JAK-STAT inhibitor as a potential therapeutic opportunity in AML patients resistant to cytarabine and epigenetic therapy.

The prognosis of AML is generally poor, with 5-year survival rate of 25%. There has been substantial progress in identification of new therapeutic targets, along with approval of at least three targeted therapies for AML in recent years. Nevertheless, treatment has largely remained unchanged over couple of decades, with ~40% patients not achieving remission. AML is a highly heterogenous disease and there is a need for a preclinical platform to understand the heterogeneity and tumor microenvironment that can guide therapy selection. In this study, we employed an ex vivo tumor explant model to study tumor microenvironment and to select a treatment course for AML patients. Our data reveal dysregulation of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) in a subset of AML patients. Based on this observation, epigenetic modulators azacitidine and panobinostat alone and in combination, were evaluated as treatment regimens in cytarabine refractory tumors. More than 50% of the treated samples showed response to the combination therapy. In order to explore alternate treatment modalities for tumors refractory to these epigenetic modulators, TCGA data analysis was done which revealed increased expression and hypomethylation of IFNGR1/2, suggesting activation of JAK/STAT pathway in AML. This was further interrogated ex vivo, with p-STAT3 expression in patients' samples. Fedratinib, a JAK/STAT inhibitor was evaluated and 78% tumor efficacy response was achieved. Taken together, our data indicate that ex vivo platform derived from patient samples is capable in guiding optimal therapy selection for various classes of drugs including identification of novel targeted therapies.

Harnessing structure-activity relationship to engineer a cisplatin nanoparticle for enhanced antitumor efficacy.

Cisplatin is a first line chemotherapy for most types of cancer. However, its use is dose-limited due to severe nephrotoxicity. Here we report the rational engineering of a novel nanoplatinate inspired by the mechanisms underlying cisplatin bioactivation. We engineered a novel polymer, glucosamine-functionalized polyisobutylene-maleic acid, where platinum (Pt) can be complexed to the monomeric units using a monocarboxylato and an O --> Pt coordinate bond. We show that at a unique platinum to polymer ratio, this complex self-assembles into a nanoparticle, which releases cisplatin in a pH-dependent manner. The nanoparticles are rapidly internalized into the endolysosomal compartment of cancer cells, and exhibit an IC50 (4.25 +/- 0.16 microM) comparable to that of free cisplatin (3.87 +/- 0.37 microM), and superior to carboplatin (14.75 +/- 0.38 microM). The nanoparticles exhibited significantly improved antitumor efficacy in terms of tumor growth delay in breast and lung cancers and tumor regression in a K-ras(LSL/+)/Pten(fl/fl) ovarian cancer model. Furthermore, the nanoparticle treatment resulted in reduced systemic and nephrotoxicity, validated by decreased biodistribution of platinum to the kidney as quantified using inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy. Given the universal need for a better platinate, we anticipate this coupling of nanotechnology and structure-activity relationship to rationally reengineer cisplatin could have a major impact globally in the clinical treatment of cancer.

Symmetrical bisbenzimidazoles with benzenediyl spacer: the role of the shape of the ligand on the stabilization and structural alterations in telomeric G-quadruplex DNA and telomerase inhibition.

The extremities of chromosomes end in a G-rich single-stranded overhang that has been implicated in the onset of the replicate senescence. The repeated sequence forming a G-overhang is able to adopt a four-stranded DNA structure called G-quadruplex, which is a poor substrate for the enzyme telomerase. Small molecule based ligands that selectively stabilize the telomeric G-quadruplex DNA, induce telomere shortening eventually leading to cell death. Herein, we have investigated the G-quadruplex DNA interaction with two isomeric bisbenzimidazole-based compounds that differ in terms of shape (V-shaped angular vs linear). While the linear isomer induced some stabilization of the intramolecular G-quadruplex structure generated in the presence of Na(+), the other, having V-shaped central planar core, caused a dramatic structural alteration of the latter, above a threshold concentration. This transition was evident from the pronounced changes observed in the circular dichroism spectra and from the gel mobility shift assay involving the G-quadruplex DNA. Notably, this angular isomer could also induce the G-quadruplex formation in the absence of any added cation. The ligand-quadruplex complexes were investigated by computational molecular modeling, providing further information on structure-activity relationships. Finally, TRAP (telomerase repeat amplification protocol) experiments demonstrated that the angular isomer is selective toward the inhibition of telomerase activity.

Shape effect of carbon nanovectors on angiogenesis.

Physically diverse carbon nanostructures are increasingly being studied for potential applications in cancer chemotherapy. However, limited knowledge exists on the effect of their shape in tuning the biological outcomes when used as nanovectors for drug delivery. In this study, we evaluated the effect of doxorubicin-conjugated single walled carbon nanotubes (CNT-Dox) and doxorubicin-conjugated spherical polyhydroxylated fullerenes or fullerenols (Ful-Dox) on angiogenesis. We report that CNTs exert a pro-angiogenic effect in vitro and in vivo. In contrast, the fullerenols or doxorubicin-conjugated fullerenols exerted a dramatically opposite antiangiogenic activity in zebrafish and murine tumor angiogenesis models. Dissecting the angiogenic phenotype into discrete cellular steps revealed that fullerenols inhibited endothelial cell proliferation, while CNTs attenuated the cytotoxic effect of doxorubicin on the endothelial cells. Interestingly, CNT promoted endothelial tubulogenesis, a late step during angiogenesis. Further, mechanistic studies revealed that CNTs, but not fullerenols, induced integrin clustering and activated focal adhesion kinase and downstream phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) signaling in endothelial cells, which can explain the distinct angiogenic outcomes. The results of the study highlight the function of physical parameters of nanoparticles in determining their activity in biological settings.

Single-walled carbon nanotube-conjugated chemotherapy exhibits increased therapeutic index in melanoma.

The incidence of malignant melanoma is increasing at an alarming rate globally. Poor prognosis and extraordinarily low survival rates of malignant melanoma necessitates the development of new chemotherapeutic strategies. An emerging approach is to harness nanotechnology to optimize the existing chemotherapies. In the present study we have demonstrated that the delivery of doxorubicin using a nanotechnology-based platform significantly reduces the systemic toxicity of the drug, keeping unchanged its therapeutic efficacy in a mouse melanoma tumor model. Specifically we modified single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to conjugate a doxorubicin prodrug via a carbamate linker that cleaves enzymatically to cause temporal release of the active drug. The CNT-doxorubicin conjugate (CNT-Dox) induced time-dependent cell death in B16-F10 melanoma cells in vitro. The nanoparticle was rapidly internalized into the lysosome of melanoma cells and was retained in the subcellular compartment for over 24 h. In an in vivo melanoma model, treatment with the nanotube-doxorubicin conjugate abrogated tumor growth without the systemic side-effects associated with free doxorubicin. Our studies demonstrate that a simple and versatile CNT-based nanovector can be harnessed for the delivery of chemotherapy to melanoma, with increased therapeutic index.

Targeting oncogenic signaling pathways by exploiting nanotechnology.

Two scientific areas have recently emerged that can revolutionize cancer chemotherapy. First, an understanding of the different cellular signaling pathways implicated in the development and progression of cancer resulting in poor prognosis and drug resistance, have identified potential drug targets. Inhibitors of signal transduction pathways are currently in the clinics. Secondly, nanotechnology has emerged as an exciting multidisciplinary field promising to provide breakthrough solutions to the problems of optimizing the efficacy or therapeutic index of anticancer agents. The promise of nanotechnology lies in the ability to engineer customizable nanoscale constructs that can be loaded with one or more payloads such as chemotherapeutics, targeting units, imaging and diagnostic agents. This review addresses the potential integration of these two approaches to engineer nanoparticles that can target various signal transduction pathways in cancer.

Fullerenol-cytotoxic conjugates for cancer chemotherapy.

In the present study, we report the novel application of polyhydroxylated fullerenes (fullerenols) in cancer drug delivery. The facile synthetic procedure for generating multiple hydroxyl groups on the fullerene cage offers scope for high drug loading in addition to conferring hydrophilicity. Doxorubicin, a first line cancer chemotherapeutic, was conjugated to fullerenols through a carbamate linker, achieving ultrahigh loading efficiency. The drug-fullerenol conjugate was found to be relatively stable in phosphate buffer saline but temporally released the active drug when incubated with tumor cell lysate. The fullerenol-doxorubicin conjugate suppressed the proliferation of cancer cell-lines in vitro through a G2-M cell cycle block, resulting in apoptosis. Furthermore, in an in vivo murine tumor model, fullerenol-doxorubicin exhibited comparable antitumor efficacy as free drug without the systemic toxicity of free doxorubicin. Additionally, we demonstrate that the fullerenol platform can be extended to other chemotherapeutic agents, such as the slightly water-soluble cisplatin, and can emerge as a new paradigm in the management of cancer.

Medical implications of benzimidazole derivatives as drugs designed for targeting DNA and DNA associated processes.

Properties of benzimidazole and its derivatives have been studied for over hundred years; special interest of researchers triggered by the fact that 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole is a component of naturally occurring vitamin B(12). Several antihelminthic, antacid and antibacterial drugs are known which have benzimidazole moiety as their essential constituent. Additionally, several bis- and tris-benzimidazole based systems are well-known for their interaction with DNA and interference with several DNA associated processes. This account gives an overview of the benzimidazole based systems and their relevance in medicinal chemistry.

Synthesis, DNA binding, and Leishmania topoisomerase inhibition activities of a novel series of anthra[1,2-d]imidazole-6,11-dione derivatives.

Nine novel anthra[1,2-d]imidazole-6,11-diones, differing in their side chain, were synthesized. UV-vis spectroscopy and viscometric titrations of these molecules with duplex DNA were used to assess their binding with DNA. Five of the nine compounds showed high inhibition activity against topoisomerase I of Leishmania donovani, with the one bearing the tetrazole side chain exhibiting an IC50 approximately 1 microM. The inhibition activities were not related with their DNA binding affinity and depended on the nature of the side chain.

Metal-ion-mediated tuning of duplex DNA binding by bis(2-(2-pyridyl)-1H-benzimidazole).

Studies of double-stranded-DNA binding have been performed with three isomeric bis(2-(n-pyridyl)-1H-benzimidazole)s (n=2, 3, 4). Like the well-known Hoechst 33258, which is a bisbenzimidazole compound, these three isomers bind to the minor groove of duplex DNA. DNA binding by the three isomers was investigated in the presence of the divalent metal ions Mg(2+), Co(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+), and Zn(2+). Ligand-DNA interactions were probed with fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy. These studies revealed that the binding of the 2-pyridyl derivative to DNA is dramatically reduced in the presence of Co(2+), Ni(2+), and Cu(2+) ions and is abolished completely at a ligand/metal-cation ratio of 1:1. Control experiments done with the isomeric 3- and 4-pyridyl derivatives showed that their binding to DNA is unaffected by the aforementioned transition-metal ions. The ability of 2-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole to chelate metal ions and the conformational changes of the ligand associated with ion chelation probably led to such unusual binding results for the ortho isomer. The addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) reversed the effects completely.

An experimental and computational analysis on the differential role of the positional isomers of symmetric bis-2-(pyridyl)-1H-benzimidazoles as DNA binding agents.

Three symmetrical positional isomers of bis-2-(n-pyridyl)-1H-benzimidazoles (n=2, 3, 4) were synthesized and DNA binding studies were performed with these isomeric derivatives. Like bisbenzimidazole compound Hoechst 33258, these molecules also demonstrate AT-specific DNA binding. The binding affinities of 3-pyridine (m-pyben) and 4-pyridine (p-pyben) derivatized bisbenzimidazoles to double-stranded DNA were significantly higher compared to 2-pyridine derivatized benzimidazole o-pyben. This has been established by combined experimental results of isothermal fluorescence titration, circular dichroism, and thermal denaturation of DNA. To rationalize the origin of their differential binding characteristics with double-stranded DNA, computational structural analyses of the uncomplexed ligands were performed using ab initio/Density Functional Theory. The molecular conformations of the symmetric head-to-head bisbenzimidazoles have been computed. The existence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding was established in o-pyben, which confers a conformational rigidity to the molecule about the bond connecting the pyridine and benzimidazole units. This might cause reduction in its binding affinity to double-stranded DNA compared to its para and meta counterparts. Additionally, the predicted stable conformations for p-, m-, and o-pyben at the B3LYP/6-31G* and RHF/6-31G* levels were further supported by experimental pKa determination. The results provide important information on the molecular recognition process of such symmetric head to head bisbenzimidazoles toward duplex DNA.