H89 Treatment Reduces Intestinal Inflammation and Candida albicans Overgrowth in Mice

Deregulation of the dynamic crosstalk between the gut microbiota, intestinal epithelial cells, and immune cells is critically involved in the development of inflammatory bowel disease and the overgrowth of opportunistic pathogens, including the human opportunistic fungus Candida albicans. In the present study, we assessed the effect of N-[2-(p-bromocinnamylamino)ethyl]-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide (H89), a protein kinase A inhibitor, on the migration of macrophages to C. albicans through dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-challenged Caco-2 cells. We also investigated the impact of H89 on intestinal inflammation and C. albicans clearance from the gut, and determined the diversity of the gut microbio…

Towards the elaboration of new gold-based optical theranostics.

Four new red BODIPY–gold(I) theranostic compounds were synthesized. Some of them were vectorized by tethering a biovector (glucose or bombesin derivatives) to the metallic center. Their photophysical properties were studied. Additionally, their cytotoxicity was examined on different cancer cell lines and on a normal cell line, they were tracked in vitro by fluorescence detection, and their uptake was evaluated by ICP-MS measurements.

Gold(I)-Coumarin-Caffeine-Based Complexes as New Potential Anti-Inflammatory and Anticancer Trackable Agents.

Three new gold(I)-coumarin-based trackable therapeutic complexes and two non-trackable analogues have been synthesised and fully characterised. They all display anti-proliferative properties on several types of cancer cell lines, including those of colon, breast, and prostate. Two complexes displayed significant anti-inflammatory effects; one displayed pro-inflammatory behaviour; this highlights the impact of the position of the fluorophore on the caffeine scaffold. Additionally, the three coumarin derivatives could be visualised in vitro by two-photon microscopy.

Nitric Oxide Is a Promising Enhancer for Cancer Therapy

This report summarizes the present state of our knowledge pertaining to the nitric oxide (NO)-induced sensitization of tumor cell death. The effects of NO and its synergy with ionizing radiations, with members of the TNF family, and with chemotherapy have been investigated. The effect of NO-induced sensitization and the underlying molecular mechanisms are discussed.

Near-infrared emitting fluorescent homobimetallic gold(I) complexes displaying promising in vitro and in vivo therapeutic properties

International audience; Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) has the potential to specifically destroy tumor cells without damaging the tissues infiltrated by the tumor. BNCT is a binary treatment method based on the combination of two agents that have no effect when applied individually: 10B and thermal neutrons. Exclusively, the combination of both produces an effect, whose extent depends on the amount of 10B in the tumor but also on the organs at risk. It is not yet possible to determine the 10B concentration in a specific tissue using non-invasive methods. At present, it is only possible to measure the 10B concentration in blood and to estimate the boron concentration in tissues based o…

Exploration of Fas S-Nitrosylation by the Biotin Switch Assay

International audience; S-nitrosylation is the covalent attachment of nitric oxide radical to the thiol side chain of cysteine. The death receptor Fas/CD95 can be S-nitrosylated in cancer cell lines by NO donors or iNOS activation. This posttranslational modification (PTM) induces Fas aggregation into lipid rafts and enhances FasL-mediated signaling and apoptosis. In this report, we describe the detection of Fas S-nitrosylation by the most commonly used method, the biotin switch assay (BSA) technique, that allows the detection of this very labile covalent modification in cells or tissues. Briefly, this technique relies on the ability of ascorbate to reduce the covalent bond between the NO r…

Dérivé de la bléomycine générant moins de ROS ? Moins de fibrose ? Une alternative dans le développement d’une thérapie anticancéreuse efficace mais moins toxique

Deglycobleomycin (DBLM), the aglycon of the glycopeptide antitumor drug bleomycin (BLM), was first used since 1980 during comparative studies between BLM and DBLM in order to elucidate the role of the sugar component in the mechanism of action of BLM. In fact, the deglycosylation of BLM reduce the toxicity of this molecule and fails to produce reactive oxygen species, responsible for pulmonary fibrosis, and for anti-neoplastic activity of BLM. This causes toxic DNA lesions and ultimately leads to cell death. The therapeutic use of BLM is limited by a dose-dependent lung toxicity that eventually leads to fibrosis. Testing BLM-derivative molecules and defining their molecular mechanisms invol…

Toll-like Receptor 2 and 4 in Cancer Immunotherapy: Is Nitric Oxide a Mediator?

A Promising Family of Fluorescent Water-Soluble aza-BODIPY Dyes for in Vivo Molecular Imaging.

A new family of water-soluble and bioconjugatable aza-BODIPY fluorophores was designed and synthesized using a boron- functionalization strategy. These dissymmetric bis-ammonium aza-BODIPY dyes present optimal properties for a fluorescent probe; i.e., they are highly water-soluble, very stable in physiological medium; they do not aggregate in PBS, possess high quantum yield; and finally, they can be easily bioconjugated to antibodies. Preliminary in vitro and in vivo studies were performed for one of these fluorophores to image PD-L1 (Programmed Death-Ligand 1), highlighting the high potential of these new probes for future in vivo optical imaging studies.

Post-Translational Regulation of Fas/CD95 in Cell Death and Survival: Role of Nitric Oxide

Lipid A-Induced Responses In Vivo

The lipid A analogs used in preclinical studies and clinical trials are not naturally-occurring forms of lipid A; they are synthetic molecules produced to be less toxic than lipid A itself and they do not reproduce the effects of natural lipid A molecules especially in vivo. The responses induced by lipid A analogs are summarized in this chapter: their fate in the blood stream and their toxicity as well as the lipid A tolerance and the tumor immune responses they induce. Lipid A is not found in the mammalian organism under normal circumstances so its use in cancer therapy raises important questions as to its different effects in vivo and its toxicity, particularly in cancer patients. Lipid …

Nitric Oxide-Releasing Drug Glyceryl Trinitrate Targets JAK2/STAT3 Signaling, Migration and Invasion of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive disease with invasive and metastasizing properties associated with a poor prognosis. The STAT3 signaling pathway has shown a pivotal role in cancer cell migration, invasion, metastasis and drug resistance of TNBC cells. IL-6 is a main upstream activator of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. In the present study we examined the impact of the NO-donor glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) on the activation of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway and subsequent migration, invasion and metastasis ability of TNBC cells through in vitro and in vivo experiments. We used a subtoxic dose of carboplatin and/or recombinant IL-6 to activate the JAK2/STAT3 signaling path…

S-nitrosylation of the death receptor fas promotes fas ligand-mediated apoptosis in cancer cells.

International audience; BACKGROUND & AIMS: Fas belongs to the family of tumor necrosis factor receptors which induce apoptosis. Many cancer cells express Fas but do not undergo Fas-mediated apoptosis. Nitric oxide reverses this resistance by increasing levels of Fas at the plasma membrane. We studied the mechanisms by which NO affects Fas function. METHODS: Colon and mammary cancer cell lines were incubated with the NO donor glyceryl trinitrate or lipid A; S-nitrosylation of Fas was monitored using the biotin switch assay. Fas constructs that contained mutations at cysteine residues that prevent S-nitrosylation were used to investigate the involvement of S-nitrosylation in Fas-mediated cell…

Itinéraire d’un agent double

Protein S-nitrosylation is now recognized as a ubiquitous regulatory mechanism. Like any post-translational modifications, S-nitrosylation is critical for the control of numerous cellular processes. It is now clear that S-nitrosylation is playing a double game, enhancing or inhibiting the tumor growth or the induction of cell death. Thanks to research aimed at demonstrating NO cytotoxic effects, new therapeutic strategies based on NO donor drugs have emerged. Although therapeutic NO donors can target a large number of proteins, the cellular mechanism is still not fully understood. This review reflects the current state of knowledge on S-nitrosylated proteins that take part of the oncogenic …

Protein kinase inhibitor-based cancer therapies: Considering the potential of nitric oxide (NO) to improve cancer treatment.

The deregulation of a wide variety of protein kinases is associated with cancer cell initiation and tumor progression. Owing to their indispensable function in signaling pathways driving malignant cell features, protein kinases constitute major therapeutic targets in cancer. Over the past two decades, intense efforts in drug development have been dedicated to this field. The development of protein kinase inhibitors (PKIs) have been a real breakthrough in targeted cancer therapy. Despite obvious successes across patients with different types of cancer, the development of PKI resistance still prevails. Combination therapies are part of a comprehensive approach to address the problem of drug r…

Innate immune response triggered by triacyl lipid A is dependent on phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) gene expression

Hexaacyl lipopolysaccharide (LPS) aggregates in aqueous media, but its partially deacylated lipid A moiety forms monomers with weaker toxicity. Because plasma phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) transfers hexaacyl LPS, its impact on metabolism and biological activity of triacyl lipid A in mice was addressed. Triacyl lipid A bound readily to plasma high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) when active PLTP was expressed [HDL-associated lipid A after 4.5 h: 59.1+/-16.0% of total in wild-type (WT) vs. 32.5+/-10.3% in PLTP-deficient mice, P0.05]. In the opposite to hexaacyl LPS, plasma residence time of lipid A was extended by PLTP, and proinflammatory cytokines were produced in higher amounts in WT th…

Precision medicine in breast cancer: reality or utopia?

International audience; Many cancers, including breast cancer, have demonstrated prognosis and support advantages thanks to the discovery of targeted therapies. The advent of these new approaches marked the rise of precision medicine, which leads to improve the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of cancer. Precision medicine takes into account the molecular and biological specificities of the patient and their tumors that will influence the treatment determined by physicians. This new era of medicine is accessible through molecular genetics platforms, the development of high-speed sequencers and means of analysis of these data. Despite the spectacular results in the treatment of cancers inc…

Design of a multifunctionalizable BODIPY platform for the facile elaboration of a large series of gold(i)-based optical theranostics.

A simple trifunctional BODIPY platform was designed. The high potential of this platform was validated via the elaboration of twelve optical theranostics. More specifically, we reported on the synthesis, the characterization, the photophysical properties, and the evaluation of the hydrophilicity properties of the different BODIPY derivatives, as well as a theoretical rationalization of the intriguing chemical behavior of some of them. The antiproliferative evaluation and confocal imaging of the different compounds in three human and murine cancer cell lines were performed and analysed, along with the measurement of gold(I) uptake in one cancer cell line via ICP-MS.

Deglycosylated bleomycin triggers apoptosis in laryngeal carcinoma cells in a caspase and reactive oxygen species independent manner

Background:  Bleomycin-A2, a member of a family of glycopeptide antibiotics, has potent antitumor activity against a range of lymphomas, head and neck cancer and germ cell tumors. However, little is known about the biologic activity of the carbohydrate moiety in Bleomycin-A2-induced cytotoxicity. Methods:  We compared the capacity of Bleomycin-A2 and its deglycosylated form (deglycoBleomycin-A2) to induce cell death. Apoptosis was analyzed by cell nuclear staining with Hoechst 33342 dye and DNA fragmentation. The signal transduction pathway was measured through Western blotting and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Results:  When tested on HEp-2 laryngeal carcinoma cells, Bleomyc…

Docosahexaenoic Acid Induces Increases in [Ca2+]ivia Inositol 1,4,5-Triphosphate Production and Activates Protein Kinase Cγ and -δ via Phosphatidylserine Binding Site: Implication in Apoptosis in U937 Cells

We investigated, in monocytic leukemia U937 cells, the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6 n-3) on calcium signaling and determined the implication of phospholipase C (PLC) and protein kinase C (PKC) in this pathway. DHA induced dose-dependent increases in [Ca2+]i, which were contributed by intracellular pool, via the production of inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) and store-operated Ca2+ (SOC) influx, via opening of Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels. Chemical inhibition of PLC, PKCgamma, and PKCdelta, but not of PKCbeta I/II, PKCalpha, or PKCbetaI, significantly diminished DHA-induced increases in [Ca2+]i. In vitro PKC assays revealed that DHA induced a approximately 2-fol…

Coumarin-Phosphine-Based Smart Probes for Tracking Biologically Relevant Metal Complexes: From Theoretical to Biological Investigations

International audience; Ten metal-based complexes and associated ligands have been synthesized and characterized. One of the metal ligands is a coumarin-phosphine derivative, which displays tunable fluorescence properties. The fluorescence is quenched in the case of the free ligand and ruthenium and osmium complexes, whereas it is strong for the gold complexes and phosphonium derivatives. These trends were rationalized by theoretical calculations, which revealed non-radiative channels involving a dark state for the free ligands that is lower in energy than the emissive state and is responsible for the quenching of fluorescence. For the Ru-II and Os-II complexes, other non-radiative channels…

Development of an Easily Bioconjugatable Water-Soluble Single-Photon Emission-Computed Tomography/Optical Imaging Bimodal Imaging Probe Based on the aza-BODIPY Fluorophore

A water-soluble fluorescent aza-BODIPY platform (Wazaby) was prepared and functionalized by a polyazamacrocycle agent and a bioconjugable arm. The resulting fluorescent derivative was characterized and bioconjugated onto a trastuzumab monoclonal antibody as a vector. After bioconjugation, the imaging agent appeared to be stable in serum (>72 h at 37 °C) and specifically labeled HER-2-positive breast tumors slices. The bioconjugate was radiolabeled with [111In] indium and studied in vivo. The developed monomolecular multimodal imaging probe (MOMIP) is water-soluble and chemically and photochemically stable, emits in the near infrared (NIR) region (734 nm in aqueous media), and displays a goo…

H89 enhances the sensitivity of cancer cells to glyceryl trinitrate through a purinergic receptor-dependent pathway

// Marion Cortier 1, 2, 3 , Rahamata Boina-Ali 1, 2, 3 , Cindy Racoeur 1, 2, 3 , Catherine Paul 1, 2, 3 , Eric Solary 2, 4, 5 , Jean-Francois Jeannin 1, 2, 3 , Ali Bettaieb 1, 2, 3 1 EPHE, Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Laboratory, Dijon, F-21000, France 2 Inserm U866, Dijon, F-21000, France 3 EA7269, University of Burgundy, Dijon, F-21000, France 4 Inserm UMR1009, Gustave Roussy Institute, Villejuif F-94805, France 5 University Paris-Sud, Faculty of Medicine, Le Kremlin-Bicetre, F-94800, France Correspondence to: Ali Bettaieb, e-mail: ali.bettaieb@u-bourgogne.fr Keywords: H89, GTN, cancer, purinergic receptors, cGMP Received: October 08, 2014      Accepted: January 09, 2015      Publis…

Nitric Oxide and Platinum-Derivative-Based Regimens for Cancer Treatment: From Preclinical Studies to Clinical Trials

Abstract Chemoresistance to platinum-based antitumor agents remains a major hindrance faced by patients with a wide variety of solid tumors. New effective strategies are still needed to improve chemosensitization and overcome chemoresistance of tumors by platinum-based chemotherapies. Over the past decade, considerable knowledge on the antitumor effect of nitric oxide (NO) and its mechanisms of action has been gained. Here, we provide an overview of the basic mechanisms of resistance to platinum-based drugs and how NO can bypass this chemotherapy resistance. Preclinical and clinical studies focused on combination therapy using platinum chemotherapeutic drugs with NO donors have demonstrated…

Highly antiproliferative neutral Ru(ii)-arene phosphine complexes

Six ruthenium(II)- and four gold(I)-phosphine based complexes were synthesized and fully characterized. Some of them displayed strong antiproliferative properties for several types of cancer including colon, breast, and lung. Notably, two of the Ru(II) complexes displayed an IC50 of around 2 μM, which is exceptional for these types of complexes. The dramatic impact of the nature of the arene coordinated on the ruthenium center was clearly evidenced.

Anticancer Agents: Does a Phosphonium Behave Like a Gold(I) Phosphine Complex? Let a “Smart” Probe Answer!

Gold phosphine complexes, such as auranofin, have been recognized for decades as antirheumatic agents. Clinical trials are now underway to validate their use in anticancer or anti-HIV treatments. However, their mechanisms of action remain unclear. A challenging question is whether the gold phosphine complex is a prodrug that is administered in an inactive precursor form or rather that the gold atom remains attached to the phosphine ligand during treatment. In this study, we present two novel gold complexes, which we compared to auranofin and to their phosphonium analogue. The chosen ligand is a phosphine-based smart probe, whose strong fluorescence depends on the presence of the gold atom. …

Gold( i )–BODIPY–imidazole bimetallic complexes as new potential anti-inflammatory and anticancer trackable agents

International audience; Two new gold(I)–BODIPY–imidazole based trackable therapeutic bimetallic complexes have been synthesized and fully characterized. They display strong antiproliferative properties on several types of cancers including colon, breast, and prostate and one of them presents a significant anti-inflammatory effect. Additionally, the two compounds could be visualised in vitro by confocal microscopy in the submicromolar range.

CCDC 1420553: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

Related Article: Lucile Dondaine, Daniel Escudero, Moussa Ali, Philippe Richard, Franck Denat, Ali Bettaieb, Pierre Le Gendre, Catherine Paul, Denis Jacquemin, Christine Goze and Ewen Bodio|2016|Eur.J.Inorg.Chem.||545|doi:10.1002/ejic.201501304

CCDC 1014822: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

Related Article: Moussa Ali , Lucile Dondaine , Anais Adolle , Carla Sampaio , Florian Chotard , Philippe Richard , Franck Denat , Ali Bettaieb , Pierre Le Gendre , Véronique Laurens , Christine Goze , Catherine Paul , and Ewen Bodio|2015|J.Med.Chem.|58|4521|doi:10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b00480

CCDC 1014823: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

Related Article: Moussa Ali , Lucile Dondaine , Anais Adolle , Carla Sampaio , Florian Chotard , Philippe Richard , Franck Denat , Ali Bettaieb , Pierre Le Gendre , Véronique Laurens , Christine Goze , Catherine Paul , and Ewen Bodio|2015|J.Med.Chem.|58|4521|doi:10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b00480

CCDC 1420552: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

Related Article: Lucile Dondaine, Daniel Escudero, Moussa Ali, Philippe Richard, Franck Denat, Ali Bettaieb, Pierre Le Gendre, Catherine Paul, Denis Jacquemin, Christine Goze and Ewen Bodio|2016|Eur.J.Inorg.Chem.||545|doi:10.1002/ejic.201501304

CCDC 1014821: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

Related Article: Moussa Ali , Lucile Dondaine , Anais Adolle , Carla Sampaio , Florian Chotard , Philippe Richard , Franck Denat , Ali Bettaieb , Pierre Le Gendre , Véronique Laurens , Christine Goze , Catherine Paul , and Ewen Bodio|2015|J.Med.Chem.|58|4521|doi:10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b00480