Marine natural products offer immense potential for drug development, but the limited supply of marine organisms poses a significant challenge. Establishing aquaculture presents a sustainable ...solution for this challenge by facilitating the mass production of active ingredients while reducing our reliance on wild populations and harm to local environments. To fully utilize aquaculture as a source of biologically active products, a cell-free system was established to target molecular components with protein-modulating activity, including topoisomerase II, HDAC, and tubulin polymerization, using extracts from aquaculture corals. Subsequent in vitro studies were performed, including MTT assays, flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and Western blotting, along with in vivo xenograft models, to verify the efficacy of the active extracts and further elucidate their cytotoxic mechanisms. Regulatory proteins were clarified using NGS and gene modification techniques. Molecular docking and SwissADME assays were performed to evaluate the drug-likeness and pharmacokinetic and medicinal chemistry-related properties of the small molecules. The extract from Lobophytum crassum (LCE) demonstrated potent broad-spectrum activity, exhibiting significant inhibition of tubulin polymerization, and showed low IC50 values against prostate cancer cells. Flow cytometry and Western blotting assays revealed that LCE induced apoptosis, as evidenced by the increased expression of apoptotic protein-cleaved caspase-3 and the populations of early and late apoptotic cells. In the xenograft tumor experiments, LCE significantly suppressed tumor growth and reduced the tumor volume (PC3: 43.9%; Du145: 49.2%) and weight (PC3: 48.8%; Du145: 7.8%). Additionally, LCE inhibited prostate cancer cell migration, and invasion upregulated the epithelial marker E-cadherin and suppressed EMT-related proteins. Furthermore, LCE effectively attenuated TGF-β-induced EMT in PC3 and Du145 cells. Bioactivity-guided fractionation and SwissADME validation confirmed that LCE’s main component, 13-acetoxysarcocrassolide (13-AC), holds greater potential for the development of anticancer drugs.
Protein ubiquitination is an important mechanism for regulating the activity and levels of proteins under physiological conditions. Loss of regulation by protein ubiquitination leads to various ...diseases, such as cancer. Two types of enzymes, namely, E1/E2/E3 ligases and deubiquitinases, are responsible for controlling protein ubiquitination. The ubiquitin-specific peptidases (USPs) are the main members of the deubiquitinase family. Many studies have addressed the roles of USPs in various diseases. An increasing number of studies have indicated that USPs are critical for cancer progression, and some USPs have been used as targets to develop inhibitors for cancer prevention. Herein we collect and organize most of the recent studies on the roles of USPs in cancer progression and discuss the development of USP inhibitors for cancer therapy in the future.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The immune system works in conjunction with inflammation. Excessive inflammation underlies various human diseases, such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease. Previous studies found that ...5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) plays a crucial role in metabolizing arachidonic acid into inflammatory mediators and is a potential therapeutic target. In this study, we performed an in silico approach to establish a site-moiety map (SiMMap) to screen for new 5-LOX inhibitors. The map is composed of several anchors that contain key residues, moiety preferences, and their interaction types (i.e., electrostatic (E), hydrogen-bonding (H), and van der Waals (V) interactions) within the catalytic site. In total, we identified one EH, one H, and five V anchors, within the 5-LOX catalytic site. Based on the SiMMap, three 5-LOX inhibitors (YS1, YS2, and YS3) were identified. An enzyme-based assay validated inhibitory activity of YS1, YS2, and YS3 against 5-LOX with an IC
value of 2.7, 4.2, and 5.3 μM, respectively. All three inhibitors significantly decrease LPS-induced TNF-α and IL-6 production, which suggests its potential use an anti-inflammatory agent. In addition, the identified 5-LOX inhibitors contain a novel scaffold. The discovery of these inhibitors presents an opportunity for designing specific anti-inflammatory drugs.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Prostate cancer is a prevalent malignancy among men globally, and androgen deprivation therapy is the conventional first-line treatment for metastatic prostate cancer. While androgen deprivation ...therapy is efficacious in castration-sensitive prostate cancer, it remains less effective in castration-resistant cases. Transcriptional dysregulation is a well-established hallmark of cancer, and targeting proteins involved in transcriptional regulation, such as cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8), has become an attractive therapeutic strategy. CDK8, a nuclear serine-threonine kinase, is a key component of the mediator complex and plays a critical role in transcriptional regulation. Recent studies have highlighted the promising role of CDK8 as a target in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer. Our study assessed the efficacy of a novel CDK8 inhibitor, E966–0530–45418, which exhibited potent CDK8 inhibition (IC50 of 129 nM) and high CDK8 selectivity. Treatment with E966–0530–45418 significantly inhibited prostate cancer cell migration and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) at both the RNA and protein levels. Further mechanistic analysis indicated that E966–0530–45418 suppresses prostate cancer metastasis by decreasing CDK8 activity and inhibiting TGF-β1-mediated Smad3/RNA polymerase II linker phosphorylation and Akt/GSK3β/β-catenin signaling. The results in animal model also showed that E966–0530–45418 exhibited anti-metastatic properties in vivo. Our study demonstrated that E966–0530–45418 has great therapeutic potential in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer.
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•E966-0530–45418 inhibited CDK8 (IC50 of 129 nM) with high selectivity, reducing prostate cancer migration and EMT.•E966-0530–45418 decreased CDK8 activity, inhibiting TGF-β1-mediated Smad3/RNA pol II phosphorylation and Akt/GSK3β/β-catenin signaling.•E966-0530–45418 shows promise for treating metastatic prostate cancer.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Glutaminase (GLS) serves a critical bioenergetic role for malignant tumor growth and has become a valuable therapeutic target for cancer treatment. Herein, we performed a structure-based virtual ...screening to discover novel GLS inhibitors and provide information for developing new GLS inhibitors. We identified critical pharmacological interactions in the GLS1 binding site by analyzing the known GLS1 inhibitors and selected potential inhibitors based on their docking score and pharmacological interactions. The inhibitory effects of compounds were further confirmed by enzymatic and cell viability assays. We treated colorectal cancer and triple-negative breast cancer cells with the selected candidates and measured the inhibitory efficacy of hit compounds on cell viability. In total, we identified three GLS1 inhibitors. The compounds identified from our structure-based virtual screening methodology exhibited great anticancer potential as a lead targeting glutamine metabolism.
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•An effective structure-based virtual screening is established to discover novel GLS inhibitors.•Three hit compounds significantly inhibit GLS activity and cancer cell proliferation.•The three hits display diverse moieties from known GLS1 inhibitors, suggesting novel GLS1 inhibitors are identified.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is among the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases, manifests as increasing memory loss and cognitive decline. Tau phosphorylation and aggregation are strongly ...linked to neurodegeneration, as well as associated with chronic neuroinflammatory processes. The anti-inflammation effects of natural products have led to wide recognition of their potential for use in treating and preventing AD. This study investigated whether eupatin, a polymethoxyflavonoid found in
species, has inhibitory effects on neuroinflammation and tau phosphorylation. We treated mouse macrophages and microglia cells with lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) to activate inflammatory signals, and we treated neuronal cells with a protein phosphatase 2A inhibitor, okadaic acid (OA), or transfection with pRK5-EGFP-Tau P301L plasmid to induce tau phosphorylation. The results indicated that eupatin significantly reduced the LPS-induced protein expression and phosphorylation of p65 and inducible nitric oxide synthase as well as downstream products interleukin 6 and nitrite, respectively. Furthermore, eupatin markedly inhibited the expression of phospho-tau in response to OA treatment and plasmid transfection. We discovered that this inhibition was achieved through the inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β), and molecular docking results suggested that eupatin can sufficiently bind to the GSK3β active site. Our results demonstrate that eupatin has neuroprotective effects, making it suitable for AD treatment.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Glaucoma is considered a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive visual field defects that may lead to blindness. Although controlling intraocular pressure (IOP) is the mainstay of ...glaucoma treatment, some glaucoma patients have unmet needs due to unclear pathogenic mechanisms. Recently, there has been growing evidence that neuroinflammation is a potential target for the development of novel antiglaucoma agents. In this study, we investigated the protective effects and cellular mechanisms of H7E, a novel small molecule inhibits HDAC8, using in vitro and in vivo glaucoma-like models. Importantly, H7E mitigated extracellular MMP-9 activity and MCP-1 levels in glutamate- or S100B-stimulated reactive Müller glia. In addition, H7E inhibited the upregulation of inflammation- and proliferation-related signaling pathways, particularly the ERK and JNK MAPK pathways. Under conditions of oxidative damage, H7E prevents retinal cell death and reduces extracellular glutamate released from stressed Müller glia. In a mouse model of NMDA-induced retinal degeneration, H7E alleviated functional and structural defects within the inner retina as assessed by electroretinography and optical coherence tomography. Our results demonstrated that the newly identified compound H7E protects against glaucoma damage by specifically targeting HDAC8 activity in the retina. This protective effect is attributed to the inhibition of Müller glial activation and the prevention of retinal cell death caused by oxidative stress.
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•HDAC8 inhibitor H7E restores retinal dysfunctionin NMDA-injured mice.•H7E ameliorates RGC loss and retinal gliosis from NMDA toxicity.•H7E prevents cell death and glutamate release inoxidative-damaged Müller glia.•H7E reduces glutamateor S100B-elicited MMP-9 and MCP-1 secretion in Müller glia.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
This paper reports the development of a series of 5-aroylindolyl-substituted hydroxamic acids. N-Hydroxy-4-((5-(4-methoxybenzoyl)-1H-indol-1-yl)methyl)benzamide (6) has potent inhibitory ...selectivity against histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) with an IC50 value of 3.92 nM. It decreases not only the level of phosphorylation of tau proteins but also the aggregation of tau proteins. Compound 6 also shows neuroprotective activity by triggering ubiquitination. In animal models, compound 6 is able to ameliorate the impaired learning and memory, and it crosses the blood–brain barrier after oral administration. Compound 6 can be developed as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in the future.
Inhibiting a specific target in cancer cells and reducing unwanted side effects has become a promising strategy in pancreatic cancer treatment. MAP4K4 is associated with pancreatic cancer development ...and correlates with poor clinical outcomes. By phosphorylating MKK4, proteins associated with cell apoptosis and survival are translated. Therefore, inhibiting MAP4K4 activity in pancreatic tumours is a new therapeutic strategy. Herein, we performed a structure-based virtual screening to identify MAP4K4 inhibitors and discovered the compound F389-0746 with a potent inhibition (IC
50
120.7 nM). The results of kinase profiling revealed that F389-0746 was highly selective to MAP4K4 and less likely to cause side effects. Results of in vitro experiments showed that F389-0746 significantly suppressed cancer cell growth and viability. Results of in vivo experiments showed that F389-0746 displayed comparable tumour growth inhibition with the group treated with gemcitabine. These findings suggest that F389-0746 has promising potential to be further developed as a novel pancreatic cancer treatment.
Highlights
We identified a novel MAP4K4 inhibitor using a structure-based virtual screening strategy.
Kinase profiling showed high selectivity towards MAP4K4.
The identified inhibitor suppressed pancreatic cancer cell growth and viability in vitro.
The inhibitor downregulated the MKK4-JNK signalling pathway.
The inhibitor suppressed tumour growth in vivo.
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Despite the fact that histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have been tested to treat various cardiovascular diseases, the effects of selective HDAC6 inhibitor ACY1215 on infarct size during cardiac ...ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury still remain unknown. In the present study we aimed to investigate the effects of ACY1215 on infarct size in rats with cardiac IR injury, as well as to examine the association between HDAC6 inhibitors and the gene expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), a key regulator of cellular responses to hypoxia.
By using computational analysis of high-throughput expression profiling dataset, the association between HDAC inhibitors (pan-HDAC inhibitors panobinostat and vorinostat, and HDAC6 inhibitor ISOX) and their effects on HIF-1α gene-expression were evaluated. The male Wistar rats treated with ligation of left coronary artery followed by reperfusion were used as a cardiac IR model. ACY1215 (50 mg/kg), pan-HDAC inhibitor MPT0E028 (25 mg/kg), and vehicle were intraperitoneally injected within 5 min before reperfusion. The infarct size in rat myocardium was determined by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. The serum levels of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were also determined.
The high-throughput gene expression assay showed that treatment of ISOX was associated with a more decreased gene expression of HIF-1α than that of panobinostat and vorinostat. Compared to control rats, ACY1215-treated rats had a smaller infarct size (49.75 ± 9.36% vs. 19.22 ± 1.70%, p < 0.05), while MPT0E028-treated rats had a similar infarct size to control rats. ACY-1215- and MPT0E028-treated rats had a trend in decreased serum TGF-β levels, but not statistically significant. ACY1215-treated rats also had higher serum CRP levels compared to control rats (641.6 μg/mL vs. 961.37 ± 64.94 μg/mL, p < 0.05).
Our research indicated that HDAC6 inhibition by ACY1215 might reduce infarct size in rats with cardiac IR injury possibly through modulating HIF-1α expression. TGF-β and CRP should be useful biomarkers to monitor the use of ACY1215 in cardiac IR injury.
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