Dataset Information

Defining the susceptibility of colorectal cancers to BH3-mimetic compounds.

ABSTRACT: Novel targets are required to improve the outcomes for patients with colorectal cancers. In this regard, the selective inhibitor of the pro-survival protein BCL2, venetoclax, has proven highly effective in several hematological malignancies. In addition to BCL2, potent and highly selective small molecule inhibitors of its relatives, BCLxL and MCL1, are now available, prompting us to investigate the susceptibility of colorectal cancers to the inhibition of one or more of these pro-survival proteins. While targeting BCLxL, but not BCL2 or MCL1, on its own had some impact, most (15/17) of the immortalized colorectal cancer cell lines studied were efficiently killed by the combined targeting of BCLxL and MCL1. Importantly, these in vitro findings were confirmed in a xenograft model and, interestingly, in all (5/5) patient derived tumor organoids evaluated. Our results lend strong support to the notion that BCLxL and MCL1 are highly promising targets for further evaluation in efforts to improve the treatment of colorectal cancers.

SUBMITTER: Luo MJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7483443 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Defining the susceptibility of colorectal cancers to BH3-mimetic compounds.

Luo Ming-Jie MJ Palmieri Michelle M Riffkin Chris D CD Sakthianandeswaren Anuratha A Djajawi Tirta Mario TM Hirokawa Yumiko Y Shuttleworth Victoria V Segal David H DH White Christine A CA Nhu Duong D Lessene Guillaume G Lee Margaret M Gibbs Peter P Huang David C S DCS Sieber Oliver M OM Gong Jia-Nan JN

Cell death & disease 20200910 9

Novel targets are required to improve the outcomes for patients with colorectal cancers. In this regard, the selective inhibitor of the pro-survival protein BCL2, venetoclax, has proven highly effective in several hematological malignancies. In addition to BCL2, potent and highly selective small molecule inhibitors of its relatives, BCLxL and MCL1, are now available, prompting us to investigate the susceptibility of colorectal cancers to the inhibition of one or more of these pro-survival protei ...[more]

PMID: 32913182

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Project description:Many types of cancer such as prostate cancer, myeloid leukemia, breast cancer, glioblastoma display strong chemo resistance, which is supported by enhanced expression of multiple anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, Bcl-XL and Mcl-1 proteins. The viable anti-cancer strategies are based on developing anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins inhibitors, BH3 mimetics. Our focus in past years has been on the investigating a new potential BH3 mimetic, Hypericin (Hyp). Hyp is a naturally occurring photosensitive compound used in photodynamic therapy and diagnosis. We have demonstrated that Hyp can cause substantial effects in cellular ultrastructure, mitochondria function and metabolism, and distribution of Bcl2 proteins in malignant and non-malignant cells. One of the possible mechanisms of Hyp action could be the direct interactions between Bcl-2 proteins and Hyp. We investigated this assumption by in silico computer modelling and in vitro fluorescent spectroscopy experiments with the small Bcl2 peptide segments designed to correspond to Bcl2 BH3 and BH1 domains. We show here that Hyp interacts with BH3 and BH1 peptides in concentration dependent manner, and shows the stronger interactions than known BH3 mimetics, Gossypol (Goss) and ABT-263. In addition, interactions of Hyp, Goss and ABT263, with whole purified proteins Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 by fluorescence spectroscopy show that Hyp interacts stronger with the Bcl-2 and less with Mcl-1 protein than Goss or ABT-263. This suggest that Hyp is comparable to other BH3 mimetics and could be explore as such. Hyp cytotoxicity was low in human U87 MG glioma, similar to that of ABT263, where Goss exerted sufficient cytotoxicity, suggesting that Hyp acts primarily on Bcl-2, but not on Mcl-1 protein. In combination therapy, low doses of Hyp with Goss effectively decreased U87 MG viability, suggesting a possible synergy effect. Overall, we can conclude that Hyp as BH3 mimetic acts primarily on Bcl-2 protein and can be explored to target cells with Bcl-2 over-expression, or in combination with other BH3 mimetics, that target Mcl-1 or Bcl-XL proteins, in dual therapy.

Project description:Obatoclax belongs to a class of compounds known as BH3 mimetics which function as antagonists of Bcl-2 family apoptosis regulators. It has undergone extensive preclinical and clinical evaluation as a cancer therapeutic. Despite this, it is clear that obatoclax has additional pharmacological effects that contribute to its cytotoxic activity. It has been claimed that obatoclax, either alone or in combination with other molecularly targeted therapeutics, induces an autophagic form of cell death. In addition, obatoclax has been shown to inhibit lysosomal function, but the mechanism of this has not been elucidated. We have evaluated the mechanism of action of obatoclax in eight ovarian cancer cell lines. Consistent with its function as a BH3 mimetic, obatoclax induced apoptosis in three cell lines. However, in the remaining cell lines another form of cell death was evident because caspase activation and PARP cleavage were not observed. Obatoclax also failed to show synergy with carboplatin and paclitaxel, chemotherapeutic agents which we have previously shown to be synergistic with authentic Bcl-2 family antagonists. Obatoclax induced a profound accumulation of LC-3 but knockdown of Atg-5 or beclin had only minor effects on the activity of obatoclax in cell growth assays suggesting that the inhibition of lysosomal function rather than stimulation of autophagy may play a more prominent role in these cells. To evaluate how obatoclax inhibits lysosomal function, confocal microscopy studies were conducted which demonstrated that obatoclax, which contains two basic pyrrole groups, accumulates in lysosomes. Studies using pH sensitive dyes demonstrated that obatoclax induced lysosomal alkalinization. Furthermore, obatoclax was synergistic in cell growth/survival assays with bafilomycin and chloroquine, two other drugs which cause lysosomal alkalinization. These studies explain, for the first time, how obatoclax inhibits lysosomal function and suggest that lysosomal alkalinization contributes to the cytotoxic activity of obatoclax.

Dataset Information

Defining the susceptibility of colorectal cancers to BH3-mimetic compounds.

Publications

Defining the susceptibility of colorectal cancers to BH3-mimetic compounds.

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