosensitizer, protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in vitro. Interestingly, when exogenously restored, the protein suppresses the growth of human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells which is further enhanced by PpIX. Additionally, Fhit production enhances the overall response of cells to PpIX-mediated photodynamic reaction. In the present study, we have estimated, for the first time, the biological activity of two Fhit mutated forms exhibiting aberrant Ap(3)A hydrolase activity in vitro which emphasizes the recent findings that hydrolysis of Ap(3)A is not necessary for Fhit tumor suppression function. Using several biophysical methods we revealed the dynamic nature of mutant Fhit-PpIX complexes in vitro which support our previous hypothesis that Fhit-Ap(3)A-PpIX might be a signaling molecule driving apoptosis in cancer cells. Moreover, according to our findings, substitution at histidine94 in Fhit active site induces the vulnerability of HeLa cells to PpIX-PDT in a similar manner to that caused by wild-type Fhit protein. These results support the view that inhibition of Fhit hydrolase activity might be a crucial element in a Fhit-driven cancer cells death.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising modality for the treatment of both pre-malignant and malignant lesions. The mechanism of action converges mainly on the generation of reactive oxygen species which damage cancer cells directly as well as indirectly acting on tumor vasculature. The exact mechanism of PDT action is not fully understood, which is a formidable barrier to its successful clinical application. Elucidation of the mechanisms of cancer cell elimination by PDT might help in establishing highly specific, non-genotoxic anti-cancer treatment of tomorrow. One of the candidate PDT targets is the well-known tumor suppressor p53 protein recognized as the guardian of the genome. Together with its family members, p73 and p63 proteins, p53 is involved in apoptosis induction upon stress stimuli. The wild-type and mutant p53-targeting chemotherapeutics are currently extensively investigated as a promising strategy for highly specific anti-cancer therapy. In photodynamic therapy porphyrinogenic sensitizers are the most widely used compounds due to their potent biophysical and biochemical properties. Recent data suggest that the p53 tumor suppressor protein might play a significant role in porphyrin-PDT-mediated cell death by direct interaction with the drug which leads to its accumulation and induction of p53-dependent cell death both in the dark and upon irradiation. In this review we describe the available evidence on the role of p53 in PDT.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) combining treatment with a light-excited compound and laser light induction, via cellular ROS generation, kills cancer cells by damaging organelles and impairing metabolic pathways. As the exact mechanisms underlying cancer cell death due to PDT treatment remain controversial, the influence of photosensitizer itself, protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) on cancer cells was investigated. The concentration-dependent viability of HeLa cells was estimated after PpIX-treatment. Microscopic analyses revealed that treated cells exhibited apoptosis-like morphology: blebbing, chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation, asymmetry of cellular membrane. These results shed a new light on cancer cell death due to PDT because they showed that PpIX can induce apoptosis without light excitation.

The product of human fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene is a tumor suppressor protein of still largely unknown cellular background. We have shown previously that it binds protoporphyrin IX (a photosensitizer) which alters its enzymatic activity in vitro. Fhit, diadenosine triphosphate (Ap3A) hydrolase, possesses the active site with histidine triad His-phi-His-phi-His-phiphi. So-called histidine Fhit mutants (His94Asn, His96Asn and His98Asn) exhibit highly reduced activity in vitro, however, their antitumor function has not been fully described yet. In this work we have cloned the cDNAs of histidine mutants into pPROEX-1 vector allowing the production of His6-fusion proteins. The mutated proteins: Fhit-H94N, Fhit-H96N and Fhit-H98N, were expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and purified (up to 95%) by an improved, one-step affinity chromatography on Ni-nitrilotriacetate resin. The final yield was 2 mg homogenous proteins from 1 g bacteria (wet wt). The activity of purified proteins was assessed by previously described assay. The same purification procedure yielded 0.8 mg/ml and highly active wild-type Fhit protein (Km value for Ap3A of 5.7 microM). Importantly, purified mutant forms of Fhit also interact with a photosensitizer, protoporphyrin IX in vitro.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer is an alternative treatment for tumors resistant to chemo- and radiotherapy. It induces cancer cell death mainly through generation of reactive oxygen species by a laser light-activated photosensitizer. It has been suggested that the p53 tumor suppressor protein sensitizes some human cancer cells to PDT. However, there is still no direct evidence for this. We have demonstrated here for the first time that the photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) binds to p53 and disrupts the interaction between p53 tumor suppressor protein and its negative regulator HDM2 in vitro and in cells. Moreover, HCT116 colon cancer cells exhibited a p53-dependent sensitivity to PpIX in a dose-dependent manner, as was demonstrated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis of cell cycle profiles. We have also observed induction of p53 target pro-apoptotic genes, e.g. puma (p53-up-regulated modulator of apoptosis), and bak in PpIX-treated cells. In addition, p53-independent growth suppression by PpIX was detected in p53-negative cells. PDT treatment (2 J/cm2) of HCT116 cells induced p53-dependent activation of pro-apoptotic gene expression followed by growth suppression and induction of apoptosis.

Fhit, the product of tumor suppressor fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene, exhibits antitumor activity of still largely unknown cellular background. However, it is believed that Fhit-Ap(3)A or Fhit-AMP complex might act as a second class messenger in cellular signal transduction pathway involved in cell proliferation and apoptosis. We demonstrate here for the first time that the photosensitizer, protoporphyrin IX (which is a natural precursor of heme) binds to Fhit protein and its mutants in the active site in vitro. Furthermore, PpIX inhibits the enzymatic activity of Fhit. Simultaneously, PpIX shows lower binding capacity to mutant Fhit-H96N of highly reduced hydrolase activity. In cell-based assay PpIX induced HeLa cell death in Fhit and Fhit-H96N-dependent manner which was measured by means of MTT assay. Moreover, HeLa cells stably expressing Fhit or mutant Fhit-H96N were more susceptible to protoporphyrin IX-mediated photodynamic therapy (2J/cm(2)) than parental cells.