Research progress on mitochondria regulating anti-tumor immunity / 浙江大学学报·医学版

Tumor cells adaptively reforge their metabolism to meet the demands of energy and biosynthesis. Mitochondria, pivotal organelles in the metabolic reprogramming of tumor cells, contribute to tumorigenesis and cancer progression significantly through various dysfunctions in both tumor and immune cells. Alterations in mitochondrial dynamics and metabolic signaling pathways exert crucial regulatory influence on the activation, proliferation, and differentiation of immune cells. The tumor microenvironment orchestrates the activation and functionality of tumor-infiltrating immune cells by reprogramming mitochondrial metabolism and inducing shifts in mitochondrial dynamics, thereby facilitating the establishment of a tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment. Stress-induced leakage of mitochondrial DNA contributes multifaceted regulatory effects on anti-tumor immune responses and the immunosuppressive microenvironment by activating multiple natural immune signals, including cGAS-STING, TLR9, and NLRP3. Moreover, mitochondrial DNA-mediated immunogenic cell death emerges as a promising avenue for anti-tumor immunotherapy. Additionally, mtROS, a crucial factor in tumorigenesis, drives the formation of tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment by changing the composition of immune cells within the tumor microenvironment. This review focuses on the intrinsic relationship between mitochondrial biology and anti-tumor immune responses from multiple angles. We expect to explore the core role of mitochondria in the dynamic interplay between the tumor and the host, in order to facilitate the development of targeted mitochondrial strategies for anti-tumor immunotherapy.

Elemene Antitumor Drugs Development Based on "Molecular Compatibility Theory" and Clinical Application: A Retrospective and Prospective Outlook / 中国结合医学杂志

Elemene, derived from Curcuma wenyujin, one of the "8 famous genuine medicinal materials of Zhejiang province," exhibits remarkable antitumor activity. It has gained wide recognition in clinical practice for effectiveness on tumors. Dr. XIE Tian, introduced the innovative concept of "molecular compatibility theory" by combining Chinese medicine principles, specifically the "monarch, minister, assistant, and envoy" theory, with modern biomedical technology. This groundbreaking approach, along with a systematic analysis of Chinese medicine and modern biomedical knowledge, led to the development of elemene nanoliposome formulations. These novel formulations offer numerous advantages, including low toxicity, well-defined composition, synergistic effects on multiple targets, and excellent biocompatibility. Following the principles of the "molecular compatibility theory", further exploration of cancer treatment strategies and methods based on elemene was undertaken. This comprehensive review consolidates the current understanding of elemene's potential antitumor mechanisms, recent clinical investigations, advancements in drug delivery systems, and structural modifications. The ultimate goal of this review is to establish a solid theoretical foundation for researchers, empowering them to develop more effective antitumor drugs based on the principles of "molecular compatibility theory".

Advances in antitumor research of bifunctional small molecule inhibitors targeting heat shock protein 90 / 药学学报

The heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) protein family is a cluster of highly conserved molecules that play an important role in maintaining cellular homeostasis. Hsp90 and its co-chaperones regulate a variety of pathways and cellular functions, such as cell growth, cell cycle control and apoptosis. Hsp90 is closely associated with the occurrence and development of tumors and other diseases, making it an attractive target for cancer therapeutics. Inhibition of Hsp90 expression can affect multiple oncogenic pathways simultaneously. Most Hsp90 small molecule inhibitors are in clinical trials due to their low efficacy, toxicity or drug resistance, but they have obvious synergistic anti-tumor effect when used with histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, tubulin inhibitors or topoisomerase II (Topo II) inhibitors. To address this issue, the design of Hsp90 dual-target inhibitors can improve efficacy and reduce drug resistance, making it an effective tumor treatment strategy. In this paper, the domain and biological function of Hsp90 are briefly introduced, and the design, discovery and structure-activity relationship of Hsp90 dual inhibitors are discussed, in order to provide reference for the discovery of novel Hsp90 dual inhibitors and clinical drug research from the perspective of medicinal chemistry.

Synthesis and biological activities of chlorin e6-based conjugate of fluorouracil as dual-mode antitumor photosensitizer / 药学实践杂志

Objective To design and synthesize the conjugate (compound 1) of chlorin e6 (compound 3) with fluorouracil (5-Fu) as novel pH-responsive dual-mode antitumor photosensitizer by acyl hydrazone bond coupling, based on literature reports that combination of 5-Fu and photosensitizer possess synergistic anti-tumor effect, and investigate its photodynamic antitumor activity and mechanism. Methods Lead compound 3 was obtained by alkali degradation with 25% KOH-CH3OH on pheophorbide a (compound 4) which was prepared through acid hydrolysis of chlorophyll a in crude chlorophyll extracts from silkworm excrement. Reflux reaction of 5-Fu with P2S5 in pyridine formed crude 4-thio-5-fluorouracil which was followed to react with hydrazine hydrate (N2H4·H2O) in CH3OH to give 5-fluorouracil-4-hydrazone (compound 2). Then, treatment of compound 3 i.e. acid alkali degradation product of chlorophyll a in silkworm excrement with EDC·HCl generated its 171- and 152 cyclic anhydride which was followed to directly react with intermediate compound 2 to successfully get title compound 1. In addition, its pH-responsive 5-Fu release and photodynamic antitumor activity and their mechanisms in vitro were investigated. Results Compound 1 could responsively release 5-Fu at pH 5.0, with a cumulative release rate of 60.3% within 24 h. It exhibited much higher phototoxicity against melanoma B16-F10 and liver cancer HepG2 cells than talaporfin and its precursor compound 3, with IC50 value being 0.73 μmol/L for B16-F10 cells and 0.90 μmol/L for HepG2 cells, respectively. Upon light irradiation, it also could significantly induce cell apoptosis and intracellular ROS level and block cell cycle in S phase. Its structure was confirmed by UV, 1H-NMR, ESI-MS and elemental analysis data. Conclusion The conjugate compound 1 of compound 3 and 5-Fu has the advantages of strong PDT anticancer activity, high therapeutic index (i.e. dark toxicity/phototoxicity ratio) and responsively release 5-Fu at pH 5.0 etc. which shows “unimolecular” dual antitumor effects of PDT and chemotherapy and is worthy of further research and development.

Artesunate Combined with Other Medications and Action Mechanism： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

A sesquiterpene natural substance called artemisinin was discovered in Artemisia annua. One of its derivatives， artesunate （ART）， has the properties of economy， immediate effect， low toxicity， and good tolerance. Since it has a quick and powerful killing effect on plasmodium in the erythrocyte phase and can quickly handle clinical seizure and symptoms， it is currently mostly utilized to treat cerebral malaria and other severe instances of malaria. In addition， it has antitumor， antivirus， anti-hepatic fibrosis， anti-inflammatory， antibacterial， hepatocyte protection， immunological modulation， and other pharmacological properties and can inhibit cell proliferation， induce cell apoptosis， and reduce the incidence of sepsis. In many countries， artemisinin-based combination therapies （ACTs）， such as artemether-benflumetol， artesunate-amodiaquine， and artemether-lumefantrine， are the first-line treatments for malaria. Recent research on artesunate by Chinese and international scholars has revealed that compared with monotherapy， artesunate combination therapy offers more benefits in terms of improving pharmacological effects， shortening the duration of medicine， and minimizing adverse effects. Through systematic retrieval of Web of Science Core Collection and integration through CiteSpace （6.2.1） software， this article reviewed the mechanism of artesunate combined with other medications with regard to antimalarial， antitumor， antibacterial， and antiviral features in the previous five years， so as to provide some theoretical basis for rational development and utilization of ART and new drug research and development.

In vivo Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Shenbai Nanosuspension in Rats Based on Overall Composition of Chinese Materia Medica / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo clarify the scientific validity of in vivo pharmacokinetic determination of the whole drug composition in Shenbai nanosuspension in rats， and to provide methodological guidance and theoretical basis for the in vivo study of multi-component complex system of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） preparations. MethodThe concentration of the overall components， mainly total saponins and total polysaccharides in Shenbai decoction and Shenbai nanosuspension， was determined in rat plasma at different times by area under the absorbance-wavelength curve method（AUAWC）， and the concentration of individual ginsenoside Rg1 was determined by high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC）， and the methodology was verified. The pharmacokinetic parameters of the whole component were compared with those of ginsenoside Rg1 to evaluate the in vivo operational characteristics of the two preparations. ResultThe methodological investigations of AUAWC and HPLC were in accordance with the requirements. AUAWC analysis showed that the overall components in both the decoction group and the nanosuspension group showed a one-compartment model， with half-life（t1/2） of 2.43 h and 2.04 h， respectively. The relative bioavailability of Shenbai nanosuspension was 138.99%. HPLC assay showed that ginsenoside Rg1 in the decoction group and the nanosuspension group showed a two-compartment model， with distribution half-life（t1/2α） of 0.13 h and 2.55 h， and elimination half-life（t1/2β） were 14.28 h and 3.85 h， respectively. The relative bioavailability of Shenbai nanosuspension was 127.49%. Compared with Shenbai decoction， the time to peak（tmax）， peak concentration（Cmax） and area under the drug-time curve（AUC） of the overall components and ginsenoside Rg1 in Shenbai nanosuspension were increased. ConclusionThe established AUAWC can be used for the pharmacokinetic study of the overall components of TCM preparations， which is complementary to the results of individual components measured by HPLC， and can provide useful reference for the in vivo study of new dosage forms of TCM.

Total Saponins in Paridis Rhizoma： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Paridis Rhizoma possesses the functions of clearing heat and detoxifying， alleviating swelling and relieving pain， cooling the liver and calming the convulsion. Saponins are the main active components of Paridis Rhizoma. Studies have shown that total saponins in Paridis Rhizoma have obvious inhibitory effect on solid tumors such as breast cancer， lung cancer， gastric cancer， and liver cancer and non-solid tumors such as leukemia. The saponins may exert the anti-tumor effects by inhibiting the proliferation， migration， and invasion of tumor cells， regulating cell cycle， inducing apoptotic and non-apoptotic death pathways， and regulating metabolism and tumor microenvironment. Furthermore， total saponins in Paridis Rhizoma showed anti-inflammatory， antioxidant， antimicrobial， hemostatic， and uterus-contracting activities. At the same time， they may induce apoptosis of normal cells， inflammation and oxidative stress， and metabolic disorders. In recent years， the reports of liver injury， reproductive injury， gastrointestinal injury， hemolysis， and other adverse reactions caused by total saponins in Paridis Rhizoma have been increasing. Pharmacokinetic studies have shown that there are significant differences in the metabolism of total saponins in Paridis Rhizoma administrated in different ways. Injection has a fast clearance rate， while oral administration may have hepatoenteric circulation. Meanwhile， due to the low solubility and activation of P-glycoprotein （P-gp） molecular pump， the prototype absorption， intestinal permeability， and recovery rate of total saponins in Paridis Rhizoma are poor， which affects the bioavailability. The bioavailability can be improved to some extent by preparing new dosage forms or new drug delivery systems with advanced technology. This paper reviews the pharmacological effect， pharmacokinetics， and adverse reactions of Rhizoma Paridis total saponins by searching the China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， VIP， and Web of Science with ''Rhizoma Paridis total saponins'' as the keywords， hoping to provide references for the research， development， and clinical application of such components.

Research progress of natural product evodiamine-based antitumor drug design strategies / 药学学报

Natural products are important sources for the discovery of anti-tumor drugs. Evodiamine is the main alkaloid component of the traditional Chinese herb Wu-Chu-Yu, and it has weak antitumor activity. In recent years, a number of highly active antitumor candidates have been discovered with a significant progress. This article reviews the research progress of evodiamine-based antitumor drug design strategies, in order to provide reference for the development of new drugs with natural products as leads.

Effects of the proliferation, migration and apoptosis of AHVAC - on gastric cancer MKN-28 cells / 中国临床药理学与治疗学

AIM: To investigate the effects of agkis-trodon halys venom anti-tumor component (AHVAC-) on the biological behavior of gastric cancer MKN-28 cells. METHODS: Gastric cancer MKN-28 cells were treated with the experimental concentrations (5, 10, 15 μg/mL) of AHAVC- for 24 h. Cell proliferation and toxicity assay (cell counting kit-8, CCK-8) was used to detect the inhibition rates of the cells in different concentrations of AHVAC-. The migration ability of the cells was evaluated by wound-healing and Transwell assay. The apoptosis were observed by laser confocal microscopy with annexin V-mCherry/DAPI double staining, and the apoptosis rates were analyzed by flow cytometry with annexin V-FITC/PI double fluorescence staining. The protein level of Caspease-3 was determined by Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with normal control group, the results of AHVAC- concentration groups showed that with the increase of AHVAC- concentration, the proliferative activity of MN-28 cells decreased gradually (P<0.01), the cell migration ability decreased gradually (P<0.01), and the cell apoptosis rate increased (P<0.05). The expression of apoptosis-related protein Caspease-3 was up-regulated (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: AHVAC- inhibits proliferation and migration of gastric cancer MSN-28 cells and induces apoptosis.

A new strategy for evaluating antitumor activity in vitro with time-dimensional characteristics of RTCA technology / 中国药理学通报

Aim To analyze the anti-A549 and HI299 lung ade-nocarcinoma activities via using examples of baicalin, astragalo-side, hesperidin and cisplatin based on real time cellular analysis (RTCA) technology, and to build a new strategy for EC50 e-valuation reflecting the time-dimensional characteristic. Methods Using RTCA Software Pro for data analysis and GraphPad Prism and Origin Pro plotting, the in vitro anti-A549 and H1299 lung adenocarcinoma activities of baicalin, astragaloside, hesperidin, and cisplatin were characterized using the endpoint method and time dimension, respectively. Results (X) There were significant differences in EC50 values of A549 and H1299 cells at 24 h and 48 h endpoint methods. (2) The correlation coefficient of the curve fitted with the four-parameter equation was > 0. 9, and the dynamic change of EC50 remained relatively stable (the linear fitting of EC50 at adjacent 4 points I slope 1

Research progress of antineoplastic drugs targeting platelets / 中国药理学通报

Platelets have long been recognized as key players in hemostasis and thrombosis; however, there is growing evidence that they are also involved in cancer. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that platelets can promote tumorigenesis and metastasis through various crosstalks between platelets and cancer cells. Platelets play an active role in all stages of tumorigenesis, including tumor growth, tumor cell extravasation, and metastasis. In addition, thrombocytosis in cancer patients is associated with poor patient survival. Platelets are also well-placed to coordinate local and distant tumor-host interactions due to the a- bundance of microparticles and exosomes. Therefore, antitumor drugs targeting platelets have great development and application prospects. The following will review the research progress of anti-tumor drugs targeting platelets.

Research progress on exosome-based antitumor drug delivery system / 中国生物制品学杂志

@#Tumor is the main cause of global related death.Although the existing treatment methods have made significant progress,the lack of specificity and low bioavailability are still the challenge in the treatment.Exosomes are lipid bilayer extracellular vesicles that were released in the range of 30—150 nm when a multi vesicular body(MVB) fuses with plasma membrane,which are important mediators of intercellular communication,and can transport cellular components such as proteins,lipids and nucleic acids to neighboring or distant cells,thus changing the role of recipient cells.Exosomes have been used as natural nano-carriers for drug delivery.After being loaded with antitumor drugs,they can be delivered to the focus for targeted treatment of various tumors,and the therapeutic effect is good.In this paper,the advantages of exosomes-based antitumor drug delivery system,drug loading methods and the research progress of exosomes from different cells in cancer treatment are reviewed so as to provide important basis for the targeted treatment of cancer.

Combination of AAV-delivered tumor suppressor PTEN with anti-PD-1 loaded depot gel for enhanced antitumor immunity

Recent clinical studies have shown that mutation of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) gene in cancer cells may be associated with immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and poor response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. Therefore, efficiently restoring PTEN gene expression in cancer cells is critical to improving the responding rate to ICB therapy. Here, we screened an adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid for efficient PTEN gene delivery into B16F10 tumor cells. We demonstrated that intratumorally injected AAV6-PTEN successfully restored the tumor cell PTEN gene expression and effectively inhibited tumor progression by inducing tumor cell immunogenic cell death (ICD) and increasing immune cell infiltration. Moreover, we developed an anti-PD-1 loaded phospholipid-based phase separation gel (PPSG), which formed an in situ depot and sustainably release anti-PD-1 drugs within 42 days in vivo. In order to effectively inhibit the recurrence of melanoma, we further applied a triple therapy based on AAV6-PTEN, PPSG@anti-PD-1 and CpG, and showed that this triple therapy strategy enhanced the synergistic antitumor immune effect and also induced robust immune memory, which completely rejected tumor recurrence. We anticipate that this triple therapy could be used as a new tumor combination therapy with stronger immune activation capacity and tumor inhibition efficacy.

Preclinical study of LMP1-RNAi-based anti-tumor therapy in EBV-positive nasopharyngeal carcinoma

RNA interference (RNAi) treatment has been proven to be an important therapeutic approach in cancer based on downregulation of target-oncogenes, but its clinical efficacy still needs further investigation. LMP1 is usually presented by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive tumor cells like EBV-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and acts as an oncogene in tumorigenesis. However, the mechanism of LMP1 as a proto-oncogene in nasopharyngeal carcinoma is still unclear. Two sequence-specific shRNAs 1 and 2 were designed to target the different nucleotide loci of EBV latent antigen LMP1 gene and a series of in vivo and in vitro experiments were performed to investigate the therapeutic effect of sequence-specific shRNAs targeting LMP1 and its related molecular mechanisms in EBV-positive NPC. LMP1-shRNA2 generated a truncated LMP1 mRNA and protein, whereas LMP1-shRNA1 completely blocked LMP1 mRNA and protein expression. Both LMP1-shRNAs inhibited the proliferation and migration of NPC cells overexpressing LMP1 (NPC-LMP1) as well as the NPC-associated myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) expansion in vitro. However, LMP1-shRNA2 maintained the immunogenicity of NPC-LMP1 cells, which provoked MHC-class I-dependent T cell recognition. LMP1-shRNAs inhibited tumor growth in nude mice but did not reach statistical significance compared to control groups, while the LDH nanoparticle loaded LMP1-shRNAs and the antigen-specific T cells induced by NPC-LMP1 cells treated with LMP1-shRNA2 significantly reduced tumor growth in vivo. LMP1-RNAi-based anti-tumor therapy could be a new hope for the clinical efficacy of RNAi treatment of tumors like NPC.

Estrategias terapéuticas actuales en el tratamiento del cáncer de ovario

Introducción: El cáncer de ovario es uno de los tumores más frecuentes y letales entre las mujeres. Esto se debe a su detección en estados tardíos y al desarrollo de quimiorresistencia a la terapia estándar. El desarrollo de terapias dirigidas contra las propiedades distintivas de las células cancerosas y sus características habilitadoras ha surgido como una alternativa promisoria para el tratamiento de estos tumores. Objetivo: Describir las actuales estrategias terapéuticas dirigidas contra las distintas capacidades de las células tumorales en el tratamiento del cáncer de ovario. Método: Se realizó una búsqueda en las bases de datos ScienceDirect, Redalyc, Latindex, ResearchGate, PubMed, Elsevier, ClinicalTrials.gov, SpringerLink, LARVOL´s CLIN, Registro Público Cubano de Ensayos Clínicos, entre enero y abril de 2023. Se seleccionaron 50 artículos referentes al cáncer de ovario y las alternativas para su tratamiento. Desarrollo: Se mencionaron los diversos factores que influyen en la elección de terapias contra el cáncer de ovario. Se describieron las actuales dianas terapéuticas utilizadas en el tratamiento de esta neoplasia, así como el empleo de múltiples fármacos aprobados y en fases de estudio, y las combinaciones sinérgicas de los mismos. Consideraciones finales: Actualmente existen disímiles opciones de tratamiento del cáncer de ovario. A pesar de que la eficacia clínica de los agentes dirigidos todavía está restringida a subtipos moleculares específicos y ningún ensayo ilustra un beneficio en la supervivencia general, son notorios los resultados alcanzados en el desarrollo de fármacos específicamente dirigidos contra la inestabilidad del genoma y angiogénesis sostenida.

Introduction: Ovarian cancer is one of the most common and lethal tumor in women. This happens as a result of late-stage cancer detention and an increased chemoresistance to standard therapy. The current development in therapies to kill the cancer cells and its spread tendencies has emerged as a key alternative to treat tumors. Objective: To describe the current therapeutic strategies lead to confront different capabilities of tumor cells found in the ovarian cancer treatment. Method: A search of literuture was carried out in the following databases ScienceDirect, Redalyc, Latindex, ResearchGate, PubMed, Elsevier, ClinicalTrials.gov, SpringerLink, LARVOL's CLIN, Cuban Public Registry of Clinical Trials, from January to April 2023. A total of 50 text concerning ovarian cancer subject and alternative for treatment were selected. Development: The driving factors that promoted the use of ovarian cancer therapies were pointed out. The current therapeutic targets used in the treatment of this neoplasia were described, as well as the use of multiple approved drugs or in process of approval, including the synergistic drug combinations. Final considerations: There are a lot of options currently being implemented in ovarian cancer treatment. Despite clinical efficacy of targeted therapy, it´s presented still restricted to specific molecular subtypes and none of the assays illustrated survival benefit in general; the results obtained in the process of drugs development specifically targeting genome instability and sustained angiogenesis have been remarkable.

Introdução: O câncer de ovário é um dos tumores mais frequentes e letais entre as mulheres. Isso se deve à sua detecção em estágios tardios e ao desenvolvimento de quimiorresistência à terapia padrão. O desenvolvimento de terapias direcionadas contra as propriedades distintas das células cancerígenas e suas características facilitadoras surgiu como uma alternativa promissora para o tratamento desses tumores. Objetivo: Descrever as atuais estratégias terapêuticas dirigidas contra as diferentes capacidades das células tumorais no tratamento do câncer de ovário. Método: Foi realizada uma busca nas bases de dados ScienceDirect, Redalyc, Latindex, ResearchGate, PubMed, Elsevier, ClinicalTrials.gov, SpringerLink, LARVOL's CLIN, Registro Público Cubano de Ensaios Clínicos, entre janeiro e abril de 2023. 50 artigos referentes ao câncer de ovário e as alternativas para o seu tratamento. Desenvolvimento: Foram mencionados os vários fatores que influenciam a escolha das terapias contra o câncer de ovário. Foram descritos os atuais alvos terapêuticos utilizados no tratamento desta neoplasia, bem como o uso de múltiplas drogas aprovadas e em fase de estudo, e suas combinações sinérgicas. Considerações finais: Atualmente existem opções de tratamento dissimilares para o câncer de ovário. Apesar de a eficácia clínica dos agentes direcionados ainda estar restrita a subtipos moleculares específicos e nenhum ensaio mostrar benefício na sobrevida global, são notáveis os resultados alcançados no desenvolvimento de fármacos direcionados especificamente contra a instabilidade do genoma e a angiogênese sustentada.

Progress on pharmacological activities and hepatotoxicity of bavachinin / 药学实践杂志

Bavachinin is a dihydroflavone isolated from dried ripe fruits of Psoralea corylifolia L.，which has various pharmacological activities, such as anti-tumor, anti-virus, anti-diabetes, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective, and good potential in clinical applications. With the increasing concern about the safety of P. corylifolia applications in clinical, the bavachinin has been found to be one of the main components causing liver injury. In this paper, the pharmacological activities and hepatotoxicity of bavachinin in the recent 20 years were reviewed, in order to provide reference for the further study and clinical application.

Antitumor activity of aumolertinib, a third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in non-small-cell lung cancer harboring uncommon EGFR mutations

Uncommon epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations account for 10%-20% of all EGFR mutations in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The uncommon EGFR-mutated NSCLC is associated with poor clinical outcomes and generally achieved unsatisfactory effects to the current therapies using standard EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), including afatinib and osimertinib. Therefore, it is necessary to develop more novel EGFR-TKIs to treat uncommon EGFR-mutated NSCLC. Aumolertinib is a third-generation EGFR-TKI approved in China for treating advanced NSCLC with common EGFR mutations. However, it remains unclear whether aumolertinib is effective in uncommon EGFR-mutated NSCLC. In this work, the in vitro anticancer activity of aumolertinib was investigated in engineered Ba/F3 cells and patient-derived cells bearing diverse uncommon EGFR mutations. Aumolertinib was shown to be more potent in inhibiting the viability of various uncommon EGFR-mutated cell lines than those with wild-type EGFR. And in vivo, aumolertinib could also significantly inhibit tumor growth in two mouse allograft models (V769-D770insASV and L861Q mutations) and a patient-derived xenografts model (H773-V774insNPH mutation). Importantly, aumolertinib exerts responses against tumors in advanced NSCLC patients with uncommon EGFR mutations. These results suggest that aumolertinib has the potential as a promising therapeutic candidate for the treatment of uncommon EGFR-mutated NSCLC.

Overexpressed SIRT6 ameliorates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and potentiates the therapeutic efficacy through metabolic remodeling

Since the utilization of anthracyclines in cancer therapy, severe cardiotoxicity has become a major obstacle. The major challenge in treating cancer patients with anthracyclines is minimizing cardiotoxicity without compromising antitumor efficacy. Herein, histone deacetylase SIRT6 expression was reduced in plasma of patients treated with anthracyclines-based chemotherapy regimens. Furthermore, overexpression of SIRT6 alleviated doxorubicin-induced cytotoxicity in cardiomyocytes, and potentiated cytotoxicity of doxorubicin in multiple cancer cell lines. Moreover, SIRT6 overexpression ameliorated doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and potentiated antitumor efficacy of doxorubicin in mice, suggesting that SIRT6 overexpression could be an adjunctive therapeutic strategy during doxorubicin treatment. Mechanistically, doxorubicin-impaired mitochondria led to decreased mitochondrial respiration and ATP production. And SIRT6 enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy by deacetylating and inhibiting Sgk1. Thus, SIRT6 overexpression coordinated metabolic remodeling from glycolysis to mitochondrial respiration during doxorubicin treatment, which was more conducive to cardiomyocyte metabolism, thus protecting cardiomyocytes but not cancer cells against doxorubicin-induced energy deficiency. In addition, ellagic acid, a natural compound that activates SIRT6, alleviated doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and enhanced doxorubicin-mediated tumor regression in tumor-bearing mice. These findings provide a preclinical rationale for preventing cardiotoxicity by activating SIRT6 in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, but also advancing the understanding of the crucial role of SIRT6 in mitochondrial homeostasis.

Pancreatic melatonin enhances anti-tumor immunity in pancreatic adenocarcinoma through regulating tumor-associated neutrophils infiltration and NETosis

Tumor microenvironment contributes to poor prognosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) patients. Proper regulation could improve survival. Melatonin is an endogenous hormone that delivers multiple bioactivities. Here we showed that pancreatic melatonin level is associated with patients' survival. In PAAD mice models, melatonin supplementation suppressed tumor growth, while blockade of melatonin pathway exacerbated tumor progression. This anti-tumor effect was independent of cytotoxicity but associated with tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs), and TANs depletion reversed effects of melatonin. Melatonin induced TANs infiltration and activation, therefore induced cell apoptosis of PAAD cells. Cytokine arrays revealed that melatonin had minimal impact on neutrophils but induced secretion of Cxcl2 from tumor cells. Knockdown of Cxcl2 in tumor cells abolished neutrophil migration and activation. Melatonin-induced neutrophils presented an N1-like anti-tumor phenotype, with increased neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) causing tumor cell apoptosis through cell-to-cell contact. Proteomics analysis revealed that this reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated inhibition was fueled by fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in neutrophils, while FAO inhibitor abolished the anti-tumor effect. Analysis of PAAD patient specimens revealed that CXCL2 expression was associated with neutrophil infiltration. CXCL2, or TANs, combined with NET marker, can better predict patients' prognosis. Collectively, we discovered an anti-tumor mechanism of melatonin through recruiting N1-neutrophils and beneficial NET formation.

Clinical antitumor application and pharmacological mechanisms of Dahuang Zhechong Pill / 中草药·英文版

Cancer still has elevated morbidity and mortality, which undoubtedly impacts the life quality of affected individuals. Remarkable advances have been made in cancer therapy, although the toxicities of traditional therapies remain an obvious challenge. Dahuang Zhechong Pill (DHZCP), developed by Zhongjing Zhang in the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber, represents an effective anticancer traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In this review, it was found that DHZCP is therapeutically utilized in liver, lung, gastric, pancreatic and other cancers in clinic. Pharmacological evidence showed that its anti-tumor mechanisms mainly involve induced cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and autophagy, as well as suppressed tumor cell proliferation, obstructed angiogenesis and metastasis, enhanced immunity, and reversal of multidrug resistance. The present review provides a solid basis for the clinical application of DHZCP and may promote the wide use of TCM in clinical antitumor application.