Promising natural lysine specific demethylase 1 inhibitors for cancer treatment: advances and outlooks / 中国天然药物

Lysine specific demethylase 1 (LSD1), a transcriptional corepressor or coactivator that serves as a demethylase of histone 3 lysine 4 and 9, has become a potential therapeutic target for cancer therapy. LSD1 mediates many cellular signaling pathways and regulates cancer cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and differentiation. Recent research has focused on the exploration of its pharmacological inhibitors. Natural products are a major source of compounds with abundant scaffold diversity and structural complexity, which have made a major contribution to drug discovery, particularly anticancer agents. In this review, we briefly highlight recent advances in natural LSD1 inhibitors over the past decade. We present a comprehensive review on their discovery and identification process, natural plant sources, chemical structures, anticancer effects, and structure-activity relationships, and finally provide our perspective on the development of novel natural LSD1 inhibitors for cancer therapy.

Inibidores de Desmetilase Lisina-Específica 1 (LSD1) como candidatos a agentes antineoplásicos / Lysine-Specif Demethylase 1 (LSD1) inhibitors as candidates for antineoplastic agents

O câncer é uma das principais causas de morte no mundo sendo, atualmente, a segunda principal causa de morte, perdendo apenas para as doenças cardiovasculares, tornando-se um grande desafio para as autoridades de saúde pública. No Brasil são estimados 625000 novos casos desta enfermidade para o triênio de 2020-2022. Nesse cenário, vários alvos epigenéticos são considerados alternativas no desenvolvimento de inibidores para a terapia do câncer devido serem identificados e relacionados com a carcinogênese, incluindo modificações no perfil de metilação do DNA e modificações de histonas como a metilação, acetilação e fosforilação. Dentre estas modificações, a metilação de histonas é regulada reversivelmente por histonas metiltransferases e desmetilases. A enzima desmetilase lisina-específica 1 (LSD1) foi a primeira histona desmetilase caracterizada e catalisa a remoção de grupos metila das lisinas 4 e 9 da histona H3 (H3K4 e H3K9), utilizando o FAD como cofator. Superexpressa em vários tumores de alto risco e tendo seus níveis correlacionados com a reincidência do tumor durante o tratamento, a LSD1 apresenta papel fundamental na tumorgênese. Portanto, tem sido considerado um alvo biológico promissor no desenvolvimento de novos fármacos para terapêutica contra o câncer. Sendo assim, neste trabalho, a partir de dados de triagem virtual baseado neste alvo biológico, selecionou-se um hit, o qual foi utilizado como protótipo para o planejamento de análogos visando melhorar as características farmacológicas, pois possuem grupos químicos passíveis das mesmas interações com o alvo. Foram sintetizadas 16 moléculas, sendo 7 compostos finais inéditos derivados carboxamídicos e 9 derivados sulfonamídicos. Todos os compostos foram caracterizados por RMN (1H e 13C), espectrometria de massas de alta resolução, espectroscopia de infravermelho, ponto de fusão, polarímetro e a pureza dos compostos foi avaliada por CLAE. Os compostos finais foram submetidos ao ensaio enzimático frente à LSD1, acoplado a Enzima Horseradish Peroxidase (EHP), mostrando que apenas o composto 4g apresentou atividade inibitória de 64% e 57% em 50 µM e 500 µM respectivamente. No ensaio de viabilidade celular na linhagem HEL (linhagem leucêmica) os 16 compostos (4a- 4g, 5a-5d e 6a-6d) apresentaram-se ativos com valores de CI50 na faixa de 5,3 µM a 20,25 µM. Os compostos mais potentes foram os 4e (CI50 = 6,9 µM), 5d (CI50 =5,30 µM) e 6ª (CI50 =6,61 µM), evidenciando que os compostos possuem elevada potência, tornando-se moléculas promissoras em linhagens leucêmicas. Os estudos de ancoramento molecular com a LSD1 sugeriram que a mudança de orientação do composto 4g, permitiu que o grupo benzila da porção benzilamida faça interação com os resíduos PHE560 e TYR807 no bolso hidrofóbico, o que possivelmente acarretou um bloqueio na entrada da cavidade, permitindo a inibição pelo composto

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world and is currently the second leading cause of death, second only to cardiovascular disease, making it a major challenge for public health authorities. In Brazil, approximately, 625000 new cases of this disease are estimated for the 2020-2022 period. In this scenario, several epigentic targets are considered alternatives in the development of inhibitors in cancer therapy, since they are identified and related to carcinogenesis, including changes in the DNA methylation profile and changes in histones such as methylation, acetylation and phosphorylation. Among these modifications, histone methylation is reversibly regulated by histones methyltransferases and demethylases. Lysine-specific demethylase1 (LSD1) was the first histone demethylase characterized and catalyzes the removal of methyl groups from lysines 4 and 9 of histone H3 (H3K4 and H3K9), using FAD as a cofactor. LSD1 has been found to be overexpressed in several high-risk tumors and these levels are correlated with tumor recurrence during treatment. Therefore, it has been considered a promising biological target in the development of new drugs with therapeutic potential against cancer. Thus, in this work, the virtual screening technique based on the biological target was used to discover LSD1 interactions, and then based on the hit found, we propose to synthesize compounds that have chemical groups susceptible to such interactions, seeking to evaluate the enzymatic activity in LSD1 enzyme. Were synthesized 16 molecules, 7 of which are unpublished final compound derived from carboxamides and 9 sulfonamide derivatives. All compounds were characterized by NMR (1H and 13C), high resolution mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, melting point, polarimeter and the purity of the compounds was assessed by CLAE. The final compounds were subjected to enzymatic assays Against LSD1, coupled with enzime Horseradish Peroxidase (HRP), showing that only the 4g compound showed 64% and 57% inhibitory activity in 50 µM and 500 µM respectively. In the cell viability assay in the HEL line (Leukemic line) the 16 compounds (4a-4g, 5a-5d and 6a-6d) were active with IC 50 values in the range of 5.3 µM to 20.25 µM. The most potent compounds were 4e (CI50 = 6.9 µM), 5d (CI50 = 5.30 µM) and 6a (CI50 = 6.61 µM), showing that the compounds have high potency, becoming promising molecules in leukemic lines. Docking studies with LSD1 suggested, that the change in orientation of the 4g compound allows the benzyl group of the benzylamide portion to interact with the PHE560 and TYR807 residues in the hydrophobic pocket, which possibly cause a block in the entrance of the cavity, allowing the inhibition by the compound. Thus, the results obtained indicate that the class of compounds described is likely to continue to be investigated, both in the search for new LSD1 inhibitory hits based on the structure of the 4g compound, how to deepen the studies with 16 compounds of the present work in the performance of more specific tests in leukemic cells, in order to unravel the mechanism of action and possible targets

LSD1 inhibition suppresses the growth of clear cell renal cell carcinoma upregulating P21 signaling

Histone lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) has been implicated in the disease progression of several types of solid tumors. This study provides the first evidence showing that LSD1 overexpression occurred in 62.6% (224/358) of clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCC). LSD1 expression was associated with the progression of ccRCC, as indicated by TNM stage (=0.006), especially tumor stage (=0.017) and lymph node metastasis (=0.030). High LSD1 expression proved to be an independent prognostic factor for poor overall survival (<0.001) and recurrence-free survival (<0.001) of ccRCC patients. We further show that LSD1 inhibition by siRNA knockdown or using the small molecule inhibitor SP2509 suppressed the growth of ccRCC and . Mechanistically, inhibition of LSD1 decreased the H3K4 demethylation at the gene promoter, which was associated with P21 upregulation and cell cycle arrest at G1/S in ccRCC cells. Our findings provide new mechanistic insights into the role of LSD1 in ccRCC and suggest the therapeutic potential of LSD1 inhibitors in ccRCC treatment.

Effect of glaucocalyxin A on proliferation and cell cycle of triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells / 中草药

Objective: To investigate the effect of glaucocalyxin A on proliferation and cell cycle of triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells and its mechanism. Methods The proliferation inhibition rates of MDA-MB-231 cells were measured by MTT assay. The cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry, and the expression of the protein cyclin B1, cyclin D1, CDK2, CDK4, p53, p21, p27, LSD1, H3K4me2, and H3K9me2 was detected by Western blotting. Results Growth of MDA-MB-231 cells was significantly inhibited by glaucocalyxin A in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. Flow cytometric analysis indicated that the percentage of MDA-MB-231 cells at G2/M phase was increased significantly. As the results of Western blotting, the protein expression levels of p53, p21, p27, H3K4me2, and H3K9me2 in MDA-MB-231 cells were increased, while that of cyclin B1, cyclin D1, CDK2, CDK4, and LSD1 were decreased after treated with glaucocalyxin A. Conclusion Glaucocalyxin A could inhibit the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells and induce cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase, and the mechanism may be related to the activation of p53 protein expression and the regulation of histone methylation.

The deubiquitinase USP38 affects cellular functions through interacting with LSD1

BACKGROUND: Deubiquitination is a posttranslational protein modification prevalent in mammalian cells. Deubiquitinases regulate the functions of the target protein by removing its ubiquitin chain. In this study, the effects of the deubiquitinase USP38's functions on the LSD1 protein and on cell physiology were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Western blotting, real-time quantitative PCR, immunoprecipitation, denaturing immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays were used to analyze the protein stability, protein interactions and changes in the ubiquitin chain. Cell proliferation assays, colony formation assays, drug treatments and western blotting were used to explore the functions of USP38 in cells. RESULTS: The deubiquitinase USP38 stabilizes protein LSD1 in cells by binding LSD1 and cleaving its ubiquitin chain to prevent the degradation of LSD1 by the intracellular proteasome. USP38 enhances the ability of LSD1 to activate signaling pathways and hence promotes cellular abilities of proliferation and colony formation through interacting with LSD1. Furthermore, USP38 enhances the drug tolerance of human colon cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS: USP38 is an LSD1-specific deubiquitinase that affects cellular physiology through interacting with LSD1.

Effect of LSD1 knock-down by small hairpin RNA on the apoptosis and cell cycle of human acute myelogenous leukemia cells / 实用医学杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of down-regulation of lysine specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) by shRNA on the apoptosis and cell cycle of human acute myelogenous leukemia cells.Methods The lentiviral vector-mediated LSD1-shRNA was transfected into human acute promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells and acute monocytic leukemia SHI-1 cells.The expressions of LSD1 mRNA and protein were examined by real time quantitative PCR and Western blot,respectively.The flow cytometry was applied to detect the apoptosis and cell cycle distribution after AnnexinV-PE/7-AAD and PI dying,respectively.Results The expressions of LSD1 mRNA and protein in HL-60 and SHI-1 LSD1-shRNA group were significantly decreased compared with the blank control group and the negative shRNA group (P ＜ 0.01,respectively).The apoptosis levels of HL-60 and SHI-1 cells were significantly increased after knockdown of LSD1 (P ＜ 0.01).Moreover,the cell cycle distribution in the G0/G1 phases was also significantly increased(P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion LSDI-shRNA promotes cell apoptosis and increases the percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phases of human acute myelogenous leukemia cells.

Effects of neural stem cell LSD1 conditional knockout on the mood and memory in mice / 中国实验动物学报

Objective To study the function of LSD1 in the development of neurons and the influence of LSD1 on mood and memory-related behavior in mice. Methods The LSD1(flox / flox) transgenic mice were crossed with Nestin?cre(Tg) transgenic mice, using Cre?LoxP recombination system, to generate LSD1 conditional knockout of neural stem cell ( LSD1?CKO) mice, LSD1(flox/ flox) Nestin?cre(Tg) mice, and LSD1(flox/ flox) mice as control. The neuron proliferation in LSD1?CKO mice was further detected by immunofluorescence staining. At the same time, the mood and memory?related behavior of LSD1?CKO mice were examined using several methods:sucrose preference test ( SPT) , forced swimming test ( FST) and novel?object recognition ( NOR) assay. Results In the LSD1 brain?specific CKO mice, the neuron proliferation rate in the hippocampus was significantly reduced ( P=0. 023 ) , the preference for sucrose was reduced ( P =0. 0075 ) , immobility duration during the forced swimming test was increased (P<0. 05), and LSD1?CKO mice also exhibits memory?decline (P=0. 0019) during the novel?object recognition test. Conclusions Depletion of LSD1 in mouse brain neural stem cells leads to significant reduction of the neuron proliferation in the hippocampus. LSD1?CKO mice show more negative emotions and memory impairment.

Effects of silencing LSD1 gene on Molt-4 cells apoptosis / 中国药理学通报

Aim To observe the effect of the LSD1 gene on the proliferation and apoptosis of Molt-4 cells, a kind of human acute T-lymphoblastic leukemia cells. Methods siRNA fragment based on LSD1 gene was designed, filtered out and then transfected into Molt-4 cells. The effects of LSD 1 siRNA on Molt-4 cell prolif-eration were observed by the method of MTS. The cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. The states of histone H3K4, H3K9 methylation, histone H3 acetyla-tion, p15, DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), and apoptosis-related proteins like Bcl-2 , procaspase-3 were evaluated by Western blot. Results Silencing LSD1 gene inhibited cell proliferation. Molt-4 cell pro-liferation rate was ( 99. 65 ± 1. 21 )%, ( 83. 02 ± 1. 69)%, (65. 72 ± 2. 16)%,and (41. 15 ± 2. 23)%respectively after the treatment of Molt-4 cells with 0 , 30, 60, 120 nmol·L-1 of LSD1 siRNA after 48 hours ( P < 0. 05 ) . Cell proliferation rate was ( 99. 86 ± 1. 35)%,(65. 72 ± 2. 16)%,(48. 26 ± 1. 92)%,and ( 37. 86 ± 1. 66 )% respectively after the transfection of Molt-4 cells with 60 nmol · L-1 of LSD1 siRNA after 0 , 24 , 48 , 72 hours ( P<0. 05 ) . Cell apoptosis rate was ( 3. 35 ± 1. 26 )%, ( 12. 16 ± 1. 74 )%, ( 32. 74 ± 2. 47 )%, ( 54. 64 ± 2. 58 )% respectively after transfection of LSD1 siRNA in indicated concentrations for 48 hours ( P <0. 05 ) . At the same time, the ex-pression levels of apoptosis-related proteins like Bcl-2 , procaspase-3 decreased. LSD1 siRNA inhibited LSD1 and LSD1 mRNA, and accumulated histone mono-, and di-methylation H3K4 and histone H3 acetylation. However, alteration of H3K4 trimethylation, H3K9 methylation was not detected. LSD1 siRNA downregu-lated DNA demethylase DNMT1 and upregulated p15 . Conclusions LSD1 siRNA can inhibit Molt-4 cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. Its mechanism may be associated with epigenetic regulation. In addition, it is expected to become a new target for leukemia treat-ment.

The research progress of LSD1 in malignant tumors / 实用肿瘤学杂志

Lysine specific demethylase 1( LSD1) is a kind of flavin adenine dinucleotid ( FAD) dependent amine oxidase and can specifically demethylate H 3K4me2/me1 and H3K9me2/mel, thus it can regulate gene transcriptional activity .LSD1 is essential for mammalian development and is involved in many biological proces-ses,including cell differentiation,gene activation,and gene repression.Nowadays,it is demonstrated that LSD1 might promote cell phase transition(deficiency in LSD1 leads to partial cell cycle arrest in G2/M)and cell prolif-eration,suggesting that the over -expression of LSD1 might promote tumorigenesis.LSD1,as a demethylase,may be a new target for anti -cancer therapy.Hereby,we review on the structure,action mode of LSD1 and its rela-tionship with oncogenesis .