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Bezielle selectively targets mitochondria of cancer cells to inhibit glycolysis and OXPHOS.

ABSTRACT: Bezielle (BZL101) is a candidate oral drug that has shown promising efficacy and excellent safety in the early phase clinical trials for advanced breast cancer. Bezielle is an aqueous extract from the herb Scutellaria barbata. We have reported previously that Bezielle was selectively cytotoxic to cancer cells while sparing non-transformed cells. In tumor, but not in non-transformed cells, Bezielle induced generation of ROS and severe DNA damage followed by hyperactivation of PARP, depletion of the cellular ATP and NAD, and inhibition of glycolysis. We show here that tumor cells' mitochondria are the primary source of reactive oxygen species induced by Bezielle. Treatment with Bezielle induces progressively higher levels of mitochondrial superoxide as well as peroxide-type ROS. Inhibition of mitochondrial respiration prevents generation of both types of ROS and protects cells from Bezielle-induced death. In addition to glycolysis, Bezielle inhibits oxidative phosphorylation in tumor cells and depletes mitochondrial reserve capacity depriving cells of the ability to produce ATP. Tumor cells lacking functional mitochondria maintain glycolytic activity in presence of Bezielle thus supporting the hypothesis that mitochondria are the primary target of Bezielle. The metabolic effects of Bezielle towards normal cells are not significant, in agreement with the low levels of oxidative damage that Bezielle inflicts on them. Bezielle is therefore a drug that selectively targets cancer cell mitochondria, and is distinguished from other such drugs by its ability to induce not only inhibition of OXPHOS but also of glycolysis. This study provides a better understanding of the mechanism of Bezielle's cytotoxicity, and the basis of its selectivity towards cancer cells.

SUBMITTER: Chen V

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3272024 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Bezielle selectively targets mitochondria of cancer cells to inhibit glycolysis and OXPHOS.

Chen Vivian V Staub Richard E RE Fong Sylvia S Tagliaferri Mary M Cohen Isaac I Shtivelman Emma E

PloS one 20120203 2

Bezielle (BZL101) is a candidate oral drug that has shown promising efficacy and excellent safety in the early phase clinical trials for advanced breast cancer. Bezielle is an aqueous extract from the herb Scutellaria barbata. We have reported previously that Bezielle was selectively cytotoxic to cancer cells while sparing non-transformed cells. In tumor, but not in non-transformed cells, Bezielle induced generation of ROS and severe DNA damage followed by hyperactivation of PARP, depletion of t ...[more]

PMID: 22319564

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Project description:Objective: identify novel and relevant aspects of Sorafenib action on liver cancer cells. We found that in rat hepatocholangiocarcinoma (LCSC-2) cells, exposure to the MEK/multikinase inhibitor sorafenib did not inhibit ERK phosphorylation nor induced appreciable cell death in the low micromolar range; instead, the drug elicited a raise of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accompanied by a severe decrease of oxygen consumption and intracellular ATP levels, all changes consistent with mitochondrial damage. Moreover, Sorafenib induced depolarization of isolated rat liver mitochondria, indicating a possible direct effect on the organelle. Microarray analysis of gene expression in sorafenib-trated cells revealed a metabolic reprogramming toward aerobic glycolysis, that likely accounts for resitance to drug toxicity in this cell line. Importantly, cytotoxicity was strongly potentiated by glucose withdrawal from the culture medium or by the glycolytic inhibitor 2-deoxy-glucose, a finding also confirmed in the highly malignant melanoma cell line B16F10. Mechanistic studies revealed that ROS are pivotal to cell killing by the Sorafenib + 2DG combination, and that a low content of intracellular oxidants is associated with resistance to the drug; instead, Thr172phosphorylation/activation of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), induced by Sorafenib, may exert protective effects, since cytotoxicity was enhanced by an AMPK specific inhibitor and prevented by the AMPK activator Metformin. Overall, this study identifies novel and relevant aspects of Sorafenib action on liver cancer cells, including mitochondrial damage, induction of ROS and a metabolic cell reprogramming towards “glucose addiction”, potentially exploitable in therapy. Microarray analysis of gene expression in sorafenib-trated cells. LCSC-2 cells were incubated with sorafenib 2.5 mM under serum deprivation for 12 hours. The total RNA was isolated from LCSC2, 24h after treatment, using the RNeasy mini kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany), RNA was quantified using a UV spectrophotometer and RNA quality and integrity were assessed Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer (Agilent, Santa Clara, CA, USA). The resulting total RNA was then used to create the biotin-labeled library to be hybridized on GeneChip Rat Gene expression 1.0 st Array (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA, USA), according to the recommended experimental protocols provided by the suppliers. The CEL files resulting from the hybridization were analyzed using the Partek® Genomic Suite™ (Partek GS). Gene-level calculation was performed by Robust Multichip Average and normalization by quantile sketch.

Dataset Information

Bezielle selectively targets mitochondria of cancer cells to inhibit glycolysis and OXPHOS.

Publications

Bezielle selectively targets mitochondria of cancer cells to inhibit glycolysis and OXPHOS.

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