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Pharmacological blockade of ASCT2-dependent glutamine transport leads to antitumor efficacy in preclinical models.

ABSTRACT: The unique metabolic demands of cancer cells underscore potentially fruitful opportunities for drug discovery in the era of precision medicine. However, therapeutic targeting of cancer metabolism has led to surprisingly few new drugs to date. The neutral amino acid glutamine serves as a key intermediate in numerous metabolic processes leveraged by cancer cells, including biosynthesis, cell signaling, and oxidative protection. Herein we report the preclinical development of V-9302, a competitive small molecule antagonist of transmembrane glutamine flux that selectively and potently targets the amino acid transporter ASCT2. Pharmacological blockade of ASCT2 with V-9302 resulted in attenuated cancer cell growth and proliferation, increased cell death, and increased oxidative stress, which collectively contributed to antitumor responses in vitro and in vivo. This is the first study, to our knowledge, to demonstrate the utility of a pharmacological inhibitor of glutamine transport in oncology, representing a new class of targeted therapy and laying a framework for paradigm-shifting therapies targeting cancer cell metabolism.

SUBMITTER: Schulte ML

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5803339 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Pharmacological blockade of ASCT2-dependent glutamine transport leads to antitumor efficacy in preclinical models.

Schulte Michael L ML Fu Allie A Zhao Ping P Li Jun J Geng Ling L Smith Shannon T ST Kondo Jumpei J Coffey Robert J RJ Johnson Marc O MO Rathmell Jeffrey C JC Sharick Joe T JT Skala Melissa C MC Smith Jarrod A JA Berlin Jordan J Washington M Kay MK Nickels Michael L ML Manning H Charles HC

Nature medicine 20180115 2

The unique metabolic demands of cancer cells underscore potentially fruitful opportunities for drug discovery in the era of precision medicine. However, therapeutic targeting of cancer metabolism has led to surprisingly few new drugs to date. The neutral amino acid glutamine serves as a key intermediate in numerous metabolic processes leveraged by cancer cells, including biosynthesis, cell signaling, and oxidative protection. Herein we report the preclinical development of V-9302, a competitive ...[more]

PMID: 29334372

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Project description:Introduction: The flavonoid myricetin has been shown to induce cell cycle arrest and mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis in preclinical cancer models. We hypothesised that myricetin-derived flavonoids with redox properties and improved physicochemical attributes that enhance cell uptake and mitochondrial targeting might have increased potential as antitumour agents, since mitochondria are the main site of production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and redox status is known to regulate the development and advancement of certain cancers. In this study we assessed a small library of novel flavonoids, then focussed on the lead compound, second-generation analogue OncamexTM, its mechanism of action and structure-activity relationships as an anti-proliferative agent. Methods: With this aim, we studied the effect of OncamexTM in a panel of 7 breast cancer cell lines using proliferation, cytotoxicity and apoptosis assays. The redox properties and mitochondrial delivery of the drug were studied using cyclic voltammetry and fluorescence microscopy, respectively. The mechanism of action was further studied using western blotting, gene expression analysis and immunohistochemistry (IHC) of treated xenograft tissue from in vivo mice models. Results: Sulforhodamine B (SRB) proliferation assays demonstrated strong, anti-proliferative properties of OncamexTM, with IC50 values in the low micromolar range. Treatment for 8 h exerted concentration-dependent reduction in cell viability and induction of cytotoxicity and apoptosis, with increased caspase activation. Microarray analysis suggested that OncamexTM regulates changes in cell cycle and apoptosis at gene expression level. Fluorescence microscopy was used to investigate mitochondrial targeting and ROS regulation in treated cells. OncamexTM was found to induce production of superoxide at concentrations which exerted anti-proliferative effects. Initial in vivo studies in mice implanted with a MDA-MB-231 breast cancer xenograft showed that OncamexTM inhibited tumour growth, reducing tissue viability and Ki-67 proliferation, with no overall systemic toxicity. Conclusions: OncamexTM is a novel flavonoid capable of specific delivery to the mitochondria and induction of ROS production. We have shown its antitumor activity in preclinical models of breast cancer, both in vitro and in initial in vivo models, where tumour growth was arrested without inducing toxicity, support the potential of this novel drug for its continued development as an anticancer agent. Total RNA was obtained from 5 breast cancer cell lines subjected to 6 hours of 10µM OncamexTM and matched untreated controls (1% DMSO)

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Pharmacological blockade of ASCT2-dependent glutamine transport leads to antitumor efficacy in preclinical models.

Publications

Pharmacological blockade of ASCT2-dependent glutamine transport leads to antitumor efficacy in preclinical models.

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